Center Community Chat #35

Thank you for taking the time to recognize our amazing teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Your kind words, notes, and gestures mean so much to our staff. Families do not always see the countless hours, love, patience, and dedication our teachers and staff pour into making Center the incredible school community that it is each and every day.

This work is not always easy, but our educators continue to show up for students with compassion, commitment, and heart. This week, let’s take a moment to honor and celebrate the meaningful and challenging work they do to support every child’s growth and success.

We are truly grateful for their dedication and for the support of our wonderful families.

State House Visit:

This Monday our fourth grade will visit the state house. We are looking forward to hearing them perform and learn about our state's capital building!

MCAS: Our fourth grader finished strong this week, and we only have a few makeups to complete!

Field Day: Classroom teachers will let you know what color t-shirt your children can wear for field day!

Student Council Reminders:

May 22nd- Teachers dress like a student day/students dress like a teacher!

Enjoy your weekend and the warmer weather!

Donna & Jenn

Prevention of tick-born illness begins with you!

1. The single most important thing you can do is check for ticks once a day. Favorite places ticks like to go on your body include areas between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, and neck, along the hairline, and behind the ears. Remove any attached tick as soon as possible and call your doctor if you have concerns about tick-born illness.

2. Use repellents that contain DEET on your exposed skin, and those that contain permethrin on your clothes.

3. Stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking to avoid ticks.

4. Wear long-sleeved, light colored shirts and long pants tucked into your socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot a tick on your clothing.

NOTE: There is currently no human vaccine available to protect against Lyme disease or any other tick-borne disease found in Massachusetts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4vpi1L3nIY

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Head lice can happen to anyone.

• It is not a sign of poor hygiene habits or of being dirty. Even though they do not jump or fly, lice can spread from one person to another by sharing personal items and by being in close contact with a person who has live lice.

• Unfortunately, there is no proven head lice deterrent that will prevent your child from getting head lice. The best you can do is stay alert for suspicious head scratching. Itching is an allergic reaction to chemicals in a head louse’s saliva. Not all kids will experience itching right away but catching this behavior early and treating it will help you stop a head lice problem at its roots.

• If you should discover a case of head lice, please call your pediatrician for treatment recommendations, notify the health office, as well as the parents of your child’s close contacts. This is the best way to protect your family and community.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me via email or phone call.

Please find the CPS academic calendar below.

Please note that parents/adults are not allowed to escort their child(ren) to their classroom on school days. Staff members will be in the main lobby to assist all students and guide them to their classrooms. We appreciate your assistance with this.

This year Massachusetts is offering all school lunch and breakfast at no charge to students. This does not automatically make families eligible for any other benefits. We strongly encourage families that feel they are eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition to fill out the online free and reduced meal application. The links can be found below. https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=lunchapps

If you do qualify for benefits you most likely will be eligible for SNAP benefits. https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps

Some examples of SNAP benefits are discounts on gas, electric utilities and internet services.

Please visit our school nutrition website at https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058 for more information about our program and also a link to the free and reduced lunch application.

Bus Safety:

Parents and caregivers, please support our bus drivers and reinforce expectations for bus safety. Administration has been actively working with NRT and riding buses to reinforce expectations with all students. The link below reviews expectations that are reviewed with all students. Thank you for your continued collaboration.

May
• Monday, May 18th- 4th Grade State House
• May 18-22: Teacher Appreciation Week
• Friday May 22- Student Council Spirit Day- Students dress like Teachers / Teachers dress like Students Day
• Mon, May 25: No school
• Wed, May 27: PTO meeting 7pm in Room 15 *
• Wed., May 27-June 1- Book Fair
• June

• • Monday, June 1: Bright Minds Book and Art night 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

  • Tuesday, June 2: Center presenting at the School Committee Meeting

  • Wednesday, June 3: Field Day

  • Thursday, June 4: Field Day Rain Date

  • Friday, June 5: Grade 3 Enrichment - Wingmasters

  • Monday, June 8: Fourth Grade Finale and Clap-in 12:15 pm

  • Friday, June 14: Chelmsford Spirit Day

  • Monday, June 15: Last Day for Students - ½ day

Center is not only a wonderful place to attend and learn but also a wonderful place to work, as many of our parents/grandparents can attest to.

Substitutes in all areas are always in high demand. Please look at the CPS district website if interested.

The first Monday of the month will be a "Let Your Kind Shine" spirit day. You are invited to wear tops that promote kindness.

The third Friday of the month is Chelmsford/Center Pride spirit day. Sport our district colors, maroon, white, and black.

* Dates may be adjusted due to holidays or breaks. Please look at the weekly calendar of events for specific dates.

A picture speaks a thousand words as they say, and we love to include these in our weekly updates and on the website through our Twitter feed. Please let email Ms. O’Hearn at ohearnc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us. if you do not want your child’s picture included in these forums.