Superintendent's Weekly Updates

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🎉 Scroll to read information and news from the school district, our individual schools, and information from our community partners! 🎉

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• District Updates
• Athletic Department Updates
• Extended Learning Updates
• Berkowitz School Updates
• Hooks School Updates
• Sokolowski School Updates
• Clark Ave. Middle School Updates
• Wright Science & Technology Academy Updates
• Chelsea High School Updates
• Chelsea Opportunity Academy Updates
• Chelsea Virtual Learning Academy Updates
• Messages from Community Partners

At the Chelsea School Committee meeting on Thursday night, the Chelsea High School Boys Soccer team was recognized for winning the Greater Boston League! The team finished with a 13-4-2 record and reached the Round of 32 of the state tournament. Congratulations!

CPS is strengthening its commitment to the well-being of every student by expanding mental health and social-emotional supports across all grade levels. Through new partnerships, additional staff, and innovative programs, CPS is ensuring students have the tools and resources they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

The entire Chelsea Public Schools Buildings & Grounds team was recognized with Name, Strength and Story Awards at the School Committee meeting on Thursday night. The team was honored for all they to do to maintain our school buildings and for how they truly know and support the students and staff of Chelsea Public Schools. Thank you for all that you do!

📸 | Staff members who were able to attend the meeting are photographed below 🔽

Early Learning Center Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

Mary C. Burke Elementary Complex Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

Williams School Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

Clark Avenue Middle School Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

Chelsea High School Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

District-Wide Buildings & Grounds staff who attended the School Committee meeting

We are so proud of our CHS students in Interact Club who volunteered at Chelsea Reads on Saturday at the Chelsea Public Library! CPS staff members read to students as part of the 20th annual event that invites youth into the library for a day of reading and learning.

CPS Superintendent Dr. Almudena G. Abeyta received the inaugural Torchbearer Award from Ignite Reading for being a literacy champion! Congratulations, Dr. Abeyta!

Chelsea students faced Revere students in a fun game of Unified Basketball. It has been so exciting watching the program take off and we are so excited for what the future holds for inclusive opportunities for all of our students.

Winter Sports Try Outs.

For more information email: atheletics@chelseaschools.com

Join Chelsea Athletics on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Chelsea Memorial Stadium for a morning of fun and fitness while supporting a great cause. Choose between a 5K run ($30) or a 3K run/walk ($25), and don’t miss the free 400m kids’ run for children 10 and under (starting at 9:30 a.m.). Proceeds benefit the J. Barry Dwyer Memorial Scholarship and the Chelsea High School track, field, and cross-country programs. Register by November 6 to receive a T-shirt!

Our CPS/FKO Afterschool Enrichment students have been busy learning, creating, and exploring!

In STEM, students made their own lava lamps while learning about the science behind how they work; exploring how oil, water, food coloring, salt, and soap interact through density and chemical reactions. In Art, students got creative with name art, experimenting with different textures and media like paint, glue, and salt to bring their designs to life. Meanwhile, our SEL group focused on growth mindset, reflecting on how challenges help us learn and how a positive attitude can make all the difference.

It’s been a hands-on, inspiring week of learning and fun at the Complex!

We are excited to share a new opportunity for our middle school students. Through our collaboration with the Play Ball Foundation, CPS is expanding our intramural sports offerings and giving more students a chance to compete, connect, and thrive.

This program has already launched with soccer and basketball for students at the Browne, Clark and Wright Middle Schools. The partnership supports funding for school uniforms, equipment and more.

Girls on the Run

The ladies in the Girls on the Run middle school program, HEART & SOLE, are in their final week of practice and strength training before their big 5K race in Boston Common next Sunday the 16th!

Yearbook Committee

The Yearbook Committee Club with Ms. Metsky and Ms. Waxman at the CAMS is astounding! The students are starting to explore the different roles of a yearbook staff, they've evaluated and reflected on their first graphic assignment, and completed a mini-lesson on photo skills.

Intramural Updates from the Clark Ave. Middle School

It is the final week of the 7th and 8th grade basketball seasons. The Clark Avenue girls can be seen here competing in a very close game last Friday, while the WSTA boys are preparing for their last game. The winner of their game vs the Clark Ave boys will determine which team has the best record for this year.

WSTA Boys Basketball team practices passing fundamentals in preparation for their games this Friday

Yearbook Club, run by WSTA’s Art teacher Mrs. Porto is hard at work planning the early stages of the yearbook.

WSTA Extended Learning IDEAS in Medicine:

Tufts University medical students joined Mr. Ruggiero and the Extended Learning Club for an engaging session on the science behind practicing medicine. Students explored how stethoscopes work and learned why doctors rely on them to examine patients and monitor health.

WSTA & BMS Girls On The Run team continues to train for their upcoming 5k race in Boston

The Berkowitz School received a congratulatory banner from iReady for their Math Stretch Growth success. Brian O'Mara from iReady came in to deliver the banner along with other iready goodies that will be shared with students when they come to the "Green Room" this winter. The "Green Room" is where they come to pick a small prize for showing growth in iReady.

This week in math in 105 we began exploring subtraction. We used strategies we learned from previous years as well as began our work with the standard algorithm. We used the “random groupings” strategy from the Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics book. The trios enjoyed sharing their thinking and working together to solve problems!

This week, first grade students have been studying the seven continents as part of their geography unit. In 220 students worked together to create a world map that they can reference throughout the school year. Through maps, books, and classroom discussions, they are learning to identify each continent and explore key characteristics, such as climate, cultures, and animals. Students are developing a greater understanding of the world around them and how each continent contributes to our global community.

Students in 318 worked together to review and strengthen their understanding of fractions and decimals that represent the same amount with a card sort activity.

2nd graders created visual representations of forest habitats to show their understanding of how plants and animals depend on their habitats to survive. In their representations, they showed plants depending on the sun, animals depending on water and other animals to survive, and more. They also practiced using nonfiction text features like labels and captions to explain their illustrations.

Students across grades 1-4 participated in an engaging session led by our Speech and Language Pathologist, Brianna Rodriguez, in celebration of AAC Awareness Month. The presentation helped students better understand the many ways people communicate and the importance of inclusive communication. Our FA staff also received training to support students in using their AAC devices more consistently. Members of the Student Council have also been visiting the FA room to model device use and encourage meaningful peer communication.

Our Sokolowski School Student Council representatives are working on being Cooperation Mavens by working with the students in our Functional Academics program. Each week they will have a different activity to do together. We kicked off this collaboration this week by making bead spiders.

We would also like to recognize the great leadership of our Principal, Mr. Camilo Machado. His continuous support and dedication play a key role in strengthening communication and collaboration across our school community. We truly appreciate his commitment to our students, families, and staff.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is less than two weeks away! November 17-21 students will visit with their classes to shop at the book fair. Parents and families are invited during Parent Teacher Conferences on the 18th. Every purchase benefits our school. More information at this website: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/clarkavenuemiddleschool

These are a few costumes from Character Day last Friday at WSTA. Jessie and her horse Bullseye, 6th grade history teacher Mrs. Aldrich as a colonialist describing how hard life was wearing a full skirt, bodice and petticoats, Mike Wazowski and 1 donut short of a dozen.

Our students and staff from the Chelsea High School Cantare, Concert Band and Orchestra performed at the Veterans Home at Chelsea as part of their Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday! Students performed musical pieces to celebrate and honor those who have served.

On Wednesday we finished our final class of Financial Literacy with Members Plus Credit Union. Paulette Goodreau, the Branch Manager facilitated all 4 weeks. We left with a better understanding of banking, loans, credit cards, student loans and scholarships. Most of all a possible internship for 2 of our students.

The Chelsea High School Drama Club will be presenting our first production of the year, the farcical comedy Rumors by Neil. The play will go up December 4, 5 and 6, in the CHS auditorium at 7pm. Ticket prices are $8 at the door, and $5 if purchased in advance.

Please contact our Drama Club advisor and director, Iliana Valentin, or producer, Bryan Pinales, with any questions and to purchase tickets in advance.

Here is a list of students involved in the production you will be supporting by coming to see the play:

Aimee Hernandez

Karla Anzora

Amy (Ronnie) Padilla

Joslany Peters

Adriann Best

Sheyly Fajardo

Jaylannie Hunter

Natali (Yuki) Sanches

Khadijatou (Girlie) Bajinka

Arwa Ait-Chaib

Jadiel Canelas Nunez

Melanie Soto

Sofia Guerrero

Kenneth Corado

Ny'Jala Cheek-Cooper

Eliel Canelas Nunez

Aleena Rivera

Andrea Pascual

This week, COA students explored careers in aviation mechanics by visiting the Aviation Academy in Concord, MA. Students learned about the program and the different career opportunities that come with it. Additionally, COA announced its 8th annual COA Thanksgiving this week! Each year, COA hosts students, alumni, faculty, family and friends for an evening of food, community and celebration

CVLA Middle and High School Health Classes learned about smoking and drug prevention from Yasmine Hung from Healthy Chelsea, who visited classes this week. Thank you Yasmine for educating us all on the benefits of prevention!

Art walk and Youth Elemento

During :in person days" with our CVLA staff members, CVLA students walked the extensive public art walk in Chelsea, discussing the various art representing the diverse neighborhoods and ethnic communities in Chelsea. After our walk, we met at Youth Elemento on Broadway with Director Wendy Mancia and her team to learn about the great services this special drop in center offers to all Chelsea youth between the ages of 16-26.

As part of the day, 9th grader Mela taught students and staff members how to crocheting as a strategy to manage stress.

Hale Reservation

The next day, the students participated in “challenge by choice” at Hale Reservation in Westwood Ma, building their leadership skills and climbing the high ropes course! We are so proud of each student, who participated and learned that they are braver and stronger than they even imagined! They demonstrated great team work as well!

9th grader Juli is pictured on top of a 60 foot wall she successfully climbed! Don’t look down, Juli!

Exercising her Civic Duty

We are so proud of our Class of 2024 alumna Nicole R, who voted on Tuesday at the Williams Complex voting polls. Nicole is a Junior at Salem State University, majoring in Social Work.

Keeping it Moving

We are equally proud of Class of 2025, Alumnus Jaden H. who is currently working at Logan Airport fueling planes. Jaden secured this job through connections he established through his internship with Alaskan Airlines. Jaden is also pursuing his commercial pilot’s licence. He was recently featured in a story about the CPS Aviation Program. CPS Student Pilots Featured on CBS Boston (WBZ-TV) Superintendent Weekly Update 10/24/25 He is pictured next to the Cessna plane he flies during pilot training.

The annual City of Chelsea Veterans Day Celebration and Ceremony is on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Morris H. Seigal Clark Avenue Middle School.

Students from the Chelsea High School Cantare will sing at the event. This year’s celebration will feature a guest speaker from the Wounded Warrior Project, along with a complimentary lunch for attendees. All community members are invited to come together in gratitude for those who have served.

Boston University Upward Bound Math Science has openings for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students who want to go to college

The Chelsea Kiwanis Club has proudly adopted the Healthy Chelsea MicroPantry at Iglesia La Luz De Cristo/SELAH (738 Broadway) — helping ensure local families have access to essential items year-round.

Community members can support this effort by donating shelf-stable food and hygiene products.

Donations may also be dropped off at the Chelsea School Department, 500 Broadway, Room #216.

The Chelsea Eats Food Drive is collecting non-perishable food items to help feed more than 10,000 residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits this November.

Donations can be dropped off at Chelsea City Hall (basement level, 500 Broadway) during regular hours. Items most needed include canned vegetables, proteins, soups, pasta, grains, boxed milk, tomato sauce, and other shelf-stable foods.

Learn more at www.chelsea.gov/food or call (617) 466-4209.