Center Community Chat

Dear Center Community,

A wonderful week 2 with students and we look forward to 5 days with them next week.

We hope to see many of you at our first CSPTO meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 11th from 6:30-7:30 in the Center library. You can join in-person or virtually. See the CSPTO Pulse for more details and the link.

Drop Off and Pick Up Request

We ask that families leave their pets at home for drop off and pick up. We have several students and family members who are not at ease around dogs and want to ensure the comfort and safety of all.

Staff Update

We are fortunate to welcome two new para educators to Center school, Shamima Akter and Swati Pandey Saraswat.

Enjoy the weekend. Monday is a "Let Your Kind Shine" spirit day, so let's spread our message of kindness.

Warm Regards,

Dianna and Donna

The Chelmsford Public School District has implemented a new visitor management and screening service at every school building. The system is called Visitor Aware, and it is designed to ensure that only safe visitors are allowed access to our buildings. Visitor Aware provides an additional layer of security for your children by validating the identities of anyone entering the premises, determining if they are a potential threat, and keeping accurate records of all school visits.

Visitors are required to have a valid state issued identification card, such as a driver’s license, to check in to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. Valid identification is also used to ensure that the person checking in is the same as the ID holder. The identification card must be non-expired and contain a picture of the visitor.

The following information is collection during a check in:

• First Name

• Middle Name

Your name, date of birth, state, and sex are used to ensure you are not on any sexual offender registry across all 50 states, as well as ensuring you are not a national or international watch list such as FBI watch lists, OFAC blocked persons, DTC debarred parties, etc.

Your visitor profile may only be viewed by users specifically granted access by school administration and is not available outside the Visitor Aware administration area. Your information is never sold, transferred, or accessible to any person outside Visitor Aware, and all access to your visitor profile from within the Visitor Aware administration area is recorded.

Visitor Aware is a great addition to our already well secured buildings, and will further assist us in keeping all schools as safe as possible.

Dear Parents and Families --

To better estimate the demand for lunches on half days, CPS Nutrition utilizes online lunch ordering for HALF DAYS ONLY.

For the upcoming half day Wednesday 9/18/24 orders must be received by Friday 9/13/24.

2024-2025 CPS Upcoming Half Day/Early Release dates

● 9/18/24

● 10/24/24

● 11/20/24 (Elem & MS Only)

● 11/27/24

● 12/12/24

● 1/14/25

● 2/6/25

● 3/12/25

● 4/1/25

If you would like your child to have lunch on future half days, the online ordering is open for you to go ahead and select those dates. Set Up Your Account Now

Directions to set up your account and order: 1. URL Link: family.onlineordering.linq.com

2. Sign up now: Email, create password.

3. School District: Chelmsford Public Schools

4. Student ID: This can be found on x2- Child’s student ID number

5. Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, the student's name should appear on the page.

How to order meals

1. School Menu-select online lunch ordering (all schools)

2. Scroll to week of half day/early release date (top right of page)

3. Find date, select meal option

4. Add item to cart/Select Add to order

5. Click on shopping cart icon at top right of page

6. Click Check out

7. Select pick up location: Elementary pick-up location classroom. Middle/high school pick up location cafeteria.

8.Place Order

Dear Caregivers,

Thank you in advance for all of your efforts to help students prepare so they can be healthy and comfortable at Center School.

As you work on your new daily routines, please try to incorporate the following in your plans:

• Sleep: The CDC recommends 9-12 hours of sleep every night for children aged 6 to 12 years old. Please plan your child's bedtime to allow for enough rest.

• Breakfast: Encourage your child to eat a healthy breakfast every day.

• Dress: Help your child choose comfortable clothes and shoes for both learning and play. Include layers for changing temperatures and weather.

• Snack: Pack a nut-free snack and water bottle every day.

• Extra clothes: Include a full change of clothes (top, bottom, underwear, socks) in their backpack in case their clothes get soiled or torn after an injury, spill, illness, or bathroom accident.

• Plan for dismissals & sick days: Because illness and injuries come at unpredictable times, it is important to make a plan now so that you know who will care for your child when they need to stay home from school or be picked up early. Students who are dismissed from school for injury or illness need to be picked up within 30 minutes.

For more information on how caregivers can help kids to have a healthy school year, please visit healthychildren.org



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.

Music Class Volunteers Needed - Violin Tuning
Fourth-grade students learn violin as part of their curriculum in Music Class.
If you are able and would like to help tune violins before school, please contact Mr. McGillicuddy.
mcgillicuddyc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Thank you,

Christopher B. McGillicuddy
Music Teacher
Center Elementary School
mcgillicuddyc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Pronouns: he/him/his

Center School Music Instagram
Center School Music Website

• September

• Monday, September 9, Kindness Spirit Day

• Wednesday, September 11: Team Leader 8:00 Conference Room

• Wednesday, September 11:PTO meeting; 6:30-7:30 Library

• Tuesday, September 17: National Constitution Day

• Wednesday, September 18: Half day/Professional day

• Thursday, September 19: Curriculum Night, 5-6:15 PM grades 3&4, 7-8:15 PM grades K-2

• Friday, September 20: Chelmsford Spirit Day

October

• Thursday, October 3:- Picture Day

• Friday, October 4: co-president’s meeting 9:15-10:15

• Monday, October 7: Be Kind Spirit Wear day

• Thursday, October 10: Ice cream social; 5:00-6:00 & 6:00-7:00 (cafe for inclement weather)

• Monday, October 14: No School (Columbus day/Indigenous peoples day)

• Friday, October 18: Chelmsford Spirit Day

• Saturday, October 19: Trunk-or-Treat; 1:00-3:00 PM (rain date Oct. 26th)

• Thursday, October 24: Half day/Professional day

• Thursday, October 24: Lunch and Recess Aide mtg: 9:15 - 10:15

5 – 5:25 PM: Principal/Assistant Principal Presentation in the cafeteria for 3rd & 4th grade families

5:30 – 6:15 PM: Grades 3&4 Teacher Presentations.

6:15 – 7:00 PM: Specialists/ Reading/ Special Educators and Related support providers available in classrooms/offices

7 – 7:25 PM: Principal/ Assistant Principal Presentation in the cafeteria for K-2 grade families (The 5 PM presentation is repeated.)

7:30 – 8:15 PM: Grades K-2 Teacher Presentations

We kindly request that children remain at home during curriculum night.

I hope that everyone has a safe and healthy school year. In the event that your student has an illness or injury, please send one email to their teacher, the nurse and the main office.

For your convenience, here are the CPS guidelines for returning to school after illness:

We recommend that children do not come to school if they appear to be ill. We advise caregivers to keep students home if they have a sore throat, severe cold, rash, fever, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Students need to stay home if they have any of the following:

• Strep Throat: If strep throat is suspected and the child either has had a negative throat culture or has been on antibiotics and fever-free for a full 24 hours.

• A fever over 100: May return to school when he/she is fever-free for 24 hours without medication (e.g. Tylenol or Advil).

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea: May return to school 24 hours after his/her last vomiting and/or diarrhea episode.

• Red or pink itchy eyes with crusty and or green/yellow drainage: May return to school the day after treatment for 24 hours and has no further eye discharge.

• Head Lice or nits (eggs): The nurse will assess the student for the presence of head lice or nits. If head lice or nits are detected, the nurse will contact the parent/guardian and provide education on lice treatment. Based on the discretion of the school nurse, some situations may warrant a dismissal from school

• A rash of unknown cause: May require MD clearance at the discretion of the school nurse.

• After a major illness, injury or hospitalization, a doctor's note may be required to return to school. (ie: new cast/crutches/assistive device, and after stitches/surgery/hospital visit).

Parents/guardians are required to notify the school if your child contracts any contagious diseases (e.g. Chicken Pox, Strep Throat, Whooping Cough, Fifth’s Disease, Conjunctivitis, Scabies, Impetigo, Ringworm or Head Lice, etc.). If a child has been absent due to a communicable disease, a physician’s release may be required before returning to school.

Rose Remmetter Felzani, MSN, RN

Center School Nurse

Phone: 978-251-5155 (option 2)

Secure Fax: 978-926-0721

felzanir@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

she/her/hers

This year, and moving forward, 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.