McCarthy Family Update
October 13, 2025
Hello McCarthy Families,
I hope you are doing well and take some time to slow down during this long weekend. As mentioned in the Welcome Back letter I sent in August, in addition to the Weekly Bulletin sent from the main office on Fridays, I will continue to share a more detailed "McCarthy Family Update" throughout the school year to help ensure that we are all operating with the same information.
From my view, we are off to a great start again, and I am very impressed at how the students and staff have adjusted to the new school year. It is just our third year of the middle school reconfiguration, and each year we are moving in the right direction.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read these updates and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Stay well,
Jeff
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
Our after school clubs/activities begin tomorrow! I encourage all students to take advantage of these programs. This is a fantastic way to get involved, meet some other students with similar interests, and have fun with staff in a non-traditional setting.
The Activity Card fee is $50 per student. This year, we will be collecting fees using the "MySchoolBucks" platform. This is the same program that handles our bus registration and payment. Please see attached registration information if you do not already have an account.
The late bus routes will be posted in the school and we will help all students figure out which late bus they will take. All buses will pick up in front of the school, and students getting picked up will use the rear lot as we do during the "regular" school day. We will start with this procedure and adjust if needed.
CLASS OF 1970 REUNION
On Saturday, October 11th, I had the opportunity to welcome the CHS Class of 1970 to McCarthy and provide a tour of our school. They were the last group to graduate from McCarthy when the building served as Chelmsford High School. The reunion was a great way to spend Saturday morning, as I got to meet CHS grads who traveled a long way to participate, including from Florida, Texas, and Alaska! Naturally, several are still local, and they all had a wonderful experience. They expressed amazement at the facility's updates and quality, and it was awesome to witness their nostalgic journey!
*Disclaimer: I was not a member of this class:)
McCARTHY WEEKLY BULLETIN & SUPERINTENDENT'S NEWSLETTER
Each Friday, the McCarthy Weekly Bulletin comes from our main office at 2:30PM (Thank You, Mrs. Mannion!) The bulletin is very detailed and has lots of information for our families to keep you up to speed on all-things-McCarthy. I encourage you to give it a look regularly, and I have linked this week's info here for your convenience: https://secure.smore.com/n/65pk9
Dr. Lang also sends a weekly communication on Friday evenings. This is a broader look at the entire district, and is a fantastic way to stay informed on our entire district. Here is a link to the most recent communication from the Superintendent: https://secure.smore.com/n/xu6yf
IMPORTANT DATES
OCTOBER 2025:
Tuesday Oct 14th: After School Activities begin
Thursday, October 23rd: Early Dismissal at 11:00AM
Friday October 31st: Happy Halloween & Costumes for a Cause! End of Term 1. Trick or Treat in Chelmsford: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
NOVEMBER 2025:
Sunday, November 2nd: Daylight Savings-Turn Clocks Back 1 Hour
Monday, November 3rd: Begin Term 2
Tuesday, November 4th: No School for Students. Full PD Day for CPS staff
Saturday, Nov 8th: Recycling Day at McCarthy - 8:00AM-12:00PM - Student help needed! (See below)
Monday, November 10th: Picture Retakes
Tuesday, November 11th: Veteran's Day - No School
Thursday, November 13th: PTO Meeting - Virtual - 6:30PM
Wednesday, November 19th: Early Dismissal for Students at 11:00AM - parent/teacher conferences - Elementary & Middle only.
Wednesday November 26th: Early Dismissal for students - 11:00AM
Thursday & Friday November 27th & 28th: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
HALLOWEEN & "COSTUMES FOR A CAUSE" AT McCARTHY
On Friday, October 31st, we will host our 3rd Annual "Costumes for a Cause event." We invite (and encourage) all students and staff to wear a costume to school, and donate 1 dollar to Project 300. With 100% participation, we could raise over $900 for our annual food drive. This is a fun and easy way to enjoy the holiday season and celebrate as a school community, while supporting our friends and neighbors in need.
*Additional rules and guidance on what is/is not appropriate for costumes here*
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RECYCLE DAY
On Saturday, November 8th (8am – 12pm) McCarthy & Center School PTOs are holding their very popular Recycle Day fundraiser, and they need volunteers!! Come help us greet drivers, unload donated items, and load those items into the recycle company's truck . All Middle & HS students are welcome to volunteer and earn up to 5 hours of community service. We also need parents to volunteer as well.
Signup at: https://signup.com/go/jzqsgGW
** Students 14 years and younger must have a parent/guardian volunteer with them**
Visit www.ptocenter.org/recycle-day for more information.
We appreciate your support!!
PROJECT 300
Project 300 is a huge part of the McCarthy School history. This annual event is the largest contributor to the Merrimack Valley's food collection for our friends and neighbors in need. I will reach out with specific information on Project 300 soon!
McCARTHY & PARKER PTO
Parker & McCarthy PTOs work collaboratively to provide community building activities, provide enrichment programs for our students and families and support our teachers. We encourage any middle school parent/guardian to join us to learn about upcoming events and activities throughout the school year.
We held our first meeting of the year in our McCarthy Library. It was well attended, and gave our new Assistant Principal, Chris Cowan, an opportunity to meet several of our supportive parents and families.
Moving forward, PTO meetings will be held virtually until May. We are hopeful that this will be more convenient for our families and teachers, and will help boost attendance and participation.
Meeting links will be shared out via newsletters and emails prior to the meeting. Upcoming events, activities and additional information can also be found on the new PTO website: https://pto.chelmsfordschools.org/mccarthy-pto/
ATTENDANCE
If your child is going to be absent from school, you can either email or call to let us know.
Email: mccarthy_attendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Please Send Email: Prior to 9am on the day of the absence (same as current voicemail option)
Please Include:Child’s name, Grade, Reason for absence
I encourage you to use the email option when reporting an absence, dismissal, etc. Parents are still free to use the phone system to report absences, but you are encouraged to use email for greater office efficiency.
If you prefer, you can certainly call the attendance line prior to 9:00am, at 978-251-5122, choose Option 1.
In order for an absence to be marked as "Excused", families will need to provide medical documentation.
Thank you for your understanding.
McCarthy Middle School
Email: parksj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://mccarthy.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 250 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5122
Instagram & X: @Principal_Parks