CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

On this St. Patrick’s Day, the snow on the ground is making it difficult to scourer the landscape to find a 4-leaf clover; however, we may have a little “Luck o’ the Irish” as the winter Nor’easter has passed and the weather pattern looks much milder for next week. The phrase “Luck o’ the Irish” originated in America during the gold and silver rush in the second half of the 19th century, since a number of famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American decent. Over time, the association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression. The term was used as a way of explaining away the positive results for hard-working Irish miners. Even though this phrase did not originate in Ireland, what does is the traditional celebration of St. Patrick’s Day annually on March 17th, which is the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. Whether you are celebrating today or not, may your day be touched with some Irish luck!

Chelmsford High School (CHS) is undergoing an accreditation process through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The NEASC process reinforces the vertical alignment of the K-12 accreditation process designed to assist schools and districts to create a stronger Vision for Learning of a student's journey from kindergarten through graduation. Part of the process involves developing a school’s vision of a graduate. The CHS NEASC Committee is seeking your input about the school’s vision of a graduate. The committee is asking all Chelmsford community members complete a survey to gather input. This is for all families and residents that would like to participate – it is not restricted to having a student in the school district or CHS. The committee would appreciate it if you could kindly complete the survey by March 31, 2023. An informational video is available to learn more about the survey. If you have any questions about the survey or NEASC process, please reach out to the CHS NEASC Committee Chairs Mr. Matt Bartos (bartosm@chelmsford.k12.ma.us) or Dr. Linda Tanini (taninil@chelmsford.k12.ma.us).

Believe it or not, Monday March 20th marks the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of spring. With the sun getting higher in the sky and spring upon us, we will be enjoying more time outdoors soon enough. Spring also brings with it the next season of sports at CHS. Spring sports season starts next week at CHS with tryouts. Be sure to check out the upcoming sports schedules and come cheer on your favorite teams! Good luck to all our athletes as they transition to the spring season.

Please enjoy this week’s newsletter and have a wonderful weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here.

• Save the Date - CHS L.E.A.D. Club Empowerment Workshop, 3/18, 12:00 p.m.

• First Day of Spring, 3/20, All Day
• School Committee Meeting, 3/21, 6:00 p.m.
  

• CHS Winter Sports Awards, 3/21, 6:30 p.m.

• MMEA NE Junior District Festival Concert, 3/23, 10:30 a.m.

• Harrington Math Night, 3/23, 6:30 p.m.

• Second Annual McCarthy Cup, 3/24, All Day

• Byam Hootenanny Talent Show, 3/25, 6:00 p.m.

Chelmsford High School is currently in the process of its NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) reaccreditation. Part of this process involves developing our school’s vision of the graduate. Your input about our school’s vision is greatly appreciated. Please complete this Google Survey by March 31, 2023. A video that introduces the survey and its purpose is attached to the following Google Form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Matt Bartos, (bartosm@chelmsford.k12.ma.us) or Linda Tanini (taninil@chelmsford.k12.ma.us).

Twenty-two students in grades 4-6 at Chelmsford Public Schools were accepted to the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) All-State Treble Chorus, the MMEA announced on Friday, Mar. 10. Chelmsford’s 22 students were among 104 selected for the Treble Chorus across the state, marking the largest contingent from any school district. To read more about the MMEA student selections, please visit our website.

Ms. D’Souza is a member of the Massachusetts Youth Leadership Council, part of the Mass Mentoring Partnership, which provides mentoring relationships to young people as they enter adulthood. Only 17 students statewide were selected for the MYLC out of 60 applicants. Ms. D’Souza will attend Mass Mentoring Partnership’s 2023 Youth Mentoring Day at the Massachusetts Statehouse Wednesday, Mar. 22, where 200 people will gather to celebrate the importance of youth mentoring with legislators and ensure such programs are adequately funded. The Mass Mentoring Partnership is looking to raise funding from $1.5 million to 1.8 million for youth mentoring programs and education. To learn more about Ms. D'Souza, please visit our website.

On March 13, 2023, the National English Honors Society hosted its annual Trivia Night in the Black Box Theatre. Students and faculty teamed up in groups of three to seven people to answer literature-based questions in Jeopardy style. Questions were a part of one of six categories: Script to Screen, Dr. Suess, Lit Teachers, English History, English Semantics, and English Literature. This event brought in over $200 that will go towards a donation to the International Dyslexia Association.

MAEA Youth Art Month Virtual Exhibit featuring works by students across the state. Chelmsford has 50 students represented in this online exhibit. Youth Art Month (YAM), is celebrated nationally each March to bring awareness of the fact that visual art education is a viable factor in the total education curriculum that develops citizens of a global society. In Massachusetts during the month of March MAEA annually sponsors a Statewide preK-12 YAM Exhibit of student artworks submitted by art educators in public, private, and independent schools from across the state.

Chelmsford Public Schools has partnered with Paper to provide unlimited access to trained tutors so every student can ask questions, work through problems, and grow their confidence—at no cost to families.

Paper is an online, on-demand tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support. Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions for their writing, there will always be experts available online to assist students one-on-one in all subject areas and in more than four languages. See Paper FAQs to learn more.

Please use the following link to access the K-12 CPS Family and Student Handbook and CHS Handbook Addendum for the 2022/23 School Year.

The CPS Health Services Department is committed to providing evidence-based/ best practice holistic nursing care to the unique, culturally diverse students of Chelmsford Public Schools. In collaboration with all stakeholders, we advocate for their safety and healthcare needs. We are dedicated professionals who are committed to bridging health care with education and making a positive impact on the present and future wellness of Chelmsford’s school community. Please visit the Health Services page on the website for all your health services needs.

The Chelmsford Public Schools utilizes School Spring to advertise job postings and the online application process. To apply for any of our positions, please visit our website.

The mission of the Chelmsford Public Schools is to educate, engage, prepare, and empower well-rounded and knowledgeable learners who PERSEVERE through challenges, demonstrate RESPECT and INTEGRITY in their words and actions, are DEDICATED to their community, and display EMPATHY as global citizens while discovering and pursuing their full potential.

Email: information@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://chelmsfordschools.org
Location: 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 251-5100
Facebook: facebook.com/chelmsfordpublicschools
Twitter: @ChelmsfordPS