CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and were able to enjoy some much-deserved rest over the long weekend. It is hard to believe that in just three short weeks, we will be starting our winter break leading us into the new year. Although this may seem to be a short month, it is filled with many activities and events. Please be on the lookout for correspondence from the schools with upcoming event information.

This time of year is often a little bumpy for students and families with the excitement of the holidays at the end of the month, and many seasonal activities and events planned in and outside of school. It can be hard for some students to remain focused as they transition through the holidays with many changes in their schedules. It will be important that we all work together to keep schedules as consistent as possible throughout the month to help students enjoy the season and transition smoothly into the new year.

We had a very good parent response to the webinar held this past week on the middle school grade-level reconfiguration. Over 300 individuals attended the webinar. If you were not able to join us, the session was recorded and you will find a link to the recording and PowerPoint presentation below in the newsletter. Additional information will follow in the weeks and months ahead as we refine and announce plans for this important middle school transition for the 2023/24 school year.

Please note that December is concert month in our schools. Students in performing arts classes will be showcasing their musical talents in the coming weeks. Please consider attending a concert and witness for yourself the amazing talents of our students. If you are unable to attend, these concerts will be recorded by the amazing Chelmsford Telemedia crew. As these concerts become available, they will be highlighted in each week’s newsletter. Up first this week is the Parker and McCarthy Grade 5 Bands. The recording link is below – Enjoy the show!

As a reminder, Wednesday, December 7th is an early release day for all schools. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the highlights in this week’s newsletter.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here.

• SAT Testing, 12/3, 8:30 a.m.

• Parker Middle School PTO Craft Fair, 12/4, 9:00 a.m.

• School Committee Meeting, 12/6, 6:00 p.m.

• Early Release, 12/7, All levels

• Gr. 8 High School Information Night, 12/7, 6:00 p.m.

• Superintendent Virtual Office Hours, 12/7, 10:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.

• Parker Middle School Grs. 7 & 8 Dance, 12/9, 7:00 p.m.

• McCarthy Middle School Orchestra Concert, 12/8, 7:00 p.m.

Please join the Chelmsford High School and curriculum department administration on Wednesday, December 7th from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) located at 200 Richardson Road to learn more about all things high school and how you can best prepare for the transition of your child(ren) to CHS. Please see Principal Murray's notice to families for more information about this event.

Please join the Chelsmford SEPAC Virtual Meeting on Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 PM with speaker Michael McDonald from DESE Parent Orientation for District’s Tiered Focus Monitoring Review. The meeting link information is below. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Meeting Link:

SEPAC Meeting
Thu, Dec 8, 2022 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (EST)

Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/553849813
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3122
Access Code: 553-849-813

Dr. Lang will be holding virtual office hours for parents/guardians to ask questions about the 2023/24 middle school grade reconfiguration for the Parker and McCarthy Middle Schools on December 7th at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please use the following link to access these virtual office hours. If you were unable to attend the November 30th webinar, please use the following links below to view the recorded session and PowerPoint presentation.

Middle School Realignment Parent Information Session Webinar

PowerPoint Presentation

Seniors: it's time to register for the Seal of Biliteracy! This state award is given to seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and a World Language. Students who qualify for this award receive a special seal on their diploma and are recognized at the Senior Awards Ceremony in June. Last year, 22 CHS seniors earned the Seal of Biliteracy in languages such as Spanish, French, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian! You can sign up for a Seal of Biliteracy information session during PRIDE block on 12/13 or 12/15 and review the document below or our website for more information on this opportunity.

Seal of Biliteracy Information:

Slide w/ QR code

Formal letter for seniors

Fact sheet

Please use the following link to view the Chelmsford High School 2022 Thanksgiving Day Pep Rally.

The Parker Middle School Food Drive collective effort of grade 5-8 students' goal was to feed 15 families this past Thanksgiving. However, they far exceeded their goals and were able to feed 32 families instead! To read more about this school collaboration that helped support the Chelmsford community, please visit our website.

When Chelmsford High School senior Jash Bhut attended McCarthy Middle School, he looked forward to the Project 300 Thanksgiving food drive. He estimates he and his family donated more than 1,000 items during his four years. He always wanted to bring it to the high school. Sophomore Blake Downs, who is spearheading his Boy Scouts of America Troop 81 annual food drive this year, summoned the students and staff at CHS to help his effort. When each found out about the other, they figured why not collaborate? To read more about this story, please visit our website.

Center Schoo students in Ms. Knight's third-grade class write letters of thanks to their librarian, Ms. Engdahl, after readingTomás and the Library Lady.

Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for the month of November, announced CHS Principal Stephen Murray. Seniors Ethan DeHaan and Shamoyl Vaid were named from Emerson House while Akhila Garre and Emma Taylor were honored from Hawthorne House, and Taylor Kiggins and Rishi Madivada from Whittier House. To read more about these students, please visit our website.

Nineteen student musicians from Chelmsford High School – representing band, orchestra, and chorus – qualified for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Northeastern Senior District Music Ensemble, the MMEA announced recently. Five students earned first chair honors led by senior violinist Kaitlyn Kaminuma and senior percussionist Sarah Roch, who earned first chair status for the second straight year. Also earning first chair honors were juniors Jack Tallent (tuba) and Kyle Pinto (trombone) and freshman flautist Jade Boyer. Senior bassist Jacquelyn Brennan-Barbeau earned Senior District Ensemble honors for the fourth straight year while Ms. Roch, Mr. Pinto, Mr. Tallent, and junior violinist Cynthia Lu earned the plaudits for the third successive year. Senior Jamie Garber (alto saxophone) was named to the Ensemble for the second consecutive year. Eight CHS musicians received MMEA All-State recommendations including Ms. Roch, Mr. Pinto, and Mr. Tallent, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year; as well as Ms. Brennan-Barbeau and Ms. Kaminuma for the second consecutive year. Also earning all-state recommendations were Ms. Boyer, freshman Ryan Blaine (French horn), and freshman Ethan Jiang (tenor saxophone). All-State auditions are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21 at Shrewsbury High School. To read more about these students, please visit our website.

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