CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

March is one of the busiest and longest months of the school year without “no school” days set in the calendar. This month allows for much-needed continuous, uninterrupted flow that provides the necessary consistency for students to dig deep into their academics. The month is packed with many events and is one of the last pushes prior to state testing and the transition to the end of the school year. As a reminder, Term 3 ends on March 31st for middle and high school students. Trimester 2 is wrapping up at the elementary level for grades 1 – 4 students with proficiency levels posted on March 22nd. The half-year marking period for Kindergarten students continues until the end of June. All grades and proficiency levels may be found in the Aspen family portal when they become available. Although the month is long, students and staff will show their Chelmsford PRIDE through “Perseverance” as they work through the month, and before you know it, we will be at the end of the school year!

March continues with national observances including National Nutrition Month! Each year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) sponsors an annual campaign to educate people about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future” and emphasizes eating with sustainability in mind. National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign that was created 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. Our students are engaging in activities through a combined collaboration with our health department, school nutrition department, and school administration to bring grade-level awareness of good nutrition and healthy food habits. There are many great recommendations about self-care and nourishment available on the AND site. This week’s newsletter highlights one of the school activities to teach students about healthy choices.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, there is still time to purchase your tickets for the Parker Middle School Drama Club’s presentation of High School Musical Jr. Performances begin tonight, there are also two shows tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please consider attending.

As a reminder, it is time to “Spring Ahead” for daylight savings this weekend. Be sure to change your clocks to one hour ahead this Sunday, March 12th. Please enjoy this week’s highlights in the newsletter and have a wonderful weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here.

• Parker MS Drama - High School Musical Jr. Play, 3/10, 7:00 p.m.

• Parker MS Drama - High School Musical Jr. Play, 3/11, 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

• SATs, 3/11, 8:30 a.m.

• Daylight Savings, 3/12, 2:00 a.m.

• South Row Book Fair, 3/13-3/17, All Day

• CPD Internet Safety Family Night, 3/14, 7:00 p.m.

• Center Elementary Science Fair, 3/16, 6:30 p.m.

• St. Patrick's Day, 3/17, All Day

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

The Parker Middle School Drama Club will perform its winter musical production of High School Musical, Jr., Friday, Mar. 10, and Saturday, Mar. 11, at the McCarthy Middle School Auditorium. Admission is $10 per person and tickets can be purchased online. Three shows will be performed:

• Friday, Mar. 10 at 7 p.m. | Get Tickets
• Saturday, Mar.11 at 2 p.m. | Get Tickets
• Saturday, Mar. 11 at 7 p.m. | Get Tickets

Chelmsford School Nutrition Director and President of Massachusetts School Nutrition Association, Nancy Antolini, attend the Legislative Action Conference in Washington DC.

Food Service employees, manufacturers, and state education departments from all over the country met with representatives and senators to advocate for the continuation of free school breakfast and lunch and other topics related to School Nutrition.

A bevy of local wrestlers shined on the mat at the 2023 New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships but none more impressive than Chelmsford heavyweight Thomas Brown. Brown had a flair for the dramatic with the 100th win of his short career as he took down the 285-pound title in an 8-2 decision. Brown’s thrilling victory was over Rhode Island state champion Joe Church (Bishop Hendricken). The match went down to the final 90 seconds before Brown ensured the hand raise. This was Brown’s first All-New England first-place finish as the two-time Division 1 Massachusetts champion placed third as a freshman last season. Brown (56-0) remained undefeated in the 2023 season. He held a slim 3-2 advantage after Brown cut Church loose after a surprise break on a quick takedown into the third period. Read more about Brown's win on the Boston Herald website.

Near the end of a recent February school day, a small group of students hovered around the 6-foot-tall wood-carved lion outside the Chelmsford High School main office to the delight of CHS Secretary of Information Kelley Moreau. The lion has been a fixture there since 2018 when its creator, Felix Huang ’19, now a senior and budding artist at Boston University, completed it in August 2018, just before his senior year. The lion has overlooked the CHS lobby since, but very few know its history. The wood from the lion was salvaged from a purple beech tree that had been planted on the Chelmsford Town Common by CHS’s first graduating class in 1891. The tree stood for 121 years before it was removed by the Town’s Tree Replacement Establish and Enhancement (TREE) Committee in 2012 due to age and fear of falling. To learn more about the CHS Lobby Lion, please visit our website.

March is K-12 Youth Art Month as celebrated by the Massachusetts Art Educators Association (MAEA). To commemorate Youth Art Month, the spectacular artwork of the K-12 students of Chelmsford Public Schools will be on display at the Chelmsford Public Library for the month of March. Congratulations to Chelmsford’s K-12 artists for their originality and creativity. Please view each school's artwork and picture gallery on 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