CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you are settling into the routines a new school year brings. Our open houses at the elementary level were well attended last week; Our middle school (grades 5 and 6) and high school open houses also went well this week. It’s great to see parents and students engaging in-person once again following a very difficult 18 months of pandemic learning. I appreciate your efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccination status information and consent to participate in weekly pool testing and test and stay initiatives this year. Working together we will provide a healthy and safe learning environment for our students and staff as we return to more regular in-person learning.

Chelmsford will be celebrating the International Day of Peace tomorrow, Saturday, September 25, 2021, on the Town Common from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. This event is being hosted by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Each year, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on the 21st of September. The United Nations declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is, “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world." In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier. I encourage you to stop by tomorrow and participate in the planned activities.

COVID-19 Pool Testing will begin next week in our schools. All students and staff who provided consent prior to the close of school on Friday, September 24, 2021, are eligible to participate in our first week of testing. If you have not yet registered to participate in the free weekly COVID-19 Pool Testing initiative, you may still do so at any time by providing consent. Your child will be scheduled to begin the following week. Below is our testing schedule for the first week:

Tuesday, September 28, 2021:

Chelmsford High School

Parker Middle School

McCarthy Middle School

Byam Elementary School

Harrington Elementary School

Wednesday, September 29, 2021:

Center Elementary School

South Row Elementary School

CHIPs and Community Education Preschool Programs (Staff only)

Please review the links below for information on various programs and services offered by the Chelmsford Public Schools. I hope you have a nice weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

The district COVID dashboard represents the number of positive COVID-19 cases involving students and staff in the Chelmsford Public Schools during the reporting period specified.

Please note the following definitions:

1. Reported positive cases for students: Number of confirmed positive cases for students in our schools (excludes students not in the school building during the 48 hours prior to a confirmed positive case).
2. Reported positive cases for staff: Number of confirmed positive cases for staff members in our schools (excludes staff not in the school building during the 48 hours prior to a confirmed positive case).

A weekly report will be posted each Friday on our website.

Next week:

• View complete athletics schedules here

• Wednesday, September 29th: CHS Puerto Rico Information Night (6:30-8 p.m.)

• Thursday, Sept. 30th: McCarthy Middle School Grs. 7-8 Curriculum Night - (6-7:30 p.m.)

• Thursday, Sept. 30: Parker Middle School Grs. 7-8 Curriculum Night - (6-7:30 p.m.)

Families, please join each of our schools for curriculum night this September. Each school will send out specific information about this event. Be on the lookout for this information in your school newsletters. Dates and times for each school can be found on our website.

The SEPAC along with the Student Services Office is holding its first meeting of the year and community workshop on anxiety. These two events will be virtually on October 13th at starting at 6:30 p.m. for the meeting and 7:00 p.m. for the workshop.

The anxiety workshop will be hosted by CPS School Psychologist, Dr. Vanessa Leary. Please see the meeting link information below to attend the meeting and/or workshop.

SEPAC Meeting & Anxiety Workshop
Wed, Oct 13, 2021 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (EDT)

Please join this meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/756582789

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (872) 240-3311

Access Code: 756-582-789

Students at Harrington Elementary celebrated Dot Day all last week in the library for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Every student made their own special dot. They loved seeing their work on display!

The bleachers of Simonian Alumni Stadium were filled Saturday morning, the vast majority of spectators wearing t-shirts reading “ EM3,” which held a deep meaning. The design was in honor of Emily Myerson, a 17year-old Chelmsford High student-athlete who passed away back on March 9 due to a medical condition. Please continue reading about Chelmsford dedicates this game to their former teammate on our website.

Attention Class of 2022 students. Be sure to purchase your CHS Yearbook. Please visit the yearbook page for more information.

There will be an informational meeting for our Puerto Rico trip next Wednesday, September 29th at 6:30 pm in the Learning Commons. This trip is open to all CHS students. Please RSVP for the meeting at this link: https://rsvp.efexploreamerica.com/zdad263.

If you have questions about the trip, please email Ms. Gill at gillc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Seal of Biliteracy- Chelmsford High School will offer the Seal of Biliteracy again this year to interested seniors. As part of the requirements to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, students must receive a "meets" or "exceeds" on the ELA MCAS. Current seniors who are interested in qualifying for the Seal must have already taken and passed the ELA MCAS or be registered to take the exam this November at CHS. In order to meet the world language requirement for the Seal, students will take an online proficiency test in January 2022. If you are interested in this opportunity, please register on this Google Form. If you have questions, please email Jess Nollet, World Language Coordinator, at nolletj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Tune into this week's episode to hear ways to get involved at CHS and the Chelmsford community. All Lions Live episodes can be found on the CHSTV site.

After 32 Boston Marathons, 22 years coaching high school track, and 33 years in law enforcement, Assistant Deputy Superintendent II Brian Crane has earned perhaps his greatest accomplishment as the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office’s Superior Officer of the Year. To read more about Brian, please visit our website.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Chelmsford High School Performing Arts Center

200 Richardson Road

North Chelmsford, MA 01863

Screening begins at 7:00 PM followed by a discussion with Film Director, Catherine Wigginton Greene, until 10:00 PM.

All CDC Guidelines in effect that day will be strictly adhered to.

CPS Will Continue with its free COVID Pool Testing in schools. Please see more about COVID pool testing on our website.

As we begin our Fall 2021 session, we are excited to return to in-person programming and are offering a diverse collection of courses. We provide a balance of programs to support academic, social, and physical growth. We strive to meet the interests of all of our patrons. The goal of Community Education has always been to bring people together, and now more than ever we are committed to that mission. Please see the course catalog to sign up today.

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