Center Community Chat
August 28, 2022
Back to School Information
Dear Center Families,
A warm welcome to all of our new and returning Center families. Our mantra for the first few weeks is "Good things come to those who wait."
There have been a lot of changes at Center. We have several new staff members and a beautiful new playground.
The first days of school are exciting and hectic. Below is some important information about routines and procedures at the school.
A special thank you to our custodian Al Woodman and NFS (National Facility Services), who worked diligently to make sure the school is sparkling and ready for our students on Tuesday, August 30th (for students in grades 1-4).
Spirit Days
The first Monday of the month will be a "Let Your Kind Shine" spirit day. You are invited to wear tops that promote kindness.
The third Friday of the month is Chelmsford/Center Pride spirit day. Sport our district colors, maroon, white, and black.
* Dates may be adjusted due to holidays or breaks. Please look at the calendar of events for specific dates.
COVID Update
We will not be implementing COVID pool testing, at-home test kits, test-and-stay, or identifying close contacts of COVID positive individuals this year. Masks are optional at schools. Please see the COVID health protocols in the resource section below for details including free vaccination and booster clinics in the area.
Gym Update
Our gym is getting a makeover! To enhance safety, padding will be installed on the walls and the floor will be refinished. During these renovations, Ms. Kivi will be taking the students outside for physical education. Fingers crossed for good weather. Students should be able to return to the gym on September 12th.
Back to school info, please review
Masks are optional for staff and students.
The CSPTO is still in need of 4 volunteers for K orientation tours on August 30th at 10 AM and 1PM. Please call the main office at 978-251-5155. X6033 and they will forward your names to our PTO.
The first day of school for Grades 1-4 is Tuesday, August 30th. School hours are 8:59 AM - 3:18 PM.
Medication Drop Off. If your child needs or may need prescription medication administered during the academic day, please drop off medication with MD orders and your written permission. Ms. Rossman will be in Center’s Health office Monday August 29th from 1:00-3:00 pm. Appropriate forms are available on the school’s website.
KINDERGARTEN. All Kindergarten students received a letter during the summer that has an orientation time for August 30th. Please refer to that letter for your specific orientation date and time. If you cannot locate your letter, please contact our main office at 978-251-5155. This orientation is an hour long and both parents and students should attend. The first full day for kindergarten students will begin on Wednesday, August 31st.
First Day. Please note that parents/adults will not be allowed to escort their child to their classroom on the first day of school. Staff members will be in the main lobby to assist all students and guide them to their classrooms. We appreciate your assistance with this.
Main Office. Ms. O'Hearn and Ms. Ely are now available to answer questions. They are available in the office from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM and can also be reached by phone.
Staffing Updates:
We wish a fond farewell to the following recess aides; Arlene Blake, Kristen McCarthy, Mary Ghobrial, Betty Anderson and Matara Ortiz . Hopefully you will see their smiling faces either as substitutes or paraprofessionals throughout the district. We welcome Lauren McHugh, Karina Signan, Claudia Benedetti, Chrissy Conatser, Amanda Exarchos and Martha Pulley who will be joining either our aide or paraprofessional team.
Lauren Rose, 3rd grade teacher, and Mary Guerra both expanded their families this year. Congratulations to Ms. Rose who was married over the summer and to Ms. Guerra on the birth of Atlas this winter. Both have found jobs much closer to home and we wish them well! We welcome Heather Wells to the third grade team, and Olivia Beauregard to our 4th grade team. We welcome back Corrie MacLean, who will be teaching our 5th section of 2nd grade.
Sadly, Carah McClure, our BCBA, has decided to go back to provided home-based services. This is a loss for us but certainly a gain for the families she will serve. Good luck, Carah, we'll miss you. We are still in the process of hiring a .5 BCBA.
Eileen Young retired as our technology integration specialists and we welcome Pauline Kimsoung in this role.
This tends to be the time of year where there are many changes to staffing, especially in respect to aides and paraprofessionals. We will continue to update you in our weekly updates.
School Supplies--Thank you!
Recognizing that the pandemic has had a financial impact on many families, the district has once again purchased all back to school supplies for students. Many thanks to Dr. Lang and CPS for this support. Thank you to all of the families who offered their time to organize these supplies and get them to the classrooms for students!
Permission to take pictures
A picture speaks a thousand words as they say, and we love to include these in our weekly updates and on the website through our Twitter feed. Please let email Ms. O’Hearn at ohearnc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us. if you do not want your child’s picture included in these forums.
Warm Regards,
Dianna and Donna
CPS calendar
Arrival and Dismissal Information
Bus Drop-off
Buses enter from Billerica Road and turn left when they approach the school.
They will drive behind the building, stopping twice. Students in grades 3, 4 and Ms. McConnell, Ms. MacLean, and Ms. Pierce-Clarke’s classes will be dropped off to enter the building through the modular classrooms.
Kindergarten, 1st grade students and students in Ms.Kielnan and Ms. Walker’s classes will be dropped off at the kindergarten entrance.
Caretaker Drop-off
Drive through drop-off begins at 8:45 and ends at 8:59, please note that students will be marked tardy if they arrive in their classroom later than 8:59. Please enter from Billerica road and turn right either into the upper parking lot or the access road in front of the school. Please drive up to a cone before stopping your vehicle and remain in your vehicle. A staff member will assist your student in exiting the car. Students should not exit the car until a staff member indicates for them to do so.
Students should exit from the driver’s side so they do not cross in front or behind cars. Students can enter the building and go directly to their classrooms at 8:50.
Please do not park and walk your child to the building. We do no have enough parking option for this option, and it is dangerous due to the bus traffic proceeding around the front of the building.
We will have a parking space designated in the upper parking lot if your student needs extra support separating the first few days of school.
Walkers (for those students who live in walking distance of the school only)
Caretakers who are walking students to school please wait with your child at the bike rack. A staff member will then escort students from the bike rack to the building at 8:50. Caretakers will follow the pick-up procedures described below in the afternoon.
Pick-up
Caretakers must turn off and park their cars in the upper parking lot nearest Billerica Road, if entering the building to pick up your student. Proceed to the crosswalk and down the sidewalk to the front door.
Parking on the access road to the school is not allowed as buses are entering there and caretakers are using that road to exit. Caretakers are allowed to park behind town hall and walk through the large path to the school.
Doors open at 3:18, please go directly to the cafeteria. A card with your students' name will be on a table to the right. Please pick this up and proceed into the cafe, find your child and join the line to the staff member who will dismiss your child. Please have a form of identification ready upon exiting at least for the first two weeks, or until our staff member becomes familiar with you.
Please send in a note for teachers on the first day to let them know if your student will not be riding a bus home every day. If your child normally rides the bus but you need to pick up, please send a note to the teacher, the teacher will notify the office. If you need to change your student’s after school plans you must call the office by 2:30. Students will not be dismissed from the office after 2:45.
Phone Use
Increasingly, more students are bringing cellphones to school. Please be mindful of the district policy regarding cell phone use:
If students need to contact home they should see their teacher/administrator to receive permission to use the phone in the classroom or office. Conversely, if a parent needs to speak with a student, the parent should call the school office. All cell phones should be off while in school, unless in use for instructional purposes. Any student using a cell phone for non- instructional purposes while school is in session will have that cell phone confiscated by administration. A first offense will lead to a warning and the administrator will return the phone to the student at the end of the day. Second and subsequent offenses will result in the phone being returned only to the parent and/or further disciplinary actions. (Pg. 18 of the student handbook)
Additionally, students are not allowed to take pictures of others on the bus or during the school day due to privacy issues.
Good Things
Thank you to CPS for donating student supplies and a big thanks to the volunteers who distributed them to classrooms.
Congrats on a successful season Chelmsford U8 team!
Welcome K students
Kindergarten Playdate at Friendship Park
Save the Date: Curriculum Night, Wednesday, September 21st
5 – 5:25 PM: Principal/Assistant Principal Presentation in the cafeteria for 3rd and 4th grade families
5:30 – 6:15 PM: Grades 3 & 4 Teacher Presentations
6:15 – 7:00 PM: Specialists/ Reading/ Special Educators and Related support providers available in classrooms/offices
7 – 7:25 PM: Principal/ Assistant Principal Presentation in the cafeteria for grades K-2 families (The 5 PM presentation is repeated.)
7:30 – 8:15 PM: Grades K, 1 & 2 Teacher Presentations
Hello Center School Families,
The CSPTO is very excited to start another school year. We look forward to providing more events this year but we can only make it happen with your help. Please take a moment to fill out the volunteer form on our website.
While you're on there, please explore the rest of our website. It has a lot of information about who we are and what we do. You can also follow us on Facebook.
Finally, if you have an hour to spare on August 30th, please help give our Kindergartners a tour of the school. We need help at 10:00am and 1:00pm. Please call the main office if you are interested.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
CSPTO
School Nutrition Department Updates
Hello
I hope this email finds you well. As you may all know, breakfast and lunch are free again this school year. What does this mean? There is no charge for any child taking a “reimbursable meal”.
Unfortunately, if a student only wants a milk, water, or anything separate they must pay for that item. If your students want a milk to accompany their lunch from home, they will be charged for that milk.
Lunch Accounts – Every student has a lunch account. The account follows the student from school to school. Although meals are free, students are still able to purchase an addition meal, snack, and drinks at lunch time. They will need to have money in their account to be able to do this. If they do not have money, they will not be able to “charge” these purchases. Please send in a check to your student’s school or mail directly to:
Nancy Antolini
School Nutrition Director
200 Richardson Road
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
Currently, our online payment system is not up and running. Look for more information to come.
This year the students must use their ID numbers. We are currently making badges that the student must use to purchase breakfast, lunch, or anything a la cart. They will be handed out on the first day of school.
I wish you a happy and healthy school year!
Nancy Antolini
School Nutrition Director
Links:
School menus (breakfast and lunch) - https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=menus
Free and Reduced Form - https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=lunchapps
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms - You only need to fill out one per family. This form can be returned to any office in the district, including food services, located at Chelmsford High School.
Upcoming Events
AUGUST
Tuesday, August 30: First day of school for grades 1-4; Kindergarten Orientation, 10-11 & 1-2PM
Wednesday, August 31: First day of school for Kindergarten
SEPTEMBER
Friday, September 2: No School
Monday, September 5: No School
Tuesday, September 6: Let your Kind Shine Spirit Day (since Monday was a holiday)
Friday, September 16: Chelmsford Pride Spirit Day
Wednesday, September 21: Half Day/Professional day
Wednesday, September 21: Center School Curriculum Night
Resources
Center Elementary School
Email: fulreaderd@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/9
Location: 84 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA, United States
Phone: 978-251-5155
Twitter: @Center_CCS