CPS District Update
PERSEVERANCE * RESPECT * INTEGRITY * DEDICATION * EMPATHY
Superintendent's Update - 5.29.2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The last week of May is upon us, and we are heading into the home stretch! Our CHS senior's last official day is today, and there are 12 academic days left for the rest of our district! It feels like it was just yesterday when we needed to close our schools, when in fact, it has been 12 weeks of remote learning. In this short amount of time, our students, families, and staff have created a new learning environment and now are beginning the end-of-year processes, which will help us all prepare for the upcoming 2020/21 school year. It is amazing how our regular year-end routines are changing in order to complete the tasks that need to be accomplished between now and June 16th. The building principals and teachers will continue to update you regularly on what needs to be completed and walk you through the steps to get it done before we break for the summer. Please be looking at their e-mails and newsletters to receive important information and necessary steps to help you and your child(ren) successfully close out the school year.
There have been many early end-of-year events with more to come. Below you will see some pictures of the 4th-grade student sendoff at Harrington, as well as a tribute to our high school senior, Students of the Month. Our May students are highlighted below. June students will be highlighted in the coming newsletters. Plans for the Chelmsford High School graduation are underway. A final date of Saturday, August 8th was selected with the hope that an outdoor in-person graduation may be permissible on school grounds. The MA Department of Public Health issued guidelines for high school graduations, which were relayed by MA DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. The guidelines primarily call for virtual graduation ceremonies for events scheduled prior to July 18, 2020. The guidelines allow for outside ceremonies beginning July 19, 2020, with strict guidelines and standards that must be adhered to, assuming the public health data supports the continued phased re-opening of the state. Our students and staff expressed a desire to hold a traditional graduation ceremony. A tiered plan to anticipate contingencies that incorporate the state guidance was communicated to affected students and families. We are hopeful that we can provide a more traditional ceremony with the proper restrictions to help celebrate the culmination of our student's academic careers. Although graduation is a high school tradition, it is important to note that there were many teachers and supports through our student's educational paths that have brought them to this final moment. To many, the students are graduating from the Chelmsford Public Schools. I would like to personally thank all staff members for the work and support that has brought our seniors to their final graduation from school. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
In previous newsletters, I wrote about one of the first tasks taken on by the school district, which was the creation and launch of our feeding program during the extended school closure. As I expressed before, the health and safety of our students and families were of the utmost importance when our schools closed in March. It was important to us that all students were fed regularly, and no one went without nutrition. Our Grab-and-Go Meals Program has been a great success. Thanks to the quick work and dedication of our CPS Nutrition Department staff, Chelmsford families were provided with three meals a day, Monday – Friday, since mid-March. The program will continue until Friday, June 12th. The daily hours starting on June 1st will change to 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to accommodate the change in pick-up patterns of our families. I couldn't be more pleased with the support we have been able to provide families during this pandemic. Access to healthy food choices is a necessity that all families should receive.
In closing, I would like to reiterate how appreciative I am for the tremendous amount of effort, support, and time all have provided to continue the education and look out for the well-being of our students. No one could have predicted this pandemic, and the adjustments everyone made to keep learning at the forefront has been an accomplishment like no other. The strong sense of community and the relationships formed are what made us successful. Thank you to everyone for what you are doing each day.
Please enjoy your weekend. Stay healthy and safe.
Yours truly,
Jay Lang, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Harrington 4th Grade Send-Off!
The Harrington Elementary Chelmsford 4th Graders were greeted by their teachers with a "Good Luck at Middle School" driveway celebration when picking up their 4th-grade belongings.
Below (Left to RIght): Jon Kuffert, Jessica Morse, Kiki Cote, and Elizabeth Danieli. Josh P. was waving goodbye to his teachers as he drove through, and Dom L. is showing his Harrington PRIDE with his 4th-grade sign!
Grab-And-Go Meals Update
- Starting on June 1st, the new pick up time will be from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- This program will end on June 12th.
Engineering Challenge
Writing Practice
South Row student, Sinead W. (gr. K), has been practicing her writing skills with her letter formations.
Engineering Challenge Take Two!
Chelmsford High School Graduation Class of 2020
After many meetings and discussions, it has been determined that the Chelmsford High School graduation will be held on Saturday, August 8th at 10:00 a.m, with a rain date of Sunday, August 9th at 10:00 a.m. This date was chosen to allow for a three-tier plan to accommodate the least restrictive environment for traditional in-person graduation to the most restrictive environment of virtual graduation based on guidance received from Governor Baker the MA Department of Public Health, and Commissioner Riley. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
CHS May Students of the month
Emerson House - Shannon Walsh
Hawthorne House - Jerry Su
Whittier House - Felix O'Hearne
Summer Reading
The ELA Summer Reading lists have been published on the CPS website. Here you will find a list of suggested books to read over the summer per grade level, as well as the required reading for the high school Advanced Placement ELA courses. Please encourage your child(ren) to take the time to choose books from different genres of interest and enjoy some quiet independent reading time. Reading is one of the most impactful ways to learn new information, improve memory, and have your brain "come alive". Research has shown that reading often will make you feel better and more positive. Modeling independent reading for your child(ren) will help them show the importance of independent reading time.
Chelmsford News 3.0 Episode 1
CHSTv had the honor to collaborate with the Theatre Guild on producing Chelmsford News 3.0 Episode 1. Both groups wanted to provide content that hopefully brightened up people's days. CHSTv and the Theatre Guild had a ton of fun working on this project, so hopefully, people had fun watching it! They are so proud of how the episode came out, and we would love to continue this show!
Center Library Book Study
Center students read This Book Just Ate My Dog for their library specialist class, and had a chance to see what other pets might be eating staff and students' books! Please enjoy these fun videos of our Center School community members.
Video 1:
Video 2:
Chelmsford Boosters - Scholarships
The Chelmsford High School All Sports Booster Club is a non-profit organization and operates independently. The Chelmsford Boosters' ability to award grants is made possible from paid booster memberships, generous charitable donations, and contributions from local businesses. The objective of the scholarship program is to cultivate a responsible approach that recognizes and awards as many students as possible while maintaining the financial stability of the organization. Please use the following link to access the scholarship program information and application.
Did You Know?
Did you know that in 1718, the first school in Chelmsford was a one-room schoolhouse that was built on the Forefathers Burying Ground? Chelmsford did not become a school district until 1792 and by 1800, there were 12 schools for the entire district. The first Superintendent of Schools, Mr. J.R. Fletcher.
For more information about the schools and the Town of Chelmsford, visit the Chelmsford Historical Society website.
.
A Learning Friend
#PRIDE Duo
#LionsPRIDE
CPS May Music Listening Calendar
Dear CPS Students and Families,
The CPS PreK-12 music faculty contributed to this project in an effort to engage students and families in listening to a wide variety of music through the coming month. Listening is not a homework assignment, but rather a fun, optional way for families across the district to be connected through music while we are away from school buildings.
In addition to the calendar, the link below will direct you to a Spotify playlist featuring all of the songs shared by the teachers in our department:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6FBPEtyN7DwdvFDkxD8tt6?si=RUAYP9bFSTaaH4S9EyCPHQ
Governor Baker's Covid-19 Updates
CPS School Calendar
Interface Referral Services
Scholastic Aptitude Test
American College Testing
CHELMSFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS MISSION
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.
Chelmsford Public Schools
Email: information@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Location: 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 251-5100
Facebook: facebook.com/chelmsfordpublicschools
Twitter: @ChelmsfordPS