Greetings CPS Community…
I hope your child’s first few days of school went well and that they are ready to take on the first full week. My team and I loved greeting our new and returning scholars at schools last week. Their smiling faces are energizing and inspiring as we all begin a new year together!
Thank you to the families and community partners that helped make our 2023 Community Fairs a great success. So many wonderful parents, families, and caregivers came to our Community Fair at the Peabody School on Saturday to meet community partners, learn about community services, and receive free supplies and clothing if needed. There was fun for the children and special treats of waffles and ice cream. I enjoyed meeting and addressing your questions at my “Ask Dr. Greer” table. This was one of many opportunities we will have to connect this school year so that we can continue working together to best serve our students.
Please note that there has been an important change to our 2023-2024 school year calendar due to the presidential primaries in March. You can read more below.
A gentle reminder to please make sure you have filled out the annual forms through the Family Portal. The forms, which were due last week, ensure your child’s school has the most up-to-date information about important things like family contacts, health and wellness needs, and transportation accommodations.
Finally, on a more somber note, please join me in pausing to remember the lives lost 22 years ago today in the September 11th terror attacks. May we keep the victims and their loved ones in our hearts today.
Sincerely,
Dr. Victoria L. Greer
Headlines
Connecting at Our Community Fair
Thank you to our school community members who attended Saturday’s second and final Community Fair. Dr. Greer and Mayor Siddiqui appreciated the chance to connect with you!
Important Change to the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
Last week, at the request of the Cambridge Election Commission, the School Committee voted to reschedule the Staff Professional Learning Day that was planned for Monday, March 18, 2024 to Tuesday, March 5, 2024. This means that there will be no school on March 5. School will be in session on Monday, March 18.
The presidential primary will be held on March 5 and residents appreciate the ability to cast their ballot at our schools. Since student safety is our highest priority, this change will allow the City to safely use our school buildings as polling locations.
The change is now reflected on our 2023-2024 school year calendar.
Register for the New Health Portal
The School Health Department invites families to join our district’s electronic medical record system known as the SNAP Health Portal. It is an easy, secure, and green way to update and review your child’s health and wellness information and medical documents throughout the year.
- Submit all health forms electronically
- Share immunization records, doctor’s orders, allergies/medical conditions, and other important health information as needed
- Receive notification when your child’s medications are in need of a refill
- Questions? Contact Mackenzie at [email protected].
Track Your Child’s School Bus in Real Time
If your child is taking the school bus this school year, please download our Bus Tracker App. It allows families to track the location of their child's school bus by GPS.
To register:
- Have your child’s Student ID number. (It is included in your annual forms packet and can be requested from the school.)
- Click New Account and follow the instructions.
- Locate the bus tracker at bus.cpsd.us or if you are using a mobile device, create a shortcut on your home screen to make logging in easier.
- See the User Guide for more instructions and troubleshooting.
Featured Events
Back-to-School Events
Our schools are hosting various back-to-school events, including open houses and other festivities, to help you get acquainted and meet other members of the school community.
- Find the schedule of events on our website.
Danehy Park Family Day
The City of Cambridge invites you to Danehy Park Family Day for family-friendly activities, arts & crafts, children’s amusement rides, entertainment, free food, and giveaways!
- When: Saturday, September 23 | 11 - 3PM
- Where: Danehy Park (located at 99 Sherman Street)
- Free shuttle buses will be running through Cambridge to and from Danehy Park.
- See the schedule of events.
- Questions? Contact Matt at [email protected] or Adam at [email protected]
What We Are Celebrating
National Hispanic/Latinx/e Heritage Month is meant to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, achievements, and contributions Latinx/e* communities have made to the United States. It was first celebrated in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, it was then expanded to a 30-day period from September 15 to October 15. These dates are intentional because September 15 marks the anniversaries of the independence of five countries in Latin America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico also celebrates its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.
*Latine is a term meant to be used as a gender-neutral alternative to the terms Latino, Latina, and Hispanic. Latinx is also considered a gender-neutral term. Most recently, Latinx has also been used to explicitly call out the anti-blackness that exists in the Latinx/Latine culture.
The City of Cambridge is celebrating by offering a free cooking class. Learn how to make your own arepas at Cambridge Cooks: Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with Tres Latinas!
- When: Tuesday, September 19 | 6 - 7 PM
- Where: Cambridge Public Library Main Branch (449 Broadway)
Cambridge Preschool Program Coming in SY24-25
The Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), also known as Universal Preschool, is a publicly-funded program and a joint partnership between the City of Cambridge, the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), and Cambridge Public Schools (CPS).
- CPP will provide free preschool to the families of all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds.
- A child is eligible for CPP if they live in Cambridge and are:
- 4 years old by August 31, 2024 for 4-year-old programs; or
- 3 years old by August 31, 2024 for 3-year-old programs (please note there will be limited seats for 3-year-olds and there may be additional eligibility requirements)
- The universal online application (paper applications will also be available) will open this winter and be managed by the Office of Early Childhood.
- When completing the application, families will identify the programs they are interested in.
- Families will then be matched with a preschool program based on the information they provided and program capacity.
- Following the matching process, enrollment will be completed by CPS, DHSP, Head Start, or the community-based program.
What does CPP mean for CPS?
- CPP will replace our 3-year-old lottery, which was held in October, and our Junior Kindergarten lottery, which was held in January.
- CPS will still hold its Kindergarten lottery in January for children turning 5 years old by Aug 31, 2024.
Learn more:
STEM Opportunity for Students
Science Club for Girls’ fall application is now open!
The group’s mission is to foster excitement, confidence, and literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for girls and gender-expansive youth from underrepresented communities by providing free, experiential programs and by maximizing meaningful interactions with women-in-STEM mentors.
- Participation is free.
- Students can choose to attend one of the six weekly meeting times:
- Mondays | 4 - 5PM (virtual)
- Tuesdays | 4 - 5PM (virtual)
- Thursdays | 4 - 5PM (virtual)
- Fridays | 3 - 4:15PM (Amigos School, 15 Upton Street)
- Saturdays | 10:30 - 11:30AM (virtual)
- Saturdays | 10:30 - 11:30AM (Prospect Hill Academy, 50 Essex Street)
- Clubs begin the week of October 3rd and run for 8 weeks.
- Space is limited. Apply today!
COVID-19 Policy and Procedures
Throughout the pandemic, we prioritized safe, in-person learning and made significant investments in a comprehensive plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We worked closely with the Cambridge Public Health Department and our school leaders to monitor the public health situation, gather input from scientific, medical, and educator experts (Health, Safety, and Facilities Working Group), and update our policies and procedures as necessary.
Below is a summary of our current policies and procedures, which align with the end of the COVID-19 Federal Emergency on May 11, 2023. Please note that we are poised to again respond quickly if conditions change.
- Isolation Guidance: Students and staff members who test positive must isolate at home for 5 days. They can return on day 5 if asymptomatic and fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications. A mask must be worn on days 6-10.
- Testing Plan: Our four-part plan focuses on targeted at-home testing after school breaks.
- Vaccination: Students are no longer required to be fully vaccinated to participate in school-sponsored before and after school activities.
- Masking: With the exception of the Nurse’s Office, masks continue to be optional in all school buildings.
- Ventilation: Every school has maximized air circulation through a combination of central systems, HEPA filters, windows, and fans. Regular air quality testing is also conducted and outdoor learning is periodically utilized.
Join the CPS Team
Cambridge Public Schools is seeking to hire talented education professionals for positions including Administrators, Teachers, Instructional Aides, and Substitutes for the 2023 - 2024 school year! We look forward to recruiting and hiring excellent educators to join our school communities for the upcoming school year.
Volunteer in Our School Cafeterias
The City of Cambridge is looking for volunteers to help our students recycle and compost properly after breakfast and lunch.
- No experience necessary.
- This can be a long- or short-term commitment, but the most help is needed in September.
- Fill out the form here.
- Questions? Contact [email protected] or call 617.349.4836.
More First Day of School Smiles!
We hope your child is enjoying the first few days of the new school year with their classmates and teachers! Here are some more of the student and staff smiles that we spotted last Thursday, on the first day of school for Junior Kindergarten, Special Start, and Kindergarten students.
CRLS Alumni Awarded $85,000+ in Scholarships
Congratulations to the following members of the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School Class of 2023, who were awarded scholarships through our wonderful partnership with the ACE Mentor Program!
- Kidus Desalegn earned a $20,000 ACE scholarship, plus the $8,000 CMiC/Allen Berg Scholarship.
- Sara Solomon earned a $15,000 scholarship.
- Alexander Rosen (CRLS/RSTA) earned a $10,000 scholarship.
- Tewoflose Fekadu earned a $1,000 scholarship.
- A number of CRLS students were also awarded paid summer internships.
- Tavi Pollard (Computer Science) also earned the $40,000 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship.
Learn more about the opportunities available to RSTA students!
Key Resources
Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, September 20 | Early Release (Grades JK-8)
Monday, September 25 | Yom Kippur (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Monday, October 9 | Indigenous Peoples Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Wednesday, October 25 |Early Release (Grades JK-8)
Tuesday, November 7 | Staff Professional Learning Day (No School)
Friday, November 10 | Veterans Day (observed) (No School & CPS Offices Closed)