CPS Connect: September 23, 2024

CPS Connect: September 23, 2024
Posted on 09/23/2024

Mark Your Calendar

  • Tuesday, October 1 | School Committee Meeting (Beginning at 6PM)
  • Thursday, October 3 | Rosh Hashanah (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
  • Monday, October 14 | Indigenous Peoples Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
  • Tuesday, October 15 | School Committee Meeting (Beginning at 6PM)


Good evening CPS Community:

I hope you had a restful weekend and that you and your family are settling into the new school year well. As Mayor Simmons and I shared on Friday, we are aware of the frustrations experienced by many of our students and families with respect to our transportation services. Several bus routes will see modifications implemented this week and all families will receive a communication regarding any changes to their child’s route the day before any changes are implemented. Thank you again for your continued patience.

I wanted to share some district leadership updates for the 2024-2025 school year that I believe, given these individuals’ range of experience and expertise, are in the best interest of the district and our students during this time of transition.

  • With the departure of Dr. Nicole Gittens, Chief Equity Officer Manuel Fernandez will take on additional responsibilities as Chief Equity Officer/Assistant Superintendent supporting our upper schools. I am grateful to Mr. Fernandez for leveraging his decade plus experience as an upper school principal in CPS to support our grades 6th through 8th students during this critical time;
  • Dr. Chad Leith will serve in an expanded capacity as the Chief Accountability Officer, overseeing data & accountability, educator effectiveness, new educator induction programming, and professional learning. Dr. Leith’s previous experience as principal of the Morse School and our Executive Director of Professional Learning will serve us well as we pivot toward a greater and more meaningful emphasis on objective data and measurable outcomes to better service students;
  • Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) Principal Damon Smith has been appointed Interim Chief Operating Officer effective next month. Current CRLS Assistant Principal Allan Gehant will serve as Interim Principal. I am thankful to both of these current Cambridge residents for their ongoing and unyielding commitment to CPS; and
  • Following a comprehensive search and interview process, Desirée Phillips has been named Executive Director of Special Education. Ms. Phillips is an experienced and capable administrator who has given 20 years of service to CPS. I look forward to supporting her in this critical role.

I recognize the disruption transitions can represent to school communities. The central office leadership team is fully committed and poised to support each of them as they transition into their roles.

Tomorrow, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will release the MCAS and accountability results for the 2023-2024 school year. We look forward to sharing the data with you, specifically identifying areas that we have made gains and improved in as well as areas for needed improvement. This data serves as a critical reflection point about what we are doing well and where we need to improve in order to do right by students.

DESEI am delighted to share that earlier today the U.S. Department of Education recognized the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School (NBRS), receiving acclaim for the school's progress in closing student achievement gaps. Only nine schools in the state earned this national distinction! We could not be prouder of the MLK school community. To read more about this honor, please visit our website.

In this Issue:

  • September 17 School Committee Recap
  • FamilyBook: Connect with Your School Community
  • Upcoming Events
  • Staying Healthy
  • District & Community Resources

Sincerely,

David Murphy
Interim Superintendent


Need to Know News

September 17 School Committee Meeting Recap
A School Committee meeting was held last Tuesday. Highlights include...

Interested in receiving email notifications about meetings? Join the School Committee listserv.

FamilyBook: Connect with Your School Community
Building connections among school communities is an essential part of building culture and fostering positive friendships among students and families. With FamilyBook, families can volunteer their contact information to create a secure online family contact list at each school to share information with other families.

Who can see my information?

  • You must sign-up for your information to be included otherwise your information will remain private.
  • You can customize which information is visible.
  • If you add your information, it is only visible to other families in your child’s school, not the whole district.

Sign up for the FamilyBook here!


Staying Healthy: CPS Urges Vaccinations and is Eager to Support Students and Families

Thank you to all parents and caregivers who have submitted updated medical and vaccination records. As a reminder, we urge all families to ensure their children are up to date with respect to immunizations. Schools will be reaching out to individual families of students with incomplete records and documentation. If you have questions about how to update health records or in need of vaccinations, please reach out to your child’s school nurse.

Preschool - 8th grade families seeking accommodations during heightened risk cold/flu season may request to have their students potentially sit in a designated, more isolated cafeteria area during traditional cold/flu season to reduce risks associated with respiratory illnesses, such as COVID, flu, and strep. Logistical limitations at individual schools will impact if/when requests are honored. CPS will determine when voluntary distancing will be in effect based on several factors, including known incidence of transmissible illnesses and after consultation with the Cambridge Health Alliance. Families can also sign up for a monthly CPS Health Update communications through this form.

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In the District

STEAM It Up!

Thursday, October 24 | 6 - 8PM
Rindge Avenue/ Peabody School (70 Rindge Avenue)
Explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) during our STEAM It Up event this fall. This Cambridge-wide event for preschoolers- 8th grade will feature fun STEAM events and free pizza! Save the date now!

Back-to-School Events
Each school has put together some details for their back-to-school events, check out the calendar and save-the-date for your child’s school celebrations! See the calendar for school events here.

In the Community

Building the Foundation for Youth Wellbeing
Monday, September 30 | 6:30 - 8PM
King Open School (850 Cambridge Street)

Families with elementary school-aged children are invited to join a panel discussion and question and answer session focused on supporting positive youth development. Food and childcare will be provided. Register today.

Apply to Parenting Journey Workshop
Tuesdays, October 1 - December 17 | 6:30 - 8:30PM
My Brothers Keeper (301 Mass Ave)

Join MBK for a free 12 week program designed to develop knowledge and skills to support parents and role models. Develop your own style of parenting in a supportive environment. Apply for Parenting Journey by September 27 here.

Cambridge Science Festival
September 23 - 29

Celebrate science during this city-wide Science Festival! With activities throughout the city, you will surely find something to explore. The festival will close with a Science Carnival on Sunday.

Check out the full schedule here.

District & Community Resources

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