CPS Connect: December 1, 2025

Mark Your Calendar

• Tuesday, December 2 | School Committee Meeting (Beginning at 6PM)
• Tuesday, December 23 | 4-Hour School Day (All Grades)
• Wednesday, December 24 - Friday, January 2 | Winter Break (No School & CPS Offices Closed on December 24, 25, 26, 31, & January 1, 2)
• Monday, January 5 | Staff Professional Learning Day (No School)
• Monday, January 19 | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)

Good evening CPS Community,

We hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving Break and were able to connect with friends and loved ones.

As we prepare for the final few weeks of the calendar year, we have a few important reminders:

Winter weather is on its way! If and when we suspect weather conditions will impact safe commutes to school, we will notify families through nearly all communication methods. Please ensure your contact information is up to date, and as always, when there is the possibility of a school day cancellation, have a plan in place for the supervision of your children. Thank you in advance for your patience as we respond in real time to unpredictable weather conditions.

As we look towards the new year, we are preparing for the 2026-2027 academic year. We invite all members of the CPS Community to attend our first Community Budget Meeting on Wednesday, December 17 virtually via Zoom from 5:30 - 6:30PM. Join Superintendent, David Murphy and Chief Financial Officer, Ivy Washington for a presentation focused on the fundamentals of the CPS budget. This first meeting will provide the basics of the CPS budget, so to help community members be more prepared to engage in our January Community Budget Sessions. The next budget meeting will be on Wednesday, January 21 from 6 - 7PM at the Cambridge Street Upper School. Dinner, childcare, and transportation will be provided for the January meeting.

By the end of this month, the CPS website will receive a refresh based on feedback collected by families in the Communications and Content Survey as well as our Website Improvement Feedback Sessions. This new website will feature enhanced translation abilities and search capabilities.

Lastly, we’re happy to share that Family and Community Engagement will host a Toy Drive this year. All donations will be distributed through The Spot. Collection is open now through Thursday, December 16. Learn more below.

Sincerely,

The CPS Team

In this Issue:

• Reminder: Severe Weather and School Closings
• Planning for the 2026-2027 Budget
• Holiday Toy Drive with Family and Community Engagement
• Upper School Caregiver Academies
• CPS Website Refresh Coming in December
• 158 Spring Street Building Project Update
• Kindergarten Lottery Information Session This Saturday
• Food Resources in Cambridge
• Kindergarten Lottery Information Session
• Need Help with Heating Bills? Apply for Home Energy Assistance
• Strategic Spotlight: Elementary Report Cards
• Upcoming Events
• District & Community Resources
• The Bright Spot 

Need to Know News

Reminder: Severe Weather and School Closings
As we approach the winter months we want to remind families of our severe weather practices.
In the event of severe weather the Superintendent will consult with City staff to decide whether school will be cancelled. The goal is to make the decision as early as possible, however, depending on weather conditions we may need to wait until early morning to make a decision. We will announce school cancellations through nearly all of our communication methods, including phone calls, text messages, emails, and posting to our website.

To be sure you receive these important updates from us, we recommend that you do the following things soon:

• Make sure your contact information is up to date with your child’s school.
• Have a plan for childcare if there is a possibility of school being cancelled.
• Make sure that your settings in ParentSquare are up to date.

Learn more on the When Weather Strikes webpage.

Planning for the 2026-2027 Budget



Budget season is underway! Superintendent David Murphy and Chief Financial Officer Ivy Washington will host community budget meetings in December and January. At these sessions, CPS administrators will review the fundamental components of the district’s operating budget, and outline the steps through which the budget will be discussed and eventually adopted in the spring of 2026.

The budget for the 2026-2027 school year will begin on July 1, 2026, and in the months leading up to the start of the new fiscal year, the district administration will be presenting to the Cambridge School Committee financial projections and recommended budgetary priorities.

We look forward to working with you all to develop a budget inclusive of our shared priorities and operational responsibilities. 

Holiday Toy Drive with Family and Community Engagement
The Office of Family & Community Engagement is hosting a Toy Drive in partnership with The Spot and SHADE. Donations will be accepted now through Thursday, December 18.

We invite you to donate any unopened toys to support families. Simply visit our drop-off location to contribute. All donations will be distributed to families through The Spot.

• Drop-off Location: Cambridge Public Schools Lobby (135 Berkshire Street)
• Drop-off Times: Monday – Friday | 8AM - 4PM

Questions? Email Mia Ferej at [email protected].

Upper School Caregiver Academies
CPS is launching a new Upper School Caregiver Academy! Upper School Caregiver Academies are a series of in-person workshops focused on providing families with strategies, tools, and resources to best support their students’ upper school journey. The focus of this year’s workshops were identified through the suggestions shared with us by the Cambridge Families of Color Coalition, by Upper School parents and caregivers, and educators and specialists.

In these workshops, caregivers will receive coaching, resources, and strategies to help you and your middle school student. We will host sessions throughout the school year, with each session devoted to a specific topic.

The first workshop at each upper school is scheduled for Thursday, December 4. Please be on the lookout for specifics from your upper school.

CPS Website Refresh Coming in December!
Thanks to feedback from the CPS community, we are almost ready to share an update to our current district website. Later this month, visitors to the CPS website will notice a new, modern version of our website. You will be able to find the same information through our site, but will see an updated design and new user-friendly features, including:

• A better search function.
• Improved translations using Weglot software.
• An AI search tool/ chat bot that allows you to ask and receive answers to questions in your preferred language.
• Easier opportunities to find information across pages.

Important Note: If you have CPS sites bookmarked in your web browser, please note that you may need to update these links once the new site becomes available.

By improving the website, we hope to create a better website experience for families that allows them to quickly and easily find information online so that they can make informed decisions about their child’s education and overall CPS journey.

158 Spring Street Building Project Update
The City of Cambridge has committed funds through its capital improvement budget to provide for investments in the 158 Spring Street building (formerly the Kennedy-Longfellow School). These investments will allow the Cambridge Public Schools to retain the building for use as a school located in East Cambridge.

Last month, the City selected the company W.T. Rich to be Construction Manager for this project. Last week, Superintendent Murphy shared an update to the School Committee’s Building and Grounds Subcommittee. You can view the presentation slides here.

What’s Next?

• Construction and demolition to begin in Spring 2026.
• Ongoing community engagement to determine best use for the renovated building.
• The goal is for construction to be completed by September 2027

Learn more about the project on our website here.

Kindergarten Lottery Information Session



The Kindergarten Lottery for the 2026-2027 school year will open on January 5 and close on January 30 at 4PM. All registrations must be fully completed, including all language testing to determine eligibility for Program Language Bonus points. To learn more, visit our website.

Information Session:

• Saturday, December 6 | 10:30 - 11:30AM (Join the Zoom presentation)

Food Resources in Cambrigde



All families are welcome to stop by our free, school-based food markets. They offer fresh fruits, vegetables, and pantry items. Please bring your own bags.

As a reminder, all students have access to FREE breakfast and lunch every school day. View the daily menus here. Additional information on how to find food in Cambridge is available here.

Need Help with Heating Bills? Apply for Home Energy Assistance
Colder weather means higher heating bills. The Cambridge Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 season. The program helps residents pay their winter heating bills between November 1 and April 30. Learn more and apply.

Please note: the federal government shutdown will cause delays in application processing and payments this year, but we encourage you to apply to the program as soon as possible. If you experience a no-heat emergency, please call 617.665.6234. The program can help eligible applicants within 24 hours.

November 18 School Committee Recap
The School Committee recently held a regular meeting. Highlights include:

• Presentation: 2025 MCAS & Accountability: Focus on CRLS
• Approval of the FY2027 DRAFT School Committee Budget Process/ Meeting Calendar: Draft version to defer to new School Committee starting in January
• Watch the meeting here.
  

Changes to Elementary Report Cards
As part of our commitment to improving how to keep families informed of their student’s progress, we will transition to a standards-based grading system across all elementary schools starting this December.

Standards-based grading systems will ensure:

• Consistency: all elementary families will receive report cards three times per year.
• Clarity: clearly reflect what students know and can do using aligned standards in core subjects such as English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science.*
• Equity: promote equity in assessment to best support student growth.

*Special subject areas, i.e. art, music, P.E., etc. will continue to be handled in a school by school manner with the hope of establishing greater alignment in those areas by next school year.

In the District 

Parenting Journey
Multiple Dates | 5:30 - 7:30PM
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School (102 Putnam Avenue)
A free 12 week parenting group for Cambridge parents with children (birth - 8 years old) to gain new parenting skills, goal setting, and more. Contact [email protected] or call 617.349.5522 to register.

Upper School Caregiver Academies
Thursday, December 4 | Evening (Check your school calendar for times)
In these workshops, caregivers will receive coaching, resources, and strategies to help you and your middle school student. We will host sessions throughout the school year, with each session devoted to a specific topic.

Kindergarten Lottery Virtual Information Sessions
Kindergarten Lottery for 26-27 opens this January. Learn more about the application, including testing during the upcoming information sessions.
Saturday, December 6 | 10:30 - 11:30 AM
(Virtual via Zoom)

Alice By Heart
Friday, December 5 | 7PM
Saturday, December 6 | 7PM
Sunday, December 7 | 2PM
Fitzgerald Theater (459 Broadway)
CRLS presents the Alice by Heart as this year’s fall musical. For tickets and information, click here. 

Career Connected Learning
Friday, December 12 | 11:15AM - 2:15PM
CRLS Media Cafe (459 Broadway)
Students can meet Architecture, Engineering, and Construction professionals to learn more about the industry and careers during this informative career fair.

Community Budget Meeting 1
Wednesday, December 17 | 5:30 - 6:30PM
Join the Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 940 5758 9723
Passcode: 062124
During the December sessions, we will review fundamental components of the district operating budget. Participants will understand how the budget works so they may effectively participate in the January sessions.

Community Budget Meeting 2
Wednesday, January 21 | 6 - 7 PM
Cambridge Street Upper School Multipurpose Room (840 Cambridge Street)
Review budget priorities, process, and financial projections for the 2026-2027 school year. Dinner served at 5:30PM. Childcare and transportation provided (details coming soon).

District Calendar
Visit our digital calendar for upcoming events here.
In the Community 

Webinar: Talking to Children About Grief and Loss in Developmentally Friendly Ways
Wednesday, December 12 | 12PM
Join Cartwheel and Dr. Mekel Harris to learn how to recognize what kids understand at different developmental stages, how to respond to their questions with care, and foster resilience during tough times. Register for the webinar here.

Cambridge MLK Day of Service and Learning
Monday, January 19 | 2 - 5PM
Central Square Church (5 Magazine Street)
Join Helping Hands, My Brother’s Keeper, and other community groups for the 16th annual MLK Day of Service and Learning! Volunteer in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of service.

Holiday Reading
Sunday, December 7 | 4 PM
New School of Music (25 Lowell Street)
Join New School of Music for a holiday reading with Cambridge award-winning poet and writer Charles Coe.

• Cambridge Public Schools 2025-2026 School Year Calendar
• District Plan in 1 Minute
• Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
• CPS Employment Opportunities
• Need Help with Heating Bills? Apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program.
• Information for Families in the Event of a School Emergency
  • አማርኛ | عريب | বাংলা | Kreyòl ayisyen | Español
• 2025-26 Afterschool Opportunities Guide for K-8
  • Translations: Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish)

Immersive Reading Nook for Students at Haggerty



Library staff at Haggerty have created a fun reading fort for library classes nestled within the picture book section of the library. This cozy reading nook, offers a snug retreat for young readers to immerse themselves in their beloved tales. The soft fairy lights overhead cast a warm glow, sparking the imagination and creating an enchanting atmosphere. This activity aligns with the Library Learning Expectations by encouraging students to be active learners and participants, fostering a passion for reading a variety of genres, and exploring diverse perspectives through stories.

Third graders in Ms. Martin’s classroom at Cambridgeport School are becoming ‘experts’ on severe storms. As part of the weather unit, students had fun reading about tornadoes, blizzards, droughts, hurricanes and more. Students read with a partner about their topic, answered text dependent questions, and then reported their new knowledge to the rest of the class. To further their connection with the weather unit, WCVB’s meteorologist David Williams made a special visit to talk about how weather is reported daily, why he became a meteorologist, and more about severe weather.