Greer Gazette: January 23, 2023

Greer Gazette: January 23, 2023
Posted on 01/23/2023


Greetings CPS Community:


I hope you had a wonderful weekend!


Our Fiscal Year 2024 Budget process, which will support the 2023-2024 school year, is in full swing. Our budget survey closed this morning. We are grateful to everyone who shared their feedback. We also appreciate the input we received during our two in-person community budget meetings. If you could not attend one of those meetings, we hope you will register for our third and final meeting, which will be held virtually this Thursday evening from 6 to 7:45. Registration information is below.


We are also excited to share an update on our Instructional Framework later this week. The Office of Academics and Schools is hosting four virtual community sessions, starting Wednesday night. An instructional framework is designed to guide our teaching practices in each of our schools and classrooms across the district. This is a very important part of our work to improve the academic outcomes for all our children, especially our most vulnerable students. Your participation is very important to us and we encourage you to join one of the four virtual community sessions. Please register here.


Finally, please join me in welcoming our 
new Chief Operations Officer, David Murphy, to our district! Today was Mr. Murphy’s first day. He brings more than a decade of experience in public education leadership to our school community. For the past three years, Mr. Murphy has served as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations for Medford Public Schools. We are thrilled he is joining us.

Thank you for your continued support.


Make it Great!


Dr. Victoria L. Greer



Headlines

FY24 Budget: Final Community Session this Week!


As we continue to plan for the 2024 Fiscal Year Budget, our team is eager to hear from you. Thank you to everyone who took our Budget Survey, which closed this morning. We truly value your input.

This week will be our final community engagement meeting where we will explain our priorities for the budget, how we determine our spending, and answer any questions you have. There will also be a group discussion about how our budget can best support our students.


  • Thursday, January 26 | 6 - 7:45PM (Virtual)



First Instructional Framework Community Meetings



This week, we will hold our first virtual community update sessions on the design of ourInstructional Frameworkwhich is one of our focused initiatives in the District Plan. A team of students, educators, school and district leaders, community partners, and community members is leading the process. The framework will serve as a blueprint for all students to receive high quality instruction in every classroom, every day while providing coherence, consistency, and rigor in our students’ learning experience across schools.

To learn more, please register for one of our four virtual community update sessions:

  • Wednesday, January 25 | 6 - 6:45PM & 7-7:45PM

  • Wednesday, February 1 | 6 - 6:45PM & 7-7:45PM


COVID Update

Thank you for doing your part to help prevent the spread of the virus after winter break. For the past two weeks, Middlesex County has been in the Medium COVID-19 Community Level.


We, along with the Health Department, continue to closely monitor the data and will make health and safety recommendations for our school community based on the data. We encourage anyone who is at high risk to wear a mask, and if you are not feeling well, please stay home.


Similar to other breaks and long weekends, we will again be asking our school community to test and mask following the February break (2/20-2/24). We will share more information about test kit distribution next month.




Register Today: Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten Lottery


This is the last full week to register for the JK/K Lottery for the 2023-2024 school year! It closes next Tuesday, January 31. All registrations must be fully completed, including all language testing to determine eligibility for Program Language Bonus points. We are so excited to welcome new students to our school community! To learn more, click here.


Share Your MCAS Feedback With the State
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)is inviting students, parents, education professionals, and community members to participate in a survey that will provide feedback on the MCAS program and help inform improvements. DESE is looking for your input in several areas, including communications and support, data and reporting, and release of test questions. The survey will close at 5PM this Friday, January 27. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.



Poems for International Mother Language Day


International Mother Language Day is celebrated around the world on Tuesday, February 21, to honor cultural diversity. More than 90 languages are spoken in Cambridge Public Schools. To celebrate each one, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui's office, in collaboration with Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School’s (CRLS) South Asian Club and the Media Arts Studio, Cambridge Arts, the Cambridge Public Library, and CRLS student Priyota Imam, are inviting community members to submit poems in their native languages, along with English-language translations. The poems will be displayed at Cambridge Library branch locations and in City buildings. Poems can be submitted to the Mayor’s office by mail or in person at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, or you can apply online here no later than Monday, February 6.





Library Sticker Contest
For the second consecutive year, students in the RSTA Creative Design class competed in a Live Work Contest sponsored by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation to design an "I Love My Library" sticker. The stickers will be produced and given to donors with their acknowledgement letter thanking them for their support for the Cambridge Public Library. Congratulations to the winners!


  • 1st Place: Evan Garvey, Senior

  • 2nd Place: Henry Dyer, Sophomore

  • 2nd Place: Luc Valenzuela-Melzer, Junior

  • 3rd Place: Liv Hendrickson, Freshman

  • 4th Place: Sky Waddell-Brittle, Junior

  • Honorable Mentions:
    Victoria Chavez, Sophomore
    Evan Garvey, Senior
    Fred Montalvo Lugo, Senior
    Maeghan Fischer, Senior
    Zahab Abu-Rubieh, Junior
    Josiah Reynoso, Freshman

Click here to view the wonderful stickers and look for them during your next library visit!


Most Beautiful Building Award Winners

We are proud to share that our King Open/Cambridge Street Upper Schools and Community Complex have been awarded the 2022 Harleston Parker Medal People’s Choice Award for Most Beautiful Building in the Boston area! TheBoston Society of Architects recognizes a building every year. Our facility received more than half of the 3,000 votes cast!


 

Free Family-Friendly Fun


Are you looking for something fun to do with your family? Check out some of these free community events from the Kendall Square Association.





Mark Your Calendar

Monday, February 20 - Friday, February 24 | February Break (No School & CPS Offices Closed on Monday, February 20)


Wednesday, March 15 Early Release Day (JK-8 only)


Monday, March 20 Staff Professional Learning Day
(No School)

Key Resources

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