From the Chief Information Officer
CPS & Cyber Security

We have all been reading about the data breaches in the news. Almost every day there is a new story about Ransomware, data breaches, or inappropriate sharing of data. Recently K12 was found to be the most targeted industry for cyber attacks. This is most likely because many schools are not fully protected and considered “Soft Targets.”

In an effort to best position CPS against such attacks ICTS will be developing a more formal Cyber Security program. An important part of any such program is employee training and awareness. We hope to be announcing Cyber Security training and awareness programs and resources in the near future. Keep an eye out for these very important pieces of information over the summer. In an age of cyber crime, it will take all of us to properly protect CPS’s digital resources.

Have a great summer!

Steve Smith

What is Phishing? 
By: Kevin Keegan, Technical Services Manager
Phishing is a cyber crime where someone tries to trick a user via email (telephone or text message as well) to give up their login credentials to various web sites or accounts. With these login credentials, the culprits can access your personal identifiable information, credit card accounts, and bank accounts. Learn more >>



Haggerty: Poetry in the Garden with Sarah Grace Tuttle
By: Sarah Novogrodsky
First graders worked with local poet Sarah Grace Tuttle to hone their observational skills. It was a lovely way to use our CitySpouts garden to support writing. Thank you to the parents who helped with this visit! Read the poems >>



Jewell Parker Rhodes @ CSUS
By: Keegan Charlier
Cambridge Street Upper School was thrilled to welcome best-selling author of adult and children’s books, Jewell Parker Rhodes, as a guest speaker. Dr. Rhodes has received many awards, including a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for her novel, Ninth Ward. Read on >>



Author Charles Smith, Jr. Visits the Haggerty Library
By: Sarah Novogrodsky
On Wednesday, April 25th, poet, author, and photographer Charles Smith, Jr. visited with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders of our school. He started the presentation with a school photo of himself in the 8th grade, and went on to describe how he became who he is today - after aspiring to be an astronaut! Read more >>

Charles R. Smith. Jr. Visits King Open for National Poetry Month
By: Jen Mason Stott
On April 26, poet/photographer Charles R. Smith, Jr. wowed King Open with his words, his world travel - and his handstands! Charles gave three high-energy presentations about writing, traveling, physical fitness, and “getting comfortable being uncomfortable.” Charles first visited King Open in 2009 and has since published biographies, poetry, and books on little-known Black History. His new fan club followed him to the library for photos! Read on >>



Featured Booklist: 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know
From CPS Library Online Database, TeachingBooks.net:
This classic booklist from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center reminds us that every child should have the opportunity to see themselves, their families and their communities in the books they read. An engaging way to provide windows and mirrors to children, teens and families in your school or library community.

Explore resources for all the titles from the 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know booklist.

Visit CPS Online Library Resources for access to TeachingBooks.net (book, author and literacy resources) and other online databases and resources! If required, TeachingBooks.net password: CPSD an username: CPSD.



Google Expeditions Visits
Kennedy-Longfellow
By: Kathy Malone, Kennedy-Longfellow Instructional Technology Specialist
Recently, Kennedy-Longfellow students had a truly unique opportunity when Google visited our school to share it’s Pioneer Program with our students and staff. Google’s Pioneer Program has been traveling through select areas of the US and Europe. This was an all day school event which took place in the school’s makerspace and library with back-to-back concurrent sessions. Students participated in hands-on/eyes-on Augmented Reality experience that brought 3D
objects, like animals and insects, in the makerspace and library, so that everyone could examine these objects together at the same time, accessing content that would not be humanly possible for students to normally do during a “traditional” school day. These AR experiences were a first for many of us! Read on about this amazing visit >>



Scratch Day 2018
CPS successfully held its first annual Scratch Day event on May 10th. Hosted at CRLS, the event, which coincided with the worldwide Scratch Day, welcomed CPS students and families of all ages to participate in coding activities. Scratch, developed by MIT, is a free, block-based computer science programming language that aims to teach computer science to people of all ages. Read more about the event >>



Computer Science Playground
Sixth graders across the district have had the opportunity to participate in the first (hopefully annual) Computer Science Playground over the last two weeks. In an effort to increase Computer Science learning for ALL, the playground engaged students in a variety of computer science related activities to provide exposure to computational thinking, spark interest in high school courses and careers, and create community connections, all while having fun. Much like a typical playground, we encouraged socialization, curiosity, and hands-on learning with elements of choice.

Students watched an introductory video that relayed the impact of computer science in our lives, as well as, outlined the schedule for the Playground. They then spent 30 minutes in one of four classrooms with the following activities - take apart a computer, CRLS connections, create a musical instrument, and community partners. Students rotated through the classrooms and provided feedback through a Playground Map that they brought with them to each room. Students used micro screwdrivers to disassemble old laptops to find the hard drive and other parts, created paper circuits to light an LED on the MIT Dome, built keyboards and guitars out of cardboard and programmed through Scratch and MakeyMakeys to make music, and were able to ask all their burning questions about CS courses and RSTA offerings.

Based on the smiles and hum of excitement they had an engaging and exciting time. Community partners included ScratchEd @ Harvard, Lemelson-MIT and Lesley University. Next week PAUS, CSUS and Amigos will get a chance to engage with community partners from the Audible, Accenture, Broad Institute, Cambridge Public Library, MIT Museum, Microsoft Garage, Owl Labs and The Puzzle School. We look forward to designing more opportunities for students across the district to experience Computer Science.



Media Arts Studio Update
The Media Arts Studio is proud to showcase all 2017-2018 final projects from RSTA Media Technology and Media Arts Studio classes, and our after school programs. This year we present work from ten courses, many CRLS collaborations, and the after school work study production crew and clubs. The more than 40 hours of originally produced student-work can be seen for viewing on-demand on the MediaCAST portal. Or you can find these programs on the Channel 98 cable and streaming schedule.

This year’s work includes stories about CRLS and stories about our community, MAS series such as Falcon Sports World, Spot On, Youth View Cambridge, and The Word, documentaries and narrative pieces, exciting sports events, live performances, music videos, and more!

End-of-year guest visitors and our annual Media Fair rounded out the year and touched on the many ways in which students connected to media making this school year.

Watch our Channels! Access the Student Media Portal!
All completed student work is shown on our two Cambridge cable channels, streamed on our web site, and archived on the CPS MediaCAST student portal.