Greetings CPS Community!
I hope you had a restful winter break and that your 2024 is off to a wonderful start!
January is a busy and exciting month for us as we ramp up our budget process for Fiscal Year 2025, which will support the 2024-2025 school year. Our Finance & Budget Office, the School Committee, and I are eager to share information with you about the development of the budget and hear your perspective. We will share details about a community meeting later very soon.
Thank you to everyone who completed our District/School Climate Survey. We had record participation with over 60 percent of our families sharing their feedback! We value and appreciate your input as we strive to continue to provide high quality learning experiences that meet the needs of all of our scholars. Over the next several weeks, we will be reviewing the data and look forward to sharing the primary findings with you next month.
January is School Board Appreciation Month. We are grateful to our School Committee for their tireless efforts to make sure that all of our students have the best possible educational experience. We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members, Richard Harding Elizabeth Hudson, and Mayor Denise Simmons, who were sworn in last week, along with our incumbent members Caroline Hunter, Jose Luis Rojas, David Weinstein, and Rachel Weinstein. We are grateful for their continued dedication and support to continuously improve our school community.
Thank you for your continued support.
Make it Great!
Dr. Victoria L. Greer
Headlines
Cambridge Preschool Program Closes Next Monday
The application period for the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP) will close next Monday, January 15. CPP is a publicly funded program that will provide free preschool to families of all 4-year-olds (and some 3-year-olds) across the city in their choice of a variety of program settings.
To complete the application, visit https://families.earlychildhoodcambridge.org/.
Additional Resources
If your family needs support with how to search for or select programs that meet your child and family’s needs, please contact the Office of Early Childhood at [email protected].
Need Help with Heating Bills? Apply for Fuel Assistance
The Cambridge Fuel Assistance Program is accepting applications for the 2023-2024 season. The program helps residents pay their winter heating bills through April 30. Learn more about how to qualify and fill out the application here.
January Family/Caregiver Virtual Dinner Hour
We are excited for this month’s Family/Caregiver Virtual Dinner Hour from 6:30-7:30PM next Wednesday. Please note that we will begin organizing the meetings by triad. Next week’s meeting will be for Kennedy-Longfellow, Morse, Martin Luther King, Jr., Putnam Avenue, and Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
This is an opportunity to engage with families and caregivers to learn about your experiences with our schools, have meaningful conversations about our schools and school district, and answer any questions that you may have. Please register at the link below. By registering, you will also be able to share topics of interest which will help us plan.
Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:30 - 7:30PM
Register Here for Wednesday, January 17
January 17
February 28
March 20
April 24
May 15
What We’re Celebrating This Month
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, January 15
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of activist, minister, and civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King was the first modern private citizen to be honored with a federal holiday, but not until 1986, nearly 20 years after the proposal was introduced to Congress. Even then, states resisted recognizing the holiday and it only gained national recognition in 2000. To this day, in Alabama and Mississippi, Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with Robert E. Lee Day, honoring the Confederate general.
Click here to see how the City of Cambridge is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. ” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 2nd School Committee Recap
Moving forward, we will include a brief summary of each School Committee meeting that highlights presentations and any key votes that impact district policies and procedures as well as a link to the meeting.
Kindergarten Lottery Now Open
The Kindergarten Lottery for the 2024-2025 school year will be open through 4PM on Wednesday, January 31. All registrations must be fully completed, including all language testing to determine eligibility for Program Language Bonus points. To learn more, visit our website.
Featured Events
Free Webinar: When and how to seek mental health support for your kid or teen
Our mental health partner, Cartwheel, is offering another free live webinar to learn more about when emotions and behaviors are developmentally appropriate for your child and at what point are they an indication that perhaps your child is experiencing a mental health issue. Join guest speaker Dr. Marcus Cherry, a psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, to learn when you might consider seeking mental health support for your child, plus tips on how to find a mental health professional.
Annual MLK Day Math Festival
Join Cambridge Math Circle for a fun morning of math games and puzzles on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! The event is free and for all Kindergarten through 8th graders and their families. There will be prizes for the first 150 participants!
- When: Monday, January 15 | 10AM - 12PM
- Where: Fletcher Maynard Academy located at 225 Windsor Street
- Questions? Email [email protected]
Health Updates
CPS Policies & Procedures
In addition to our current COVID-19 policies and procedures, which align with the end of the COVID-19 Federal Emergency on May 11, 2023, we ask that all students, families, and staff remain vigilant. Please continue to monitor for symptoms, use COVID tests as necessary, and stay home when you are not feeling well. Masking and hand washing are also great ways to protect yourself and others against illnesses.
January Free Food Markets
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.
- **Next Thursday, January 18 | 3:15 - 5:15PM (Peabody School/Rindge Avenue Upper Campus)
- ** Next Friday, January 19 | 1:30 - 3:30PM (Graham & Parks School)
- Tuesday, January 30 | 3 - 4:30PM (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School/Putnam Ave Upper School)
- Wednesday, January 31 | 1:45 - 3:45PM (Fletcher Maynard Academy)
- Wednesday, January 31 | 2 - 4PM (Kennedy-Longfellow School/Vassal Lane Upper School)
- See the full list of free food markets for the 2023-2024 school year.
Video Alert! Cambridgeport Students Light Up Night Sky
Once a year on the Winter Solstice, Cambridgeport Schools’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) brings together the school community to reconnect with each other and with nature’s cycles to celebrate the magical quality of light. Hot chocolate and hot cider were served as children and families created homemade paper lanterns before taking a walk around the neighborhood using the light as a guide.
A big thank you to the Community School for collaborating with the PTO on lantern making and art teacher Sara Goldsmith for her support!
Tobin Montessori’s Inaugural Morning of the Arts!
The first Tobin Montessori Morning of the Arts took place last month! The event was a complete success! The Kindergarten to grade 4th performance was exceptional. The artwork created a cozy atmosphere of pure creativity! Thank you to John Martha-Reynolds (Kodály Music Teacher), Tina Nospal (Kodály Music Teacher), and Sarah White (Visual Art Teacher)!
Key Resources
Mark Your Calendar
Monday, January 15 | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Monday, February 19 - Friday, February 23 | February Break (No School & CPS Offices Closed on Monday, February 19)
Tuesday, March 5 | Staff Professional Development Day (No School)
Wednesday, March 13 | Early Release (Grades JK-8)
Friday, March 29 | Good Friday (No School & CPS Offices Closed)