Greer Gazette: August 14, 2023

Posted on 08/14/2023

Greetings CPS Community…

We are nearly halfway through August, which means September and the return to school are around the corner! We cannot wait to welcome our students back from what I hope has been a relaxing and joyous summer.

I am especially excited to meet many of you at our upcoming Community Fairs. This year, I am hosting an “Ask Dr. Greer” table, where I hope to address some of your questions and concerns. We are also offering support for families who need help filling out the annual Back-to-School forms. The completed forms are due on the first day of school. They will be available on the CPS Family Portal beginning next Monday, August 21. Please see below for more details on the Back-to-School Forms Help and Community Fairs events.

As we discussed in our summer School Committee meeting last week, we recently engaged in a comprehensive scheduling audit to better understand how time was being leveraged to support student learning across our schools. The findings will be implemented at our 12 elementary schools this fall. I encourage you to review the presentation (beginning at slide #13) and our K-8 School Schedules Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), which aims to address some of the questions and concerns we heard from you last Tuesday. You may also review the audits on our website.

On Thursday, families who are not registered for our main communications tool, ParentSquare, will receive an invitation to register. It is important that parents, guardians, and caregivers register to stay connected and engaged with their child’s school community. Next Tuesday, August 22, I will share my Back-to-School message with important steps and reminders to help get your child ready for the first day of school.

Thank you for your continued support.

Make it Great!

Dr. Victoria L. Greer

Headlines

Connect with Us at a Cambridge Community Fair!

Get help with your child’s back-to-school forms from CPS staff, including school nurses! A reminder that students must turn in these forms on their first day of school.

Wednesday, August 23 | 5 - 7PM
- Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (459 Broadway Court)

We, along with Mayor Siddiqui's office, are pleased to invite you to participate in the2023 Community Fairs. The fairs are opportunities for families to meet community partners, learn about community services, and access free supplies, resources, and clothing. This year, Dr. Greer will host an “Ask Dr. Greer” table. We hope you will come out and meet her and Mayor Siddiqui.

Saturday, August 26 | 10AM - 12PM
- King Open School (850 Cambridge Street)
Saturday, September 9 | 10AM - 12PM
- Peabody School (70 Rindge Avenue)

Register for the New Health Portal Today

The School Health Department invites families to join our district’s electronic medical record system known as theSNAP Health Portal.This web-based system provides an easy, secure, and green way to update and review your child’s health and wellness information and medical documents throughout the year.

Submit all health forms electronically
Share immunization records, doctor’s orders, allergies/medical conditions, and other important health information as needed
Receive notification when your child’s medications are in need of a refill

Families will receive an email with an invitation to register later this month.Please note that students who are new to CPS this school year will not be able to sign up for the portal until after the first day of school.Questions?Contact Mackenzie at [email protected].

Fall Sports Registration Deadline is Tomorrow
Online registration for the CRLS Fall Athletic Season closes tomorrow, Tuesday, August 15. Seasons begin as early as this Thursday, August 17.

Don't forget to review the fall signup information and important start dates.

Summer Contact List
Staff at your child’s school will be available to answer questions you may have beginning next Monday, August 21. If you have a question before then, please see our list of summer contacts (አማርኛ | عربي | বাংলা | Kreyòl ayisyen | Español).

COVID Tests in the Mail
Next week, every student and staff member will receive a COVID test in the mail. We encourage every student and staff member to take a rapid test before returning to school.

If negative and do not have symptoms, we will see you at school.
If positive or negative but have symptoms, please stay home and notify the school as you would for any other excused absence.

Track Your Child’s School Bus in Real Time

If your child plans to take the school bus this school year, please download our Bus Tracker App, which allows families to track the location of their child's school bus by GPS.

To register:

Have your child’s Student ID number. (It is included in your annual forms packet and can be requested from the school.)
Click New Account and follow the instructions.
Locate the bus tracker at bus.cpsd.us or if you are using a mobile device, create a shortcut on your home screen to make logging in easier.
See the User Guide for more instructions and troubleshooting.

Job and Housing Opportunities for Families

Join the CPS Team!

Cambridge Public Schools is seeking to hire talented education professionals for positions including Administrators, Teachers, Instructional Aides, and Substitutes for the 2023-2024 school year! We look forward to recruiting and hiring excellent educators to join our school communities for the upcoming school year.

Learn more about our competitive salaries and benefits.
To apply for a position, please visit CPS's TalentEd webpage.
Questions? Contact [email protected]

New Income-Restricted Rental Apartments

Cambridge families can enter a lottery to be selected for new income-restricted rental apartments in Rindge Commons North (432 Rindge Avenue) based on household income. Six one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments are available. Applications are due October 16. The lottery will take place on October 30.

Apply online.
Apply in-person at Cambridge City Hall (795 Massachusetts Ave), Cambridge Public Library Main Branch (449 Broadway), Cambridge Housing Authority (multiple locations), management office (402 Rindge Avenue) or the O’Neil Public Library (70 Rindge Avenue).
Questions? Call 617.876.5855.

Community Cultural Days Hiring Initiative

The New Art Center in Newton is looking to hire artists, performers, educators, and young people across Greater Boston to help bring cultural programs and celebrations to life. These programs include Indigenous Peoples Day, Dia de Los Muertos, and Veteran’s Day.

Pay varies based on the role.
BIPOC artists and youth are encouraged to apply.
Bilingual in Portuguese or Spanish is a plus, but not required.
Questions? Call 617.964.3424 or email Sarah Moriarty at [email protected]

Featured Events

Final Week of Free Summer 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.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 15
2 - 4PM (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School and Putnam Ave Upper School)
Thursday, August 17
2 - 4PM (Peabody School and Rindge Avenue Upper School)

Cambridge Preschool Program Coming in SY24-25

The Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP), also known as Universal Preschool, is a publicly-funded program and a joint partnership between the City of Cambridge, the Department of Human Service Programs, and Cambridge Public Schools.

It will provide free preschool to the families of all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds.
CPP will replace our current Junior Kindergarten-Kindergarten Lottery for the 2024-2025 School Year.
A child is eligible if they live in Cambridge and are:
- 4 years old byAugust 31, 2024for 4-year-old programs; or
- 3 years old byAugust 31, 2024for 3-year-old programs (please note there will be limited seats for 3-year-olds and there may be additional eligibility requirements)
The single, centralized online application will open in winter 2023/2024.
- A paper application will be available.

Learn more:

Tobin Montessori School Receives Accreditation as a Public Montessori School
Congratulations are in order for the Tobin Montessori School Community! The American Montessori Society’s Board of Directors has approved the school’s re-accreditation. This accomplishment is a true testament to the commitment of our Tobin educators.

In their final report, the accreditation Team Chair wrote, in part, “Faculty and staff at Tobin Montessori School are exceptional; they hold fast to their Montessori principles and work tirelessly to ensure that the Montessori pedagogy stays true while also ensuring that the state standards are met and often, surpassed.” Well done, Tobin!

Soars

End of Summer Celebration
Congratulations to the scholars who participated in the four-week CPS SOARS Program this summer! As a reward for their hard work, students were treated to a carnival day with a bounce house, water balloons, basketball game, and ices. Hear their favorite part of the celebration by clicking on the play button!

CPS at the White House Cybersecurity Summit
Chief Information Officer Steve Smith was among a group of school leaders from across the country invited to a Cybersecurity Summit for K-12 Schools at the White House last week. Discussions focused on the growing number of cyberattacks targeting schools and how to protect student data.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (pictured below) addressed guests. We are incredibly proud of Steve for representing our district!