Greetings CPS Community...happy April!
After several months of strategic planning, engagement, and refinement, the School Committee will vote on the adoption of the 2024-2025 School Budget tomorrow evening. For more information on some of the key investments in the proposed budget, please visit our website.
We appreciate each parent, guardian, and caregiver who has taken our Communications and Content survey. If you have not already, please take the time to complete the survey as your input will inform decisions and contribute to the continued improvement of our communication strategies and platforms. The deadline has been extended by a week to Friday, April 12 to gather even more input.
Our District/School climate survey dashboard is now available on our website. You can now access the data for the district as well as all individual schools.
This Wednesday, we celebrate the tremendous value that paraprofessionals bring to learning on Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day. Paraprofessionals support classrooms by providing support to our students and classroom teachers. Our paraprofessionals go above and beyond to ensure that the needs of our students are met and that our schools thrive.
This week is also the start of National Assistant Principals Week! I want to acknowledge the essential role that our assistant principals play in supporting our schools. They work tirelessly to support their principal and staff, motivate students, create positive learning communities, and face the many unpredictable challenges that come up on any given day. Please join me in thanking our paraprofessionals and assistant principals for all that they do!
This month, we also recognize Arab American Heritage Month, Autism Acceptance Month, National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, and School Library Month. I invite you to learn more about the importance of these celebrations below, and in the following editions of the Greer Gazette.
Thank you for your continued support.
Make it Great!
Dr. Victoria L. Greer
Headlines
Communications and Content Survey is Now Open to Families
If you haven’t already, please take our Communications and Content Survey, which has been extended through Friday, April 12.
Take the survey here or click the image below.
Your feedback will inform decisions and contribute to the continued improvement of our communication strategies and platforms as both of which are integral to objective 4 of our District Plan: Building Welcoming Schools . We have again partnered with Panorama Education for the survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential.
What We are Celebrating
Arab American Heritage Month is an annual observance that celebrates Arab American heritage and culture and honors the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans to the wider American community. Many customs and food traditions are influenced by religion. Most people in the Arab world are Muslim, or people who follow Islam. However, in the U.S., around 65-70% of Arab Americans are Christian and about 30-35% are Muslim.
- This month and throughout the year, we can celebrate Arab Americans by learning more about their contributions, food, and culture.
Autism Acceptance Month celebrates the roughly 1 in 36 children who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is a complex, lifelong disability. No two autistic individuals present with the same sets of strengths or challenges. Our district has scholars with ASD at all 12 of our elementary schools, all 4 Upper schools, and CRLS. We have students as young as age 3 in our Special Start classrooms up through age 22 in our Post-Graduate program.
April was previously known as Autism Awareness Month, but Cambridge and many other stakeholders in the autism community are committed to ensuring that we move past awareness and accept and embrace our neurodiversity. We strive to build an inclusive community where all members are valued for their gifts and true inclusiveness cannot exist without acceptance. Let's celebrate all the things that make us unique, which includes our neurological profile!
National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month reaffirms, celebrates, and advocates for educational and social equity for our Multilingual Learners. In CPS, our educators develop their immense talents and potential so that they can contribute to a multilingual and intercultural society in the future.
- Learn more about our Multilingual Learner Education Department here.
School Library Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the essential role that school librarians and strong school library programs, including our wonderful Cambridge Public Schools Library Team, play in transforming learning.
- Listen here to authors Dav Pilkey, Jason Reynolds, Jeff Kinney, Megan McDonald, and others discuss how school libraries and school librarians are critical components of the educational experience for all students.
- Visit the American Association of School Librarians website to learn more about School Library Month.
Featured Events & Opportunities
Free Webinar: Parenting Strategies for the Adolescent Years
Our mental health partner, Cartwheel, is offering another free live webinar to share practical strategies for parents of adolescents on topics such as communication, relationships, body image and social media.
Dr. Anisha Abraham, MD, MPH, a board certified pediatrician, adolescent medicine specialist and chief of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children's National Hospital will inform, guide and collaborate with parents to help their pre-teens and teens navigate challenging situations. Join us for the free webinar ‘Parenting Tips
Calling All Interested in Construction, Planning and Design - Check Out KidsBuild!
The Boston Society for Architecture is hosting KidsBuild!, a free event for children aged 5-13 to explore the possibilities of architecture, planning, design, and construction by building a city from recycled materials alongside experienced volunteer design professionals. Registration for each day is required and is now open.
- When: Saturday and Sunday, April 6 & 7
- Where: Boston Society for Architecture (located at 290 Congress Street, Boston)
- Registration: Saturday, April 6 | Sunday, April 7
The KidsBuild! model city will be on display to the public throughout the following week.
Don’t Look Into the Sun…Unless You Have These!
A total solar eclipse will be visible on April 8 from 2:16 - 4:39PM! During a total solar eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon while it passes between the sun and earth.
Looking into the sun can damage your eyes so to ensure our students are prepared to safely witness this wonder, the Science Department will be providing solar eclipse viewing glasses for all students in advance of the event.
Visibility of the event is different depending on location. The next total solar eclipse to be seen from the United States won’t be until 2044. In Cambridge, we’ll be able to see the eclipse at a maximum of 93%! Access more resources and information here.
Multicultural Night at CRLS
The student-led Cultural Visibility Team invites you to our first district-wide Multicultural Night! Enjoy a variety of cuisines in our community potluck and celebrate the many cultures of Cambridge with student performances and a fashion show!
- When: Next Thursday, April 11 | 6 - 8PM
- Where: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (located at 459 Broadway Street)
- Registration is recommended, but not required.
Volunteering to perform or to bring a dish for the potluck is open to the community, check out our volunteer form!
April 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.
Early College Day
CPS Early College Program Manager Michael O'Shea proudly represented our district at Early College Day at the State House this March. Hosted by the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, the day brought together legislators, school districts with early college programs and participating universities to celebrate Early College programs and discuss how to make Early College an opportunity for all students! CPS currently partners with Lesley University and Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology to provide students an opportunity to experience and complete college level academic coursework on a clearly defined pathway while also gaining exposure to a variety of career opportunities.
Key Resources
Wednesday, April 10 | Eid al-Fitr (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19 | April Break (No School & CPS Offices Closed on Monday, April 15)
Wednesday, May 8 | Early Release (Grades JK-8)
Monday, May 27 | Memorial Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)