Message from Superintendent Greer: January 10, 2022

Posted on 01/10/2022

victoria greer

Greetings Cambridge Community!

Thank you again for your patience, understanding and support. We are committed to continuous improvement in all areas of our work and service to our students, staff and families. Therefore, we are conducting an “after action review” with internal and external partners to review our practices related to COVID safety, especially after school vacations and long breaks. We will continue to refine our practices and make improvements.

CPS continues to implement a comprehensive student and staff testing protocol that resumed today, including weekly surveillance/pooled testing, symptomatic testing, and Test and Stay for unvaccinated close contacts. Our focus remains on ensuring we continue to offer this robust mitigation strategy.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced this morning that it has extended the school mask requirement through Monday, February 28.

As a reminder, our FY23 budget process is underway and the community engagement sessions are quickly approaching. There are multiple opportunities to engage with us in this important work. The first two community meetings are scheduled for this Thursday, January 13 at 7 and 8 PM. We hope to hear and learn from you during one of these opportunities. You can register here or below.

Have a wonderful week. Make it Great!

Dr. Victoria L. Greer

Interim Superintendent

SAVE THE DATE: FY23 Budget Development Community Meetings

CPS invites students, families and staff to Save-the-Date for the FY23 Budget Virtual Community Meetings, where members of the CPS community will join Superintendent Greer and School Committee members to share their perspectives on budget priorities for next year.

Thursday January 13 | 7 and 8PM
Wednesday, January 26
- Bengali speaking families | 6PM
- Haitian Creole speaking families | 7PM
- Arabic speaking families | 8PM
Wednesday, February 2 | 3 and 4PM
Thursday February 3
- Amharic speaking families | 6PM
- Spanish speaking families | 7PM
- Cambridge family organizations | 8PM
Saturday, February 12 | 10 and 11AM
Community Meetings with Students | Week of January 24 (Exact Dates and Times TBD)

Each session will last approximately one hour. Register here.

CPS Recruiting Substitute Teachers

CPS is recruiting day-to-day substitute teachers for all grade levels and for Special Education. Applicants must complete a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check.

Apply here.

Bachelor’s Degree requirement waived for the 2021-2022 school year.
Must have some educational experience
Pay Rate: $161.59/day

REMINDER: Upload Vaccination Card

If you have not yet uploaded proof of vaccination or submitted an exemption request for your child(ren), please do so as soon as possible through the secure Family Portal.

Proper vaccine/exemption documentation ensures that:

Students 12 and older are not excluded from CPS-sponsored before and after school activities.
Isolation and quarantine/Test and Stay protocols are followed consistently.
Vaccination rates are reflective of current data.

PLEASE COMPLETE: Testing Consent Form for Unvaccinated Students Please complete a consent form for the Test and Stay program if your child is unvaccinated. To complete a consent form, login into the Family Portal or send a signed paper copy of this form to school with your child.

COVID-19 Vaccine, Booster Shot and Testing Opportunities

COVID-19 Vaccines Available for CRLS Students at Teen Health Center

The Teen Health Center at CRLS is offering COVID-19 vaccines every Friday from 9AM - 1PM for CRLS students only. Because doses are limited, appointments are required. CRLS students should call 617-665-1548 or visit the clinic to schedule an appointment.

12-15 years old: must come to the appointment with a parent/guardian
16 -17 years old: may come alone but must have two signed consent forms (one fromstate and one from CHA: English | Haitian Creole | Portuguese | Spanish)
18 years old+: may come alone

Additional Vaccination Opportunities

Go to VaxFinder to find a location near you.
VaxAbilities hosts disability-friendly vaccine clinics with specialized staff to provide skilled support to individuals with disabilities and sensory support needs. VaxAbilities offers COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11 years (first or second doses, Pfizer), children 12-17 years (first, second or booster doses, Pfizer) and adult initial series or boosters (J&J Janssen, Moderna and Pfizer). Registerhere.
- PLEASE NOTE:
  - Due to last Friday’s snow, the VaxAbilities event scheduled at the Museum of Science in Boston has been rescheduled for Friday, January 21 from 1:30 - 8PM.
  - Those who had appointments on January 7 should have received an email from the appointment scheduling system to allow you to reschedule for January 21. New appointments can also be made here.

City Offering Free COVID-19 Testing Everyday in January

The City of Cambridge has expanded its free COVID-19 testing program to seven days a week during the month of January for anyone who lives or works in the city.

Testing by appointment only at CIC Health (295 Third Street):

Monday – Friday: 5 - 10PM
Saturdays: 8AM - 8PM
Sundays: 2 - 8PM

To schedule an appointment, visit https://www.cic-health.com/cambridge. You will need to create an account and select one of the available appointment slots through CIC’s system.

Free Internet for Qualifying Families

Cambridge Public Schools continues to partner with Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program. to close the digital divide and connect CPS families to free internet. Eligible families can receive free internet service through June 30, 2022.

Your family is eligible if:

Qualify for Free & Reduced Lunch
Live in a Cambridge zip code where Comcast Internet Service is available.
Have not had Comcast Internet Service in the last 90 days.
Households who owe money to Comcast may still qualify if approved by 6/30/22

Eligible families should use the personalized voucher code they received by email on Thursday, December 16 to apply online at InternetEssentials.com or call 844-963-0178. If you need help in applying, please contact your student’s family liaison.

For more information, please visit our website.

Caught Doing Good

Are you proud of something happening in your school, classroom or program? Share your

“Caught Doing Good” story with [email protected].

Featured Events

2022-23 JK/K Lottery

The JK/K Lottery for the 2022-2023 school year is open and will close promptly at 4PM on Monday, January 31. All registrations must be fully completed, including all language testing to determine eligibility for Program Language Bonus points.

Cambridge Families of Color Coalition (CFCC): Community Gathering