Greer Gazette: September 6, 2022

Posted on 09/06/2022

Greetings CPS Community!

Happy First Day of School! Anyone who knows me, knows that my favorite time of the year is the start of a new school year. My team and I are very excited to welcome our students, families, and staff to the new school year and hope you have a wonderful first day!

We will be visiting all of the schools this week, and we cannot wait to see all of the joyful and eager smiles of our students and staff.

Just a few quick reminders for our families:

First…if you haven’t already done so, please fill out the annual forms, including the COVID-19 testing consent form, as soon as possible through the Family Portal.

Second…make sure you have registered for ParentSquare as that will be our main way of communicating with you. If you need help registering or choosing your preferred language, please call your child’s school.

And finally…embrace this time of new beginnings filled with hope, possibility, meaningful relationships, and wonderful friends as we lean into the 2022-2023 school year!

Make it Great!

Dr. Victoria L. Greer

Headlines

District Plan 2022-2025
It has been an exciting summer preparing for the new school year and moving the 2022-25 District Plan forward. Last month, the School Committee approved the District Plan Framework, which includes the four Strategic Objectives. I encourage you to review the presentation for an overview. The District Plan is the road map or guide that we will use in our work to reach our goals and improve student learning and outcomes.

School Committee Meeting

The next School Committee meeting isTuesday, September 20. During this meeting, we will share the initiatives that the district will focus on this school year and set the targets to measure our progress on the goals and initiatives.

Inaugural Issue of the Greer Gazette!

You may have noticed that my weekly newsletter has a new name and a new look! The Greer Gazette will continue to be published weekly on Mondays and be a hub of valuable information and resources.

What We're Celebrating this Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is meant to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, achievements, and contributions Latinx* communities have made to the United States. It was first celebrated in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, it was then expanded to a 30-day period from September 15 to October 15. These dates are intentional because September 15 marks the anniversaries of the independence of five countries in Latin America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico also celebrates its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.

*Latinx is a recent term meant to be used as a gender-neutral alternative to the terms Latino, Latina, and Hispanic.

Featured Events

Community Fair

CPS and Mayor Siddiqui's office are pleased to invite you to participate in the second 2022 Community Fair. Stop by and meet community partners, learn about community services, and access available resources.

This Saturday, September 10 | 10AM - 12PM; Outside Peabody and Rindge Avenue Upper Schools located at 70 Rindge Avenue

Visit http://www.cpsd.us/communityfairs2022 for additional information. We hope to see you there!

City of Cambridge Hosts Danehy Park Family Day
Enjoy a fun-filled day of amusement rides, arts and crafts, music, and roving performers, plus food, T-shirts, and colorful kites (while supplies last). Check out performances throughout the day at the children's stage.

Saturday, September 17 | 11AM - 3PM; 99 Sherman Street (adjacent to Garden and New Streets); Rain date is September 18

For more information, including free shuttle and entertainment schedule, visit www.Cambridgema.gov/danehyparkfamilyday

Ice Cream Social
Our Ice Cream Social was a big hit! It was wonderful to spend some time with our families and community members while enjoying a sweet treat…and the weather was beautiful! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello.

District Day

We had a wonderful District Day last week! I delivered my welcoming remarks from Putnam Avenue Upper School, which was broadcast across the entire district. It was exciting to share the District Plan with our staff, and they had the opportunity to dig deeper into the Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Strategic Framework. We left feeling hopeful, inspired, and energized for the new school year. As we embark on implementing our 12 strategic initiatives together, we are committed to being intentional, reflective, collaborative, and responsive each and every day.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, September 21 | Early Release Day (JK-8)

Wednesday, October 5 | Yom Kippur (No school & CPS Offices Closed)

Monday, October 10 | Indigenous Peoples Day (No school & CPS Offices Closed)

Wednesday, October 19 | Early Release Day (JK-8)

Tip of the Week

Too many posts? You can choose when you receive notifications and in which language!

You can customize your notification settings to fit your schedule! Choose to receive notifications through email, text, or the app and choose when to receive them: immediately or at the end of the day, in one message. You can also choose from more than 100 languages!

For a quick lesson on how to update your settings…

Make sure to download the app!

For a quick video on how to update your notifications settings and choose your preferred language on your phone, click here.

For a quick video on how to update your notifications settings and choose your preferred language on the computer, click here.

Key Resources