Mark Your Calendar
-
Thursday, October 2 | Yom Kippur (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
- Thursday, October 13 | Indigenous Peoples’ Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
- Tuesday, November 4 | Staff Professional Learning Day/Election Day (No School)
Update from Interim Superintendent Murphy:
On Friday I wrote to the CPS community to report on the ongoing challenges we have experienced related to some of our bus routes. The work of adjusting routes and addressing the technology failure experienced by the vendor who manages our routing systems continued through the weekend and is still ongoing. Some families received communication about route adjustments today, and additional route changes will be communicated over the next couple of days. Please be sure to keep an eye out for those updates.
Delivering students to and from school safely and on time is a basic responsibility we have as a school district. Thank you to the caregivers, staff and, most importantly, students who have exhibited a great deal of patience as we have worked through these difficulties. A significant majority of buses have run on time since the first day of school, and we are committed to making sure that is true for all buses both in the morning and in the afternoon.
Sincerely,
David Murphy
|
Good evening CPS Community,
Congratulations and thank you to all of our staff, students, families, and caregivers for a successful start to the 2025-26 school year! We have enjoyed welcoming you back to the Cambridge Public Schools, and we look forward to an exciting and fulfilling year ahead.
In addition to our usual first day of school activities, last week we officially opened the new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools complex, and many of our schools were excited to welcome students from the Kennedy-Longfellow School to their new school communities. Thank you to all families, staff, and caregivers who made each of these transitions as smooth as possible for our students.
Thank you to all our partners and families who attended our Community Fairs. We look forward to continuing to make connections this upcoming school year.
In this Issue:
- What We’re Celebrating
- Tobin and Darby Vassall Upper School Community Complex Grand Opening
- Superintendent Search: Upcoming Engagement Opportunities
- Don’t Forget Annual Forms
- Back-to-School Events
- Free Preschool Application for 2026-2027 Coming October 1!
- Review Your ParentSquare Settings
- Volunteer in Our School Cafeterias
- NEW: Strategic Spotlight: Family Engagement
- Upcoming Events
- District & Community Resources
- The Bright Spot
Sincerely,
The CPS Team
What We’re Celebrating This Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month is meant to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, achievements, and contributions of the Hispanic/Latin community. It was first celebrated in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, it was 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.
Ethiopian New Year!
The Ethiopian New Year, referred to as Enkutatash in Amharic, celebrates new beginnings to introduce the new year. This year, it will be on Thursday, September 11, and will introduce the New Year of 2018.
National IT Professionals Day
Tuesday, September 16 is National Information Technology Professionals Day. Our Information, Communication, Technology & Services (ICTS) Department is essential to our operations, providing the technical infrastructure and services necessary to support teaching, learning, and administration. Our students and staff benefit from their support daily. Thank you, ICTS, for all that you do!
Tobin and Darby Vassall Upper School Community Complex Grand Opening
The new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper School and Community Complex officially opened last week! The state-of-the-art facility houses the Tobin Montessori School, Darby Vassall Upper School, and multiple Department of Human Service Programs.
"The new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools are the culmination of a historic and profound series of investments by the people of Cambridge in our school district. This project is a testament to the Cambridge Public Schools' capacity to reimagine itself to better serve students. The opening of this building, along with the four other new school communities over the last decade, represents a commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities and a world-class education for our students.
Looking ahead, our priority is to ensure that the Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools live up to the historic investment that the city has made in them. We hope this new building will be a place where our students thrive and where our school community continues to reimagine itself to better serve every student. The goal is for this facility to be a place worthy of the profound investment in education it represents."
The official opening is accompanied by a new name for the Darby Vassall Upper School (formerly Vassal Lane Upper School), which honors Darby Vassall, a former enslaved person who became a civil rights and educational justice leader.
The playground and community paths are open; however, outdoor construction, including the renovation of Father Callanan Park, basketball courts, and multipurpose fields, will continue through the fall.
Grand Opening Celebration
Join us for the Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The event will include tours for all interested community members. Stay tuned for details on timing and more information.
View photos of the new building and learn more here.
Need to Know News
Superintendent Search: Upcoming Engagement Opportunities
Before the School Committee’s scheduled vote to select a new Superintendent, scheduled for October 6, the CPS community has several opportunities to meet and learn more about the three finalists.
Upcoming engagement sessions include:
- Thursday, September 25, 5:30 - 8:30PM: Question and Answer sessions with finalists. Questions should be submitted in advance through an online form, which will be shared this week.
- Tuesday, September 30 (Time TBD): Finalists will participate in interviews with the School Committee. All interviews will be open to the public and will be broadcast live.
Finalists for the next CPS Superintendent of Schools are:
- Lourenço Garcia, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, Revere, MA
- David Murphy, Interim Superintendent, Cambridge, MA
- Magaly Sanchez, Chief Family Advancement Officer, Boston, MA
More details will be shared at a later date. Learn more about the candidates here.
Don’t Forget Annual Forms
Required Annual Forms were due last week. If you have not completed these forms, please do so immediately for each student through the CPS Family Portal.
Back-to-School Events
Our schools are hosting various back-to-school events, including open houses and other festivities, to help you get acquainted and meet other members of the school community.
September 2nd School Committee Recap
The School Committee held a regular meeting last Tuesday. Access the most recent School Committee Summary here. Highlights include:
Free Preschool Application for 2026-2027 Coming October 1!
Applications for the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP) for the 2026-2027 school year will be accepted Wednesday, October 1 – Friday, November 14.
CPP provides access to free preschool through Cambridge Public Schools, the Cambridge Department of Human Services and Programs, and select community-based preschool and family child-care providers. Families can apply to a variety of programs through a single online.
A child is eligible if they live in Cambridge and are:
- 4 years old by August 31, 2026 for 4-year-old programs; or
- 3 years old by August 31, 2026 for 3-year-old programs (please note there will be limited seats for
- 3-year-olds, and there may be additional eligibility requirements)
The program is managed by the City’s Office of Early Childhood. Learn more about the Cambridge Preschool Program here.
Review Your ParentSquare Settings
ParentSquare, our main communication tool, allows users to customize their notification preferences at the school and district level. All families, staff, and students (grades 6-12) have access to the platform. Your account must be activated to adjust these settings.
Customize Your Notification Preferences
| How to get updates |
Email, Phone (robocalls/ text), or the Mobile App |
When you get updates
|
Instant or Digest (all messages in one daily communication at 6PM)
|
We encourage you to review your notification settings and adjust them until you find what works best for you.
Tip: We recommend setting School notifications to instant and District to digest.
Volunteer in Our School Cafeterias
The City of Cambridge is looking for volunteers to help our students learn to sort recycling and food waste after breakfast and lunch. This is a great opportunity to be in the school!
Questions? Contact [email protected] or call 617.349.4836.
Strategic Spotlight: Family Engagement
A major focus area for the Cambridge Public Schools this year is deepening our commitment to family engagement. We are proud of the meaningful partnerships we continue to build and maintain with our families, and we remain committed to pursuing more meaningful opportunities to engage and partner with families to invest in students’ learning.
As part of this commitment, this summer, a team of 14 CPS administrators, staff members, and caregivers joined other school representatives from across the country for an intensive, five-day training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, led by Dr. Karen Mapp. At the training, the CPS team learned about strategies we can use to build more meaningful and impactful partnerships between CPS educators, parents, and caregivers. We are proud that ours was the only district represented that included both staff and caregivers to invest in this work.
From this training, we are eager to bring these strategies to the CPS community this year. You can see some recent examples in our school kick-off events that highlight our cross-sector collaboration with community partners, caregivers, and staff. Stay tuned for more updates and ways in which we want to deepen our family partnerships.
Objective 4: Build Welcoming & Supportive Schools/ District
In the District
Superintendent Search: Community Forum
Thursday, September 25 | 5:30 - 8:30PM
Location: To be Announced
Public forum with the finalists for CPS Superintendent. The form to submit questions in advance will be shared soon!
Superintendent Search: Public Interviews
Tuesday, September 30 | Time: To Be Announced
Location: To be Announced
Finalists will participate in interviews with the School Committee. All interviews will be open to the public and will be broadcast live.
Tobin Montessori/Darby Vassall Community Complex Grand Opening
Saturday, October 18 | Time: To Be Announced
181 Vassal Lane
Celebrate the opening of the new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper School Community Complex. The event will include tours for all interested community members. Details coming soon.
Back-to-School Events
Each school has put together some details for their back-to-school events. Check out the calendar and save-the-date for your child’s school celebrations!
See the calendar for school events here
District Calendar
Visit our digital calendar for upcoming events here.
In the Community
Danehy Park Family Day
Saturday, September 20 | 11AM - 3PM
Danehy Park (99 Sherman Street)
Enjoy activities, crafts, performances, and more during
Danehy Park Family Day. Shuttle buses will run to and from Danehy Park. Free fun for the whole family! View the flyer here.
Cambridge Science Carnival
Sunday, September 21 | 12 - 4PM
Kendall/ MIT Open Space (292 Main Street)
The
Cambridge Science Carnival features 150+ activity booths, demonstrations, and performances for all ages focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Shuttle services are available.
Rail Innovation in Action Program
Application Deadline: Monday, September 22
Online
Students in grades 9 - 12 are encouraged to apply for the
Rail Innovation program in partnership with Lemelson-MIT and the California State Railroad Museum. This online eight-week, interactive program focuses on innovation to create community impact. Applications close Monday, September 22.
Science Club for Girls
Date & Time Varies
Virtual and In-person
Explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in this
free after-school program for girls and gender-expansive youth (kindergarten - grade 8)
Apply for the Science Club for Girls here.
District & Community Resources
Blue Bike Designs: Brought to You by CRLS Students
First place design (left) created by Nia Guerrero 25’. Second place design created by Zai Jaquez Acosta 26’.
Last Spring, several Creative Design students participated in a public
service announcement poster design contest. The first design was printed and installed by the City at various Bluebike and Kiosk panels around Cambridge. Posters were installed in mid-August and will stay up through mid-December. See if you can spot these posters created by CRLS students Nia Guerrero 25’ and Zai Jaquez Acosta 26’ around the city!
Professional Teacher Status Luncheon
Congratulations to the 68 CPS educators who earned Professional Teacher Status as of this year! Earlier this week, we honored these dedicated staff at a lunch ceremony during our districtwide colloquium. Thank you for your dedication to our students, our district, and our community!