Greetings CPS Community…
It’s hard to believe that one month from today is our last day of the 2022-2023 school year. I am proud of the work we have accomplished since September and look forward to finishing the year off strong.
I hope you have had some time to read the exciting details City Manager Yi-An Huang and I shared with you last week about Universal Preschool (UPK), which is coming to Cambridge beginning in the 2024-2025 School Year. The Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP) 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. This list of Frequently Asked Questions (አማርኛ | عربي | বাংলা | Kreyòl ayisyen | Español) may answer key questions you have about CPP. I am incredibly proud of this historic investment in our children and look forward to sharing more information as it becomes available.
A gentle reminder that there is no school next Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day. Let us all take some time over the long holiday weekend to honor and acknowledge those who have died in service to our country.
Also, as a result of the holiday, the next issue of Greer Gazette will be on Tuesday, May 30.
Thank you for your continued support.
Make it Great!
Dr. Victoria L. Greer
Headlines
New Health Portal Coming This Fall
When we return to school in September, our School Health Department will ask families to join our district’s electronic medical record system known as the SNAP Health Portal. This web-based system provides an easy, secure, and green way for you to update and review your child’s health and wellness information and medical documents throughout the year.
The SNAP Health Portal will allow you to:
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Submit all health forms electronically
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Share immunization records, doctor’s orders, allergies/medical conditions, and other important health information as needed
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Receive notification when your child’s medications are in need of a refill
More details will be shared over the summer.
Mental Health Support for Students
The Cambridge Youth Council (CYC) recently launched its Youth Headspace campaign. Created by young people, for young people, the website provides students with helpful information and resources to support their mental health. The goal is to destigmatize conversations about mental health challenges for teenagers.
Resources include:
Students on the CYC helped design the campaign’s mascots, the Wellbeings. Each character represents a different aspect of mental health, and together, they serve as a friendly reminder that Youth Headspace is available whenever teenagers need it.
Apply for an After School Program for Next School Year by Friday
Are you looking for an after school program for your child to participate in beginning this fall?
The city’s Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) is accepting applications for the DHSP Afterschool Programs Lottery through this Friday, May 26th.
Childcare Afterschool Programs,
Community Schools Afterschool Programs
Cambridge Youth Programs
King Open Extended Day program
Please note that all spots are filled through a lottery process.
CPS will continue to provide the same level of transportation services to the various DHSP and Community sites that were provided this school year.
CPS Hiring Corner
Cambridge Public Schools is seeking to hire talented education professionals for positions including Administrators, Teachers, Instructional Aides, and Substitutes for the 23-24 School Year! We look forward to recruiting and hiring excellent educators to join our school communities this fall!
Educators Awarded Full Scholarships to Pursue Secondary Education
Thirty talented teachers and paraprofessionals were chosen for our Educator Pathway Program (EPP), which celebrates, grows, and cultivates CPS educators. Each educator received a full scholarship to pursue secondary education in English as a Second Language at Lesley University or Special Education at Cambridge College.
Free Chat-Based Tutoring For Final Exams
A gentle reminder that all 5th through 12th grade students have access to Paper, a free chat-based tutoring service through the end of this school year.
Paper provides:
Featured Events
Visual and Performing Arts Spring Events
The Department of Visual and Performing Arts invites you to an exciting spring season of music, dance, arts, and theater performances!
Happening this week:
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Piano Recital | Today, Monday May 22 | 6PM (CRLS)
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Drum Circle | Wednesday, May 24 | 3:05PM (CRLS Arts Building)
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Improv Show | Wednesday, May 24 | 7PM (CRLS)
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See more events and get tickets
Family Science Pop-Up
Tomorrow afternoon, Pre-K through 5th grade students and their families are invited to take part in fun and creative science activities. These include nature drawing, an obstacle course, chalk art, giant bubbles, puzzles, and games!
OEIB’s End of the Year Celebration
Every year, the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (OEIB) provides funding for students, educators, and caregivers to advance community-driven work to address racism, inequity, injustice, and oppression in CPS through various different initiatives. Examples include the Equity Collaborative, Middle School Leadership Summit, Youth Equity Summit, Community Pride Day, and the Math Equity Lab.
Come join us to learn about and celebrate the amazing equity work our school community has done.
Media Arts Film Festival
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our Media Arts students with a screening of their video projects created throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Categories include journalism, comedy, narrative, and media art.
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When: Thursday, May 25 | 5:30 PM
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Where: MIT Museum Gambrill Center (located at 314 Main Street)
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Contact Josh at [email protected] for free tickets.
Final Community Social of the School Year
The Family and Community Engagement team invites you to the final Community Social of the school year. Come indulge in delicious food, participate in our raffle, and take home some CPS swag! District partners will also be there to provide valuable resources and information.
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When: Thursday, June 1 | 6-8PM
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Where: The Foundry (101 Rogers Street)
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Scan the QR code to the right to register and learn more.
Community Pride Day
LGBTQ+ community members and allies are invited to our 2nd annual Cambridge Community Pride Day at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. There will be:
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A student panel, featuring guest speaker DiDi Delgado
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Workshops for students in grades 6-12
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Activities for parents, caregivers, and younger children, including a drag king storytime
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When: Friday, June 2 | 3:30 - 6:30PM
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Register and find more information on the event website.
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.
Markets this week:
Family Fun at STEAM Night
Students and families at the Haggerty School had a blast at Family STEAM Night, a celebration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math! Children were challenged to see how far they could jump and how long they could stand on one foot at the Kid Data Station. Other stations included building paper helicopters, coding, and making marbled prints with shaving cream!
Everyone had a great time, and students received catapult kits funded by the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for participating!
Budding Poets Win Citywide Contest
Congratulations to two Rindge Avenue Upper School students, Minna Mirghani and Kallie Alexis, who won second place in the Cambridge Public Library’s Youth Poetry Contest! Mina’s poem “Words are People”, and Kallie’s poem “The Butterfly Tunnel!” were chosen out of nearly 800 entries!
Minna and Kallie will receive prizes and have the opportunity to read their poems aloud during an awards ceremony at the Main Library on June 1st.
Students Studying Chinese Earn National Recognition
Congratulations to CRLS senior Winta Gebretensae who received an Honorable Mention Award in the Chinese National Poster Award National contest! The theme of the poster (far left) is "Harmony in Our Community”.
CRLS students Farai Sundai and Lucia Mindell (middle) received an Honorable Mention in the National Chinese Speech Contest, and Putnam Avenue Upper School student Maia Shen (far right) received an Honorable Mention Award in the 6-8 grade group. They competed against 1,420 students from 39 states, and only 15-18 students in each group were selected to advance to the Finals. Way to go!
Mark Your Calendar
Monday, May 29 | Memorial Day (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Wednesday, June 7 | Early Release (JK-5 only)
Monday, June 19 | Juneteenth (No School & CPS Offices Closed)
Thursday, June 22 | Last Day of School and Early Release for All Grades
Key Resources