Cambridge Public Schools: Message From Superintendent Greer: January 5, 2022

Press release from Cambridge Public Schools:

01/05/2022

Message from Superintendent Greer: January 5, 2022

Greetings and Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday! I want to thank you again for your patience and flexibility following our decision to delay the return to school as we conducted staff and student testing. I would also like to share my deep appreciation for our exceptional custodial staff who distributed COVID tests over the weekend, our wonderful nursing team, who administered approximately 3,500 tests on Monday, and the family liaisons and clerks who helped families get checked-in.

I am so excited to begin a New Year and continue the important work we are doing to improve the educational experience of all of our students.

We have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead of us. Our FY23 budget process is underway and the community engagement sessions are quickly approaching. The first of our community meetings is scheduled for next Thursday, January 13th at 7 and 8 PM. I hope you will engage with us in this important work. We are also planning to launch our multi-year district planning process and look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Congratulations to Mayor Siddiqui, who was elected to a second term, and our returning and newly elected School Committee members, who were sworn in on Monday. We look forward to our continued collaboration in moving the district forward.

Have a wonderful week.

Make it Great!

Dr. Victoria L. Greer

Interim Superintendent

Cambridge Public Schools
  

On Monday, the City of Cambridge 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):

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.

A reminder that Monday marked a vaccination deadline for various CPS-sponsored activities, including practices, rehearsals, meetings, gatherings, performances, games and competitions. Please review the varying vaccination deadlines here.

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.

Please review learning expectations when students or staff are in quarantine.

1. How are learning opportunities provided to students who are required to quarantine?

Individual students who are required to quarantine will be provided with learning opportunities that are developmentally and pedagogically appropriate for the student (assuming they are well enough to complete the work). Each quarantine will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the appropriate services for each student. This updated document, CPS Quarantine Instructional Guidelines for SY2021-22, summarizes what JK-12 students and families can expect under a range of possible quarantine circumstances.

2. Will a student who is quarantining have access to a CPS Chromebook and/or internet hotspot?

CPS recognizes that student/family access to technology at home can be a barrier to learning. In alignment with our priorities to advance equitable access to learning, CPS will support students’ educational technology needs during quarantine as follows.

Students who have been required by CPS or CPHD to quarantine due to COVID and do not have home access to technology are eligible to request a CPS device to use during quarantine, which is typically between 5 -10 days, but may be longer due to the specific circumstances of the individual. (UPDATED COVID Testing and Quarantine Protocols)

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.

Additional Vaccination Opportunities:

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:

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.

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.

Due to continued national shortages of food and packaging materials, labor and vendor delivery delays and cancellations, Food and Nutrition Services will continue to publish a weeklymenu, rather than a monthly menu, for January. This will ensure the menu is as accurate as possible. A weekly menu also means there will be fewer last minute menu changes.

For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to their office at 617-349-6858.

CRLS Junior One of Two Students Selected Statewide to Represent MA in United States Senate Youth Program

We are delighted to announce that Cambridge Rindge and Latin School junior, Elena Serpas, will represent the state of Massachusetts as a delegate in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), a comprehensive education, leadership and public service learning experience and scholarship program. Serpas is one of only two students selected statewide by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Hearst Foundation through an extremely competitive, merit-based selection process. She will join 103 other student delegates from around the nation for a virtual week in Washington in March.

We are incredibly proud of Elena. We extend our congratulations to her, her family and the CRLS community.

Are you proud of something happening in your school, classroom or program? Share your “Caught Doing Good” story with cps@cpsd.us.

2022-23 JK/K Lottery

The JK/K Lottery for the 2022-2023 school year opened on Monday 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

Tuesday, January 11 | 6:30-8PM

Register

SAVE THE DATE: FY23 Budget 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

Wednesday, February 2 | 3 and 4PM

Thursday February 3

Saturday, February 12 | 10 and 11AM

Community Meetings with Students: Dates TBD

Each session will last approximately one hour.

Register

CPS 2021-22 School calendar

Monday, January 17 | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School and Admin Offices Closed

January CPS Lunch Menu: Week 1 (January 3-January 7)

COVID-19 Testing Consent Forms: Log in to the Family Portal

UPDATED CPS Testing & Quarantine Protocols

Student Vaccination Portal: Upload proof of vaccination or submit exemption requests through the secure Family Portal.

Sign Up for the Edulog Bus Tracker New App: Visit CPS’ Transportation webpage

This press release was produced by Cambridge Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.