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Posted May, 19, 2020
Dear CPS Community -
I hope this message finds you and your family in good health. We are writing to share updates on some of the questions we have been receiving, including some areas where we are still in the process of developing final plans on many fronts. I continue to appreciate your resilience, flexibility, and partnership during these unprecedented times.
Food sites closed for Memorial Day: CPS food sites will not serve food on Monday, May 25, as CPS is closed for Memorial Day.
CPS program will run its Summer 2020 programs virtually: We know that families are eager to know the available options for summer child care and programs. We are all eager for students to have opportunities beyond the screen for activity, enrichment, and fun. We all share the concern about learning loss, which under normal circumstances, can be exacerbated over the summer. Given the current public health uncertainties, and the need to plan, hire for, and implement summer programming, CPS is currently planning to conduct its summer programs virtually. We are continuing to explore possible options for meaningful summer experiences that can be conducted virtually and safely. We plan to provide more information about summer experiences very soon.
CPS Taskforce and Working Groups: CPS is in the process of establishing a COVID-19 taskforce and several working groups to develop detailed plans for the reopening of schools. We are looking for individuals that bring expertise in and/or diverse perspectives to inform our efforts. We welcome community suggestions for individuals to participate in these efforts. If you are interested in participating, or want to nominate others, please use this form.
Retrieving Student Belongings: CPS is working with local officials to finalize a plan to retrieve students’ belongings that may still be in school buildings. More information to come soon.
Tobin/Vassal Lane Construction Project: The City Manager’s office has announced that due to unforeseeable impacts caused by the state’s shutdown of non-essential services, the relocation of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper schools has been postponed until the December 2020 school vacation, and the opening of the reconstructed school has been delayed to January 2025, after the winter school break.
Funds for Food: Many Cambridge families are eligible to receive funding to pay for food through a new program called P-EBT (Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer), while schools are closed due to COVID-19. Eligible families should receive information by mail from the Department of Transitional Assistance. More information here in multiple languages.
Apply for Free/Reduced Price Meals: Families that have recently lost income or jobs may be newly eligible for the CPS Free- or Reduced-Price Meals program, which will allow you to be eligible for future rounds of P-EBT and other resources. Click here to apply.
Sincerely,
Kenneth N. Salim, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Posted on 04/27/2020
Dear CPS Community,
I hope your family had a restful and enjoyable April vacation, despite our current circumstances.
Resources to get back into the groove of “CPS @ Home”
The first week “back-to-schooling” after April vacation is a great opportunity to recommit to good learning habits at home. We’ve updated the How to Support Learning at Home page of the CPS @ Home website with new Distance Learning Tips for CPS Families, including strategies for younger (Grades JK-5) and older (Grades 6-12) students.
We’ve also added new questions and updated answers to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page of our website, and we’ll continue to update them as information becomes available.
Emergency closure update
As we reported last week, Governor Baker announced that school buildings in Massachusetts will remain closed for the rest of the school year. The state has shared updated guidance for how to approach the rest of the school year; we will provide more information soon. Please remember that although our facilities are closed, our school year continues. CPS educators continue to support students and families in distance learning. It’s important for our students to stay engaged and learning every school day!
Where do we go from here?
We’re busy making plans for the remainder of the school year, the summer, and the fall. As we await additional guidance from state officials, we’re developing strategies to (1) ensure the health and safety of all students and adults when school buildings eventually reopen, and (2) provide the additional academic and social emotional supports that students will need after an extended period out of classrooms. We will continue to seek your input and keep you updated on these plans.
Family survey
Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to answer the brief 6-question survey about your family’s needs and experiences during the emergency closure. There is still time, so if you haven’t already, look for the email from our survey partner, Panorama, and share your thoughts. Our team is reviewing the responses to identify additional ways to support CPS families.
Stay connected
For the latest news and information:
Visit our website, CPS @ Home.
Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
We invite you to post photos and videos of your family engaged in learning and fun at home, and tag CPS!
Send any questions or comments to cps@cpsd.us.
Thank you, and have a great week!
Kenneth N. Salim, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cambridge Public Schools Update (3/30):
Cambridge Public Schools Update (3/30):
Dear CPS Community -
I hope that this message finds you taking good care of yourself during this unprecedented time. I am writing to share a few key updates related to our school closures, including information about upcoming School Committee meetings.
State Education Department Message to Families: Today, March 30, Massachusetts Commissioner of K-12 Education Jeff Riley released a letter for parents and guardians about school closures. You can read the full message in English or Spanish. Here are some highlights on what this message means for CPS:
Last day of school: The official last day of school will be June 23 for CPS. This reflects guidance from the state that school closures will not result in an extension of the normal school year. We will share any updates on summer learning opportunities as the season approaches.
MCAS: MCAS testing typically takes place during April and May - including during weeks when school buildings will be closed. Federal education authorities have granted state education officials permission to explore options related to this requirement including addressing current requirements for high school graduation
Special education: As with general education expectations, special education services will need to adapt to current conditions. Parents and caregivers of children with IEPs should expect check-in’s with members of their child’s special education team to help students access distance learning opportunities. This can take place without formal IEP meetings. It will make more sense to revisit IEP services once schools are functioning at normal levels. More detailed updates from OSS are available here.
Virtual School Committee Meetings: Tomorrow evening, the Cambridge School Committee will be holding a virtual meeting for the purpose of discussing COVID-19 preparedness and response. This meeting will not include opportunities for public comment, but will be recorded and streamed live via our website. More information can be found on the School Committee meeting site.
CPS Budget Process: With all that has been going on to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, you may have missed my presentation (video and slides) of my proposed FY21 budget to the Cambridge School Committee on March 12. In my presentation, I expressed my belief that budgets must reflect our values, our priorities, and our understanding of student needs.
We all know that the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, widespread closures, and social distancing have significant and important impacts on student, family, and staff needs now, and in the future. It is likely that the FY21 Budget will evolve over the course of the coming weeks in response to these new challenges. The next steps in the budget process are as follows:
Tomorrow, March 31 at 5pm - Mayor Siddiqui has called a Special Meeting for the purpose of discussing COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness updates.
Tomorrow, March 31 at 6pm - School Committee Budget Workshop (workshops do not include public comment). Among the agenda items are a revised timeline/process for the CPS budget that reflects the changed timetable for the City of Cambridge budget process.
Tuesday, April 7 at 6 pm - Virtual Public Hearing on the FY21 Budget. Instructions for making public comment will be posted soon on the School Committee Meetings site.
Please submit any questions you have about the FY21 Budget process through this form.
Thank you once again for the messages of patience and support during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Kenneth N. Salim, Ed.D.
Superintendent
CPS will Provide Weekday Breakfast & Lunch:
CPS will Provide Weekday Breakfast & Lunch:
CPS will be packing and distributing bagged breakfasts and lunches to locations throughout the city. Any family facing food challenges is welcome to pick up one bag per child, regardless of Free/Reduced Price Lunch status.
Tables with bags containing 1 breakfast and 1 lunch will be set at the following locations:
Haggerty School - Cushing Street main entrance
Peabody School - Rindge Avenue main entrance
King Open School - Cambridge Street main entrance
Morse School - Granite Street main entrance
Dr. Martin Luther King School - Magee Street Entrance
Fletcher Maynard Academy -- Harvard Avenue
Near 35 Cambridge Park Drive - look for a parked yellow school bus
See more details for specific pick-up times here.
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