Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS)

CoCS: The PTO of PTOs

The Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS) is a 501(c) organization composed of all the PTOs in the Chelmsford Public School district, organized to Support, Empower, and Unite the PTOs to enhance their ability to serve their school communities effectively. Members of the CoCS work to:

  • Strengthen the collective impact of PTOs by building a strong partnership among PTOs where they work together, sharing best practices & resources
  • Foster communication, collaboration, and resource sharing among PTOs to create a thriving network of volunteers
  • Sponsor community-wide educational opportunities for CPS students, parents, parent groups, staff, administration, and community members in support of CPS district-wide initiatives.

 

Jump to Section

Meetings School Photos Community Read-In Scholarships Programs Board Members Support

Meeting Schedule

2025-26 Meetings

The CoCS convenes four (4) times each year, and any member of the CPS community is welcome to attend.

  • Thursday, October 16 – IN-PERSON
  • Thursday, January 15 – VIRTUAL ONLY (quorum required for photo commission allocation vote)
  • Thursday, March 26 – VIRTUAL ONLY
  • Monday, May 18 – IN-PERSON for Scholarship Award (quorum required for Board elections)

In-Person meetings are held at the McCarthy Middle School Library (250 North Road).

Virtual meeting links will be emailed to all PTOs in advance.

Quorum is represented as:

  1. One (1) PTO Board member from each Member PTO*
  2. Two (2) additional Members from each Member PTO*
  3. Half of the current CoCS Board Officers
    *CoCS Board officers cannot represent a member PTO for purposes of quorum.
Learn More - Meeting Calendar »

School Photo Contract - A Fundraiser for All PTOs

CoCS negotiates & manages the School Photo contract for the CPS Elementary & Middle Schools. This allows us to negotiate a rebate from the contracted vendor on every order of school pictures! These rebates are used by CoCS & the member PTOs to fund enrichment activities for CPS students across the district.

Every 3 years, CoCS forms a committee to evaluate the current contract holder, as well as explore other vendors in the market, to try to ensure our School Photo events are handled consistently, resulting in high-quality photos and products at an affordable price for CPS families.

Our current photo contract vendor is LifeTouch Studios.

Picture dates, and make-up dates, at each school are announced at the beginning of the school year and generally take place before Thanksgiving.

If you have a question about the School Photo Contract, or if you need assistance in dealing with the photo contract vendor, please contact our VP of Photo Contract, at: cpsphotoinfo@gmail.com .

Learn More - Photo Vendor »

Chelmsford Community Read-In: 35+ Years of Partnership

For the past 35+ years, Chelmsford has held this annual community-wide program, inviting volunteers to read in classrooms throughout the K-6 Chelmsford Schools. The goal is to highlight “Community Members” and to show the school children that reading is enjoyed by all sorts of people — Business Owners, Town Employees, Elected Officials, Firefighters, Police Officers, Long-time residents, Parents, Caregivers, High School students, and CHS Graduates! Any Chelmsford community member is welcome to come share some interesting information about their connection to the community, and then read a book of their choice to that class.  (We do ask that parents & caregivers consider signing up to read in a classroom that is not their child’s, to try to give students a chance to meet someone they might not normally encounter in their community. )

Each visit is approx. 15-20 mins., and we strive to have at least 1 reader visit each classroom at some point during the week; some even get up to 3 & 4 readers if time allows.

If you have a question about the Community Read-In please contact our VP of Read-In, at: ChelmsfordReadIn@gmail.com.

2025-26 Community Read-In Dates

This year we will once again be hosting our event in tandem with Read Across America Week, March 2-6, 2026.

Scholarships for Graduating Seniors

Did you know that the PTO at all four Chelmsford elementary schools and both middle schools each offer scholarships to a graduating senior who attended their school? Additionally, the Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS) also offers a scholarship to a student graduating from Chelmsford High School. All are included in the annual comprehensive CHS Scholarship List 2025-2026, but we’ve highlighted these specific scholarships below.

We encourage students applying to pay close attention to the deadlines, all the required supporting documentation, and to proofread the application before submitting it. Good luck!

  • BSA (Byam PTO) $1000 scholarship, the deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026
  • Center PTO $1000 scholarship, the deadline is Friday, April 3, 2026
  • Harrington PTO two $500 scholarships, the deadline is midnight on Friday, April 10, 2026
  • South Row PTO $1000 scholarship, the deadline is 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 15, 2026
  • Parker PTO $1000 scholarship, the deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026
  • McCarthy PTO $1000 scholarship, the deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026
  • Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS) $1000 scholarship, the deadline is 11:59pm on Sunday, April 12, 2026

If you have any questions about the CoCS Scholarship, please contact: cocsscholarship@gmail.com.

Sponsored Programs

Sometimes there are issues and/or interests that span the entire CPS District, so in an effort to provide access for all CPS students and families, CoCS will fund education and enrichment programs on behalf of all our member PTOs. Past Events have included presentations both to students in school and in the evening for families.

If you have a suggestion for a program that would benefit the wider CPS community, please email the Board at, councilofchelmsfordschools@gmail.com .

Digital Health and Safety Expert Katie Greer speaks to students at Parker Middle School in Chelmsford on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Digital Health & Safety Presentations – Katie Greer

On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Katie Greer spoke at both middle schools – Parker and McCarthy – walking students through a decision-making process that considers the immediate and long-term impact of everything they do online – the AWESOME and the not-so-awesome. Her content varied slightly for each grade level. Later that same day, she also spoke with all CPS  parents/guardians to provide some guidance on navigating through this digital world.

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Katie returned to the district to speak with all high school students in two separate presentations at CHS. Later that same day, the CPS Administration bussed all rising 5th graders / current 4th graders from each of the four elementary schools to the PAC to hear her presentation as well. Again, her content varied and was appropriate for each grade level.

In all her presentations, Katie stressed: Each family makes the decision that’s best for them when it comes to whether or not kids get smartphones, can participate in online gaming, etc. There’s no one rule that works for all.

All of these presentations were funded by the
Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS). 

Learn More - Digital Safety FAQs»

More Information

Digital health and safety expert speaks to Chelmsford students
Resources: Alternatives to Smartphones & Parental Controls for Digital Devices

Board Members

Lisa Bryant

Co-President

Ginger Skoog

Co-President

Amanda Collison

Vice President (Photos)

Melissa McCaffrey

Vice President (Community Read-In)

Melissa Brennan

Secretary

Courtney Cooper

Treasurer

Partner Organizations

CoCS partners with the following local organizations who also provide support to CPS students & families:

If you would like more information on partnering with the Council of Chelmsford Schools, please contact our Board Members at: councilofchelmsfordschools@gmail.com

Supporting All Our Schools

Get a Free Home Energy Audit & Help the CoCS

Learn More »

In this Section

CoCS Meeting Minutes

CoCS Member Schools & Contacts

CoCS Board 2025-26

CoCS Scholarship Application

PTOs

School Calendars

Important PTO Documents

Annual Public Performance License

Latest News

See All
Seniors Jennifer Yu and Chloe Bentley were the recipients of the 2025 Parker and McCarthy Middle School scholarships. Pictured, left to right are Parker Middle School principal Josh Blagg, Yu, Bentley and McCarthy Middle School Assistant Principal Kerry Calobrisi.
May 09, 2025 | Council of Chelmsford Schools, Parker Middle School, McCarthy Middle School

McCarthy, Parker Middle School PTOs award 2025 scholarships
Jun 10, 2025 | News, Council of Chelmsford Schools, Chelmsford High School

Council of Chelmsford Schools awards 2025 scholarships
The Chelmsford Community Read-In was held March 3-7, 2025, with volunteer readers visiting with students in Pre-K through sixth grade.
Mar 07, 2025 | Council of Chelmsford Schools, Byam, Center School, Harrington, South Row, Parker Middle School

PHOTOS: Chelmsford Community Read-In 2025
Feb 12, 2025 | Council of Chelmsford Schools, Center School

PHOTOS: Binglo Night at Center Elementary School
Digital Health and Safety Expert Katie Greer speaks to students at Parker Middle School in Chelmsford on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Jan 23, 2025 | Council of Chelmsford Schools, Parker Middle School, McCarthy Middle School, Chelmsford High School

Digital health and safety expert speaks to Chelmsford students
Oct 16, 2024 | Council of Chelmsford Schools, Byam, Center School, Harrington, South Row

Chelmsford elementary school PTOs have fall fun planned