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
  • Sponsors community-wide educational opportunities for CPS students, parents, parent groups, staff, administration, and community members in support of CPS district-wide initiatives.

 

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Meetings School Photos Community Read-In Scholarships Programs Board Members

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, Oct. 16 – IN-PERSON
  • Thursday, Jan. 15 – VIRTUAL ONLY (quorum required for photo commission vote)
  • Thursday, March 26 – VIRTUAL ONLY
  • Monday, May 18 VIRTUAL (quorum required for board elections) & IN-PERSON (scholarship awards)

In-Person meetings are held at the McCarthy Middle School Library (250 North Road).
Virtual Meeting links will be published to the CoCS calendar event 24-hours prior to the meeting.

Quorum is represented as:

  1. One (1) PTO Rep. 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 the 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.

We will soon be announcing the School Photo dates for the 2025-26 school year! Stay Tuned!

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 Contracts, 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.

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

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, Jan. 23, 2025, Katie Greer spoke at both middle schools – Parker and McCarthy – walking kids 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 parents/guardians to provide some guidance on navigating through this digital world.

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.

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

In this Section

CoCS Meeting Minutes

CoCS Member Schools & Contacts

CoCS Board 2025-26

CoCS Scholarship Application

PTOs

School Calendars

PTO Repository

Annual Public Performance License

Latest News

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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