Chelmsford Middle Schools Win Grant For Snowshoes

CHELMSFORD, MA — The district recently received $16,000 in two grants, including one that helps supply snow shoes to the middle schools for their physical education program.

Chelmsford Public Schools received a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to identify students social and emotional learning skill levels and competencies and determine areas of growth.

The district also received a $5,989 grant from the Falmouth Road Race Philanthropy Program, which will fund the purchase of 30 new sets of snowshoes for both the Parker and McCarthy middle school physical education curriculum.

As mental health is a pivotal concern in the current climate, both grants will directly and indirectly impact student mental health, said Katie Simes, who is the physical education and family and consumer sciences coordinator at Chelmsford Public Schools.

The DESE grant will enable educators to survey fourth, fifth, eighth and 10th grade students’ knowledge base measuring self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

“This data will give us an opportunity to identify areas of need and support students," Simes said.
With a focus on outdoor activity, particularly in the winter months, Simes applied for the Falmouth Road Race grant with the hope of adding snowshoeing to the physical education curriculum in both the Parker and McCarthy middle schools. Earlier in the year, she was able to purchase enough snowshoes for the high school PE classes, but not for both middle schools.

“Our PE teachers love outdoor activity,” said Simes. “I’ve been looking into snowshoeing for the last five years, and I’ve wanted to provide our students with some kind of outdoor lifetime fitness winter activity that is accessible to all students. We have so much land among our schools and the winters can seem very long in New England, so it will be a nice addition to our curriculum to be able to take students outside, get some fresh air and enjoy some snowshoeing while working on their own personal fitness."

Chelmsford High School students used the snowshoes for the first time in December while the middle schools are expected to receive their snowshoes within two weeks.

“We’re hopeful for more snow in the future to be able to introduce snowshoeing to our second semester students which started on Wednesday,” Simes added.