Cumberland Family News
September 23, 2024
50th Reunion Group!
Dear Cumberland Families,
One of the privileges we have as principals in Whitefish Bay is to host reunion tours. The group above came to Cumberland on Friday as part of their 50th year anniversary 'graduation' from 8th grade at Cumberland. It is fascinating to experience the deep connections they still have to Cumberland, their elementary and junior high school, even 50 years later. Walking the halls and stepping into classrooms, many recalled specific teachers, and even specific conversations. "Remember the time when ..." started many a story. One of their former teachers even joined the group! While our tour started well after dismissal, four speakers came early and stopped in 5th grade classrooms, asking students about school and growing up now, and sharing anecdotes from their own childhood. I have taught in five different districts in three states and Whitefish Bay is the first where so many relationships and experiences from elementary school hold this importance, as deep threads in the fabric of life. We are all fortunate to be part of our current students' lives. Who knows what they will be reminiscing about in 50 years?
Student safety and traffic: A message from the WFB Police Department:
We have received some complaints of parents parking/stopping/standing in areas that are posted no parking/stopping/standing zones. The residents we have heard from are concerned of the safety issues that these violators are creating. We will have someone checking the area at school drop off and pick up times.
Volunteering: You read in last week's Family News about the new procedure for Volunteering in Whitefish Bay Schools. Following are a few additional details. There are two levels of volunteering. Volunteer 1 is a person who is volunteering in direct supervision of the staff member, such as working in the classroom. Volunteer 2 is a person who is not directly supervised, such as a field trip chaperone who is leading a small group. This could be a trip to the Zoo, or the Schlitz Audubon, for example. While there are different requirements for each category, the process starts the same for both. Access the application through this link. If you do not already have a specific obligation, you are welcome to put various classroom tasks or fun lunch volunteer on the application to get the process started. Once you submit the application, HR will contact you with the next steps. In full, it is a three step process. The application processing time may be as long as two weeks, so you are encouraged to start as soon as possible. We will be growing into full alignment with this process in the upcoming weeks. There are upcoming field trips and Fun Lunch and we are aware that all volunteers for these most immediate events will not yet be fully processed.
Touch a Truck event: PTO again hosted the Touch a Truck event on the Cumberland playground, with a fire truck, ambulance, police car present. We love having students meet the emergency personnel in person and to build an understanding that they are positive community helpers. There were lots of smiling faces on kids and adults alike!
Warm regards, Jayne Heffron and Rebecca Salomon
This year's school portraits have been scheduled on the following dates:
- Individual student photos: Thursday, 9/26
- Retake day for individual photos: Thursday, 11/7
Parents/Guardians of Elementary Students at Cumberland and Richards, Grades K to 5:
Please join Math Coaches Matt Skinner (Cumberland) and Susan Jones (Richards) as they provide an opportunity to engage in an overview of our Illustrative Math Program and the focus on game play/fluency practice at Math Center Time. This 60 minute workshop is provided so that participants will:
Gain an understanding of the instructional focus of Illustrative Math (IM) at school and at home.
Experience Illustrative Math Center Games (grade level specific) that build fact fluency and support strategic thinking
Focus on questions to be asked during game play to support student communications.
Dates and Times:
Monday, October 21st at Richards Elementary - Maker Space 6:00 pm to 7:00pm
Tuesday, October 22nd at Cumberland Elementary - Great Room 6:00 pm to 7:00pm
Note: Please plan to attend the session that is a “best fit” for your family needs. You do not need to attend the session provided at your child’s/children’s home school. The sessions are designed for parents/guardians to engage in Center Play with their children.
Please complete this Google Form to help us to plan for the event. Responses to the provided form would be appreciated by Monday, October 9th.
Questions about the event? Please contact Matt Skinner at Cumberland Matthew.skinner@wfbschools.com or Susan Jones at Richards Susan.jones@wfbschools.com for further information.
September
24th - 4k/5k Parent Guardian Coffee Social 7:55 a. m.
October:
11th - No School
30th - EARLY DISMISSAL, 11:30am
31st- No School
Operational Reminder- Morning Arrival
Staff members will open doors at 7:47 each morning and K5- 5th grade students will enter through their designated door, walk to their classrooms and teachers will greet them at their classroom doors. All exterior doors will close at 7:51am. If students arrive after 7:51, they will need to enter the building through the main entrance at door 1 and check in to the health room for a tardy slip.
Show Your Cumberland Spirit!
Fridays will continue to be our Cumberland Spirit Days! Students are encouraged to wear their Cougar Wear or any green shirt. The Cumberland PTO will be holding spirit wear sales throughout the year.
Whitefish Bay Football Game Expectations: LINK
- K4 and K5 Kinder Coffee for Parents/Guardians! Join us on September 25th (note date change) after AM and PM drop off in front of the K4 and K5 doors for a complimentary cup of coffee provided by the PTO and take the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new friends! Younger siblings are welcome!
- Fun Lunch! A reminder that the first Fun Lunch is coming up on Wednesday, October 2nd !
- Cumberland Movie Night! Come watch the movie Inside Out with your Cumberland friends and families on Friday, October 11th ! The fields will open at 6 pm, and the movie will begin at 6:45 pm. See the flier for more information.
- Homecoming Tailgate Party! Join with Cumberland families for a Homecoming Tailgate Party on Friday, October 18th from 3:30-5pm on the blacktop and East Lawn of Cumberland School. There will be rally-sign making, fun music, lawn games, and concessions for sale to help everyone get ready for the high school varsity football team's homecoming game that night at go 7pm. Go Blue Dukes!! Volunteers are needed for this event! If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Jenny Scheels, jennifera.busch@gmail.com.
- Lego Club! Beginning in October, the Cumberland Lego Club is back for fall and in need of parent volunteers to help supervise the meetings. The club will meet one day a week from 3-4 pm in the art room. Lego club is free and open to grades K5-5th. The goal of the club is to provide a fun setting for kids to play Legos with their classmates. If you have a Lego-loving child and are interested in volunteering (or have questions), please reach out to: cumberlandlegoclub@gmail.com. Volunteers will need to complete a brief safety training and background check. More information about student sign-up for the club is coming soon!
- Cumberland Composting is Back! Needed- Paper Bags for Composting: Do you have paper shopping bags lying around? If so, we would love to take them! Please bring in your paper bags for daily compost collection. Thank you!
- We Need Volunteers for Lunch Composting: Spots are now available for OCTOBER and NOVEMBER! Let’s start the year strong! Link to Signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DAAA82BAAFAC07-50860503-daily
- The PTO is excited for a new school year. If you haven't already, we invite you to create an account in Membership Toolkit (MTK). Your MTK Account is free, and all Cumberland families need a Membership Toolkit Account. Go to https://cumberlandpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home. Once there, please update your child(s) teacher assignment so you can receive communication from the PTO and your child’s room parent(s).
LIKE, Follow, and Update your Family Information!
· Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page- Cumberland PTO
· Please visit the PTO website for all PTO updates at www.cumberlandpto.com
· *UPDATE your information and add your child(s) teacher to your account to be sure to receive information about Cumberland and your child(s) classroom.
o ** If you don’t have a membership toolkit account, please create a FREE account. Go to: www.cumberlandpto.com
Seeking Facilities Advisory Committee Members
The Whitefish Bay School District is engaging in a Long-Range Facilities Planning project. We are seeking community members to serve on the Facilities Advisory Committee to help guide us through this process. Members of the committee will attend bi-monthly meetings between January and August 2025. Please click the link provided to apply. If you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Jamie Foeckler, Superintendent, at jamie.foeckler@wfbschools.com or 414-963-3921.
Click here to learn more or apply for the Committee.
Student Attendance FAQ
The linked document includes answers to frequently asked questions related to student attendance, excused and unexcused absences, make-up work, and more. Please carefully review the linked information. 2024-25 Student Attendance FAQ
School Board Meeting Takeaways: Curious about what is discussed at School Board Meetings? Linked below, you'll find key takeaways from the most recent School Board Meeting. Additional information can be found on the Board of Education website.
Next School Board Meeting: Wednesday, October 9th at 7:00pm, at Whitefish Bay High School Auditorium. Click here to view the 2024-2025 School Board Meeting dates.
The community is welcome to attend School Board meetings to gain a better understanding of School District business and the role of the School Board. The public is also invited to address the Board during the public comment portion as indicated in Board meetings. Meeting agendas are posted within BoardDocs two days preceding each meeting.
The WFB Music Parents Association (MPA) now represents 4th and 5th grade strings and band parents at both Cumberland and Richards! The MPA is the district's 2nd largest parent organization and has been in operation since the 1950s. We provide resources for our awesome music directors and music students. We are always looking for volunteers. The easiest way to help is to join MPA here.
Our fall open meeting is on September 23rd at 7pm in the high school band room. Please join us! Questions? Contact Gretchen Seamons at wfbmpa@gmail.com for more information!
Whitefish Bay Schools' Orchestras invites you to join us for our largest annual fundraiser, Portraits in the Park, supporting Whitefish Bay Schools' Orchestras!
- See flyer for details. Link is embedded in the flyer.
- Quick link to schedule a sitting, click here.
- Reach out to wfbobpresident@gmail.com with questions.