Cumberland Family News

January 11th last year. Maybe we will get lucky and have more than today's dusting this year!

Dear Families,

Over the years, I have tried to make writing in a gratitude journal a daily habit. My shelves are littered with journals that have writing on just a few pages. Despite my love of writing, something always seems to get in the way. Winding up to the new year, I may have actually crossed over to consistency in daily writing, a celebration because I know that being conscious that I will be writing at the end of the day causes me to be intentional in looking for and celebrating positives throughout the day. My solution has come in the form of a 3.5" x 5.5" little book. The size of each page invites three bulleted items, and somehow this narrow focus has brought me the sticktoittiveness to record three small things from the day. An item can be as small as a child's smile or as large as a snowfall. The magnitude does not matter; rather it is the act of looking for joys each day that impacts my outlook.

I am carrying this mindset into work at Cumberland. Instead of asking a student, "How are you," I will weave in, "What brought you joy today?" I have found that there is no downside to increased attention on the positive. At home, it may alter the school stories you hear if you start your after school conversation with, "What is the best thing that happened at school today?" My joy today has already started with 'warmer' temperatures.

Our weather this week reminds us that we are actually in winter. For your planning, we try to go out to recess every day so students should bring outdoor clothing to stay warm and dry for 25 minutes outside. Wind chills around or below zero keep us indoors, especially for lunch recesses requiring our recess supervisors to be out for almost two straight hours.

Fun lunch this month has been changed to January 15th. Students need to bring a lunch on January 8th, the original date.

Mark your calendars for January 30th. Cumberland's PTO is again hosting a celebration of cultures event and you will not want to miss it! More details will be available as we get closer.

We are glad to have smiling faces and cheery voices filling our halls today. Wishing you a joyful start to 2025!

Kind regards,

Jayne Heffron and Rebecca Salomon

January 15- Fun Lunch (note date change)

January 20 - No School

January 27 - No School

4-Year Old Kindergarten (4K) Enrollment Open for the 2025-2026 School Year

4K Online Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year opens on Monday, December 9, 2024. Visit our website for more information about the enrollment process.

Historically, there has been more interest in the morning session than there are seats available in classes. Therefore, a lottery system determines those who will be enrolled in the morning session.

In order to be included in the lottery drawing for the morning session, families must complete an online Enrollment Application and indicate your preference for the morning session. This process includes uploading required Immunization and Residency Verification documents to the application and presenting your student’s birth certificate to Cumberland's main office in person before noon on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Important!! Fun Lunch date changed to January 15th!

Please be sure to send your child(ren) with lunch Wednesday, January 8th.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

We need Volunteers for Lunch Composting! Thank you to everyone who has volunteered this year! We are looking for volunteers for December and January! Please sign up using the link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DAAA82BAAFAC07-53027526-daily

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:

• Sign-up to host a table by December 18 (see item #1 below)
• Sign-up to help out at the event (see item #2 below)
• Add the event to your calendar and prepare for an immersive experience (see item #3 below)
• Don't plan to host a table? We still want to showcase, photograph and celebrate your culture. On event day, get dressed in your cultural garment and/or accessory. Garments of our heritage, even if we wear them on special occasions only or never :-), can still serve as a visual reminder of our culture. (see item #4 below).

1. HOST A TABLE: Sign-up to host a table and teach us about your family's culture and traditions. Your role as a table host is to engage students in an activity that teaches them about a tradition or custom that is practiced or observed in your culture. The activity or activities must be school-appropriate. The length of your table is approximately 6 feet. Table hosts may provide commercially pre-packaged snacks only at the event. The packaging must include the list of ingredients. Complete our sign-up form no later than December 18.

2. VOLUNTEER TO HELP: We need volunteers to help with overseeing pizza service, distributing passports to all kids at the door of the event, etc. Hours are between 4:30 - 6:30pm. Send Deidre Beadle an email at deidrebeadle@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer.

3. BRING YOUR CHILD TO THE EVENT: Save the date: 1/30/25 @ 5pm - 6:30pm - Immerse yourselves in all the unique ways that families at Cumberland celebrate their cultures. There will be approximately 17 cultures represented from the US and other countries. It will be dinner time, so pizza will be available.

4. SELECT A GARMENT OR AN ACCESSORY WITH YOUR CHILD THAT REPRESENTS YOUR CULTURE AND HAVE THEM WEAR IT TO SCHOOL AND/OR THE EVENT: Select a school-appropriate garment or accessory that your little cougar can wear to school on Thursday, January 30 to celebrate your family’s culture. We are inviting ALL families and staff to do so, whether your familial heritage is from the US - Northeast, South, Midwest, Pacific Northwest or another country. This is optional of course.

EVENT COMMITTEE + CONTACT INFORMATION

Deidre Beadle deidrebeadle@gmail.com

Christiana Mooney mooneychristiana@gmail.com

Ruta Puistomaa ruta.puistomaa@gmail.com

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

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.

December 11 Board Meeting Takeaways

Next School Board Meeting: Wednesday, January 8 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.

• Meeting dates located under featured tab/documents
• Agendas located under featured or meeting tabs

Join Us: Facilities Focus Groups

Our district is working to develop a plan to ensure our facilities are best suited to meet the needs of our students, staff, and community. Based on feedback from our community and our district’s goals, we’re focused on developing ideas around collaborative spaces and modernized learning environments. We invite you and your family to share their thoughts with us through the opportunities outlined below:

Student Focus Groups

Your student’s perspective is essential as we plan improvements to support your academic, social, and future goals. We want to hear your student’s ideas on how updates to classrooms, common areas, and other school facilities could enhance their experience at their school.

Please let us know if you would like your child (grades 3 - 12) to participate in a focus group by clicking here to add their name and your agreement to allow them to participate in the group during the week of February 24-28. The focus group will include 5-7 students and be about 15-20 minutes long with a facilitator and notetaker. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Jamie Foeckler, jamie.foeckler@wfbschools.com, 414-963-3901.

Community Member Focus Groups

We are excited to invite you to participate in a focus group as we develop a plan to ensure our facilities best meet the needs of our students, staff, and community. Your insights are invaluable as we evaluate the condition of our school buildings, evolving educational practices, projected enrollment trends, and other factors to shape recommendations for repairs and updates to facilities to the school board and administration.

The focus group will occur during the week of February 24-28 and will last approximately 15-20 minutes, facilitated by a leader/notetaker. If you would like to participate, please click here to confirm your participation. For any questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Jamie Foeckler, jamie.foeckler@wfbschools.com, 414-963-3901.

Thank you for your support in improving our schools!

Website: https://www.wfbschools.com/schools/cumberland/
Location: 4780 North Marlborough Drive, Whitefish Bay, WI, USA
Phone: 414-963-3943
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFBSchools/