April 27th, 2023

Thursday letter from Ms. Heffron and Ms. Salomon: April 27, 2023

A 1953 book included a reference to parents giving children “deep roots and strong wings” as their main bequests. Yesterday, we saw evidence of our fifth grade students demonstrating both deep roots and strong wings during their Time of Service project. At the assigned hour, more than 100 fifth grade students fanned out into Cumberland, with 4-5 students assigned to each classroom or learning space. For a half hour, the fifth graders provided volunteer service time to the adult in that space, with tasks ranging from working directly with students to cleaning or organizing classroom libraries or other materials. Deep roots were evident in the levels of respect and enthusiasm the students displayed while moving to their assigned rooms. Wings for flying beyond Cumberland showed up in student initiative and independence while doing the work. The Time of Service provided an opportunity for students to give back to Cumberland and honor adults who have nurtured them over their elementary school years. These photos show only a tiny speck of what the time looked like. We are so very proud of these students!          

There is much to look forward to in the upcoming week, including next week’s PTO Staff Appreciation activities, Wednesday evening’s 5th grade Band Concert, Friday and Saturday’s Book Fair and the much anticipated PTO Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday, starting at 6:00. Let’s hope for warm, clear and dry weather for all!

A final note of thanks goes out to those who have planted spring bulbs in our front flower beds. We are gloriously in bloom right now and it presents such a welcoming front view of Cumberland to all who pass by or enter Cumberland. We are grateful.

                Warm regards, Jayne Heffron and Rebecca Salomon

Cumberland News and Notes:

Cumberland Cares for Canines Fundraiser: This Student Council lead fundraiser will be May 8-12, 2023 for a local dog shelter named Canine Cupids. The student council is seeking 300 items and $500 in donations as a school, to help Canine Cupids. Students can begin bringing in new toys and money donations on Monday, May 8th.  Canine Cupids; A Student Council Lead Fundraiser

Beach Day at Cumberland: Hello Cumberland families, May 19 will be Beach Day, dress up like you're going to the beach. For your planning: 

• Your child will still need to follow the school dress code. From the Cumberland Handbook: “Clothing must cover the majority of the torso and buttocks.” See page 11 of the Handbook for other details. 
• Your child shouldn’t wear anything too distracting such as pool floaties.
• Some ideas are: wear a swimsuit under their clothes, bring a beach towel to lay on, wear some cool sunglasses, put some sunscreen on their face, wear water shoes, or wear a hat. 
• This day is totally optional, but it is fun to see everyone dressed up like they are going to the beach. So, have fun on Beach Day and seas the day!

Cumberland Spring Sing:  School’s Out for the Summer! Mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 31 at 1:15 PM, Cumberland Elementary Playground. Spring Sing Schedule Information.  

Planning for 2023-24 School Year: We want to have the most accurate enrollment numbers possible for planning. Please call the office at 414.963.3943 or email John.levek@wfbschools.com

• If your child[ren] will not be returning to Cumberland in the fall.
• If you have an incoming 4-year old (by September 1st) who is not yet enrolled. Please tell your neighbors.
• If you have New students for all grades, online enrollment information can be found in this link.
• And current students do not need to re-enroll; families will complete an online registration in August for the upcoming school year. 

Upcoming No School Dates:  School is not in session on the following  dates. Click here to view the 2022-23 School Year calendar.

• No School, Monday, May 29, 2023, All Grades
• Early Release, Friday, June 9, 2023, 11:30am, K5-5th — Last Day of School 

PTO Activities:

Spirit Fridays: Cougar Pride – Show off your Cougar Wear Every Friday!

Next Fun Lunches: 

• Wednesday, May 3: Special Visitors: Police Officers
• Wednesday, May 24: Special Visitors: Firefighters 

Staff Appreciation Week, Food Donations Requested: The SAW Committee is asking for the following food items so that we can supplement teacher/staff meals throughout the entire week. Please note that drop-off of requested items this Sunday, April 30, 2-4 pm at the Great Room, Door 9. PTO and SAW Committee members will be present at the school during that window to accept requested items.  Please call or text Christiana Mooney with any questions! Thank you for your support! 847-293-6238  Staff Appreciation Week; food donations

Staff Appreciation Week Kick Off, Family Event-Sidewalk Chalk: Please join us this Sunday, April 30, 2-4pm (weather dependent) to decorate the sidewalks and entrances surrounding the school with greetings and thank you messages for our wonderful staff to kick-off Staff Appreciation Week! Some chalk will be provided by the PTO, but feel free to bring your own. A fun event for the whole family to show gratitude for all our staff do for our students and families! Questions? Contact Jenny Fisher, jennylorethafisher@gmail.com

Spring Scholastic Book Fair: Save the Dates, Friday, May 5, 3-5:30 pm, the book fair will be open right after school and Saturday, May 6, 5-7 pm just before the Outdoor Movie!  Stock up on books for summer reading!  Don't forget to use up any remaining funds from an e-Wallet you may have set up last Fall.  We will be accepting cash, credit, check, Venmo, Apple Pay, and e-Wallets.  Volunteers are needed for  set-up, run the program, and pack-up of the Book Fair.  Are you available? We'd love to have your help!  Sign-up here: Spring 2023 Book Fair

Outdoor Movie Night, Trolls 2: Movie Night, Saturday, May 6, will be on the back lawn and will open at 6pm for you to put a blanket and/or chairs down. The movie starts at 7pm!  Concessions will be available for purchase for $1 each.  All proceeds will go to Kinship Community Food Center in Riverwest!  FREE Pizza will be provided by the PTO (while supplies last).   Please note this is NOT a drop-off event! All children must be supervised by an adult and as always, be sure to show off your Cougar Pride; be respectful, clean up after yourselves, and have a wonderful time!  Also, a HUGE shoutout to our Outdoor Movie Night sponsor, Jamie Ludlow, Realtor. Thank you for your generosity in supporting a most beloved Cumberland community-building night.  Please be sure to stop by her table to grab a free glow stick and say hello!  Kids are more than welcome to wear pjs.

LUNCH COMPOSTING for May and June: Two volunteers are needed daily. Please see the link for more information and sign up. Thank you!!  Lunch Composting Volunteer Signup

SAVE THE DATES:

• Yoga on the front lawn! Led by instructor Senta Metz, Thursday, May 11th right after school. All are welcome! (Rain date May 25th).
• Lemonade Social! Friday, May 19th right after school on the blacktop out back by the playground.
• Cumberland Spring Clean Up! Saturday, May 20th from 9-12 (rain date May 21st).
• National Donut Day! Friday, June 2nd in the Great room starting at 7 am…come grab a donut and mingle before school. More details to come! Generously sponsored by Molitor Properties.

Attention 5th Grade Parents: The 5th Grade Celebration Week will include a "Guess the Baby" bulletin board.  Our goal is to have 100% participation in this bulletin board, and we need your help.  The photo can be of your child at any young age, it does not have to be a newborn picture.  In an attempt to make submission quick and easy, we will take care of printing all photos. Any questions, please contact Katie Keen, katiekeen@hotmail.com or Alicia Fearday, aliciafearday@gmail.com 

• Please email a digital photo to aliciafearday@gmail.com.  In the subject line, please include your child(ren)'s name and homeroom teacher.
• Photos are due May 10.
• If you or your child would rather not participate in this activity, please email the homeroom teacher before the due date. 

Cumberland PTO Website and Facebook Page: Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page, Cumberland PTO! Please visit the PTO website for all updates.  And update your information and add your child(s) teacher to your account to be sure to receive all room parent updates! Click home in the free membership toolkit app to access all updates! * If you don’t have a membership toolkit account, please create a FREE account. Go to: https://cumberlandpto.membershiptoolkit.com 

District News and Notifications:

Run the Bay, Volunteers Needed on 5/5 and 5/6: Not able to participate? Or will you be there as a spectator? We would love your help! Sign up to volunteer HERE.

Thank you from the Bay Ball: On behalf of the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation, we are pleased to announce the success of Bay Ball 2023. We exceeded our fundraising goal for the WFB School District’s ongoing Technology Improvement Initiative. Thanks to the support of our incredibly generous community. Thank you to all 631 attendees for making the evening not only a financial success, but a whole lot of fun. The list of talented and big-hearted individuals who gave their time and energy to bring Bay Ball to life is long, and we invite you to visit bayballwfb.com to take a look. We know you’ll recognize some names, and the next time you see them, you can thank them for supporting educational excellence in Whitefish Bay.  Co-Chairs Claire Dadaian and Katie Keen

Summer Music Camps for Outgoing Grade 5 through Grade 12:  WFB Music Parents Association offers grants to students who attend summer music camps.  Click to see the grant application and camp ideas.  Contact Kristin Noack with questions: knoack88@gmail.com  All applications are due by Friday, May 26, 2023. 

WFBHS Grad Grams: Who do you know who is graduating from WFBHS this year? Your sitter? Your neighbor? Your favorite Sendik’s bagger? The kids you coached in soccer? Send them each a Grad Gram Message! The WFBHS Parent Association is taking orders for Grad Grams from April 17 – May 29. For $1 each, you can send a quick note that will be bound in a special book for each senior and delivered at graduation practice. Please see the attached to participate in this fun tradition that is a highlight for our WFB seniors.

Recreation Department:

Summer 2023 Program Guide: Whitefish Bay School District's Recreation and Community Education Summer 2023 Program Guide in Whitefish Bay, we provided a wide variety of summer offerings for youth and adults.