Dear Students, Staff, and Families:
I wanted to share a few items with everyone as we head into the weekend. Stay warm; it looks like it’s going to be a chilly one!
School Committee Update
Last evening, the School Committee approved amendments to a few policies, as well as the Elementary Handbook.
Both the H-1 District Wellness Policy and the 2026/2027 Elementary School Handbook, on page 11, have updated wording regarding water bottles. “Clear and Transparent” requirement has been removed, while retaining “non-glass” for allowable water bottles.
Exciting news has driven the amendment of the G-21 Non-Contracted_At-Will Employee Policy with the addition of a Girls’ Flag Football Team at Cumberland High School for the spring of 2027. This will be the first Varsity program added in the last 20 years. The policy has been amended with an “up to” regarding coaching salaries. There are no changes to current coaching salaries.
The final and largest amendment came to our E-2 Transportation Policy. Several amendments have been made, including the official addition of the opt-in process.
Please review all policy amendments.
They also scheduled their meetings for 2027. As noted on the Public Notice, when there is only one meeting in the month, the Committee has scheduled that for the 3rd Thursday instead of the usual 2nd and 4th.
Happy Baskets
The CHS Student Government is currently running its annual town-wide food drive to benefit the Happy Baskets Program. Every school throughout Cumberland is participating in collecting nonperishable food items to help families in our community who are experiencing food insecurity.
The collection will continue through November 17th, and Student Government students will help collect and organize the donations from schools across town.
The need this year is especially significant, with many families applying for assistance through the Happy Baskets Program. The number of families is a powerful reminder of just how important these efforts are and how much of a difference our school community can make.
In addition, on Saturday, November 21st, they will hold their annual Fill-A-Truck event at Seabra Foods. This has become one of our most meaningful community service traditions, and they are looking forward to another successful year of collecting food and donations for families in need.
The Student Government shared a sincere thank you to our students, faculty, administrators, families, and the entire town for their continued generosity and support.
Cumberland Special Education Advisory Committee (CSEAC)
Save the date for the next CSEAC meeting at 6:00 PM on December 8th at Ashton School. For more information about the Cumberland Special Education Advisory Committee, brochure and membership forms.
Sincerely,
Philip D. Thornton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools