February 26, 2026
Dear Students, Staff, and Families:
Well, the week after vacation certainly did not go as planned! I hope everyone made it through this historic storm safely. We thank you for your patience as we prepared the school grounds for your arrival. A huge thank you to our Facilities team, who began working on our properties on Sunday at 8:00 PM and didn’t head home until Tuesday at 9:00 PM. That level of dedication does not go unnoticed. Special kudos to Will DeJesus, Anthony Singh, Luis Silva, Ryon Pierce, and Joseph Bergeron. Your hard work truly shows, and we are incredibly grateful for your commitment to our schools. I would also like to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of all the district custodians, Department of Public Works, Police Department, and Mayor Mutter.
We are excited to welcome students back to school tomorrow, Friday, February 27th.
Parking Restrictions
Beginning tomorrow morning, the Cumberland Police have issued a temporary parking ban for roads around the High School campus until further notice. Hadde Avenue, Fiske Avenue, Boardman Avenue, Oak Ridge Drive, Cathedral Court, Sandy Way, Mashie Road, Norton Drive, and Rosemere Road are all included in the parking ban. Please note these roads are in addition to streets already included in the restricted parking ordinance (38-52). This parking ban is in effect from 7:00 AM-3:00 PM, Monday thru Friday, and anyone in violation may be subject to a citation and/or towing.
2025-2026 School Calendar
In the coming weeks, we will update the school calendar to account for the recent snow days and any necessary make-up days. Schools were closed due to inclement weather on January 26 and 27, and February 23, 24, 25, and 26.
Our calendar includes three built-in waived weather days, leaving three additional days to address. I have been in ongoing communication with the Commissioner of Education and district leaders throughout the cleanup process. Because Monday and Tuesday were declared a State of Emergency, Angelica Infante-Green is requesting that those two days be waived.
Commissioner Infante-Green will meet with the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education to seek authorization for a reduction in the required 180-day school year for districts that were heavily impacted by the blizzard.
Once that waiver is authorized, the question of supporting it will be brought to the School Committee, and the 2025/2026 School calendar will be updated accordingly.
Counting down the days to Daylight Saving Time on March 8th, and the first day of Spring is only 22 days away!
Sincerely,
Philip D. Thornton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools