Cumberland Principle's Weekly Letter, WFB WI

June 5, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:18:00 +0000

A Letter from Ms. Heffron June 5, 2008

The Spring Sing was simply wonderful – a magnificent tribute to the teamwork among the Specials Teachers and Danceworks (funded by the Cumberland PTO), and the enthusiastic participation of the students. The complete curricular integration of the program gave students in all grades a chance to learn about a part of the world along with cultural traditions and dances that were made even stronger by the diversity of our Cumberland families. Thanks to everyone who made this program possible and to you, our Cumberland families who came to be an audience.

Of course, getting to today was a challenge with the weather we had yesterday and this morning and I am so sorry for the inconvenience it caused to cancel yesterday's program. To avoid the possibility of this happening next year, we have a new plan. The Spring Sing will be held on the day it is scheduled. If the weather is good, we will be outside. If the weather does not allow us to be out, we will hold two inside performances on that very day. This will make it possible for everyone who has arranged to be off work or in from out of town to see the program. We will have 9:45 and 1:30 performances if we are inside and as we did this year (until our WFB web page host was struck by lightening this morning) we will use our Cumberland web page to post the up to date information. Just looking ahead….

As we approach next Friday and the last day of the 2007-08 school year, we have had approximately 788,480 student hours this year, enough for each child to make substantial learning gains or to develop a strong foundation for learning in kindergarten. We have celebrated successes and worked our way through challenges. Collectively, we are finishing stronger than we started.

Thank you for everything you have done this year to support your child(ren) and Cumberland. It is a great place to be!

Friday, June 13^th is the last day of student attendance. Dismissal is at 11:50.

Looking ahead (just in case this is the last letter):

· All school registration is Thursday & Friday, August 21 & 22^nd.

· First day of school is Tuesday, September 2^nd.

May 22, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:48:00 +0000

Notes from the Cumberland Office May 22, 2008

This week's 4^th and 5^th grade Learning Fair gave students an opportunity to display their learning about topics of interest in science and history. There was a wide range of projects from acid rain to historic battles as well as ties with the history of popular culture or music. Congratulations to all the students who participated.

Notes:

Astronomy Night tonight: Mr. Windorski plans to set up his telescope tonight at 8:00 - 9:30 on the playground. It should be dark enough to see planets by about 8:30. At this time the weather forecast is calling for favorable conditions tonight.
Family Fun Night is May 28^th at Cumberland from 3:30-6:30 pm. Tickets are on sale on Friday, May 23^rd and Tuesday, May 27^th from 8-9:30 and 2:30-3:30.
Opening day for the WFB High School Blue Dukes Baseball is Friday, May 23^rd with the game at 5:30 at Cahill. The grills are going and the concession stand is open.
Collection for children in Zambia: Ms. Sampe, an English teacher at WFB High School and her family are traveling to Zambia in July. They are collecting new or used (deflated) soccer balls, jerseys or t-shirts for distribution to the children in Zambia. Donations can be dropped off on June 3^rd and 4^th at Cumberland from 4:30-6:30.

Reminder: No school for students on Monday, May 26^th

May 1, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:18:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron May 1, 2008

There are great things happening at Cumberland School every day. I want to highlight two recent events. The 4^th/5^th grade Green Team participated in last week's Clean the Bay event. Team sponsor, Rose Palmer, was joined by 5th grade students: Jessica O'Neill, Marisa Brudny, Elizabeth Dean and 4th Grade Students: Jacob Chmiel, Conner Kimple, George Papajohn, Audrey Head, Zoey Knox, Madeline Yunker, Amelia Windorski. They were assisted by Mr. O' Neil, Mrs. Dean, and a contribution of gloves by Mrs. Papajohn. Thanks to this group for their community wide contribution.

The second event I am spotlighting is a writing contest that one of our fourth grade classes participated in. Sponsored by the Autism Society of Wisconsin, the Autism Awareness Essay Contest required students to write "My Friendship Including Autism" essays. Close to 1,000 entries were received from students in 3^rd-5^th grades . I am thrilled to announce that Delaney Brower, one of our 4^th graders in Ms. Mikkelson's room, was selected as the first place winner! The essays that students wrote are posted on a bulletin board outside Ms. Mikkelson's room, and the content of their writings shows how deeply students have been touched by autism, many by one of our Cumberland students. Working with this student's family, Molly Voiland, one of our Speech and Language therapists presented an autism awareness instructional unit to Ms. Mikkelson's classroom. The students' compassion and empathy are fantastic to see and everyone's efforts to create an accepting school community, including Ms. Mikkelson's and Ms. Voiland's, are wonderful.

Other notes:

5^th grade Band-O-Rama, 7:00 tonight at the WFB High School. This 5-12 event is the first ever joint band event. See you there!
WFB Middle School presents a Salute to Broadway May 9, 10, and 11 in the gym. Tickets are $5.00 and are on sale at the Middle School office. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 2:00. Seating is limited to 250 per show.
Everyday Math Skills Link book orders are included in today's folder. These books provide summer practice for the grade level that your child is currently in. Orders are due May 13^th.
2008-09 Volunteers for the Cumberland Library are being sought. A form is in the folder.
Used Book Donation, May 5^th-30^th: The Cumberland Community team asks Cumberland school students to donate gently used books to the Lisbon Avenue Health Center which provides healthcare services to underprivileged families. Part of the Center's mission is to promote reading and many student who go to the center do not have any books at all. Students can help by donating anything from picture books to chapter books. Donation containers will be in the main lobby. Questions? Contact sponsors Mrs. Riedl, Mrs. Rassmusen, Mr. Moore or Mr. Burgos.
Spirit Day Changes: May 9^th is now wear cougar clothing or green day. May 16^th is Favorites Day and June 6^th is still Beach Day.

April 24, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:42:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron April 24, 2008

We had a Student Council led assembly this week and it was exciting to see the high numbers of 4^th and 5^th graders who are involved this year. In addition to the student written skits, poems and snippets about school spirit, community efforts and being green, we also had the chance for our first all school singing of the new Cumberland School Song. Along with Ms. Steiner, students Emma Levy, Libby Stecker, Josie Trettin, and Hannah Petterson wrote our new song to the tune of Inch by Inch. I'll send the lyrics home next week. The assembly was inspiring and gave everyone opportunities to see the positive things happening here.

Awareness of and sensitivity to bullying is a topic of an ongoing concern. Please be assured that it is an area we take seriously and we know you do, too. We want to continue to work together with you to make sure the environment is a safe and nurturing one for everyone here at Cumberland. In alignment with the anti-bullying curriculum already in place through our guidance department, another critical component is that students report to school staff if something occurs. In this way, I can be sure that I see the big picture of events that may be related. As we emphasize this message of reporting with students here at school, it is really helpful when you reinforce it at home, too. Thanks for all you do.

Reminders:

Green Day in the Bay, this Saturday, April 26^th, 9:00-10:30am
Run the Bay: Registrations due tomorrow, April 25^th.
May 14^th: AM school for students. 11:50 dismissal

April 17, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:06:00 +0000

Ms. Heffron's Letter April 17, 2008

Yesterday, I gave students clarification about some playground procedures and I would like to share them with you as well. Students may bring playground balls from home to use during recess. While here, though, the balls are used in the same way as all school equipment which means following the school rules including allowing others to play. This means, for example that a student may not select who can or can't be involved in a football game because it is her/his personal football. The game needs to be open, as is required with our school equipment. Because of safety considerations, students are not allowed to bring baseballs or softballs, nor bats or tennis racquets.

On a related topic, in the morning before school begins, no ball playing is allowed on the blacktop. The high volume of traffic, including parents with strollers, makes it hazardous for the energetic games that students engage in. We also appreciate students and adults walking bikes and scooters on the playground, for the same reasons.

Before it warms up enough to need the answers, these are a few points that come up each year and I offer them for your review:

A guideline for clothing choices is "Not too much exposed skin." This means no short shorts, tank tops, spaghetti straps, halters or strapless tops. There are two reasons for these guidelines. The first is the risk of injury to bare skin and the second is disruption to the learning environment, particularly in the older grades.
Shoes: Students still need PE shoes which should be tennis shoes. During recess, most

students like to be quite active and it is difficult to run or climb in shoes with heels or open backs.

Have you noticed the perennials starting to poke out of the dirt out front? What a welcome sight!

Notes:

Spanish PJ Party(La Fiesta de Pijama) is tomorrow, Friday, April 18^th from 6:00-7:00pm. Be sure to bring a blanket and a water bottle.

The 5th Annual Lake Bluff Children's Rummage Sale will be held in the Lake Bluff School Cafetorium on Saturday, April 26 from 9:00 am to noon (11:00 am - noon: fill a bag for $3.00). Thousands of items on sale include infants' and children's clothing, toys, furniture, games, books, sports equipment, videos and more! Proceeds benefit Lake Bluff PTO. Lake Bluff School is located at 1600 E. Lake Bluff Blvd, Shorewood (one block west of Oakland, 2 lights north of Capitol Drive).

Harry Schwartz Bookstores along with the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, is sponsoring a talk/book signing with Richard Louv at the Jewish Community Center on Thursday, April 24 at 7pm. Mr. Louv, a nationally known author of the book, Last Child in the Woods, is changing the way we think about or children's connection with the natural world. For more information, call (414) 352-2880x0 or (262) 241-6220.
Don't forget to register for "Run the Bay" on May 10^th. It is a fun time and a great way to support the schools. Registration brochures are in the office.
2008 Pre-College Workshops and College Fair sponsored by PACE is Thurs., April 24^th from 6:30-9:00pm @WFBHS in the Rotunda.
Advocates for Education is sponsoring speaker Philip Chard on Thursday, April 24th @ 7:00pm at WFB Public Library. See link below for more information:

Advocates for Education-Philip Chard

April 10, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:16:00 +0000

Notes from the Cumberland Office April 10, 2008

If you are in the office during the next week, take a good look at the beautiful scarves the fifth graders have made with Ms. Purney. Using the Japanese Shibori process of dying fabrics, the students sewed Habotai silk scarves with various styles of stitches then applied a dye paste and liquid dyes to color mix on the scarves. The students have created gorgeous patterns of color. They rival anything seen in the art museum display cases!

Last week the PTO Cultural Arts committee brought in a great assembly. The group, Imagination Theater, does short skits that dramatize and demonstrate specific techniques for dealing with teasing. Interactive, the "Ease the Tease" programs had students recognizing and reinforcing the use of seven specific techniques. These are: Agree with the facts, Answer with a compliment, Take it as a compliment, Ignore, Use an I message, Say, "So," and Use self talk. These approaches are parallel to strategies taught in our guidance program so students will be hearing and practicing the skills throughout the year. There was also emphasis on telling an adult when these strategies alone do not stop the teasing. Ask your child about the assembly to hear more. Thanks to the PTO for this valuable program.

In today's folder, 3^rd-5^th grade parents will find the WKCE results. This is the testing students did in early November. Overall, our students did very well as we have come to expect. Students are still to be commended for their efforts and for taking the tests seriously. Tony Frontier, the WFB Director of Instruction, does an in-depth analysis of the results for this year, as well as longitudinally. Before the end of the year, I will send more detailed information about our overall results.

If you have not sent back your Student Placement Information Form and you want to do so, please send it in by tomorrow. The form is optional and your child(ren)'s teacher certainly knows much about his/her learning and classroom structural preferences from working with her/him for three-quarters of a year. Thanks.

After a small kindergarten class two years ago, we are looking to set records with next year's incoming K4 class. We are currently planning five sections for the 116 students who are enrolled! I will closely monitor the K4 and K5 enrollments over the next months to be sure we are ready for everyone who comes. Enrollment is a primary factor in calculating the amounts of various financial aids we receive so this is good budgetary news. Evidently that group two years ago was an anomaly.

Notes:

On May 1, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Whitefish Bay Field House our instrumental music program will present the first ever BAND-O-RAMA. Our band students in grades 5-12 will join together to present a fun filled evening of music. Each band, (elementary, middle and high school) will present 2 numbers and will then join together for a rousing rendition of On Wisconsin. This concert takes the place of the May 21^st concert.
An informational meeting for the Whitefish Bay Junior Blue Duke Football program will be held on Tuesday April 29^th, at 6:30 PM, at LYDELL School, room 17. The program is open to all children entering 5^th through 8^th grade in fall of 2008. If you have any questions please call: Carl Fuda @ 414-687-8934, Doug Weas @ 414-276-5555, Vik Gottlieb @ 414-416-7285, or Scott Beck @ 414-397-8286
Spring Cougarwear! The deadline to order your new t-shirts and water bottles is Monday, April 14. There are order forms in the office. For more information contact Shelly Heller at 967-0604 or shellyh22@wi.rr.com
Reminder: The PTO is starting to plan for next year's PTO activities, and we would appreciate it if you could complete and return the PTO Committee Volunteer Sign-up form as soon as possible.
PACE(Parents Avocating For Cultural Equality & Education Excellence) is hosting a Pre-College Workshop and College Fair on Thursday, April 24th @ WFBHS. See the link below for more information:

PACE Flyer

April 3, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:26:00 +0000

Ms. Heffron's Letter April 3, 2008

Welcome back. While I hesitate to jinx it, initial appearances are that Spring Break may have provided healing time from those icky bugs that were going around. I want to think we are emerging from the winter temperatures so I will do one last Lost and Found display and then donate things that are not claimed by the end of next week.

Notes:

Snow Day Make Up: To compensate for the snow days that we had, students will attend school for the morning only of May 14^th. Dismissal will be at 11:50.
April 16^th: Late Start Collaborative time. 9:15 student start
Fishing Clinic: The Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing is hosting one hour clinics on Saturday, April 12^th. Further information is available at http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/kidsparents/learningopportunities.html
From Katherine Murray, Cumberland PTO-School Board Liaison:

On Wednesday, April 9, in room 47 at Whitefish Bay High School at 7:00 p.m. the Whitefish Bay School Board will be receiving public comment on the proposed 2008-09 Budget Adjustment Plan. Should you have comments, suggestions or questions, this would be the time to attend as the budget adjustment plan will be voted on at a Special School Board Meeting on April 23. The proposed adjustment plan can be viewed on the school district's website under School Board, the Current Meeting Notes.

The Regular Business Meeting will immediately follow the School Board Listening Session. During the Information Reports/Discussion Items portion of the agenda a proposed process and timeline for review of the School District Facilities Study Committee report will be presented. This report is available on the school district's website on the bottom left hand side of the home page. The charge to the committee included:

Review of school district and community needs for curricular, athletic and recreational indoor facilities in light of current and future needs.
Develop a comprehensive plan based on any identified needs for remodeling, repurposing and adding to facilities on school district campuses.
Consider implications of facilities use by other community agencies, organizations and groups.

After a thorough review of the report, the School Board could decide to bring a referendum to the community in April 2009.

Room 47 is accessed easily from the rear parking lot. The agenda is available on the School Board website.

March 13, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Principal's Letter from Ms. Heffron March 13, 2008

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last night, the music department hosted the annual Fifth Grade Band, Orchestra and Choir program. Band and Orchestra are optional for student's participation. The Fifth Grade Choir includes all 98 fifth graders. Under the tutelage of Ms. Steiner (Choir), Mr. Loebl (Band) and Mr. Brodie (Orchestra), the students have developed great musical skills. And, hearing such a large group sing – WOW! This class has voices that gel particularly well. In addition to being a true pleasure, this performance is a passage for many of our families, families whose fifth graders are the youngest in their families. At the end of this year, we will be bidding farewell to the families of the following students. We thank each of you for your contributions and involvement here at Cumberland.

Frank	Anton	Tevin	Hudnall
Christopher	Arritt	Aaron	Jankins
Jake	Barnes	Nina	Jankins
Alexis	Beamon	Jamelah	Johnson
Anna	Belke	Lakeisha	Johnson
Jennifer	Breese	Joseph	Kaszubowski
Jamal	Brown	Andrew	Kim
Marisa	Brudny	Anna	Lauko
Katherine	Burns	Tyler	Lee
Sierra	Caine	Daneen	Marbley
Joseph	Carson	Sarah	Marks
Conner	Clairborne	Faith	Morgan
Max	Comerford	Robert	Murray
Peter	Corrao	Amanda	Pandl
Robinson	Creighton	Kaitlin	Pappas
Logan	Crizer	Christopher	Pritchard
Emily	Daykin	Mitchell	Rogers
Calin	Dumitrescu	James	Schiro
Anna	Edwards	Michael	Shaykevich
Darnell	Geralds	Japhet	Smith
Olivia	Giddings	Amanda	Vallee
Taylor	Godden	Samuel	Weber
Shel-Don	Graham-St. Louis	Tiernan	Wilkinson
Aaron	Grych	Pammie	Yang
Anna	Hillam

Notes:

STUDENT INTEREST DAY IS BACK and scheduled for the afternoon of May 8th.Thank you to the over 20 parents and grandparents who have agreed to participate in this school wide event. Beth Matkom still is in need of about 8 or 9 more speakers. If you have a career or hobby you could share with children please give Beth a call 967-9770 or email her at ematkom@wi.rr.com.

Dogs: Please be respectful of the district's no dogs on school property policy. We also have many students who are afraid or allergic to dogs, and the narrow sidewalks and emerging mud out front create even smaller areas for students to wait or walk. If you walk with your dog when you drop off or pick up your child, please arrange a meeting place that is not in our front area or on school grounds. With the snow and ice, it is simply not possible for you to keep the dog far enough away from the students. Thank you so much ahead of time.
Spring Break: March 20^th, Thursday, is a half day for students with an 11:50 dismissal. Spring Break is March 21^st-30^th.

March 6, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:51:00 +0000

Principal's Letter from Ms. Heffron March 6, 2008

We have more than 630 students at Cumberland School and along with these students come families and approximately 85 employees at Cumberland. As you would anticipate in any group of this size, someone is always sick and it is not uncommon for things to be transmitted from one person to the next. Within the past few days, besides the stomach and cold maladies, we have had confirmed cases of Influenza B among our Cumberland community. According to a local pediatrician, symptoms of Influenza B can include fever lasting 4-7 days, headaches and sometimes sensitivity to light. Of course, only a doctor can diagnose Influenza but I can say with confidence that we have been seeing many students with fevers and headaches in the clinic here. Looking for ways to minimize the spread of things here, I have been advised that keeping children out of school until they are truly fever free for twenty-four hours (without medication) is absolutely critical.

As a parent, I know the challenges of deciding when to keep children out of school and when to send them. And, as children get older, they have their own opinions. "I feel fine," can mean "I don't want to be out of school another day because I miss my friends and I don't want to miss any more class or have to do makeup work."

I am asking for your help. If your child is sick, please keep her/him home until they are really well enough to be back at school. This means that there is no fever, your child's symptoms are not so severe that they will disrupt your child or the class (a persistent cough, for example), and s/he has built up any lost endurance so as to make it though the day. We have experienced many students coming back after a several day absence, only to end up in the clinic straight away in the morning needing to return home. This is disruptive to you, too, as we then have to ask you to come to get your child.

I know that what I am asking has challenges; children can look okay at home and not at school, fevers can return unexpectedly, child care for sick children can be difficult to obtain, and at other times I have asked you to encourage regular school attendance. Thank you ahead of time for your efforts as we seek the balance between all these factors.

Peggy Flemming, or for those of you who are much younger than me – Michelle Kwan, would be very happy with the state of our fields right now as they are virtual sheets of ice. For everyone less skilled or not on ice skates, including all of our students, we are keeping students off the large ice lakes to avoid injuries.

Notes:

SUCCESS PARENT MEETING: You are all invited to the home of Michael and Lynn Short (5646 N. Shore Drive) on Tuesday, March 11^th at 7:39 PM to meet our newly trained District Parent Liasion, Terri Hart-Ellis. Also, Ellen Feider will be on hand to give a district update on the Special Ed Department. Please bring any summer camp ideas you have (names or brochures of camps will be helpful.)
Whitefish Bay Boy Scout Troop 400 is having its annual Fish Fry this Friday March 7th from 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM at the United Methodist Church 819 E. Silver Spring Dr.

Dine in or carry-out available.

RUN THE BAY….IT'S A BALL! Sponsored by the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation: Mark you calendar for Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 9:00am to awaken your spirit with the 3^rd Annual Run the Bay…It's A Ball, Run/Walk to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of Whitefish Bay High School. This spectacular 5K Run/Walk meanders through the charming streets of Whitefish Bay passing all our District schools, finishing at our fabulous new Sheldon B. Lubar Stadium.

Post Run food and festivities will congratulate you home. Be family fit in the Bay, have fun, and support our District. All ages are welcomed to join. Registration will be forthcoming.

Visit the website at www.wfbschools.com or call Nancy Le Grand at 332-3999 or Jackie Thompson at 332-5471.

February 28, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0000

A Few Short Notes from Ms. Heffron, February 28, 2008

Spirit Day: Tomorrow (Friday the 29th) is a Spirit Day. The theme is Cumberland pride - so proudly wear your Cougarwear or green and white!!

Student Interest Day: Do you have a career, hobby or an interest you could share with Cumberland students? Planning is now underway for the PTO's Student Interest Day. 25-30 speakers are needed for this event which will be held on the afternoon of May 8. Please consider participating. Contact Beth Matkom with topic suggestions or questions. 967-9770 or ematkom@wi.rr.com
WHITEFISH BAY HS 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FORTHCOMING: Whitefish Bay High School will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at WFB High school. The day will begin at 9:00 AM with the Run/Walk the Bay sponsored by the Whitefish Bay Education Foundation. Throughout the afternoon, building tours will be conducted and exhibits will be on display in the high school field house where visitors may also enjoy musical entertainment. At 5:00 PM, a barbecue dinner will be served at cost, featuring food provided by Pandl's Whitefish Bay and Kopp's Frozen Custard. Dinner will be followed by a general program and additional entertainment, including the closing performance of Whitefish Bay High School's spring play, The Odd Couple, beginning at 8:00 PM. All are welcome to attend, especially those who have a connection, past or present, with the Whitefish Bay school community. More specific details will be advertised as the anniversary celebration draws near. Questions regarding this gala event may be addressed to Mr. Bill Henkle, Whitefish Bay High School Principal, at (414) 963-3873 or bhenk.hs.wfb@wfbschools.com.
Late Start Collaboration Day: Wednesday, March 5^th, all students start school at 9:15.

February 21, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:18:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron February 21, 2008

I am really looking forward to the PTO outing to the Admiral's game tomorrow night, especially since Maestra Abts has agreed to be the human hockey puck this year, relieving me of that opportunity. It will make it easier for me to enjoy some sweets or nachos at the game if I am not ramping up to be flung across the ice at high speed. Thanks to Maestra and I hope to see you there!

The students have been extremely well behaved during our endless inside recesses. The days can seem long when there is no outside time, and because of scheduling complications in the gym and room four, the inside recesses are being held in the regular classrooms, in the hallway common areas, or in the library playing chess. The change in routine presents challenges as we ask students to transition to places and in ways that are not routine. Please take a minute to complement your child(ren) on their contributions to the smooth community operation of the school.

Fevers: According to the Health Department protocol, a student must be fever free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school. This means that if your child is sent home from school with a fever one day, s/he should not be returning the next day. Please help us prevent the spread of diseases by complying with this policy.

Other health notes: Several Cumberland students have recently been diagnosed with strep throat and while this is not uncommon, the circumstances have been. The students did not have sore throats, yet they developed other related things such as the scarlet fever rash. According to the Mayo Clinic web site, signs and symptoms of strep throat can include:

Throat pain
Difficulty swallowing
Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
Swollen, tender lymph glands (nodes) in your neck
Fever
Headache
Rash
Stomachache and sometimes vomiting, especially in younger children

It's possible for you or your child to have many of these signs and symptoms, but not have strep throat. The cause of these signs and symptoms could be a virus, tonsillitis or other illnesses. That's why your doctor generally tests specifically for strep throat. It's also possible to have the bacteria that cause strep in your throat without having a sore throat. Some people are carriers of strep, which means they can pass the bacteria on to others, but the bacteria no longer make them sick.

Notes:

The PTO Family Dinner is next Tuesday, February 26^th, from 5:00-7:00. Please note the corrected ending time of 7:00. Cougar Wear will be available for immediate purchase.
NEW THIS YEAR - Our 5th Grade Community Service Club is holding a Silent Auction Bake Sale the night of Family Dinner (Tuesday, February 26) to help raise funds for their year-long campaign to support Second Harvest's Back-Pack Buddies program. The club is trying to raise $3,000 to provide school supplies and backpacks for kids in a needy inner city school. They have formed teams and solicited local businesses to donate "sweet treat" packages (bagels, cakes and desserts from your favorite local places) and will be auctioning off packages in the lobby the night of family dinner. Also look for some special "teacher features" - our teachers have put together some fun items to support this cause. It's going to be a really fun night!

February 14, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:49:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron February 14, 2008

As many of us are experiencing at home, here at school we are running out of places to put or plow snow. Our terrific Building and Grounds crew is carefully plowing out front so as not to injure the redone seating area, benches and new concrete. Unfortunately, because of the scope of our area and the constancy of new snow and ice, our sidewalks are getting narrower. Then, earlier this week, the district ran out of salt, because there was simply none available in our part of the state! Somehow, this is also related in my mind to the growing lost and found collection. Please check the items on the tables in the front entryway during the next week. After that, all remaining things will be donated.

Another note on the winter conditions and temperatures: If the wind chill is

-15 degrees or below, the crossing guards will leave their designated area at 8:25. They will not be there for the arrival of the kindergartners who start at 9:15.

With Parent Teacher conferences, the February 22^nd Admirals game and the February 26^th Family Dinner, there are many chances to get together with the Cumberland community. I hope to see you at one or more of these events.

Other notes:

NEW THIS YEAR - Our 5th Grade Community Service Club is holding a Silent Auction Bake Sale the night of Family Dinner (Tuesday, February 26) to help raise funds for their year-long campaign to support Second Harvest's Back-Pack Buddies program. The club is trying to raise $3,000 to provide school supplies and backpacks for kids in a needy inner city school. They have formed teams and solicited local businesses to donate "sweet treat" packages (bagels, cakes and desserts from your favorite local places) and will be auctioning off packages in the lobby the night of family dinner. Also look for some special "teacher features" - our teachers have put together some fun items to support this cause. It's going to be a really fun night!

Each year the Director of Instruction seeks parent/guardian representation for various committees. Please see the flyer on the back of today's letter for more information on these opportunities along with curricular updates.

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS, FRIDAY, FEB. 15TH OR

MONDAY, FEB. 18TH

Notes From the Office of the Director of Instruction

February 7, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:39:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron February 7, 2008

I am writing this in a very quiet building on Wednesday. While it did not look so bad in the morning, clearly from the number of closings that took place in the community, everyone took the severe weather warnings seriously. Anticipating the challenges of getting students safely here and then home, especially if there really ends up being 14-20 inches of snow as predicted, all schools in the area chose to avoid this situation by not bringing students in at all. For your notification, school closings are posted on the Whitefish Bay Schools website homepage at wfbschools.com. You will not see the closing if you have the Cumberland page as your link, even if you go from there to the district homepage. I am not sure why this is the case. So, if you are looking for information about school closings, log in directly to the wfbschools.com site and any changes are posted on the first page. Of course, we will continue to publicize through television and radio, too. There may be other stations who offer the service but I know for sure that you can sign up with WISN for email alerts to be sent to you in the event of closings. We will not know any implications for school calendar adjustments from being closed on Wednesday until well into the springtime as this involves the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. As soon as I have any information about make up days, I will let you know.

Looking ahead to next year, I am projecting the number of classes and hence staff that we will need. If you know that your child/ren will not be returning to Cumberland next year, please let us know here in the office. (Call the office at 963-3943 or email Debby at dkwon.cu.wfb@wfbschools.com) The more accurate our information is, the more well- positioned we are to plan effectively. Based on previous years, we know that there will be changes in these numbers between now and next August. The numbers we have right now for 2008-09 are:

K4: 96 students

K5: 81 all day requests and 19 half day.

1^st: 90 students.

2^nd: 84 students.

3^rd: 104 students.

4^th: 81 students.

5^th: 84 students.

Notes:

Admirals Hockey Game ticket deadline: Tomorrow, Friday Feb. 8^th, is the deadline to buy tickets to attend the PTO outing to the Admirals game. Remember, you will have a chance to see Maestra Abts as the human hockey puck!
Fun Lunch rescheduled for Wednesday, February 13th
February 12, 14, & 21 Conferences (4:30-7:30pm)
February 15^th, no school for students. Parent Teacher conferences are held in the morning (8:00-10:00am).
February 18^th, no school for students. Winter Break Day

Rock and Roll to 2nd Thought is a Whitefish Bay Band made up of middle school and high school kids. Tonight, Friday night, 2nd Thought will be doing a benefit concert for Children's Hospital at the WFB High School Auditorium. The concert will be video taped by Cartoon Network and will begin at 7:00 pm.

Cost of the event is $3.00. This is a great family event that benefits many beyond our community.

January 24, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:56:00 +0000

A Letter from Ms. Heffron
January 24, 2008

Pheeww! It has been a long very cold stretch and while we can see that the students need to be ale to get outside, inside recesses have gone well. The meteorologists are suggesting that by tomorrow it will warm up enough to go outside. As a reminder, it has to remain about zero with wind shill in order for us to gout for recesses.

Notes:

Families that Read Together Succeed Together: If you have pre-registered for this, I look forward to seeing you tonight at Richards School for the event.
Look for the Cool Stuff for Kids Fair flyer in today's folder.
4th grade Orchestra Concert, Wednesday, January 7:00pm in the GYM.
K4 and K5 Kindergarten registration for the Fall continues. Please call the office for information.
Friday, February 1st: Clerical Afternoon. No school PM for students. Dismissal at 11:50am.
Wednesday, February 6th: Late Start Day. School begins at 9:15am.

January 31, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:56:00 +0000

Notes from the Cumberland Office where we hope it is going to get warmer soon! January 31, 2008

Yesterday's weather forced another indoor recess and while some children enjoy the novelty of being able to stay in and visit or build or play games or talk with friends, we all notice changing behaviors in the afternoon when students have not been able to go outside. I am sure you see this at home, too. One of my memories from growing up was my mother's command to us to, "Get outside!" when she had had enough of our indoor shenanigans. I have a feeling that way back then, say in the 50s and 60s, Mom was less concerned about the wind chill than we are now and growing up in mid Michigan there were some really cold times. We used to build snow forts both for the fun of it and to create a wind break! Anyway, as a reminder about our practice here, if the wind chill is zero or above we generally go outside for recess.

New in the Fall of 2008, The Lydell Preschool

As the Recreation and Community Education Department of WFB looks ahead at the future, we think about new ways to meet the changing needs of the community. In efforts to expand our services, the Recreation and Community Education Department is starting The Lydell Preschool.

This new addition to the School District of Whitefish Bay's outstanding educational opportunities will continue the tradition of exceptional academic excellence that has made our village one of the most desirable places to live and raise children. The program will welcome children 3-4 years of age. All children must be completely toilet trained.

For more information log onto www.wfbschools.com and enter the Recreation Department site for a downloadable program brochure, parent handbook and enrollment forms. Lydell Preschool is housed at 5205 North Lydell Avenue, Whitefish Bay, WI, 963-3947.

Priority Enrollment for Residents: February 1st through March 1st, 2008

Open Enrollment: March 1st-May 1^st

Notes:

Thanks to the PTO who paid for a musician and an artist as part of the child care for last week's Family Literacy Night. Their generosity was greatly appreciated as these performers helped the child care run much more smoothly for the children.
Dr. Mel Levine, a top learning expert and author of A Mind at a Time and All Kinds of Minds is coming to Milwaukee on February 22^nd, sponsored by Cardinal Stritch. His presentation topic is, "Why Differences in Learning Make a Difference: How We Can Understand and Mange Them Effectively." Tickets are available online at MilwaukeeMons.com
3^rd and 5^th graders will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills between February 4^th and 12^th. If you are in the building during these times, please note any testing signs to avoid disrupting classes while they are testing.
Congratulations to 5^th grade spellers Jenna Davis, Asya Brukhovetsky, and Olivia Clancy along with alternates Sierra Caine and Mitch Rogers who will represent Cumberland at the WFB Village Spelling Bee.
Kudos to the 4^th grade Orchestra students who performed marvelously at last night's concert.
Friday, February 1^st: Clerical Afternoon. No school PM for students. Dismissal at 11:50am.
Late Start for students on February 6^th. All students start at 9:15. The Recreation Department is again providing child care. Pre-registration and payment are required. There is a flyer in today's folder and it on the Cumberland website.

January 17, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron January 17, 2008

We have been fortunate to have several lunch/lunch recess supervisors continue for several years. Chris Nye, Midge Chmiel, Katie Commer, Pat Corraro, Beth Matkom, Jamie Andriacchi, Beth Andino, Pam Bednardzcyk, and staff members Jeri Kohler, Kirk Morrill, Kevin Moore and Rose Palmer all supervise lunch or lunch recess from one to five times a week. This year, they have been joined by Patty Chevako, Tamara Miller and Kelly Peterson. Together, this great crew guides, reminds, comforts, redirects, and builds relationships with students that result in generally smooth times for our students during this mid day break. We are in need of at least two more people to join this great group. Pat (or Mrs. C, as the students call her) leaves for warmer weather from January through April. Tamara will be gone for some time starting next week. These absences are in addition to the occasional times when the others have to take time off because someone is sick in their family. If you can help out by working between 11:20 and 12:20 one or two days a week, we will greatly appreciate it. Being here gives you a window into the school life of your child as you see what they do during recess and who they do it with. It can make for interesting conversations around the dinner table! Call the office if you can help. Thanks.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Dr. Carol Dweck's research and writing about effective praise. While in San Francisco over the break, I read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine that again uses her work, this time by Kathy Seligman. Seligman is the "founder of a new project at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley…called Half Full, aimed at teaching parents the social science of raising happy kids. 'The crazy idea is that these things are skills,' Seligman says. The article talks about helping children retain optimism and confidence when they face challenges or obstacles. This parallels some of what we have talked about as developing resiliency. If you are interested in the article, it can be found at www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/30/CM95TK0I2.DTL.

We are in the process of kindergarten registration for both K4 and K5. If you have a child who will be four on or before September 1, 2008 and you have not registered, please contact the office. The same for children who did not attend here for K4 but who will be five by September 1, 2008 and who will be attending Cumberland in the fall. It helps us to have as accurate numbers as possible, so if you are aware of anyone in our attendance area who may not know about registration, please encourage them to call or stop in. Thanks.

Monday, January 21^st is a Professional Development day for staff. Students do not attend school on that day. The topic of the day for staff is grading and reporting student progress. The staff will be working in mixed kindergarten through high school groups to examine their beliefs and practices. Whitefish Bay Schools do a terrific job of supporting staff in high level discourse about various practices, always with an eye towards how we can continue to develop deeper understandings that better support student learning.

Notes:

If you are parked waiting to pick up your child from school, please turn the car off to save energy and to minimize pollution.
The Whitefish Bay High School Orchestra will present "Superheroes of Whitefish Bay!" on Sunday, February 3, 2008 at its annual Music for Munchkins Children's Concert. The hero-themed event will feature a string instrument "petting zoo" from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Craft-making will be available during the same period. The musical performance will begin at 1:30 p.m and conclude no later than 2:30 pm. Featured selections include the themes of Superman, Batman, Spiderman and the Incredibles. The event includes a special guest appearance by Whitefish Bay's favorite orchestral superhero, Stringman. Music for Munchkins will be held in the auditorium of Whitefish Bay High School, 1200 E. Fairmount Avenue, Whitefish Bay. Admission is $3 per person or $10 for a family of five. The general public is encouraged to attend.
Help spread the word! Special ticket prices offered at the Sunset Playhouse! Tickets One for $18, two for one - $9 each or three for $24.Now playing "Arthur, The Boy Who Would Be King" January 11-27. Call 262-782-4430 or go to www.sunsetplayhouse.com for tickets.
Mark your calendars: February 22-Cumberland/Richards School Family Night at the Milwaukee Admirals game and February 26-PTO Family Dinner (5:00-8:00) Cumberland Gym.

January 10, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:49:00 +0000

Happy New Year from Ms. Heffron, January 10, 2008

Wow, the full two week break was really something. While I am told many were sick over the break, it appears the extra time allowed most students and staff to return healthy and ready to be back at school. On Monday, we had a record low of only four tardies!

The attached comes from the National Association of Elementary School Principals. I hope you find something useful in it.

Reminder: No school for students on January 21st

December 20, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:37:00 +0000

The Last Thursday Letter of 2007

December 20, 2007

It was terrific to have such large audiences for last week's Winter Festival Concert. The students' pride and pleasure in their accomplishments and performances are palpable and being able to share this with family and friends is just the best. Thanks for taking the time to be here.

Growing up in Michigan, I remember winters filled with snow, cold, and endless hours outside building forts or houses and playing Fox and Geese in the snow. This was before Land's End style warm clothing so included in my memory bank, too, are icy toes and fingers. One part of our house was heated with only a wood stove, so cold mornings are part of my memory as I would make the daily dash from the cold bedroom to the toasty warmth of the stove in the other room. Along with these memories, I have a storehouse of winter break memories, times when my mom or dad were unexpectedly available to play a game or to bake cookies. One time, my dad even took me ice fishing very early in the morning! While this is a fond memory because of the time with my father, it did cure me for all time of any interest in standing out on the ice holding a skinny pole with a dangling fish line.

Times have changed in so many ways. Now, there are actually warm clothes that can make being outside even more fun. Families of all configurations have developed traditions of who is with whom when and as with my own now blended family; celebrations can go on for days in multiple different states. From my conversations with children here at Cumberland, though, one thing has remained absolutely the same from my childhood to now; children still look forward to and value time with the adults in their lives. I wish for you during these next two weeks the opportunities to spend time with those you love, to make memories that will stick for the next several decades, and to build on traditions that bring pleasure and meaning to your family. Tomorrow, Friday the 21^st is the last day of school until January 7^th when we return to regular school. Happy New Year to you!

Notes:

Attention all K4, K5 and 1^st Grade Families: Join us on Thursday, January 24^th from 5:00-7:30 for the Second Annual Family Literacy Night. This year, Richards School will host the event. You will have the opportunity to choose from several fabulous sessions, walk away with literacy games, activities and specific skills that you can use at home to encourage your child's efforts to read and write. Sue Boquist will share her incredible knowledge about how children learn to read and write in a session for parents. Pizza dinner and child care will be provided. Reserve your spot now by completing the form that was sent home last week. More forms are available in the office. The registration deadline is Friday, January 11^th. Due to advance planning for food and space, no late registrations can be accepted. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Seiler at 963-3943 or lseil.ms.wfb@wfbschools.com.
Parents and Guardians of 4^th and 5^th graders are asked to complete a World Language survey online at http://www.wfbschools. Once at the website, select your child's school from the column on the left. Select 'Curriculum' and follow the survey link on the Curriculum page. Thanks for completing this survey prior to January 6^th.
Poison Prevention safety tips: In today's folder is a two page hand out from the Wisconsin Poison Center at Children's Hospital. Filled with information specific to this time of the year, it can help prevent accidental injuries.

December 13, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:55:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron December 13, 2007

Tomorrow is the Winter Festival Concert and I look forward to seeing you there. Please remember that the doors are open 45 minutes before the concert and we do not have space for waiting much before this as our more than 600 students pass through already crowded hallways. Parking restrictions will not be enforced around the school area. Performances are at 9:45 and 1:30 and if possible, those with last names A-M are encouraged to come in the morning and N-Z in the afternoon. See you then.

Other things:

Our clinic can always use extra gloves for loan. Donations are gratefully accepted.
January Pops is a concert of One Hit Wonders performed by the WFB High School extra-curricular choirs featuring music from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. Lots of great and not-so-great music! Performances are Friday, January 11, 2008, 7 pm and Saturday, January 12, 2008, 7 pm at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 790 N. Van Buren St., Milwaukee. Tickets are $13. for adults and $7. for students and seniors. Call Mary Lynn Han 963-0466.
Winter Break, December 24^th – January 6^th. School resumes on Monday, January 7, 2008.

December 6, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:07:00 +0000

A Letter from Ms. Heffron December 6, 2007

Having snow is fantastically fun here at school. District personnel plow the blacktop for safety and the snow is pushed into large piles at the edge of the fields. Endless fun ensues with the possibilities for building forts/structures, snow chairs and otter-like slides. Students of all ages join in, with students in successive recesses adding to buildings that were started by others.

To maximize snow fun and safety, and to help students smoothly transition back to learning after recesses, the following procedures are in place:

Students in all grades must wear boots and snowpants to leave the blacktop. This includes going to the play equipment areas. Boots and snowpants provide protection and reduce the chances that students will come back in with wet pants or socks, both of which distract from learning.
Structures can be built. There is to be no active stealing of snow balls/boulders allowed between groups/structures.
No one owns a structure. All are community property to be shared.
No tunnels are allowed for safety reasons.
Sliding down the snow hills is ok, feet first only.
King of the Hill is not allowed because of the danger resulting from the pushing.
No throwing snowballs. Anyone who does is sent immediately to the office. The student spends the next recess in the office. If repeat offenses, students will lose recesses for several days.

If you have a chance to stop or drive by during lunch recesses, you will see even from afar the loads of fun that students have outside during the winter. Scholarship funding for outerwear is available for families in need. Contact me directly if you would like to be considered.

Our Winter Festival Concert is a week away! The all-school concert will be held on Friday, December 14 at 9:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. All-day kindergarteners and 1st-5th grade students will perform at both concerts. Morning K4 and K5 classes will perform @ 9:45am. Afternoon K4 and K5 classes will perform @ 1:30pm. To accommodate all parents and visitors, please try to attend the concert at your designated time:

Families with last names beginning A-M, please try to attend the 9:45 a.m. performance. Families with morning kindergarteners should attend this performance.
Families with last names beginning N-Z, please try to attend the 1:30 p.m. performance. Families with afternoon kindergarteners should attend this performance.

Of course, if the designated time does not work with your schedule, please attend the performance that will work best for your family. The gymnasium doors will open for audience members 45 minutes prior to each performance. The gymnasium doors will open at 9:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. for the performances.

We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Festival concert on December 14th!

Notes:

PTO Cougar Callers (the Cumberland telephone directory) were distributed to PTO members last week through Thursday folders. If you did not receive a Caller and you think you should have please direct questions to PTO Membership Chair, Beth Matkom by calling 967-9770 or by email ematkom@wi.rr.com. Also, if you are a PTO member and have not received a district calendar please contact Beth as well.
Late Start for students: December 12^th. All students begin class at 9:15
Reminder: December 7^th is a half day for students. Dismissal at 11:50

November 29, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:13:00 +0000

Notes from Jayne Heffron, Cumberland School

November 29, 2007

While we are firmly underway with the 2007-08 school year, we are already planning for next year. A crucial element is enrollment, especially our K4 or Junior Kindergarten numbers as these are the most difficult to predict since the students are not yet at Cumberland. Tomorrow, we will be holding an Open House for incoming Jr. Kindergarteners, those children who will be four on or before September 1, 2008, so that their parents/guardians can see a bit of our program first hand. We take our projected potential students from the census list and this list shows a fairly large pool of students from which we draw. Our current K4 class contains 94 students and it looks likely that next year's will be around this size. While our student population at each of the four district schools has varied over the last years, overall we are holding relatively stable with enrollment. If you know of anyone who is new to Whitefish Bay having a four year old, please mention to them that we would love to show them around the school. Thanks.

I was with my family over Thanksgiving and we were looking at my mother's elementary school report cards. While we have moved far from where education was for my mother, a rural one room school house, several of the items on the report card still have great value for children even though we no longer put them on the report card. Comportment, playing nicely with others and being helpful to the teacher are still foundational skills, even though we call them by different names!

The Winter Festival Concert is coming up on December 14^th at 9:45 and 1:30. To help us all fit into the gym, if last names A-M generally attend the morning concert and N-Z come in the afternoon, it is very helpful. If this does not work for your schedule, please attend when it works for your schedule. Please remember that the gym doors open 45 minutes before the performance. Our building and hallways are so full with students and staff that we really appreciate you arriving no more than 45 minutes ahead of time to avoid over-full hallways as children pass from one class to the next. I will ask the WFB Police Department to lift the parking restrictions around the school on that day.

Notes:

The Cumberland 5^th grade Community Services Club is holding a hat and mitten drive. They are collecting warm hats/mittens/scarves/socks for the Next Door Foundation as voluntary admission to the winter Festival Concert.
Dogs are not allowed on school grounds. Many of our students are allergic or afraid of dogs. If you bring your dog when dropping off or picking up your child(ren) please keep the dog on a leash and arrange a meeting place with your child that doesn't require you to come onto the school yard to meet him or her. Thanks.
Students get excited when they are having a party or hosting an event and we understand that. To avoid any students being excluded and to keep the school out of the middle of any arrangements, though, we do not allow invitations to non-school events to be handed out here at school even if everyone in the class is invited. Please help your child avoid disappointment by not sending invitations to school for distribution.
2008 WFB Little League Registration – NOW IN DECEMBER! Registration is in the gym at Lydell on Wed., Dec. 12^th from 6-8 pm and Mon., Dec. 17^th from 6-8 pm
First Grade Brownies: A new troop is forming. If your first grader is interested, she may attend a meeting Monday, December 3^rd at Cumberland. All girls will meet Alice Egan in the Cumberland foyer and she will take them to Room 4 for the meeting. Parents should pick up their daughters in Room 4 at 4:30. Questions? Call Alice at 967-1763 or Linda at 963-9369.

Reminder: Friday, December 7th is a half day for students. Dismissal is at 11:50

November 15, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:32:00 +0000

A letter from Ms. Heffron

November 15, 2007

This week we are finishing the bulk of the WKCE testing in third through fifth grades. You may not know that the federal legislation called No Child Left Behind or NCLB requires that all public school students in the entire country are tested annually in 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 10^th grades. The legislation includes percentage targets for the numbers of students overall who have to score proficient or advanced in order for the school/district to qualify as having made Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP. The target goes up each year for the number of students we must have who score at the proficient or advanced levels. The Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) measures a student's knowledge and learning related to learning goals or standards. It does not rank students against other students. Because the stakes around this testing are so high (federal monies to schools and continued local control, for example) we create the best conditions for testing that we can. We do not, though, do extended test preparation in isolation. Our experience and belief is that students score very well based on a rigorous daily curriculum and high quality teaching, which we have here in Whitefish Bay. The results of this testing are generally released to us in the spring. Stay tuned.

Thanks for taking time to meet with your child's teacher(s) for conferences. It sends such an important message to children about the value of education when we are able to partner together.

At this time of giving thanks, I give thanks for having the honor of working with you and your children here at Cumberland. I recognize the importance of the work we do with children and of being in a community that so values educational opportunities. Thank you for entrusting me with your children. I wish you a healthy and thanks-filled break next week.

Notes:

Reminder: No school Friday (11/16), Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (11/21-23)
Silver Spring Drive-Vision For the Future-You are invited to attend a panel discussion about the future of Silver Spring Drive hosted by the Whitefish Bay Business and Professional Association and the Whitefish Bay Community Authority, tonight(11/15/07) from 7:00-8:30pm @ WFBHS Cafeteria

Winter Festival Concert Information

The all-school concert will be held on Friday, December 14 at 9:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. All-day kindergarteners and 1^st-5^th grade students will perform at both concerts.

Students are asked to dress as they would for any special occasion. There is no need to purchase anything new for this event.

To accommodate all parents and visitors, please try to attend the concert at your designated time:

Families with last names beginning A-M, please try to attend the 9:45 a.m. performance. Families with morning kindergarteners should attend this performance.
Families with last names beginning N-Z, please try to attend the 1:30 p.m. performance. Families with afternoon kindergarteners should attend this performance.

Of course, if the designated time does not work with your schedule, please attend the performance that will work best for your family.

The gymnasium doors will open for audience members 45 minutes prior to each performance. The gymnasium doors will open at 9:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. for the performances. The approximate length of each concert is 1hour, 15 minutes.

We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Festival concert on December 14^th!

November 8, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:22:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron, November 8, 2007

Dear Parents and Guardians,

November is a very busy month here at Cumberland. We have our first round of Parent Teacher Conferences on November 13^th, 15^th, 16^th and 19^th. (If you have not scheduled a time with your child's teacher, please contact her/him to do this.) Except for Friday the 16^th, teachers are with students all day, teaching as usual, followed by conferences which start by 4:30 and run until after 7:30. As you can guess, this makes for very full days, so as a neighboring principal wrote, please be nice to the teachers and understand that if they are not returning your calls or emails as quickly as usual it is likely because of the time pressures with conferences. The teachers do everything they can to make this time helpful and beneficial and to do this after teaching all day takes a lot of OOMPH! Thanks for your understanding.

Parents/guardians of 4^th and 5^th graders will notice that something has changed this year when you do not receive a report card during conference time. For years, 1^st-3^rd graders have been on the trimester system and when we moved to a new web-based attendance and report card system this year, we had to have one reporting schedule school wide. Everyone is now on the trimester schedule. What this means to upper grade parents is that you will be meeting with your child's teacher to talk through your child's progress, and then in December your child will receive a report card. Through this lens, the move to trimesters increases the number of times that you will get formal information about how your child is doing.

Here are some questions that may be helpful as you talk with your child's teacher(s):

How does my child learn best?
What are her/his interests in school?
Is she/he making the expected progress?
Are you differentiating instruction or assignments for my child?
How is my child relating to her/his peers?
Are there areas of concern that we should work on together?

And, it is very helpful to school staff to know what your child is saying about school at home. We also appreciate knowing if anything has changed in the child's life, as often it manifests in indirect ways here at school. All teachers are in the building during conferences, as am I. The Specials teachers love to see parents during conference times, too, so if you can, visit them in their rooms.

Tardies have reached epidemic proportions with more than thirty students coming in late some days. If your child(ren) is on time, thank you and congratulations. While we understand that occasionally something unexpected comes up, if your child is showing a pattern of late arrivals, please expect a call from me in the near future so we can talk through how I can help you to get your child here by 8:15. It really makes a difference in his/her learning.

Notes:

Spirit Day is Friday, November 9^th and the theme is Crazy Shoe Day.
Winter Festival is December 14^th. (details will come later)
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS NOVEMBER 16^TH, OR 21^ST-25^TH
PTO reminder: Presentation Monday, Nov. 12^th, 7:00PM, Navigating the Passage from Childhood to Adolescence
The Shorewood Players production of "The Wizard of Oz" features several WFB students in the cast. Show times are Fri. & Sat., Nov. 9, 10, 16, & 17 @ 7:30pm and Sun. Nov 11 & 18 @ 2:00pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door or ahead by calling (414) 737-3421 or www.shorewoodplayers.org

Please see the below for some email addresses that were incorrect in the Cougar Caller.

Name	Correct email Address	Name	Correct email Address
Heather Brennan	hbrenn.ri.wfb@wfbschools.com	Jim Loebl	jloeb.ri.wfb@wfbschools.com
Jonathan Brodie	jbrod.ri.wfb@wfbschools.com	Diane Reiels	dreie.cu.wfb@wfbschools.com
Sally Danforth	sdanf.ms.wfb@wfbschools.com	Dina Schachtely	dscha.cu.wfb@wfbschools.com
Bonnie Lewis	blewi.ri.wfb@wfbschools.com	Lisa Seiler	lseil.ms.wfb@wfbschools.com
		Julie Stefan	jstef.cu.wfb@wfbschools.com

November 1, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:33:00 +0000

A Letter from Ms. Heffron

November 1, 2007

Lately, during lunch hour students from several grades have been playing very energetic 4-Square games. 4-Square, in case you do not know, is an old game played all around the world involving a painted 'court', four players and a large ball. The objective, similar to tennis, is to hit the ball (using only your hands) into another player's area so that it hits the ground within the marked area but in such a way as to make it difficult for the other player to return the ball. Lively and fast paced, there are usually many players lined up along the edge of the game area to rotate into the game when one player gets out. I really like it that kids are playing 4-Square because it is good exercise, it moves quickly so many children can be involved in a short time, and children have great fun inventing new variations. The negotiation that is involved in creating variations gives children opportunities to learn how to compromise as well as encourages their creativity. 4-Square can be played by people of various ages, too, so it can be a fun family or neighborhood pursuit. I encourage you to give it a try with your child!

Before we know it the temperatures will drop and questions will arise about going outside to recess. For your planning, please know that children go out to recess every day unless it is heavily raining or the wind chill is below zero. In order for recess to be a fun time for children, they need to be wearing clothing that is warm enough and that allows running, climbing on the equipment or even hanging on the bars. We greatly appreciate you providing your children appropriate jackets and shoes (and boots and snowpants when it is colder) and reminding them to wear those items to school. Also, for our youngers, it is very helpful that children wear clothing that they can get into and out of themselves.

This leads naturally into the FOUND items we are accumulating here at school. There are bins in the front entryway and downstairs outside the doors to the music wing that are already overflowing with clothing. Please take a look if you think something may belong to your child.

It really helps to label outerwear with your child's name, too, so left behind items can be returned to the owner.

Notes:

We are already planning for 2008 incoming kindergarteners. If you have a child who will turn four on or before September 1, 2008 and you did not fill out the census form, please call our office to be put on the mailing list for K4 information. The same applies if you know a friend or neighbor new to Cumberland. Please pass the information onto them.
Bay Ball raffle tickets: There is still time to purchase the tickets that were sent home in Thursday folders. Drop off the stubs along with a check payable to the WFB Public Education Foundation to our office. Questions? Call Alicia at 967-4760.
Indoor lacrosse for boys 3^rd and up, girls 4^th and up: Each group meets for a one hour session on Sunday afternoon. Details are available at www.hot4lax.com. A limited number of flyers are posted on the board outside our office.
We continue to need supervisors for lunch/lunch recess. If you can work even one hour a week between 11:20-12:20, we will greatly appreciate it. Training is provided. Please call the office at 963.3943.

Advocates For Education Flyer

October 18, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ben Hochstedler) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:13:00 +0000

Notes from Ms. Heffron

October 18, 2007

Bay Ball: Thank you to all who have donated to the Bay Ball Baskets! If you would still like to contribute please do so by bringing in a check (to the office) payable to WFB Public Education Foundation. Some of the basket themes will be combined due to a decrease in contributions. The last day to make a donation is Monday, October 22^nd. If you have any questions please call Chris Armstrong at 964-5584.

Art cardboard: Thanks parents and students for helping the art department recycle and create a lesson out of cereal type boxes! The boxes have been collected and the lesson is underway, so we no longer are in need of this type of material. Thank you so much for all your collections and support! Sincerely, Mrs. Purney

Halloween: The school wide program and individual classroom parties will be held on October 24^th. Any costumes should be safe (no face covering masks or other things that make it difficult for students to move about) and appropriate for all to see, including our youngest students. This means no guts or gore. Weapons of any kind, even as part of costume, are not permitted. The parade across the playground will take place around 2:30. Because of space constraints, parents are not invited to the assembly.

Testing: On various dates from October 29^th through November 16^th students in 3^rd-5^th grades will be taking the state required/federally mandated WKCE standardized test. Even if your children are not in these grades, you can help us have the best conditions for testing by being quiet in the halls if you are here. Also, it is very helpful to have all students and younger siblings stay away from the slope and windows in the front of the school from 8:15-3:15 as students in these classrooms will be participating in the testing. This also pertains to younger siblings with parents waiting for Kindergarten drop off and pick up. We'd also appreciate extra help with keeping younger siblings quiet in and around the building during the weeks of testing. Thanks for your help with this.