Cumberland CUSD 77

On July 1, Mr. Houchin took over the helm as superintendent of Cumberland CUSD #77. Mr. Houchin brings with him 22 years of experience in the field of education. Previously, he has served as a middle school principal, high school principal, assistant principal, athletic director, and science teacher, and has coached several sports.

In this new role, Mr. Houchin is eager to connect with others and work together to tackle challenges and find solutions that make a difference. His priority is to listen, learn, and understand the needs of the community. He says, “This is an awesome community. I want to do my best to support the people within it.”

Mr. Houchin’s wife, Amanda, will begin her 25th year in education as a social studies teacher at Cumberland Middle School. They are the parents of two children, Carly and Kyler. Carly will attend Franklin College this year. She plans to study Elementary Education and Spanish. She will also swim for the Franklin College swim team. Kyler will be in 8th grade at Cumberland. He is a passionate learner and loves to run cross country and play soccer.

Mr. Houchin loves the outdoors, cooking, hanging with his family and friends, golfing, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals.

Help us welcome Mr. Houchin to the Cumberland community! We’re excited to have his leadership and expertise guiding our schools toward continued growth and success.

Summer is the perfect time to take care of any medical requirements, so your child is all set and ready for a smooth start on the first day of school! The requirements for each grade are listed below.

Kindergarten: Physical, immunizations up-to-date, dental exam, and vision exam
2nd Grade: Dental exam
6th Grade: Physical, immunizations up-to-date, and dental exam
9th Grade: Physical, immunizations up-to-date, and dental exam
12th Grade: Immunizations up-to-date.
Athletes in grades 5-12: Sports physical. A school physical does count for this. *5th grade may participate in cross country only.

For more information, please visit the Registration page on the district's website.

Join us for the 25-26 school year! We are hiring for the following positions:

*Assistant Middle School Scholastic Bowl Coach
*School Psychologist
*Bus Driver
*High School Head Baseball Coach
*Certified Athletic Trainer

Please share with those who may be interested.

Mark your calendars! Online registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on Tuesday, July 22.

New families to the district may make an appointment to register in person beginning July 22.

Meet your teacher night is from 6-8 PM on August 13, and the first day of student attendance is August 14.

Beginning tomorrow, he's going to have a whole lot more time to spend with these two! On behalf of all of us at Cumberland CUSD #77, we would like to congratulate Mr. Butler on his retirement!

Cumberland has the following job opportunities available for you to join our team! Please share with those who may be interested. *Elementary Teacher *School Psychologist *Assistant HS Girls Basketball Coach *Head HS Girls Softball Coach *Athletic Trainer *Full-time Bus Driver *District Maintenance Worker

Here's a copy of the 2025-2026 School Calendar to get a head start on planning for next year!

Join us in celebrating Mr. Aaron Janssen as the 2024-2025 Neal Foundation Teacher of the Year! Thank you for your dedication, time, and effort you give to the district and your students! Congratulations!

School dismisses at 2:01 on Wednesday, 5/21, and Thursday, 5/22. There is no school on Friday, 5/23.

This is a reminder that the Shoe Tree form is due this Wednesday, May 21. Please fill out this form if you are interested in your child(ren) participating in the program. https://forms.gle/T1ZQCT32TDgiZmYU9

There is no school on Friday, May 16, because of an unused emergency day.

There is no school on Friday, May 9, because of an unused emergency day.

🍎 Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! 🍎 This week, we celebrate the impact our teachers have while they inspire, encourage, and educate our students each day. Thank you for all that you do inside and outside the classroom! We also want to recognize and appreciate every member of our school community—our hardworking cooks, paraprofessionals, custodians, maintenance crew, office staff, bus drivers, nurse, counselors, and administration. Your efforts ensure that our students are safe, supported, and ready to learn each day. Thank you!

The Book Fair has arrived! Books will be available to purchase Monday, May 5 - Thursday, May 8. The book fair will be open during Family Engagement Night on Tuesday, May 6, from 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM. An e-wallet option allows you to load money into an online account, so students do not have to handle money. Your child's teacher may also have an eWallet set up that you can donate to so they can shop for books for their classroom! Contact Mrs. Walk at mwalk@cumberland.k12.il.us if you have any questions. Book fair website and e-wallet set up: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/cumberlandelemschool

The baseball game today vs. WSS has been canceled. (5/2)

If you are experiencing financial hardship, complete this form, and qualifying students will receive a free pair of shoes. Shoes will be given to the students at Meet Your Teacher Night or on the first day of school. Please complete this form by May 21, 2025. SHOE TREE is sponsored by Shoe Tree Program, Corp., Rosalyn Gresens, President https://forms.gle/T1ZQCT32TDgiZmYU9

With concerts, celebrations, special events, and even a couple of days off, a lot is happening around Cumberland in May! As we wrap up the school year, here’s what to look forward to:

Books were generously gifted to the Cumberland Elementary and Middle School library in memory of Mrs. Rosalie Chancellor by an anonymous donor. Pictured are her great-granddaughters who attend Cumberland.

Join us for an evening celebrating the talents of our students! Enjoy music from our band and choir, and stroll through art and industrial arts exhibits. Fine Arts Night at CHS never disappoints! 🗓 Date: Tuesday, May 6 🕕 Time: 7 PM 📍 Location: CHS Cafeteria and Gym

Join us "Under the Sea" for a night of family fun! We will have an ocean of activities for you to explore. 📚Book Fair 🎨Art Show 🖼️Class Projects 🚚Food Trucks 🖐🏻Child Fingerprinting 🌊Ocean Lab 🎁Prizes and More! 📅When: Tuesday, May 6 🕰️Time: 4 - 6:30 PM 📍Where: Cumberland Elementary and Middle School We hope to "Sea" you there!