As Cumberland students enter the festive holiday season filled with family gatherings and honored customs, teachers aren’t focusing on the potential for academic backslide but rather opportunities for social-emotional growth. Teachers and counselors realize that students won’t be picking up their textbooks or logging into GoogleClassroom as often during the break but might be faced with challenges surrounding the busyness and stress that come with the holidays. “The travel, shopping, unfamiliar smells, noises and additional faces can be a lot for our kids, so we try to talk about what to expect and equip them with coping strategies,'' said Britani Wilson, teacher and counselor at Cumberland.

Before leaving campus for the break Cumberland families are encouraged to do the following: Remember the things your thankful for --the holidays are an important time to realize all of the gifts we have been given and the people that support us. Keep expectations reasonable and take time for yourself. Give yourself permission to request & allow help from others. Try to build in as much routine as possible. Try to not over-schedule.

Adjusting to changes in routine or to new events and experiences is often a huge challenge for students on the spectrum and can be taxing at times. “We want our students to be able to transition into the holidays as smoothly as possible. Discussing the pros and cons and what to expect makes this time of year that much more enjoyable,” said Debbi Scarborough, founder/headmaster. Students will be out of school for Thanksgiving break starting on November 25th and will return on December 1st.