Letter From Mrs. Cotton

Dear Parents and Students:

First, I want to say how proud I am of the achievements we have made in sports, especially for a high school completed only two years ago.  All of our sports programs have shown growth in both the number of students participating and in performance.  Lacrosse, Basketball, and Track have been particularly successful as noted by college scholarships received in each of these sports.  Expect to see similar scholarships in our other sports in the near future!

For those of you who may not be aware, we have some changes to announce for next year.  Mike Richardson, our Middle School Principal, has accepted the job as Athletic Director.  He is highly qualified having over 39 years of experience as a coach, athletic director, and educator in both high school and college.  He will replace Brian Crawford who is leaving his employment at the end of this year.  Nick Williams will also be leaving his position as the Lacrosse coach.  With these changes, “finger pointing”, anxiety, and uncertainty have occurred which is disruptive - especially for those directly involved in the affected sports.

In a time of disruption, it is often helpful to stop for a minute and look at the big picture and the philosophy of Cumberland Academy regarding sports and fine arts.  While we will always be a school that focuses on excellence in the classroom, our commitment to sports and fine arts sets us apart from most other schools that we compete with.  The Leadership at Cumberland believes that we will have a more complete student to enter our competitive World if the student participates in either sports or fine arts.  A tour of our facilities is a testament to our commitment to both.  What we want to create at Cumberland is an opportunity for every student to find that special place where they can pursue the area that fits their talents and passions.

As this philosophy plays out over time, you will see performance that achieves high levels in competition, as we have seen in both sports and fine arts for the past two years.  Our winning ways are being noticed by the competition!  Cumberland also believes competition in sports is important because preparation for sports will help students to meet the challenges of the future.  This is where building of character becomes so important, and a priority to Cumberland.  We want our coaches to be character builders.

We are grateful to have you as a part of the Cumberland Family.  The future of sports at Cumberland Academy has never been brighter!  We have already received outstanding applications for our open positions, some as faraway as the East Coast.  Our expectations are high, and we look forward to keeping you informed as we bring these new coaches on board.  Hope your family is safe and well.
 
Respectfully yours,
 
Norma Cotton
Director
Cumberland Academy
1340 Shiloh Road
Tyler, Texas 75703
903-405-1318