MUMS Family Newsletter

Thanks for another great week, it was a busy one!

We have been thinking about and planning for our upcoming Early Release day next Wednesday October 9th, 2024, where students will have additional opportunities to practice in Choir and Band, as well as experience exploratory for the first time this school year. Also, on this day, every student will have WIN time to make up work or engage with practice materials. We are excited for students to experience a day that is different from our normal schedule and are looking forward to capping it with grade level lunches which students will love!

We continue to send healing energy and our warmest thoughts to our MUHS community as they continue to grapple with the loss of our Beloved colleague Derek Bartlett who passed away last weekend. Please send any extra positive thoughts to the friends, family, students and colleagues of Derek in this time of great sadness.

Thanks for always being the supportive community that you are.

If you have questions generally, please reach out to us at mwisell@acsdvt.org (Michaela)

or zjerome@acsdvt.org (Zach) or dhunt@acsdvt.org (Dustin) or by calling the MUMS office at 802-382-1600 or by visiting the MUMS website for more information.

Michaela Wisell, Principal

Zach Jerome, Assistant Principal

Dustin Hunt, Activities Director

• October 9th - Early Release Day (Dismissal 12:45)
• October 19th - Color Fun Run 10:00 am
• November 8th - Fall Dance (7:00-9:00)

Activities Calendar

In 8th grade math, our students have been busy examining linear relations, an extension of lessons about proportional relationships learned last year in 7th grade. Identifying predictable patterns allowed us to draw diagrams, create data tables, model our findings in a graph, and ultimately write an algebraic rule to describe the patterns.

As our understanding develops, we prepare to apply our new skills to real-world scenarios like...

There is a Craft Fair coming up on the Middlebury College campus. You plan to rent a table for $40, then sell homemade bracelets to try to make some money for holiday presents. If you make a profit of $3 for every bracelet that you sell, then how many bracelets do you need to sell before you break even? Also, what will be your total profit after you pay for the table rental if you sell 70 bracelets?

As 8th graders apply their math content knowledge, we hope to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for how the complex and abstract concepts introduced in algebra connect to the real world. Thanks to Mr. Huntoon, Ms. Binder, and our 8th graders for the great work!

Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinator

& ACSD Curriculum Leader

esears@acsdvt.org

802-382-1753

Pam Quinn, MYP Coordinator

pquinn@acsdvt.org

802-382-1243

Dear Colleagues & Community Members -

The skill of our tech team allows most of us not to think about the cybersecurity threats our system faces daily as we do our work. We thank them for their efforts to safeguard the sensitive information of our employees and students in our system. You may have noticed that we have recently updated some of our electronic security practices in response to updated cybersecurity concerns. This will be ongoing work.

A review of our digital footprint shows that a significant amount of sensitive employee and student information has been shared daily with parents and colleagues for a long time. As part of our collective security effort, I have requested District office staff and Principals lead our efforts to revise our communication practices to protect our students and employees better. Your role is crucial in limiting the sharing of sensitive information via email and chat regarding employees or students wherever possible. I understand this process is inconvenient and that this type of change in practice will take time, but I trust in our ability to make it successful.

Unfortunately, emails are not secure documents and can be forwarded indefinitely. A family’s private cybersecurity can be compromised even more readily than our system. Bad actors entering systems through malware often linger to gather information in support of scams; student information provided by school personnel can be used in terrible ways to lure vulnerable kids into unthinkable situations. Information conveyed via email is now the fruit of a bad actor’s efforts. We don’t want our communications to contribute to bad things happening to good people. Unfortunately, even our Vermont community needs to consider these circumstances. Email has become a platform that can no longer be counted on to hold information securely enough to meet our "duty of care" responsibility.

Chats are more secure. Our ability to chat will remain largely internal for some time to avoid providing unmonitored users with unintentional backdoor access to our system. Google Docs are the most secure avenue of communication in our system right now. A running communication Google document with a parent or colleague regarding student progress allows us to control access to information.

Of course, any information shared through any digital means cannot be considered private under any circumstances. Even internal Google documents can be copied and forwarded as attachments. FERPA regulations speak to sharing sensitive information only with those who need to know it. FERPA, the Privacy Act, and various HR guidelines make our duty to protect student records and sensitive information regarding students or employees clear. Communication created through the use of our personal devices while fulfilling or being perceived to be fulfilling our professional responsibilities also falls under all privacy guidelines.

Our tech team is available to assist principals and district leaders in thinking about more secure ways to communicate electronically if needed. We have already taken some important steps. For example, all supervision and evaluation documents have been moved into PowerSchool Perform, behind yet another safety firewall. We will continue adapting our practices as more options become available.

Simply put, I find it helpful to use the phone a little more often, leaving a message for a recipient through voicemail when needed. Voicemails can be forwarded to others but are presently hacked less often. I also remind myself that when communicating with colleagues, parents or caregivers, or members of our community through electronic platforms, including text messages, it is important that I say only what I need to say.

Migrating toward using only the most secure electronic communication tools if face-to-face or phone communication isn’t possible will make an important difference for our community. Thank you for your efforts to improve our practices in this area.

Over time, our collective efforts will help keep everyone we care about safer, which matters greatly.

-Wendy

Hello MUMS Families! Friends of MUMS is organizing a Staff Appreciation Fall Brunch for all faculty and staff members at MUMS! The fall brunch will be Thursday October 17th, 2024. This is a great way to celebrate the wonderful staff at our middle school with a delicious brunch buffet. If you would like to contribute by bringing items for the brunch, please indicate on the sign up below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A5AA2EA2F8C43-51781642-friends

Thanks so much,

Maureen Hill

On Saturday, October 19th, MUMS will host our third annual Color Fun Run!

This is the major fundraiser for Friends of MUMS and the money raised will be available for MUMS teachers to offer additional learning opportunities and experiences for students. This could include funding for trips, guest speakers, outside performances, specialty trade shows, cultural field trips, support for clubs and extracurricular adventures that are not already in the budget. We are excited to see what the staff needs are and even more excited that we will be able to financially help them achieve their goals. Please donate here.

Our MUMS collective goal this year is $8000! Go MUMS! Since we’re a public school, your donations are tax deductible and you can make a general donation or donate in honor of 6th, 7th or 8th grade - all before the end of tax year 2024.

We know students can't wait for the Color Fun Run itself, which has become a much-loved way to celebrate MUMS.

Please share this opportunity to donate with friends and family. And keep an eye out for a SignUp Genius with opportunities to help out at the Color Fun Run on October 19th!

• To report your child absent from school or notify us of an early dismissal please leave us a message on our attendance line by calling 382-1297 before 8:30 AM.
• If you send a student to school with an early dismissal note or bus note they should bring them the office before TA.
• All bus notes need to be stamped/signed by one of our Administrative Assistant's in the front office. Students will not be allowed to ride a bus to another location without a note from home that is stamped/signed by the office.

Do you volunteer in our schools? Join Superintendent Wendy Baker for a discussion about how to streamline, strengthen, and improve our volunteer program at ACSD schools. We will schedule a time to meet this fall to gather your feedback. Interested?
Button or link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H6laR0CJwNAVk9RKvXDYd2kvHeiw0vzwBb_9qcRNwg4/edit

To view monthly school menus click here.

Here is a list of the 2024-2025 ACSD Bus Routes.

We are so excited to welcome parents and community members back into our buildings this year! If you are interested in substitute teaching or volunteering this year, please start an application now!

If you are interested in joining our new Friends of MUMS group, email friendsofmums@gmail.com