MUMS Family Newsletter

It's been a week full of joy at MUMS! Our Staff engaged in what we are calling Underground Spirit Week! Each day was a new theme and students guessed what our daily theme was! It was a great way to keep spirits high in a week when we had multiple days of indoor recess and were working through tying up loose ends relative to quarter 2.

Along those lines, as we approach the end of quarter 2, please connect with your child about how they are doing relative to completed assignments so that when the we reach the January 17th students are feeling ready for the third quarter rather than worried about the second quarter. Please reach out to individual teachers with questions.

Thanks for your continued support!

Best,

Michaela

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

• January 14th - MUMS Band Concert (6:00-7:00) @ MUHS
• January 14th - MUMS Choir Concert (7:30-8:30) @ MUHS
• January 17th - Quarter 2 Ends
• January 23rd - Rising 9th Grade Parent Info. Night @ MUHS in Auditorium for Parents/Caregivers of 8th Graders (6:30pm)
• January 24th - DJ Skate Night (6:30pm-8:00pm) @ Memorial Sports Center
• January 29th - 8th grade field trip to the Town Hall Theater to see a show (more information coming on this)
• January 30th - 8th Grade field trip to the Hannaford Career Center (periods 1, 2, 3)
• February 6th - 9th Grade Course Registration (for all 8th Graders) at MUMS during periods 1, 2 & 3

Activities Calendar

Spotlight: Literacy Intervention at MUMS

Every day, many of our 6th-8th graders meet in small groups for literacy instruction with Ms. Placencia to strengthen their reading skills and build their confidence. They focus on increasing reading stamina, developing fluency, and learning how to “talk to the text” in order to build understanding of what they’re reading. This important work supports many of the skills practiced in Language and Literature classes. For example, in a recent intervention class, 7th graders practiced constructing paragraphs analyzing photos from a text used on Teams 2 & 3, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World, using a strategy called RACES to organize and develop their thinking. In order to make progress, these students must embody key aspects of our IB Learner Profile as they become more open-minded, risk-taking communicators. We celebrate the mindset championed in Ms. Placencia’s classroom and wanted to acknowledge the significant progress our students are making!

Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinator

& ACSD Leader

esears@acsdvt.org

802-382-1753

Pam Quinn, MYP Coordinator

pquinn@acsdvt.org

802-382-1243

Please use this sign-up genius to understand the ways that you can help and contact Dustin Hunt with questions.

#1
Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment!

• Do you have a 3-5 year old ready for preschool? Every preschool age child in ACSD is eligible for 10 FREE hours of preschool at a pre-qualified preschool program and NOW* is the time to begin thinking ahead to the 2025-26 school year. Visit https://mbaker61.wixsite.com/uprek/partners for a list of preschools and more information. Reach out to Ashley Bessette, Universal Prek Coordinator, at abessette@acsdvt.org for support or to ask questions.
  *Most preschool programs will begin enrolling in February/March for the 2025-26 school year.

• Do you have a child who plans to start Kindergarten in 2025-2026? Make sure they are on our incoming student list! If your child will be 5 years old by September 1, 2025 (or you know a friend or neighbor whose child will be) please reach out to our front office at [your school #]
  
  

#2

ACSD Budget Engagement

A draft of the Fiscal year 2026 Budget was presented to the ACSD Board on January 6th. You can watch that presentation and find accompanying materials on our Budget Development page. A public Q+A was also held on January 9th, a recording will be posted on the budget page soon. The board is expected to continue the discussion and vote on the budget at their January 13, 2025 meeting at 6:30pm. Find details for that meeting here.

#3
Attention parents and families of students with disabilities!

Please join the Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and Superintendent Wendy Baker to learn more about ACSD Administration’s proposed changes to the configuration and budget for Student Services and Special Education next year. This is your opportunity to learn more about the district’s vision for Student Services and Special Education and to share your perspective about what it might mean for your student(s) and family. Your perspective and voice are important! Please join us! Learn more about the SEPAC at https://www.addisoncentralsepac.org/ Sign up for SEPAC updates here.

Thursday, November 16th

6:00 – 7:30pm

MUHS library (virtual option: https://meet.google.com/gjk-ymhg-drj)

Learn more about ACSD Administration’s proposed budget HERE (see Block 5 on Student Services).

Learn more about ACSD’s budget development process HERE

It's that time of year again! Several positive flu cases have been reported here at MUMS, with an increase over the last week. With that in mind, we wanted to share some guidance and reminders to help minimize the spread of illnesses. Please remind your students not to share water bottles, food or anything else that can further contribute to the spread of illness. Please also encourage your students to eat well, stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Good hand washing is the #1 way to prevent the spread of contagious illness!

We expect students to stay home with any potentially contagious illnesses or symptoms including the following:

1. Vomiting/diarrhea-must be 24 hours symptom free before returning to school

2. Fever 100.4 or greater -stay home until fever free without use of medication for 24 hours

3. Any infection requiring antibiotic-keep your student home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours

4. Persistent cough that disrupts normal activity

5. Unexplained rash

6. Influenza and COVID-stay home until fever free without medication for 24 hours

7. Any other symptoms or illness that impedes a student’s ability to learn or staff’s ability to work.

Students may return once feeling well enough to be at school and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

If your student tests positive for Influenza or COVID, it is very helpful if you are able to call or email the school nurses to report this so we can track trends and determine if we are having outbreaks.

Thank you!

Liz Palko, BSN, RN

• 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