MUMS Family Newsletter

MUMS was hopping this week as we celebrated with our winter concert and diligently worked to finish the quarter! Additionally, we had home events nearly every single night this week which meant the building was full into the evenings most days!

Congratulations to Connor Young and his band as well as Richard Sherman and his Choir for their spectacular concert this past Tuesday. It was wonderful to see so many students share their musical talent with us and so many family members coming out to support the program and our students.

This is a reminder that there is no school Monday or Tuesday, so we will see you all Wednesday morning for the start of Quarter three!

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 17th - Quarter 2 Ends
• January 20th - No school (Martin Luther King Day)
• January 21th - No school (Professional Development Day)
• 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 (see information below)
• 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: ATLs at our Band and Choir Concert

A huge shout-out to the more than 159 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who participated in Tuesday evening’s band and choir concert in the MUHS auditorium. Not only did our students have to navigate a less familiar space together, they had to listen attentively to one another and perform bravely in front of an audience. Learning how to listen carefully and actively, collaborate, and practice mental focus and concentration are all critical Approaches to Learning skills (ATLs) that our young musicians and singers had a chance to practice during this experience. (These, as well as many other ATLs, are explicitly taught during each unit of study across our curriculum at MUMS as well.)

We were very proud to showcase our students’ talents and passion for the arts! Special thanks to Mr. Sherman, Mr. Young, and all of the MUMS faculty volunteers who helped make this evening enjoyable and smooth for all who attended.

Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinator

& ACSD Leader

esears@acsdvt.org

802-382-1753

Pam Quinn, MYP Coordinator

pquinn@acsdvt.org

802-382-1243

We are reaching out to you to remind you of three upcoming events and important information regarding your students’ transition from 8th to 9th grade!

Thursday, January 23rd: Next Thursday night at 6:30pm, MUHS will be hosting the 8th grade Caregiver Information Night in the MUHS Auditorium. Departmental representatives at MUHS will highlight information about classes available to your student in 9th grade. In addition, school counselors, administrators and other key staff will share information that will help prepare students and families for the transition to high school. We hope that you will plan to attend this informative meeting. In the past, parents have found this session to be helpful in understanding academic and social activities at the high school, as well as how and where to get help when needed.

Thursday, Jan 30th: Our 8th graders will be visiting the Hannaford Career Center to learn about upcoming class opportunities available to them as they transition to MUHS. This visit will be happening during Period 1, 2 and 3 of the school day.

Thursday, February 6th: MUHS school counselors will meet with 8th graders to introduce themselves and talk about what to expect in the 9th grade at MUHS. These presentations will take place during the school day at MUMS. Students will then have the opportunity during this meeting to choose the elective courses they want to take at the high school, and complete a course registration form. Completed course registration forms (which include math and language acquisition teacher recommendations) will be mailed home from MUHS in late February for your review.

If you have any questions about any of this information, please feel free to contact any of the following counselors:

Laura Emilo- 8th grade School Counselor at MUMS

lemilo@acsdvt.org

Sam Lewis- MUHS School Counselor (Student Last Names A- Goe)

slewis@acsdvt.org

Emily Schademan- MUHS School Counselor (Student Last Names Gom-Sal)

eschademan@acsdvt.org

Adrien Preston- MUHS School Counselor (Student Last Names San- Z)

apreston@acsdvt.org

8th Grade Field Trip to Town Hall Theater

All 8th grade students will be attending a performance of Guys and Dolls on Wednesday January 29th at Town Hall Theater. The show starts at 9am and the plan is to leave from TA at 8:20 and walk to the theater. There will be 1 bus available for students/staff with mobility issues. Students will leave THT around 11:05 to return to school in time for their lunch block.

As part of this experience the Director will be hosting a talk about the play at a short assembly for all 8th grade students on Friday January 24th.

If you haven't filled out the field trip form included in our "annual forms" packet, please contact Megan Curran at mcurran@acsdvt.org for a new form. All students must have this form signed to attend the field trip.

If you have any questions about the field trip please contact Dustin Hunt at dhunt@acsdvt.org

If neither you or your child’s other biological or adoptive parent have a 4 year college degree, your child may be eligible for the program! Please fill out this quick form and our VSAC Counselor will reach out to you with the application.

March Madness Volleyball Sign-ups-

Registration closes on Monday Afternoon

Link to signup

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJb9k2l6Ucy4Qvjqsyohp8YJ7zUrSR39w0BDC03QS63bTJ7w/viewform?usp=preview

Dear Caregivers, January 13, 2025

We know that social emotional learning (SEL) is crucial for our students’ success in school and in life, so across ACSD we are working on systems to support strong SEL teaching and learning in our schools. As part of that work, we are using Panorama surveys, research-backed SEL measurement tools. We will use the data we collect with this assessment to reflect on student learning and strengthen our programs and instruction to help all students succeed.

ACSD students have been taking this survey for 2 years now and we are actively using the data at the school and district level. At MUMS, it helps us to know both how students are doing as well as respond with the whole class, grade, and individual support as needed.

This survey will be given to students at MUMS the last week in January. The survey asks students to self-reflect on skills related to self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. We ask that all students participate, because their feedback provides valuable insights to help us improve and adapt. K-2 students do not participate directly in the survey. Instead, K-2 teachers complete an SEL Teacher Perception checklist for each student.

Please notify Kandy Kinne, Administrative Assistant at 382-1204 if you wish to opt your child out of taking the survey. If you have any questions please contact Michaela Wisell, Principal at 382-1202 and thank you in advance for supporting this important work.

Best,

Michaela Wisell ~Principal

MIDDLEBURY UNION MIDDLE SCHOOL

Excellence through rigor, responsiveness, equity and partnerships.

Michaela Wisell, Principal ~Zachery Jerome, Assistant Principal ~ Dustin Hunt, Activities Director

Lauren Daley, Counselor ~ Laura Emilo, Counselor

January 13, 2025

Dear MUMS Families,

Earlier this year, our district shared an overview of our ACSD safety practices and our efforts to keep our community safe. You can find that information here. At Middlebury Union Middle School, we practice safety drills designed to ensure that our students and staff are familiar with how to be safe in an emergency. Some months, we practice what to do if we need to evacuate the building. Other months we practice what to do when unsafe people or hazards enter our school.

We are required to practice two options-based drills - one in September and one in January. Options-based drills introduce students to various strategies in response to a threat, such as when to evacuate from the school or remain in a classroom. Please know that all options based drills are trauma informed and age appropriate. This means the drills are performed in a way that is sensitive to the emotional well-being of our students.

We will be holding our second options-based drill on January 23rd, 2025.

With respect to this options-based response, we will secure the school building and safely shelter all students, staff, and visitors. The purpose of this drill is to keep the students and staff safe from any danger outside or inside the building. During an “options based drill” all of the perimeter doors to the school building will be locked and will remain locked until the danger or issue outside or inside the building is removed. To enable everyone to remain safe, no visitors will be permitted to enter the building at that time.

We know that this is an emotional topic for parents and caregivers and want to assure you of a few things:

• The adults in our building work together to plan and ensure students feel safe and we remind them that the drill is practice.

• We talk with students in a developmentally appropriate way before and after each drill and our practice is developmentally aligned.

• We are available to support families. We will share resources below to help you talk with your child about these experiences and invite you to reach out at any time.

I want you to know about it in advance and be able to talk with your children about it when they come home. Here is a resource to support those conversations:

1. Talking with Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators (NASP)

If you have questions or would like to connect please reach out to me directly

Best,

Michaela Wisell

Principal

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

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