Week 32
It was a great week at MUMS! Students returned from break, energized, but focused and ready to finish off the year on a good foot! Our spring sports competitions are officially underway! It's always wonderful to observe student athletes being courageous risk takers and additionally, nice to see our community on our school grounds!
Additionally, we have officially wrapped up VTCAP testing and make ups which is a huge undertaking and accomplishment! Kudos to students for putting forth their best effort and being principled during testing. Please accept my gratitude for working so hard to get your students to school during our testing window, it was felt and appreciated.
The next few weeks will be a time to celebrate the joy and community that we've built all year, while also planning for upcoming celebrations. Please review the calendar below and add pertinent events to your own calendar. As always, reach out with questions or concerns.
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
From The MYP Coordinators
On Teams 1 & 2, 6th graders in I&S recently got a chance to explore an ancient civilization of their choice. Students investigated the "GRAPES" (Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economy, and Social Structure) of their chosen civilization, took notes, and then reported out using a visual representation with cited sources. Students made fabulous dioramas, slideshows, posters, newspapers, children's books, websites, skits, videos, and more! They are very proud of their work! Below are screenshots from two projects. If you know a 6th grader, ask them what they did! Thank you to Ms. Cosgrove and Ms. Lass for fully supporting students with this multi-step investigation.
Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinator
& ACSD Curriculum Leader
802-382-1753
Pam Quinn, MYP Coordinator
802-382-1243
Bjarki Sears, Team 4 Individuals and Societies
Dear MUMS Families and Community Members,
I am so excited to be joining the MUMS team! I have been working in ACSD for almost two decades- 16 years as a Individuals and Societies/Social Studies teacher at Middlebury Union High School, and then the last three years as the Principal of Salisbury Community School. While I enjoyed being a principal, being in a classroom (or out in the wider world!) with students is really why I got into education, and I feel very fortunate that I am able to join the MUMS team and get back to doing that!
My connection with MUMS already runs deep- my wife, Eileen, was a Language and Literature teacher at MUMS for 17 years, and still works with MUMS as an ACSD Curriculum Coordinator. Both of my children went to MUMS as well! I have the interesting perspective, as a former high school teacher and elementary principal in ACSD, of having seen up close where our MUMS students have come from educationally, and where they are going.I look forward to continuing to work with others to make our Individuals and Societies learning really connect across the pre-K- 12 student experience.
But mostly, I want to be a really engaging and resourceful teacher for my students! Some of the things I really value in teaching are: student agency and choice, helping students practice thinking critically, getting students out of the classroom and moving around their world (whether on the school campus or out in our communities) and teaching solid writing skills. I believe that writing is a vital skill to practice, not only for its own sake (which is important!) but also because it is one of the only chances that we have, as people, to get unrestricted practice in making a point.. When students write they not only practice writing- they get the uninterrupted opportunity to practice thinking all the way through something and explain it to an audience that is really dialed in and paying attention. This practice is equally valuable for students at all levels of confidence when it comes to reading and writing- I look forward to meeting all my students where they are, and helping them move forward. We will have fun and work hard!
Kristen Carra, Returning in a permanent capacity, Health
Hello Middlebury community! My name is Kristen Carra, and I’m excited to continue my role as the health teacher here at MUMS. Many of your children may remember me from their elementary school years at Cornwall, Shoreham, and Weybridge Elementary—it’s been incredibly special to reconnect with familiar faces and watch former students grow into thoughtful, curious middle schoolers.
This year in health class, we’ve explored a wide range of topics to support students’ physical and mental well-being. Highlights have included a visit from the Middlebury Co-op, where we learned about the importance of local and organic food, creating personalized stress toolkits to support mental health, and of course, learning the ever-popular banana dance. One of my personal favorite moments has been helping students build executive functioning skills by organizing and maintaining their binders—a small but powerful step toward independence and success.
My passion lies in empowering students with the knowledge and confidence to make healthy choices, care for themselves and others, and build a strong, supportive community. I’m grateful to be part of this journey with your children and look forward to continuing our work together. Please don’t hesitate to reach out or say hello—cheers to a healthy and connected school year!
MUMS Tiger Concert Closet
Attention, MUMS band and choir families: Our MUMS Tiger Concert Closet is up and running! Thank you to those of you who donated gently used black tops, bottoms and dress shoes for our students to borrow for all upcoming concerts. Another special thank you goes to Junebug, who donated a LOT of brand-new clothing as well as fixtures to make our initiative a success. As you know, the MUMS spring concert is Tuesday, May 13 at MUHS. In preparation for this event, the Tiger Concert Closet will be open for students and/or their families to browse and borrow concert clothing and shoes on Thursday, May 8 and Monday, May 12 from 3:30-5:00 pm in the MUMS lobby. If neither of these times works for you, please email etothsears@gmail.com to arrange another time for you to browse the closet. It's here for all of us! Please come by and utilize our new community resource!
8th Grade Trip Itinerary
Boston Trip Itinerary
6:00am- Depart MUMS
10:30am- Arrive at New England Aquarium
10:30-11:50pm- Explore Aquarium
11:50-12:20pm- Lunch on the Wharf- Provided by the school
12:30-1:30pm- Water Taxi from Long Wharf to Charlestown Navy Yard
1:30-2:00pm- Walk From Navy Yard to Museum of Science
2:00-2:55pm- Explore Science Museum
3:00-3:50pm- Movie in Omni Theater- Space- The New Frontier
3:50-4:00pm- Bus to Quincy Market
4:00-6:00- Shopping/Exploring/Dinner in area around Quincy Market
(Please note students are expected to purchase dinner themselves or eat a meal provided by the school)
6:00pm- Depart Boston
10pm- Arrive back at MUMS
Please review Expectations for Boston Trip.
Student Attendance (absences/dismissals) and Bus Notes
- 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 students taking a bus to another place other than home need a bus note from their caregiver. This note needs 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.
Help Improve our Volunteer Program!
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
