MUHS Community Newsletter

Dear MUHS Community,

Last night's winter concert featured performances by the MUHS Camerata Singers, Jazz Band, Concert Band, and the new 9th Grade Band. It was a joy to hear all of these groups perform, but a particular highlight was the 9th Grade Band playing lead roles in four songs with upperclassmen accompanying them - some on instruments they'd never played before. What fun! We're blown away by the talent in this community - from classroom to field to stage and beyond.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Caitlin Steele, Principal

Ben Weir, Assistant Principal

Sean Farrell, Activities Director

This is a heads up that we'll be having a fire drill next week. Students may find it helpful to have warm layers with them, so they are comfortable outside if when we have to exit the building quickly.

We are very thankful to Northern Roots Tree Farm who is supporting ACSD in getting holiday trees and trimmings to families in our district who may not otherwise have them. Check out their webpage to learn more about and/or to support their mission. https://www.northernrootstreefarm.org/about

If you would like to receive a tree with or without lights and ornaments, please complete this google form. If you have questions or need assistance completing the form, please contact MUHS School Nurse, Kelly McGovern, at 382-1190. Please complete this form by December 9th.

MUHS is a wonderful place to work, and we are hiring. For the spring semester, we still need a math teacher. This is a temporary position - January through June only - and we are open to piecing together part-time solutions. If you know someone who may be interested in applying, please encourage them to call Caitlin Steele at 382-1500.

You can find a full list of open positions in ACSD here.

Our Personal Project Exhibition is open to family and friends. Join us on Thursday, December 12 between 1:30 and 2:30 to see what our students have been learning about! The event is hosted in the MUHS Gym. We ask that you do not arrive before 1:30 so we can dismiss students from lunch and minimize traffic in the hallways during this transition.

This week MDM students have been learning about paying income taxes. This enabled them to explore how the US government uses their tax dollars to pay for the funding of various programs and departments. Students were given the opportunity to examine and define 12 different US government agencies in groups. They next had to determine how many pennies of their tax dollars went to funding each agency. Students learned that $0.298 of each tax dollar funds health, the greatest cost, in the United States and only $0.012 goes towards education, one of the least funded agencies. It proved to be a great topic of conversation.

The school counseling team is organizing a field trip in March to St. Michaels College. This event is sponsored by VSAC. It is focused on College and Career Pathways, and there will be workshops on college admissions, trade schools and apprenticeships, essay writing, financial aid and scholarships, and how to begin the process of considering your options after high school.

Pick up a permission slip in the school counseling office ASAP as space for this field trip is limited and we want to register our students as quickly as possible.

On Thursday, December 19, the School Counseling team will host VSAC Outreach Counselor, Kate Rowland for financial aid “Forms Night." This program is specifically for our students in the Class of 2025 who are planning to attend college or pursue career training in the 2025-26 academic year. There are two sessions. Families do not need to attend both, but advance registration is required. Students can sign up in the School Counseling office. Space is limited so be sure to sign up soon! Please check your email for details and a list of the paperwork that you must bring with you to Forms Night.

If you have questions about your child's schedule, please reach out to their School Counselor for help.

December 7 - Success Saturday

December 11 - Early Release Day

December 12 - Personal Project Exhibition

December 19 - Career Center Program Tour (Grade 10)

December 19 - VSAC Financial Aid Forms Night

December 21-January 1 - Winter Break

Music Department Calendar

December 7 - New England Music Festival Auditions - Bus departs at 7:00 PM (registered students only)

December 13-14 - Dido and Aeneas Project - Choir Concert @ 7:00 PM, Mt. Abe Union High School

January 11 - All State Auditions- Hartford High School

January 29 - Diploma Program Recital

Check out the MUHS Events Calendar online here.

For students who fall behind in coursework, Success Saturday is an opportunity to spend some time catching up with the support of MUHS educators. This year's Success Saturday dates are: September 28, October 19, November 16, December 7, January 11, February 8, March 22, April 12, and May 31.