MUMS Family Newsletter

We hope that this message finds you well! Not unusually, this was a busy week at MUMS. Students learned about and signed up for their month long Exploratory that will begin on Monday October 2nd. We are looking forward to students connecting with their friends from other teams, exploring individual areas of interest not otherwise offered during the school day, and making connections with new adults.

We are very excited to have our first "All School Assembly" today to learn about the courageous efforts of ARISTIDES DE SOUSA MENDES and his courageous work to free over 30,000 citizens from occupied France during our second world war. This assembly allows us to reflect on a real world problem that required the skills of the learner profile such as caring, communicating, courageous and thinking. Denise Berube-Mayone will lead this assembly as it was sparked from an experience she had this past summer that she is graciously sharing with our greater community. Her journey was featured in the Addison Independent a few weeks ago, you should check it out!

Lastly, we had our first Friends of MUMS meeting this past Tuesday. Thank you to all of the folks who came to show their support for our school and work in service of our community.

Enjoy the weekend and reach out with any questions or concerns.

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

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

- Michaela & Zach

Michaela Wisell, Principal

Zach Jerome, Assistant Principal

• Picture Day - October 3rd, 2023
• Early Release Day - October 4th, 2023 (Dismissal @ 12:42)
• Indigenous Peoples' Day - October 9th, 2023 (No School)

We are departing from our last week with Michael Dudek as our Interim Dean of Culture and Climate. We want to thank Michael for all of his hard work and commitment to our activities and athletics here at MUMS.

On Tuesday October 3rd, we will officially welcome Dustin Hunt into the position. Dustin will oversee Athletics, Activities, Clubs, Special Events, Field Trips and support our implementation of Hazing, Harassment and Bullying policy. We are looking forward to his first day with us and our collaboration going forward.

New Date! The Fun Color Run will now be Saturday, October 28th! Open to all MUMS students, families and staff, no registration required. Games and fun before the run. Then run, skip, hop, walk, or mosey along the 1.5 mile course, getting splashed with color along the way. Donate, help us fundraise and get race day information at the Fun Color Run website.

We are up and running with our new Digital Design Course and are looking for some materials for the classroom. If you have any of the items listed below, please reach out to Jan Broderson @ jbroderson@acsdvt.org

• Duplo/Mega Blocks
• Legos
• Lego Robotics sets
• MagnaTiles
• Puzzles - from wooden for younger kids to maybe 100 pieces.
• Lumber (dimensional and plywood) at least 2 ft long, Also nicer pieces
• MatchBox cars
• Marble Mazes
• Building Blocks

PowerSchool

We have heard from some parents that they have downloaded the app for PowerSchool to see how their child is doing. We recommend using a computer rather than the phone app. The app gets a low rating and it is more challenging to understand than the computer version.

Reminder: If you have trouble logging in, Megan Curran can help you with that! She is a great resource.

Thank you for your patience as we all learn this new system together!

Have a great weekend,

Pam Quinn and Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinators

Dear MUMS Families,

We are excited to welcome your child(ren) back to school! In an effort to ensure that we have updated and accurate information about each and every student, we are asking families to verify our yearly forms using the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

If you have not created a parent account yet just click on the Forgot Username and password link.

Once in PowerSchool, navigate to the “Forms” icon on the left-hand toolbar to review, update and submit the following forms for each of your children, we ask that you complete these by September 11th.

1. ACSD - Directory Information

2. ACSD - Field Trip Permission (required for field trip participation)

3. ACSD - Health Authorizations (required for field trip participation)

4. ACSD - Health Information

5. ACSD - Vermont Department of Health Inquiry

6. ACSD - Student Address

7. ACSD - Student Contacts & Custody

If you have questions please contact Megan Curran at mcurran@acsdvt.org

Advanced Math: We continue to look for a qualified candidate to fill this very important position. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please let us know, or send them our way.

Literacy Interventionist Update: We continue to look for a qualified candidate to fill this very important position. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please let us know, or send them our way.

Below are two family resources to support healthy social media and phone use:

Raising Our Kids in the Digital Age

What Are Some Basic Social Media Rules for Middle Schoolers?

The number of preteens using social media is climbing. Kids ages 8 to 12 spend an average of 18 minutes a day on social media, while teens spend about an hour and a half. Watching online videos on platforms like YouTube or TikTok is also a popular activity among kids and teens.

Whether your kids are already using social media or asking to get started, it's a good idea to teach them some basic rules. Here are some guidelines for helping middle school kids use social media safely and responsibly:

Follow the rules. Many social sites have an age minimum of 13 by law and for reasons of safety and privacy. Encourage kids to stick to age-appropriate sites.

Tell your kids to think before they post. Remind them that everything they post can be seen by a vast, invisible audience (otherwise known as friends of friends of friends). With middle schoolers, it's a good idea for parents and caregivers to have access to what their kids are doing online. That way, you can be sure that what they're posting is appropriate, and help your kids avoid doing something they'll regret later.

Make sure kids set their privacy settings. Privacy settings aren't foolproof, but they can be helpful. Take the time to learn about default settings and how to change the privacy settings on your kids' favorite sites and apps, and teach them how to be in control of what they share.

Kindness counts. Lots of sites have anonymous features, such as Q&As and discussion channels, that allow users to tell their friends what they think of them. Rule of thumb: If your kids wouldn't say it to someone's face, they shouldn't post it.

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