MUMS Family Newsletter

Dear MUMS community,

I want to start by thanking all of you for venturing out in the rain last night for our "open house!" It was wonderful to see so many families here working to understand our school community and how they can support it!

We know the rain kept some away, and if that is the case, we hope to see you at Parent Teacher conferences at the end of October. More information with respect to this coming in the next few weeks!

Please remember that students do not have school next Thursday or Friday October 2nd & 3rd.

As always, reach out with any questions and have a great weekend!

Best,

Michaela Wisell ~ Principal

If you have questions, please reach out to us:
MUMS office 802-382-1600 or visit the MUMS website.
Michaela Wisell, Principal mwisell@acsdvt.org

Fieh Chan, Assistant Principal fchan@acsdvt.org

Erin Jipner, Student Response Coordinator ejipner@acsdvt.org

Dustin Hunt, Athletics and Activities Director dhunt@acsdvt.org

• Sept. 26th: Options Based Drill

• Oct. 1st: Picture day (see information below)

• Oct. 2nd: Inservice Day

• Oct. 3rd: School break

• Activities Calendar

Greetings MUMS Caregivers!

It was so great to see many of you at Back to School Night on Thursday! If you missed it, here is the resource I shared on navigating PowerSchool from the Parent Perspective.

“The more worldviews you understand, the more accurately you’ll see the world.” (Greenberg and Ace, 2022)

In 7th grade Individuals and Societies, students are learning about “Global Religions”, studying 5 major global religions and their lasting impacts on the world around us. Pictured here are some projects students completed about Hindu Gods and Buddha. Students also learn about Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. At the end of the unit, students will practice their research skills by researching a major historical event or holiday from one of the 5 religions.

Please have your student check the lost and found table within the next week. Following our October recess on the 3rd, all items will be bagged up to make room for more!

Picture Day!

MUMS will have Picture Day on Wednesday October 1st. Order forms for LifeTouch will be handed out in TA the week prior. If you prefer to order your student’s school pictures online please visit mylifetouch.com and use the Picture ID EVTX28MPF. Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Picture Retake Day is scheduled for Wednesday November 12th.

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

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION: ACSD School Residence Policy

You are warmly invited and encouraged to join members of the Addison Central School District Board Policy Committee for two upcoming conversations about how we will design a district-wide survey on our School Residence policy (C30). We want to hear your ideas about the kinds of questions the survey should include, so that it reflects the issues and experiences that matter most to families. these meetings are opportunities to provide informal feedback about what kinds of survey questions we should ask to get at the issues that matter most. Our goal is to gather experiences and ideas collaboratively so that the survey is clear, relevant, and useful. The meetings are open to anyone in the district.

1. Online Discussion about School Residence Policy (C30)

• Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025

• Time: 8:30-9:30am

• Location: Online https://meet.google.com/nwd-rzfb-ujb

2. Middlebury Discussion about School Residence Policy (C30)

• Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025

• Time: 6:30–7:30 PM

• Location: Mary Hogan Elementary School, Middlebury

ACSD Board School Board Town Hall Meetings are a chance to share what is important to you about your student’s education, help shape budget priorities, and help the Board understand the hopes and values you have for our schools, our district, and the future of public education in Vermont. The first two meetings are planned with more on the way. All ACSD Community members are welcome at any event. Can't attend in person? Share your thoughts here: tinyurl.com/ACSDtownhall

2025-2026 Schedule:
September 29, 6pm at Bridport Central School
October 20, 6pm at Cornwall Elementary School
November TBD at Mary Hogan Elementary
December TBD at Ripton Elementary School
January TBD at Salisbury Elementary School
February TBD at Shoreham Elementary School
March TBD at Weybridge Elementary School

Join the Addison Central Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) for its annual meeting on Monday, September 29, 7–8pm (online via Google Meet, no in-person space). We will renew the SEPAC’s commitment to collaborating with the school district and families on issues that impact students with disabilities, elect the 2025–26 SEPAC Board, and set priorities for the year ahead. No prior experience is needed—everyone is welcome to join the discussion. Parents/guardians of students with disabilities may run and vote for the Board.

• Join the 9/29/25 virtual meeting with this link

• Learn more at addisoncentralsepac.org

• Sign up for SEPAC updates

At Middlebury Union Middle School, we practice safety drills designed to ensure that our students and staff are familiar with how to respond 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 the first semester and one in the second half of the year. 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 first options-based drill on September 26th, 2025.

The purpose of this drill is to keep the students 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.

Link to letter to families

If your student will be absent from school, needs an early dismissal, or will take a different bus, please follow these directions:

• Absence / early dismissal: Call 802-382-1297, the MUMS attendance line, before 8:30am (helpful tip: add this number to your phone now as "MUMS attendance line")
• Early dismissal + bus notes: Students must deliver a caregiver's note to the front office when arriving at school (before TA).
• If taking a bus other than their regular bus: Students must bring a caregiver's note and have it signed by a MUMS Administrative Assistant in the front office to be valid.

Please use the "button" above to preview our ACSD bus routes.

Also please note a few caveats that impact students who ride Cornwall or Shoreham buses home.

Cornwall and Shoreham buses do not come to MUMS at pick-up time. Students who ride those buses must take a shuttle from MUMS to MUHS to meet their bus.

Cornwall students use the Bridport bus as their MUMS-MUHS shuttle and get on the Cornwall bus at the High school to ride home.
Shoreham students use the Weybridge bus as their MUMS-MUHS shuttle and get on the Shoreham bus at the High school to ride home.

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