MUMS Family Newsletter

We hope that this message finds you soaking in the sunshine that we've had during the latter part of this week. Our grounds are dried out again and our students are enjoying sports, clubs, exploratory and recess on the fields again!

We want to personally thank everyone who came out and enjoyed our "Back to School night". The energy in the building was incredibly supportive and positive, which always reminds us of how grateful we are for the committed staff and families we have here at MUMS who show up every day in so many ways for our students.

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

Come join us for pizza at the fall Friends of MUMS meeting on Tuesday, September 26th at 6:30 in the MUMS library. We keep things simple by only having one meeting each season, where we can plan and work on upcoming events. Right now, we're focusing on our Fall Fun Color Run, among other projects.

The Fun Color Run will be Saturday, October 14th, for any and all students and family members! Volunteer Meaghan Leonard is looking for anyone who could help out by doing a few planning tasks, or anyone who could help out on the day of the event. Reach out to Meaghan or to FriendsofMUMS@gmail.com to help put on this great event!

from the crew at Friends of MUMS,

Adrienne MacIntyre, Christin Gardner, Jen Ray, Jen Thompson, Julie Barry, Kymberly Breckenridge, & Rose Swinton

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.

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 locked down 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 27th, 2023.

We use the A.L.I.C.E protocol for a response to an active threat. This type of drill will secure the school building and safely shelter all students, staff, and visitors. 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 allowed 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 few resources 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

Michaela Wisell ~ Principal

Greetings, MUMS Families!

On Wednesday night, we gave a presentation entitled “A Family Guide to PowerSchool: How Can I Learn How My Child is Doing at MUMS?” We had many families attend and they asked some excellent questions. If you missed our presentation or simply want to review it again, please click below. There are two ways to access it, depending on your interest and learning style. Our goal is to increase your confidence as you learn how to navigate our new grading and reporting system and use PowerSchool to gain insight into your child’s progress at MUMS. Please reach out if you have any questions! We are always happy to help.

Two ways to access the presentation:

1. View our slideshow

2. Watch and listen to the screencast with audio narration from Eileen Sears, IB coordinator

Have a great weekend,

Pam Quinn and Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinators

Each year, we use academic screeners to help us understand students’ strengths and challenges. This year all MUMS students will be assessed three times in reading and math using FastBridge Learning assessments. FastBridge is an assessment tool previously used only in the elementary schools, but is similar to the STAR assessment tool we used in the middle and high schools.

Screeners help schools and teachers make decisions about universal instruction. They also help us identify students who may need additional support reaching academic standards. The FastBridge system provides scores that can be looked at together with other classroom data and assessments. It also offers recommendations for additional instruction and tools for monitoring progress towards academic goals.

We will be administering the following FastBridge screeners in Language & Literature and Math classes the week of September 25th.

FAST aReading™

Approx. 30 min

FAST aMath™

Approx 30 min

We will administer these assessments using school issued Chromebooks. Additionally, we will have headphones to lend out, or, students may choose to bring their own. Following the assessment period, families may ask to see the results of the screeners. School Administrators can send home the Family Report upon request.

As always thanks for your partnership.

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.

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