MUMS Family Newsletter

Dear MUMS community,

As we approach the winter break, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support and generosity throughout the first half of this school year. Your dedication to our school community, whether through volunteering, participating in events, or simply showing up as partners in the education of our students has made such a meaningful difference.

While we have school on Monday and Tuesday of next week, I do not plan to send a Newsletter next week. Having said that, I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break filled with rest, joy, and quality time with loved ones. I am so excited to welcome everyone back in 2026 and look forward to an amazing second half of the school year together!

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

• Dec. 22-23: Student school days

• Dec. 24th-Jan. 2nd: School Break

• Activities Calendar

The VT Department of Health is reporting a significant rise in pertussis (whooping cough), a very contagious respiratory disease that often affects school-aged children. We are not aware of any cases in ACSD, and hope the information below will help prevent and treat any cases that occur.

Symptoms & Treatment: Early symptoms look like a common cold (runny nose, low fever, mild cough) and usually appear 5-10 days after exposure. Later Symptoms can include severe coughing fits with a “whoop”, vomiting during/after coughing fits, difficulty sleeping, struggling to breathe, and rib fractures. Early treatment is crucial to prevent severe symptoms and shorten illness. Students/staff diagnosed with pertussis must complete 5 full days of antibiotics before returning to school; without antibiotics, they must stay home for 21 days from the start of the cough.

Spread & Prevention: Pertussis spreads easily through respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes. Help prevent illness by staying up to date on Tdap/DTap vaccines, washing hands, covering coughs, and keeping students home when sick. Good rest, nutrition, hydration, and time outdoors also support overall health.

For questions, contact your school nurse or healthcare provider, and visit ACSD’s illness guidance or www.healthvermont.gov/whoopingcough for more resources.

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