MUHS Community Newsletter

Dear MUHS Community,

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over! Our teachers have been back all week, hard at work preparing for students to return, and we’re excited to welcome everyone back on Wednesday, August 26.

We’ll also welcome some students a day early on Tuesday for 9th Grade and New Student Orientations, as well as an Open House for Raven Ridge students and their families. More details are below.

Last spring, we shared our “High Expectations, High Support” initiative at MUHS. You’ll find a brief refresher at the end of this newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about that work—or hear how we’re thinking about AI in education this year—please join us for an informal coffee hour Tuesday from 1:00–2:00 p.m. If you can’t make it, no worries! We’ll revisit both topics at Open House on September 10.

Looking forward to another great year at MUHS!

Warmly,

Caitlin Steele, Principal

James Kiefer, Assistant Principal

Julie Pettis, Student Response Coordinator

Sean Farrell, Activities Director.

ACSD and Betch Transit have updated bus route for the new school year. You can find that information online here.

MUHS is thrilled to welcome several new staff members to our community this year!

Jess Barnum - Literacy Interventionist

For 31 years, Jess has been teaching in middle and high schools as an English/ELA teacher and Literacy Interventionist. She attended Roger Williams University in Rhode Island for her BA and University of New England in Maine for her MA. She has self-published 22 books and journals and loves poetry and storytelling, traveling this magical planet, and riding every kind of bicycle.

Shay Couch (not pictured) - Bookkeeper/Sub Caller

Shay joined us most recently from the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, and she comes with extensive experience in small business operations. She hit the ground running this summer and has already made herself an integral part of the behind-the-scenes work that lets things run smoothly here at the high school.

Paige Cusanelli - Special Educator

Paige has spent the last two years at MUHS, serving as a paraprofessional and completing her student teaching in English. She is excited to join the team as a Special Educator this year. Outside of school, Paige likes to to read, bake, and do archery.

Steve Hill - Special Educator

Steve brings 5 years of experience working in Addison Central School District including 3 years as a Special Educator, most recently at MUMS. Steve enjoys spending time with his family and my dogs Ruby and Athena. He loves the outdoors, camping, fishing, hunting, and hiking. He looks forward to being part of the MUHS team!

James Kiefer - Assistant Principal

James is a long-time math teacher and experienced principal and assistant principal with a career spanning Minnesota, Washington, and Vermont. He joined the MUHS leadership team in July and has been hard at work helping us prepare for the year ahead. We are thrilled to have his depth of knowledge and fresh perspectives in our shared work. James spends his weekends exploring the wild spaces of Vermont with his wife Laura, also a new hire in ACSD!

Delphine Le Dorze - French Teacher

Delphine is a native French speaker and a former paraeducator, substitute teacher, and interpreter. She was born and raised in Normandy and the Alps region, but she has called Vermont home for 6 years after living in Kentucky, Illinois, and Florida. She is married to a nurse and mom to a high school junior and a dachshund mix. She loves farm stands, anything farm related, reading, snowshoeing, and kayaking with her family.

Mark Monaghan - Work Based Learning Coordinator and Business Teacher

Bringing over 15 years of education experience back to ACSD, Mark has taught Business, Economics, Design, and Individuals & Societies, and previously served on ACSD’s curriculum team. His background spans global teaching in the UK, Romania, and Azerbaijan, alongside industry roles in aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and entrepreneurship. A passionate soccer fan, he lives in Shelburne with his wife, 10-year-old son, and dog, Franny.

Nikita Rodov - Language and Literature Student Teacher

Nikita is a student teacher at MUHS focusing on Language and Literature this year. Having completed a double major of Secondary Education and English Literature at Middlebury College, Nikita is passionate to fully engage with the MUHS community and teach.

Aaron Smith - Individuals and Societies Teacher

Originally from the west coast, Aaron has spent most of the last 20 years teaching in international schools in Germany, Japan, Italy, and most recently in the UK. He graduated from Portland State University with honors degrees in history and political science. He is passionate about sports, health and fitness, cooking (and food systems more broadly), comic books, Star Wars, and other similarly nerdy pursuits.

Josh White - Individuals and Societies Teacher

Josh has been teaching in Vermont for 12 years. Before coming to MUHS, he was at White River Valley High School. Some of his favorite topics in history include conflict, philosophy and law, and human rights. He was born in Connecticut, and he enjoys reading, games, and hockey.

On Tuesday, August 25th, we will welcome incoming 9th grade students for 9th Grade Orientation from 8:30am - 11:40am. A letter was sent home with information about bus pickup and times, and details for the event. Students will have a chance to meet with their Advisories, learn more about MUHS and how to understand their schedule, and walk through both their A and B day schedules. Please note - parents who are dropping their student off should not do so before 8:15am. The morning will finish at 11:40am.

For new incoming students grades 10-12, they are invited to attend our New Student Orientation from 10:15- 11:30am. Information was sent out via email with details on the event. Please contact the main office or School Counseling Office at (802) 382-1195 with any questions. We look forward to seeing you!

As we begin the year at MUHS, students, parents and counselors have put a great deal of work and thought into their course schedules for the year. The scheduling process can be challenging and complex, and schedule adjustments may not be possible. During the semester 1 Add/ Drop period, students have until Friday, 9/11 to drop or change semester 1 courses, and have until Friday, 9/25 to drop or change full-year courses. Please be aware, though it is possible to drop a course within the Add/Drop periods, it may not be possible to add a new course if too much time has passed. Students can make an appointment with their school counselor if they have any questions.

We are excited to begin the 2026-27 school year and wanted to share some important information as we begin the new year.

If your student has a medical condition that may require treatment, monitoring, or other needs at school, please reach out by email or phone to make us aware of the issue. If you have an emergency plan from a healthcare provider for concerns such as asthma, allergies, seizures, or diabetes please share these with us as well.

We ask students and staff to stay home with any potentially contagious illnesses or symptoms including the following:

1. Vomiting/diarrhea-must be 24 hours symptom free before returning to school

2. Fever 100.4 or greater -home until fever free without use of medication for 24 hours

3. Any infection requiring antibiotic-keep your student home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours

4. Persistent cough that disrupts normal activity other than an asthma related cough

5. Unexplained rash-may return once evaluated by a healthcare provider and rash is not contagious or no longer contagious

6. Influenza, colds, COVID-stay home until fever free without medication for 24 hours feeling well enough to be at school

7. Any other symptoms or illness that impedes a student’s ability to learn or staff’s ability to work.

You may return once feeling well enough to be at school and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

If your student has received any of the school-required vaccines since last year, please send us this info. We do not need dates of flu or COVID vaccines. If your student has a religious exemption, please complete and send us an exemption form yearly. By clicking on this link, you can access the most updated information and resources on vaccinations through the Vermont Department of Health. This includes annual vaccination rate data, school vaccination requirements, information on exemptions and exemption forms.

We do not allow students to carry prescribed or over the counter medications on them at school. Exceptions to this include students who carry an inhaler, EpiPen, Benadryl, diabetic supplies or other approved emergency medications.

Daily medications that need to be taken during school hours can be kept in the nursing office. These require orders from the prescribing healthcare provider, caregiver permission for administration at school and should be sent to school in the original pharmacy bottle. We ask that any medications be dropped off by an adult and not sent to school with a student. We have a variety of over-the-counter medications in the health office for students to access for daily concerns such as headache, cramps, upset stomach, seasonal allergies, sore throat, etc. We do need signed permission on the annual health form to administer these.

Per Vermont state requirements, the school nurse will complete vision and hearing screening on 9th and 12th graders. If these screenings are abnormal you will receive a letter with the screening results to review and share with your student’s healthcare provider.

Kelly McGovern, MSN, RN

kmcgovern@acsdvt.org

(802)382-1190

Caroline Choudhury, RN

cchoudhury@acsdvt.org

(802)382-1704

In Vermont, students earn a high school diploma by demonstrating proficiency in both academic content and transferable skills. Each school determines what “proficient” means for its students.

At MUHS, proficiency is measured using IB-style rubrics. Currently, courses are assessed using four criteria, each scored on a scale of 0–8. Students earn credit for a course when they achieve a Criterion Level Total (CLT) of at least 12 points, with no individual criterion score below a 3.

We see three important reasons to raise our expectations:

• Students who earn a score close to 12 sometimes struggle in the next course in a sequence. For example, students who narrowly pass Algebra 1 may find the next math course significantly more challenging.

• A score of 12 does not provide strong evidence that a student is fully prepared for success after high school.

• We believe our students are capable of deeper learning when we combine high expectations with strong support.

Under the current system, students pass a course with:

• A CLT of 12 out of 32

• No criterion score below a 3

Beginning next year, students will pass a course with:

• A CLT of 18 out of 40

• No criterion score below a 3

• No more than two scores of 3

This means a passing score could look like: 4 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 18.

While we are raising the expectation from 12 to 18, we are also adding a fifth criterion designed to help students succeed.

Starting next year, students will be assessed on a new area called Criterion E: Active Learning Skills.

Students will demonstrate their ability to:

• Complete classwork and assessments on time

• Use classroom and school resources effectively, including technology and source materials

• Participate respectfully and contribute positively to the classroom community

• Demonstrate responsibility for learning through self-advocacy, initiative, perseverance, and punctuality

Criterion E recognizes the habits and skills that help students succeed not only in school, but also in college, careers, and life. It also gives every student an additional opportunity to demonstrate engagement and commitment to learning.

On the updated CLT Conversion Chart, which will appear on report cards next year, a CLT of 18 is equivalent to approximately a C- or a 2.0 GPA.

More importantly, a score of 18 represents work that:

• Demonstrates a solid understanding of most concepts and skills

• Shows growing critical and creative thinking

• Applies learning successfully in familiar situations

• Reflects active engagement and responsibility for learning

MUHS teachers and leaders have spent considerable time discussing both what we want students to learn and how we can best support them in meeting these expectations.

We know this change will require:

• Clear communication

• Strong academic and personal support when students struggle

• Ongoing feedback from students, families, and staff as we move forward together

We are excited about this change because we believe it will strengthen student learning, encourage deeper engagement, and continue building a strong academic culture at MUHS.

August 25 - 9th Grade Orientation, New Student Orientation, Raven Ridge Open House, Coffee Hour

August 26 - First day of school!

September 10 - Open House

Check out the MUHS Events Calendar online here.

Of Note: We often use AI to help with this newsletter. Our most common prompt to ChatGPT is, "Please revise this for clarity and brevity."