MUMS Family Newsletter

Dear MUMS community,

Welcome back... Almost! As we stand at the threshold of a brand new school year, I am filled with excitement for the many possibilities ahead. Each year brings the chance to learn and grow, and when we work together, these opportunities are compounded. The strength of our school community has always come from the partnerships between families, students, and staff. Together, we can make the most informed decisions about our students and their school.

I invite you to explore our "new to MUMS staff" with bios included below. This year, you will notice new faces, fresh ideas, and dynamic opportunities for every student.

To kick things off, please join us for our Open House and Ice Cream Socials on August 25th. This is an opportunity to meet teachers, connect with other families and see our beautiful school after a summer of hard work done by our custodial crew. Please take a minute as you move through this newsletter to view the invitations below.

Additionally, in this newsletter you find a link to our updated 2026-2027 Family Handbook and some updates to our bussing routes. Families in Middlebury, Shoreham and Bridport should pay close attention to some updates.

our staff are back at school full time beginning on Tuesday August 18th. We look forward to a great year ahead and wish you a joy filled last week of summer before the new school year begins!

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership!

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

• August 25 - 6th Grade Orientation 8:40-11:30
• August 25 - Open House/Ice Cream Social for 6th Grade Caregivers and those New to MUMS, 10:30-11:30
• August 25 - Open House/Ice Cream Social for 7th & 8th Grade students and caregivers, 1:30-3:00
• August 26 - First Student Day

• MUMS Activities Calendar*

Mary grew up in rural Iowa because her ancestors were frontier people. She left the midwest and went west for graduate school in Boulder, Colorado and then headed further northwest to Alaska where she became a teacher leader in one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the nation. In Alaska, Mary learned how to live surrounded by wildness. While teaching both middle and high school English, Mary also earned her MEd in Educational Leadership and administrative credential, then served as a curriculum specialist for secondary English and social studies teachers. She became an advocate for excellence and equity for all children. While in Alaska, Mary attended the Bread Loaf School of English and this is how she fell in love with Vermont. Mary became a fellow then co-director for the Alaska Writing Project as well as made numerous contributions to the discipline and scholarship of English education through the National Council of Teachers of English. Most recently, she has been part of cutting-edge curricular scholarship to advance the study of innovative civics in the high school English classroom. Mary has also been part of a district-wide initiative for a full-inclusion, co-teacher MTSS literacy intervention pedagogy for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. She was recognized by the College Board for her consistently high AP scores in both AP Literature and AP Language. She also was part of a district-wide collaborative to not only bring underserved students into AP classes but also devise instructional supports that facilitated guaranteed success for all students to thrive in challenging, college-prep courses. In 2023, Mary and her son decided to take a big plunge and move family roots back to New England. While we knew that we had ancestral roots both in Rhode Island and Maine, Vermont kept calling us home so we followed our hearts. This summer, as part of our celebration of America’s 250 years of independence, Mary discovered that her namesake’s great great great grandfather came to the Republic of Vermont from Nova Scotia in the 1780s before Vermont was a state so now we are celebrating that we are part of the Order of First Families in Vermont. Mary and her son love New England: this past spring her son graduated from MUHS and will attend URI this fall to study marine affairs. In her free time, Mary reads, runs, cross-country skis, rides her bike, deepens her meditation and Zen practice, attends art/music events, and is civically engaged at community, state, and national levels for the health and welfare of our democracy and earth.

Elizabeth Foster (Lili) has worked in ACSD for 35 years. For the past 4 years she has worked as an Academic Interventionist at Salisbury Community School. She is Nationally Board Certified in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/ Early Middle Childhood. She holds Vermont State Elementary and Literacy Specialist Licenses K-6, Special Education K-8 and is Orton Gillingham Certified at the Associate Level.

When she is not working, she loves biking, hiking, spending time with her family and 16 month old grandson.

Hi! I'm Taylor! I'm a mom of two boys, so l know firsthand how important it is for children to feel sate, understood, and cared for. Professionally, I've worked with children for several years, including children with intensive support needs, 2 years as a paraprofessional and going into my second year as a Behavior Interventionist. I'm passionate about building genuine connections with children and helping them grow their confidence, independence, and everyday skills. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, being outdoors, and making memories with my boys. I'm excited to get to know your family and hopefully become someone your child feels comfortable, happy, and supported around!

Hello! My name is Emma Tretler, and I am thrilled to be joining the school counseling team this year. I bring a background in social work and am passionate about supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of all students. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends on the lake or by the ocean. I am looking forward to a great school year and getting to know the students, families, and staff who make this community so special!

Rob will be joining MUMS as the Special Educator for Thundering Brook

Amanda will be joining MUMS as a Behavior Interventionist for the Thundering Brook Program.

Addison Central School District (ACSD) is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Bus Routes as well as several key updates to its transportation services designed to improve efficiency and support new educational initiatives across the district:

• BUS NUMBERS. The implementation of a streamlined bus numbering system replaces former color-coded and town-specific labels with a unified Bus #1–#19 sequence to simplify route identification for families.

• Middlebury Route Changes. 4 of the 5 Middlebury routes have been updated to optimize ride times and balance ridership across all routes. Please see the Middlebury section of the Bus Routes for information on the changes.

• Bridport & Shoreham Reconfiguration. In support of Shoreham k-5 students transition to Bridport Central School, we have modified the timetables for those routes. Please see the Bus Routes for all details.

FOLLOW THIS LINK WHICH WILL BRING YOU TO OUR 26-27 BUS ROUTES