MUHS Community Newsletter

Dear MUHS Community,

It’s hard to believe we’re already wrapping up Semester 1 at MUHS! This marking period ends on Friday, January 16. There will be no school on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday, January 20 is an in-service day for teachers, who will be submitting grades and preparing for the new semester. Semester 2 begins on Wednesday, January 21.

Printed report cards will be sent home during the week of January 26. In the meantime, families can log into PowerSchool at any time to review current progress. At this point, students should be working directly with their teachers if they need to complete outstanding work or believe they may need to make up missed assessments during our Success Saturday/Proficiency Recovery session on January 24.

Questions about Success Saturday can be directed to Chris Giorgio at cgiorgio@acsdvt.org.

Warmly,

Caitlin Steele, Principal

Ben Weir, Assistant Principal

Sean Farrell, Activities Director

Julie Pettis, Student Response Coordinator

Run for School Board!

Help shape the future of education in our community! The ACSD Board will have open School Board seats this year in Bridport, Middlebury, and Salisbury. If you're interested, gather signatures* on your nominating petition and submit the petition and your Candidate Consent form to your Town Office by January 26, 2026. This is also a great time to reach out to encourage someone you think would be a great candidate! Board elections occur on Town Meeting Day, March 3, 2026. Terms are 3 years. You must be 18 or older and a resident of the respective town to run. You'll play a crucial role in enhancing our schools and advocating for every student. Learn more on the Running for School Board page of the Vermont School Board Association website.

* Petitions must be signed by 60 voters or one percent of the ACSD checklist—whichever is less. Petitions and the Candidate Consent Form are available with the links above, at your Town Hall, or the ACSD District Office (49 Charles Ave, Middlebury).

Spread the Word! 8th Grade Family Night, January 22

We are excited to welcome parents and caregivers of rising ninth graders for an 8th Grade Family Night on January 22, 6:30-7:30 in the MUHS auditorium. Thanks for helping us spread the word!

School Safety

Throughout the year at MUHS we practice safety drills designed to ensure that our students and staff are familiar with how to be safe in an emergency, and to test the security systems in our building. 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.

This year we are required to practice two options-based drills - one in September and one in January. Options-based drills introduce students to various strategies to respond to a threat, such as evacuating from the school or barricading 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.

You can read much more about ACSD's approach to school safety online here. At MUHS, we will be holding our second options-based drill on Wednesday, January 14th at 1:30 PM.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Morning Announcements

Student Council Suggestion Form

Grade 10 Personal Project: Approaches to Learning Skills

Now that the December 10 Personal Project Exhibition is behind us, Grade 10 students will reflect on their projects and complete their reports. In Thursday TAs this month, students will choose the key Approaches to Learning Skills (ATLs) that helped them throughout the process, provide evidence of this skill, and explain how they used it.

As you know, ATLs are lifelong skills that are explicitly taught throughout the Middle Years Program and beyond. These include developing students’ ability to meet deadlines, think critically and creatively, organize, take effective notes, collaborate, learn how to research, and give and receive feedback. Ask a 10th grader which ATLs they chose to discuss in their reports!

Real-World Connections in Math

Students in Geometry, Probability, Statistics (GPS) were given the challenge to design and create a package to market golf balls prior to the holiday break. Students needed to use their understanding of 3-D geometry to make a package that would hold a specified volume of golf balls with the least amount of surface area. By maximizing their designs, students could better understand how various products are packaged and sold in stores.

MUHS Course Registration for the 2026-2027 Academic Year

Course registration for the 2026-27 academic year has officially begun with the class of 2027! Please refer here for the important information about the process for each grade level, registration timeline, the MUHS Course Description catalog, Hannaford Career Center information, and more! If you have any questions, please reach out to your school counselor.

Juniors-MiddCAM Applications are due Friday, January 16th

Are you planning to attend college? The college application process can feel overwhelming, so we are excited that we can offer additional support. As a Middlebury High School student, through the MiddCAM program, you can benefit from a 1-on-1 Middlebury College mentor who themselves just successfully completed the application process. MiddCAM applications are due by Friday, January 16th. Applications were recently mailed home to all juniors. If you need an additional application, want to drop off your application or have questions, please see Margo Austin in the School Counseling office.

Save the Date for College & Career Pathways

VSAC will be offering a free, public event for high school families on Saturday, March 14, 1-5pm. Families can participate in person at UVM or virtually via Zoom.

Find additional details by visiting vsac.org/ccp