MUMS Family Newsletter

We hope that this message finds you enjoying the beautiful weather that we've had all week.

Last week we had our first option-based drill, we finished our fall benchmarks and we had our first all school assembly.

This week students began their new Exploratory for the month. Some of our October offerings include, Band; Choir; Scary stories to tell in the dark; Nature walks; Frisbee; Kickball; theatre games; NYT games and many more. We are so grateful for the creative flair that our staff has and their willingness to share these passions with our students.

Next week will have our Kick-off assembly for our Fun Run. Please look for future opportunities to support this fundraiser and reach out to Dustin Hunt dhunt@acsdvt.org or Friends of MUMS with questions.

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

• Indigenous Peoples' Day - October 9th, 2023 (No School)

This is an urgent plea to follow the steps in the parent portal so that we can ensure all information regarding your child is up to date in our system.

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

The Fun Color Run will be Saturday, October 28th from 9-11 am! Open to all MUMS students, families and staff, no registration required. Games and fun before the run. Then run, skip, hop, walk, or mosey along the 1.5 mile course, getting splashed with color along the way. Donate, help us fundraise and get race day information at the Fun Color Run website. Coming soon: Sign Up Genius for any and all who can pitch in to help, and information to help students who can solicit donations.

We are up and running with our new Digital Design Course and are looking for some materials for the classroom. If you have any of the items listed below, please reach out to Jan Broderson @ jbroderson@acsdvt.org

• Duplo/Mega Blocks
• Legos
• Lego Robotics sets
• MagnaTiles
• Puzzles - from wooden for younger kids to maybe 100 pieces.
• Lumber (dimensional and plywood) at least 2 ft long, Also nicer pieces
• MatchBox cars
• Marble Mazes
• Building Blocks

The Staff Wish List is up and running again! Please check it out to see how you can help our wonderful teachers. Used magazines (I & S), used or new tools (Design), milk crates, craft supplies, puzzles and more are all on the list. If you supply an item, just cross it off the list so others know it is no longer needed (or let us know at FriendsofMUMS@gmail.com.)

Mr. Montague’s and Ms. Roach’s 7th grade science classes are learning about atoms and molecules.

The learning target was clear, and the ATL involving science terms and symbols was on point. Students were building molecules using craft materials to model different types of bonding. They shared their ideas and questions with the class and took notes to refer to later. Thank you Mr. Montague and Ms. Roach for making learning engaging! Ask a 7th grader about what they made and learned in science this week!

Have a great weekend,

Pam Quinn and Eileen Sears, MYP Coordinators

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.

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