MUMS Family Newsletter

Dear MUMS community,

As the seasons begin to change, we’re enjoying brighter days and more sunshine throughout our school! The energy in our hallways is positive, and it’s been wonderful to see everyone embracing the warmer weather during recess time. There are lots of exciting activities ahead, giving students the chance to spend time together, have fun, and support our 8th graders as we fundraise for their trip to Boston in May. A huge thank you goes to our fundraising committee for all of the hard work they are doing to make the trip a possible.

One current highlight is our March Madness volleyball crew, which has brought together about 120 middle schoolers for some friendly competition and school spirit! This annual event brings volleyball to our middle school as well as High School volleyball athletes. It's been a great way to bring MUMS and MUHS together while we introduce a new sport to our community!

Spring sports sign-ups also begin today, so be sure to check out the opportunities to get involved. Wishing everyone a happy and relaxing weekend!

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

• Mar. 6th - GMMDV Festival #2 - Band
• Mar. 7th - DJ Skate night! (6:30-8:00)
• Mar. 18th - Bus Evacuation Drill
• Mar. 19th & Mar. 20th - Parent/Teacher Conferences (More information below)
• Mar. 20th: Jukebox Jubilee - 7:00-10:00 @ Notte. (Adults only event, more information to come)

• Activities Calendar

Greetings MUMS Caregivers!

Exciting things are happening in 6th grade Design class! In this unit, students work in teams to design a wooden jigsaw puzzle for a local business targeted at a specific age group with an educational component.

This week, to prepare, students were learning how to safely use scroll saws and jigsaws. After reading about them, students had a chance for some hands-on practice. One of the 6th graders I spoke with was really nervous and intimidated to use a power tool, but after watching her make a great cut, she exclaimed brightly, “That was easier than I thought!”

After a self-evaluation and written reflection on their tool skills, they will move on to designing their puzzles (with their target market in mind!). They document their research and progress on a website, and present their final product to the class.

💡Talk to your student: What creative projects has your student done in design class? What sparks their creativity? Do they enjoy learning to use new tools?

Dear MUMS Families,

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday March 19th from 4:00 - 7:30pm, and Friday March 20th from 8:00am - 12:00pm.

• Conferences hosted on Thursday March 19th, 2026 will be IN PERSON ONLY.

• Conferences hosted on Friday March 20th, will be VIRTUAL ONLY.

• Please sign up HERE via PTCFast to indicate which teachers and times you would like to meet.

• Due to limited conference slots, caregivers can meet with only two CORE Teachers. For example you could meet with your students' Lang & Lit teacher as well as the I&S teacher, or you could set up conferences with Math and Science. Please only schedule conferences with 2 out of the 4 CORE Teachers. If you sign up for more than two Megan will contact you directly to choose the two conferences you prefer.

• MIXT team, Wellness, Language Acquisition, Counselors, Special Education & Interventionists will meet independently with caregivers as folks sign up. You can sign up for as many of these conferences as you would like.

• Conferences will be 13 minutes long as they have been in the past.

• The focus of our conferences will be on how students are navigating their school day as well as discuss strengths and an area of growth/focus.

Conference sign ups will close on Monday March 16th at 7:30am. If you have any questions regarding this process please contact Megan Curran at mcurran@acsdvt.org.

United Way of Addison County is inviting parents and caregivers of students in grades 6–12 to complete the Addison County Parent & Caregiver Survey, open through March 31. This survey will help local organizations and schools better understand the experiences, concerns, and needs of families across Addison County. Parents who complete the survey can choose to enter a raffle for one of three $100 gift cards to a local restaurant.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8683816/2026-Addison-County-Parent-Survey

• Tomorrow March 7th
• 6:30-8:00pm
• Memorial Sports Center
• $5 Admission fee
• Snacks/drinks on sale for $1 Each

To help make this event a success, we are seeking family volunteers to donate concession items and assist with chaperoning. A SignUpGenius has been created for those interested in helping:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0548AFAF29AAFA7-62395576-draft#/

Here is a link for the permission slip in case your child's didn't make its way home
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_3TqwszRQAB_C1m3rwZytV7GOIv5KtUZ1l83rBgYtdg/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any questions prior to the event, please feel free to contact Activities Director Dustin Hunt at dhunt@acsdvt.org or 802-382-1213.

Please use this link 2026 Spring Sports Signup to sign your student up for various spring athletic offerings. Spring athletics will tentatively start on Monday April 6th (weather permitting). Practice schedule and coaching assignments will be available later in March.

Here are the athletic programs we offer in the Spring:

• Baseball- Open to 7th/8th Graders
• Softball- Open to 7th/8th Graders
• Boys Lacrosse- Open to 7th/8th Graders
• Girls Lacrosse- Open to 7th/8th Graders
• Track and Field- Open to all MUMS Students
• Ultimate Frisbee- Open to all MUMS Students

*6th Graders interested in playing Baseball, Softball or Lacrosse should register through Middlebury Parks and Recreation*

Dustin Hunt

Activities/Athletic Director

Middlebury Union Middle School

802-382-1213

Memory Books are now available to purchase for $20 each. They are expected to arrive in early June.

We are asking that anyone who would like to purchase a Memory Book this year do so as soon as possible. There will not be many books available to purchase after the fact this year, so we are encouraging students to fill out this order form, which they have received in TA. Please submit all order forms with a Cash or Check payment (payable to MUMS), to Gail Williams in the Main Office. Order forms are available in both the Counseling Office and the Main Office.

If purchasing a Memory Book presents a financial hardship for your family, please don’t hesitate to contact Dustin Hunt for support at dhunt@acsdvt.org or (802)382-1213.

Next year's school calendar has been posted!

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