One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Greetings MVCSD Community,
Happy Holidays! I hope everyone enjoys the break with family and friends, some well-deserved rest, and gifts! Schools throughout the District have been celebrating the holiday season with concerts, visits from Santa and fun and educational activities.
Students in the Barbering and Cosmetology programs exemplified the giving spirit of the season by cutting and styling the hair of senior citizens. They applied skills gained in their classes to provide the seniors with fresh styles to celebrate the season. I am so happy to see our CTE students making connections with the community as they continue to learn valuable career skills. Thank you to the Mount Vernon Recreation Department for allowing our students to provide this service and make this wonderful connection!
Our Lady Knights Varsity Basketball Team visited Edward Williams School to provide some holiday cheer to the first and second graders. They served breakfast and gave gifts to our young scholars, making the holiday special for the students who look up to their older peers.
For this week’s Senior Spotlight Series, we are highlighting a superb senior at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy – Amelia Anderson. Amelia has been the peak of community and school involvement during her time in this District, and she continues to stay involved while achieving exceptional grades. Great work, Ameila: you are going above and beyond, which is just a sign how much success you will have in your future endeavors.
Capital Market Advisors (CMA) presented their financial analysis of the District on Tuesday, and they provided insight into our fiscal stress. This is an unfortunate situation that we are dealing with now, but I hope this presentation can provide a greater understanding of why we must make major changes. CMA will also work with us to develop a sustainable fiscal plan to ensure a financially healthy District for years to come. Please review this information and send any questions or concerns to contactus@mtvernoncsd.org.
Kindest Regards,
Dr. K. Veronica Smith
Acting Superintendent of Schools
CAPITAL MARKETS ADVISORS PRESENT FISCAL CONDITION SURVEY OF THE MVCSD
Financial experts from Capital Markets Advisors (CMA) presented a fiscal conditions analysis of the Mount Vernon City School District at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. President Richard Tortora and Vice President Tom Vouzakis included analysis of the District's finances back to the 2018 fiscal year.
CTE STUDENTS CUT AND STYLE HAIR AT SENIOR CITIZEN MAKEOVER: HOLIDAY EDITION
Mount Vernon senior citizens visited Mount Vernon High School for makeovers from the cosmetology and barbering students on Monday, December 16, 2024. This was the second Senior Citizen Makeover Day and was holiday themed. Seniors got a brand-new style to celebrate the holidays with while drinking coffee and eating sweet treats.
LADY KNIGHTS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM DELIVERS GIFTS TO EDWARD WILLIAMS STUDENTS
“Thank you, Lady Knights,” students of Althea Simon’s second-grade class exclaimed brightly, waving their toys and other holiday gifts in the air. On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the Mount Vernon Lady Knights Varsity Basketball team committed a great act of kindness at Edward Williams School, serving first and second-grade students and staff breakfast and delivering special gifts for Ms. Simon and Ms. Batson's second-grade classes and Ms. Lowe's first-grade class during the Pancake Pajama holiday party.
STUDENTS AT CECIL H. PARKER SCHOOL SHOW OFF WRITING SKILLS AT WINTER LITERACY BALL
The gymnasium was filled with clamor and delight as students and parents walked around reading the student writing displayed on the wall and speaking with the authors about their works. On Thursday, December 19, 2024, Cecil H. Parker School held a Winter Literacy Ball where fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students got to show off the writing skills they’ve learned and the multiple writing exercises that they’ve completed since the beginning of the year.
STEAM SCHOLAR STAYS BUSY IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL WHILE EARNING HIGH GRADES
Amelia Anderson is a senior at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy who has been an example of student excellence, with a dedication to extending herself socially, academically, and throughout her community. Throughout her high school career – as a student at both STEAM and formerly Denzel Washington School of the Arts, where she was an acting major – Amelia has shown that she is more than willing to strive for excellence and push herself to achieve her goals.