One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter
April 5, 2024
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Greetings MVCSD Community,
For my first episode of Conversations with Dr. Kim of this school year, I had an intriguing discussion with Dr. Crystal Waterman about the direction of the District and the accomplishments that we have made along the way. Listen to learn more about the success we have had in educating our scholars and providing them with quality programs!
Our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department continues to make great strides, and students at Grimes School learned about Ford’s Automotive Career Exploration Program this week. CTE is a vital program for Mount Vernon scholars, providing them with vast opportunities to learn about careers, gain certifications and prepare themselves for the workforce. I am delighted to see its continued growth, as our younger students are now being exposed to the future opportunities they will have available to them.
Our final Bullying Prevention Month initiative, Mix it Up at Lunch Day, was a great success. Students made new friends and talked to people they normally wouldn’t, strengthening the positive environment that we strive for at our schools. Our teachers and staff did a wonderful job of encouraging children to step out of their comfort zones and build meaningful relationships with their peers.
Students at Mount Vernon Leadership Academy learned about the importance of elections and participated in their own election. They voted between Bluey and Clifford. This lesson provided our students with a great understanding of why voting is so important, and I am hopeful that it will stick with them throughout their lives.
This week, I am highlighting one of our 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year, Sheba Serna, who does an amazing job with the students at Rebecca Turner Academy. Thank you for your work with our scholars!
Please join us for our town hall on Thursday, November 7, at 5 p.m. We will discuss building reconfiguration of K-8 schools.
Kindest Regards,
Dr. K. Veronica Smith
Acting Superintendent of Schools
GRIMES STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT FORD'S AUTOMOTIVE CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAM
Grimes School students visited the auditorium for a presentation of an expanding partnership between Ford Motor Company and the Mount Vernon City School District. Earle Mitchell, technical placement specialist for Ford, visited the school on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, and shared opportunities that will be available for Grimes students.
MVCSD SCHOOLS CELEBRATE MIX IT UP AT LUNCH DAY FOR BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH
Students in the Mount Vernon City School District learned more about their peers and met new friends during Mix it Up at Lunch Day on Monday, October 28, 2024. This was the final initiative of Bullying Prevention Month, which was recognized in multiple ways District-wide. Students wore blue on World Day of Bullying Prevention (October 7) and orange on Unity Day (October 16) to take a united stand against hate of all forms.
MVLA MIDDLE SCHOOLERS TEACH YOUNGER GRADES ABOUT DEMOCRACY
As the presidential election approaches, students at the Mount Vernon Leadership Academy are learning about the voting process and American democracy in their classrooms. In Robert Durante’s seventh-grade social studies class, students were tasked with creating a 10-minute presentation to teach the younger students about how to vote. During the week of Monday, October 28, 2024, students casted their ballots to choose who is the best candidate: Bluey or Clifford the Big Red Dog.
OUR STUDENTS NOW: RTA ENGLISH TEACHER SHEBA SERNA
Sheba Serna, a Mount Vernon High School Class of 1992 graduate, was recently awarded as Rebecca Turner Academy’s Teacher of the Year by the Mount Vernon City School District. Ms. Serna worked in the Sundown Alternative Program prior to the founding of RTA, and she values her work deeply because she feels that she would have been an RTA student herself. The support she received at MVHS helped to propel her towards a teaching career within the District.
BUILDING RECONFIGURATION TOWN HALL - THURS., NOV. 7
The Mount Vernon City School District will hold a town hall meeting at Mount Vernon Honor Academy on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Potential reconfiguration of the current K-8 building configuration to a more age-appropriate and cost-effective model will be discussed. The Mount Vernon City School District welcomes feedback and communication from our school community prior to the town hall meeting. Please email the District via contactus@mtvernoncsd.org with any questions or comments.