One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter
April 5, 2024
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Greetings MVCSD Community,
Yesterday, we held a town hall meeting, bringing together our community to discuss a potential reconfiguration of our grades K-8 school building model. I appreciate the input from our parents, faculty, staff and Mount Vernon residents on this matter. Our goal is to collaborate with all stakeholders to make key decisions for the District, and their thoughts and opinions will be vital in shaping our next steps. Thank you for contributing to our decision-making process. Please click here to sign up to be considered for a sub-committee of our Building Reorganization Committee.
Mount Vernon STEAM Academy has vast offerings of state-of the art, engaging lessons that have played a major factor in their recent success. From STEM disciplines such as Principles of Biomedical Science to inventive English language arts lessons, teachers have done a fantastic job of making learning an enjoyable and fun adventure for their students. I am excited to see what else STEAM has in store, as we continue to highlight their innovative academics in the coming weeks.
At Mount Vernon High School classrooms are promoting literacy by having a strong focus on reading novels. This has been successful in large part because our teachers are providing students with novels that connect to their personal experiences and are insightful and relevant to them. There has been a heavy focus on literacy District-wide, and this is just one example of the success we’ve had.
I am proud to highlight Derrick Thompson this week, who is a crisis intervention counselor at Edward Williams School and a City of Mount Vernon councilperson. Mr. Thompson makes a massive impact on Mount Vernon in both roles, and we are glad to have him working with our scholars. Thank you for your commitment to your community, Mr. Thompson!
Please come out and support our Denzel Washington School of the Arts scholars as they perform West Side Story tonight at 6 p.m.! Click here to buy tickets.
Kindest Regards,
Dr. K. Veronica Smith
Acting Superintendent of Schools
PRINCIPLES OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS AT STEAM ENGAGE IN HANDS-ON LAB
Students at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy conducted experiments examining how blood spatter reacts when dropped from different heights in their Principles of Biomedical Science class on Thursday, October 31, 2024. These experiments are just one step in their project of investigating a crime scene using different biological principles.
STEAM ACADEMY TEACHER PROMOTES LITERACY WITH PARISIAN BOOK CAFE
Two to three times a year, Ashley Wallace’s ninth grade English class transforms into a café that you would typically see in Paris, as students read and enjoy the ambiance. The Parisian book café is designed to excite students about reading and establish a familiarity with the classroom library.
TEACHERS AT MVHS INSPIRE STUDENTS TO IMPROVE LITERACY
As of December 2023, Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) has earned recognition as a school in good standing by New York State, marking the beginning of a new era of success and ongoing improvement. With a strong focus on literacy across all classes, MVHS is creating an environment conducive to continuous academic growth. Recent rankings from Public School Review indicate that MVHS is now in the top 50% of public schools statewide based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data, and the school is committed to sustaining this upward trajectory.
In Tracey Anderson-Grant’s African American Studies class at MVHS, students are not only enhancing their reading comprehension but also grappling with pivotal themes of racism and prejudice through engaging novels.
OUR STUDENTS NOW: DERRICK THOMPSON
Derrick Thompson began working in the Mount Vernon City School District immediately after graduating from the Class of 1995. He began working as a substitute teacher, a teaching assistant, then as an English teacher and a math teacher before becoming a crisis intervention specialist at Edward Williams School. Mr. Thompson also serves as a councilperson for the City of Mount Vernon.
DWSA PRODUCTION: WEST SIDE STORY
Denzel Washington School of the Arts will perform a production of "West Side Story: A Musical Revue" on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 6 p.m., in the Phylicia Rashad Auditorium. General admission is $10, and tickets for students and seniors are $5. Click here to buy tickets!
VETERANS DAY - DISTRICT CLOSED
The Mount Vernon City School District expresses its sincerest gratitude for all the veterans of our country, who have given so much of themselves to protecting our ideals and freedom. Thank you for your service!
The District will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024, for Veterans Day.