Dear Vernon Community,
I wanted to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making our Black History Month celebration event such a tremendous success. Your dedication, talent, and hard work truly made the evening unforgettable.
First and foremost, a big thank you to Tina Bruce for her outstanding leadership and support of the Families of Black Students affinity group. Tina, your passion and commitment are truly inspiring.
I also want to express my gratitude to Bobby Bridges of BPI for his unwavering support of the Families of Black Students affinity group and for organizing a week of engaging games in the MPR to help students celebrate and learn about Black inventors.
Eric Island, thank you for your month-long messages to our students, guiding us in learning and celebrating the contributions of amazing Black Americans. Your MC work at the show and your incredible acting talents added so much to the event.
Marcus Colbert, your delicious food was a highlight of the evening, and Martha Bryan, your leadership of our Hip Hop dancers was truly outstanding.
A special shoutout to Ronnie Perry for his invaluable support with sound and music, and to all the parent volunteers who helped set up, serve food, and clean up after the event. Your dedication is deeply appreciated.
A huge thank you to World Stage Theater for their captivating performance, and to Nacho Pietre for his unforgettable Carter G Woodson performance. Davasate Phelps and the Portland Jazz Collective, thank you for sharing your incredible talents with us.
Let's not forget our very own student musical performances – Sol Raines on the drums, Lois Gilsdorf on the saxophone, Oliver Flansburgh on the stand-up bass – you all rocked the house! And a big round of applause for Vernon students Jasmin Owens and My'Jonie Russell for their powerful Spoken Word performance, as well as our amazing Vernon Hip Hop dancers!
Last night was truly a celebration of culture, talent, and community, and it wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you. Thank you for coming together to honor and celebrate Black History Month in such a memorable way.
Vernon Proud,
Ben Keefer
Principal
Vernon PTA News
Save the Date for Owl Fest on Saturday, June 1st from 2:00-6:00 at Vernon. Owl Fest is all about fun and fundraising with our Vernon community. We need volunteers and have tons of ways to get involved, like running a carnival game booth, joining a parent band, or helping on the clean up crew.
Email Simone Nagle at simone.nagle.msw@gmail.com to connect about volunteer opportunities.
