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The Mount Vernon City School District's Pre-K Program hosted its Parent Academy on Saturday, April 11, 2026.  The event welcomed over 35 parents and students to engage in Math, SEL, Movement, and Reading lessons with our staff. The team used the Frog Street parent backpacks and lessons as a foundation for the learning. The teachers facilitated six different lessons that required parents to work with the Pre-K students. Breakfast was served, learning took place, and fun was had!

Excellence in education was celebrated at the Edith Kaplan Scholarship Dinner Dance last Friday, as 17 people were honored for their impact in Mount Vernon schools. The event, hosted by the Mount Vernon PTA Council, has so far raised $21,000, which will go toward scholarships for the Class of 2026! The PTA Council is still raising money, and you can make a donation by clicking here.

Click here to view the photo gallery from the event here!

He is not the loudest voice in the room. But on the field, in the classroom and within himself, Zorien Barden has learned how to be heard. The Mount Vernon High School senior describes himself as someone who keeps to his own lane — focused, disciplined and introspective. “I don’t like to talk a lot. I do my work, I try to get to class on time, get to school on time — stuff like that,” he said,

Social emotional learning was underway at Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School, as kindergarten and first-grade students learned about love and how to show love to themselves — with the help of dinosaurs. The School Counseling Department read "When I Feel Loved," by Paula Bowles and spoke to the students about how saying nice words and affirmations are beautiful ways of expressing love to themselves. The activity concluded with each student finding a dragon egg, and inside, was their own positive affirmation.

Math is everywhere, even when you’re throwing a party! Rebecca Challop’s fifth-grade students at Traphagen School were engaged in a collaborative math lesson last week in which they created a party menu using an itemized list of party supplies. Students applied multiple math operations to develop and manage a budget while working together to make decisions. Throughout the activity, they practiced collaboration by compromising, justifying their choices, and explaining the mathematical reasoning behind their decisions.

In the Jewel Box this week, we are highlighting the importance of early childhood education for Week of the Young Child. Prekindergarten is a vital stage in a student’s academic journey, and you can sign up to start your child on that journey in our schools. Pre-K 4 Early Registration and Pre-K 3 lottery will be open until June 19, 2026. You can also view Mount Vernon’s Jewel Box on our Facebook, Instagram or YouTube! #MtVernonShines

In celebration of the NAEYC's Week of the Young Child, pre-K students at Rebecca Turner Academy are spreading their wings by studying the butterfly life cycle as part of their Living Things unit. From tiny eggs to beautiful butterflies, these young learners have been exploring their curiosity every step of the way!

On Saturday, April 11, sixth-grade students from the Lincoln School Strings Program attended a very special concert, Happy 250th Birthday America, at The Reformed Church of Bronxville. The performance marked the finale of the Concordia Conservatory’s Hoch Chamber Music Series and featured an outstanding ensemble of professional musicians performing works by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Bernard Herrmann.

Mount Vernon High School students in Culinary 3 got a taste of what military members eat while out on the battlefield on Tuesday morning with Marine Staff Sergeant Halmrast, who introduced students to meals ready to eat (MRE).

Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland presented the draft budget for the 2026-27 school year to the community at Graham School on Thursday evening. The draft budget was approved by the Board of Education on Tuesday, April 7 and includes a 1.99% increase to the tax levy, which is below the tax cap prescribed by the state. Click here to watch the full presentation or click here to view the PowerPoint.

As state testing approaches, third-grade students at Hamilton School are sharpening their skills in creative ways, stepping beyond the classroom to bring learning to life. In classes led by Julie-Ann Barbuto/Alfredo Riullano and Flavia Garufi/Wendy Lang, students recently turned their second-floor hallway into an interactive learning space as part of their fractions unit.

Destiny Adair, a 17-year-old Mount Vernon High School senior, has spent much of her life learning how to speak up — and just as importantly, when not to back down. She describes herself as someone who wants to be heard even when others might stay quiet. That instinct, forged over years in the classroom, on teams and in her community, is now guiding her toward a future in law.

Sixth-graders in Tameka Cooper’s class at Grimes School were still researching, debating and buying stocks Friday as the Mount Vernon City School District’s CTE Stock Market Challenge entered its final stretch. Though Grimes was not among the top three schools on the latest leaderboard, Ms. Cooper cheered her students on, reminding them that with one week left in the three-month competition, a late rally is still possible for a chance at a trophy, bragging rights and a pizza party.

The Mount Vernon City School District invites families, staff and community members to come together for a celebration of inclusion, understanding and support at its Districtwide Autism Acceptance Day on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.