Falisten Khalil, a mom of four, moved to the city of Mount Vernon last year. With three school-aged children enrolled in the District, Khalil has had a smooth and easy transition into a new District as well as to distance and hybrid learning models as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was a rainy reopening day for grades 4 through 8 in schools across the Mount Vernon City School District on Monday, November 30th, but for one school – the Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School – the day was extra special. The building – formerly the district’s alternative high school – was closed all of last year as it was reinvented into a building fit for pre-K to grade 8 students as one of the district’s 20/20 Vision and bond reconstruction projects. Students who had wondered for months what the school and their classroom would look like, finally got the opportunity to sit and learn in the completely renovated environment – everything from new walls to flooring to furniture. And, students finally got to meet their teacher in person.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS --- The next Virtual Parent Learning Module is coming 12/10 Reading is FUNdamental --- Using Vocabulary Jars, Conversation Starters and Scavenger Hunts to Spark Children's Love of Reading Parents and caregivers will create fun activities using vocabulary jars, conversation starters, and scavenger hunts to ignite children's appreciation of reading. For example, parents and caregivers will, 1) partner with children to include words in the vocabulary jar and determine how to practice using the new vocabulary words, 2) decide topics for conversation starters and determine the best time and place to begin and extend conversations (can use new vocabulary words here). December 10, 2020 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/97183424189?pwd=S0dxOXBpR0lIbkhEU2d6SGdhUTBYQT09 Use Meeting ID# 97183424189 Password: OSI2021 If you would like to submit a question, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPLMSESSION5
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section 1 announced that boys and girls indoor track and boys swimming, considered low risk sports, were officially moved to the start of next year. The Section 1 decision effectively pushes back all winter sports to a January 4th, 2021 start. Early last week the NYSPHSAA delayed the start of high risk winter sports – wrestling, cheerleading and boys and girls basketball – to January 4th.
The Mount Vernon City School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jeanette Baubles as the district’s Director of Education (K-12). Dr. Baubles was the Regional Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Shore Regional High School District in West Long Branch, New Jersey, from 2014 to 2020.
Dr. Natasha Hunter - McGregor , Principal
Dr. Hunter-McGregor is one of three siblings born into a loving military family. She received her associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and her undergraduate degree from Howard University where she graduated from the School of Business with a major in Management. She continued her educational journey to later receive two masters and the degree of Doctor of Education from St. John Fisher College.
Dr. Hunter-McGregor’s educational career began in Harlem, New York at the age of 21 where she lived, worshipped and taught young people in the community. She worked as a teacher in many capacities, a social studies school based coordinator, teacher of students with disabilities, gifted and talented teacher, literacy coach, AIS provider, curriculum writer integrating the arts, as well as a staff developer for a collective 10 years.
Dr. Hunter-McGregor later became an assistant principal in the New York City school system where she served for 8 years prior to becoming principal in Mt. Vernon, New York. During her service in the Harlem community, Dr. Hunter-McGregor trained staff from partnering agencies such as City Year of New York, Harlem Children’s Zone, coordinated service activities, instituted new teacher orientation programs in her school and helped to improve academic performance and teacher effectiveness.
She was an active member of the NAACP, Urban League and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. Hunter-McGregor currently worships in the Mt. Vernon community and continues to put all of her energy into providing a high quality education for the students in her care by working collaboratively with families, staff, district staff, clergy and all key stake holders. She understands the superintendent’s 20/20 Vision and her immediate focus is to ensure that Graham School is taken off of the focus list and re-establishes itself as an institution of learning, whereby all families would like to send their precious little ones.
Dr. Hunter-McGregor loves sports and arts, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She adores her three children and strives to live her life with purpose, which she credits to the support of her loving parents.
