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Career and Technical Education introduces newest Hospitality Management pathway

Career and Technical Education introduces newest Hospitality Management pathway

Administrators, trustees, staff and students' eyes were glued to the screen at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, as Director of Career and Technical Education Brian Simmons gave a presentation on the CTE Program and the newest pathway students can take, Hospitality Management.  

Before diving into the latest pathway, Mr. Simmons highlighted the importance of CTE, the progress of the program, goals for the year, community industry partners, and the impact it has had on students’ education. He went over the core of CTE and the accomplishments students have achieved during their time in the program, such as all the Certified Nursing Assistant students passing their Prometric exam in the 2023 - 2024 school year. 

During his presentation, Mr. Simmons announced that the New York State Education Department CTE Technical Assistance Center has chosen Mount Vernon High School as the official site of the Framing Tomorrow program, a regional support and sharing network for all CTE educators across New York State.  

Towards the end of the presentation, Mr. Simmons announced the newest program, and how it will coincide with the most popular CTE program at MVHS, culinary arts. He explained that what was previously Culinary Arts 1, the first class on the pathway of culinary arts, will now be Introduction to Hospitality and Culinary. 

Students will now have the opportunity to choose which pathway they would like to take after completing this course, which will teach different skills that can transfer into a variety of careers. In the coming years, new hospitality courses will be introduced as students advance through the program. In these advanced classes, both programs will collaborate through hands-on learning projects such as pop-up dining labs. 

“A new hospitality management pathway, to pioneer something that has not been done,” said Mr. Simmons. “Mount Vernon students will now have access to hands-on career training in the hospitality sector with state-of-the-art industry practices for immersion in high-paying careers and post-secondary options.”  

In addition to these new courses, there is also a hospitality suite that contains various elements and equipment for students to get hands-on experience. In the old Sundown classroom at MVHS, is now a new cold kitchen complete with equipment that was donated or found in other schools. 

Students who are currently enrolled in the hospitality program came up to the podium after the presentation to share their experiences, gratitude and excitement for what’s to come.  

“At our hospitality program at Mount Vernon High School, we learn and practice hospitality management, culinary arts, hotel management and tourism,” said Amirah Arroya, a sophomore at MVHS. “I want to thank you all for giving us this time to talk about our lovely program. I also want to thank Chef Kat (Katherine Rodriguez, hospitality teacher at MVHS) for helping us go through the entire program and giving us all a great space.”  

Chef Kat Rodriguez is the new and experienced hospitality teacher at MVHS, and the previous director of culinary programs at the Food Education Fund.  

To close out the presentation, Mr. Simmons shared a big announcement about an exciting partnership with the biggest distributor of Latin American foods in the Western Hemisphere, Goya, who will provide resources and sponsorship for the program.  

Click here to check out the presentation on the newest CTE course! 

Students speaking to audience.
CTE director speaking to audience.

 

A group of friends posing together in front of bouncy castles.

The Graham School field and parking lot were filled with crisp leaves, loud music and sounds of enjoyment, as hundreds of Mount Vernon residents walked from table to table, enjoying fun activities, snacks and live performances.  On November 2, 2024, the Mount Vernon City School District held its annual District-wide Fall Festival to promote unity and connection amongst the community. 

Click here to view the photo gallery!

         

Students wearing costumes.

Creative costumes filled Mount Vernon City School District hallways on Thursday, October 31, 2024, as students celebrated Halloween. Among the celebrations, high school students at Rebecca Turner Academy handed out candy and painted faces of pre-K children, building community through collaboration. At Benjamin Turner Academy, parents, staff and students in the upper grades handed out candy to younger students in the library. At Graham School, the hallways were decorated with tables, and students walked around collecting treats. Hamilton School also held its annual trunk or treat.

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 for the 2023-2024 school 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.

View the Q+A with Ms. Serna here!

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Dr. K. Veronica Smith, Acting Superintendent of Schools: 

This morning, we held a meeting with Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, Mount Vernon High School, Rebecca Turner Academy and Denzel Washington School of the Arts stakeholders regarding student searches at arrival and are working towards a resolution of this matter. These searches were implemented to keep all students in the building safe, and we are looking for an equitable solution that maintains our safety standards while providing a positive school culture and ensuring students are respected. We will continue to work with stakeholders to create a safe environment at all Mount Vernon City School District schools.

Students holding up orange cards.

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.