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Elementary Superintendent's Advisory Council meets for first time in 2024-2025 school year

Elementary Superintendent's Advisory Council meets for first time in 2024-2025 school year

Elementary school students from around the Mount Vernon City School District stepped off the bus at the Mount Vernon Board of Education for their first Elementary Superintendent’s Advisory Council meeting of the school year on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Students met with Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Administration Dr. Jamal Doggett, who explained how they would be working together to help improve their schools. 

Dr. Doggett speaking to students

“The purpose of the Student Advisory is to meet with our student ambassadors from each of our school buildings; they advise us of how we’re doing as a District, how our initiatives are going and what we can improve on,” said Dr. Doggett. “Based on the feedback that they give us, we make the necessary changes from a child’s perspective because we’re in this business for teaching and learning for the children.”

Students introduced themselves and then were served lunch. Parent Liaisons Veronica Graham and Sheba Greenwood helped to facilitate the meeting and served the food to the students as well. Students chatted with each other and got to know their peers, as they will be working together year-round. 

Students being served food.

The Superintendent’s Advisory Council meets once a month, with different activities each week. This week, students began brainstorming ideas of what they would like to be improved in their schools. Dr. Doggett reminded students that some of the changes they saw in their schools last year were a direct result of input from the students on the council last year. 

“I feel very happy about being a part of this…” said Kyshawn Lindsay, fifth-grade student at Edward Williams School. “I want to change my school for the better, so that more people in the school have a better time.”

Students writing on poster paper.

Students wrote their ideas for potential changes on poster paper and then discussed them as a group. Some of the ideas that students presented included new clubs and changes to recess and lockers. Students last year developed a survey to poll their classmates about what they want to see in their school, and this group will continue discussing their ideas at the next meetings to create a new survey. 

To close the meeting, students learned more about the District’s anti-bullying initiatives this month and how they could promote them at their schools. The District will hold Unity Day on Wednesday, October 16, where everyone in the District is being asked to wear orange to show unity against bullying. Blue was worn across the District on Monday, October 7, in honor of World Day of Bullying Prevention. There will also be a “Mix it Up at Lunch Day,” on Monday, October 28, where students will be encouraged to sit with new people at lunch to promote inclusion.

Throughout the year, students in the Superintendent’s Advisory will complete different activities such as meeting with the District’s food service manager and sharing their thoughts with them. They will also continue to share what is going on in their schools and what they think should change. The Secondary Superintendent’s Advisory Council will meet on Thursday, October 10.

Dr. Doggett and 3 students.
Students seated in advisory council.
Students writing on poster paper.
Students introducing themselves.
Student smiling with thumbs up.
Students and parent liaison writing on poster paper.


 

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!

Logo for news post

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.