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Kaitlyn Leslie-Smith, named Mount Vernon Youth Poet Laureate Winner

Headshot of Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn Leslie-Smith, named Mount Vernon Youth Poet Laureate Winner

Kaitlyn Leslie-Smith, a rising junior at Denzel Washington School of the Arts, was announced the 2024-2025 Mount Vernon Youth Poet Laureate on Thursday, June 27, 2024. 

Kaitlyn is the CEO of her own company, Kaitlyn Cares Designs, hosting a plethora of events for the community such as Boss-Up Through Entrepreneurship and Teens-to-Seniors Breakfast. She is a high-achieving student at DWSA, demonstrating proficiency in acting, singing and the visual arts. However, it is her talent for creating and reciting poetry that has recently garnered attention. 

In 2023, she secured a silver medal in the Performance Poetry category at the Westchester Regional NAACP ACT-SO competition with her poem "A Black Woman Introduced." The following year, she achieved gold for her poem "And We Are Just Girls" and received a bronze in Dramatic Performance. 

These accomplishments have helped paved the way for numerous public speaking and performance opportunities across New York, including engagements at the Westchester Region NAACP-ACT-SO Fundraising Luncheon, Post Chester Juneteenth Celebration, the NAACP-Mount Vernon’s Men Who Make A Difference Gala, the 37th Annual Black Scholars Recognition Reception, The Robert S. Brown & M. Paul Redd Freedom Fund Luncheon and more.

Kaitlyn's commitment to compassion and leadership is evident in both her entrepreneurial endeavors and her poetic expression. With the support of her family, she continues to make a difference in her community, spreading kindness and inspiring others to do the same.
 

Left to right : 5th Runner Up - Ellie deGrandpre, 3rd Runner Up - Tianna Hughes, Reigning Mount Vernon Youth Poet Laureate - Kaitlyn Leslie, 4th Runner Up- D'Jonney Gordon, 1st Runner Up - Cheyanne Swain All of the runner ups from the competition will serve as Mount Vernon Poetry Ambassadors and serve as the Laureate's cabinet.

 

Ten circular portraits of school board members and a knight mascot are positioned in the foreground over a blurred background of a school building and thank-you text.
Happy School Board Recognition Week!

Happy School Board Recognition Week! Thank you to the trustees on the Mount Vernon Board of Education for your advocacy and commitment to our students. Your leadership is vital to the success of the Mount Vernon City School District, and your work is empowering student futures

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Special Education PTA hosts Ice Cream Social and encourages families to join

Families had a sweet afternoon at the Mount Vernon City School District Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) Ice Cream Social yesterday! The event brought together families of students in grades K-8 from across the school district, as SEPTA encouraged families to join and help support Mount Vernon children with disabilities. You can join SEPTA too, by visiting https://www.givebacks.com/causes/mvcsdsepta!

Mount Vernon's Jewel Box title page with Knight logo.
Mount Vernon's Jewel Box - Fire Prevention Week

This week in the Jewel Box, we’re shining the light on the importance of fire safety. For Fire Prevention Week, students in our schools learned about how to avoid dangerous situations with fire, who to call in an emergency, and other safety tips that could save lives! Several schools even received special visits from the Mount Vernon Fire Department. Educating our students about safety is vital to ensure that they enter the world prepared for anything! #ExcellenceByDesign

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ATLAS returns: $1.1M investment restores Gifted and Talented Program in Mount Vernon schools

A $1.1 million investment secured in the 2026-27 budget has brought the ATLAS Gifted and Talented Program back to life, restoring advanced learning opportunities for third-through-sixth-graders after the popular program was eliminated last school year. The return of ATLAS – which stands for Academics of Talent, Leadership and Scholars – was celebrated Wednesday at Mount Vernon High School, where some 150 family members attended a Welcome Night to meet teachers, learn about the curriculum and discover what awaits their 326 children across 11 schools. 

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Non-Food Celebrations in Schools – A Letter to Parents

Dear MVCSD Families:

We write to share guidance regarding (1) food sold in schools, and (2) foods made available during the school day for classroom celebrations and recognition activities.

This guidance aligns with federal, state, and district policies.

A group of people sit around tables in a brightly lit classroom with a photo collage on the left wall and a glass-walled hallway in the background.
Strategic Planning Steering Committee meets for the first time

The Mount Vernon City School District Strategic Planning Steering Committee met for the first time this Wednesday. The committee – a diverse group of educators, students, parents and community members – met each other and staff from K-12 Coalition, the educational consultants helping to develop the strategic plan. The committee reviewed examples of plans from other districts and began discussing priorities for how this school district’s strategic plan should be developed. The next meeting will be on October 28. #ExcellenceByDesign