One Mount Vernon Digital Newsletter - May 26, 2023

Acting can be scientific too; Mount Vernon STEAM Academy students recently participated in a disaster drill at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, acting as patients and family members. Students in Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes visited to be a part of the hospital’s annual stress test, serving as patients in an active emergency room. 

Voters approved a $272,266,615 budget for the Mount Vernon City School District 2025-2026 school year by a 1,400-1,138 vote – unofficially – today. Results were certified after polls closed.

Students will receive an official notification of which school they will be placed in during the first week of June. These assignments apply only to students who are not in a special placement or program class assignment, such as special education. Those placements will be determined based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Special Education Department. The current placements of students who are transferring can be viewed in this news post.

These placements are subject to change based on student residency.

Prekindergarten students and their parents learned about nutrition and cooked together during the Kids in the Kitchen workshop last Thursday. Through a partnership with Feeding Westchester and with support from the students in the Culinary Arts Program, families received important information about feeding their children a healthy diet and practiced preparing a healthy meal.

Kids in the Kitchen workshops are held throughout the year for pre-K students. If you have not registered your child for pre-K3 or pre-K4 lotteries for next school year, you can find more information about registration on the registration webpage at https://www.mtvernoncsd.org/family-community/registration/online-registration. Pre-K lottery registration closes on June 27.

Student athletes on the Mount Vernon Knights Football Team visited Lincoln school last week and Pennington School on Monday to read to younger students. As members of the football team, younger students look up to them as role models and enjoyed being visited and connecting with them.

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

As has been recently reported and thereafter confirmed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, a former volunteer coach for the District, Dwayne Murray, has been arrested for certain alleged acts of sexual misconduct involving a minor. The organization identified as being affiliated with Mr. Murray in a recent Journal News report, the Junior Knights, is an independent entity from the District. As of this morning, the District has not been made aware that any of our students or former students are in any way connected to this matter. 

View this week's edition of the One Mount Vernon Digitial Newsletter here, featuring a joint community message from Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith and incoming Superintendent of Schools Dr. Demario A. Strickland.

Students show resilience by thriving in challenging situations, and two Mount Vernon City School District students were recognized for their academic excellence and accomplishments at Student Advocacy’s Overcoming the Odds Awards. Kwanell Williams, a senior at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, and Prosper Ibeto, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, received about $700 in financial assistance to help start their post-secondary education.