Opening the Jewel Box: Families canvass MVCSD for Parent Involvement Day

Parents across the Mount Vernon City School District stepped inside their children’s schools for the 29th annual Parent Involvement Day on Monday — a districtwide celebration aptly themed “Opening the Jewel Box.” Click here to view photos from the day! 

The event -- presented in collaboration with the Mount Vernon PTA Council and the Mount Vernon Parent and Community Forum on Education – gave parents the opportunity to get an immersive look at classrooms, daily routines, instruction and their children’s extensive support network.

From breakfast tables to bingo cards, from literacy workshops to line dancing, the day celebrated one central idea: when families are engaged, students shine brighter.

Traphagen School families started their morning with breakfast and classroom visits, before heading into workshops that focused on technology support and financial literacy. Parent Antoinette Anderson expressed her enthusiasm about this year.

“I'm excited about this new chapter for the Mount Vernon School District,” Ms. Anderson said. “(Superintendent of Schools) Dr. Demario) Strickland and the principal here, Ms. (Carol) Quinones, seem to be really invested in the growth and the overall well-being of the children. I’m excited about the possibilities of this year.”

Dr. Strickland visited several schools throughout the day, including STEAM Academy and Pennington School. At Graham School, he heard from Michelle Atterberry’s fifth-grade students and what they recently learned during their ELA assignment about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where they were reading at an 11th-grade level. 

Click here to view photos from the day! 

At Benjamin Turner Academy, the day kicked off with breakfast and a lively “Get to Know You” bingo game in the Media Center, where families connected with one another before joining classrooms virtually via Zoom.

The morning then turned its focus to family support and wellness with a presentation by Dr. Gloria Pope, founder of the Daisy Dream Project, who introduced parents to the organization’s wide range of services, particularly for families of children diagnosed with disabilities.

The Daisy Dream Project offers social and parenting classes, a sensory gym, family resources and even essentials such as free diapers — all designed to remove barriers and strengthen families.

Throughout the day, BTA parents and students rotated through a full slate of activities, including line dancing, trivia games, crafts, classroom visits and workshops on mental health, digital safety and other timely topics.

Parent Jacqueline Harley, whose daughter Ava Davis is a first-grader at BTA and whose older child attends the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, said her motivation for attending was simple.

“I always support it,” Ms. Harley said. “I come to be involved and show my kids that I care and that I’m interested in their education.” She added that being present sends a powerful message to children.

“It shows the child that you care, that you’re interested in their learning experience, and it gives them happiness to see their parents in the school,” Ms. Harley said.

BTA PTA President Celine Martin echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of connection not only between parents and schools, but also throughout the broader community.

She outlined the day’s workshops, including sessions on mental health, digital access and online safety, as well as a presentation titled “Hidden in Plain Sight,” which helped parents identify drug paraphernalia disguised as everyday items.

“It’s about giving our parents more education and how to be more involved in their children,” Ms. Martin said.

Click here to view photos from the day! 

At Hamilton School, Parent Involvement Day focused on strengthening academic habits and family engagement through interactive workshops.

Michelle Lopez, parent of second-grader Sarah, attended sessions on building strong reading routines at home.

“They were teaching us how to get good habits into reading and techniques to keep motivating our kids,” Ms. Lopez said, adding that she planned to attend additional workshops on academic support, bilingual learning strategies and PTA involvement.

“It helps us know what our kids are doing,” she said. “It helps us get closer with the people that spend the entire day with our kids.”

Parents also received guidance on navigating Infinite Campus, the District’s student information system. Presenter Sarah McGarty walked families through account access, tools and resources, ensuring parents could stay informed and connected to their child’s progress.

Hamilton’s schedule included presentations on the power of reading, learning habits, fire safety, family game activities like “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader,” and raffles that added an element of fun to the learning.

At Grimes School, Parent Involvement Day blended classroom visits with presentations focused on literacy, attendance and student wellness.

Parent Nikita Nixon, who has children in third and fifth grades, said the opportunity to visit classrooms was especially meaningful.

“I really wanted to go to the classrooms just to see what they’re doing throughout the day,” she said, noting that seeing instruction firsthand helped ease transitions between schools.

Grimes librarian Tracey Wong led a literacy session that encouraged parents to read to their children daily — even as they grow older.

“They could be fifth or sixth graders — read to them every night,” Ms. Wong told parents in the media center. “That’s a special story time you get to spend with them.”

She shared practical ways families can weave literacy into everyday life, from reading recipes and menus to discussing articles and poems.

“Ideally, we should be reading to our kids multiple times a day,” she said, emphasizing that literacy doesn’t have to be formal to be effective.

Additional Grimes events included presentations on the history of Parent Involvement Day, the importance of school attendance, early literacy, bullying prevention and the FSW Therapeutic Clinic housed at the school.

Click here to view photos from the day! 

At Mount Vernon High School, parents were treated to a tour of the school and its programs given by students in the National Honor Society. 

Families got a glimpse into the many pathways students can take including International Baccalaureate and Career and Technical Education. These programs prepare students for the future world of college and employment after graduation. 

“I really love the school, I really had fun here. I think it helped me a lot in my career, my life,” said Jun Perz, MVHS graduate Class of 1994 and father of freshman Tyler. “I'm enjoying myself. I think that it's important that we come in and see what's going on.”

Families also participated in various workshops throughout the day including Junior Knights, which highlighted important aspects of planning for post-secondary education and The International Baccalaureate Programme, showcasing the access, opportunities and outcomes for scholars at MVHS.

At Graham School, families were in for a special treat with students in second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh grades performing African dance and drumming during their Black History Assembly in the auditorium. 

Families later headed to the gym, where they engaged in gym teacher Craig Zern’s presentation “Your Heart is a Gem,” in honor of American Heart Month. Coach Zern discusses the importance of participating in physical activity with your family year round.

By inviting parents into classrooms, lessons and meaningful discussions, Mount Vernon reinforced a simple but powerful message: education works best when schools and families walk hand in hand.

Click here to view photos from the day!