Skip To Main Content

Pre-K students tour Mount Vernon

Firefighter gathers pre-k students for a picture.
Pre-K students tour Mount Vernon

Pre-kindergarten students toured Mount Vernon to see all the community helpers throughout the month of December. The “hop on, hop off” bus tour visited the fire and police departments, grocery store, library, post office, Board of Education office, City Hall and more.
 
“This tour gave our students the opportunity to see all the amazing places in Mount Vernon,” said Dr. Gayle White Wallace, Director of Pre-K, Gifted and Talented, and Special Projects.

Firefighter gathers pre-k students for a picture.

“It is important that our children know the place they call home.” 
 
Students had the opportunity to learn about community helpers’ jobs.

“A lot of what we do is when someone calls for help, we get into the police car and drive to where they are so we can help them,” said Lieutenant Gregory Addison, Mount Vernon police officer.  
 
Lieutenant Addison made sure students knew when it is appropriate to call 911 and even showed them the room where calls are taken.  
 
The fire department also made sure students knew what number to call for an emergency and not to hide from the firefighters when they come to help.  
 
Another stop on the tour was City Hall where students met Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. 
 
“As Mayor, I have to lead the city,” said Mayor Patterson-Howard. “We make sure the community is safe and clean and that we have good programs for our young people.”   
 
Each stop was a reminder to students that there are people who work to help others in the community. Each role is crucial to building the Mount Vernon community up and keeping it safe. 

Click here to view more pictures

3 students with new sneakers and Jude
Local businessman donates sneakers to four students at Grimes School

Four deserving students left school with new pairs of sneakers thanks to a donation from Jude Sainjour, cofounder of Buttafly, a clothing shop in Mount Vernon. Mr. Sainjour traveled to Grimes School to personally give the students their new shoes on Friday, September 22, 2023.

Dad and daughter
Several Schools hold Dads Take Your Child to School Day

Fathers gathered around the entrance of their child's school and children beamed with happiness as their dads got a chance to visit their school. Lincoln School, Mount Vernon Leadership Academy, Hamilton School, Cecil H. Parker School and Graham School held Dads Bring Your Child to School Day on Thursday, September 21, 2023.  

Brian Simmons
CTE Department introducing EMT pilot program for RTA and MVHS students

The Mount Vernon City School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department has announced that it will be offering emergency medical technician (EMT) training at Mount Vernon High School. The courses will be available for around 20 12th-grade students at MVHS and Rebecca Turner Academy (RTA).

Mr. Thomas, Dr. Pope, Ms. Naughton and students.
MVHS alumni give motivational speeches to 11th graders

Two alumni of Mount Vernon High School spoke to a crowd of 11th graders and motivated them to excel in their studies and accomplish great things. Erica Naughton, assistant principal at MVHS, invited Dr. Gloria Pope and Steven “Butch” Thomas to show scholars the success that Mount Vernon graduates and residents can achieve. Mr. Thomas and Dr. Pope visited MVHS on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

Logo for news post
Statement from the Acting Superintendent: Threatening Social Media Posts

Recently, some students in the region came across a concerning post on the popular social media platform TikTok. This post contained a generic threat that mentioned "open fire" on schools without specifying any particular school or district. It is important to note that such posts are not isolated incidents and are unfortunately prevalent on various social media platforms worldwide. Their intent is often to create alarm, annoyance, and disrupt the educational process.

Royce Russell
District welcoming new In-House Counsel Royce Russell

The Mount Vernon City School District welcomes In-House Counsel Royce Russell. Mr. Russell is an attorney specializing in employment (wrongful termination and discrimination), contracts, and civil rights violations. He will work with all aspects of the District, including legal, policies and procedures, and daily operations.