High school students continue their learning in first full day of the 2024-2025 school year

High school students filled the hallways, with their new schedules in hand, as schools in the Mount Vernon City School District held their first full day of school on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. High schoolers began to get back in the flow of school and continued meeting their new teachers and reorienting themselves into a new school year.

Mount Vernon High School kicked off its year with a new theme: The Year of Responsibility, Fostering Accountability for Success. Students entered their classes with responsibility at the forefront of their minds as the key to a successful year.

“As we enter into the third year of our transformation process here as the New Mount Vernon High School, we welcome this year’s theme, which is The Year of Responsibility, Fostering Accountability for Success,’” said MVHS Principal Dr. Pauline Pearce. “I’m excited to see how many more staff and students we are going to get on board who see the vision, believe in the vision, and are ready to pull their socks up and get the work done that is needed to move this school to an excellent one.”

Teachers began the process of getting to know their new students and introducing them to the topics that they will be covering during the year.

“With our students today, because of media and phones, the challenge of building up your active literacy – speaking and writing – is paramount,” said Doug Marolla, English teacher at MVHS. “As someone in my line of work, that’s an enjoyable challenge, working with young people to try to get those skills to a very high level. Each year is a fresh start, so that part of it is exciting in terms of the class and how the students react to the material we have.”

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Students are also excited for the new opportunities that come with a new school year. 

“I’m just excited to get back into the swing of school and work harder to achieve high grades,” said Jazell Hewitt, a ninth-grade student at MVHS. “I want to have an average of 90 and above throughout the school year. I’m also just excited to experience high school for the first time.”

Mount Vernon STEAM Academy teachers are also setting themselves up for a successful school year in their classrooms.  The school has several new and experienced teachers who are introducing new methods in their classrooms to encourage student achievement. Ashley Wallace, a new English teacher at STEAM, is hosting book cafes in her class. The goal is to introduce students to genres that they enjoy, which will make reading fun and foster a love of reading and learning that they can build on throughout their education.

“This is my 13th year of teaching, but I’m new to Mount Vernon,” said Ms. Wallace. “So, I’m just excited to be back in a large urban district like Mount Vernon and be with ninth graders. They are more nervous in the beginning of the year, and I want to help ease them into the high school transition and make them feel comfortable, welcome, and probably more secure. It’s a big life transition for them.”

She will also be utilizing project-based learning with her students throughout the year. 

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Students in the senior class at STEAM are looking forward to their senior activities, which they have already begun fundraising for. They also are looking to finish high school off strong, graduate and get into their schools of choice.

“I really am looking forward to graduating,” said Jayden Beckford, a 12th-grade student at STEAM who wants to attend Fordham University. “I also want to try out new things. It’s my last year, so I’m willing to try anything or any class. I just want to get a good GPA and rack up more things to put on my resume to make me look like a better student for universities. I’m back with my friends, and I’m just looking forward to all the senior stuff that comes with this year.”

Last year, the senior class at STEAM raised thousands of dollars through popcorn sales. These funds will help reduce the cost of senior events such as prom and the senior trip. 

“Being a senior in our last year of school, fundraising and art class are what I’m looking forward to,” said Jordin Washington, a 12th-grade student at STEAM. “I’m definitely excited about getting to leave early this year, our fundraising committee, prom, and all our other senior activities. I really hope it’s a good year.” 

At Rebecca Turner Academy, students are getting acclimated to the school by interacting with teachers and other students and collecting their schedules. Pre-K classes are also continuing their first-week lessons. 

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There will be a number of student and parent orientation programs in the coming weeks for students and their families to learn more about the school with Principal Troy Newbey. 

“My entire staff and I are excited about the second school year of the Rebecca Turner Academy,” said Mr. Newbey. “We want to continue to build a community that thrives on academic excellence and providing the students with what they need to earn the credits they need to graduate in a timely fashion. 

“We want to partner with community resources to provide the students with opportunities for employment. We want to increase our graduation rate, and we want to instill a sense of pride in our students that they can accomplish anything they want to if they dedicate themselves to their academics.”

Schools throughout the District continued their back-to-school procedures during the day. Teachers met their new classes and went over essential questions of their courses, learning targets and other academic information their students need for the classes. 
 
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