Mount Vernon City School District

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to vote in our recent school budget election. Your participation is vital to the future of our schools and demonstrates a deep commitment to the success of our students and our community.

A Message from the Superintendent – Thank You for Participating in the Budget Vote

Young Scholars in grades sixth through eighth, along with their fathers and fatherly figures, congregated in the auditorium at Pennington School for the third annual Gentlemen’s Brunch. Esteemed professionals from across the City of Mount Vernon visited to discuss what it means to be a leader and how to overcome hardships.

Happy early Father's Day! Traphagen School celebrated Fathers and Father Figures this morning with their Hats Off to Dads event. Students enjoyed breakfast and picked out hats and iron on patches personally for their dads.

Ms. Lindsay Vetere’s fourth-grade class at Nelson Mandela/Dr. Hosea Zollicoffer School recently held an end-of-year writing celebration to recognize the amazing work and growth of the students throughout the year! Families were invited to visit the classroom and enjoy a showcase of the students’ writing accomplishments. Student work included a folktale explaining how giraffes developed their long necks, a historical fiction diary entry, a play featuring a meaningful lesson, and an animal research project. The event provided an opportunity for students to share their creativity, research, and growth as writers throughout the year.

Students and staff had an amazing time celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month at Nelson Mandela/Hosea Zollicoffer Elementary School this week! The entire school came alive with vibrant flags and colorful posters, all created by the talented staff and students at NMHZ. Everyone came together outside, enjoying lively music and dancing, and honoring the rich cultures and traditions of the Caribbean. The PreK - 6 grade Parade of Flags was a joyful highlight, making this a truly memorable celebration for the school community!

Calendar Reminder: All schools and offices in the Mount Vernon City School District will be closed on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth!

Grimes School was honored by Governor Kathy Hochul and the State of New York Executive Chamber for participating in an essay writing contest on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Ms. Johnson's and Ms. Cooper's featured 6th grade students worked in library class and on their own writing their essays on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Entering the New York State Office of General Services writing contest, the children were excited to be a part of something bigger than themselves. By helping instill the concepts Dr. King fought so hard for, these 6th graders are building compassion, community and learning at an early age how important collaboration is.

Ms. Genie Ernst’s kindergarten students at Traphagen have made significant growth as readers this year under her instruction! They actively engage in reading partnerships, where they read together, discuss their books, and ask thoughtful questions. Students are developing strong comprehension skills by talking about characters, events, and details, while also building foundational reading habits such as using picture clues, retelling, and staying engaged with texts. Through consistent opportunities to collaborate and reflect on their reading, students are developing the positive habits and confidence that strong readers demonstrate.

Kindergarten students at Traphagen strengthening reading skills Ms. Genie Ernst’s kindergarten students at Traphagen have made significant growth as readers this year under her instruction! They actively engage in reading partnerships, where they read together, discuss their books, and ask thoughtful questions.