Greetings!

It was exciting to have our students return to the buildings this week as we begin the second semester. Safety protocols will continue for the remainder of the year and may be adjusted upon guidance from the state or county health department. We anticipate disruptions again this semester due to Covid-19. However, the MSD of Mount Vernon is still committed to providing in-person education as much as possible for the remainder of the school year. 

Despite various disruptions due to quarantine our students performed well overall during the 1st semester. Academically, the @i-Ready diagnostic indicates our students experienced 76% median growth in reading and 66% median growth in math. At this time of year 50% median growth is expected. Athletically, our high school fall sports had an excellent season. Artistically, our fall play was wonderful and our band and choir sounded just as good as ever. Like many of you I wish we could have larger crowds to enjoy our students’ accomplishments. Until larger crowds are possible we will continue streaming many of our events through Facebook or the MVHS Athletic website. 

We look forward to another semester of success!

Dr. Matt Thompson

Athletics are off to a strong start!

ALL IN isn’t a catch phrase, it’s a way of life. ALL IN means you completely invest yourself in what you are doing. It means you demand the best from yourself and those around you. It means you carry yourself with integrity and determination. It means wins and losses matter. 

Over the last year, our athletic teams have promoted ALL IN to our student athletes and it’s paying off. Our football team has started the season undefeated. Our volleyball team is state ranked. Our boys’ and girls’ soccer teams have winning records. Both cross country teams have competed well and dropped times. Girls’ golf finished 3rd out of 13 in the PAC. And our boys’ tennis team is showing improvement in each competition.  

We won’t win every game in every sport this year, but we will be ready to compete in every game in every sport. Our coaching staff has worked hard to prepare for this year. Many of them hosted Zoom workouts with their athletes during quarantine to ensure we didn’t miss a beat.  Once we were able to practice on campus, our athletes fully invested themselves in workouts and weight training to prepare for the year. 

Our head varsity coaches are diligently working with their respective feeder programs to ensure a long lasting culture of success. I encourage families to participate in our youth leagues throughout the year. It is important for our youth athletes to begin learning fundamentals and experience competition. Soon, they will be our varsity athletes competing for championships. 

The MSD of Mount Vernon is excited to welcome our students back in-person and virtually. The energy level of our students and staff this first day of school has been great! We intend to stay in school as long as we can and as much as we can this entire school year. As we move forward this year please remember, WE NEED YOUR HELP.

For families that are attending in-person, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please make sure you are screening your students each day before school. If they have a fever, please keep them home. We understand that childcare is a concern that often drives parents to medicate their children before they send them to school resulting in a reduced fever. We can’t afford to do that this year! The spread of COVID-19 could result in building closure for 2 to 3 weeks. It is much better for everyone if you keep your student home until they are fever free for 72 hours without medication. If your student contracts COVID-19 or has been ordered by the County Health Department to quarantine due to close contact, please contact your school nurse. 

For families that are attending virtually, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please make sure your student is logging in daily and completing assignments on time. As a reminder, elementary virtual classes will be on a bit of a delay in the beginning as the teacher will share lessons and information at the end of each school day. If you experience any technical issues, please make us aware of them so that we may address them. Establish a routine for your student to help keep them on track. Also, please be patient during the first few days of school as data entry occurs and technical problems get ironed out.

This year will be what we collectively make of it. We have great families and we have great teachers. If we all do our part, it will be great school year!  

Preparing For Fall 2020

At this time, it is hard to anticipate what the fall of 2020 will look like for schools. We all want a return to normalcy, but we also understand there is a significant possibility our normal routines may be interrupted again. Much of what we do will be dictated by the Governor’s executive orders regarding schools over the next few months. 

Currently, we are developing plans for a return to school with additional safety measures, as well as a potential return to school using eLearning. Our teachers are training to develop and implement eLearning lessons, should they be necessary in the fall. Below you will find steps we are taking to ensure we can provide continuous education. If eLearning is mandated, we will provide detailed information to families as soon as possible. 

*Every student will receive an electronic device to take home
*We will provide satellite locations to receive Wi-Fi in areas without internet coverage
*We will provide instructions to parents and students on how to access Google Classroom and Google Meet
*Teachers will record lessons and post them in Google Classroom
*Teachers will use Google Meet to host live class sessions daily and record those sessions for those unable to attend the live session
*Teachers will be available to meet with students or parents face to face using Google Meet.
*Paper packets will still be available upon request

No matter what the fall throws at us, we will be prepared to deliver the best education possible to your student. We have the best teachers and they are working hard to ensure our students don’t miss a beat. 

Stay healthy!

Our Fine Arts Academy is one of the best arts programs in southern Indiana. As many districts have scaled back their arts programs during recent budget cuts, we have continued to invest in our students providing several opportunities to excel in the arts.

We boast award-winning traditional art programs. Ceramics, sculpture, 2D, and 3D art students consistently win awards in local competitions. Likewise, our digital design classes create computer-generated art that also receives accolades each year.  

Music in our schools also boasts a proud tradition of excellence as our band and choir programs are both award-winning and legendary.  This is exemplified by past programs like Angelus which comprised seven young women from Mt. Vernon Senior High School who performed music ranging from medieval chant and polyphony to the American Sacred Harp tradition as well as contemporary American and Irish works.  As for the band, history was made last year as the Marching Wildcats were sent to consecutive state competitions.  Both of these programs are led by talented and energetic teachers (Ryan Knight - Choir / Joe Stone - Band) who I expect more great things from.    

March 12-14 the Mt. Vernon Sr. High School Fine Arts Academy is proud to present “Legally Blonde” in the PAC at 7:00 pm each night with an additional 2:00 pm matinée on Saturday.

“Legally Blonde is an exciting, modern musical for students and patrons of all ages, but we advise parents that the show is considered by Music Theatre International to be PG to PG-13 for its content. The musical comedy is very similar to the humor and plot of the 2001 movie starring Reese Witherspoon, so please consider this when deciding if your child should attend.” 

Student creativity and inquiry are a focus of the MSD of Mount Vernon.  We pride ourselves on promoting student engagement with the ever changing world around them.  The district has taken several steps over the years to create a learning environment that fosters innovation and embraces digital learning.

WSI has generously invested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) labs, known as Maker’s Space throughout the district.  Our elementary students are provided opportunities to creatively work through challenging problems and develop solutions using STEM kits throughout the year.  This year we expanded opportunities to compete in robotics competitions and we plan to grow our robotics program further in the years to come.

The high school recently added an Innovation and Open Source Learning class that focuses on student driven solutions for community and world problems.  Currently, our students are working on several projects for the course which include; a city beautification project, the creation of prosthetic limbs, podcasts that focus on current topics, a children’s book, and the use of denim for insulation in habitat homes.  Our students’ creativity and engagement never cease to amaze me.

Next year we plan to expand our Project Lead the Way curriculum to include the junior high and high schools.  We will focus on coding and engineering, creating opportunities for students to get a head start in careers with growing demand.  The MSD of Mount Vernon is dedicated to providing resources to our students that promote innovation.

On February 27, 2020 our district will participate in Digital Learning Day, drawing attention to the digital learning that happens daily in the classroom.  School will be in session.  I invite you to check out our social media feeds that day to see some of the innovative tools teachers use to help our students learn and grow!  

As we stand on the threshold of a new decade, we at MV schools are fortunate enough to do so as a part of a community. Our community of local businesses, family farmers, and area government officials stand with us and are poised to invest in our students moving forward, just as they have in the past.

For years, our local businesses have provided opportunities for MSDMV students to take the knowledge they gain in the classroom and apply it in the field. These companies work hand in hand with our business department to provide students with internships and field experience. These experiences not only allow students the opportunity to experience their future career, but to experience it locally, greatly increasing the chances that our graduates will stay in our community. Last school year (2018-19), and the 1st semester of this year (2019-20), students involved in the Career Intern program at MVHS, interned at these Mt. Vernon businesses and companies: Tanner Engineering, RPI, Posey Co. Prosecutor's Office, Pacific Coast Details, Grow Marketing Solutions, Posey County Economic Development Corporation, Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Studio B, Astrazeneca, CVS Pharmacy, CountryMark Marketing, Bliss Artisan and Hawthorne's Animal Hospital. Additionally, these local businesses contributed greatly when our students and staff members worked with 14News to collect canned goods for the Tristate Food Bank. Not only did this event benefit the food bank, it brought the community together with a shared goal.

Another facet to our community is the strong network of local farmers. These farmers have been instrumental in developing our future agricultural leaders by working directly with The Future Farmers of America to share valuable knowledge and offer hands on opportunities. Local farmers such as Chris Kaufman with Kaufman Farms have invested a great deal of time speaking with MVHS students and educating them on the intricacies of the industry. Finally, a community isn't complete without its government leaders, and we are so fortunate to have leaders who are willing to work directly with our schools.

So as you can see, we do not enter this new decade in isolation, but as part of a growing and thriving community that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. We look forward to continuing our partnerships and creating new ones, supporting our learners and educators, and creating lasting bonds in this community we call home. #WeAreMV

Dr. Matt Thompson

Positive School Culture and Climate
The Metropolitan School District of Mt. Vernon is dedicated to providing a safe, caring, positive, cooperative, pleasant, and challenging learning environment with high expectations for all students. Every school has its own home-school advisors, counselors, and nurses. Students in our district have access to a full array of services for special needs students, as well as programs for special needs students, as well as programs for coping with behavioral, social, academic, or other life stressors.

Technology-Infused Learning Environments
Driving the achievement, the MSDMV sits at the forefront of cutting-edge technology-based education. Technology is heavily integrated into the instructional process across all grade levels. State of the art hardware, infrastructure, applications, and software presented by tech-savvy teachers allows each student to have unique, real-world experiences that combine the use of technology with basic skills instruction. As a result, our students experience higher levels of engagement and academic achievement. Currently, our school district has a 1:1 technology initiative in place at MVJHS and MVHS, with plans to expand to all grade levels.

Responsive School-Community Relations
MSDMV is proud to have highly qualified, responsive teachers and results oriented administrators. The staff of MSDMV firmly believes two-way, open communication and maintaining positive parent-teacher-student relationships. Our district is focused on professional development and continued growth of all students and staff. Furthermore, the recognition of student and staff achievement is a priority in our schools. In addition to a strong social media presence on Facebook, MSDMV and its students and employees are committed to on-going community involvement.