District News

The MV CommUNITY is STRONG! The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation commends our entire community for their engagement and support of the $.17 operating referendum. Mt. Vernon will be able to maintain our programming and low class sizes. The referendum funds will also be allocated to hire more school resource officers so each building will have security presence and the high school will have two officers. In addition, our teachers’ salaries will increase and our classified staff pay will increase to a more competitive level. Our Operations Fund will be sustainable as the referendum funds will help replace the loss of our 10-year increment funds. 

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation is proud to announce that Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) has been ranked one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools” in 2022. MVHS sits in the top 40% of the nation’s high schools and is now ranked 15th in the Indianapolis metro area. Additionally, Mt. Vernon was ranked #46 out of all high schools in Indiana. The 2022 edition of Best High Schools includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide – almost 18,000 of them. See the full U.S. News & World Report on Mt. Vernon High School HERE.  

Many students from the senior class of 2022 were recognized for their outstanding achievements at Senior Honors Night, which was sponsored by the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation. 

As the students entered the stage, their names were announced with the college/university they plan to attend or their intended field of work. The ceremony began with opening remarks from Mt. Vernon High School Principal Casey Dodd and the Student Government President, Maitlyn Griner, which was followed by the presentation of awards/scholarships

Students who live out-of-district and wish to transfer into Mt. Vernon Schools must complete an online application during either of the designated windows listed below. Also, all students who are currently attending a Mt. Vernon school and do not live within the school district boundaries are also required to submit an application during either of these selected windows to attend during the 2022-2023 school year. (If you live in any MVCSC enrollment area, you do NOT need to complete this application.) As Superintendent Dr. Parker has previously shared, once you are a Mt. Vernon student/family, those students who submit an application will remain part of the Mt. Vernon family, unless there are major discipline or attendance issues. Please note that Fortville Elementary, McCordsville Elementary, Mt. Vernon Middle School and the Mini-Marauder Preschool are currently closed to new transfer families.

Congratulations to Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation Board Member Shannon Walls and Board President Kellie Freeman for each earning Advanced Governance Awards; Additionally, Board Member Tony May is also commended for earning an Exemplary Governance Award.

Each year Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation partners with the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation to recognize a Teacher of the Year (TOY) and Staff of the Year (SOY) in each building. Staff members rate those who they nominated on the qualities of dedication, team player, caring, student-centered, lifelong learner and innovative. The TOY and SOY for each building have been decided and we hope you join in congratulating those who have exemplified the previously listed qualities.

Want to express your appreciation to a Mt. Vernon employee? Now anyone can share a kind message to a bus driver, teacher, cafeteria worker, instructional assistant, custodian, or any staff member. The Mt. Vernon employee being recognized will receive a “Because of You…” postcard (for free) with your personalized message, from you! Click the link below to fill out the simple form!

Online registration (step one) is now open for incoming Kindergarten students for the 2022-2023 school year.  Mark your calendars for an IN-PERSON Kindergarten Registration on Tuesday, April 5 OR Thursday, April 7 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at any elementary school.

It is imperative to have all Kindergarten students register so schools can prepare enough teachers to keep the class sizes low.

The Indiana FCCLA State Conference was held March 6-8 at the Horizon Center in Muncie Indiana.  Students competed in State events and National STAR events.  For the eighth year in a row, the Mt. Vernon High School FCCLA Chapter received Gold the highest FCCLA award for their Chapter Honor Binder.  The binder documents all FCCLA activities the chapter completes in a calendar year. 

How many schools give their students a challenge to defy gravity and walk on water? At Mt. Vernon Middle School, the 8th grade challenges their students’ critical thinking skills by tasking them to build a piloted device that travels the length of the pool, with one team member navigating on the float.

Camp Invention is a program designed to inspire confidence and persistence as campers bring their biggest ideas to life. Certified local educators lead campers in fun collaborative, creative problem-solving activities for an amazing experience! The camp is for students who will be in Kindergarten-6th grade during the 2022-2023 school year and includes meaningful, STEM-focused activities. To learn more about this year’s program, please visit this website. 

The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation is pleased to share that Mt. Vernon High School band member, Jebediah Lottes (Jeb), has been selected for the 2022 Indiana All-State High School Band. Jeb has been selected to participate in the Sixty-Second Annual Indiana All-State High School Band Festival sponsored by the Indiana Bandmasters Association (IBA). The Mt. Vernon Band of Marauders is directed by Ms. Jackie Nason.

Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) Social Studies Teacher, Sarah Terrell, has been awarded the Golden Apple Award by WISH-TV. The award is given to one teacher in Central Indiana each month who makes a crucial difference in their students’ lives. Mrs. Terrell received a trophy and $500 from their sponsor, Bailey and Wood Mortgage Lender.

Fortville Elementary School (FES) fourth grade students utilized a number of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) applications to create a gingerbread replica of the Town of Fortville. Students were placed into small groups and assigned a business to research, prepare a report and create a gingerbread visual. All buildings were then connected to create a delicious replica of Main Street along with Mt. Vernon High School, Mt. Vernon Middle School, Fortville Elementary and Memorial Park.

Small Smiles is a club at Mt. Vernon High School that works to uplift students and staff. This student-led group has created several projects, but the most recent one has been a “Gratitude Wall” that displays what students and staff are thankful for on a banner in the hallway.

Mt. Vernon High School senior Maitlyn Griner was one of two seniors in Hancock County to receive the coveted Lilly Endowment Scholarship. She will receive a full four-year tuition at an Indiana college or university.

Mt. Vernon Middle School teacher, Deb Thomas, recently was awarded the Indiana Middle School Geography Teacher of the Year Award from the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana (GENI). This award is given each year to a middle school and a high school teacher in Indiana who live out the organization’s mission by promoting the value and significance of geography. This award was announced at the annual Indiana Council for the Social Studies Conference, of which GENI is a sponsor. 

Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) again is demonstrating its flexibility in preparing students for success by moving quickly to offer learning opportunities that match students’ interests to career opportunities. Even when that means building a program requiring sophisticated infrastructure and instruction over the course of one summer.

Mt. Vernon’s James Cochran, MVHS Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) teacher, was selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). He was nominated for his outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in his profession. He shows passion and inspiration and this award is a testament to the impact and critical role that he has played on his students’ lives.

The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation (MVCSC) contracted with Emcore in 2019 to assess the highest priorities for repairing critical infrastructure throughout all of the school buildings. Several school roofs and HVAC systems were among the most critical to address to prevent any further necessary repairs. As part of being good stewards of our financial resources, MVCSC prioritizes taking care of the facilities we own.

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation (MVCSC) partnered with the Central Indiana Educational Service Center and has been named a recipient of the Digital Capacity Building Grant from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). As a grant recipient, MVCSC has created a professional development opportunity called the Digital Learning Pathway. This program is designed to help educators develop and translate in-person teaching and learning best practices for use in blended and virtual classrooms. The pathway has six modules that articulate a common MVCSC vision to provide an engaging, robust and personalized learning environment for students’ education. Scott Shipley, director of curriculum, and Misty Hall, curriculum integration coordinator, gave a presentation on the success of the Digital Learning Pathway at the August MVCSC Board of Trustees meeting, congratulating the first MVCSC cohort with certificates. 

All five schools in the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation have earned a Highly Effective Schools Accreditation from Solution Tree. This accreditation is a significant achievement that reflects all five schools’ commitment to reaching and maintaining the highest levels of educational quality. Mt. Vernon High School, Mt. Vernon Middle School, Fortville Elementary  School, McCordsville Elementary School, and Mt. Comfort Elementary School earned this accreditation by maintaining and growing identified areas having the biggest impact on student learning and growth. These areas are directly aligned to the Professional Learning Communities at Work® (PLC) process and the High Reliability Schools™ framework. 
 

Mt. Vernon High School has been awarded the 2021 College Success Award by GreatSchools.org, which recognizes and celebrates public high schools that excel at preparing students to enroll and succeed in college. Mt. Vernon high school has previously earned this award in 2018 and 2020.

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation was privileged to host a community event to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of September 11, 2001. Veterans, first responders, active military, and local community members joined together at Mt. Vernon High School’s Hancock Health Stadium in solemn remembrance of the events of 9/11. In addition, there were three scheduled moments of silence designed for the remembrance of the plane crashes and all of those who sacrificed their lives in service against the war on terrorism.

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation was privileged to host Governor Eric Holcomb as he addressed the Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce during their monthly meeting. Local business representatives in attendance learned about the future plans for Indiana’s economic development, workforce, and community development. Steve Long, CEO of Hancock Health, moderated a stimulating conversation with Governor Eric Holcomb at the Mt. Vernon administration building.