District News

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation (MVCSC) holds the health and safety as our number one priority for our students and staff. 

Comprehensive planning is continuing to take place to keep MVCSC students and staff healthy/safe during the school year. MVCSC's Back-to-School Taskforce of about 25 people developed safe reopening plans for this school year. The Back-to-School Taskforce is charged with providing the safest and healthiest environment possible. 

Superintendent Dr. Jack Parker has scheduled Virtual “Traveling Talks” to keep the community connected with the school.  These Virtual “Traveling Talks” are an opportunity for community members to communicate directly with Dr. Parker and share their hopes, questions, and/or concerns about Mt. Vernon schools. This casual dialogue is designed to connect the community with school leadership.  

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.