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. 

The Mt. Vernon Education Foundation (MVEF) has received a $12,000 Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF) grant which will benefit Mt. Vernon students. This grant is made possible by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and awarded by the United Way of Central Indiana. The Lilly Endowment donated a total of $1,712,500 to help meet needs affected by the pandemic in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Morgan counties.
 

At the Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) Band of Marauders’ Community Night Performance on October 8, the MVHS Band of Marauders presented the Mt. Vernon School Board with a retired uniform, last worn during the “Wheel'd” performance in the fall of 2019. The “Wheel’d” performance consistently finished in the top three of each contest, and placed first in three contests. The Band of Marauders finished their season in second place at Scholastic Finals last year.

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 would like to congratulate Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) Senior, Katelynn Hexamer, on her recent nomination for Indiana’s Champion of the Year through the Best Buddies program. Katelynn has participated in MVHS’s Best Buddies program the past four years and worked has now evolved to become the president of the Mt. Vernon chapter.
 

Mt. Vernon is one of many school districts that has been selected to receive $185,000 in funding from The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERF) to improve online school instruction. This grant was applied for in partnership with the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis and the Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC). 
 

The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation is pleased to announce that the Mt. Vernon Middle School has received a $15,000 grant from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. School districts across America were nominated and selected by a panel of teachers and farmers to receive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) grants through the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program with Bayer. The funds received will be used to support a second Robotics/Engineering course at Mt. Vernon Middle School, specifically for eighth grade students to challenge their learned skills from prior STEM classes. 
 

The Mt. Vernon High School Band program has recently received a generous $1,800 NineStar Grant through Operation RoundUp. The band program intends to use these funds to start a bucket drumming program for Mt. Vernon 4th and 5th graders. 

Mt. Vernon has received a Temporary Quarantine Room (TQR™) at Mt. Vernon Middle School to help with the process of CDC-recommended, short-term isolation due to COVID-19. These rooms provide a safe space to quarantine up to two students who show symptoms for COVID-19. Mt. Vernon continues to follow the guidance of our county and state health departments, which includes isolation guidelines. This Temporary Quarantine Room was donated by Hamilton Exhibits and provides students with a secure and comfortable environment while they wait to be picked up by a guardian. 

For the second year in a row, Mt. Vernon Middle School has won the “Champions Together in the Middle” banner from Champions Together--a partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana. Earning this banner is not a simple task; the requirements listed for middle schools include the following: The school must form an inclusive leadership team to organize events, put on an event that engages the entire school to raise awareness, organize and participate in a Unified sports activity, and raise at least $750.  

This August the Mt. Vernon Middle School has received a $2,000 grant from NineStar Connect’s Operation Round-Up. This funding will be distributed throughout several different facets of the school. $500 will be allotted for the swim department to purchase equipment for swim classes. Much needed fins, snorkels, pool basketball sets, towels, and swimsuits will all be utilized by the students, thanks to Ninestar.
 

Mt. Vernon Middle School is pleased to announce that they have received a  $15,000 grant from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The funds are designated from their “America’s Farmers Grow Rural America” grant which will be used to support a second Robotics/Engineering course at MVMS, specifically for eighth grade students who have realized their capabilities and potential in prior STEM classes. 

Recently, the students within the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program at Mt. Vernon High School received the Multiplying Good One in a Million Award. Multiplying Good is an esteemed award foundation based in New York that is focused on recognizing and rewarding acts of service that benefit the community. JAG’s most recent project based learning activity, “Self Care for Both You and Me”, included working with the “Rise Above it” program, the MVHS “Bring Change 2 Mind” club, the Goodwill “Collect and Connect” program, and Gleaners Food Pantry. 

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) in the top tier of the national high school rankings, specifically #17 in the central region and #64 in Indiana.  Schools are ranked based on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well the schools’ students are prepared for college. The U.S. News ranked approximately 17,790 public high schools in the nation. 

Despite these trying times, the Mt. Vernon High School staff continued the tradition of honoring its seniors through a virtual Senior Honor Night.  The virtual celebration, created by the MVHS Technology Education Teacher, Mr. Tom Shaver, began with a senior portrait presentation of each senior at Mt. Vernon High School.  The photos were followed by opening remarks from the school’s principal, Mr. Casey Dodd.  

The negative attitudes and beliefs surrounding mental health is a very prominent issue around the world, however the Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) club at Mt. Vernon High School (MVHS) is doing their best to break that stigma in our community.  BC2M is a national organization that aims to open a dialogue about mental health and create new social norms regarding the stigma surrounding mental health.  

Fortville, McCordsville, and Mt. Comfort Elementary have been recognized as Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished Schools for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Launch. They are 3 of just 404 elementary schools across the U.S. to receive this honor. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.

At the March MVCSC School Board Meeting, Superintendent Dr. Jack Parker presented the Future Growth Plan that the MV Community Champions developed through an eight month process. The MVCSC School Board unanimously passed the 10-year Future Growth Plan that will see Mt. Vernon through its imminent growth. Within the next 10 years, the Future Growth Plan will have Mt. Vernon: 

Mt. Vernon Middle School (MVMS) principal, Mr. Benjamin Williams, recently graduated from the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute (IPLI). Housed at Indiana State University’s Bayh College of Education, IPLI is a two-year experience that addresses the professional needs of Indiana public school principals with an emphasis on student success. It was created with bipartisan support by the Indiana General Assembly in 2013.