Skip To Main Content

Students and families gather at Graham School to celebrate the MVCSD's annual Fall Festival

Students and families gather at Graham School to celebrate the MVCSD's annual Fall Festival

The Graham School field and parking lot were filled with crisp leaves, loud music and sounds of enjoyment, as hundreds of Mount Vernon residents walked from table to table, enjoying fun activities, snacks and live performances.  On November 2, 2024, the Mount Vernon City School District held its annual District-wide Fall Festival to promote unity and connection amongst the community. 

Click here to view the photo gallery!

Parent Liaisons posing together with matching shirts

“We’re happy that so many parents and families have come out today,” said Beth Smith, MVCSD parent liaison. “The parent liaisons have worked very hard to pull together organizations from around our community to bring information to our parents and fun activities for the kids to do to help build a sense of community across the District in all seventeen buildings. We’re just very happy to see so many people turn out and enjoy this beautiful day.” 

 During the festival, parents and students had the opportunity to get in touch with community organizations and student assistance programs. The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, the Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon, the Lincoln School Breast Cancer Committee, and Westchester Community Health were some of the organizations providing community resources and volunteering opportunities. The District even organized a few tables filled with clothing and supplies donated by staff and community members for families to choose from. 

Father playing field game with toddler.

“The purpose of these clothes is to give back to the community. They are clothes that were donated by staff members or other families in the community. We want to be able to give back to those who need it,”  said Sarah McNamee, school social worker at the Graham School.

The Fall Festival also had several fun activities for children and families. In the playground, three bouncy castles were inflated, attracting smiling faces and groups of kids. There was also face painting and balloon animals provided by the District. Many tables were giving away Halloween candy and treats to attendees as well as popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs given out by food vendors. In another part of the field, families could play games like Connect Four, cornhole and giant Jenga with their children. 

Child getting his hair cut by student barber

“I am having fun today. I already went to some tables and the event is really nice!”  said Mia Cruz, a student at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy and a former student of Graham. “My favorite part is seeing teachers that I had back in middle school – that means a lot to me – and seeing all of the community service tables and programs that I would like to do. I’m having fun and seeing all my friends that I have at other schools and remembering all of the old times.” 

Inside the gymnasium, the Westchester Barber Academy provided haircuts to students and community members free of charge. 

At noon, a crowd formed on the field to enjoy the live performances from Denzel Washington’s School of Art’s band. There were two electrifying performances given by the horns section and the drums section, which had the crowd dancing to the beat and erupting in cheers.

Crowd enjoying DWSA drum line performance

Parent liaisons of the MVCSD worked tirelessly to organize this event and provide a space for Mount Vernon citizens to wind down during the fall semester and connect with their community, building positive relationships between families and the schools.  

"The Fall Festival is an event held by the Mount Vernon City School District that brings the community together to build relationships, find helpful resources, and have fun at the same time,” said Dr. Jamal Doggett, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Administration.  “The turnout this year was outstanding! I would like to thank everyone who attended the Fall Festival, staff members who volunteered, and a special thank you to the parent liaisons for coordinating this wonderful event."  

Click here to view the photo gallery!

There are no resources to display
Logo for news post

Mount Vernon City School District:

Dear Mount Vernon Families and Community Members:

As you are aware, the Mount Vernon City School District is weighing options for a school building reorganization. Our most recent plans will be presented at our next town hall on Friday, December 6, 2024, at Graham School and on Zoom. While no decisions have been made, our Reorganization Committee must make a difficult choice. Our most recent discussions have considered the closures of Cecil H. Parker School, Mount Vernon Honor Academy and Mount Vernon Leadership Academy.

(continued)

Betty Rosa, Adriane Saunders, and Dr. Smith.

Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith, Board of Education President Adriane Saunders, and Assistant Superintendent for Business Jose Formoso attended the Conference of Big 5 School Districts annual fall meeting on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

Stacia Fogg with students

Now a pre-K teacher at Edward Williams School, Stacia Fogg graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1988. She has been a teacher in the Mount Vernon City School District since 1999 and now spends her time guiding students and their families through the first years of their education.  She is also a member of the executive board for the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers. 

View the Q+A with her here!

Students representatives from across the district come together for the November Student Advisory Meeting

On November 20, 2024, students from various schools of the Mount Vernon City School District convened at the Board of Education to discuss important student current events and topics. Middle and high school students met with Dr. Jamal Doggett, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Administration, to suggest changes and represent their schools as members of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council.