performance on state tests in grades 3-12.
kindergarten through third grade.
•
of the following:
Progress - The District achieved
Graduation - The District achieved

						
							
	Mount Vernon City Schools

					
	DISTRICT NEWS
			
		Fall 2022	Connecting Our Community

District Receives High Marks on State Report Card A message from Superintendent William Seder Jr.

Mount Vernon City School recently received its state report	The District is proud to share the following results:
card based on the 2021-2022 school year. While we realize
that the state report card does not tell the whole story of the	Achievement - The District achieved many wonderful things going on throughout the District, It	exceeding the state standards.
does give us some valuable academic information.
East and Wiggin Street each earned	. We are excited to share the results and recognize the
outstanding efforts of our students and staff. The new
report card system is based on six (6) performance
measures, including the following components:	exceeding the state standards.
• Achievement - This component represents student	East, Twin Oak, Wiggin Street, and Mount Vernon
• Progress - This component measures the growth of	High School each earned	. all students from one year to the next. Meeting one
year’s worth of growth would receive 3 stars.	Gap Closing - The District achieved • Gap Closing - This component measures the	exceeding the state standards.
reduction in educational gaps between student
subgroups. (Students with Disabilities, Economically	Columbia, East, Twin Oak, Wiggin Street, and Mount
Disadvantaged, English Language Learners,	Vernon High School each earned	. Ethnicities, etc.)
• K-3 Literacy - This component measures reading
improvement and proficiency for students in	meeting the state standard. Mount Vernon’s 5-year
graduation rate is 94.6%. Graduation - This component looks at the four and
five-year graduation rates when students enter the
9th grade.	K-3 Literacy - The District achieved
• College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness	meeting the state standard. - This component looks at how well prepared our
students are for future opportunities, whether training	CCWM Readiness - The College, Career, Workforce, in a technical field or preparing for work or college.	and Military Readiness component will not be
The rating system for each component utilizes a starred	measured until 2024-2025.
rating system from 1-5 stars. The star rating system consists	The State of Ohio has developed a methodology to compare Similar Districts around Ohio based on a list of

Signiﬁcant Support	Fell Short of Meeting	Meeting needed to meet                  State Standards                  State Standards State Standards

Exceeding	Signiﬁcantly Exceeding State Standards                     State Standards
	factors: Enrollment, Adjusted Gross Income, Economically Disadvantaged, % Adults with College Degrees, and % Population Living in Urban Areas. Mount Vernon City Schools Ranked #1 among its 20 similar district cohorts . . .

DISTRICT NEWS	FALL 2022

	ill, Director of Technology an

		

“Bumping Up” Learning with Ed. Techn

d Gifted Education

The Mount Vernon City School District Technology Department is continuing to do its part in helping our district ¨bump up¨ student learning across the district. Several significant enhancements are
on our horizon. One of these enhancements is to improve our Wi-Fi service to our students and staff. This initiative is made possible by a Federal Program called E-Rate. The main driver of the percentage of government grants MVCSD receives is from
our families completing their Free or Reduced Meal Applications. Our current percentage is 80% paid by the Federal Government, with our school district covering 20%. We are thankful for the continued support of parents/guardians filling out these federal applications. This project involves installing Wi-Fi access points in most classrooms and needed network switches to support this service. Our Wi-Fi infrastructure will be dramatically improved, which our students and staff depend on daily.

Another area of improvement focuses on providing our staff with educational technology coaching opportunities to continue to "bump up" student learning. The Ohio Department of Education and National ISTE Technology Standards, along with research from Harvard University and John Hattie, support coaching opportunities for educators. Coaching for teachers includes
in-person and virtual sessions on learning about how s educational tools can enhance teachers' existing lesso

Teachers have the option of selecting any number of coaching opportunities and can earn college credit or CEUs for their time and efforts.

Over the last year and a half, our district has benefited from three approved Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund Grant Applications amounting to $1.4 million for our school district to improve connectivity on-site and in remote locations. The equipment and services purchased with these funds are independent of our General Operating Funds to provide
Wi-Fi access on district buses, purchase new Chromebooks for students in grades 3 – 12, and upgrade Chromebooks for all classroom teachers.

MVCSD recently received approval for the third round of funding of $236,305.78 through the Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund. This grant will allow us to provide a fixed period of one year of Wi-Fi hotspot service to 678 specific
in-need students (as determined by the school district). These Wi-Fi hotspots are the property of Mount Vernon City School District and will continue to be filtered and monitored by our technology department. In addition, we will be able to continue to fund our bus Wi-Fi service through December 2023 without using any General Operating Funds.

The improvements in our technology infrastructure and the tructional coaching tools our teachers receive will all nefit our most important assets.....our students.

Our Fall Senior Citizens Luncheon Returns . . .
. . . and we would like you to be our guest

The Mount Vernon City Schools Board of Education invites all area Senior Citizens to our fall luncheon scheduled for Thursday, November 17, 2022, from noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Energy Field House.

Superintendent, Bill Seder, will be the host for the luncheon and looks forward to sharing with our Senior Citizens various happenings in the Mount Vernon City School District.

Please RSVP to Jessica Shelton (740) 397-7422 x 6025
by Monday, November 14th

Mount Vernon City Schools

Twin Oak Stays Fit

Adam Mowery, Twin Oak Principal and Heather Barbour, Physical Education Teacher

Fit-a-Thon is a fundraising event started many years ago by Twin Oak's PTO to raise money for the programs and initiatives the school pursues throughout the year. Last year, Twin Oak purchased supplies for our S.T.E.M. lab and other necessary
equipment from money earned from the event.

Mrs. Barbour, the Physical Education teacher, leads students through fitness activities for 60-90 minutes while students' families and friends make pledges to accompany the minutes exercised. Fit-a-Thon is a very successful event, often raising over $20,000! Not only does this support Twin Oak Elementary, but it promotes healthy living and well-being among students, staff, and our families. Mrs. Barbour stated, "The PTO and Mr. Clinger organized this event long before I was here and did a great job setting it up and promoting it. I just give the day a theme, some excitement, and the kids do
the rest! Our group of parent volunteers and the beautiful weather made it such a fun day for all. Thank you to those who organized, donated, and helped, and to the teachers for rearranging their schedules (and teaching some tired and sweaty kids) that day!"

Second-grader, Carter Beam, said, "It was hard work and a lot of exercise, but it was a lot of fun."

Kindergartener, Harper Squires, said, "It was the best day ever! It was a lot of fun!"

Fifth grader, Adelle Curry, shared, "I like it. It gives us a lot of exercise, which makes us healthy and raises a lot of money for our school!"

"The PTO would like to thank our Twin Oak families for always going above and beyond to show our school support! The Fit-a-Thon has been a tradition at Twin Oak for many years now, and it just gets better with time! The generosity shown by our
families and volunteers always exceeds our expectations. Also, the Fit-a-Thon would not be a success without the organization and planning of all the fun activities by Mrs. Barbour. It takes many people to make the event so successful, and we are so thankful for everyone involved! We make a great team!" Tessa Hall, Twin Oak PTO President.

School Health Clinic Opening in 2023
Tifini Ray, Nationwide

Children’s Hospital

Starting this Spring, Mount Vernon City Schools students can get the same health care services they would receive at a doctor's office, but right at school. A new school-based health center is opening in the Mount Vernon City Schools District. In partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital and the district, the school-based health center will provide additional access to health care. It is open to all Mount Vernon City Schools students and their siblings. It is not meant to replace a child's existing pediatrician but provide help to those students who do not have a doctor.

"We are excited for this partnership with Mount Vernon City Schools," says Mary Kay Irwin, EdD, senior director of school health services at Nationwide Children's. "We know good health helps a child succeed in school
– it's hard to learn if you have to miss class for illness or if you have difficulty concentrating because of a behavioral health concern."

Services offered include:

• Regular checkups (well visits) • Shots (immunizations)
• Blood work

• Sports physicals

• Help when your child is sick

• Treatment for asthma or diabetes • Help with work permit physicals
• Treatment for anxiety, depression, and ADHD

Consent from the student's parent/guardian is needed for their child to be seen at the center. Appointments will be available before, during and after school. Walk-in appointments may be available. Parents and guardians are always welcome to be at the visit but don't need to be. Staff will follow up with the parent/ guardian after the visit to explain what took place and any needed follow up.

More information will be available from our district and at NationwideChildrens.org/ Care-Connection.

3

DISTRICT NEWS	FALL 2022

Community Bulletin Board John Frye, District Web/Communications Ma

MVCSD now offers a way of accessing and posting digital flyers distribution. To access this feature, select the Community Bullet from the FOR FAMILIES dropdown menu on the MVCSD websit

The district will post flyers for distribution from booster organizations, PTOs, and nonprofit organizations to serve our students and our community. Flyers are organized by building level and will be electronically distributed to parents as text messages or emails via InstantConnect.

Flyers that the district receives for distribution from district boosters, PTOs, and nonprofit organizations are posted here as a service to our community. Flyers
ndependent of the authority of the Mount Vernon City School District. opinions, products, activities and/or services of these organizations are
her sponsored nor endorsed by the Mount Vernon City School District.”

• Elementary School Flyers

• Middle School Flyers

• High School Flyers

se review the policies and regulations for flyer approval and distribution d below.
SD Community Flyer Policies and Regulations

Use the button below to submit your PDF flyer to MVCSD.

Organizations who wish to have their information posted on the Community Bulletin Board can upload flyers directly to the district. To submit a flyer for consideration, select Submit a Flyer, fill out the Flyer Submission Form and attach the flyer. District Administration must approve all flyers.

For additional questions or assistance, contact Jessica Shelton, Executive Administrative Assistant, at 740.397.7422 x 6025; jshelton@mvcsd.us

Flyers are independent of the authority of the Mount Vernon City School District.

4

MVHS Student Authors Tyler Davidson, MVHS Senior,
Jacket Journal Writer

How many students in high school have been able to pursue their dreams while still in high school? For two Mount Vernon High School students, those dreams have become a reality. "It's in Their Eyes" is the book's title that will be published at the end of October this year.

Hannah Hofferberth, junior, and Emily Jones, senior, have worked incredibly hard and spent countless hours editing, writing, creating, and publishing their childhood dream.

"One of the main things getting me through quarantine was working on this book. I could escape my room and explore a totally different world. The complex lives and relationships of these characters became something that I was super connected with," said Hofferberth.

These two individuals have worked six long years to create this book, which features three separate storylines. Hofferberth and Jones have written this story based on a childhood game they played years ago. Through numerous
late-night phone calls, countless hours giving up their free time, and hard work, their book is almost ready to hit the shelves.

These two students not only have written a book in their free time, which is not a lot because they are also involved in countless other activities. Hofferberth and Jones also engage in Track and Field, Cross Country, Marching Band, Global Scholars, Key Club, and more. Please be on the lookout for their story as they are excited to share their childhood game with you.

An excerpt from the novel –

"We know that our pasts make it hard sometimes," Michael said, now to the group at large. "But we have to forget that now. We have to move on. We have to work together to stay alive."

Emily looked back at Ayden with sad, endless eyes. She could feel a tear bub
to roll down her cheek. She to step back as it left a sticky tra

"I'm a monster..." she whisper

afternoon, a large Chinook helicopter flew onto campus. A large crowd of students and adults had the opportunity to tour the giant

	5

Mount Vernon City Schools

Honoring Their Service Justin Sanford, Athletic/Activities Director

On September 22nd - 24th, the Jackets Athletic Boosters kicked off their inaugural Military and First Responders Appreciation week. Appreciation week featured four varsity athletic contests hosted at Mount Vernon High School, partnered with the Knox County Veteran Services, Mount Vernon Police Department, Mount Vernon Fire and EMS, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Ohio Army National Guard. Events included a Girls’ Volleyball game on Thursday, Football Friday Night, and back-to-back Soccer games on Saturday. Any Military Service member, retired, active, or veteran, and First Responders were admitted free to each contest.

The Ohio Army National Guard displayed multiple military vehicles throughout the weekend with a pair of helicopters to land on the Mount Vernon High School grounds, providing an opportunity for students and the community to climb aboard throughout the afternoon. Thursday

chopper. Just before the football game on Friday, the Army National Guard flew in a Blackhawk helicopter to offer our students and community the same opportunity. Those attending the pre-game festivities were privileged to see the Blackhawk depart the area before kick-off.

The Mount Vernon High School Marching Band presented an impressive halftime show on Friday, which included the recognition of those that served or are currently serving while performing each song of our branches of the military. The three-day event was a memorable time and an opportunity for our school and community to honor and recognize our Service Men and Women and our First Responders. Brigadier General Stephen Rhodes stated, "The Ohio Army National Guard regularly partners with local

schools to provide career guidance and inspire young people to serve in the military. We are thankful to be a part of the First Responder & Military Appreciation week at MVHS in 2022 and hope to continue participation in this event in the years ahead."

Superintendent Bill Seder stated, "We are incredibly grateful to live and work in a community where veterans are honored, and First Responders are respected." Mount Vernon City Schools would like to thank some of the many people helping with this event; Denise Conway, Brigadier General Stephen Rhoades, Sergeant Good, Jeremiah Armstrong, Chief Christopher, Lieutenant Ron Anderson, Kevin Henthorn, Wilson Warner, George Curry, and Josh White.

DISTRICT NEWS	FALL 2022

Title I Services

Eric Brown, Director of Elementary Curriculum/State & Federal Programs

Title I is a federally funded educational program designed to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education and to assist schools in closing educational achievement gaps. The program provides additional opportunities and resources for all students to acquire the skills outlined in Ohio's Learning Standards for the 2022-2023 school year. Columbia, Dan Emmett, East, Pleasant Street, and Twin Oak Elementary have been designated as schools to be served by the Title I program. All buildings in our district are considered for participation in schoolwide Title I programs. Title I eligible buildings are determined by federal requirements regarding the percentage of low-income children.

MVCSD submits and implements an improvement plan each year to receive Title I funding. Reviews and ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of Title I building programs are conducted regularly by the Ohio Department of Education. The district's Title I services are multi-factored and include instructional supports, academic intervention, and access to supplemental resources, in addition to our regular classroom instruction, to ensure all students achieve academic success. The ultimate goal of Title I services is to improve academic achievement so that all students meet or exceed state and federal performance standards.

Another essential aspect of Title I is to increase the involvement of parents in a child's education, which is a crucial component of the success of the Title I program. Family involvement opportunities include Annual Title I meetings, School-Family Compact, District and Building Parent Involvement Policy, district/building newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, family nights, volunteer programs, and building-specific events/activities. There are many ways for parents to get involved in their children's education; consider volunteering in their child's school or serving on the school's parent-teacher organization. To volunteer, contact the school office or school principal.

6

Intel's Impact on
Mount Vernon City Schools A message from Superintendent William Se

Intel Corporation's announcement to invest $20 billion in constructing two new leading-edge microchip factories in Ohio will be transformational not only for Central Ohio but for the United States and the World.

Mount Vernon is located 21 miles from the site where these two factories are currently under construction. Like many communities, we have been asking the question: "How will Intel's investment Impact Mount Vernon?"

Here is what we know:

• Intel has committed to constructing two (2) Microchip factories with the potential for an additional six (6) factories in the future.

• Intel will create 3000 high-tech manufacturing jobs at their two factories and another 7000 construction jobs during the build-out phase.

• The Intel ecosystem of suppliers and partners is quite large. Estimates suggest tens of thousands of additional local, long-term jobs may be located in nearby communities around Johnstown.

• The future workforce for Intel, its suppliers, and partners will look for places to relocate businesses and find quality affordable housing.

• The Knox County Area Development Foundation has taken a proactive and thoughtful approach to promote Knox County and Mount Vernon while maintaining its small-town charm and values.

• We know that three (3) Real Estate developers have plans to construct more than 1100 new single-family homes, townhouses, and multi-family residences in the coming years.

At the heart of Mount Vernon City Schools' vision is to "Prepare students for success both
now and in the Future." Intel's core mission is to "Relentlessly deliver the platform and technology advancements that become essential to the way we
work and live." We are responsible for being proactive and responsive so that our students and community can thrive in the future.

Here is what Mount Vernon City Schools can do:

• Working collaboratively with Knox ADF and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, we can begin a master planning process that would allow us to better estimate student growth facing the addition of 1100 new homes in Mount Vernon.

• We must raise the bar regarding educational outcomes and facility improvements that will attract future employers and new community members.

• We must develop career pathways to the jobs of the future.

We know Mount Vernon is a great place to Live, Work, and Play. Mount Vernon will be a desirable location for new and existing business and housing initiatives. As a district, we must be ready to embrace a future full of promise and opportunity aligned to our vision.

Mount Vernon City Schools will be a Student-Centered, Future Focused District with a Growth Mindset anchored by High-Quality Instruction, preparing students for success both now and in the future.

Mount Vernon City Schools

Grants, Gaps, and Gains

Gary Hankins, Treasurer of Mount Vernon City Schools

The Mount Vernon City School District has and will continue to strive to use pandemic funding granted to school districts to meet the needs of our students, staff, and community. Many of you may know that schools were given "Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief" funds throughout the pandemic. We received our first round of funding during the 2020-21 school year. Initially, we received $205,117.62 through the Coronavirus Relief Act (CRF). These funds were implemented during the height of the pandemic and were spent on supplies such as plexiglass shields, cleaning supplies, filters, foggers, masks, hand sanitizer, etc. We spent this money directly combating the virus within our schools, and these expenditures fell under the following category: "Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities of a local educational agency."

Unlike many other districts around the state, Mount Vernon City Schools did not mandate remote learning, with the majority of students attending school regularly during the past couple of years. The second round of relief funds was focused on personnel, programs, and technology.

• Personnel - Online Instructors, Social workers, Health Aides, Academic Tutors, Reading Specialists, Technology Director, Behavioral Specialists, and Pandemic Substitutes

• Programs - Online curriculum, Intervention programs, Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), and after-school programming.

• Technology - Replaced and enhanced technology infrastructure, Increased WiFi access (Buildings, Buses, Hotspots), Replaced outdated Chromebooks for staff and students, and updated security cameras in buildings and buses.

These funds fall under the category: “Providing principals and other

school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of their respective schools.”

The final round of relief funding will allow the district to continue many of the aforementioned focus areas, especially those related to personnel. The district will focus the remaining funds on student services and facilities, which covers; "Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of service in local educational agencies and continuing to employ existing staff of the local educational agency."

• Stabilized deficit spending without the need to eliminate jobs during the pandemic.

• Scholarship for local learning extension programs. • Credit recovery and summer school programming.
• School-Based Health Center in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital.

• Complete facility projects to improve air quality in all buildings. (HVAC/Air Conditioning)

• Replace Doors and Repair Roof structures.

• Replace outdated carpets with tile to improve cleaning and air quality.

We will continue to spend the grant funds received with the utmost care keeping students at the forefront of our decisions while following the state and federal guidelines.

Congratulations to our students, teachers, staff, and administration!

7

FALL 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS

November 17	12:00 - 2:00 pm
Senior Citizens Luncheon The Energy Fieldhouse

November 17	7:00 pm
Sixth Grade Orchestra & Band Concert Middle School Gymnasium

December 2 & 3                           7:00 pm Fall Drama Production           MVHS Theater
December 4                                       TBA Christmas Parade Downtown Mount Vernon
December 6	7:00 pm
Columbia Elementary Winter Program Memorial Theater

Mount Vernon City Schools 300 Newark Road
Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050-4252

NON PROFIT ORG. ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE PAID MT. VERNON, OH PERMIT NO. 770

East Ranks in the Top 50 Schools in Ohio Karly Watterson, East Elementary Principal

One of the most exciting discoveries for East Elementary was reviewing the Ohio Department of Education's ranking of schools based on the performance index on our latest Ohio State Report Card. The performance index measures the test results of every student, and schools receive points on the index. The higher the performance level on the state tests, the more points are awarded toward the index score. Out of 3,322 schools in Ohio, East Elementary ranked number 43 with a performance index score of 98.8%, earning 5-stars in all but one category.

East staff and students are very proud of this achievement. We are so thankful for the continued support of our parents and the Mount Vernon community. The

	
phrase "it takes a village" applies here, meaning that it takes many people to create a safe and healthy environment where our students can develop and flourish. This support also allows staff and parents to create a partnership to strengthen the teaching and learning that occurs every day.

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER

	

December 7	7:00 pm	December 13	7:00 pm
Pleasant Street Elementary Winter	Wiggin Street Elementary Winter Program	Pleasant Street Gymnasium	Program Rosse Hall, Kenyon College, Gambier

December 8	7:00 pm	December 14	6:30 pm
Middle School Orchestra & Band Concert	High School Orchestra & Band Concert MVHS Theater	MVHS Theater

December 12	7:00 pm	December 15	6:30 pm
High School/Middle School Choir Concert	Dan Emmett Elementary Winter Program MVNU Hodges Chapel	MVHS Theater

December 13	6:30 pm	December 15	7:00 pm
East Elementary Winter Program	Twin Oak Elementary Winter Program MVHS Theater	MVNU Hodges Chapel