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Parent Update 2/2/2022
Parent Update Logo with Mount Vernon MV and Bee.
February 2, 2022

Greetings, I find it a little ironic that we are anticipating a winter storm on the same day we await to see if a groundhog can predict an early spring or continued winter. Village official holdiing Punxsutawney Phil.
 
Punxsutawney Phil, arguably one of the most famous groundhogs, awoke this morning and did not see his shadow — which, according to folklore, means there will be six more weeks of winter.
 
Records kept by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club show Phil has predicted 105 continued winters and only 20 early springs. According to the Stormfax Almanac, that works out to a 39% accuracy rate for Phil.  We still have hope for an early spring!

Willow and the Snow Day Dance book cover.
The Snow Day Dance
With the news of an impending winter storm this coming Thursday and Friday I am reminded of the children’s story Willow and the Snow Day Dance by Denise Brennan-Nelson.
 
In the story,  Willow is worried that they will not get any snow this winter.  Willow writes a letter to her neighbors, “Dear neighbors, I’m in need of snow!  Can you Help?”  Willow receives a mysterious reply called the Snow Day Dance:
 

When the weatherman predicted that snow may be on the way, Willow told all her friends and they all did the Snow Day Dance!  When they woke up the next morning to the news that school was canceled they all shouted out  “SNOW DAY!”

Important Notice
Due to the impending weather Mount Vernon City Schools will be closed on Thursday, February, 3rd.  All extracurricular activities will be canceled as well.  
 
We will wait to see the total impact of the storm before we make a decision about Friday.  Tomorrow will count as our 4th Calamity Day.  After 5 days we will begin remote learning should additional calamity days be needed.


Winter weather decisions can be challenging as we must take into consideration city, county, and township road conditions.  Timing is always a challenge as we check roads beginning at 4:30 am and do our best to make decisions by 5:30 am.  Please understand that conditions can change dramatically in just a few short hours. If weather conditions should worsen after our initial decision to remain open, we cannot reverse our decision in the morning without negatively impacting students and parents. 
 
Although we do our best in making these decisions, we realize that often no perfect decision exists due to the size and condition throughout the district. If you do not feel that it is safe for your child to get to school, use your best judgment whether or not he or she should attend. Also, please discourage teenagers from driving in bad conditions and offer them alternatives as weather conditions worsen.
 
We are using  ‘Instant Connect Alerts’ as our closings and delays notification system. If you are not receiving notification, Please sign up at the Instant Connect portal.  If you are receiving an email but not receiving a text you may need to take an additional step.

1. Text Yes to 87569 on your cell phone.

Cell phone showing text yes to 87569.

2. You will receive a message from 87569 that you are now subscribed with Mount Vernon City Schools.

All text messages from Mount Vernon City Schools Instant Connect will come from this number.  Please be aware that text messages from 87569
Instant Connect will come from this number.  Please
be aware that text messages from 87569 are coming from your school.





New COVID Guidance - The district has received revised guidance from both state and local health officialsCOVID-19 Dashboard Link
related to contact tracing and notification.  The district will no longer be conducting routine contact tracing within the school setting.  

The district will continue to operate under the ‘Mask to Stay’ guidelines when a student or staff member tests positive for Covid-19.  Furthermore, the district will be updating the COVID Dashboard on a weekly basis.
 
Have a wonderful evening....Snow Dance is Optional.

Respectfully Submitted - William Seder Jr.