Esprit de corps is defined as “a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group.” That certainly is the feeling around Mt Vernon!
For the first time in school history, the Mt. Vernon football team reached the semi-state game. It was wonderful to see how our community came together to celebrate this accomplishment.
The fact that the visitor side of the stadium in Evansville was filled with Marauders speaks to the extreme pride we have for our football team. I was heartened to sit next to the student section and witness their support of the team as well as their demonstration of good sportsmanship during the outing.
Thanks for the great season Mt. Vernon football team! We are proud of your efforts and accomplishments!
MVHS Hosts Taiwan Students
Mt. Vernon High School recently hosted 16 students and two teachers from Taiwan. These students shadowed our students and shared their culture with our students and staff. Besides being in our classrooms, the Taiwanese experienced the Pacers Game, Children's Museum, and toured Ball State University. Our host families developed strong bonds with the Taiwan students; several tears were shed as they said their goodbyes. This is a true international exchange as some of our students will visit Taiwan in June.
Season of Thanks
Many Mt. Vernon teachers recently participated in the rally at the state house to ask for continued support from our legislators. While the 2019 biennial budget is the best that we’ve seen in a very long time, it is only a start. We need that level of financial support to continue for many years to come if we are to get back to where we were ten years ago. As I shared in my OpEd published in the Greenfield Daily Reporter in June, Indiana has fallen from 22nd to 36th in per-pupil expenditures. State funding of education is not even keeping up with inflation, nor is funding for education growing parallel with the state’s general fund. Additionally, over the past several years, the state’s general fund has grown by 21% while funding for education has only grown 12%. We are lagging behind, and schools are feeling it.
Along with the need to better fund schools, we also have been inundated with unfunded mandates, new rules, and a school accountability system that at best is like hitting a moving target in the dark. I do feel the tide turning. I recently spent some time with a state legislator, a member of the state board of education, and a legislative support leader who serves the house. All remarked at how there is a focused effort on decreasing the number of mandates as well as making the school accountability rules more logical.
I do appreciate our legislatures, especially with the last budget that allowed us to provide the best raise our teachers have seen in years. Again, we just need to continue this direction. We can’t drop the ball, and we must maintain engagement with our government leaders to voice our needs for our schools.
The Mt. Vernon Community Champion Advisory committee has met a few times and provided invaluable input in the development of a Future Growth Plan. We have begun to filter through the pros and cons of various grade configurations and what the impact is for each option. The next step is matching this with funding plans and developing conservative financial options. We are grateful for their guidance and time vested in Mt. Vernon.
We are once again inviting the entire community to attend the January 21, 2020 Mt. Vernon Community Champions meeting where we will bring back a proposed Future Growth Plan and seek input from the community. Please mark your calendars and join us for the January 21, 2020 meeting at 6 p.m. in the Mt. Vernon High School auditorium. Additional information can be found on our MV Community Champions webpage.
JackParkerBlog.com
I have developed a personal blog to share my insights and beliefs on education, students, learning and leadership. Take a look if you have a minute.
In this season of giving thanks, I wanted to share that I am thankful for our amazing students, staff, and the Mt. Vernon community. You have welcomed me as family and I am proud to call myself a Marauder. Enjoy your time off with your family and friends!
Sincerely,
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MVCSC, 1806 W. State Road 234, Fortville, IN 46040 ~ 317-485-3100