Career and Technical Education Department hosts Pink Hair for a Cure event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Students and staff lined up outside of the cosmetology classroom at Mount Vernon High School on Thursday, October 24, 2024, ready to get their hair done and buy cookies for the Career and Technical Education Department Pink Hair for a Cure fundraiser.
The fundraiser was in partnership with the MVHS SkillsUSA Club, a student-led organization representing CTE students. Cosmetology students inserted extensions and braids into participants' hair to raise money for breast cancer research.
“Me, Mrs. Larmon and chef (Samantha Cohen, culinary teacher) got together and decided we were going to try to do something for breast cancer awareness,” said Agnes Taylor, Cosmetology Teacher at Mount Vernon High School. “We came up with something they’ve done before COVID. I had the students braid different textures of hair; we have weaved hair, we have braiding hair, we also have strips of ribbon in case they want to put that in their hair instead of an actual braid.”
Prior to the event, students prepared the hair extensions by braiding and curling the hair, putting perm rods on the tips of the extensions and boiling them. Culinary students also sold pink ribbon cookies they baked and donated the proceeds.
“It feels good knowing that I’m doing it for a good cause,” said Shyiann Smythe, a senior cosmetology student at Mount Vernon High School. “I did about five peoples’ hair, and they all did different kinds of extensions in different parts of their head. My favorite part about today was knowing this was all for a good cause.”
Four judges listened intently at the front of the cold kitchen at Mount Vernon High School on Friday, November 1, 2024, as students in the Introduction to Hospitality and Culinary class, a new Career and Technical Education course, presented their projects about careers in the food service industry.
As of December 2023, Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) has earned recognition as a school in good standing by New York State, marking the beginning of a new era of success and ongoing improvement. With a strong focus on literacy across all classes, MVHS is creating an environment conducive to continuous academic growth. Recent rankings from Public School Review indicate that MVHS is now in the top 50% of public schools statewide based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data, and the school is committed to sustaining this upward trajectory.
In Tracey Anderson-Grant’s African American Studies class at MVHS, students are not only enhancing their reading comprehension but also grappling with pivotal themes of racism and prejudice through engaging novels.
Students and staff lined up outside of the cosmetology classroom at Mount Vernon High School on Thursday, October 24, 2024, ready to get their hair done and buy cookies for the Career and Technical Education Department Pink Hair for a Cure fundraiser.
Career and Technical Education students in the Nursing Assistant Program at Mount Vernon High School practiced basic nursing skills during their class on Friday, October 18, 2024. Among the skills they are learning are infection control, communication, safety and emergency procedures, vital signs, job interview skills and resume-building skills
On Friday, October 11, 2024, students in Tyler White’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Exercise Science and Health class got hands-on experience with skeletons by dissecting a cow femur donated to the class by a local butcher. The class ended their skeletal unit by dissecting and examining the cow bone, comparing it to human skeletons for a more authentic and tactile lesson. The remnants of the cow femur will be donated to Chef Cohen’s culinary classroom and turned into bone broth during her stock unit.
Over twenty colleges and universities visited Mount Vernon High School on Friday, October 11, 2024, during National College Acceptance Month. This opportunity allowed junior and senior students to meet college admission counselors and peruse different in-state and out-of-state institutions and add to their list of applications.
In celebration of College Application Month, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Mount Vernon High School held several college visit seminars for its seniors during the school day. Admissions representatives from notable colleges such as the College of Westchester, College of the Holy Cross, and Monroe College came to speak to students and give information about their programs and requirements. They also provided valuable advice on the transition between high school and college.
On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, students at Mount Vernon High School were given a taste of Latin culture through song, dance and cuisine. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, MVHS held several educational lessons to teach students of all backgrounds about the different, rich Hispanic cultures.