Just make a mark and see where it takes you…

Sep 19, 2018 | Uncategorized


At Mount Vernon we are intentional about everything we do. So much so, that before we topped out (put the roof on) our new Upper School building, we made our mark as a school community.
A single steel I-beam to be placed above the third floor on the left front side of the structure was identified to become the keystone of the building. Our new friends,  JT, Stuart, and several other brave on-site workers, painted the beam white, hauled it to what is left of the Glenn Campus green space, built a sturdy structure for it, and created a sign to indicate its placement within the building.
Over the course of three days, faculty brought their students to the beam to select a colorful sharpie, place their thumb on the inkpad and personalize their commitment to the project.  Alongside all faculty and staff, students from Preschool to Grade 12 made their own, personal mark — forever connecting them to our school’s flagship building.
Executive Assistant to the Head of School Debbie Becker, who oversaw the signing of the beam shares, “Students were excited to participate by having their signature be a permanent part of the building. The most common question was if they would be able to see their signatures once the building was built.”
While our building is close to getting a roof, it is far from completion. We still have a need. A $1.3 million need for fixtures, equipment, and furniture. If you have not yet contributed or would like to increase your current pledge, please give now.
Also, at Mount Vernon, we learn from everything we do. So, for your information, a “W18x40″ I-beam is 18” high, and weighs 40 lbs / foot. So, if a W18x40 beam is 10′ long that gives it a weight of 400lbs. Steel is unbelievably strong. Typical structural steel is “A36” or “36ksi” which means it can withstand up to 36,000 pounds per square inch.