Mustang Magic: Our Mount Vernon Community

At Mount Vernon, our 1,800+ parents are not just a part of our community, they are the community. Coming out of a year where our families only connected by waving to each other at carpool, we have much to be thankful for as parents are welcome on campus to engage with each other, with students and with faculty/staff. With almost 400 new families who have joined our community since the 2019-2020 school year, there is a lot of ground to cover. We are eager to unite.

From athletic competitions to theater performances and grade level coffees to parent socials, our families are showing up to campus, and to off-site MV events, in droves.

The Mustangs played their first home football game on August 27 in front of a packed crowd – the first large-scale event hosted by the School since 2019. A combination of families from every division, grandparents, new families (those who joined MV this year), extended new families (those who joined the School during the 2020-2021 school year), and returning families, some of whom have been members of our community for 20 years, as their last child is a member of the Class of 2022, came together for the All-School BBQ. A new fourth grade parent remarked, “I can’t believe this turnout. I wasn’t sure we would come because we didn’t know anyone, but I just saw my neighbor!”

As evidenced by the turnout at the School’s first Rock the Block parent and alumni social on campus, more than 450 guests showed up in full 80’s regalia – from parachute suits to neon tutus and a variety of MTV, AC/DC, and Guns ‘n Roses tees, to attend an 80’s tribute band concert, while making new friends in our community. A returning parent commented, “I can’t remember the last time so many families came to a school event, and actually dressed up.”

October 15 welcomed our largest gathering of Mustangs in school history. With an estimated 700+ spectators for the Big Game against Providence Christian, families, students, friends, grandparents, alumni, faculty and staff, joined together to cheer the team on to a 48-6 victory. Grade-levels gathered under tents, students played mini golf on the green, and alumni returned to visit the school they hadn’t seen in years. The enthusiasm for an event of this magnitude in comparison to years prior, was palpable, as one alum shared, “Look at this crowd! This is the Mount Vernon we always wanted to be a part of. I wish we had this energy and spirit when I was here.”

Most recently, MVPN New Family Chairs Amanda Woodall and Amanda Richmond hosted a New Parent Coffee after morning carpool to connect our newest families and our extended new families in a smaller setting. It’s exciting to see more and more familiar faces, to make grade-level and geographic connections, building our community back stronger and better than ever. An extended new parent said, “I just feel like I belong here. It was hard not being on campus last year, but my kids were! They are happy, my husband and I are happy, and we are so excited to do more with the School.”

Additionally, with the Admissions season (October through April) in full swing, visitors are taking advantage of divisional open houses. With each of the tours at full capacity, there are already waitlists for future visits 

Your school has become a destination for families who seek a private school with a public purpose. Our families are connecting with others who share the same values. MV faculty are teaching students how to think, not what to think. Students are learning to dialog across differences, learning the soft skills to succeed in college, career, and citizenship. Our community has so much to give and so much to gain. Just shy of three months into school, we have emerged from the pandemic fog.

At the moment when someone can say to themselves, “I’m a Mustang”, they already have a sense of belonging. A feeling of pride. An appreciation for school spirit. They are a part of the community. The Mount Vernon community. A community of students, parents, and teachers. The Mount Vernon circle is big but tight. We depend on one another. We are Mustangs. 

It’s what some call “Mustang Magic,” and it’s what makes Mount Vernon special. Together our community draws distinction by celebrating strengths and overcoming challenges, with each individual playing an important role in the overall story.