How Might We Inspire One Another – And the Larger World – Through the Work we Undertake Together 

At Mount Vernon, we choose to make our thinking visual and actionable. We envision learning where children are seen and heard. We envision transparency in the learning journey — process, product, and progress. We welcome the chance to wrestle with voices and perspectives that challenge our assumptions. We envision learning in which our trust for one another strengthens our sense for individual freedom, autonomy, and interdependence.

While inspiration sparks emotions in us, uplifts us, generates new ideas within us, and makes us feel that things are possible — influence causes us to change a behavior, belief, or opinion, or to cause something to be changed. Both are powerful, have an effect on others, and are intertwined through who we are and what we do at Mount Vernon. 

In this fourth issue of the MVMag, you will learn how members of our community have been influenced, have become influencers, are inspired, and how they inspire others.  

  1. A Letter from Your Head of School, Dr. Brett Jacobsen demonstrating the transformation of Mount Vernon. More Than Just a Building
  2. Our new Upper School building and the people behind the scenes who are not only our partners, but our friends. Pursuing Passions: Same Lane, Different Directions
  3. A preschool teacher who has turned one of our core beliefs – playing is learning – into a successful blog and Facebook page with over 94,000 followers. Learn as You Play: Inspiring 94,000+ Followers
  4. Students in grade 2 who went on an out-of-town expedition, and were so inspired by what they saw, that they created their own version in their own hallway. When Inspiration Becomes a Reality: The Made in MV Wall
  5. Two sixth grade teachers who collaborated, letting their Science and Grammar subjects collide, to provide deep learning for their students. Collision and Collaboration in Grade 6
  6. A senior who continues to give back to her local, and now global, community through humble leadership. Hannah Hagenau: A Mount Vernon Pillar
  7. An MV family who so strongly believes in the School’s mission, that together with their family business invested deeply in the new building, and why. Investing in the Future Makers of Mount Vernon
  8. A member of our Athletic Department who was inspired by broadcast greats and is now in the position to influence the next generation of broadcasters and sports writers. The Dream of Sportscasting
  9. An external partner who explains how, through design thinking, students identify problems and reframe them as actionable opportunities. Why Design Thinking Matters for Our Students
  10. What MVIFI does as the R&D lab and transformation studio at MV, transforming schools and education through people-centered design principles. MVIFI: The Change Makers
  11. A recent alum whose dream of flying led him to his first job as a private pilot. When Passion Takes Flight & the Influenced Becomes the Influencer
  12. Another alum who has taken every Mount Vernon mindset with her to London to work for personal justice. Taking Justice Personally: Making a Case for Change
  13. Learn more about the genesis of our new Upper School building. Inspired Spaces

I hope these stories are as inspiring to you, as they have been to me. 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Katz, Editor
Head of Marketing & Communications
[email protected]

This issue has been made possible with the efforts of Dr. Jacobsen, the Brand/Communications team (Trey Boden/Creative Director, Betsy Armstrong/Photographer, Cooper Fiscus-van Rossum/Marketing, and Rikki Hagerty/Graphic Designer), and with a lot of heavy lifting by our many contributors. Thank you!