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About DWSA 
Principal: Anjanette Brown
Assistant Principals: Sonya Wingate-Simmons and Yvonne Evy Wright
Parent Liaison: Shanygne Belfor
Phone: (914) 358-2740
121 South 6th Avenue

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Students playing drums

Band
The Band Program develops technically proficient, musically literate, expressive, and collaborative instrumental musicians. 

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Students singing at gospel night

Vocal
The Vocal Program provides comprehensive training for students seeking to develop healthy vocal technique, musicianship, performance skills, and artistic expression.

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Students acting on designed set

Technical Theater
The Technical Theater Program prepares students for the creative, technical, and managerial careers that make live theatre, concerts, dance performances, film, television, and entertainment productions possible.

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Six people are on a dimly lit stage, with some seated on a couch in the foreground and others standing, against a black backdrop.

Acting
The Acting Program develops disciplined, imaginative, expressive, and collaborative theatre artists.

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Dancers in the foreground perform on a stage with a large screen in the background displaying a historical image of a chained man and police officers, alongside portraits of historical figures.

Dance
The Dance Program provides rigorous technical and artistic training designed to develop versatile, expressive, knowledgeable, and disciplined dancers. 

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Students dancing on stage

Musical Theater
The Musical Theatre Program provides interdisciplinary training in the three primary areas of musical theatre performance: acting, singing, and dance.

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DWSA 2024 student art.

Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Program provides students with a comprehensive foundation in traditional and contemporary artistic practices while encouraging the development of an individual artistic voice.

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DWSA Orchestra Playing

Orchestra
The Orchestra Program provides intensive training for student string musicians while developing ensemble discipline, technical proficiency, musical literacy, and artistic expression.

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In the foreground, four young dancers in colorful attire perform on a stage, while in the background, a woman in a green robe sits before a large green backdrop.

Shows
Tickets can be purchased, when available through the DWSA PTA's webpage.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Musical Theater students playing music

DWSA on Social Media
Keep up with DWSA shows and information on Instagram and YouTube!

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School Notices and Upcoming Dates

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School District News

Excellence by Design

Dr. Strickland outlines 'Excellence by Design' priorities for the new school year

Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland is putting literacy, attendance and student voice among the district’s top priorities for the new school year, while rolling out new technology, expanding access for families and pledging continued transparency about district finances. Dr. Strickland laid out those priorities in his Aug. 25 Superintendent’s Report, describing a districtwide effort to strengthen instruction and the systems that support students. The work is being framed by a new theme, “Excellence by Design,” which he said reflects a deliberate approach to improvement.

Read More about Dr. Strickland outlines 'Excellence by Design' priorities for the new school year
Three women stand behind a table with baby manikins in the foreground, while a colorful bulletin board is visible in the background.

Thirty-eight Mount Vernon City School District lunch monitors returned to school this week with an important new set of skills: the ability to respond when a child or adult faces a potentially life-threatening emergency. The monitors, along with two Central Office staff members, were trained Wednesday in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator during the District’s first Superintendent’s Conference Day of the 2026-27 school year.

 

Read More about Mount Vernon City School District lunch monitors trained in CPR, first aid and AED response
A server in an apron offers a sample of food to a woman wearing a lei, while a cafeteria setting with other people is visible in the background.

Mount Vernon City School District lunch monitors, head chefs, managers and other food service workers kicked off the new school year with their annual professional development retreat, which served up valuable training, teamwork and a taste of what’s ahead for 2026-27. Staff members from Sodexo – the District’s K-12 food services provide -- gathered at Mount Vernon High School for the various activities, including food tasting, as they prepared to welcome students back from summer vacation. The annual professional development sessions help employees review procedures and regulations while strengthening the teamwork necessary to provide exceptional service to students.

Read More about MVCSD food service staff get a taste of year ahead during professional development retreat
A smiling woman with glasses and braided hair stands with three young girls in the foreground, while a blurred background shows other people and buildings.

Students streamed into schools with smiles on their faces, hugging their favorite teachers and reconnecting with their friends to start the school year. Today was the first day of school in the Mount Vernon City School District, and students got right to learning once they got in class! Click here to view the photo gallery!

Read More about Students start their path towards excellence on the first day of the 2026-27 school year

MVCSD Statistics

By the Numbers

13

Total Schools within the District

Four pre-K to 6th-grade schools; two pre-K to 8th-grade schools; two K-8 schools; two 7-12 schools and one 9-12 high school.

8

Pre-K Programs

Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 programs are housed at six schools in the district and two community partner locations.

37

Athletics Teams

The Athletics Departments offers 15 varsity sports across 23 varsity teams. In total, the department fields 37 teams.

8

NYSED-Approved CTE Pathways

CTE provides meaningful, real-world career exploration and exposure to prepare students for success in college/career.

6,448

Total Enrollment

The district serves a diverse population of approximately 6,500 students at 13 schools.

950+

Teachers and Support Staff

Over 950 teachers, TAs, school counselors, social workers, psychologists and security staff work in the MVCSD.