To learn more about Brood X cicada emergence, check out this website
NEW! Year-End Family Survey
NEW! May 18 Expansion Updates from J.F. Cook Campus
NEW! May 18 Expansion Updates from Calle Ocho Campus
NEW! May 18 Fifth Grade J.F. Cook Campus Expansion Update
NEW! SY21-22 School Calendar Coming Soon
Academic RemindersNEW! Parent Teacher Conferences for ALL students - Wednesday, June 23
NEW! Time to Return Student Chromebooks, June 23-25, 9:00am-3:00pm, Both Campuses
UPDATED! Outdoor Wednesdays - New June Dates
Family Communications & EngagementUPDATED! Community Building Session, May 27, 7:30pm - Calle Ocho Campus
UPDATED! Coffee with the Principal, May 28, 9:00am - J.F. Cook Campus
LAST DAY! Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection
AdmissionsOne-on-One Support for Re-Enrollment Process
School MealsSchool Meals Announcements
Heath & SafetyNEW! Travel Reminder for Holiday Weekend, May 31
NEW! Clarification About Returning to School After Presenting COVID-19 Symptoms
NEW! Innovative Asymptomatic Testing Program for COVID-19
COVID-19 Asymptomatic Testing At BOTH Campuses
Mundo Verde’s Mask Guidelines Are Not Changing
Summer ProgramNEW! Summer Program Updates
Extended CommunityNEW! DC Safe Routes to School Survey for Families
NEW! Start National Bike Month Off on Two Wheels!
NEW! Internet Access Opportunities in DC
Virtual Summer Camp Opportunity for FARM Families
Help Paying for Internet/WiFi for FARM Families
Student & Family SupportsNEW! May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
Student & Family Support Services
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsSCHOOL MESSAGES
Please help shape what your school looks like next year by completing this quick, fun, 5-minute survey.
Click here for the survey in English and Spanish
This survey seeks input from families to help design the best possible student experiences for next year and to help us better understand expectations and priorities.
Analytic findings will be shared in the family update and within the family portal on the school website. The password for the Family Portal is: mundo
Our J.F. Cook Campus Principal, Netta, shared updates on our continued expansion of on-campus learning on May 18. If you have not had the opportunity to read, please click HERE.
Our Calle Ocho Campus Principal, Naomi, shared updates on our continued expansion of on-campus learning on May 18. If you have not had the opportunity to read, please click HERE.
We are very excited to expand on-campus learning for our 5th grade students. We are optimistic that we will be able to provide a seat for many if not all students who would like to be on campus, while also ensuring students remaining virtual continue to be taught by the 5th grade teachers.
Click HERE to read the Fifth Grade Expansion Update sent by our J.F. Cook Campus Principal, Netta on May 18.
We are still working on collecting input from school leaders and the DCACTS union calendar committee to review and finalize the SY21-22 calendar.
ACADEMIC REMINDERS
Parent Teacher Conferences have been moved from Friday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 23 for all students in PreK through 5th grade at both campuses. Teachers will have sign-ups available soon.
Reminders:
Friday, June 11 is a regular school day for all students
Wednesday, June 23 there is no school for students
We will be collecting all technology (Chromebooks, chargers, and hotspots) that have been distributed to students for the school year 2020-21. Please bring all technology checked out to your child on their last day of in-person school. You can leave it in your child's classroom. If you forget to bring it the last day, please return to J.F. Cook La Casa’s or Calle Ocho’s front desk on June 23-25 between 9:00am-3:00pm. We will again distribute technology to students in August for the 2021-2022 school year.
If your child will be attending the Summer Program, you will still need to return your technology unless the summer program requires it. Staff will ensure there is no damage and re-distribute the technology to you the same day.
If, for whatever reason, you are unable to drop off your computer and charger during the above dates and time, please send an email to platforms@mundoverdepcs.org.
Note: If you do not return your computer on the designated days or make alternative arrangements with your campus, you will be charged for the device. We reserve the right to deny entrance into future activities, such as Extended Day Program, until the device is returned or a payment plan is in place.
We have opened new spots for both campuses on June 2 and June 9. These will be the last days of Florciendo.
Take this opportunity for your child to participate in reading, and gardening & cooking activities in Spanish on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:45am or 10:15-11:30am.
How to Sign Up? This is a first-come, first-served sign up process. Please use the following link to register on your campus:
Reminder:
Students participating in these activities must complete the health screening in person at arrival.
Wear a mask, bring a water bottle, and wear gear for rain or shine.
Each student must attend the campus they normally attend.
Please note that this activity does not count as attendance, so students must complete their Wednesday task at Firefly to avoid being marked absent.
FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT
Join our Calle Ocho Principal, Naomi, for a Virtual Session on Thursday, May 27 from 7:30-9:00pm. We will spend time building community through connections, we will hear about plans for building development and campus growth, and we will have time to answer questions.
Stay tuned for the invitation and zoom link!
Join our J.F. Cook Principal, Netta, for a Cafecito this Friday, May 28 from 9:00-10:00am to chat about expansion updates, end of the year activities, resources for the summer, and community building.
Stay tuned for the invitation and zoom link!
Thank you to all parents and caregivers who have been able to contribute to the "Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection". If you have not had the opportunity to contribute and want to, today is your last chance!
Contributions can be made via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=BZTU3KGNVU7JA&source=url or by scanning the QR code.
If you have any questions, please contact Classroom Liaison Coordinators:
J.F. Cook Campus: Kathrin Frauscher [kfrauscher@gmail.com] and Andrew Miller [andrew@amazonwatch.org]
Calle Ocho Campus: Lindsey Elman [lindsey.elman@gmail.com] and Diego Fernandez [diegochef@gmail.com]
ADMISSIONS
The Admissions team is happy to support families with the re-enrollment process through one-on-one meetings via Zoom, phone call, or email. If you have specific questions or need to contact us, call our front desk J.F. Cook (202) 750-7060 or Calle Ocho (202) 803-8967 or email admissions@mundoverdepcs.org to schedule an appointment with our admission team between 10:00 am to 2:00pm.
We are available Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm for any questions or concerns.
SCHOOL MEALS
While we continue welcoming more students to our building, some adjustments need to be done in order to ensure every student has access to school meals services.
Meals for In Person Learning at Calle Ocho Campus: When you sign up for meals, please allow one week notice, as we send orders to Genuine Foods one week in advance.
Meals for Virtual Learning at J.F. Cook Campus FARM Families: Meals pick up for virtual learners is on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:00-4:00pm on the back patio.
Meal Delivery Service: Students attending on-campus learning 2-days or 4-days per week are no longer eligible to receive delivery.
Reminders:
If your child has forgotten their home lunch, call the school and we will provide a school lunch that day. Any attempted food deliveries will be held by the front desk staff and returned to parents at dismissal.
As part of our Wellness Policy (ENG / SPA), Mundo Verde promotes nutritious food at school, even when that food is sent from home.
If a student brings food that does not align with our Bringing Food to School Guide (you can find it in English or Spanish), we will guide the student to keep the food in their backpack and provide them with a nutritious school meal.
All extra foods offered on campus during the school day as a special occasion will also meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards and DC Healthy Schools Act standards.
For full information regarding meals, please visit the School Meals section of the school reopening webpage.
HEALTH & SAFETY
If your family is planning to travel for Memorial Day weekend, please do so safely and practice precautions, such as wearing a mask and hand hygiene.
Students enrolled on in-person learning who choose to travel outside of the DMV to a state or country on the DC Health high-risk list (here) MUST do the following process to return to in-person learning even without symptoms:
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals who have traveled to any place other than Maryland or Virginia must either
(1) not attend school for 10 days after returning, or
(2) not attend school for seven days after returning, get tested for with COVID-19 PCR test three to five days after returning, AND receive a negative COVID-19 PCR viral test. Even if the test is negative, the individual must still not attend school for seven days.
An individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days or is fully vaccinated may be admitted immediately after domestic or international travel if they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
They should get a COVID-19 test three to five days after international travel
Any individual with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 must not enter the school building.
In order to return to school in person after presenting symptoms consistent to COVID-19 or after traveling to a high-risk state or country, a negative PCR test is required. A rapid test will not be accepted. You are welcome to get a rapid test in addition to the PCR test however that result will not be accepted. Please include the email covid19@mundoverdepcs.org on any communication related to COVID. Apologies for any confusion related to this protocol.
We are excited to announce that our school has been selected to participate in an innovative program to conduct asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 for the remainder of this school year with Shield T3. The Shield T3 COVID-19 is a saliva-based test developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is now used in some Baltimore public schools and several universities in the Washington, DC area.
To read the full announcement shared with in-person learning families on Wednesday May 19, please click here: Innovative Program to Conduct Asymptomatic Testing for COVID-19 with Shield T3 at Mundo Verde
The Children's School Services team is now taking over asymptomatic testing also of students from the DC Department of Health at BOTH campuses. This transition may take a few weeks and your previously submitted consent forms should be honored. Following CDC testing guidelines, the nurse will only test 10% of the population. You will not be notified of a negative result, meaning if you do not receive a notification from Children's, your child tested negative. If your child tests positive, both you and the school will be notified of the result.
If your child is enrolled for on-campus learning, and you have not filled out the COVID-19 Testing Consent Form, you can find it in your enrollment packet.
Our school is aware of the new guidelines surrounding wearing masks for individuals who are fully vaccinated. This is to reiterate that Mundo Verde's mask guidelines are not changing.
As a reminder:
All students and staff are required to wear a mask while on campus except for designated times such as lunch.
All visitors are required to wear a mask.
All families and authorized pick ups are required to wear a mask during arrival and dismissal.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our community safe!
SUMMER PROGRAM
Families began receiving acceptance letters as of May 21. These letters are being sent by email. We thank you for your patience and understanding around prioritizing at-risk (city definition) and students with disabilities.
We are able to accept more than 120 students, and it is critical that families who wish to accept their invitations do so immediately by following the instructions indicated on their acceptance letter. Decisions are hard when there is more demand for a program than we can accommodate.
While we hoped to offer a virtual program for families who expressed interest, please know we are unable to do so due to lack of staffing. Instead, we will focus all our human resources on offering a high quality in-person summer program. Please see information below about a virtual summer program offered by FLOC that is free for FARM eligible families.
If you have questions or require clarification, please reach out to Gloria Quirarte, our Director of Extended Day Programming at summer@mundoverdepcs.org.
EXTENDED COMMUNITY
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is conducting a survey for families from Kinder to 8th grade to collect information for their DC Safe Routes to School Program.
We invite families to participate in this survey that will provide us with the necessary information for the safety of our students for the arrival and departure time.
Survey in English: https://tinyurl.com/DCSRTS-EN
Survey in Spanish: https://tinyurl.com/DCSRTS-SPAN
This spring, goDCgo is offering District school staff up to $250 towards a new bike used for commuting. If you or your staff have recently purchased a bike or plan to buy one, get rewarded for doing your part to reduce congestion and improve air quality in DC. The only requirements are that participants work at a District school and use the bike for commuting around DC. Those who are interested can learn more at goDCgo.com/bike-incentive.
Internet access is the first and most basic step to digital equity. DC residents in need of in-home internet subscription assistance have several options available to them: Internet for All provided by the Bowser Administration and the Federal Communications Commission's new Emergency Broadband Benefits program.
For more information click here
FLOC (For the Love of Children) is offering an online summer camp with activities in areas such as Web Design, Art Expression, Nutrition and Fitness and more, as well as 1:1 tutoring. The program runs from June 28 to August 6 and is free to families who qualify for FARM. You must apply online. Space is limited.
If you need support, please send an email to rando@floc.org or call at (202) 349-3517.
The US Department of Education is sponsoring an Emergency Broadband Benefits Program to help FARM-eligible families pay for Internet. The program offers up to $50/month to pay for broadband service and can be used at several different area providers including Comcast, RCN, Cricket, T-Mobile and over 20 others.
For more details and apply, visit the Emergency Broadband Benefits Program website.
STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORT
Mental health awareness month was established to raise awareness about mental health and to fight stigma, educate people about mental health, and support those who live with mental health complications. Please join the mental health team in staff and student facing activities during the last week of May to commemorate mental health awareness month.
If you are experiencing mental health challenges, know that you are not alone!
Find below information about activities for this week and the ways you and your family can participate:
Visit the Student & Family Support section on our Reopening webpage to read more about the services we provide: Behavioral Health Supports for Parents, Social Worker at Mundo Verde, Autism Spectrum Disorder Parent Support Group, Student Services - Child Find, among others.
Upcoming Events:
May 27: Virtual Session with Families, 7:30pm - Calle Ocho Campus
May 28: Coffee with the Principal, 9:00am - J.F. Cook
June 9: NEW DATE! Network Session with Families
June 16: Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony
June 17: Rain Day - Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony
June 22: Last Day of School
June 23: NEW DATE! Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences for ALL students