Keep on reading for some sustainable swaps you can try next time you need to replace your toothbrush or refill your toothpaste or floss here
April 11-15: Spring Break, NO SCHOOL for Students & Teachers
It’s Time to Re-enroll for School Year 2022-2023! Deadline May 5
Summer Program 2022: Interest Form is Available - Deadline May 2
UPDATE! Spirit Week: We Love the Earth – New Dates! April 25-29, Both Campuses
Health & SafetyNEW! Submit Rapid Covid Test Result for Return from Spring Break
NEW! Update on Masking Indoors
Covid-19 Testing Programs Update
Weekly Covid Dashboard
Events & ActivitiesNEW! Coffee with Principal Jenn, Calle Ocho Campus - April 29: We Invite you to Submit Questions in Advance!
Materials: Coffee with Principal Netta, J.F. Cook Campus - April 8
Board Meeting - Save the Date! April 21
Celebrating Earth Day! Upcoming School-wide Events
Earth Day Celebration: April 22
Communications, Information & QuestionsNEW! Planned Operations Leadership Transition
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection: Deadline April 24
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Planning Meetings by Campus
Extended Day ProgramApril Extended Day Program Fee - Payments are Due on the 10th of Each Month
Student & Family SupportsNEW! #CelebrateDifferences this Autism Awareness Month
NEW! Celebrate National Deaf History Month 2022
Community AnnouncementsNEW! Kids Garden Month Celebration
NEW! Opportunity to Serve as a PADRES' Officer for the 2022-2023 School Year! J.F. Cook Campus
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsACADEMICS
April 11-15: Spring Break, NO SCHOOL for Students & Teachers
Deadline May 5
ALL families should have received a re-enrollment letter via email on April 1, 2022. Please complete all of the necessary paperwork to not risk losing your child’s space at Mundo Verde PCS for SY22-23. For a list of acceptable documentation as Proof of DC Residency please click here in Spanish / English.
Siblings of Current Students
Starting on April 1, siblings of current students admitted through this year's lottery will be able to be included in the same re-enrollment form. If you do not know if you were accepted, please check your application in MySchoolDC.
Re-enrollment Support
We understand that this can be an overwhelming time and we want you to know that we have staff eager to help you through the process in ways that can be supportive to your needs. Contact us with any questions, concerns or requests for one-on-one help at admissions@mundoverdepcs.org or call the front desk of either campus. J.F. Cook Campus (202) 750-7060, and Calle Ocho Campus (202) 803-8967. We are available Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 3:30pm.
For more information visit the Admissions section on the website.
Deadline May 2
Mundo Verde will offer a four week in-person program consisting of a program serving students in grades PreK4-5th grade including academic skill boosting in English, Spanish and Math.
We are accepting interest forms now in order to determine staffing for the program. The program is open to all students across both campuses and prioritizes academics to mitigate learning loss from Covid-19 and remote learning as well as at-risk students (city definition) and students with disabilities based on reading levels and teacher recommendations.
Dates: July 11 - August 10
Hours: 9:00am-3:30pm
Eligible students: The Summer Program is only open to rising Mundo Verde students from both campuses—returning in SY22-23 or in fifth grade. New students entering PreK-3 in the fall are not eligible to participate in the program.
Registration: Registration is available for the entire session only.
Interest Form: 2022 Summer Program Interest Form. Deadline May 2.
To learn more, please take a look at the Summer Program Details (Eng / Spa) and Summer Program FAQ (Eng / Spa).
For more information, visit the Summer Program section on the Families Portal (password: espica)
April 25-29, Both Campuses
Show your love for Mother Earth by coming to school dressed either in a color that coordinates with the themes below, or go wild in full costume! We can't wait to celebrate with you!
Monday: Powered by the Sun! Dress up like sunshine today!
Tuesday: Garden theme! Our school gardens are home to many plants and creatures who make our school a beautiful place to be. Let the garden inspire your outfit today.
Wednesday: Water Conservation! Create an outfit inspired by waterways, rain barrels, ect. or simply wear blue!
Thursday: Dress us as future YOU! You can make the world a better place now and in the future. What do you think you’ll look like as a future environmentalist?
Friday: Inspired by Mother Earth! Come to school dressed as something inspired by the natural world or as Mother Earth herself.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Please submit a negative rapid test taken on Saturday, April 16, or Sunday, April 17 to ensure we have a safe return to school. Tests were provided to students prior to spring break. Please do not bring your child to school if they are experiencing any symptoms.
To submit negative rapid test results, please use the following forms:
Calle Ocho Campus Form: https://mundoverde.tfaforms.net/316
J.F. Cook Campus Form: https://mundoverde.tfaforms.net/317
In case of positive rapid test results, please send it to covid19@mundoverdepcs.org
Mobile COVID-19 LLC Update
We are working with Mobile COVID-19 LLC to resume Monday PCR testing on April 4. PCR testing will only be provided to students who have submitted insurance information that is accepted by Mobile COVID-19 LLC which includes (form submission here):
Carefirst - this includes Anthem, BCBS, and all the insurances that fall under Carefirst
United Healthcare
GEHA
UMR
Aetna
Cigna
DC Medicaid
Amerihealth
Carefirst Community Health plan
Individuals are responsible for checking with their insurance if this service is covered. Mundo Verde is not responsible for any bills that individuals receive from Mobile COVID-19 LLC or insurance providers. Please check with your insurance plan for coverage.
If you want to opt out of weekly asymptomatic testing, please submit this form.
Onsite Asymptomatic Testing Update
Mundo Verde continues to provide weekly asymptomatic testing for at least 20% of the unvaccinated student population through rapid antigen tests and saliva based PCR testing. Below is a tentative schedule for these programs (these schedules are subject to change)
Calle Ocho Campus: Mondays
J.F. Cook Campus: PreK Monday and Tuesdays, 1st-3rd grade Thursdays, and Kinder, 4th-5th grade Fridays
Please continue to monitor your child’s symptoms and keep your child at home when sick.
For up-to-date information and statistics on how we are containing the spread of Covid-19, visit the Health & Safety section on the website.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
April 29, 9:00-10:00am
We Invite you to Submit Questions in Advance!
Calle Ocho Campus families and caregivers are invited to join Principal Jenn on Friday, April 29, 9:00-10:00am for a virtual coffee.
Principal Jenn looks forward to connecting with Mundo Verde families! We will also have time to answer questions that have come to us from parents and caregivers. To help us use our time together most efficiently, we invite you to submit questions in advance using this google form. We look forward to seeing many of you there!
April 8
Thank you to those families who were able to join us on Friday. Please find the link to the recording and the presentation from the Coffee with the J.F. Principal on Friday, April 8 below:
April 21, 6:30-8:30pm
The Mundo Verde Board of Directors will be holding a regular Board Meeting on Thursday, April 21. All regular and special board meetings are open to the public, providing the opportunity for stakeholders to observe board operations. The meeting will take place virtually from 6:30 to 8:30pm.
For questions related to the meeting email board@mundoverdepcs.org.
Upcoming School-wide Events
Earth Day is April 22 and Mundo Verde is celebrating throughout the month with a number of different events to recognize and protect our planet. Now, all events are open to both campuses.
Plant Based Cooking (Zoom link) - Tuesday, April 19, 6:00–7:00 pm
Students will cook a simple dish along with chef Mari Coelho, owner of "Together We Cook”. Click here for more details, including the recipe.
Learn About Composting at Home (online) – Wednesday, April 20, 6:00-7:00pm
Mundo Verde’s sustainability manager, Carissa Tirado Marks, will show students and families the best practices in composting at home.
Spirit Week – We Love the Earth – New Dates! April 25-29
See details above
WABA Learn to Ride and Bike Safety Event - Saturday, April 30, 9:00am–12:00pm at Calle Ocho Campus
While the WABA Learn to Ride spots are already full for this session, a fun morning of activities will ensue for ALL kids in attendance - with a “bike rodeo,” bike washing station, and a bike decorating station.
Friday, April 22, 3:30-6:00pm
Thank you to Carissa, our Sustainability Manager, who in collaboration with PADRES and Comunidad are organizing this celebration. If you would like to volunteer to make this celebration happen, please contact Carissa at ctiradomarks@mundoverdepcs.org.
Join your campus community to celebrate Earth Day after dismissal and aftercare pickup on Friday April 22. Students and their families, caregivers and friends can participate in hands-on activities related to protecting the Earth, create art to be displayed on campus, take home fun ideas and items to continue spreading the "verde" after the event because Earth Day is every day!
J.F. Cook Campus
Our school community will also be able to enjoy a very special surprise snack! We can't wait to come together in person as a school community again.
Calle Ocho Campus
There will also be a clothing swap. You don’t need to have donated clothing to participate in the Swap – all are welcome to come and “shop.” A DJ, a special surprise snack, and art with Mr. M will be part of the celebration.
COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
In a planned leadership transition, Elle Carne, Director of Operational Strategy & Effectiveness, will be leaving Mundo Verde at the end of the school year to pursue other opportunities. After having initially worked at Mundo Verde in the 2014-2016 school years, Elle returned to Mundo Verde in January 2020 as part of the school’s initiative to upgrade internal infrastructure and streamline core operating procedures. Despite the massive disruption of the pandemic that has consumed much of her time as well as that of the operations team, significant progress has been made across many aspects of Mundo Verde operations at both the J.F. Cook and Calle Ocho campuses. The timeline for major improvements in knowledge management, organizational and leadership structure, training and personnel development, internal and external communications, and community culture are under review. Elle has helped lay the groundwork for many of these linked initiatives, and we will continue to benefit for many years from the contributions she has made and will continue to make in the coming months.
We have engaged a search firm to help us find the right candidate for a new leadership position that has been refined to better meet our future needs. We welcome suggestions from across our community regarding candidates for this position and ask that you please share them with our head of talent, Robyn Pretlow (rpretlow@mundoverdepcs.org). Please also let Robyn know if you can help spread the word about this exciting new opportunity for a seasoned professional with significant educational experience in sustainability, operations, and finance.
Deadline April 24
Teacher Appreciation will be celebrated nationwide the week of May 2-6! Mundo Verde families have a tradition of collecting funds to organize gifts and activities for teachers and staff across the school. The collection offers caregivers a centralized fund from which to coordinate school-wide efforts, rather than individual classroom efforts, to ensure equity across campuses.
We recognize that each family has unique circumstances and may not be able to contribute to the fund every year. For those who can and wish to participate, the collection will be open until April 24. Non-Tax-Deductible Contribution can be made via this PayPal link or by scanning the QR code.
In addition to the school-wide Teacher and Staff Appreciation Collection, each campus has a Committee actively planning and organizing campus based activities to take place during the week of May 2-6. If you would like to collaborate and learn more about what is being planned at your campus, please see the details below.
J.F. Cook Campus
May 1, 1:00-4:00pm
Help prepare for Teacher Appreciation Week:
Please join J.F. Cook families on Sunday, May 1 anytime between 1:00 and 4:00pm at the J.F. Cook Campus for family friendly activities to get us ready for teacher appreciation week (May 2-6).
Questions?
Concetta Aires tkaczca@gmail.com, Christina Scarlato christinascarlato@gmail.com and Sapna Budev sapnabudev@gmail.com
Calle Ocho Campus
A Calle Ocho Campus planning meeting took place on April 6, stay tuned for the next opportunity to join the planning!
Questions?
Lindsey Elman lindsey.elman@gmail.com, Sandra Silva ssiylva@gmail.com and Sarah Lartey sclartey@gmail.com
EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM
Payments are Due on the 10th of Each Month
Families can now view the April Prorated Sliding Scale. For the After School Program per the FARM eligibility, the paid monthly fee is $384, the discounted fee is $230, the reduced fee is $154, and the free fee is $77. Siblings receive a 10% discount. We remind families enrolled in the Extended Day Program that payments are due on the 10th of each month. Payments are made via your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. For more detailed instructions please click here in English and Spanish.
STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORT
This April, the DC Special Education Cooperative invites its members, supporters, and the community to #CelebrateDifferences this Autism Awareness Month. Autism Awareness Month aims to celebrate and promote acceptance of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which impacts one in every 44 children in the United States. Autism diagnoses are growing, both for children and adults. Over 7 million people in the United States are on the autism spectrum. Black children with autism experience a significant delay in diagnosis and/or misdiagnosis more than White children. Black children with autism are five times less likely than White children to receive the early intervention that can make a crucial difference in their long-term development.
Join us this Autism Awareness Month as we emphasize the need for public awareness to promote acceptance, celebrate the differences, and be more inclusive towards autistic individuals around us.
Introduced in 1997 by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), National Deaf History Month recognized the accomplishments of people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Beginning this year, 2022, National Deaf History Month will now be observed annually from April 1-30. According to data provided by the Hearing Loss Association of America, about 2-3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears and approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. Deaf persons in the United States experience inequitable access to education, justice, and health care as well as employment discrimination.
The DC Special Education Cooperative is proud to recognize the unlimited potential for all persons, including those who are Deaf and hard of hearing, to live, work, and thrive in our community.
For more resources, click here!
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
We're celebrating Kids Garden Month with Kids Gardening during April! We are also lifting up the many positive benefits gardening has on kids themselves.
We want to hear from your kids! Ask your kids to share how their garden takes care of them with a picture, video, song, dance, poem, art, craft, or anything else they can think of! They might even win a prize!
Parents and caregivers, encourage your children to think about the ways gardening creates opportunities for community connection, time with friends or family, a place to relax or be inspired, provides food, or makes their world a more beautiful place!
Students can participate individually or as part of the school community.
The Kids Garden Month Contest is open April 1-30, 2022. Email entries to the Sustainability Manager, Ms. Carissa at ctiradomarks@mundoverdepcs.org or enter on your own and learn more here!
J.F. Cook Campus
Nominations are now open for the 2022 PADRES election! To learn more, please join our Info session on the upcoming PADRES elections on Wednesday, April 20 at 8:30 pm (Zoom), where we will share the mission of PADRES, the roles that are up for election, and the process and timeline.
The PADRES Officer Leadership team seeks to hold regular check-ins and meetings with the school's administration. In addition, they remain in contact with Mundo Verde's community of caregivers and teachers to further PADRES' mission and will lead the redesigning process of PADRES itself. The newly elected PADRES Officer Leadership team will also represent Padres in the school-wide engagement of family/caregiver groups regarding collective design of structures.
For additional information and if you wish to be considered as a candidate or would like to recommend another family member or caregiver for us to approach about running for a position, please complete this form. These will be 1 year terms.
Important Dates:
Wednesday, April 20, 8:30pm: Election Info session
Friday, April 29, 9:00pm: Nominations due
Tuesday, May 10, time TBD: Candidates introduction
Week of May 16-20: Hold elections
Upcoming Events:
Apr 11-14 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL for Students and Staff
Apr 15 - Holiday, SCHOOL CLOSED
Apr 18-22 - Spirit Week
Apr 19 - Calle Ocho Campus Plant Based Cooking Class (online)
Apr 21 - Board Meeting
Apr 22 - Earth Day Celebration and Clothing Swap
Apr 24 - Deadline Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection
Apr 27 - Family Engagement Opportunity
Apr 29 - Coffee with the Principal - Calle Ocho Campus
Apr 30 - WABA Learn to Ride and Bike Safety Event - Calle Ocho Campus
May 2 - Deadline Summer Program Interest Form
May 2-6 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5 - Reenrollment Deadline