La Casa at J.F. Cook campus is now partially powered by the sun thanks to a collaboration between Mundo Verde, the Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA), New Columbia Solar! Mundo Verde students have been pushing for solar energy for a long time. For more information click here.
April 11-15: Spring Break, NO SCHOOL for Students & Teachers
NEW! It’s Time to Re-enroll for School Year 2022-2023! Deadline May 5
NEW! Summer Program 2022: Interest Form is Available - Deadline May 2
Health & SafetyNEW! Covid-19 Testing Programs Update
Early Dismissals Reminder
Weekly Covid Dashboard
Weekly Class Status
Events & ActivitiesFamily/Caregiver Collaboration: Engagement Conversations from March 30
NEW! This Week Coffee with Principal Netta, J.F. Cook Campus - April 8
NEW! Board Meeting - Save the Date! April 21
Communications, Information & QuestionsTeacher & Staff Appreciation Collection: March 28 - April 24
NEW! Teacher & Staff Appreciation Planning Meetings by Campus
Extended Day ProgramNEW! April Extended Day Program Fee
Extended Day Unit 4 Program Schedules
Extended Day Program Partnerships
Community AnnouncementsUPDATED! Earth Day is Just Around the Corner! Upcoming School-wide Events
NEW! Celebrating Earth Day - Comunidad Calle Ocho 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)
HEALTH & SAFETY
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 Friday
OJO! PreK, Kinder and Staff Weekly Rapid Test Submissions
Please submit weekly results for rapid tests provided to PreK and Kinder so the school can track the results as part of our asymptomatic program.
Calle Ocho Campus Families: https://mundoverde.tfaforms.net/316
J.F. Cook Campus Families: https://mundoverde.tfaforms.net/317
If you do not want to submit and receive these tests, please submit the opt out form. These tests will continue to be provided for free through the partnership with the city and results should also be entered on the DC Health website.
Please continue to monitor your child’s symptoms and keep your child at home when sick.
If your child needs to be released from school early, please email attendance@mundoverdepcs.org or call the front desk to indicate what time they need to leave. Early dismissal is not permitted within 15 minutes of the first dismissal block (12:45pm on Wednesday or 2:45pm all other days). Authorized individuals must sign the student out at the front desk.
For more information about dismissal, please read the Attendance and Truancy section of the Family Handbook in English / Spanish that can be found in the right column on Family Portal.
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 8, 9:00-10:00am
We Invite you to Submit Questions in Advance
J.F. Cook Campus families and caregivers are invited to join Principal Netta on Friday, April 8, 9:00-10:00am for a virtual coffee.
Principal Netta 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 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.
COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
“We plan to start from what we can do together, an asset-based approach centering and building from what we already have accomplished”
Last Wednesday night, caregivers and school leaders across both campuses convened virtually for the first of four sessions “Engagement Conversations”. This was the first time we have done this effort across both campuses to collectively think about how we can improve our collaboration. The culture of crew impels all members of a school community to work together as a team, to pitch in, to help others. Wednesday’s session made that spirit come to life.
We are deeply grateful to the more than 40 caregivers and parents that made the time to join us for this conversation. We had classroom liaisons, organizers of an affinity space for parents of black students, organizers of Calle Ocho Campus Comunidad and J.F. Cook Campus Juntos, and PADRES. We also had individuals that are not currently active in any caregiver organized group and that contribute to our school community and support their child’s experience in many other ways. Engagement happens in many dimensions - from supporting your child at home to participating in school wide activities - every effort counts and contributes.
The evening was anchored on the guiding question: “What structure(s) and practices can best facilitate caregiver and school leadership partnership with each other within and across campuses?” A complex conversation that can not be completed in one night! We are looking forward to convening again as we return from Spring Break to continue exploring how we can plan forward - starting from what we can do together - with an asset-based approach, centering and building from what we already have accomplished. Join us as we seek to find common ground and alignment across the different efforts currently active so that we can coordinate and streamline collaboration and that we, as school leaders, engage with our caregiver community more effectively.
If you are interested in learning more and participating in our upcoming sessions, please contact Cristina Faz at cfaz@mundoverdepcs.org
March 28 - April 24
Teacher Appreciation will be celebrated nationwide the week of May 2-6! Mundo Verde families have an annual tradition of collecting funds to organize gifts and activities for teachers and staff across the school during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. The collection offers caregivers a centralized fund from which to coordinate school-wide efforts, rather than individual classroom efforts, to ensure equity across campuses. This tradition helps ensure we reach all full-time and part-time classroom and non-classroom-based teachers (art, music, cooking, gardening, PE), along with non-instructional staff members like those covering the front desk, working in the kitchen, managing campus operations, providing support across the network, crews cleaning our school, and many other roles that serve students every day outside the classroom.
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 March 28 through 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 Meeting on Tuesday, April 5, 8:00pm
Join the teacher appreciation group as we finalize plans for ways to show our love for J.F. Cook campus staff during Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, planned for May 2-6. To join the meeting by using this Zoom link.
All are welcome!
Questions?
Concetta Aires tkaczca@gmail.com, Christina Scarlato christinascarlato@gmail.com and Sapna Budev sapnabudev@gmail.com
Calle Ocho Campus Meeting date and time TBD
Classroom Liaisons will reach out to their classroom families to share details about upcoming planning meeting. Stay tuned!
Questions?
Lindsey Elman lindsey.elman@gmail.com, Sandra Silva ssiylva@gmail.com and Sarah Lartey sclartey@gmail.com
EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM
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.
Unit 4 will run from April 8 - Jun 21. Students will explore this guiding question: How can plastic bottles be recycled?
To see the Unit 4 schedules, click on the following links:
At J.F. Cook Campus, we are partnering with Speak Spanish in DC and will be running two programs: “Art with Heart” and “Spanish Storytelling”. In “Art with Heart” students will create art that focuses on self-awareness, social awareness, empathy, compassion and gratitude. In “Spanish Storytelling” students will explore language and culture simultaneously through circle read alouds.
The Double Dutch partnership has been canceled due to scheduling conflicts.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Upcoming School-wide Events
Learn About Monarch Butterflies
Thursday, April 7, 6:00-7:00pm
Zoom Link
Please join us in engaging with schoolteacher and author Lynn Rosenblat, who will take us along the journey of monarch caterpillars “Max” and “Maisy” as they progress through their fascinating life cycle and migration to the Oyamel fir tree forests in Mexico.
Spirit Week – We Love the Earth!
Week of April 18. Details for coming.
Earth Day Celebration and Clothing Swap Friday, April 22, 3:30-6:30pm
Calle Ocho Clothing Swap. Details here.
Collection: April 4–8 during drop-off
J.F. Cook Clothing Swap
Collection: Details coming soon
Celebrate Earth Day by Learning How to Compost at Home
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is offering online home composting workshops for DC residents as part of the DC Department of Public Works' Home Composting Program. These live webinars will cover what you need to know to start hot composting outside! (Each webinar is the same; sign up for only one).
Attendees will qualify for a rebate of up to $75 for the purchase of a home composting bin. Please note that you must be a resident of DC to participate.
Calle Ocho Campus
Earth Day is April 22 and Calle Ocho Campus will be celebrating throughout the month of April. Comunidad is organizing a number of different events to celebrate and protect our planet for Calle Ocho Campus families.
Future events (more details to come):
Plant Based Cooking (online) Tuesday, April 19, 6:00–7:00pm
Learn About Composting at Home (online) Week of April 25
WABA Learn to Ride and Bike Safety Event Saturday, April 30, 9:00 am–12:00pm
Upcoming Events:
April 4-8 - Calle Ocho Clothing Collection
April 5 - Teacher Appreciation Planning Meeting - J.F. Cook Campus
April 7 - Learn About Monarch Butterflies Webinar
Apr 8 - Coffee with the Principal - J.F. Cook Campus
Apr 11-14 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL for Students and Staff
Apr 15 - Holiday, SCHOOL CLOSED
April 18-22 - Spirit Week
April 19 - Calle Ocho Plant Based Cooking Class (online)
Apr 21 - Board Meeting
April 22 - Earth Day Celebration and Clothing Swap
April 24 - Deadline Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection
Apr 29 - Coffee with the Principal - Calle Ocho Campus
April 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