Fieldwork Fundraising Campaign https://bit.ly/FieldworkSY24
Ready For Change! Message from Kristin Scotchmer, Founding Executive Director
AcademicsNEW! Student Online Accounts Credentials
More Celebrations of Learning Coming Up!
Admissions Season Has Come for Siblings of Students Enrolled at Mundo Verde
5th Grade Families - DC International School Transfer Preference
Events & ActivitiesLearn About Co-Teaching and Student Achievement Towards IEP Goals at Mundo Verde - Jan 12, Virtual Session - Submit Your Questions in Advance!
Board Meeting: RSVP Form Available - Jan 18
Communications, Information & QuestionsNEW! Fieldwork Fundraising Campaign: Got the Winter Blues?
NEW! Your Opinion Matters in 2024! Monthly Survey - Jan 11
NEW! Food in Classroom Celebrations
School Closures and Delays Due to Inclement Weather
Make Sure Your Children are Ready for Outdoor Recess!
Health & SafetyDC Health Provides Covid Test Kits to Schools Before Breaks
Update - Dental Health/Screening Program
School ServicesNEW! It’s Time For School Services Payments - Due on the 10th of Every Month
Student & Family SupportDC Special Education Hub: Family Empowerment Series Training
Community AnnouncementsOSSE: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards for Feedback and Public Comment Session
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsSY23-24 School Calendar
Jan 15: Holiday - SCHOOL CLOSED
Jan 26: All Staff PD Day - NO SCHOOL for Students
MESSAGE
Message from Kristin Scotchmer, Founding Executive Director
With the new year comes change, for me personally and for our wonderfully diverse community of families, students, and staff…
To read the message Ready for Change! from Founding Executive Director, Kristin Scotchmer, sent on January 5, please click here: https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/27733081
ACADEMICS
On Friday, January 5, all families should have received the login information and instructions for some of the online platforms used at the school. These platforms (Raz-Kids, Zearn Math, and BeeReaders) are complementary to regular instruction.
If you need support accessing any of these platforms, please email platforms@mundoverdepcs.org.
Celebrations of learning are more than a display of student work. The events compel students to reflect on and articulate what they have learned, how they learned, questions they answered, research they conducted, and areas of strength and struggles. They are powerful opportunities to make learning public.
Please find below the dates for the Expos from Kinder to 5th grade:
Kinder: February 12
1st Grade: February 8
2nd Grade: February 9
3rd Grade: February 13
4th Grade: February 15
5th Grade: February 14
Siblings of students enrolled at Mundo Verde may apply with sibling preference through the MySchoolDC.org common lottery. You can indicate on the application that a sibling is currently attending Mundo Verde. Mundo Verde has generally been able to accommodate admissions for all of our students with younger siblings, but sibling, preference does not guarantee entry. The application deadline is March 1, 2024.
Fifth graders have the opportunity to receive transfer preference for enrollment at DC International School (DCI) for 6th grade on the MySchoolDC.org common lottery. Apply today!
In cases where demand exceeds available spaces, selections are determined by lottery among those with preference. This preference is only granted to families who apply by the deadline of March 1, 2024!
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
Submit Your Questions in Advance!
January 12, 7:30pm - Virtual Session
Join Delmy Rodriguez, Director of Student Services, for a virtual session to learn more about co-teaching and student achievement towards IEP goals on January 12, 7:30pm via zoom. This session will offer simultaneous translation in English and Spanish.
Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/3767886443
Meeting ID: 376 788 6443
Parents and caregivers can submit questions in advance here.
We look forward to seeing many of you there!
January 18, 6:30-8:30pm
The Mundo Verde Board of Directors will hold a regular Board meeting on Thursday, January 18. 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 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
To observe the board in action at this meeting, please complete this registration form. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information to join the meeting.
For questions related to the meeting, email board@mundoverdepcs.org.
COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
Got the Winter Blues?
Do you feel down now that the holidays are over and the cold of January is setting in? Let's picture ourselves in warmer spring days and look forward to exciting fieldwork opportunities. For instance, picture third graders collecting water samples while enjoying a boat ride up the Anacostia River. Fourth graders in Prince William Forest in Virginia exploring the ecosystem and camping for three days. Fifth graders hiking in El Yunke National Forest and swimming in the bioluminescent waters of La Parguera in Puerto Rico. By making a donation to our Fieldwork Campaign (https://bit.ly/FieldworkSY24), you can help bring our students to exciting fieldwork and warm your heart even on the coldest winter days. Thank you for your support!
Monthly Survey, January 11
To inform important decisions being made by school leaders, Mundo Verde sends a two-question survey to parents and caregivers every month. You will receive an invitation Thursday, January 11 to participate in this month’s survey.
These ‘pulse’ surveys can be answered via the web or a text message, completed in either English or Spanish, and are sent from Possip.
If snacks are brought for a celebration please remember that, as a junk-free and nut-free school, Mundo Verde does not allow soda, candy, tree nuts, peanuts, or junk food. In order to accommodate the allergies and dietary limitations of all our students, families must coordinate with the classroom teacher before purchasing or bringing any snacks to school. Should a food or snack violate our allergy policy, we will not allow it to be served.
See this Bringing Food To School Guide in English or Spanish for more information
Mundo Verde follows D.C. Public Schools’ (DCPS) decision regarding changes in the school schedule due to inclement weather. In the event of a delayed opening, the before school program is canceled. In the event of early dismissal, the after school program is canceled. Either way, we ensure students receive school meals regardless the school status. In some cases, the school reserves the right to make a different decision than the one made by DCPS if necessary.
Information about school closures and delays is available through:
Text Message & Email: A text message and/or an email is sent to families and staff when a closing or delay is decided (the night before or early the morning of)
School Website: A note on the school website top announcement bar
Radio Station: WTOP (1500 AM, 107.7 FM)
Television: WJLA News Channel 7
School Social Media: Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram
This content can be found in the Family Handbook in English (p. 67), and Spanish (p. 72).
It is cold outside, please prepare your children with the appropriate gear. We go outside even when it is cold! We recommend a jacket and head covering, and appropriate protection for hands, feet and head. When there is inclement weather we may at times opt for indoor recess.
Please remember to label all students’ belongings so that we can return them in case they are forgotten in the park or patio.
If you need any assistance providing these items for your family, please contact Sarah Ozment, Family Support Manager, at sozment@mundoverdepcs.org.
HEALTH & SAFETY
The District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) has sent a new supply of Covid take home tests and strongly recommends that families test their children before returning to school after the winter break, given the increased risk of transmission of respiratory illness from activities and travel.
Covid tests were sent home with students before winter break.
Please ensure that your child takes their Covid tests after 5:00pm the night before returning to school. Parents and caregivers are required to report test positive results via email at covid19@mundoverdepcs.org. Mundo Verde requests students and staff who test positive for Covid to stay home and isolate themselves, especially during the first 5 days, when they are most likely infectious and contagious. Individuals exhibiting only mild or no symptoms may return to campus upon submission of a negative antigen test.
Dental Health/Screening Program has been postponed due to the low sign-up numbers received.
We continue collecting consent forms from families interested in dental check-ups for their children. The minimum number of participants we need to run the program is 20 for each campus.
If you want your child to have a dental check-up, please sign up HERE. Forms can be returned to the school to the nurses’ office, or via email to Angeline Vergara, Health and Safety Manager, at avergara@mundoverdepcs.org.
To learn more about this program, click here FAQ.
SCHOOL SERVICES
Due on the 10th of Every Month
School services payments allow us to offer quality services. January 10th is the deadline to pay for Extended Day, school lunch, and snacks.
On Tuesday, January 2, families received a billing statement for school services for the month of January 2024 with instructions for how to pay for your fees on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you have an outstanding balance, your statement will reflect the amount owed.
If you have any questions about the charges, please email invoice@mundoverdepcs.org.
STUDENT & FAMILY SUPPORT
Choosing the Right School for Your Special Education Student - In Partnership with My School DC
January 11, 7:00pm - Online
Join the DC Special Education Hub and My School DC for a Virtual Informational Session on the DC Lottery with a focus on Families and Caregivers of Students with Disabilities on Thursday, January 11, 7:00-8:00pm. My School DC is the common application and public-school lottery for all DC Public Schools (DCPS) and most public charter schools that serve PK3 – Grade 12.
This session will present information to equip you with valuable tools and information to guide you through the process of applying to the schools that are the best fit for your student(s). There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. Register Here
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jan. 9 - In-Person/Hybrid
Jan. 18 - Virtual
On Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released a draft for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards for feedback and public comment.
OSSE invites school, family, and community participation in upcoming stakeholder engagement feedback sessions on the standards. These sessions will provide opportunities for participants to learn more about SEL and why it is important for students in schools. Participants will experience a facilitated walk-through of each standard and aligned indicators.
SEL is the process through which students and adults activate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. RSVP Here.
In-Person/Hybrid Sessions:
Tuesday, January 9, 12:00-2:00pm
Tuesday, January 9, 5:30-7:30pm
Virtual Session:
Thursday, January 18, 6:00-7:30pm
Upcoming Events:
Jan 12: Virtual Meeting with Student Support Team
Jan 15: Holiday - SCHOOL CLOSED
Jan 18: Board Meeting
Jan 26: All Staff PD Day - NO SCHOOL for students
Jan 31: Coffee with the Principals (Both Campuses)