Garden Market - J.F. Cook Campus
Message from Kristin Scotchmer
AcademicsNEW! Fall Expeditions Launch This Week!
Parent Teacher Conferences - Nov 9 & 10
Events & ActivitiesCoffee with Principal - J.F Cook Campus: Oct 21
NEW! Garden Market at J.F. Cook Campus
Communications, Information & QuestionsNEW! SY22-23 School Calendar at a Glance
NEW! Calle Ocho Campus- PreK Playspace Update
Picture Day: Calle Ocho Oct 24 & J.F. Cook Oct 25
Family Portal is Your Resource for Information
Health & SafetyNEW! Masking No Longer Required
Childhood Vaccination Clinics Available Until November 18
Student Medication Drop Off
School ServicesNEW! Mundo Verde Services Payments Reminders
Extended Day Program Reminders
Community AnnouncementsNews From Padres - J.F. Cook Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
News From Comunidad - Calle Ocho Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsFamily Handbook
SY22-23 School Calendar
MESSAGE FROM KRISTIN SCOTCHMER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Please read on parentsquare.com/feeds/15149271 the HEADLINE NEWS, from the Executive Director. For a preview, click here.
ACADEMICS
Learning Expeditions, are a core practice of the EL Education model, are long term, in-depth studies of social studies and science content of real-world issues. Through expeditions, students produce high-quality work that is shared with families, teachers, and peers, and also with the larger community. Every grade level conducts two expeditions per school year, each lasting ten to twelve weeks. Mundo Verde expeditions are framed around key concepts of sustainability: the natural, social, and economic systems that comprise our complex world.
If you want to learn more about your child’s expeditions, contact their teacher using ParentSquare!
November 9 and 10
In addition to testing and other assessments, parent-teacher conferences are an important way for families to hear from and discuss with teachers the strengths and weaknesses they are observing in their children – across both social-emotional and academic indicators. Especially for young learners, the development of baseline social-emotional skills are critical building blocks for academic learning. Parents/caregivers (kinder through 5th grade) will receive student progress reports in advance, and can be discussed with their child’s teacher during their conference. Families with PreK students will get a detailed report directly from their child’s teacher during their conference. Discussing student progress reports help develop strong partnerships with caregivers so that whenever possible learning at home and learning at school are aligned and supportive. Students are generally not present during these conferences.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
J.F Cook Campus - October 21, 9-10am
Parents and caregivers from J.F. Cook campus are invited to join Principal Netta for the Coffee with Principal. Mundo Verde continues committed to leveraging every opportunity the school year brings to create spaces to strengthen a sense of belonging and build community among students, families and staff. In this spirit, the Coffee with Principal will be in person!
Submit Your Questions in Advance!
Principal Netta looks forward to connecting with parents and caregivers! To help us use our time together most efficiently, we invite you to submit your questions in advance using the following google form:
We look forward to seeing many of you there!
Garden Market is back at J.F. Cook campus every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30pm! Join us to support our 5th grade Garden Market Interns and to support local growers. We always have tasty free samples featuring fresh, local produce. We hope to see you there!
COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
To better support our community, we are providing an overview of key dates for trimesters 2 and 3. The calendar at a glance provides more details on the school activities at grade, campus, and school level, and community building activities. You will see these activities reflected on the school website calendar as well as the ParentSquare Calendar. Click here for SY22-23 Calendar At A Glance.
While we all have enjoyed utilizing the local Michigan Park Community Playground, we were recently informed by the developers that the equipment should not be utilized by children under the age of 5. To make recess onsite more engaging and dynamic for our youngest learners, we have placed an order for play materials from Imagination Playground.
Feel free to reach out to Principal Jenn (jkouakeu@mundoverdepcs.org) if you have any questions.
Oct. 24 - Calle Ocho Campus
Oct. 25 - J.F. Cook Campus
We are thrilled to announce Picture Day! All students will get their individual pictures taken. OJO! Class photos will be taken in the Spring.
Calle Ocho Campus - October 24
J.F. Cook Campus - October 25
Make-up Day - November 22
Reminders:
Uniform - All students must wear their Mundo Verde T-shirt.
Individual Photo - As part of having student profiles updated in our Student Information System (SIS), ALL students will get their individual photos taken regardless of their Media Release authorization.
Family Portal is Your Resource for Information
Our website is your source for information. Please visit the Families Portal (password: crew) to find information about:
School Services (Extended day program, meals, uniforms, and Kids Ride Free Program)
School Communications (Weekly Family Updates, and letters from school leadership)
Health and Safety (Arrival & dismissal routines and Covid protocols)
Family Engagement (Engagement opportunities)
School Calendar
Policies and Handbooks
Directories and Forms
HEALTH & SAFETY
Starting Oct 17
Based on results from school testing protocols implemented during the first six weeks of school, as well as community-wide Covid data, masks will be optional at Mundo Verde as of Monday, October 17. We will continue to track public health guidance, best practices, and evolving science related to Covid throughout the Fall and Winter and inform staff and families as needed of any adjustments to masking or testing protocols. Please continue to carefully follow existing guidance if anyone in your immediate family or household are exposed to or contract Covid.
To read the most updated Covid-19 Policy, click here in English / Spanish.
Available Until November 18
DC Health is offering childhood vaccination clinics at five locations around the city until November 18. The clinics are designed to ensure that any child who is excluded from school because that child is still noncompliant with the District’s school vaccination policy can receive a vaccination and return to school.
Parents whose children are still not up-to-date on their required vaccinations should first contact their regular pediatric provider to schedule an appointment for vaccinations. If parents do not have a regular pediatric provider or are unable to schedule an appointment with that provider, they can call Children’s National Hospital at 1-800-884-BEAR (1-800-884-2327) and request to schedule an appointment for general pediatrics as soon as possible.
The clinics will operate Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm. Additional evening and weekend hours will also be available on select dates and at select locations. Click here to read the full announcement.
If you need to drop off student medication at the school, please make sure to deliver it directly to one of our school nurses or AOM (Administration of Medication) certified staff. See the schedules below. Teachers and students are not allowed to handle medication.
J.F. Cook Campus - 8:30am-5:00pm
Nurse Claudia Bracho
Calle Ocho Campus - 8:00am-5:00pm
Nurse Saoudatou Allokpenou
Latoya Woodroffe (AOM Certified Staff)
AOM Certified Staff (both campuses) - 8:30am-5:00pm
Angeline Vergara
Kat Parks
SCHOOL SERVICES
We have heard a number of questions about when and how parents should pay for school services. Unfortunately, services have different payment mechanisms in the Infinite Campus portal.
ALL Families that don’t qualify for FARM: Daily snacks should be paid for monthly through the portal's fees
Students participating in school lunch: Families should prepay for lunch by adding money to their child's food services account. OJO: If your account is showing a negative balance, you add funds to your food services account. Click here for instructions on how to add money to your account. Spanish here.
Students participating in the Extended Day Program: Program fees should be paid monthly, through the parent's portal - school store. Click here for instructions on how to add money to your account. Spanish here.
Once you add all of the required fees to your cart, you can pay all of your fees in one single transaction.
For questions about how to add money, fees, and payments, email Rocio Yoc, Senior Business Manager at invoice@mundoverdepcs.org.
Questions About School Services?
Meal or Snack program questions: Email Jack Leng, Senior Food Program Manager at meals@mundoverdepcs.org.
Extended Day program questions: Email Gloria Quirarte, Extended Programs Director at gquirarte@mundoverdepcs.org.
Extended Day Program Payments
Please be reminded that payment for the program is due on the 10th of the month. Families seeking to make their October payments can follow these instructions: How to Pay Guide in ENG and SPA.
Use of Campus Play Space During Extended Day Program
We seek family support regarding the use of campus outside play spaces during the After School Program hours (from 3:30pm-6:00pm and on Wednesdays 1:30-3:45pm.) Please know these outside play spaces are reserved primarily for the children registered in the After School program from 3:30-6:00pm. Families whose children are not registered in the program are responsible for supervision of their own children. After School Associates are responsible for the children on their rosters only.
Questions: Email extendedday@mundoverdepcs.org.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
J.F. Cook Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
Festival, a celebration of the many Hispanic and Latin American cultures represented in Mundo Verde families and staff, will take place after school on Friday, October 21 from 4-6:30pm. We are excited to offer snacks and treats, crafts, face painting, story time, music and more. Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Please RSVP here and sign up to volunteer if you are interested.
Families are encouraged to dress for school and Festival on October 21 in a way that honors a Latin culture. This can be colors, flags, accessories, or specific items of clothing - be creative!
Lastly, we will be supporting fellow Mundo Verde families who are collecting donations for The Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network. There will be bins at Festival for clothing donations for all ages to support this effort, see list of donations needed here.
Calle Ocho Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
October 19, 7:30-9:00am – Café con Comunidad
Grab a warm cup of coffee and a treat while connecting with other caregivers during the next Café con Comunidad!
October 21, 4:00pm - Fiesta
We are all Comunidad, and as such everyone is cordially invited to come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the Mundo Verde Calle Ocho community in person on Friday, October 21 starting at 4:00pm!
October 25, 8:30-9:30am - Comunidad Meeting
Mark your calendars for the first in person meeting of Comunidad! More details to come. Use our online calendar to say up to date with all meetings, events and activities.
Share Your Voice - Commuting survey
Please take a moment to complete Comunidad's commuting survey to help us understand how families are getting to and from school and what concerns you have about street safety near the school so we can be effective advocates.
What's on Your Mind
Comunidad representatives want to know what's on your mind to inform meeting and goal planning. We also have standing meetings with Principal Jenn and the administration to share caregivers’ questions, ideas, and thoughts. To help our representatives prepare, please use our Q&A tool, called Slido, to submit questions or feedback. It's easy to use!
Upcoming Events:
Oct 17: Fall Expeditions Launch
Oct 19: Culture/Heritage Wednesday
Oct 19 Café con COMUNIDAD Calle Ocho
Oct 21: Coffee with the Principal - J.F. Cook Campus
Oct 21: "Fiesta" Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Calle Ocho Campus
Oct 21: "Festival" Hispanic Heritage Celebration at JF Cook Campus
Oct 24: Picture Day - Calle Ocho Campus
Oct 24: PADRES Meeting
Oct 25: Picture Day - J.F. Cook Campus
Oct 25: COMUNIDAD Meeting
Oct 28: Student Progress Reports Trimester 1
Nov 2: All School Community Meeting by Campus
Nov 4: PADRES First Friday Coffee and Donuts
Nov 9: Parent Teacher Conferences (afternoon only, regular school)
Nov 10: Parent Teacher Conferences all day, NO SCHOOL
Nov 11: Holiday, SCHOOL CLOSED