Chaeyoung from YCA after a piano pre-concert at Calle Ocho
NEW! Save the Date for PreK Expos! Dec 15 Both Campuses
NEW! Enrollment Season Is Coming for Siblings of Students Enrolled at Mundo Verde!
NEW! Attention 5th Grade Families, It Is Time to Apply to DC International School (Middle & High School)
Events & ActivitiesNEW! Coffee with the Principals - Save the Date! Dec 13 - Both Campuses
Communications, Information & QuestionsNEW! Your Opinion Always Matters! Last Monthly Survey Before Winter Break, Dec 7
School Pictures: How to Order
Annual Teacher & Staff Appreciation Holiday Collection - Until Dec 10
NEW! Special Board Meeting Recording from Sunday, Nov 26
NEW! Pollution Patrol Newsletter #1
Health & SafetyNEW! Ensuring Student Safety
Remember! Dental Health/Screening Program, Sign Up Form Required - Calle Ocho: Dec 7 & JF Cook: Dec 8
NEW! Free Covid-19 Test Available in Public Libraries
NEW! As Our Weather Changes, Make Sure Your Children are Ready for Outdoor Recess!
School ServicesNEW! December School Menus Available
NEW! It’s Time For School Services Payments - Due on the 10th of Every Month
Community AnnouncementsJ.F. Cook Campus Families: News From Padres
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsSY23-24 School Calendar
Dec 22 to Jan 5: Winter Break - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS
Dec 22 to Jan 1: Winter Break - SCHOOL CLOSED
ACADEMICS
Friday, December 15 Both Campuses
Celebrations of learning are more than a display of student work. These events invite 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 experienced. They are powerful opportunities to make learning public.
These Expos often include artwork, research results from an experiment, written work, tests, or other projects. At Expo, students demonstrate more fully what has been learned, beyond just a grade on a report card. It also generates ideas for other students that will help improve their own work and to establish standards for excellent work from all students.
As of December 11, siblings of students enrolled at Mundo Verde may apply with sibling preference in the common lottery on MySchoolDC.org. You will see a place on the application to indicate that a sibling is currently attending Mundo Verde. Mundo Verde attempts and has historically been able to accommodate admissions for all of our families with younger siblings, however, given the limited number of spots, preference does not guarantee entry. The deadline for applying is March 1, 2024!
Mundo Verde is recruiting families, and word of mouth has been a powerful recruitment tool. Please consider sharing this message with your networks.
Rising 6th-grade students from Mundo Verde have the unique opportunity to receive transfer preference for enrollment at DCI, ensuring a seamless continuation of their inquiry-based language immersion education from 6th to 12th grade.
As of December 11, 5th graders may apply with transfer preference to DC International School (DCI) for 6th grade on the MySchoolDC.org common application.
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
December 13, 8:45am - Both Campuses
Parents and caregivers from both campuses are invited to join Principals Johanna and Natalie, and Principals Michelle and Liz for their respective Coffees in person at the Zócalo on December 13 at 8:45am.
Submit Your Questions in Advance!
To help us use our time together most efficiently, we invite you to submit your questions in advance using this form:
We look forward to seeing many of you there!
COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
Last Monthly Survey Before Winter Break, December 7
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, December 7 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.
Students portraits are available online for viewing and ordering! You should have received an email from Freed Photography with your child´s private gallery information. If you have not received this (check your spam too), please contact them at support@freedphoto.com or call 301-652-5452.
If you have any questions, please contact your campus Operations Managers:
Calle Ocho: Katherine Rodriguez at krodriguez@mundoverdepcs.org
J.F. Cook: Francisco Rodriguez at frodriguez@mundoverdepcs.org
Until December 10
A note from Mundo Verde’s Classroom Liaison Coordinators:
The Holiday season is upon us and the caregiver organizations at J.F. Cook (Padres) and Calle Ocho (Comunidad) campuses are pleased to announce the annual cross-campus Teacher and Staff Appreciation Holiday Collection! At Mundo Verde, contributions to the Holiday Collection are centralized and then distributed to staff so that all members of the community feel appreciated - from teachers to front desk staff, from the kitchen team to the extended day team, and everyone in between!
We have set a collection goal of $30,000 to distribute among staff members across the two campuses.
The Holiday Collection will be open until December 10. If you wish to participate, a Non-Tax-Deductible Contribution can be made via this PayPal link or the QR code below.
If you have any questions, please contact us!
Emily Adelecke (JF Cook Campus) at emilyreinhart@gmail.com
Lindsey Elman (Calle Ocho Campus) at lindsey.elman@gmail.com
The Mundo Verde Board of Directors meeting recording from Sunday, Nov 26, is now available here in English only.
The recording of this board meeting will be available until Sunday, December 10, 2023. The video can also be found in the Families Portal (Family Engagement section) on the website, and your ParentSquare calendar (11/26/2023).
Pollution Patrol is Mundo Verde’s Sustainability Club open to all 4th and 5th grade students. This club takes place once per month during the school day with occasional and optional activities after school and on weekends.
Throughout October and November, 4th and 5th grade Pollution Patrol students collaborated across both campuses to create their first newsletter! Click here to check it out.
Stay tuned for the next newsletter to learn more about what Pollution Patrol and Mundo Verde students are doing to protect planet Earth and how you can do your part!
HEALTH & SAFETY
Before winter break, both the J.F. Cook and Calle Ocho campuses will be practicing lockdown drills. Like a fire drill, a lockdown drill is undertaken so that staff can practice the protocols and make sure they are thoroughly familiar with best practices if there ever is an active shooter or imminent threat inside one of our buildings. As disheartening as it may be to even think about this, we do need to prepare for what we hope never happens. There have been instances when neighborhood violence has required us to shelter-in-place inside our schools, but we also need to plan for when intruders enter beyond our front desks and threaten our internal community.
Although the specific timing of the drills will not be announced, we do encourage parents and caregivers to talk about the drill ahead of time, providing your child/ren with context about the purpose of a drill. As a parent/caregiver, you have probably seen that absent concrete and clear information, a young child's imagination can take them to places more frightening than the actual reality. Be clear, forthright, and supportive while honoring your child's feelings and questions.
For more information, please visit the Center for Wellness in School Environments (WISE), our mental health partner, and the National Association of School Psychologists.
Calle Ocho: Dec 7
J.F. Cook: Dec 8
Deadline to Complete Forms: Dec 6
To learn more about this program, click here FAQ.
Children with dental problems can have a hard time focusing in school. The DC Department of Health School-Based Oral Health Program brings dentists to schools to provide dental check-ups and services that help prevent cavities and connect students to dentists in their communities.
If you want your child to have a dental check-up, please sign up HERE to participate in the School-Based Oral Health Program. The deadline for completing the form is Wednesday, December 6. Forms can be returned to the school to the nurses’ office or a digital copy can be sent to Angeline Vergara, Health and Safety Manager, at avergara@mundoverdepcs.org.
Calle Ocho Campus: Thursday, December 7
J.F. Cook Campus: Friday, December 8
Starting on Wednesday, November 22, more than 20 public libraries in all eight wards are offering free COVID-19 rapid tests for pick-up to DC residents.
As we begin to experience fluctuating temperatures, please prepare your children with the appropriate gear - especially for days when there is a chill in the air. We go outside 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. If you need any assistance providing these items for your family, please contact Sarah Ozment, Family Support Manager, at sozment@mundoverdepcs.org.
SCHOOL SERVICES
Due on the 10th of Every Month
School services payments allow us to offer quality services. December 10th is the deadline to pay for Extended Day, school lunch, and snacks.
On Friday, December 1, families received a billing statement for school services for the month of December 2023 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.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW! Neighborhood Safety Committee Meeting
Dec 6, 8:00pm, Online
Join the monthly meeting at this link.
Coffee and All-Hands Padres Meeting
Dec 6, 8:15am in person at J.F. Cook Campus
Join Padres for a Coffee and All-Hands Padres Meeting in person on December 6, 8:15am at J.F. Cook Campus. Coffee in the yard at 8:15, followed by an in-person meeting at 8:45am in the Zócalo. Working agenda includes: (1) Committee updates (2) Fall Fundraising Results and Implementation Plan (3) Conversation with formally becoming a PTO. Please share any other proposed agenda items with mvpadrescomms@gmail.com. Call-in link with Spanish AI Translation available. Instruction for setting up the AI here.
Support the 5th Grade Capstone Trip to Puerto Rico!
Mundo Verde Night at &Pizza
Dec 12, 4:00-8:00pm
Join Padres for the Mundo Verde Night at &Pizza in Brookland to support the 5th grade capstone trip to Puerto Rico! Join us at &Pizza Brookland (666 Monroe St NE) on Tuesday, December 12 from 4:00-8:00pm, or order online for pickup (use code: Padres). &Pizza will donate 25% of proceeds to the 5th grade capstone trip!
Upcoming Events:
Dec 7: Calle Ocho Dental Health/Screening Program
Dec 8: JF Cook Dental Health/Screening Program
Dec 10: Annual Teacher & Staff Appreciation Collection End Date
Dec 13: Coffee with the Principals - Both Campuses
Dec 15: PreK Expos - Both Campuses
Dec 22 to Jan 5: Winter Break - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS
Dec 22 to Jan 1: Winter Break - SCHOOL CLOSED