All Staff PD - JF Cook Campus
Lets Get Ready For the New School Year 2023-24!
NEW! General School Information
Events & ActivitiesMeet & Greet Your Teacher - 2nd to 5th grade: Aug 22 & PreK to 1st grade: Aug 23
NEW! Board Meeting - Save the Date! Registration Form to Observe the Meeting Available - August 31
Communications, Information & QuestionsNEW! How Parents/Caregivers Can Expect to Hear from the School (Communications)
NEW! Planning Ahead: Opportunity to Volunteer as a Classroom Liaison
NEW! The Families Portal in the School Website is Your Resource!
NEW! Mundo Verde Social Media
Weekly Family Update Available in ParentSquare AND School Website (Families Portal)
Health & SafetyNEW! Let's Work Together to Keep Students Safe: SY23-24 Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Community AnnouncementsNews From Padres - J.F. Cook Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
News From Comunidad - Calle Ocho Campus Parent/Caregiver Organized Group
East Rivier Worshops
School Calendar and Upcoming EventsSY23-24 School Calendar
Aug 24: First day of school for grades Kinder through 5th
Aug 24: First day of school PreK-3 only
Aug 25: First day of school Prek-4 only
Aug 28: PreK-3 & PreK-4 combined
WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL
Please read the information under each category in the checklist, which includes details to help you prepare for the 2023-24 school year.
For easy access, the checklist can also be found on the school website under the For Families section.
Click on each heading to see details:
FOR NEW FAMILIES
__ Create an Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account for School Services
The Infinite Campus parent portal allows families to sign up and pay for school services, retrieve student attendance records, and more. New Families: If you haven’t received your credentials, please send an email to platforms@mundoverdepcs.org.
Click here for instructions on How to create a parent portal account in Infinite Campus
__ Activate your ParentSquare Account for School Communications
ParentSquare (English & Spanish) is the communications tool Mundo Verde uses to allow families, teachers, and staff to be in touch with each other. ParentSquare is a single platform that unifies all school-home communications.
All new families should have received an invitation email to activate their account. If you did not receive the email, please send an email to communications@mundoverdepcs.org.
FOR ALL FAMILIES
__ Update Your Contact Information / Emergency Contact & Authorized Pick Up
UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION - All contact information and emergency/authorized pick-up information MUST be updated through the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus. . Please allow five business days to process your requests.
Click here to read How to request updates through the parent portal
__ Complete and Send Medical and Dental Forms
DC Universal Health Form and DC Oral Health Form MUST be submitted using the links below by the first day of the school year, August 24:
OJO! New Families: If you sent your Medical and Dental Forms to admissions@mundoverdepcs.org as part of the enrollment process, you do not need to send the forms again. They will be shared internally to your child’s campus.
__ Get Students Vaccinated - No Shots No School
The District of Columbia implemented regulation stating that all students MUST have up to date immunization certification on file with the school within the first 20 school days or they will not be allowed to attend school. Make appointments with your health care providers and provide the proper documentation. See here for a list of required immunization in English and Spanish.
Summer 2023 Vaccination Appointments at the School-Based Health Centers: The School-Based Health Centers are open this summer until August 25 for vaccination appointments. Any District of Columbia resident aged three and older can schedule an appointment to receive all school-required vaccines at any School-Based Health Center. This flyer (only in English) contains information regarding vaccinations, SBHC contact information and the QR code to request a vaccination appointment. Please note the appointment request survey can be completed in multiple languages via the QR code.
__ Get School Supplies Ready
To help ensure all students can make the most effective use of their time during outdoor play and learning, please make sure your children have the following items:
For PreK and Kinder Families - We ask that you come prepared on the first day of school with the supplies listed below. On all supplies, please write first and last name in permanent marker.
- Extra clothing (Mundo Verde shirt, pants, underwear) in a ziplock bag
- A fitted crib sheet, pillow, and blanket (PreK Only)
- Regular sized backpack- at least 12” wide x 6” deep x 15” high (Kinder Only - PreK may use smaller backpacks)
For All Families
- For the first day of school: water bottle, raincoat, and rain boots.
- To ensure the comfort and safety of your child, please also have your child wear close-toed shoes/ tennis shoes to walk to the park and sweaters / layers for inside and outside.
- For the first day of November: winter coat, snow boots, gloves or mittens, and winter hat.
__ Order School Meals
The school meals program is transitioning to a monthly flat fee. The new fee structure is $120 per month, covering daytime lunch ($100) and daytime snacks ($20). Families that qualify for free or reduced meals (FARM) will continue to qualify for free meals and snacks.
- To sign up for monthly school meals, please log in to the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus and complete the Meals Enrollment Form.
Breakfast is free for all students. Eventhough breakfast is free, families need to enroll (using the Meals enrollment form) for it to help the kitchen team be prepared to serve as many students as needed.
__ Complete the Free and Reduced Meals (FARM) Form
To participate in the national program that provides free or reduced-price meals to all children who need it, families must complete a FARM application every year.
- Digital Application: If you want to complete a digital FARM application, please login in the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus. , and click here for instructions.
- If you prefer to complete the form in a printable version, please download the FARM forms in English or Spanish. Click here for instructions in English and Spanish.
Families who do not need this support are also required to complete the opt-out form.
__ Purchase Uniforms
Starting this school year, uniforms are no longer available for purchase via Infinite Campus School Store. Mundo Verde has a partnership with a new vendor, families can order uniforms using this website.
Families have two options: 1) Pay Shipping and Handling or 2) Pay online and pick up at school at no charge at the designated Campus. If you qualify for FARM, please contact your campus, Calle Ocho uniformc8@mundoverdepcs.org and J.F. Cook Campus uniformcook@mundoverdepcs.org.
__ Sign Up for Extended Day Program
To register for the Extended Day Program (Before and After Care), please login into the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus and complete the Extended Day Form.
- First Day of Extended Day Program: August 31, 2023
- Extended Day Program Fees in English and Spanish
- Extended Day Program FAQ in English and Spanish
__ Transportation: Kids Ride Free (KRF) Program
The KRF program allows students to ride for free on Metrobus, the DC Circulator, and Metrorail within the District. To be eligible, students must meet the following three criteria:
- Be a resident of the District of Columbia,
- Be ages 5 through 21, and
- Be enrolled in an elementary or secondary public, private, charter or parochial school located within the District; or a ward of DC through the Foster Care System.
Complete this form to request an SY22-24 KRF SmarTrip card for your child, an initial supply of SY23-24 KRF SmarTrip cards will be delivered to schools in August for School ID Administrators to assign to students, upon request.
OJO! The SY22-23 KRF SmarTrip cards are valid only through September 30, 2023.
For more information on the program please visit the District Department of Transportation website, or send an email to:
- JF Cook - Iris Rojas irojas@mundoverdepcs.org
- Calle Ocho - Josselyn Benitez jbenitez@mundoverdepcs.org
Front Desk telephone:
JF Cook Campus: (202) 750-7060
Calle Ocho Campus: (202) 803-8967
Website: https://www.mundoverdepcs.org/
The school day for students is from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Wednesday dismissal time starts at 1:00pm. It is imperative that students not be dropped off prior to 8:10am, unless they are enrolled in the before school program (starting on August 31) as supervision is not scheduled outside of the school hours.
If you have questions about events, schedules or other school-related matters, please contact your campus front desk.
If you need to report an absence please contact us via email: Calle Ocho campus c8attendance@mundoverdepcs.org and J.F. Cook Campus cookattendance@mundoverdepcs.org
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
2nd to 5th grade: Aug 22
PreK to 1st grade: Aug 23
Mundo Verde teachers and staff are excited to meet families this week. We are looking forward to seeing you at the “Meet and Greet your Teacher” on your campus during the afternoon of August 22 and 23. You will have the opportunity to visit your child´s classrooms, meet your teachers and classmates! The school meals and extended day teams will be available to assist you sign up for the school services, and more!
It is a time for students and families to meet and mingle with each other as well!
Please find the schedule per grade below:
JF Cook Campus:
2nd to 5th grades: August 22, 3:00-4:30pm
PreK to 1st grades: August 23, 3:00-4:30pm
Calle Ocho Campus:
2nd to 4th grades: August 22, 3:00-4:30pm
PreK to 1st grades: August 23, 3:00-4:30pm
OJO! You can also find these events on your ParentSquare calendar. New Families: If you have not activated your account, please do so as soon as possible to keep up with school communications!
Registration Form to Observe the Meeting Available
August 31, 6:30-8:30pm
The Mundo Verde Board of Directors will be holding a regular Board meeting on Thursday, August 31. 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
To keep you informed about the school life, you should expect to hear from the school through different channels. Click here to read more details on what to expect from the school communications in English and Spanish.
Family Update via ParentSquare
Robo Calls and Text Messages in case of an emergency, via ParentSquare
Social Media
Families Portal (School Website) Password: respeto.
Grade-level Weekly Update via ParentSquare
Ongoing personal communication between teachers and families
ParentSquare -updates, information, events, and celebrations
Feedback from parents/caregivers via Possip
Classroom Liaisons (CLs) fulfill a role at Mundo Verde that is sometimes referred to as "Room Parent" in other schools. Classroom Liaisons help build community in their child's classroom and support families and teachers in various ways, including by sharing information; helping recruit volunteers for classroom activities; and coordinating class playdates and other celebrations.
Once the class assignments have been published, we invite you to fill out these forms if you are interested in volunteering for this role.
Our website is your source for information and, the Families Portal is continuously being updated before we launch the new school year. The Families Portal can be found on the main menu of the school website.
The Family Portal is a password protected page. This password changes every year. The NEW password is: respeto (respect in Spanish).
The Families Portal provides information about the school calendar, communications, meals, extended day program, health & safety, policies & handbooks.
This school year 2023-24, all Family Updates will be posted in the ParentSquare calendar on the day they were published (usually Sundays). Click on “View All” to find the Family Update you want to review. The Family Updates are also available on the school website under the School Communications page (new password: respeto)
To read last week's Family Update, visit the ParentSquare calendar, and click on the Sunday, August 13.
HEALTH & SAFETY
SY23-24 Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Students are more engaged and productive when they start and end their day confident that they are known well by others in their school community and that they have a clear understanding of what the school community expects from them. Arrival and dismissal routines help reach these goals.
The Arrival and Dismissal Procedures is a key resource for parents and caregivers, especially for the first few weeks of school. It includes arrival and car line procedures, arrival and dismissal times, recommendations for drivers, pedestrians, and bikers, and dismissal locations and procedures:
Arrival & Dismissal Reminders:
Students are only released to authorized pickups
Authorized pickups should be prepared to present photo ID
School day starts at 8:30am, and ends at 3:30pm. On Wednesdays ends at 1:00pm
The car line is open only for arrival time
To help with traffic, please continue parking a few blocks from the campus
Avoid using alleys to exit the neighborhood
Be a good neighbor
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome Back
Padres would like to welcome all families back to school. Padres is the caregiver association on J.F. Cook Campus. To learn more about their events, getting involved, and staying connected, please visit Padres’ website.
Friday Coffee, Aug 25, 8:15am
The first coffee will be Friday, Aug 25 at 8:15am at J.F. Cook campus yard. Stop by at drop off for coffee and connection with other caregivers. Also will be a great opportunity to sign up for Padres activities this Fall.
School-Wide Playdate, Aug 26, 10:00am
Let’s celebrate the return to campus with a school-wide playdate. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet the community and your classmates. Saturday, Aug 26, 10:00am at The Park at LeDroit (286 V St NW).
New Family Pairing
If you are a new family to Mundo Verde and would be interested in being paired with an existing Mundo Verde family, please reach out to Jess Desvarieux (jessica.desvarieux@gmail.com) with the grades of your children, where you live in DC and what your family does for fun.
Mundo Verde Bike Community Updates
Bike Commuting 101 Webinar, August 30 at 7:30pm - All Mundo Verde families are invited to join an introductory level class on commuting to/from school by bike, led by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Register and learn more here.
Calle Ocho Bike Bus ("Bicibús") to Restart September 1 - The popular Friday morning group bike ride to school will restart for the 2023-2024 school year on September 1. Every Friday, unless cancelled for weather, families meet at Turkey Thicket Rec Center to ride to school together at 8:15am. The ride is led by experienced parents. Questions can be directed to the leaders' WhatsApp group.
If you have any questions or ideas about Comunidad and its role at our school, or you would like to know more about ways you can become involved, please reach out to Comunidad-planning@googlegroup.com.
Nurturing Parenting Program
Every Tuesday 5:00pm. For more details, click here.
Parent Empowerment Workshop Series
Every Wednesday 12:00pm. For more details, click here.
Effective Black Parenting Program
Every Wednesday 5:00pm for all families with children age 9-17 years. For more details, click here.
August Health Awareness Workshops
Every Thursday 1:00pm. For more details, click here.
Upcoming Events:
Aug 22: Meet & Greet Your Teacher - 2nd to 5th grades BOTH CAMPUSES
Aug 23: Meet & Greet Your Teacher - PreK to 1st grades BOTH CAMPUSES
Aug 24: First day of school for grades Kinder through 5th
Aug 24: First day of school PreK-3 only
Aug 25: First day of school Prek-4 only
Aug 28: PreK-3 & PreK-4 combined
Aug 31: Board Meeting
Sep 4: Holiday, SCHOOL CLOSED