Mundo Verde accepting late applications--PK, K, 1st & 2nd

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What grades are these? People have concerns with middle and upper elementary at MV, not pre-K to first or so (aside from the literacy curriculum). As has been said, ECE is solid across the District.

+1. It's normal for MV parents to think everything is hunky-dory for the first few years. I live in the area with elementary age kids and can never, ever recall a prior year with an announcement like this that there are open spots.

There has also never been a past 18 months with a pandemic. Lots of kids have not been in the classroom for the whole time or 1 day a week of hybrid if that for the last 2 months. So many kids are behind, don’t know school routines or structure, never logged on, etc…

Why would you put your kid in a new full immersion environment stressor in addition to learning how to go back to school and not knowing any classmates? Why would you add another challenge of language when your kid is already behind in math or reading?

Immersion schools waitlist will move more because of the things above.

There are a few spots in K and 1st at P St I think. I doubt there are spots in ECE. And if your kid knows no Spanish in K and 1st and school doesn’t come easy, send your kid to Stokes or DCB where the Spanish is lite and the expectations are lower.

Our DC is in 2nd grade at MV8, above grade level in everything, at grade level in Spanish and doing just fine. The teachers have all been great in K and 1st. I’ll get back to you later our 2nd grade experience but I don’t expect anything different.

The challenge of another language and the high expectations of it has been great for our child who didn’t know any Spanish going into K. But DC picks things up easily and school comes easily. He wasn’t overwhelmed when we threw him into full immersion at K and it’s incredible how much kids pick up and absorb in the full immersion environment.

It’s been an amazing journey so far. If you have a kid with similar profile, go for it. If you have a kid struggling in school, has anxiety especially in new environments, doesn’t pick things up easily, then no, starting them part ECE is not a good fit.

I wish MV boosters would stop with the myth that MV has the strongest Spanish program and all others are “lite” in comparison. Please cite the stats that support that claim or just stop.

I am not pp, but do you know the difference between full immersion and dual immersion?
That is your answer.

I'm not PP either, but I do know that the Spanish at some of the other schools is actually lighter than MV. At MV they expect the kids to be able to converse and function in Spanish. They hire teachers that speak little English, so kids really are thrown in the deep end until they gain some basic understanding. From a fluency standpoint, that's a good thing, but it does make it harder for kids who are struggling. DCB, LAMB, and Stokes take a much slower and more relaxed approach to Spanish exposure. As a result, ON AVERAGE, your typical second grader from Mundo Verde speaks better Spanish than at the other immersion HRCS. I know many kids at all of these schools, and saw virtual classes from all of these schools last year. They just have different approaches and priorities, and that's fine depending on what you want for your child. If you aren't able to support the language outside of the classroom, somewhere like DCB is a much better fit. Your child will learn some Spanish (some will learn a lot!) and you'll be able to help them with schoolwork much better. Full immersion, even if just pre-K and K, is a lot for kids and really limits parents ability to support their kids if they don't speak the language as well.

PP at MV8 above. This is our 3rd year at the school. It seems like almost every family we have met since we have been here, either 1 parent is Spanish speaking or 1 parent is totally fluent in spanish. We feel like we are the outliers, with no spanish background, not the norm. The parents here are serious about the Spanish. This is a good thing if you are committed to Spanish.

MV is hardly unique in this regard. I bet you Raymond, which isn’t even an Spanish immersion school, has way more Spanish-speaking parents.

And your point is what?? How is this related to Spanish fluency, expectations, and family compositions in Spanish immersion schools?

[Anonymous]

Good Lord, Mundo Verde parents are obnoxious. Can you hear yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What grades are these? People have concerns with middle and upper elementary at MV, not pre-K to first or so (aside from the literacy curriculum). As has been said, ECE is solid across the District.

+1. It's normal for MV parents to think everything is hunky-dory for the first few years. I live in the area with elementary age kids and can never, ever recall a prior year with an announcement like this that there are open spots.

There has also never been a past 18 months with a pandemic. Lots of kids have not been in the classroom for the whole time or 1 day a week of hybrid if that for the last 2 months. So many kids are behind, don’t know school routines or structure, never logged on, etc…

Why would you put your kid in a new full immersion environment stressor in addition to learning how to go back to school and not knowing any classmates? Why would you add another challenge of language when your kid is already behind in math or reading?

Immersion schools waitlist will move more because of the things above.

There are a few spots in K and 1st at P St I think. I doubt there are spots in ECE. And if your kid knows no Spanish in K and 1st and school doesn’t come easy, send your kid to Stokes or DCB where the Spanish is lite and the expectations are lower.

Our DC is in 2nd grade at MV8, above grade level in everything, at grade level in Spanish and doing just fine. The teachers have all been great in K and 1st. I’ll get back to you later our 2nd grade experience but I don’t expect anything different.

The challenge of another language and the high expectations of it has been great for our child who didn’t know any Spanish going into K. But DC picks things up easily and school comes easily. He wasn’t overwhelmed when we threw him into full immersion at K and it’s incredible how much kids pick up and absorb in the full immersion environment.

It’s been an amazing journey so far. If you have a kid with similar profile, go for it. If you have a kid struggling in school, has anxiety especially in new environments, doesn’t pick things up easily, then no, starting them part ECE is not a good fit.

I wish MV boosters would stop with the myth that MV has the strongest Spanish program and all others are “lite” in comparison. Please cite the stats that support that claim or just stop.

I am not pp, but do you know the difference between full immersion and dual immersion?
That is your answer.

From the MV website:

At Mundo Verde we offer two bilingualism models. Grades PreK 3/4 and Kinder are full immersion in Spanish. This means that at least 90% of their instruction, exploration and play time is spent immersed in Spanish. Grades 1st to 5th are dual immersion in English and Spanish. This means that students spend half their time learning in English and half in Spanish.

Now go to the other schools website.

At MV8 the kids in ECE and K are immersed in Spanish 100% in the classroom with the teachers and fellows. There is no English at all.

They do have specials once a day for an hour or so. It’s a different special every day. Art and music is completely in Spanish. Gym and gardening is in English, and these 2 teachers are the only ones at the school that don’t speak Spanish. So basically 38 out of 40 hours a week, the kids are immersed in Spanish which equals 95%.

The school website says that in case they can’t find native Spanish speaking special teachers. BTW besides the teachers, all the support staff and admin are all native Spanish speaking. It’s not just the teachers who are native Spanish speaking.

[Anonymous]

So an overwhelmed 4 year old has nobody to speak with if they are feeling sick or having a hard time? Sounds great…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So an overwhelmed 4 year old has nobody to speak with if they are feeling sick or having a hard time? Sounds great…

Get a clue. They speak English too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So an overwhelmed 4 year old has nobody to speak with if they are feeling sick or having a hard time? Sounds great…

Get a clue. They speak English too.

Mhmm, exactly. So how much are they speaking English in the hallways and outside of instruction time? Native Spanish speakers don’t force it 90% of the time, even if they could. It’s 90% INSTRUCTION time, so chill with your weird calculations of number of hours per week. That may be on paper, but not how it works in practice anywhere. Even MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So an overwhelmed 4 year old has nobody to speak with if they are feeling sick or having a hard time? Sounds great…

Get a clue. They speak English too.

Mhmm, exactly. So how much are they speaking English in the hallways and outside of instruction time? Native Spanish speakers don’t force it 90% of the time, even if they could. It’s 90% INSTRUCTION time, so chill with your weird calculations of number of hours per week. That may be on paper, but not how it works in practice anywhere. Even MV.

I’m the PP. I’m saying that the native speaking teachers can speak English too but they are not in the classroom. The kids are in the classroom all day and have lunch in the classroom.

So you want to argue that the kids might speak English for 5 minutes walking to their specials or during recess?

It’s quite funny how desperate you sound to prove that it’s not true immersion. Guess by your definition, no school in this country is true immersion. But then again, most people don’t define it by how you define it.

[Anonymous]

The only person desperate is the Mundo Verde poster(s) who are bending over backwards to prove MV is special and unique. It whiffs of compensation and insecurity. Most of us on this thread have kids at immersion schools - some 50%, some currently or previously at 90% at MV or DCPS. We all know how they run and to continue mansplaining how native speakers change the ratio of Spanish to English hours is just so very extra. And reaffirming my decision to turn down a MV seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only person desperate is the Mundo Verde poster(s) who are bending over backwards to prove MV is special and unique. It whiffs of compensation and insecurity. Most of us on this thread have kids at immersion schools - some 50%, some currently or previously at 90% at MV or DCPS. We all know how they run and to continue mansplaining how native speakers change the ratio of Spanish to English hours is just so very extra. And reaffirming my decision to turn down a MV seat.

Holy moly, put down the phone and go outside. I’m a MV parent, but this isn’t life or death. You’re imagining some turf war that isn’t there.

Disconnecting is good for your soul.

[Anonymous]

The issue with MV isn't the Spanish, it's the discipline problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only person desperate is the Mundo Verde poster(s) who are bending over backwards to prove MV is special and unique. It whiffs of compensation and insecurity. Most of us on this thread have kids at immersion schools - some 50%, some currently or previously at 90% at MV or DCPS. We all know how they run and to continue mansplaining how native speakers change the ratio of Spanish to English hours is just so very extra. And reaffirming my decision to turn down a MV seat.

What are you so insecure about your decision? Is your kid happy and learning? That is what really matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue with MV isn't the Spanish, it's the discipline problems.

People said the same about my title 1 school and it is not true in my school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue with MV isn't the Spanish, it's the discipline problems.

+1. And the curriculum, but that's not until older grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So an overwhelmed 4 year old has nobody to speak with if they are feeling sick or having a hard time? Sounds great…

Get a clue. They speak English too.

Mhmm, exactly. So how much are they speaking English in the hallways and outside of instruction time? Native Spanish speakers don’t force it 90% of the time, even if they could. It’s 90% INSTRUCTION time, so chill with your weird calculations of number of hours per week. That may be on paper, but not how it works in practice anywhere. Even MV.

I’m the PP. I’m saying that the native speaking teachers can speak English too but they are not in the classroom. The kids are in the classroom all day and have lunch in the classroom.

So you want to argue that the kids might speak English for 5 minutes walking to their specials or during recess?

It’s quite funny how desperate you sound to prove that it’s not true immersion. Guess by your definition, no school in this country is true immersion. But then again, most people don’t define it by how you define it.

Not at MV, but a lot of experience at bilingual schools here and internationally and the kids are definitely speaking a lot of English. The only thing you can hope for is that the teachers are speaking in Spanish most of the time, however they are definitely saying a few things in English if kids are new to Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue with MV isn't the Spanish, it's the discipline problems.

+1. And the curriculum, but that's not until older grades.

I have only heard this from anonymous poster in DCUM.