Mundo Verde 8th St

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could those of you who were able to go to the office hours and tour this morning share any feedback? Did they answer any of your questions about the new campus? My child has a low waitlist number, and I'm hoping to learn more in case we get an offer.

We went and continue to be excited for the Fall. I didn't ask any specific questions about the concerns raised on this thread, but some of the parents asked similar. They are still figuring things out, so the people we talked to were cautious to commit to anything. But the upbeat philosophy and attitude toward the school, community and education really came through. That's enough for us at this point. We really got the sense they are working hard to make the new school as special as P street is.

The new principal is incredibly positive. She has seen Mundo P st. through all of the changes so she seems like a good person to get the new school up and running. I did ask about the playground and Turkey Thicket is a possibility as is improving the existing structure. The building will be renovated this summer. The principal mentioned a larger renovation in three years once the building is purchased. Opening a new school comes with many problems. I think people need to decide if it is worth it and how flexible they are willing to be during all of the changes.

We and our child are happy with our current school situation EOTP. Our child will be starting K in the fall. We played the lottery with just putting a few schools down to see any potential matches with a longer term strategy of middle school. But we are fortunate because we can go private in middle if need be. We matched with MV. I attended the open house today not expecting much and I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised.

The new principal of 8th St is the current director of the lower school at P. So not only does she know the curriculum well in the lower school but actively strategizes and shapes it. She was very dynamic, articulate, and responsive to all the questions asked. Although she has experience running a curriculum, she is young for a principal. Some people may view that as a negative. But I view that as a positive. She is not set in her ways. She seems very flexible, adaptive to changes if needed, and again very dynamic.

Yes, it’s a new school but the curriculum has already been made and tested. There are already policies and processes in place. It’s more the logistics of starting a new school, partnering established teachers at P St moving to 8th with newer teachers, and getting a whole new cohort of kids adjusted to a new school. One concern I had was my son only gets an hour of Spanish a week as specials now potentially being thrown into a full day of immmersion. But the beauty of the new school is that the majority, if not all the K kids, are in the same boat.

It’s like starting at MV in preK 3 except now the kids have had 2 years of English instruction, have a wide vocabulary of words, know their letters, sounds etc.. That foundation has already been set and for my son, I’m confident his trajectory will continue. At MV, he would need to deal with something completely different, all day, 5 days a week. Yes, it will be challenging but the kids will all be in the same boat. But best of all, these new intense experiences in another language will trigger an amazing growth of new neuronal networks and at this age, the kids are sponges and will absorb it all.

So now I need to have a long discussion with my husband about what we want to do. I had not anticipated this at all, and would never have thought going to the open house and tour would put us in this position. The big factor that changed this was the new principal.

I forgot to add, I drove to the new school after the tour. It’s a big building and has lots of character on the outside. It is across the street from a nice small park like area. The turkey thicket walk is not bad at all, much shorter than what I anticipated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else hear anything about expected waitlist movement? We're right under 100 and not holding our breath, but are holding onto a bit of hope.

What grade?

Sorry, Pre-K 3.

I think you have a shot. There are 80 prek3 seats so I think the list will have a lot of movement.

[Anonymous]

If you really have no other options, it may be worth taking a chance on the new MV campus. But as someone who has had kids at the school for 7 years, I'd tread with caution. When parents raised concerns about expanding too quickly, we were told not to worry because the new campus wouldn't affect the P Street location. Now they are filling the new school with many of the staff members from P Street, despite the fact that turnover is already a perennial problem. The administration deliberately misleads parents, "spins" bad news or simply avoids communicating the negatives. I love that my kids speak fluent Spanish, but the school isn't as rosy as it seem at an info session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I forgot to add, I drove to the new school after the tour. It’s a big building and has lots of character on the outside. It is across the street from a nice small park like area. The turkey thicket walk is not bad at all, much shorter than what I anticipated.

I drove there after too. I agree, the building is huge and has character. The green space across the street has a religious statue in it and is completely fenced, so I suspect kids won't be allowed to play there. Anybody know anything about that lot? There is a little side yard next to the school that could provide a bit of play space if fenced. The current playground area is all on a black surface with no shade. I hope they decide to do some kind of upgrade. The turkey thicket walk has nice sized sidewalks, but at .5 miles it's definitely too far for pre-schoolers to walk for a short recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The new principal of 8th St is the current director of the lower school at P. So not only does she know the curriculum well in the lower school but actively strategizes and shapes it. She was very dynamic, articulate, and responsive to all the questions asked. Although she has experience running a curriculum, she is young for a principal. Some people may view that as a negative. But I view that as a positive. She is not set in her ways. She seems very flexible, adaptive to changes if needed, and again very dynamic.

The new principal of 8th St was introduced as the instructional coach for the lower school, not the director. I was under the impression that her role is improving teacher instruction rather than managing staff and other administration issues. Anyone know more specifics about her current role? I liked her and felt like she cares a lot about the school's model and student learning, but she seems very green as a leader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I forgot to add, I drove to the new school after the tour. It’s a big building and has lots of character on the outside. It is across the street from a nice small park like area. The turkey thicket walk is not bad at all, much shorter than what I anticipated.

I drove there after too. I agree, the building is huge and has character. The green space across the street has a religious statue in it and is completely fenced, so I suspect kids won't be allowed to play there. Anybody know anything about that lot? There is a little side yard next to the school that could provide a bit of play space if fenced. The current playground area is all on a black surface with no shade. I hope they decide to do some kind of upgrade. The turkey thicket walk has nice sized sidewalks, but at .5 miles it's definitely too far for pre-schoolers to walk for a short recess.

Recess is an hour. Plenty of time to walk to Turkey Thicket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you really have no other options, it may be worth taking a chance on the new MV campus. But as someone who has had kids at the school for 7 years, I'd tread with caution. When parents raised concerns about expanding too quickly, we were told not to worry because the new campus wouldn't affect the P Street location. Now they are filling the new school with many of the staff members from P Street, despite the fact that turnover is already a perennial problem. The administration deliberately misleads parents, "spins" bad news or simply avoids communicating the negatives. I love that my kids speak fluent Spanish, but the school isn't as rosy as it seem at an info session.

Thanks for your input as a current parent. I’m sorry to hear that you are losing many staff members although having veteran or at least teachers who have already taught under the curriculum will be helpful for the new school. Your comment about administration, specifically are you talking about the principal? I think I read somewhere that there is a new principal at P St and communication is better. Is that not true?

But you are correct that transparency and communication from teachers are important, even more so from leadership. Any input on personal interactions or experiences from the new principal at 8th St? Is she running the lower school curriculum or just a lower school coach/instructor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you really have no other options, it may be worth taking a chance on the new MV campus. But as someone who has had kids at the school for 7 years, I'd tread with caution. When parents raised concerns about expanding too quickly, we were told not to worry because the new campus wouldn't affect the P Street location. Now they are filling the new school with many of the staff members from P Street, despite the fact that turnover is already a perennial problem. The administration deliberately misleads parents, "spins" bad news or simply avoids communicating the negatives. I love that my kids speak fluent Spanish, but the school isn't as rosy as it seem at an info session.

+ 250 (250 is the number of parents who signed the Mundo Verde Better Before Bigger petition that was presented to MV’s board and the DC charter board).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I forgot to add, I drove to the new school after the tour. It’s a big building and has lots of character on the outside. It is across the street from a nice small park like area. The turkey thicket walk is not bad at all, much shorter than what I anticipated.

I drove there after too. I agree, the building is huge and has character. The green space across the street has a religious statue in it and is completely fenced, so I suspect kids won't be allowed to play there. Anybody know anything about that lot? There is a little side yard next to the school that could provide a bit of play space if fenced. The current playground area is all on a black surface with no shade. I hope they decide to do some kind of upgrade. The turkey thicket walk has nice sized sidewalks, but at .5 miles it's definitely too far for pre-schoolers to walk for a short recess.

Recess is an hour. Plenty of time to walk to Turkey Thicket.

Mobilizing kids K-aged and younger is like herding cats, especially when you're trying to get them to cross city streets. So I think the point is that it will take 20-25 minutes to gather and get them there, and the same on the return trip, which leaves little time for actual play. If your only concern is for your child to get some fresh air and sunshine, then no worries. But if you have a kid that needs to run and jump and have real free time where they get a break from following directions, then the plan is a disaster. For one of my kids, following the directions of going to and from the playground was more stressful than the classroom activity at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you really have no other options, it may be worth taking a chance on the new MV campus. But as someone who has had kids at the school for 7 years, I'd tread with caution. When parents raised concerns about expanding too quickly, we were told not to worry because the new campus wouldn't affect the P Street location. Now they are filling the new school with many of the staff members from P Street, despite the fact that turnover is already a perennial problem. The administration deliberately misleads parents, "spins" bad news or simply avoids communicating the negatives. I love that my kids speak fluent Spanish, but the school isn't as rosy as it seem at an info session.

Thanks for your input as a current parent. I’m sorry to hear that you are losing many staff members although having veteran or at least teachers who have already taught under the curriculum will be helpful for the new school. Your comment about administration, specifically are you talking about the principal? I think I read somewhere that there is a new principal at P St and communication is better. Is that not true?

But you are correct that transparency and communication from teachers are important, even more so from leadership. Any input on personal interactions or experiences from the new principal at 8th St? Is she running the lower school curriculum or just a lower school coach/instructor?

I no longer have lower school-aged kids so I don't have a lot of insight into the new 8th Street principal. I think the new P Street principal, who is also pretty young and green, is doing a surprisingly good job given the circumstances. But the founding principal that many complained was defensive, misleading and difficult was promoted to oversee both schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The new principal of 8th St is the current director of the lower school at P. So not only does she know the curriculum well in the lower school but actively strategizes and shapes it. She was very dynamic, articulate, and responsive to all the questions asked. Although she has experience running a curriculum, she is young for a principal. Some people may view that as a negative. But I view that as a positive. She is not set in her ways. She seems very flexible, adaptive to changes if needed, and again very dynamic.

The new principal of 8th St was introduced as the instructional coach for the lower school, not the director. I was under the impression that her role is improving teacher instruction rather than managing staff and other administration issues. Anyone know more specifics about her current role? I liked her and felt like she cares a lot about the school's model and student learning, but she seems very green as a leader.

I looked at the staff bio in the website. Here is the bio on the new principal. She is the lower house coach. There is an upper house coach. There is an instructional guide. Looks like the 3 make up the team in regards to classroom instruction. There is no director of lower school. The higher level would be executive director and principal. So my assumption is the principal does the admin stuff and they do the clinical stuff. Although she has no assistant principal experience, as a potential new parent, my top priority for the new school is getting the clinical teacher partnerships together and curriculum implemented. My assumption is she will get some support and or mentorship from the executive director at P St. So everyone has to assess their comfort level with a new school and leadsership. We are all in for 8th St.


Naomi is excited to join Mundo Verde as the Lower House Coach and Principal in Residence and brings over eight years of experience in education. Empowered with her personal and professional experiences, she is passionate about elevating linguistic and cultural assets of the community as well as supporting educators cultivate their craft. Most recently, Naomi served as a literacy coach and homeroom teacher in a dual language school in D.C. She also taught Prekindergarten - 3rd grade as a homeroom teacher and ELL Literacy specialist. Prior to moving to D.C. Naomi taught in Oaxaca, Mexico and 4th-6th grade in San Salvador, El Salvador. In her free time Naomi loves to cycle, throw pottery, travel, read, and be with loved ones. Naomi hails from Houston and grew-up in Columbus, Ohio. Naomi[/code] earned a M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum and Development from George Mason University, a B.A. from Kent State University, and is a Teach For America Alumna.

[Anonymous]

Hi Naomi!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The new principal of 8th St is the current director of the lower school at P. So not only does she know the curriculum well in the lower school but actively strategizes and shapes it. She was very dynamic, articulate, and responsive to all the questions asked. Although she has experience running a curriculum, she is young for a principal. Some people may view that as a negative. But I view that as a positive. She is not set in her ways. She seems very flexible, adaptive to changes if needed, and again very dynamic.

The new principal of 8th St was introduced as the instructional coach for the lower school, not the director. I was under the impression that her role is improving teacher instruction rather than managing staff and other administration issues. Anyone know more specifics about her current role? I liked her and felt like she cares a lot about the school's model and student learning, but she seems very green as a leader.

I looked at the staff bio in the website. Here is the bio on the new principal. She is the lower house coach. There is an upper house coach. There is an instructional guide. Looks like the 3 make up the team in regards to classroom instruction. There is no director of lower school. The higher level would be executive director and principal. So my assumption is the principal does the admin stuff and they do the clinical stuff. Although she has no assistant principal experience, as a potential new parent, my top priority for the new school is getting the clinical teacher partnerships together and curriculum implemented. My assumption is she will get some support and or mentorship from the executive director at P St. So everyone has to assess their comfort level with a new school and leadsership. We are all in for 8th St.


Naomi is excited to join Mundo Verde as the Lower House Coach and Principal in Residence and brings over eight years of experience in education. Empowered with her personal and professional experiences, she is passionate about elevating linguistic and cultural assets of the community as well as supporting educators cultivate their craft. Most recently, Naomi served as a literacy coach and homeroom teacher in a dual language school in D.C. She also taught Prekindergarten - 3rd grade as a homeroom teacher and ELL Literacy specialist. Prior to moving to D.C. Naomi taught in Oaxaca, Mexico and 4th-6th grade in San Salvador, El Salvador. In her free time Naomi loves to cycle, throw pottery, travel, read, and be with loved ones. Naomi hails from Houston and grew-up in Columbus, Ohio. Naomi[/code] earned a M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum and Development from George Mason University, a B.A. from Kent State University, and is a Teach For America Alumna.

For the lower school, I suspect she knows who the strong teachers/fellows are and assume she would want them on her team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Naomi!

I posted that bio and I’m a potential parent, not Naomi. Baseless assumptions gets you nowhere troll.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone confirmed whether the PreK expansion approved by the board was included in the lottery, or if they will need to access the waitlist for this expansion?