MVCS Teacher In Need, Can You Help?
Please read all the way through this open letter:
Hello all,
As you may have heard, Peggi Lopez, one of our 3rd grade dual language teachers, is on medical leave through at least the end of the current school year. She faces an uphill battle, with many medical appointments and reduced capacity to care for herself and her family. In addition to her own needs for care, she is also responsible for two teenage children. Her husband is available to help when he is home, but he must continue to work during this time and is therefore out of the home for long stretches.
Ms. Lopez has several siblings in Lima, Peru and at this difficult time she needs them here with her to help. But international airfare is expensive, and with the prospect of multiple trips back and forth, we are at this time reaching out to the Mt. Vernon Community School family for financial assistance for travel arrangements. Please consider one or more of these three options to help out at this difficult time in the life of one of our beloved teachers:
- Donate your frequent flier miles to pay for one of the several anticipated flights between Lima and DC. Please contact me at karlaharr@aol.com.
- Donate directly through Pay Pal toward the cost of a ticket. If you have a Pay Pal account, go to paypal.com, click on Send Money, then Send Money On-line, then direct your donation to the email address: mgetoff@gmail.com. Your donation will then be transferred to Ms. Lopez’s husband, Luis Lopez, who will use the funds to purchase airline tickets for the sisters to travel to DC to help the family.
- Leave a check made out to Luis Lopez in the manilla envelope marked “For Peggi Lopez” in the fundraising folder of the PTA mailbox in the MVCS office.
Please forward this email to any families who may no longer have children at MVCS but may have been fortunate enough to have had Ms. Lopez as their child’s teacher. Forward to anyone you believe could help.
I can be reached at the email above or at 703-966-9061.
Thank you,
Karla Harr
Fast Facts for New Parents
All MVCS Students Benefit
- Fully accredited, often surpassing academic benchmarks for rigorous state standards
- School environment rich in language and culture
- Research-based curricula such as “Everyday Math”
- Take Home Readers (K-1st grades); Accelerated Reading (2nd-5th grades; K-1st as appropriate)
- Science lab for ‘hands-on’ learning and experiments
- Computers in every classroom with weekly trips to the Computer Lab
- Visits to master storyteller Debbie Griffin, school librarian
- School-sponsored Family Math Nights; PTA Family Fun Nights; Cultural Celebrations
- School-wide positive thinking and behavior program (PATHS Program)
- Read Across America Pajama Party, hosted by the Reading Specialists
Talented and Professional Staff
- Highly qualified teachers; Staff who know and care about every student
- 80 percent have post-graduate degrees and some are Nationally Board Certified
- All teachers trained in “Differentiated Instruction” method to challenge every student
- Teachers trained to observe and identify unique learning needs (e.g., talented and gifted, reading support or added rigor, individualized special education services)
- Grade-level teaming that promotes joint problem-solving and collaboration
- Principals who are true instructional leaders, dedicated to continuous improvement
Award Winning Teachers and Parents
- 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006 Excellence in Education Award Winners
- 2003 Virginia Media Specialist of the Year
- 2005 Virginia Social Studies Teacher of the Year
- 2005 Agnes Meyer Award for Excellence in Teaching in Alexandria
- 2008 PTA Volunteer of the Year, Northern Virginia Regional Award
We encourage you to contact the school or Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to arrange a visit so you can experience everything Mount Vernon Community School has to offer your family! Principal, Scott Coleman, can be reached at scott.coleman [at] acps.k12.va.us or 703-706-4460.
Modified School Calendar – Opportunities for Extended Learning
- Intersession classes offer 5 weeks of extra enrichment or remedial learning
- Fun classes that respond to students’ interests, talents, skills and gifts
- Science, music, art, martial arts, sports, cooking, theater, dance and more!
- Additional world language and culture experiences (e.g., sign language, French, Arabic)
- Flexible opportunities for family vacations outside of the usual busy travel times
- Shorter summer prevents summer “learning loss” and still allows enough time for special family or summer camp experiences
In-School Learning Programs
- Dual Language Program and Spanish language instruction
- Dual language program delivers language arts/social studies content in English and math/science content in Spanish
- Spanish language as part of our school-wide global focus
- Full-time paraprofessionals in Kindergarten classes
- Small class sizes across grade levels
- Grade-level teams plan together and follow the same curriculum and pacing guides
- Students take grade-level field trips together
- Classes join one another for special projects and culminating activities
- Specials include weekly art, music, library, computer lab and twice weekly physical education
Before and After-school Options for Students
- After-school clubs (e.g., art, chorus, dance, drama, newspaper, science, soccer, walking)
- Chess club and art activities for children during PTA meetings
- Student Council and Safety Patrol to develop student leadership
- Band, chorus and orchestra options available for interested students
- Global learning and global stewardship encouraged through
- Student butterfly and plant gardens and courtyard greenhouse
- Recycling and composting of waste
- Bike/Walk initiative in partnership with the City and Safe Routes to School
- Before/after-school care and community connections
- Campagna Kids in school cafeteria
- Mount Vernon Recreation Center next door
- Creative Play School in walking distance with staff picking-up students
- YMCA with van pick-up in front of school
- Duncan Library family activities
Family Support and Community Learning
- Adult language classes sponsored by PTA (English & Spanish)
- Parenting classes offered by school staff and guest speakers sponsored by the PTA
- Focused conversations and activities to enhance school-family connections at PTA meetings
- Collaboration with community members who share our goal of helping children become responsible, self-reliant, contributing citizens of a changing world!
