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Bell Schedule
Monday - Holiday
Tuesday - Bell 1
Wednesday - Bell 2 (Final Bell 2 Activity)
Thursday - Bell 1
Friday - Bell 2 (Diversity Assembly) |
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May 25
Memorial Day Holiday
May 26
Step Up Day #4
Reception at Smithsonian Museum of American Art for Team Braveheart art/writing stories books
May 28 & 29
Deal production of "Once Upon a Mattress"
May 29
Diversity Assembly
May 30
Annual Bikes for the World Collection, 10-1pm
June1 - 5
Teacher Final Evaluation Conferences
June 3
8th Grade class trip
SGA Elections
7th Grade History on the Mall
June 4
8th Grade Algebra & Geometry Exams
7th & 8th Grade Awards Assembly (Bell 3)
June 5
8th grade dance, 7-10 pm
June 9
7th Grade Algebra Exam
June 11
8th grade promotion, 10:15 am
7th grade trip to King's Dominion
June 12
DivMay7th Grade Awards Assembly June 15
Last day of school for students
June 17
Last day of school for teachers |
Order your 2008-2009 Alice Deal MS Yearbook now!!
$45
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The 2008 - 2009 yearbooks are on the way! Don't miss out on the opportunity to purchase this keepsake of your memories!
Please return order forms and checks in the amount of $45 to Ms. Baxter. Please contact Mr. Mungai or Ms. Baxter with your questions!
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Stay Informed!
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Final Step Up Days For Rising 6th Graders
The Deal students and faculty will be hosting the final Step Up Day for the rising 6th grade students that have already enrolled in Deal for School Year 2009-2010. The program will run from 9-11 am. Students will learn about academics, what life is like at Deal, extracurricular activities, and tour the new building. We are hoping that our future students will have all their questions answered and leave with a positive impression. Student Council representatives and officers will be leading the discussion groups, tours, and information sessions.
Tuesday, May 26 |
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New Educator Evaluation System
Staff members are invited to attend the work session below that relates to their position.
May 26
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Focus: Specialty Teachers
May 26
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Focus: Principals
May 27
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Focus: Early Childhood Teachers
May 28
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Focus: Professional Developers and Mentors
May 29
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Focus: Deans, Coordinators, and other positions
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Community Information
Sea Perch Workshop
Take part in a weekly workshop to a build
your very own Sea Perch, a remotely
operated underwater vehicle. With only
basic materials, some ingenuity, and a
little elbow grease, you will end up with
your very own ROV to show off to your
friends!
Highlights
· Learn practical tool skills such as
drilling, wiring, and soldering
· Test out your Sea Perch in the water
and compete in mini-games
· Keep your robot once you're done
· Learn practical engineering skills and
have fun at the same time!
Information
· $0 registration fee
· Saturdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27 & July 11
· 12-3pm
· Howard University College of Engineering L.K. Downing Hall Rm 2019
2300 6th Street NW
Washington, DC 20059
To register please call: 202-460-4250
or email jabanulo@howard.edu
Hosted by
Howard University CREST Center
K through 12 Outreach Division
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Alice Deal Weekly Bulletin
"Think Globally. Listen Compassionately. Act Inclusively."
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Thought for the Week
"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the soul of the child."
Carl Jung |
Message from Principal Kim
Last
week's Spring Concert was just fantastic! It is always surprising
to see how much students grow and improve between the Winter Concert in
December and the Spring Concert in May.
This week, I am looking
forward to watching Deal students in their performance of "Once Upon a
Mattress." The students will perform for two nights beginning on
Thursday at 7:30. I went in on Sunday evening and got a glimpse of how
our cafeteria is being transformed into a performance stage. (Our auditorium renovation will not be complete until September.) Thanks to
the stage crew members of Wilson SHS - who are Deal alums - and thanks
to our very own Deal parent, Mr. Torresen (father of Anne Marie), for spearheading this artful
transformation. All signs point to an amazing one-time-only musical performance in Deal's cafeteria!
Another special thank you to Mr. Kirschenbaum
and the counseling department for organizing and hosting Step-Up days
for current 5th graders who will be Deal's first 6th grade class in
August. The first three have been very successful, and our final
session is this week. The Deal students leading each of the
discussions remind me of college tour guides when I was going on
college information tours as a junior and senior in high school! Our
students are just so mature and thoughtful! It is nice to see Deal
students actively involved in building and recreating their school
climate.
Principal Kim
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This week at Deal...
Team Braveheart - Creating American Stories
Team Braveheart Publishes a Book of Stories at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art Team Braveheart will receive their Creating American Stories books tonight at a special reception held at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art tonight at 6:30 p.m. Nine students have been selected to read their stories to an audience of parents and students from Deal, Stuart-Hobson and Hine-Eliot Middle Schools. They are: Ciara Mackey, Eli Ferster, Ned Bent, Monica Diaz-Lopez, Iris Hernandez, Ana Martinez, Sasha Rickard, Mayuri Luis-Medina, and Ernesto Martinez. Abbie Israel and Adela Gutierrez will receive special recognition for their beautiful cover designs. Calling All Musical 8th gradersDo you like to sing but do not belong to the concert choir? Then join the award winning 8th grade concert choir members for promotion. We will be singing "Seasons Of Love" and our first rehearsal is Tuesday at 7:45 am. If you are interested in singing for this special event, please see Mr. Frye or just join us at the first practice. All 8th grade students are welcome! 8th Grade ELL Luncheon Thursday
The 8th Grade ELL students will enjoy a luncheon at a local restaurant to celebrate their promotion. These students will only miss their 4th period classes. The 4th period teachers of these students will receive a list of students to be excused for this activity. Please allow students to make up any missed work. Youth Risk Behavior Survey
A total of 5000 students in grades 6 through 12 from all District of Columbia Public and Public Charter Schools were randomly selected to participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The Passive Parental Consent form was sent home last week. Students in the following classes will take the survey on Thursday during the Period 3: Mr. Aguilera, Mr. Frye, Ms. Hampton, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Jenkins (8th graders only), Ms. Kinzer, Ms. Mason, Mr. Mungai, Ms. Ortiz (7th graders only), Ms. Philip, Mr. Stemper, Ms. Wang, and Ms. Washington.
Diversity Appreciation On Friday the students of the Human Rights group will be partnering with the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) to host a Diversity Appreciation event at Deal. The goal is to celebrate and appreciate the diversity that makes up our great school. In preparation for this day students are encouraged to participate either as individuals or as a group through their clubs. Please let Mr. Ngwa know that you are interested. Parent and faculty volunteers are needed to donate ethnic dishes during the two lunch periods for students and staff to share. Should you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Mr. Ngwa in Room 205. This will be our first time sponsoring this event, and we are open to your suggestions!
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Alice Deal presents
"Once Upon a Mattress"
May 28 & 29 at 7:30 pm - in the Deal Cafeteria
Don't miss this year's Deal musical ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, a wacky take on the classic fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea."
Meet Prince Dauntless the Drab, his mother, Queen Aggravain, his father, King Sextimus, and a whole castle full of Lords and Ladies who cannot marry until the Queen finds an impossibly perfect match for her son.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students/children. For more ticket information, contact Malin Kerwin at (202) 362-9055.
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Student Information
Good Luck!
Team Aztec wishes Sonia Schlesinger lots of luck this week at the National Spelling Bee. Go Sonia! Go Sonia!
Eighth Graders - Kings Dominion Trip
The list for King's Dominion is now closed. If you have already paid, please check the list outside Mrs. Sweeney's room to guarantee that she has your permission slip. It's not too late to pay for the dance; please give your $30 to Mrs. Sweeney ASAP. Finally, every student being promoted needs to pay the mandatory $10. Check the list outside room 105 to be sure you have fulfilled your obligation.
Seventh Graders - FINAL WEEK FOR KINGS DOMINION!
Seventh Graders this is your final opportunity to sign up for our Kings Dominion trip. Please deliver your completed permission slip and money to Mr. Kirschenbaum or Mr. Aguilera by Wednesday, May 27. If you need another permission slip, please see Mr. Kirschenbaum. If you have a financial question about the trip, please contact Ms. Kim for grant money.
Musical Workshops
The Music Department will be sponsoring two more workshops in connection with agencies that have partnered up with DCPS.
May 26 - 1 pm (Wilson HS Music Department Workshop at Wilson and a new list of names will be provided for this event)
June 2, 2009 - PM Jazz Workshop
Teachers you already have a list of students that should be excused for this event.
Deal Track Team
The Deal Track Team will meet briefly afterschool this week to reflect upon our season. The meeting will be held afterschool next week. Location and date to be announced. Please listen to am/pm announcements.
Music Department Annual End-of-Year Celebration
The Department of Music will be having its annual end-of-year celebration on June 4, 2009 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. All students should sign-up to bring an item. Main dishes will be supplied by the Music Department. See Mr. Frye or Mr. Jackson for details.
Forward Cleveland Balance
Please be aware that any balance due from the Music Department's trip to Cleveland, must be paid in full by June 1, 2009. Failure to resolve this matter will result in the holding of records and report cards.
Deal Track and Cheerleading Uniforms
ALL TRACK AND CHEERLEADING UNIFORMS are due back to Mr. Geremia and Ms. Baxter by Thursday, May 28, 2009. NO EXCEPTIONS! If uniforms are not received by May 28th, athletes will be excluded from upcoming field trips, promotion exercises, and award ceremonies. Please return a clean uniform as soon as possible. Any part of the uniform that is missing will require payment. See Mr. Geremia or Ms. Baxter if you have questions.
Mr. Geremia's and Green Scholars' Tutoring/ Make-up Work Session
Any Green Scholar who needs to make-up work, review test taking strategies, or wants to complete homework can join our Tutoring/Make-up Work Sessions. The sessions will run from 3:30-4:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week until June 15th. This is a great way to end the year successfully by getting help with assignments and preparing for final exams. Ms. Mason, Ms. Philip, Ms. Spann- Goode and Ms. Stanley will all be available to help. Our first meeting will be in Mr. Geremia's room on May 27th. If you have questions, please see Mr. Geremia.
Department of Music Listserv
The Music Department uses a listserv in order to communicate information to its students and parents. All students involved with the Department of Music should sign up to be a member of this listserv. To become a member send an email mail to roger.jackson@dc.gov.
Capital Gains Survey
During the week of June 1, students will complete a survey for the Capital Gains program (jointly administered by DCPS and Harvard University). This program provided some students with monetary rewards for academic achievement and good citizenship, and is in its first year of implementation in DC. While there are 15 middle schools currently participating in Capital Gains, this survey is also being given to students in non-participating schools.
The Passive Consent Form will be sent home this week. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Evan Smith at evan.smith@dc.gov or 202-535-1523.
Algebra and Geometry Final Exams The final exams for 8th graders taking Algebra or Geometry will be given campus style in the cafeteria on June 4 during the morning. The 7th graders taking Algebra will take their exams on June 9 also in the cafeteria during the morning.
Lost and FOUND Textbooks
Safara Bemah - English
Dennis Centeno - English
Nicholas Contreras - English
Anthony Ekwenye - Science
Vanessa Flores - French
Delta Ford - Science
Sabrina Ford - French
Joseph Green - Spanish
Te'Von Greene - Science
Elishua Greenwood - English
D'Mani Harrison-Porter - History
Terry Hedgepeth - Science
Ruben Hernandez - Science
Isis Jones - Math
Terence Jones - English
Christian Lucas - Science
Yannick Mefane - English
Sherridan Mitchell - English, Science
Dhae Sha Myers - History, Science
Marvin Price - Math
Oscar Riley-Condit - Science
Jalyn Robinson - Science
Oscar Romero - Math
Christopher Shepherd - Spanish
Peter Vo - French
Olivia Weisskopf - English
Please take better care of your books - they are critical resources for our learning community! |
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Staff Information
Thank you
Braveheart teachers thank our wonderful art teacher Robin Washington for her help with selecting our paintings, chaperoning our field trip to the museum, and providing our students with ideas, advice and assistance in illustrating their stories. In large part the book is a direct reflection of your special magic.
The Green Scholars would like to extend our gratitude to Ms. Stanley for helping our team prepare students for the DC CAS this year. Ms. Stanley worked with our students on Tuesdays and Thursdays afterschool to review reading and math strategies. We also thank her for helping our students complete National History Day projects. Thank you, Ms. Stanley.
DCPS E-Mail Account
Every employee should have a DCPS e-mail account. If you do not, let Mrs. Streeter know by putting a note in her mailbox. Once she has gotten an e-mail address for you, she will show you how to access it.
PPEP End-of-the-Year Portfolio
Final Evaluation Conferences will be scheduled for all teachers during the week of June 1. Teachers should continue to compile data for the PPEP end-of-the year portfolio. If you have questions regarding the portfolio please speak with your colleagues or members of the administration.
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Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Congratulations to the following students who participated in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Talent Search 2009. These students were administered either the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (once known as the American College Test) and received High Honors or Distinction.
Grade 7
Daniel G. Dulaney
SAT Reading High Honors
SAT Math High Honors
Jordan M. Davis
ACT Reading High Honors
Charlotte P. Hovland
SAT Reading High Honors
Maya Yu
SAT Math High Honors
Anna C. Tsai
SAT Reading High Honors
Anna V. Pomper
SAT Reading High Honors
Diego A. Ramos-Meyer
SAT Reading Distinction
SAT Math Distinction
Rebecca Y. Klein
SAT Reading Distinction
Grade 8
Jamie R. Loney
ACT Reading Distinction
ACT Math High Honors
Mathew Golden
SAT Math Distinction
William A. Shuldiner
SAT Reading Distinction
SAT Math Distinction
Abigail R. Melick
SAT Reading Distinction
SAT Math Distinction
Students who received Honors have been invited by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented youth to an awards ceremony to receive their award on stage. CONGRATULATIONS.
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Before & After School Activities This Week...
Tuesday AM
Promotion Choir, 7:45 am
Tuesday PM
Student Government meeting, 3:20 pm, RM 207
Human Rights Club meeting, 3:15 pm
International Cooking Club, 3:20 - 4:30 pm
Art Club, 3:30 - 4:20 pm, Ms. Washington's classroom
Chinese Club, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Team Olympians Study Hall with Ms. Kinzer, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Once Upon a Mattress -
Wednesday PM
Mathcounts, 3:25 - 4:45 pm, RM 105
CAPS, Counseling Session, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Green Scholars Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:15
Once Upon a Mattress,
Thursday AM
Jazz Combo, 7:40 am
Thursday PM
Rugby, 3:30 - 5 pm
Ms. Simpson-Wayne's Video Exercise Class, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Ms. Stanley's Reading Group, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Team Aztec - A Quiet Place, 3:30 - 4:15 pm, Cafeteria
Team Olympians Study Hall with Ms. Kinzer, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Green Scholars Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:15
Friday PM
Field Games with Mr. Brecher, 3:30 pm
Knitting with Ms. Wells, 3:30 - 4:30 |
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Food for thought...
David Brooks on How Geniuses Are Made
In this thoughtful New York Times op-ed column, David Brooks contrasts the "romantic" view of genius - a "divine spark" in a few remarkable individuals like Mozart and Einstein - with the modern scientific view, which he says is "more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical" and "pierces the hocus-pocus." According to Brooks, "What Mozart had was the same thing Tiger Woods had - the ability to focus for long periods of time and a father intent on improving his skills. Mozart played a lot of piano at a very young age, so he got his 10,000 hours of practice in early and then he built from there. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It's not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it's deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft." Here is how Brooks describes the developmental trajectory of a highly accomplished writer:
· In childhood, verbal ability is slightly above average - just enough to gain some sense of distinction.
· The child happens to meet a writer with whom he or she shares some biographical traits and a sense of affinity - perhaps having the same birthday or coming from the same town or ethnic group. This gives the child "a glimpse of an enchanted circle" he or she might someday join.
· Brooks says an early loss like the death of a parent could have the effect of infusing "a profound sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success."
· With this ambition, the child reads novels and biographies, providing a core of knowledge in the field, creating mental groupings such as Victorian novels, Magical Realists, Renaissance poets, and so on. "This ability to place information into patterns, or chunks, vastly improves memory skills," says Brooks, allowing the budding adolescent to "see new writing in deeper ways and quickly perceive its inner workings."
· The next stage is focusing intently on technique, in this case, on getting better at writing through constant practice. "By practicing in this way," says Brooks, "performers delay the automatizing process. The mind wants to turn deliberate, newly learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills. But the mind is sloppy and will settle for good enough. By practicing slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, the strenuous student forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance."
· At this point, it's important for the maturing writer to have a mentor who provides a constant stream of feedback, correcting even the smallest errors and pushing tougher challenges. By now the writer is redoing problems dozens of times, ingraining habits of thought that will be crucial to understanding and solving future problems.
Brooks admits that this view of how genius develops "takes some of the magic out of great achievement," but he believes we need to be redirected from the old, innate-ability paradigm. "Public discussion is smitten by genetics and what we're 'hard-wired' to do," he says. "And it's true that genes place a leash on our capacities. But the brain is also phenomenally plastic. We construct ourselves through behavior. [I]t's not who you are, it's what you do."
"Genius: The Modern View" by David Brooks in The New York Times, May 1, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/opinion/01brooks.html?scp=1&sq=Genius:%20The%20Modern%20View&st=cse
Brooks recommends two recent books on the development of genius: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin.
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