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Week of:
May 24
Bell Schedule
Monday - Bell I
Tuesday - Bell I
Wednesday - Bell I
Thursday - Bell I
Friday - Bell I
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2010 - 2011
Registration Contest!
Over the next two weeks
homerooms and teams will be competing in a registration contest. The
first homeroom to have 100% of their students registered for next year will
receive a pizza party and the first team to have 100% of their
students registered will receive an ice cream party.
Parents please help your child's team win by coming to the school and registering your child for next year.
Register Now!
for the
2010-2011
School Year
Parents of current students (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) and incoming 6th graders are reminded that they must register their students at Deal for the upcoming school ASAP. You may register during the school day on Mondays through Friday or during our NEW extended hours on Thursdays (May 20, May 27, June 3, and June 10) until 7:00 pm.
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| Upcoming Dates |  | |
May 24
Wilson Information Session
Period 1 - Cairo
Period 2 - Singapore
Period 3 - La Paz
Softball City Championship Game vs Walker-Jones, 3:30 pm (Banneker - 2500 Georgia Ave., NW)
Embassy of Indonesia visits team San Francisco
May 26
Grade-level Department Chairperson's Meeting, 3:30 pm
Track
Middle School Track Championship, 1:30 pm
Anacostia HS
May 27
Late registration hours today. School will be open for registration until 7pm
May 28
Special Education Workshop with Susan Muir, 9 - 11 am Team Addis Ababa to Argentine Embassy
9:30 am - 1 pm
8th Grade Spanish
students to Guapos, periods 4 - 5
May 31 Memorial Day Holiday
June 1
Embassy of Indonesia visits
Team San Francisco
10:00 am
Last day to return library books
June 2
Anchor Assignments due
Team Francisco
Math Film Festival,
3:30 - 4:30 pm
cafeteria
Athletic Banquet, 6 - 8 pm in the cafeteria
June 3
Faculty Meeting, 3:30 (cafeteria) Algebra Exam
Selected members from
Team San Francisco will
travel to the Embassy of Indonesia
Late registration hours today. School will be open for registration until 7pm
June 4 8th grade Locker Clean-up
June 5
Saturday Detention 9, am - 12 noon
Bikes for the World Collection
at Deal from
10 am - 1 pm
June 7 & 9 8th Grade Book Collection
June 7-9
Deal Community Service Days
June 9
Grade-level Department Chairperson's Meeting, 3:30 pm
June 10
8th grade trip to Kings Dominion
Late registration hours today. School will be open for registration until 7pm
June 11
8th Awards Assembly
Student Government Elections (6th & 7th grades)
7th Grade Math/History
on the mall
SY 2010-11 calendar dates due
8th Grade Dance
June 14 Reptile World Assembly (Bell 2)
6th & 7th Grade Locker clean-up
June 15
8th grade promotional exercises, 10 am
6th/7th grade trip to Kings Dominion
June 16-18
6th & 7th Grade
textbook collection
June 17 Talent Show (Bell 3) Faculty Meeting, 3:30 (cafeteria)
Late registration hours today. School will be open for registration until 7pm
June 18
Planetarium field trip
June 21
6th & 7th grade
awards assembly
June 22
Last day of school for students and teachers
12:15 pm dismissal
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Stay Informed!
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Wholesome
Whole Foods Wednesdays!
This Wednesday, the Tenleytown Whole Foods Market brings us:
red beans and roasted corn salad
Don't miss out & give it a try along with your lunch on Wednesday!
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Zeroes Aren't Permitted!
Students who need a place to catch up on their late homework, get support for
assignments or projects, or who just need a place to work can join us in ZAP!
each day. Students must go to the ZAP! room at the beginning of lunch to get a
ZAP! pass and to drop off their books. Let's stay on top of the work for the last advisory!
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Order your 2009 - 2010 Alice Deal MS Yearbook now!!!
The 2009-2010 yearbooks are on the way! Don't miss out on the opportunity to purchase this keepsake of your memories!
Please return order forms and cash or checks in the amount of $50.00 made out to Alice Deal to Ms. Baxter in the welcome center.
There are a limited number of yearbooks so dont miss out!
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Incoming 6th Grade Math Assessment
The Deal math assessment of our future 6th grade
non-feeder school students and make-ups are scheduled for Thursday, May 27 at 4 pm at Alice Deal Middle School. |
Summer Bridge 2010
Deal will offer a Summer Bridge Program for 40 incoming 6th graders to support math skills development. The program will take place at Deal on Monday - Thursday (8:30 - 12:30) from July 5 until July 22. Students will be selected based on teacher/counselor recommendation, DC-BAS scores, and the Deal math assessment. Students will be notified of their selection by June 1. Please contact Ms. Neal if you have any questions. |
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The Weekly Bulletin
"Think Globally. Listen Compassionately. Act Inclusively." |
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Our Mission:
Alice Deal Middle School inspires excellence, curiosity, and compassion through intellectual and social engagement. |
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Thought for the Week
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
-Abraham Lincoln
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 Message from Principal Kim
Last Thursday's spring concert and art show was wonderful, and the turnout by Deal families was great! The ice cream social afterward was the perfect celebration to finish the evening. As you know, we also held LSRT elections that evening. I look forward to working with Jane Feller, Linda Geen, John Katz, and Varnell Washington who will be serving as LSRT parent members for SY 2010-2011. I thank the parent/ community members of this year's LSRT, Ruth Wattenburg, Dyanna Forester, John Katz, Karen McAdoo, & Mary Podesta for their work as advisors in this group.
Thanks to the parents who came in last week to register students. Again, I need you to make this a priority in your schedule. Student registration is critical for master scheduling and our 2010-11 school budget. I will not be able to do a good job of scheduling your child without knowing who will be returning. Don't worry about having your health forms complete at this point, just come in and register your child. You are welcome to come in during school hours every day of the week. In addition, we will have late office hours on Thursdays for the rest of the year -- we will remain open until 7 pm. Please register as soon possible!
Thank you.
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Wilson High School Representatives Meet with 8th Graders
Wilson High School administration and counselors will meet with our 8th graders today in the auditorium to discuss students' transition to high school.
Period 1 - Cairo
Period 2 - Singapore
Period 3 - La Paz Girls' Softball Championship Game
The girls' softball team will play in the city championship game on today. The game begins at 3:00pm.
Team Addis Ababa Study Hall Team Addis Ababa Study Hall will be cancelled this week. If you have any questions please email teamaddisababa@gmail.com. High School and College Prep Workshops Three Wilson seniors will be holding workshops today and Wednesday at 3:30 pm to help prepare students for transition to high school. They will talk about extra-curricular activities, work experience, community service, AP classes, and how these things affect college admittance. If you are interested, please see with Mr. Sheldon. Drinks and snacks will be provided. Kings Dominion (6th/7th graders)
Tuesday is the FINAL day to turn in your money and permission slip for our Kings Dominion Trip.
Afternoon Studio ClubThis is our LAST GATHERING!!! We will be having a party in room C224 on Tuesday at 3:30 pm to celebrate all of our art exploration and discoveries. Don't forget your party items for Tuesday. Middle School Outdoor Track Championship
The boys and girls track teams will travel to Anacostia HS on Wednesday to compete in the Middle School Outdoor Track Championship. The meet begins at 1:30 pm. Good luck to the teams as they Run For The Gold!!!!
The International Cooking ClubGroup B will meet on Wednesday. 8th Grade Girls' Book Group The 8th Grade Girls' Book Group will meet on Wednesday at 3:30 pm in Ms. Wylegala's room (E100). All interested readers are welcome!Team Addis Ababa and the Argentinean EmbassySelected members of Team Addis Ababa will be visiting the Argentine Embassy on Friday. We will be leaving school at approximately 9:30 am. Students will perform and present their projects. Then, we will eat a bag lunch at Dupont Circle and return to school at approximately 1 pm. 8th grade Spanish Classes Field TripOn Friday Sra. Cadavid's 8th grade classes will be taking part in a sabroso field trip to Guapo's Restaurant in Tenleytown. The students will use their knowledge in areas such as Mexican culture, how to order food, how to explain food preferences, and how to make un delicioso guacamole. Students will be helping the restaurant staff in their daily routines and will also practice their mariachi singing and dancing talents. Students will leave at 11:40 am and return by 2:15 pm. VIVA MEXICO!" |
Student and Parent information..
Textbook Collection
There are only two weeks before we will begin collecting textbooks. Each child should have been issued at least 5 books (English, math, science, social studies and world language). Some students were also loaned a novel. Please begin helping your child gather his/her books together to turn in on the designated day. On these designated days, children will turn in their textbooks to Mrs. Streeter in the bookroom where each book will be scanned for confirmation of ownership.
8th Grade - June 7
7th Grade - June 17
6th Grade - June 16
Any textbook indebtedness will result in your child not receiving his/her report card for SY 2009-2010, and will also result in his/her not being issued textbooks for SY 2010-2011.
NOTE: There will be a $1.00 processing fee per book for any book turned in after June 22.
Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Mrs. Streeter at 939-2008.
Washington Nationals' Father of the Year Essay Contest
It is time to again celebrate Deal students! Out of 1500 student essays that were submitted to the 2010 Washington Nationals' Father of the Year Contest, Deng Pua, Cecilia Wettson, and Suzanne Carnevail-Doan have been chosen as finalists for the contest. These students will be recognized on May 27 at the Celebration of Fatherhood Awards Ceremony at the John A. Wilson Building from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. As you see these students at Deal and in the community please congratulate them on this great accomplishment.
7th Graders Earn Acceptance to EPA Summer Program
Congratulations to Rakail Lepore and Jacqueline Strange on their acceptance to the EPA's summer Student Environment Development Program. This selective program offers students from the DC area an opportunity to learn about and explore environmental concerns and develop their leadership skills. We're proud of you!
Thank You
In the play the Music Man, Marion the librarian helps support the town's music program. Here at Alice Deal Middle School, the 7th Grade music students and teachers, in turn, generously supported the Alice Deal library by donating all the proceeds from the Music Man production.
Deal librarians, Ms. Allen, Mr. Hurst, Ms. Isaacson would like to thank the 7th Grade Music Man actors and actresses and Deal music teachers, Mr. Frye and Mr. Jackson for their amazing performance - way to go 7th Graders!
Deal's Green Schools Club
Summer is almost upon us, and most of us will soon turn to air conditioning to keep the summer heat manageable. However, all of those air conditioners use a lot of energy, which causes pollution and costs money. Deal's Green Schools Club is encouraging students to take the 75 Degree Pledge and keep their thermostats set to 75 degrees or above this summer to help the environment and to save money. Information will be available in the cafeteria at lunch times.
2010-2011 Student Council Officers
Students who are interested in running for a Student Council Officer position for the next school year. Should see Mr. Kirschenbaum for an application. President must be an 8th grader. Vice-President must be a 7th grader. There are no grade requirements for secretary or treasurer. Applications are due by Thursday, June 3. Elections will be held on Friday, June 11.
6th Grade Community Service
The sixth grade students at Alice Deal will be planting a vegetable garden. Please contact Ms. Popadich at christine.popadich@dc.gov if you would be available to help be a chaperone for the day.
The students will also be holding a food drive the week of May 24-June 5. Please send in dry food items, paper products, and paper bags. If you have information about other charities the students could get involved with during our community service days June 7, 8, and 9.
Thank you for all of your help.
The 1st Annual Deal Math Film Festival
The 1st Annual Deal Film Festival is set and ready to go. In an effort to showcase their math creativity, the Team San Francisco students have created math videos that display their knowledge of the 6th grade math standards that they have learned over the course of the year. The films will initially be graded in math class and then the Team San Francisco teachers will toil for hours to come up with the 12 best videos. Next, three guest judges will decide the winners. The festival will take place on June 2 from 3:30 until 4:30 pm in the cafeteria. All are welcome and popcorn will be served. Come and enjoy, after all, math is FUNdamental!
BIKES FOR THE WORLD Collection at Deal Sat, June 5
The ELL Department is sponsoring its annual BIKES FOR THE WORLD collection on Saturday, June 5 from 10 am - 1 pm. This year our bicycles will go to Costa Rica to support FINCA, an organization that helps low-income rural people develop small businesses.
If you would like to support this project, please volunteer on Saturday or donate that tax-deductible used bicycle and $10 to help defray the shipping costs. Sewing machines, usable bike parts, accessories and tools are also gratefully accepted.
For more information please see or call Mr. Winn-Ritzenberg at (202) 363-6769 or see Ms Wang.
Visit Bikes For The World at www.bikesfortheworld.org.
Team San Francisco Service Learning
Teachers from team San Francisco will raise money for Rebuilding Together by guest grilling at BD's Mongolian BBQ in Bethesda on June 9. Rebuilding Together is a non-profit organization that helps those who are unable to afford housing. The event will be held from 5 and 8 and will feature Ms. Brown, Mr. Geremia, Mr. Gueltig, Ms. Mason, Ms. Ofodile and maybe Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Neal behind the grill. Our goal is to raise at least $500 to present to Rebuilding Together.
Summer School Enrollment for Students
Summer School Enrollment continues but our site is filling up. Applications are in the Deal Welcome Center. Please complete the one-page form and return it to the attention of Ms. Berkey.
Play 60 Continues
Play 60 continues with many students completing their 60 minutes a day, and many more completing at least 315 minutes each week. We are building toward the end of the month when all eligible students will be entered into a drawing to spend a day at the Redskins training site! Deal can send up to 30 students on this exciting field trip so please keep moving, record your minutes, and turn in the weekly record sheets. |
Staff information. . .
Summer Bridge Planning Session
All teachers who are participating in the Summer Bridge Program will meet in the conference room at 3:30 pm on Monday and Wednesday.
6th & 7th Grade Kings Dominion Information 6th and 7th grade team contacts are asked to submit your final numbers and funds to Mr. Kirschenbaum by 3:30 pm on Wednesday.
2010-2011 Afterschool Program
Hiring for next year's afterschool program will begin on May 24 and close on June 11. Please consider working with our students two afternoons a week from 3:30-6:00. Student enrollment for next year is already double our current rate and we expect to have a group at each grade level. See Ms. Berkey if interested or if you have any questions.
Grade-level Department MeetingThere will be a grade-level department meeting on Wednesday at 3:30 pm. SY 2010-2011 Calendar Dates Staff members are asked to submit all dates for the upcoming year by June 11. Next year's calendar is posted in the conference room for you to write (on post-its) dates for our school calendar. Please include all pertinent information. Please see Ms. Neal if you have any questions. Anchor Assignments - Due June 2
All anchor assignments and score sheets are due to Ms. Neal by June 2. June Faculty Meetings Our June faculty meetings are scheduled for 3:30 pm on June 3 and 17.
Kids Euro Festival
The largest children's performing arts festival of its kind in the United States - returns for its third edition from October 15 to November 10, 2010. Hundreds of educational shows and activities will be available to your students, all free of charge. Kids Euro Festival is like a tour of Europe, with no passport required! Teachers are invited to a Kids Euro Festival 2010 Preview at the Embassy of France on Tuesday, May 25.
When: May 25th at 4:30 pm
Where: Embassy of France / La Maison Française, 4101 Reservoir Rd, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007
Parking: There will be free parking available on the Embassy grounds.
Dress code: Business casual.
R.S.V.P.'s are mandatory for security reasons; all names will be on the list at the Embassy's entrance gate. You will be asked to show a picture I.D. to enter.
RSVP to:
Marie-Hélène Zavala
Kids Euro Festival project manager
Kids Euro Festival / Presented by the 27 European Union Member States
www.kidseurofestival.org
Washington, DC / Oct.15 to Nov. 10, 2010
La Maison Française C/o Embassy of France
4101 Reservoir Rd NW - Washington, DC 20007
Marie-Helene.Zavala@ambafrance-us.org or secretariat.francophonie@ambafrance-us.org.
Tel: 202 944 6006 - Fax: 202 944 6167
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Community information... (items in this section are not necessarily endorsed by Deal)
You Can Do the Rubik's Cube Tournament - Deadline May 31
As part of the USA Science and Engineering Festival, K-12 teams from DC, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia will be competing for the fastest time to collectively solve 25 Rubik's Cubes. There are separate K-8 and 9-12 competitions. Prizes range from $100 to $1,000 and will be awarded to winning schools. The tournament winner will meet Erno Rubik.
Applicable Educators: All
Deadline: Register by May 31, 2010
Contact: Ruth Kiefer, rkiefer@mindspring.com
Supporting Website: USA Science and Engineering Festival
Additional Information:
The top six finalists will compete for the championship at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo on the National Mall on October 23. To learn more, visit http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2010festival/contests/rubikstournament.
Summer Program for 7-12 Grade Students at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research - Rolling Deadline
The Gains in Education of Math and Science (GEMS) program at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is a summer program designed to expose students to real world, hands-on subjects in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. WRAIR offers 1-week, 2-week, and 4-week paid sessions during the summer.
Applicable Educators: 7-12 Grades 7-12 Location: Various locations, including Columbia Heights Educational Campus, WRAIR, and George Washington University
Contact: Omari Sarjeant, Program Coordinator, Science Education and Outreach Division, WRAIR, omari.sarjeant@us.army.mil, 301.319.2027
Supporting Website: About GEMS
For more information and to complete the online application, please visit http://usaeop.com/application/student1.aspx.
Parents Please Help!
Devan Tatlow's parents received exciting news yesterday - the doctors believe
they have found a likely bone marrow match for Devan. It will take two
weeks for the match to be confirmed, but his team is very hopeful. However,
even if it is a match, there are many other people still looking for a donor match for themselves or a child. The doctors say that
the registrations that the Match Devan campaign has already generated will save many lives for decades to come. They said they haven't seen anything like it in 20 years of practicing oncology and transplant, and they hope that we will continue to raise awareness and register new donors.
*The St. Columba's bone marrow registration drive will be held on Tuesday, May 25 from 2-7 pm*. For Devan's sake, and for others out there like him, please spread the word about this drive so we can continue to register people. Please forward the information about the St. Columba's drive, encourage your friends, family and colleagues to
register and let us know if you can volunteer to help at the drive. Together, we can save lives.
At 5:30 pm there will be a special performance for kids by The Great Zucchini, a famous and funny magician for kids. Bring your family, enjoy the show, swab your cheek, and buy a delicious teacher-baked goodie from the bake sale table.
Childhood Obesity Special for Discovery Health Channel Help for Overweight Children
Discovery Studios is searching for families to take part in a new television
special about the causes, impacts and most effective methods for treating
childhood obesity. The program will focus on the many challenges children face
in maintaining a healthy weight, a problem millions of American families
struggle with each day.
The special will explore various facets of the issue through personal stories
of children and families, along with insight from leading experts in the field.
It will also reveal how families can work with therapists, nutritionists
and others medical professionals to pursue a healthier weight and lifestyle.
Participating families will receive an initial round of comprehensive
weight-management counseling, and will be offered assistance in finding
licensed professionals for long-term support.
All inquiries will be kept confidential.
To learn more contact producers at:
contact.healthykids@gmail.com
Phone: 240-662-4357
FAX: 240-662-3798
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| Before & after school activities this week... |
Monday AM
Spanish tutoring, 8:10 am - RM C310
Beginning Spanish tutoring, 8 - 8:40 am - RM E106
Concert Choir, 7:45 am
Monday PM
Scrabble Club 3:30 - 4:30 pm, cafeteria
Debate Team, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E304
Run for Fun Club, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM W101
Team Nairobi Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, RM E207
Ms. Hampton's Science Help, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - W301
Cafe con Leche Club, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM CG06
After School tutoring with Ms. Brown & Ms. Bruce, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Deal Dance Team, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Gallery
Mathcounts, 3:30 - 4:40 pm - RM E103
8th grade HW help with Mr. Barr, 3:30 - 5pm - RMC309
Team Addis Ababa study hall, RM C104
Geoplungers challenge, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, - RM W205
Talent Show meeting, 3:30 pm
Outdoor Track practice, 3:30 - 5 pm
Tutoring with Ms. Popadich, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E105
Softball City Championship game vs Walker Jones @ Banneker, 3:00 pm
College Prep workshop, 3:30 pm
Tuesday AM6th Grade Chorus, 7:45 am Spanish Tutoring, 8 - 8:30 am, CG06
Tuesday PM
Science Tutoring, 3:20-4:15 pm - RM C315
Team Nairobi Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 - RM E201
Team Athens Tutoring/Homework Help, 3:30-4:30 pm - Team Athens Hallway
Gardening, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM C309
Video-Audio Visual Club, 3:30 pm - gallery
Tutoring with Ms. Popadich, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E105
Math tutoring with Ms. Hutter, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E307
After School tutoring with Ms. Brown & Ms. Bruce, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Knitting Club, 3:30-4:30 pm, RM E306
Team Rome Tutoring/Homework Help, 3:30 - 4:30 pm- RM E204
Team Singapore Science tutoring with Mr. Roose, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E301
Organization Help, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, RM W106
Drumline, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Afternoon Studio club, 330 - 4:30 pm - RM C224
Rugby practice , 3:30 pm - RM C104
Meditation Club, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - C206
Ultimate Frisbee, cafeteria3:30 pm
Outdoor Track practice, 3:30- 5 pm
Wednesday AM
Jazz Combo, 7:45 am
Beginning Spanish tutoring, 8 - 8:40 am - RM E106
Beginning French tutoring, 8:10 - 8:35 am - RM CG21
Wednesday PM
International Cooking club group B, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, faculty lounge
Deal Dance Team, 3:30 - 4: 30 pm
Roman Holiday, 3:30 - 4:30 pm RM C212
Team San Francisco After-School Academic Assistance, 3:30 - 4:30 pm,- RM W101
Team Beijing Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E105
Improv Club, 3:30 - 5 pm - RM E307
Alice Deal Science Olympiad Team, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E101
Show Choir, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Team Athens Tutoring/Homework Help, 3:30-4:30 pm - Team Athens Hallway
Tutoring with Ms. Popadich, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E105
Beginning Spanish tutoring, 8 - 8:40 am - RM E106
8th grade girls' book club, 3:30 pm - E100
Chinese Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - C222
Outdoor Track Championship, 1:30 pm - Anacostia HS
College Prep workshop, 3:30 pm
Thursday AM
Spanish Tutoring, 8 - 8:30 am, CG06
Thursday PM
Team Beijing Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E103 Deal Dispatch, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - cafeteria Team Beijing Tutoring, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, RM E103
Team Rome Tutoring/Homework Help, 3:30 - 4:30 pm- RM E206
Photography Club, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, RM W204 Girl Power, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Cafe
Talent Show rehearsal
Student Council, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - RM E205
Real World, Real Relationships, Real Solutions to Solving Conflict, 3:30 - 4:30 pm - Counseling Suite
Ultimate Frisbee, 3:30 pm
Gay/Straight Alliance, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Friday AM
Peer Mediator meeting, 8:00 am, RM E103
Team Cairo tutoring with Ms. Mazzone, 8:10 am - library media center
Spanish tutoring, 8 - 8:40 am - RM C310
** As always, students should have parent permission to stay after school for any activity!
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Food for thought...
Carol Dweck on Helping Students Deal
with Setbacks and Failure
In
this Chronicle Review article, David
Glenn reports on the work of Carol Dweck, a Stanford University research
psychologist who has been trying for decades to shift people's mindsets from
seeing intelligence as a "genetic blessing from the sky" to realizing that it's
highly malleable. "[I]t's clear that if you have a fixed mindset and you're
afraid that you might be failing," she says, "you're having all kinds of
emotional reactions that could stand in your way."
In Dweck's view, praising
children for their intelligence gets their self-worth too tied up in the idea
that they are smart, which causes
problems:
- Some
become lazy because they believe that smarts will bail them out in a pinch;
- Some
give up when they encounter setbacks because they fear that failing will prove
they're not smart;
- Some tie
themselves up in knots with perfectionism.
- Some
figure the people who praise their intelligence are wrong and decide it's not
worth working hard on schoolwork;
It's much better, Dweck believes, to praise
children for effective effort and explicitly teach them that mental skills can
improve by persistence and work. People perform better when they focus on
things they can control, like effort, rather than things they can't control,
like intelligence. "Hard working is what gets the job done," she says. "You
just see that year after year. The students who thrive are not necessarily the
ones who come in with perfect scores. It's the ones who love what they're doing
and go at it vigorously."
Dweck
has always been fascinated with how people cope with failure. She was
particularly influenced by Martin Seligman's research on "learned
helplessness," and conducted her own experiments with New Haven fifth graders.
She gave children a psychological questionnaire- the Intellectual Achievement
Responsibility Scale (http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2f/a1/03.pdf) - which shows whether people attribute
academic results to external factors (The
teacher had it in for me, The
instructions weren't written clearly) or their own actions (I didn't study hard enough, I didn't read
the instructions carefully). She then asked children to solve block puzzles
presented by two experimenters, one of whom always presented puzzles that were
impossible. When this experimenter suddenly started presenting puzzles that were possible, some of the children
still couldn't solve them. Sure enough, they were the children who had scored
at the external-agency end of the spectrum on the questionnaire. Dweck's
conclusion: children who attribute responsibility for their academic
performance to others are more vulnerable to learned helplessness.
What
makes these children grow up with this fixed-intelligence mindset? Dweck believes
it comes from hearing adults saying things like "Smart girl!" and "He's not
very good at math" and absorbing the fixed-intelligence paradigm. Conversely,
children who are praised for effort and tenacity are more likely to take on new
challenges and persist in the face of setbacks. Dweck and her colleagues have
developed a middle-school curriculum that explicitly teaches students that
intelligence is incremental rather than fixed. She has done similar work with
college students and, in both cases, seen improvements in students' academic
achievement - most dramatically among African-American students.
Other
psychologists have conducted similar experiments in universities and gotten
less clear-cut results. It appears that mindsets are more ingrained for older
students - and there's another variable: how invested students are in academic
success. Those whose self-esteem is too
tied up in doing well can fall into self-handicapping behaviors when they
encounter frustration and failure, even if they have an incremental view of
intelligence.
Dweck agrees. "We now have a
much fuller understanding of the mediators of this entire process," she says.
"We can really focus on all of the nodes of the process." These include:
- Believing
that intelligence is malleable;
- Investment
in academic success (not too strong);
- Setting
realistic/stretch learning goals;
- Appropriate
reactions to failures and setbacks;
- Dealing
with stereotype threat (stigmatized groups picking up on societal rumors of
inferiority);
- A sense
of belonging in school.
"Carol Dweck's Mindset:
It's Not About How Smart You Are" by David Glenn in The Chronicle Review, May 14, 2010 (Vol. LVI, #33, p. B6-B9), no
e-link available
© Copyright
2010 Marshall Memo LLC
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