Important Deal Updates

• counselor and social worker;
• information about National Junior Honor Society

Cell Phones, Air Pods and Smart Watches

At Deal, we are using Yondr Pouches to clarify our expectation that all students' personal devices (cell phones, air pods, smart watches, etc.) should be off and in their lockers. At no time should students have their personal devices. At no time should students vandalize school property.

Cell Phone/Electronic Device Policy

Students will be provided with a Yondr Pouch to take home at the beginning of the year. Students should speak with their assistant principal or dean if they need a replacement Pouch. Families are also welcome to email their grade-level assistant principal and dean.

Students must lock their phones (turned off or on airplane mode), air pods, and smart watch in their Yondr Pouch prior to entering the building and going through security.

Students must place their Yondr Pouch in their lockers. Students are reminded to lock their lockers. Students should speak to their first period teacher if they need a lock.

Students are not permitted to have cell phones, air pods, nor smart watches during the school day.

Students will unlock their Yondr Pouch at one of the 25 unlocking stations. We will ensure students do not miss the bus.

In the interest of privacy, students are not permitted to record or take photos within the school building without prior consent of the administration. Students are not permitted to record Tik Tok videos on school property without prior consent of the administration.

Students will be held responsible for social media posts/group chats that do not reflect Deal core values and/or are deemed to potentially cause harm to staff, students, or the school community.

Forgetting Your Yondr Pouch

First Time

• Student will give their electronics to their dean or assistant principal for the day
• Family called
• Student will receive their phone at the end of the day

Second Time

• Student will give their electronics to their dean or assistant principal for the day
• Family called
• Student will receive their phone at the end of the day

Third Time

• Student will give their electronics to their dean or assistant principal for the remainder of the term (or one month)
• Family called
• Student will receive their phone at the end of the day

Distribution

We will distribute yonder pouches to students during morning entry on Wednesday, September 6. On that day, students will be given their pouch and told to write their name on it. Prior to September 5, students are to turn their phones off prior to entering the building and leave them in their lockers until the end of the school day. Students who fail to comply with this expectation Will receive a school consequence and turn in their phone upon entry until October 1.

Intentionally Destroying School Property

Intentionally destroying the Yondr Pouch will be considered vandalism. Vandalism is a Tier 4 behavior.

Consequences for vandalism include:

• on-site suspension
• off-site medium-term suspension
• off-site long-term suspension

Failure to Comply

Failure to comply with the Deal cell phone/electronics policy will result in school-based and administrative disciplinary responses. Additionally, students will be required to give their cell phone and electronic devices to their assistant principal or dean at the beginning of the day for the remainder of the term/month. Students will receive their cell phone and electronic devices at the end of each day.

In the interest of privacy, students are not permitted to record or take photos within the school building without prior consent of the administration. Students are not permitted to record Tik Tok videos on school property without prior consent of the administration.

Students will be held responsible for social media posts/group chats that do not reflect Deal core values and/or are deemed to potentially cause harm to staff, students, or the school community.

Unlocking the Pouch

We currently have 25 unlocking stations (the leadership team has hand-held unlocking stations). In general, one magnet station for every 125 - 150 students is sufficient to maintain the flow without bottlenecking. We will make sure the buses do not leave any students who are unlocking their pouch.

Interested in arguing about whether the United States government should be involved in the lives of its citizens? Then you might be a perfect person to join the Deal debate team!

To find out more an information meeting will be held on September 12, 2023 for all interested 7th and 8th graders wishing to try out for the Deal speech and debate team. During the information meeting students will learn a bit about how much FUN they can have participating in organized Saturday tournaments and the time and effort that debate requires in order to be successful. Finally, the coaches Ms. Wendy Grimm and Mr. Tim Stroud will outline the requirements for tryouts and how students should prepare.

Debate tryouts will be held on September 19, 2023. Please note the team is only open to 7th and 8th graders due to the limited availability of coaching and competition opportunities as well as the heavy research and writing obligations. Students will be notified of their status on the team by September 22, 2023 with the first practice being held on September 26, 2023.

Knitting and Crochet Club begins this Tuesday, 9/26 in COT6 from 3:30—4:30

We have lots of yarn that people from around DC donated, but we are in short supply of needles! If possible, please have your student come with a pair of their own needles or crochet hook.

For knitting:

Size 10 wood needles are ideal for learning. Not too long.

For crochet:

more flex, but in general smaller = more advanced

if​ your student would like to bring their own yarn:

I recommend bulky weight for knitters, acrylic or cotton. Beginners do not need to start with high-end wool.

Can easily find these on Amazon, at Walmart, Michael's, or the really fun knitting store in Dupont (much nicer yarns, lots of inspiration) is Looped Yarn Works on Connecticut Ave. If they don't have their own needles by Tuesday, don't fret! We will make it work. Can't wait to see all our future fiber artists!

Attention, all Deal scholars! The National Junior Honor Society has officially launched for school year 2023-2024. This is a national academic organization that serves to foster and recognize excellence in academic scholarship and community service in our nation's youth. Every spring, hundreds of our 7th and 8th grade students are inducted into the Deal chapter of NJHS and it is amazing to see how hard they work and the great impact that their service has on our community. In order to participate, students must successfully complete each of the action steps noted below by all due dates.

Oct. 8- Digital application to join the NJHS goes live. Link forthcoming in school newsletters.

Nov. 10- Digital application to join the NJHS is due.

Dec. 15- Eligible students are formally invited to register for NJHS via Canvas.

May 20- All community service and extracurricular club forms are due. Canvas course will close for processing and late submissions won't be possible.

Jun. 4- NJHS Induction & Recognition Ceremony

Seventh graders- In order to be inducted in June, you must apply to participate, complete a minimum of 15 community service hours and submit your forms/evidence in Canvas. You must also be on A/B Honor Roll or Principal's Honor Roll for terms 1-3. Finally, you must participate in at least 1 extracurricular club and submit your form/evidence of this in Canvas.

Here is the online application link for the NJHS for SY23-24:

https://forms.office.com/r/xGn7iz7VhF

All applications are due by Nov. 10. If you have any questions about the NJHS, please reach out to Ms. Garcia (maria.garcia@k12.dc.gov) or Ms. Lienemann (stephanie.lienemann@k12.dc.gov) via email.

Thank you,

Maria Fernanda Garcia

EL Teacher, Grades 6-8

Deal Middle School

3815 Fort Dr. NW

Washington, DC 20016

maria.garcia@k12.dc.gov

POSTED OCTOBER 12@ 9PM (Flyer below)

Attention, all Deal scholars! The National Junior Honor Society has officially launched for school year 2023-2024. This is a national academic organization that serves to foster and recognize excellence in academic scholarship and community service in our nation's youth. Every spring, hundreds of our 7th and 8th grade students are inducted into the Deal chapter of NJHS and it is amazing to see how hard they work and the great impact that their service has on our community. In order to participate, students must successfully complete each of the action steps noted below by all due dates.

Oct. 8- Digital application to join the NJHS goes live. Link forthcoming in school newsletters.

Nov. 10- Digital application to join the NJHS is due.

Dec. 15- Eligible students are formally invited to register for NJHS via Canvas.

May 20- All community service and extracurricular club forms are due. Canvas course will close for processing and late submissions won't be possible.

Jun. 4- NJHS Induction & Recognition Ceremony

Seventh graders- In order to be inducted in June, you must complete a minimum of 15 community service hours and submit your forms/evidence in Canvas. You must also be on A/B Honor Roll or Principal's Honor Roll for terms 1-3. Finally, you must participate in at least 1 extracurricular club and submit your form/evidence of this in Canvas.

Eighth graders- In order to be recognized as an active NJHS member for SY23-24 in June, you must complete a new set of 15 community service hours and submit your forms/evidence in Canvas. You must also be on A/B Honor Roll or Principal's Honor Roll for terms 1-3. Finally, you must participate in at least 1 extracurricular club this year and submit your form/evidence of this in Canvas.

Here is the online application link for the NJHS for SY23-24:

https://forms.office.com/r/xGn7iz7VhF

All applications are due by Nov. 10. If you have any questions about the NJHS, please reach out to Ms. Garcia (maria.garcia@k12.dc.gov) or Ms. Lienemann (stephanie.lienemann@k12.dc.gov) via email.

The Deal MS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is happy to announce that all eligible applicants in the 7th and 8th grades can expect an official invitation to join our course page in their Canvas accounts in the next few days. Students must accept the invitation when it arrives to their Canvas account/page. If a student declines the invitation, it will disappear from their page and they will have to email Ms. Garcia in order to be sent a new one (maria.garcia@k12.dc.gov). The NJHS Canvas course is the only way to document volunteer hours, extracurricular clubs, and receive information about upcoming volunteer opportunities and NJHS announcements. Students who do not accept the invitation in Canvas will not be considered as active participants nor eligible for induction at the end of this school year. Please make special note of the deadline for the submission of all NJHS requirements via Canvas: May 20, 2024. The course will close on that date and late submissions will not be possible. Thank you and we look forward to seeing the great work that the NJHS inspires in you!