Team Dublin Weekly Update

Hints for a successful student-led conference:

• Make sure you have seen your student’s Term 2 Report Card and check Aspen in the week before your conference. Student-led conferences will not focus on the nuances of a student’s grade in a specific class but rather look holistically at a student’s academic goals, progress, and achievements. Families should use Aspen to monitor students’ grades and attendance throughout the school year and address concerns early, if necessary.
• Arrive a few minutes before your conference. There will be little/no parking available in the school parking lot. Please plan to allow enough time to arrive and transition into the building and to the classroom without being in a rush.
• Need more support? Assistant Principals, Counselors, Deans, and Social Workers will be available in their offices on conference day for drop-in check-ins or to support families that have specific concerns not addressed by the Student-led Conference format.

Don’t have an appointment yet?

Visit https://ptcfast.com/schools/Alice_Deal_Middle_School to make one appointment with your student’s Advisor. Please note, the system will close at the end of the day on Tuesday, March 12th. The system is available in English and Spanish and families may request conference interpretation for any language by stating the language need in the special request field.

Wednesday, March 13th is Pi Day.

All Deal students will be participating in Pi Day activities. Our Math 6 students will develop the concept of pi in their math class by participating in an inquiry lesson. They will examine the ratio between a circle's diameter and circumference, and our Math 7 students will find the volume of cylindrical objects using pi.

After finishing their fun activities, they will enjoy circular treats. Students are allowed to bring in circular treats. We are kindly asking you for some circular treats for our students.

Thanks for your usual support!

Best Regards,

Mrs. Janice Lewis - Samuels

Grade 6 Math LEAP Coach
6th & 7th Grades Mathematics Educator
Alice Deal MS

Great week everyone! Rest up and get ready to do it again next week. Don't forget to do your CAPE homework.

This week, students will learn about urbanization and the impacts of population growth and urbanization. They will analyze political cartoons that address the impacts of population growth.

Last week, students delved into the intriguing concept of the Coriolis effect, exploring its influence on various phenomena, including ocean currents and prevailing winds. Through engaging discussions and hands-on activities, they gained a deeper understanding of how these forces interact and shape our planet's dynamics. Additionally, students investigated the factors behind ocean currents' circulation, uncovering the complex interplay of temperature, wind patterns, and Earth's rotation. Building upon this foundation, next week's focus will shift to investigating weather patterns. Additionally, students will complete their term 3 root summative. To aid in their preparation, students will receive a comprehensive study guide in class on Monday, due on Wednesday, March 13th. This upcoming assessment presents an opportunity for students to demonstrate their proficiency and further enhance their academic growth.

Assignments for this Week:

• Term 3 Roots Study Guide due Wed 3/13 (on paper)

• Roots Summative Wed 3/13 (in class)

This week nearly all students finished WIDA ACCESS testing. Since they are tested in reading, writing, listening and speaking, all on separate days, it is a long testing period. Your students maintained their focus and worked hard to do their best. The scores will be available in late May or early June and will determine the level of English language support your student receives in 7th grade.

This week, students in World Geography will construct their nonfiction informational book on the geography and culture of the Asian country that they have selected to research. To do this, they are using the BookCreator App. It can be accessed from home via www.clever.com and students are encouraged to work on their book from home.

In ELA for Beginners, students have finished their ACCESS testing and we are excited to see their results in late May/early June. This information will be shared with families when we have it. We are also very excited to see you all at the Student-led Conferences on March 14. This week, we will return to close reading and students will read two independent books and engage in a variety of activities to deepen and show their understanding of what they read.

Students in Beginning Literacy for MLLs have been making great improvement in their ability to meet their weekly goals with System 44 and independent reading. This week, students will tackle a variety of spelling activities to develop and demonstrate their ability to build words based on sound recognition of phonemes. Most of this work will happen on Canvas and families are welcome to log in with their students to see what they are learning.

Mr. Reichlen is hosting 3 sessions open to families on Parent Teacher Conference Day. They will each run approximately 40 mins. The goal is to cover resources from DCPL that can help students prepare for DC CAPE. These tools can also be used for general homework help and tutoring. All these platforms are free. Since these tools require a DC library card, it is best to have parents/ guardians present to assist with set-up and sign-up for library cards. Though we are ultimately looking to target level 3 students for intervention, these sessions will be available to all families. These sessions are open on a first come first serve basis. Mr. Reichlen will be promoting them on PTC day and families are welcome to stop in when it is most convenient. Parents are also free to stop in during other times of the day if they are not able to attend the session times below or reach out to Mr. Reichlen at stephen.reichlen@k12.dc.gov.

Session 1: 12:30-1:15pm

Session 2: 2:30-3:15pm

Session 3: 5:30-6:15pm

All Deal students are expected to be in class and ready to learn promptly at 8:45 AM daily. To help build strong, healthy habits and ensure that students do not miss instructional time, the 6th grade team is assigning tardy hall to students who arrive to school after 9 AM or who have established a pattern of late arrivals that are resulting in lost learning time. Students who are assigned tardy hall will stay afterschool with Ms. Watson, 6th grade dean, until 4:15 PM.

Ms. Wesselhoft, team lead - naeemah.wesselhoft@k12.dc.gov

Mr. Kirschenbaum - adam.kirschenbaum@k12.dc.gov

Mr. O'Malley - michael.o'malley@k12.dc.gov

Ms. Osman - catherine.osman2@k12.dc.gov

Ms. Patsalos - constance.patsalos@k12.dc.gov

Ms. Garcia - maria.garcia@k12.dc.gov

Mr. Memminger, 6th grade counselor - jacob.memminger@k12.dc.gov

Ms. Barr, 6th grade social worker - ellen.barr@k12.dc.gov

Attendance: For any attendance related concerns, including absence notes, please be sure to contact Ms. Stephens our attendance counselor at dealattendance@k12.dc.gov.

ASPEN Help: For any ASPEN related issues, including help resetting a password or accessing your account, please email Ms. Lerum at dealaspenhelp@k12.dc.gov