Team Kendrick

Deal 8th grade families,

It is a joy to start a new year with your students in their "senior" year at Alice Deal Middle School. Our 8th grade teachers and support staff are a loving, strong loving team who can't wait to meet the new class and have been working hard to get ready for them. This is an important year, and we plan to do big things.

Monday, our first day of school, is an exciting day. Finding classes, meeting teachers and peers, and adjusting back to the structure and pace of middle school is no small feat. Our teachers are well-prepared to welcome your students and set them up for success with clear expectations and strong relationships. We expect our students to come home tired and happy next week!

At home, please take time this weekend to connect with your student about their hopes and concerns for the year, making time to share what you expect from them. Students will need to arrive to Deal prior to 8:20 am every day to make sure they are in their classrooms on time, but they should plan to arrive extra early this week. We also know that students may benefit from a reminder that cell phones will be turned off, placed in Yondr Pouches, and left in lockers all day. Thank you for your support, as we build the safe, learning-centered community our students deserve.

8th grade has a strong, caring team of teachers and support staff and it is my honor to support them as the 8th grade assistant principal. If you have questions or needs, please know that our team is here to help and partner with you. If you need to reach me for any reason, please do not hesitate to email (patrick.rottman@k12.dc.gov) or call/text (202.577.1677).

If you can make it, please join us for the upcoming 8th grade BBQ on Saturday, September 14th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. I look forward to working with you and getting to know this wonderful class. We are in for a great year!

The tradition of the 8th grade BBQ is back!

This year's BBQ will take place on the Deal Field on Saturday, September 14th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This is a fun, easy event and a great way to build relationships with students and families early in the school year. All 8th grade students, families, and teachers are encouraged to join, even if it's just a quick roll-through on your way to brunch, soccer games, or however else you plan to spend the weekend. This should be fun and easy for everyone!

Our goal is for every 8th grade student to join, so please add this easy, fun event to your calendar. We look forward to meeting you soon!

Instruction at Deal begins at 8:45 AM and ends at 3:15 PM. To ensure they have time to clear security, visit their lockers, and make it to class before the bell, students should plan to arrive at Deal no later than 8:20 AM. We appreciate your support to build good habits early in the year.

I am super excited to begin my 2nd year here at Deal! I look forward to interacting with our students to inspire them with new literature, help them with research, and to explore STEM and making activities. I also look forward to speaking with families at our Community night where I will be giving away free books! I will also have a free book cart a few days next week during dismissal. Keep up with all of the library news by subscribing to the newsletter at: https://secure.smore.com/u/stephenreichlen4

I will be seeing all of the students during the month of September to check out books! Please help us keep them in great condition and return them when they are finished. I will be sending out regular notices for overdue books. It is also never too late to return anything you may have found at home over the summer! Please feel free to reach out to my email if you have any questions or comments at: stephen.reichlen@k12.dc.gov

Welcome to Team Kendrick's Physical Science Class! I am your team lead and science teacher *fanfare* This will be my 10th year at Deal and my 15th year teaching. Fun fact: My first year at Deal was spent teaching 6th grade science. However, we all know 8th grade is the top! So, it will be an honor to teach you physical science: a combination of physics and chemistry.

During the first week of science (8/26-8/30), we will most of our time getting to know each other, talking about school and classroom rules and procedures, and practicing the classroom routine that we will have for the remainder of the school year.

• Monday, 8/26- Wednesday, 8/28- We will review procedures that are specific to science class, including our syllabus, safety procedures/contract and cooperative learning expectations.
• Thursday, 8/29- Students will complete a scientific inquiry activity. Then, we will begin to talk about the difference between observations and inferences.

• Friday, 8/30- Students will complete a quick activity to examine the importance of proper hygiene and hand washing.

It would be best to get materials by the end of this upcoming week. Materials are listed below.

• 2 Composition Notebooks (Please do not substitute with spiral.)

• Pencils (1 pack for student and 1 pack for Classroom supply. Students go through pencils. It would be appreciated if you could help by sending them with just one pack of 10 or 12 to add to our pencil drawer.)

• Calculator

Remind

Ms. Anderson and I will be using Remind to help keep you and your students up to date with what is happening in class. Please see below her in-depth explanation of the benefits of the app.

Welcome to 8th Grade History! I am so excited to explore American's past with you. This first week will be an introduction to our classroom, routines and to get to know each other. As we dive into history we will engage in discussions, question history and evaluate how history impacts our lives today. I am looking forward to learning with you this year!

My email address has a different last name then my current one. My email is Marlena.Wikander@k12.dc.gov. The email on Aspen is correct.

Please do your best to get materials by Friday of this upcoming week. Materials are listed below.

• 3 subject notebook

• 2 pocket folder

• Pen/Pencils
• Highlighters

Hello everyone! My name is Catherine Cunha and I am Team Kendrick's English/Language Arts (ELA) teacher for this school year at Deal. This is my 2nd year at Deal and I am so ecstatic to be here! I have been teaching Middle School in DCPS for the past 6 years. I am originally from Richmond, Virginia but I call D.C. my home! I attended the University of Richmond for undergraduate and American University for my master’s degree. When I'm not teaching, you can find me walking my dog through Rock Creek park or reading a new favorite novel at a local coffee shop.

This year in ELA 8 we will focus on 3 novels along with a variety of supplemental texts to support each unit of study. Next week we will be focusing on building a strong class community through getting to know each other. I am looking forward to meeting you and sharing my fervor for reading and writing with each and every student in my class!

Supplies/Materials:

• Composition Notebook

• 2-Pocket Folder

• Pencils

• Highlighters (yellow, blue, pink, green)

• Headphones (3.5mm jack is compatible with school devices)

• Copies of class novels pictured below w/ amazon links (recommended)

Hi there! My name is Brandi Anderson and I will be your child's math teacher this year. I'm originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland and am entering my 18th year teaching full time, and this will be my seventh year at Deal. Originally I went to graduate school at THE Ohio State University and majored in Animal Nutrition. I was going to make my own dog food and be the next big thing in the business. However, I quickly changed my mind when I found out (1) I didn't like the program too much and (2) that I really loved teaching. As a result of these discoveries, I began work on a Masters degree in Education. I've taught every grade from pre-school to undergraduate statistics courses, and most of my experience has centered around math and science subjects.

This first week in math class will center around building classroom culture and norms with a bit of math review weaved in as well. Students will need pencil, paper, and a composition book for class in general. I do not accept work written in pen, even if it's erasable. Math 8 students will need a scientific calculator, while Algebra 1 students will need a graphing calculator (preferably a TI 83 or 84).

Remind

It is very important that you and/or your student subscribe to my Remind Alerts. Remind is how I communicate information to students about their homework. Notices go directly to their phone and are mainly received through a text message (or the app if you download it from the Google Play Store or the App Store). Students aged 12 or younger will have to sign up using their email. At times I will also attach the assignment in Remind as well. The other useful quality of Remind is that students can ask questions through the app about their homework. These questions go straight to me, so there is no need to feel embarrassed about asking a "dumb question". Most of the time students just need a quick point in the right direction to finish their homework.

If you would like to contact us, please feel free to do so using the links below. Expect a response from teachers, during school hours, within 1 to 2 business days, of the time your communication was received.

Teacher Email Addresses:

• Charmaine.Thompson@k12.dc.gov
• Marlena.Wikander@k12.dc.gov
• Catherine.Cunha@k12.dc.gov
• Brandi.Anderson@k12.dc.gov

Website: alicedealmiddleschool.org
Location: 3815 Fort Dr NW, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-939-2010