Team Woolloomooloo Newsletter

We are thrilled to present the latest edition of our weekly newsletter, designed to keep you in the loop about all the exciting learning adventures happening within our 8th-grade classrooms at Deal Middle School. As partners in your child's education journey, we believe that staying informed about their day-to-day experiences is crucial.

This newsletter serves as a bridge between our school and your homes, offering valuable insights into the rich tapestry of activities, lessons, and projects that shape your child's academic path. From English/Language Arts to Mathematics, Science, History, and more, we are dedicated to providing a holistic education that nurtures their growth, curiosity, and aspirations.

As we navigate through the school year, this newsletter will be your go-to source for updates on classroom activities, upcoming events, important announcements, and glimpses of the remarkable achievements of our students. By staying connected, you can actively participate in your child's learning journey and celebrate their accomplishments alongside us.

We encourage you to make it a weekly ritual to explore this newsletter. By doing so, you'll gain valuable insights into the world of Team Woolloomooloo and the vibrant learning environment that your child is part of. It's an opportunity to spark conversations at home, support their academic endeavors, and strengthen the partnership between school and family.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We look forward to a year filled with growth, discovery, and collaboration!

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!

Patrick Rottman

8th Grade Assistant Principal

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 1:00 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.

Hi Team Woolloomooloo Families!!

I wanted to start off by saying how excited I am to be your team leader for this school year. This is my 13th year at Alice Deal Middle school and have enjoyed leading & educating our 8th graders in their final year in middle school.

Here are some FUN FACTS on the city of Woolloomooloo:

• The name "Woolloomooloo" reflects the area's former Aboriginal occupation, as it was once part of the Eora territory

• Woolloomooloo has had many uses throughout history, including as a hunting ground and ceremonial space for the Gadigal people, and later as a farming area and home to Sydney's elite. In the 1970s, locals and unions worked together to preserve the area from developers.

• The Sydney Harbour Trust built the Finger Wharf, or Woolloomooloo Wharf, between 1911 and 1915 with the charter to bring order to Sydney Harbour's foreshore facilities. The wharf became the largest wooden structure in the world.

Families, your students are on the best team, with the most amazing teachers I’ve worked with and on the greatest grade at Deal MS. I look forward to getting to know your scholars this year and have lots of fun activities for all to participate in. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! Michael.Haller@k12.dc.gov

Welcome to 8th grade math! My name is Ms. Beliveau and I am so excited to get to know your students this school year and help them progress in their math journey. This is my 8th year teaching 8th grade at Deal MS and my 14th year in DCPS. My primary form of communication will be the weekly newsletter. All updates about what we are doing in the class each week, upcoming assessments, and homework will be included weekly. If you need to contact me please email me at jacqueline.beliveau@k12.dc.gov and expect a response within 2 school days.

Some things about me:

• I have an 8 month old son who loves banging things together, babbling and eating just about anything

• I LOVE sports! I ran Division 1 Track and Field in college at Elon University in North Carolina. I competed in the 400m hurdles and the heptathlon. I am a huge sports fan. My teams are the Patriots, Celtics and Uconn Huskies.

• I love to read and am always open to suggestions for my next book. Some of my favorites include: The Kite Runner, Verity, House Rules, and My Sister’s Keeper.

• I grew up in Connecticut and still have a lot of family in Connecticut and Massachusetts, so I go up there often to visit.

• I watch a good amount of TV to decompress. My favorite shows include all of the Law & Order series, Grey’s Anatomy, Insecure, SWAT, and a lot of the mini-series that have been recently popular.

• I love traveling the world! Some places I have visited recently include: Egypt, Jordan, Cabo, Nantucket, and St. Thomas.

During the first week of school we will do a bunch of getting to know you activities and focus on conversation in class to build our comfort levels up so we can participate in mathematical discourse throughout the school year. Students will also take the unit 1 pre-assessment to see what prerequisite skills they are entering with.

If you are able to donate, I love starting the year with a stash of pencils, hand sanitizer, clorox wipes, tissues and paper towels. Anything you can send is much appreciated.

I am looking forward to this school year and can’t wait to speak to and meet you all at Back to School Night!

G’day, mates, and welcome to Team Woolloomooloo!

My name is Mr. Selph and I am thrilled to be your child's U.S. History teacher this year! I cannot wait to meet your kids and play a role in their journey to become better historians, better students and better people. Please know I am fully invested in your child's success in U.S. History. I am always available if you need help understanding how your child is doing, what they should be doing and when things are coming up.

There are 2 primary ways to reach me: EMAIL (caleb.selph@k12.dc.gov) and CALL / TEXT (571-295-6551). I will try to remember parent numbers as best I can, but there is always a chance I do not answer if I don’t recognize the number. One way to avoid this is to text me first so I can respond and confirm your number, then call! It will do wonders to avoid you having to leave voicemail and prevent an awkward gap in communication! 🙂

Here are some things to know about me:

• This is my 5th year teaching at Deal AND my 5th year teaching in general.

• I began my career during virtual learning in 2020 and have only taught U.S. history while at Deal!

• I come from a small town in eastern Virginia called Mathews, 3 hours south of D.C.

• Fun fact: My town is named for Thomas Mathews, an American Revolutionary War general who served in the Virginia House of Delegates as a representative of Norfolk. He was in a Patriot artillery regiment and became a brigadier general before the Battle of Yorktown (we will talk about this battle this year!).

• I am a proud graduate of the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s of History and a Master’s of Teaching. WAHOOWA!

• When not teaching, I sing with the Choral Arts Society of Washington. This is my 4th year with the choir and we have sung some incredible concerts in places like Washington National Cathedral, the Kennedy Center and The Anthem at the DC Wharf. Expect to hear from me in the newsletter about upcoming concerts (with discounted tickets!). It would be amazing to see you at one of those performances!

• I also love riding my bike, reading about history and current events, playing video games on my PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox and old 3DS and watching anime, Star Wars and comedies!

This week is all about starting the year strong in terms of expectations, agreements, history and digital citizenship. We will focus on getting to know each other through creating visual nametags, completing quick surveys and thinking about what makes a good teacher and classroom environment. We will set expectations through creating a Classroom Compact that makes clear how we each want to be treated in our classroom and what should be done if norms are not respected. We will discuss what history is and why it is important. We will end by thinking about what it means to be a digital citizen and how to act right with devices like computers!

IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE FIRST WEEK

• YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT: GETTING TO KNOW YOU - Survey to be handed out in class Monday, 8/26. This is due TUESDAY, 8/27 if they need more time to complete it!
• HISTORY BAG ASSIGNMENT - Have students bring 5 items that represent them and/or tell their story to present in class on TUESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER (9/3/24)!
• FINAL NOTE: I NEED YOUR HELP! I want to make sure your child has everything they need to do well. This includes supplies like pencils, pens, colored pencils, markers, tissues and other cleaning essentials (wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels, etc.). I am only able to buy so much for the classroom environment. I will never say no to any donations of the above items! You can have your child drop off anything you are able and willing to give and I will put them to use!

THANK YOU SO MUCH and I look forward to a great year!

Hi there!

My name is Brunhilda Mbanwie, and I will be your child’s physical science teacher for the 2024/2025 school year. I am originally from Cameroon and this year will be my 6th year teaching science in the USA. I taught 6th grade science for 3 years in Maryland, and this is my third-year teaching 8th grade Science at Deal Middle.

I like reading, traveling, arts and crafts. I look forward to an exciting and productive school year with you and your child.

Next week, we will go over the school culture plan, class culture plan, class syllabus (parent signature needed), safety contract (parent signature needed), school technology contract (parent signature needed) and some games. Furthermore, on Thursday, we will start with Introduction to Scientific Method (how to write and think like a scientist).

Requirements for science class:

• Interactive Science Notebook
• Pencil/pen
• Calculator
• Ruler
• Eraser

Wishlist:

• Paper towels
• Hand sanitizer
• Lysol wipes and spray

email: brunhilda.mbanwie@k12.dc.gov

Hello everyone!

My name is Nick Turchetta and I am Team Woolloomooloo’s English/Language Arts (ELA) teacher for this school year at Deal. This will be my 10th year in education (3rd year at Deal Middle) and I am so ecstatic to get the year started!

Some facts about me:

• I am originally from central Pennsylvania; a small town called Mill Hall.
• Both my parents were educators (mom, kindergarten teacher and dad, my high school principal).
• In my spare time when I'm not at school, I love to be active. You could find me out and about, at a yoga class, the gym, running, or hiking.
• I love all New York Times games. Daily, I do the crosswords, strands, connections.
• I love to read. I am currently reading Gray After Dark by Noelle W. Ihli) Please give me any recommendations! I tend to read realistic fiction, psychological thrillers/mysteries, fantasy.

In our class, we will explore a variety of texts that show diverse experiences and allow us to enhance our reading and writing skills. I love to teach so that I can help shape the future of our world. Middle school is such a fun age and impressionable. I try to make it a point to get students to understand the value of learning, but also have fun while doing it!

Next week, we will be getting to know one another and creating a positive classroom environment for everyone. I'm looking forward to wonderful year!

Supplies needed for ELA:

• Composition Notebook – used for in class writings, responses, notes, etc. These notebooks can be found at your local Target, Walmart, Staples, etc.
• Unit Novel - if you are able, I would love for your students to have a copy of the unit novel. Our first one will be A Raisin in the Sun. By having their own copy, students are able to take it home. This will allow them to read and annotate, so we can effectively use our time in class to dive into deeper ideas and concepts present in the play.

Other Supplies (if you are able to donate)

• Pencils
• Tissues
• Clorox Wipes

If you ever have any questions, concerns, ideas and want to reach out, please email me at nicholas.turchetta@k12.dc.gov.

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

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.

Haller - Michael.Haller@k12.dc.gov

Beliveau - jacqueline.beliveau@k12.dc.gov

Selph - caleb.selph@k12.dc.gov

Mbanwie - Brunhilda.Mbanwie@k12.dc.gov

Turchetta - nicholas.turchetta@k12.dc.gov

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