Alice Deal Middle School Think globally - Listen compassionately - Act inclusively |
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The Weekly Bulletin
Our school mission:
Alice Deal Middle School inspires excellence, curiosity, and compassion through intellectual and social engagement.
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Principal's Message...
Now that we are almost through our unscheduled mid-winter break, full of snow and ice, it is time to look forward and be thankful. After next week's parent-teacher conferences, there are no school breaks until the half-day at the end of the 3rd advisory - which isn't much of a respite. Those weeks are followed by the two-week window of the DC CAS (we don't test every day!) and then, in mid-April, Spring Break. In essence, six weeks straight with no breaks. Please pace yourselves and your children!
Due to the previous round of cancellations, DCPS has made the inevitable adjustments to the annual calendar. Check out the system website for a more detailed report, but here are the essentials: the last scheduled parent-teacher conference day, June 2, is now an instructional day. The last day of school was previously on June 19; June 19 is now a full-day of school and June 20th is the last day (a half-day). So, we make up 2 days at the end of the year. Our calendar started with 181 days, so with these changes we have made up all days lost and kept us at the minimum of 180 days of instruction. As we just lost one more day (Thursday) I expect that we will be figuring out how to address this as well. By the way, if you have a great idea, the DCPS calendar page has a link for you to share it with the system!
With the cold weather and the second semester, tt is important that all members of the school community revisit what after-school looks like at Deal. At 3:15, students are dismissed. At 3:30, students must be either in a club/sports activity, in aftercare, with a previously approved tutoring or library session, or on their way home. Once students leave Deal, they are expected to go home for the day. Deal does not allow students to return to campus after they leave, for purposes of security as well as for supervision. Our clubs all start at 3:30 so that students can go immediately to their activity (with a brief break). This provides continuous supervision. Students in sports that have practices that start later than 3:30 are under the supervision of their coaches in a study hall. Our security team is expected to maintain this policy after school, and thus restricts students from returning to the building.
Some students have begun to go over to the local eateries for food and then return to the warm confines of Deal to await families. We don't allow this. It is critical that all families have a plan for their students for when they leave school. If they are done at 3:30, they should have a way to go home at 3:30. If they are done at 4:30, they should likewise have a way to go home at that time. If parents have no way to get their children home, then there is an aftercare program at Deal that operates until 6:00pm. This program is for exactly those situations in which a student has no regular way to get home at 4:30. Except for emergencies, we will gently encourage students to leave the building when they are done; phones are available in many places to contact families for pick-up. Please arrange one of the options discussed above to make sure your child is under adequate supervision at all times.
Take care, and I hope to see many of you at the amazing 6th grade writer's celebration on Wednesday night or at the Parent-Teacher Conferences next Monday!
James Albright PS. Thanks to Ms. Trenkle and Ms. Mostoller for organizing a wonderful National History Day workshop Saturday morning for 8th grade students. The cafeteria was full of students at various stages of their big projects. These are the activities that are critical to your children's success - keep an eye out for activities like this workshop in the future!
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Week of
February 17
Bell Schedule
Monday- No School
(President's Day)
Wednesday - Bell T
Thursday - Thursday Bell
Viking Time
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Upcoming Dates
February 17
Presidents's Day
No school for students or staff
February 18
Grade-level Chairs, 3:30 pm
Musical Auditions
February 19
Paced Int Assessments 3 - Math
Musical Auditions
8th Gr Humanities Mock Hearings
6th Gr Writers Celebration 6pm
February 20
Musical Auditions
Faculty Meeting, 3:30 pm
February 21
Musical Auditions
6th Grade Awards Assembly, 9am
February 22
Saturday Detention, 9 - 12 noon
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12 noon
February 24
Parent-Teacher Conference Day
No school for students
Peer Mediation Training
February 25
Principal's Coffee 9 -10
Team Leaders, 3:30 pm
6th Grade Ski Trip
February 26
SCAC, 7:30 pm
7th Grade Ski Trip
February 27
Speech and Drama Competition
8th Grade Ski Trip
February 28
Visiting Deal, 9 - 10 am
March 1
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12-noon
March 4
Grade Level Chairs
March 7
LSAT, 7:30 am
March 8
Saturday Detention, 9 - 12 noon
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12 noon
March 10
8th Grade NHD Registration
March 11
8th Grade NHD Judging
Team Leaders, 3:30 pm
March 12
8th Grade NHD Viewing
March 14
SCAC, 7:30 am
Visiting Deal, 9 - 10 am
March 15
Deal Scrabble Tournament
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12 noon
March 17
Girls Soccer Tryouts
March 18
Girls Soccer Tryouts
March 19
Girls Soccer Tryouts
PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm
March 20
Faculty Meeting, 3:30 pm
March 22
Saturday Detention, 9 - 12 noon
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12 noon
March 24
IB Assessment Workshop (staff)
March 25
Principal's Coffee, 9 - 10 am
IB Assessment Workshop (staff)
Team Leaders, 3:30 pm
March 26
IB Assessment Workshop (staff)
March 28
Reno Day #3
Records Day
Students dismissed at 12:15 pm
March 29
Saturday Institute, 9 - 12 noon
March 31
DC CAS Starts
6th Grade Birthday Party
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The Alice Deal PTA is Building Community
Shop online anytime at Politics and Prose and earn contributions to
benefit the school's library.
Search for books through the search bar at the top of the page, and 5%
of the proceeds from any purchases will go to fund the Deal library.
The library, our teachers, and Deal kids all benefit!
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Before School 8:00 - 8:40 am
After School 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Students must have parental permission to stay after school
The Alice Deal Media Center welcomes students for reading and homework after school! Students must have a permission form on file in the library to use the space after school. Students may pick up a form in the library, or may download it from the library website (Library Pass).
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Bus Information '13-'14
Metrobus Contacts for Schools
If an issue occurs with your designated school transit service, below are contacts at Metro who can help.
For emergency issues or time-sensitive questions (i.e., safety, late buses, missed stops, etc.), contact the Bus Operations Communication Center at (202) 962-1825.
For longer-term bus planning needs (i.e., requests for new transit services, ongoing crowding, etc.), contact Brooke Fossey at (202) 962-5203 or btfossey@wmata.com.
As always, please send an email about bus problems or concerns to james.albright@dc.gov. Here is a link to the bus route schedule. |
Immunization News
Thanks to the parents who have been sending in immunization information. Please continue to send in documentation every time your student receives new immunizations. It is important to have all students immunized to prevent the spread of childhood diseases.
All 6th graders 11 years or older must have the following:
Tdap (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis)
Meningococcal (meningitis)
HPV (human papilloma virus)
For the HPV vaccine, three doses are required for females or you may complete an opt out form.
All immunization forms must be stamped, signed and dated before the Immunization Registry will accept them.
If there are any questions, please call Nurse Whitlock at (202) 939-2009.
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PTA Sponsors
The following are the Deal PTA 2013-2014 business sponsors.
The Broad Branch Market
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W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtor
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Pete's New Haven Style Apizza
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Discount Vacation Rentals for Deal Families
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Capitol Language Services
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Acacia Bistro
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The DCPS Attendance Protocol
***REMINDER****
ACCORDING TO THE DCPS ATTENDANCE POLICY, ONLY ABSENCES DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS ARE EXCUSED:
ILLNESS
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
EMERGENCIES
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
COURT SUMMONS
DEATHS IN THE FAMILY
HIGH SCHOOL VISIT
In order to be acknowledged as "excused", parents must provided a note (email or written) to Ms. Johnson, the attendance counselor, indicating the reason for the child's absence.
Ms. Johnson's email address is krystle.johnson@dc.gov. If you have any questions, please contact the Welcome Center and ask to speak to the Attendance Counselor, Ms. Johnson.
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Student & parent information New: Congratulations Debate Team! The debate team competed last weekend with great results. Competing against 64 teams, representing 12 schools from across the metro area, three of our teams finished with winning records! Congratulations to: Nicholas Spasojevic, Josh Landweber, Nadav Oven Alex Holmes, Levi Berger, Layla Behbehani Isaac Rossenblum-Sellers, Zara Hall, and Daniella Kidder-Luciano Special congratulations to Isaac for also being recognized as one of the top 10 speakers overall! In just three short weeks, the debate team will be attending the Middle School Urban Debate League national qualifier. New: Student Council Scores New Bus Shelter
The Student Council is proud to announce that due to their efforts advocating for the needs of Deal students, there will be a bus shelter erected at the northbound bus stop on Nebraska Avenue across from Deal. Student Council officers testified in front of the Transportation Committee of the D.C. City Council last Thursday. Their well-researched and well-presented testimony convinced an official from the D.C. Department of Transportation to immediately grant the request. The new bus shelter should be in place for Deal students by mid-March.
New: Teens for Jeans - deadline extended! The deadline has been extended until Wednesday, February 19th for jeans to be collected. Please donate them by bringing them to your homeroom. Note: Homeroom teachers, please send your jeans with a responsible student during 1st period in the afternoon on Wednesday. New: Black History Month Speech & Drama Competition
Deal's 2nd Annual Black History Month Speech and Drama Competition will be held on Thursday, February 27th. The first place winner will receive $100, the second place winner will receive $75, and the 3rd place winner will receive $50! 6th, 7th, 8th graders who are interested in competing MUST see Ms. Neal and Ms. Red during their lunch period on Tuesday. New: African-American Film Festival In February, the Deal Library will present an African-American Film Festival every Wednesday after school. All the films are based on books that celebrate African-American struggles and triumphs. All are welcome - films start at 3:30. February 19th: Miracle's Boys (mini-series) February 26th: The Watsons Go to Birmingham Looking for National History Day Judges: March 11th The Humanities 8 Team is looking for judges for our school's annual National History Day competition on March 11th. Parents and community members with some expertise in history, journalism, archival work, museum studies, and film production would qualify for this important task. Students will present their research through one of five categories: research papers, exhibit boards, web sites, performances, and documentaries. We need panels of evaluators to review and score student achievement. National History Day is an international research competition, and Deal's students have earned quite a reputation for achievement. We would like to continue this tradition by sending another team of high performers to the contest in June. If you have the time and interest in helping us with our school level competition on Tuesday, March 11th please contact cynthia.mostoller@dc.gov as soon as possible. 6th Grade Writer's Celebration Night All 6th graders and their families are invited to celebrate their hard work and dedication in the completion of writing their nonfiction books on Wednesday, February 19th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the Cafeteria. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Parent-Teacher Conference Appointments Open Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Monday, February 24th from 12:00 - 7:00 pm. Appointments with core-content teachers (math, English, science, humanities) will be by appointment only. The online appointment system (available at http://ptcfast.com/schools/Alice_Deal_Middle_School) is now open. An email address is required to make an appointment. If you don't have access to the online system please contact your child's team to create appointments. Instructions for the online system can be found on Deal's main Edline page. If you have questions regarding the online system, email elyse.lerum@dc.gov.
Attention All 2nd Semester 6th Gr Art Students!
All 6th grade students taking art in the second semester are reminded to bring in their unlined, 9x12 sketchbook with at least 50 pages. We will use these books regularly in class!
8th Grade Art Students
Please bring in your $10 fee for the IB sketchbook for art class. Payments can be made in cash or checks payable to Alice Deal Middle School.
PE Students
All PE classes began changing for physical education classes on Monday, February 3rd. Gym uniforms are mandatory for all students. Your gym uniform (including tennis shoes) carries the same merit as bringing your textbook for core classes. All noncompliant students will be required to complete a written assignment. Please reach out to your child's PE teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
Spring Musical
The audition schedule for our spring musical will soon be announced. Watch this space for more information for this always popular spectacular. You ask, what is the musical to be? This spring we will present The Wizard of Oz!
New: Wizard of Oz Cast Parent Meeting
Parents of Wizard of Oz cast members are asked to attend a parent meeting on Tuesday, February 25th at 6:15 pm in the conference room. Please email director Jill Roos at jill.roos@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Music Department
All students who have music in the 3rd Advisory should come to class prepared with a composition book or spiral notebook and a two-pocket folder!
Calling all Ultimate Frisbee Players!
The Washington Area Frisbee Club (WAFC) is looking to begin a middle school recreational league in the DC metro area but they need players and parents! All games and activities will be organized by WAFC and are not Deal sponsored. If families are interested in registering please visit http://goo.gl/tywHgX or email Coach Martini (michael.martini@dc.gov) for more information!
Yearbook/Newspaper pictures are requested!
Please email any pictures for the yearbook and/or the newspaper to Mr. Klauber at eklauber@gmail.com
New Issue of School Newspaper
Be sure to check out The Vikings Quarterly for Deal news, human interest pieces, reviews, and more! You can find us at: http://alicedealvq.org
Follow @DealVikings on Twitter!
Be sure to follow, mention, and retweet Alice Deal's new Twitter account for updates and pictures from the daily happenings at Deal. If you already follow us, you know that we have been posting pictures and narratives that show what is happening during each of our Deal days. Don't miss out!
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Winter Sports
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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3:30
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3:30
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3:30
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3:30
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| MS Basketball Playoffs
Location TBD |
| MS Basketball Semi Finals
Location TBD | |
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4:45
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4:45
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4:45
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Student-athletes with later start times for practice are required to be in study hall until practice starts. With permission, students may work with other teachers as needed. Students must be under adult supervision at all times.
Please ensure that your athlete has sufficient food for snacks or meals; individual teams may make arrangements for their students. Students are not allowed to leave school to travel for food in the neighborhood, nor are they allowed to ask others to do so.
Please speak with your child's coach if you have questions about any of these procedures.
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Come Audition for the Wizard of OZ!
PERFORMANCE DATES
May 8th, 9th and 10th  *AUDITION INFORMATION*
Auditions will be held on from 3:15 - 5:30 in the Auditorium.
Singing and Acting auditions will be held on Tuesday, February 18th and Thursday, February 20th.
Dance auditions will be held on Wednesday, February 19th.
Please prepare a short song to sing, preferably one from a musical. We will give you something to read for the acting audition and teach you a combination for the dance audition. No previous theater/dance experience is required.
EVERYONE MUST COME ON WEDNESDAY FOR THE DANCE AUDITIONS BUT YOU ONLY NEED COME TO ONE OF THE SINGING AND ACTING AUDITION DAYS.
If you are interested in Stage Crew, please come fill out a form.
Parents please note there will be a Wizard of Oz cast parents meeting Tuesday, February 25th at 6:15 pm in the Deal conference room.
Questions or Concerns? Email Director Jill Roos jill.roos@gmail.com
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This Week at Deal...
(If there are any weather-related delays or closures, announcements will be made at school for when activities will be held.)
Wednesday: 6th Grade Writers Celebration
The 6th grade will hold their writers celebration from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the cafeteria. Come see the work of our future authors before they hit it big!
Wednesday: Math PIA
Students will take the math portion of the Paced Interim Assessment (PIA) Wednesday morning. Be sure to arrive on time ready to calculate!
Thursday: Model UN
7th and 8th grade Model UN Spring Conference participants will meet on Thursday, February 20 from 3:30-4:30 pm in W304. Background guides will be passed out, a schedule of future meeting dates, and there will be a Q&A session for the spring conference. See you then!
Friday: 6th grade awards celebrations
First semester accomplishments for 6th graders will be recognized in a celebration in the auditorium, starting at 9am.
Saturday: Saturday Institute 2nd Weekend
Students invited to the Saturday Institute should arrive for our 2nd session between 8:30 and 9:00 am Saturday morning. Breakfast snacks will be available at that time; a lunch will be provided after the learning sessions.
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Eighth Grade Corner
High School Course Planning
The counselors have met with each of the 8th grade teams to get students started on the high school course planning process through www.dcps.bridges.com. Students have their portfolio names and passwords in order to complete their plans. This is just the first step in many conversations that rising students will have once they have enrolled in a high school of choice. Students are encouraged to have conversations with parents, teachers, and their counselor to determine the level of coursework they wish to pursue in high school. Any questions or concerns may be directed to Diane McFarland at diane.mcfarland@dc.gov or by phone at (202) 939-2014.
High School application deadlines are fast approaching!
8th Grade Mock High School Interviews
If you plan to interview for high schools and would like practice and feedback, contact Ms. Redekopp in the library to schedule a mock interview. They will be held during lunch periods and after school, and appointments last approximately 15 minutes.
High School Common Application
This year there will be a common application and lottery system for all public schools of choice, including charters, DCPS out-of-boundary, and DCPS specialized high schools. The initiative is entitled MySchoolDC, for more information email www.MySchoolDC.org. The timeline for completing the application process is as follows:
March 31st: Results released.
May 1st: Deadline to claim your seat by turning in your enrollment forms.
The DCPS Specialized/City-Wide High Schools are:
- Benjamin Banneker High School
- McKinley Technology High School
- Columbia Heights Education Campus (Bell)
- Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering High School
- Duke Ellington School of the Arts
- School Without Walls
Requesting Recommendations for Private Schools
1. Who to ask? Start by thinking of which teachers can attest to your strengths and positive attributes. Some schools require specific subject teachers to write the recommendation so be aware of this before you ask.
2. Gather the recommendation forms and fill out all pertinent information. Prepare an addressed and stamped envelope for each school from which you are requesting a recommendation. All recommendations will be placed in the mail by the individual teacher or by your counselor.
3. Take the recommendation form with the envelope to the person from whom you need the request. Ask the person if they would be willing to write a recommendation for you. Remind them of the date by when it needs to be completed and mailed in. Please give the teacher two weeks to complete your recommendation. Ms. McFarland has copies of "Letter of Recommendation Request Forms" and "Student Profile Sheets" that are helpful for this process.
If you need a transcript to send to a private school, please provide Ms. McFarland an addressed and stamped envelope to use to mail your transcript.
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Staff information ...
New: 8th Grade Level Meeting
The next 8th Grade Level Meeting will be Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 8 :10 in E300. We will continue working on plans for the eighth grade promotion activities.
Tuesday: Grade Level Chairs Meeting Grade level chairs will meet in conference room at 3:30 pm
Wednesday: Bell T The school will operate on a Bell T schedule for the Math PIA 3. The schedule will be: Testing, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 1.
Thursday: Faculty Meeting
Faculty will meet in the cafeteria at 3:30 pm
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(all activities begin at 7:45 am unless otherwise stated)
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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All School Chorus
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Percussion Ensemble
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String Chamber Ensemble
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Percussion Ensemble
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String Chamber Ensemble
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Jazz Band
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Symphonic Band
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Jazz Band
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Symphonic Band
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Peer Mediators Meeting 8:00 am
RM C116
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6th Grade Concert Band
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6th Grade Concert Band
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(all activities begin at 3:30 pm unless otherwise stated)
Monday
No School
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Thursday
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Friday
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Outdoor Basketball
Outside Court
| Chinese
Tutoring
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Space Time
E100
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Art from the Heart
C205
| Robotics/Investment
Team
E207
| Cheerleading practice - gym
| GeoPlunge
E105
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New to Deal Transition Workshop
| Chinese tutoring |
Cheerleading practice - gym
| Cooking Club Group B CG03
| Swim Team Practice to 5:30 pm
| Team Santiago study hall C130 |
Team London study hall
E104
| The Big Deal Acappella
Choir
| Robotics/
Investment Team E207
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Photography Club
W204
| Music Workshop
| Field Hockey practice |
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Computer Programming
E206
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GSA club
N116 or
W305
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Team Babylon tutoring
W207
| TAGS DC
C130 |
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Literary Magazine club CG07
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History club
W304
| Vinyl club
C203
| Speech Club
W206 |
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Board Games
W106
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Debate Team
W206
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Art From the Heart C205
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French tutoring
N111
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| Chess Club
Cafeteria
| Jiu Jitsu
Outside gym | Alexandria Library E205
| Model Un
W304 |
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Science Olympiad Team W200
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Meditation Club C213
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| Team Rio study hall
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Digital Recording Club
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| Team Mumbai tutoring |
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| After School String workshop |
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| Illustrator's Club C224
| DIY club
E105
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Chinese tutoring
| The Big Deal Acappella Choir | |
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| GirlUp!
E305
| Let's Get It Together
C113 |
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| Artist Journaling
C217
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| African Drumming CG21
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| Student Council meeting
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| Music Workshop
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Please click the following link for the:
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Community Information
(Items in this section are not sponsored by Deal) Capitol City Little League: Baseball and Softball Registration is Currently Open Registration for the Capitol City Little League (CCLL) is currently open for all children who live or go to school in the CCLL area. For more than twenty-five years, CCLL has provided boys and girls in our community with a fun environment in which to learn the fundamentals of baseball and softball, while playing on a team comprised of other kids of similar age and skill level. The league encourages all children to participate, learn the game, build their skills, and have a fun with current and new friends. The CCLL season begins in late March and continues through early June. You can register your child to participate at: https://active.leagueone.com/Olr/Pages/Welcome.aspx?ClubId=13265 Those who register between February 2 and February 16, 2014 will pay the basic rate. Those registering on or after February 17, 2014 will be charged a $25 late fee. Registration for all divisions (except the National Division) closes on March 1, 2014 and no registrations will be accepted after that date. This firm deadline is necessary to ensure that the league can keep team sizes at an appropriate level so all kids get enough playing time, to recruit coaches, and to secure field space. We look forward to a terrific Spring 2014 season and hope that your daughters and sons will participate.
Bancroft Elementary School is Starting a Chess Program.
Bancroft is looking for middle school chess players to help 3rd-5th grade beginners. The program meets every Tuesday from 4:30 - 6:00 pm at Bancroft Elementary.
Interested students may contact Devon Bartlett at devonbartlett@yahoo.com
or 202-288-0009.
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