This past week saw the completion of our formal assessment processes for the school year. We can now take some time to reflect as a school on what we were able to learn about your students and how that helped us shape instruction. The school district is also scrutinizing its assessment practices in the hope of improvement. We will do the same at Deal. It has been a challenging year, but I am proud of the work that was put in. There is no question that Deal students and staff rose to the occasion - with the largest number of tests in the city, we had a near 100% participation rate (99.6!). 

A news item that some might have missed is that the PARCC assessments will be different next year. Based on both experience and need, the PARCC will now be offered in only a single window. This means that rather than having a March test administration and then a May administration, the assessments will take place just once in the year. Additionally, some minutes have been shaved off the overall test length. Once we have a better sense of what this will look like for our students and school, I will let you know how this affects the coming year. I am glad that, at a minimum, changes were proposed and then implemented immediately.

This week your students will be deeply involved in Deal Gives Back (more details follow below). This has always been a wonderful activity, one that showcases the creativity and community interests of the school. I will be sure to post pictures to Twitter as events unfold. One new twist will be the 6th grade increasing their visibility around the issue of homelessness down at the Wilson Building. Let's hope it gets picked up by our local media!

Finally, I am pleased that we were now able to offer extra 8th grade promotion tickets free of charge. While we initially thought we would need the fees, it now appears that we can provide additional tickets for no cost. A number of 8th grade families initially paid for the extra tickets; these fees will be refunded. Eighth-grade families have received this notice in their team emails, but I wanted to make sure that the message was out there. If you are still interested in some additional tickets, please contact the 8th grade administrator at patrick.rottman@dc.gov.

Take care,

James Albright

Rally at the Wilson Building - up to a quarter of our students will be demonstrating at the Wilson Building to help secure "homelessness" as a protected category. This culminates a year-long education and outreach effort. 

 

Other activities include work with Catholic Charities, Martha's Table, Miriam's Kitchen, Rock Creek cleanup, Pthe eace Corps, N Street Village, SOME, Planting Flowers, Food and Friends, Gardening, and a Car Wash!

 

Another large 6th grade effort will be groups of our students meeting with rising 5th graders at all of our seven feeder schools. This is an exciting opportunity to speak directly about the excitement and challenges of transitioning to Deal - and even to learn about opening lockers! Our students will be visiting Bancroft, Eaton, Hearst, Janney, Lafayette, Murch, and Shepherd Elementary Schools.

 

Donations still needed: 6th grade students are assisting the N Street Village in collecting art supplies to support their efforts. We are in need of donations including glue sticks, construction paper, markers, and colored pencils. If you are able to donate any of these supplies please do so before June 3rd. Give all donated supplies to Ms. Wisniewski in W103 or place them in her mailbox in the main office. Many thanks to all of those who are able to help us in this effort.

Capital Hill Montessori - Tyler - Smothers

Moten - H. D. Cooke - Orr

Thomson - Patterson - Leckie

Cleveland - C.W. Harris - Turner

Nalle - Randle Highlands - Kimball