World Languages
Back to School 2025!
Spanish Language and Culture (Mr. Fontalvo, Ms. Gonzalez)
Mr. Fontalvo:
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Fontalvo, and I am so excited to be one of the Spanish Language and Culture teachers and the Team Kathmandu advisory teacher this year! We are going to do so many FUN things—and of course, we will learn a lot. In Spanish class, we’ll explore how to express ourselves through speaking, writing, reading, and listening, while sharing our unique experiences on the path to becoming more confident and proficient Spanish speakers. In advisory, I’m excited to build strong connections with students, support their growth, and celebrate their successes throughout the year.
Don’t forget: Please check Mr. Fontalvo’s Canvas Homepage regularly for updates, resources, and announcements.
A Few of My Favorite Things:
· Colors: Blue and beige
· Season: Summer
· Foods: Bandeja Paisa and arepas
· Drink: Hot chocolate and water
· Book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
· Hobbies: Reading, playing soccer, and practicing Taekwondo
I can’t wait to begin this exciting journey with all of you!
Supplies Needed for Spanish Class:
· 1 composition notebook
· 1–2 inch three-ring binder
· Pencils
· A pack of colored pencils or markers
· 1 Expo marker (for our class collection)
· Headphones to use in class
Ms. Gonzalez:
I am a Colombian Spanish teacher, passionate about helping students discover the joy of learning a new language. I look forward to an exciting year of growth and learning together. This is my 8th year at Deal and my 20th year in education. I look forward to an exciting year of growth and learning together!
Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)
Mr. Donaldson:
Hola!
My name is Profe. Donaldson, and I am excited to be one of the two 7th and 8th grade Spanish I teachers this year! The Spanish I course is a high school credit course, and students will build upon their knowledge from the Beginning Spanish course.
Todo Sobre Mi:
I have been teaching Spanish for over a decade, and I have been teaching at Alice Deal Middle School for most of that time. I'm also an adjunct professor of Spanish at the University of the District of Columbia Community College where I have been teaching for almost a decade as well. I enjoy traveling and practicing other languages. I also enjoy seeing my former students’ language growth when I attend the 8th-grade trip to Costa Rica.
I look forward to a great year ahead, and please feel free to reach out to me at Michael.Donaldson@k12.dc.gov if you have any questions or concerns.
Here's the link to my canvas page for more information: https://dcps.instructure.com/courses/414272/
Ms. Cuffee:
My name is Sra. Cuffee. I am extremely excited to be one of the two 7th and 8th grade Spanish I teachers this school year! The Spanish I course is a high school credit course, and students will build upon their knowledge from last year's Beginning Spanish course.
This school year is my seventeenth year teaching; the last twelve have been at Alice Deal. I am also the group leader/organizer for the 8th grade word language trip to Costa Rica. It is always so amazing to connect with former, (and now possibly current), scholars outside of the classroom in an international setting.
I am genuinely looking forward to seeing, meeting, teaching, and growing with each of you this school year! It WILL be the best one yet!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at Britney.Cuffee@k12.dc.gov
Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Henderson)
Ms. Henderson:
My name is Anna Henderson and I’m so excited to welcome your child to Spanish class at Deal this year! This is my 17th year at Deal, and the start of the new school year always makes me excited and hopeful about all that is to come!
In Spanish this year, we’ll be focusing on communication- building our vocabularies and confidence so that students can really use the language in meaningful ways. I can’t wait to see how they grow as speakers this year!
If there’s anything you’d like me to know about your student, please feel free to reach out by email. I also would like to remind everyone that for class all students will need a 2 inch three-ring hardcover binder with four separators to be used exclusively for Spanish class. And, if you’re able to support our classroom, check out my Amazon wish list. Wishing you a wonderful last weekend of summer!
Ms. Wooten:
I’m Ms. Wooten. I teach 8th grade Spanish 2 and 8th grade Spanish Humanities. I’m originally from North Carolina, but I’ve been teaching in DC for 17 years and consider this wonderful city my home now. In my free time, I love biking the city, gardening, making music, listening to audiobooks, and keeping up with my 6 year and 3 year old girls. I’m SO excited to meet you all this year and have fun while delving into Spanish texts, music, and culture.
I am so excited that I will be teaching you 8th grade Spanish 2 at Alice Deal this year! I just wanted to introduce myself and send you a quick HOLA before classes start next Monday. Eight grade Spanish is my favorite level to teach and I am so excited for our journey this year- reading books, learning about each other and the world, exploring new music, and challenging ourselves to express new ideas ALL IN SPANISH 😊. For your reference- my room is C308 (in the middle of the third floor).
If you are going school supply shopping, you will need a 1-inch hard 3-ring binder (like this) and 1 set of dividers (optional- we can make these). You will need these supplies by Tuesday September 2nd. I also have some used binders from last year that students are welcome to use.
Mr. Almanza:
Hello everyone! My name is Mr. Almanza, and I’m excited to welcome you to Spanish II. I’m originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and I’ve been teaching languages for over ten years. This is my second year with DC Public Schools, and I’m thrilled to keep sharing my passion for language and culture with you.
This year, I’ll be teaching both French Language & Culture and Spanish 2. In Spanish 2, we’ll focus on communicating confidently through practical, interactive activities.
Outside the classroom, I’m passionate about sports (especially soccer), biking, science fiction literature, cinema, and traveling with my wife and son. Exploring new places and cultures is one of my favorite things—and a big reason why I love teaching languages.
I’m here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make this a fantastic year!
Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)
My name is Patricia Balestra and I'm excited to begin my 4th year teaching at Deal and my 24th year of teaching French and Spanish! Originally from Miami, FL, I've lived in DC since 2001. Outside of teaching, some of my favorite activities are cycling, swimming, playing music, being outside, meeting new people, and spending time with my family and friends. I'm thrilled to welcome your child into my classroom this year!
School supplies for our class:
- 1-inch 3-ring binder
- composition book
- pencil or pen
Mi nombre es Patricia Balestra y estoy emocionada de comenzar mi 4o año enseñando en Deal y mi 24o año de enseñar francés y español. Originalmente de Miami, FL, he vivido en DC desde 2001. Fuera de la enseñanza, algunas de mis actividades favoritas son ciclismo, natación, tocar música, estar al aire libre, conocer gente nueva y pasar tiempo con mi familia y amigos. ¡Estoy encantada de darle la bienvenida a su hijo/a en mi aula este año!
Materiales necesarios para nuestra clase:
- 1-inch 3-ring binder
- composition book
- lápiz o bolígrafo
French Language & Culture (Ms. Bullock, Mr. Almanza)
Ms. Bullock:
Bonjour Deal families! My name is Emily Bullock and I teach French Language & Culture. This is my sixth year at Alice Deal and my nineteenth year as a teacher! When I'm not teaching, you can find me on my bike, in the pool doing laps, traveling or spending time with my friends and family. I also love to read, and I've been venturing into the world of cooking! I am so excited for this upcoming year-It's going to be amazing!
Reminder of supplies for Introduction to French:
1" binder
Tab dividers
Expo markers
Pencils/colored pencils
Personal headphones
Mr. Almanza:
Hello everyone! My name is Mr. Almanza, and I’m excited to welcome you to French Language & Culture. I’m originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and I’ve been teaching languages for over ten years. This is my second year with DC Public Schools, and I’m thrilled to keep sharing my passion for language and culture with you.
This year, I’ll be teaching both French Language & Culture and Spanish 2. In Introduction to French, we’ll learn the basics—how to greet others, talk about ourselves, and explore French-speaking cultures through different activities and creative projects.
Outside the classroom, I’m passionate about sports (especially soccer), biking, science fiction literature, cinema, and traveling with my wife and son. Exploring new places and cultures is one of my favorite things—and a big reason why I love teaching languages.
I’m here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make this a fantastic year!
French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)
Ms. Balestra:
My name is Patricia Balestra and I'm excited to begin my 4th year teaching at Deal and my 24th year of teaching French and Spanish! Originally from Miami, FL, I've lived in DC since 2001. Outside of teaching, some of my favorite activities are cycling, swimming, playing music, being outside, meeting new people, and spending time with my family and friends. I'm thrilled to welcome your child into my classroom this year!
Every Friday in French One there will be a Friday Formative. We will alternate this term between Writing and Listening, the two criteria that we are specifically working on this term. Students will take a total of 2 Formatives for each criterion and two formatives that combine the criteria. The Unit 1 Summatives will be on October 15 (Listening) and October 17 (Writing).
Mr. Osei:
Mr. Osei has taught French at Deal for 9 years. This year, he will teach French l & French ll. His hobbies are soccer and reading. He has been teaching French for the past 30 years. He is originally from Ghana.
French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)
Mr. Osei:
Mr. Osei has taught French at Deal for 9 years. This year, he will teach French l & French ll. His hobbies are soccer and reading. He has been teaching French for the past 30 years. He is originally from Ghana.
Dr. Mbayu:
Dr. Frederick Mbayu has taught French at Deal for 25 years. He will teach French 2 this year. He is the lead for the France trip and coaches the Deal boys soccer team. His hobbies are watching soccer, playing soccer, coaching soccer, and traveling!
Chinese (Ms. Liang)
Hello, Deal families, my name is Yan Liang, the Chinese teacher at Deal. I have been teaching Chinese in the US for over ten years. I teach grade 6 language and culture, 7th grade Level I and 8th Level II Chinese this year. I cannot wait to see you and teach you in our amazing classroom.
Chinese language is completely different from English and is the most difficult one among all languages. It is richly embedded with the thousand-year history and expressed in writing with the pictures that represent the concept. Learning it is an interesting process, you will have a lot of fun, you will love it! But easier said than done, you should also be prepared for the hard process of learning, you will need to do a lot of memory, a lot of practice and you also need to have a lot of patience, but I believe you will get it!
I cannot wait to see you ALL!
Supplies needed for Chinese class:
One Composition notebook
One folder to organize your handouts and quizzes
Pencils
One red-color pen and one yellow highlighter
Headphones to use in class