Team Berlin Week 37 Update

Monday, May 26: No School, Memorial Day

Friday, June 13: 6th Grade Field Trip to Cameron Park Water Park

Wednesday, June 18: Last Day of School

Congrats to the MANY Team Berlin students who earned a spot on Honor Roll or Principal's Honor Roll for Term 3. Thank you families for donating so many CAPE snacks that they overflowed to Thursday's end of term celebration!

Team Berlin tied their first game in the (very informal) 6th Grade Deal Cup. Games are 7 v. 7 during recess. Our first roster included Hudson, Luqa, Jake, Alice, Milton, Pasha, Owen, Aria, Chizirim, Santi, Lucas S., Avery T., Lachlan and Rahmi.

Find the schedule & team standings here: tinyurl.com/dealcup25

We will have an entirely new roster for the next game, May 30th. Students interested in playing need to

1) Tell Ms. Byrns

2) Have no grades lower than a C-

3) Show respectful behavior in school and on the sidelines

4) Wear tennis shoes (no Crocs from here on out!)

Congrats to Atticus, Roza, and Alex V. for their success and participation in the D.C. Battle of the Books. While Alex and his team took a strong lead for much of the competition, in the end Roza and Atticus were on the winning team, beating out teams from Eliot-Hine, Hardy and other schools in the city!

Hi Team Berlin families!

Working with your kids this school year has been a true pleasure. Watching students grow and develop is one of my favorite parts about being an educator. You should all be proud of how this cohort of students have grown academically and as young, maturing people. This year of teaching was one of the most enjoyable I have had in a number of years, so it is bittersweet to inform you all that I will be leaving Deal at the end of May. My wife is a Captain in the Air Force and being relocated to San Antonio, TX. I wish my time here had been longer and I could have seen all your kids through their middle school years, but I am excited about what the future has in store. I wish you all the best and am encouraging all students to end this year putting their very best effort into strengthening their grades and showing growth on the final i-Ready and MAP Reading test. I am looking forward to hearing about their final accomplishments!

Wishing you all a happy soon-to-be-reached summer,

Mr. G

Hello scientists!

This past week students completed their Weather & Water summative and began to learn about carbon and how it is connected to climate change. Next week students will begin an interdisciplinary project between science and geography. They will be researching various environmental issues in Oceania and presenting on their social, economic, and environmental impacts.

Possible topics include:

• Extreme weather events (cyclones, wildfires, droughts, and floods)

• Plastic and other water pollution and waste management

• Protecting fisheries from ocean warming, acidification and coral reef bleaching

• Overfishing

• Sea level rise

• Urban heat islands

Students will also complete their FINAL Roots quiz of 6th grade with the following Root words. Their Term Four Roots Summative will be on Tuesday 5/27, after Memorial Day weekend.

• phono = sound, voice (Greek) think: phonetic, telephone

• homo = same (Greek) think: homophobia, homonym

• -onym = word, name (Greek) think: synonym, anonymous

• endo = within (Greek) think: endoskeleton, endoscopy

• neuro = nerve (Greek) think: neurological, neuroscientist

lydia.ballantine@k12.dc.gov

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Math 6
This week students work on probability and identifying and analyzing various angle types . This coming week students will complete a formative assessment on work on current concepts, as well as continuing to work on geometric concepts such as rays, lines, line segment and find the missing angles on a transversal and reviewing surface area. Students will continue to be provided the opportunity to work on and retake recently taken assignments/projects during iRecess at their request. Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home.

Math 7
This week, students compute positive and negative numbers in improving number sense skills. This week students will compute operations with negative integers, fractions, and solving word problems. Students will continue to be provided the opportunity to work on and retake recently taken assignments/projects during iRecess at their request. Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home.

Please encourage students to utilize the “Parking Lot” in class to leave questions or requests (ie. retake requests) Notes and videos on current/previous/upcoming concepts as well as supportive platforms can be found in the virtual classroom (www.framevr.io/brownmath).

Any questions or concerning SMAC Program invitations should be sent (and will be forwarded) to DealSummerMath@k12.dc.gov

Thank you,

marcus.brown@k12.dc.gov

jeremiah.gawthrop@k12.dc.gov

This week students learned the 12 steps of the Hero's Journey and then worked with groups to identify those plot points in the Greek myth, "Theseus and the Minotaur." We started reading Beowulf and looked at the figurative language in Chapter 1. Next week we will review characterization and mood as we read Chapters 2-5.

On Friday, students met with their book groups to discuss which elements of the hero's journey have shown up so far in their reading. At this point, students should be 1/4 of the way through their Hero's Journey book groups. By Friday, May 23, students should be half way through these books.

Katy Byrns

Katy.byrns2@k12.dc.gov

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This week in Geography students completed their Unit 7 Summative of looking at Global Citizens of the Americas through Portraiture. Students turned in both their portrait and letter in class on Thursday. I will scan these portraits and letters and compile them in one presentation and share the link in the newsletter in the coming weeks. The letters and portraits have been so impressive and are truly awesome. I’m eager to share them with you. The students should be very proud of their work. Students who have a WS in Aspen for one or either of these parts must submit their work.

On Thursday students were introduced to our Museum Project. To celebrate our Embassy Adoption Program, and to teach research, students across the 6th grade will put together a cultural museum exhibit based on the name of their team. It will not be just about the city, but rather the entire country. So, we, as Team Berlin, will create a museum of culture about Germany. Students were given a packet they will use for this entire process on Thursday in class. Now that testing is over, students will be able to use their devices in class and have research time built in. The first deadline is for students to select their topic and their presentation style on Monday. Students have been shown many different examples from the past and also given a brainstormed list to consider.

Also, upcoming for our Embassy Adoption is the Mini UN on Friday, May 30 at the Ronald Reagan Building. All students are invited to present to their class period to be their class representative at the Mini UN. I am only allowed to take six students, so each class will choose their representative for the Mini UN and the others will then be in a wild card draw. Students were given a template to write their speech and will give them to the class on Monday. Students will have to meet with me three times during their lunch and recess to prep for this special opportunity. Participation is completely OPTIONAL but open to ALL Team Berlin students.

Next week in Geography students will work on research in class, taking notes for our project and building content knowledge on their selected topic.

Students who are still working on learning their US States will continue to meet with me during recess to retake their quiz, with the goal of passing.

If students are interested in a Team Berlin T-shirt—please see the group order form here: https://www.customink.com/g/mxy0-00cw-wf3w If we do not receive the minimum order, then the order will not be placed and no cards will be charged. This is optional for those that are interested!

Please find Team Berlin photos of our students in action here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1g5IRuBxGAvG9 It will be updated as we go along!

Team Berlin’s Playlist can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XGJMmooyuna2fwFQ9pj9A?si=416e41ad228f4c11

amy.trenkle@k12.dc.gov

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DPR's Free Sleepaway Camp Launches In-Person Registration

Ta-da! The Alice Deal Community Association is happy to announce the return of Deal Gala: an evening of community, celebration and support!

• When: Saturday, May 17, 2025
• Time: 6:00 p.m.
• Attire: Creative Black Tie: a jacket or dress of your personal style, and comfortable shoes for dancing!
• For more details: https://e.givesmart.com/events/I9q/

Say it three times… and he might just appear! The Alice Deal Theatre team proudly presents Beetlejuice Jr., a hilariously spooky musical that’s bursting with energy, laughs, and show-stopping numbers. Come support our amazing student cast and crew as they bring the world of Beetlejuice to life! Performances will be held on May 29, 30 and 31. Don’t miss this hauntingly fun night at the theater!

As you know, the re-enrollment/proof of residency process must be completed annually. If you haven't re-enrolled your Deal student, please take time during spring break to complete the process. You are welcome to stop by the Welcome Center next week from 9:00 until 4:00 pm to re-enroll in person.

To re-enroll and prove residency, please complete the following three steps:

• Complete the DCPS enrollment packet.

• Provide proof of DC residency.

• Submit the completed enrollment packet and proof of DC residency to your school.

Feel free to call the Welcome Center if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Diedre L. Neal | Principal

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Would you like to learn German and find out more about German-speaking countries? The German Club meets every Thursday from 3:30 -4:30 pm in W103. Please contact igenzel123@gmail.com if your student is interested.

Learn about the great things happening this month at Deal's library. Check out great books and media, read about events at Deal and around the city, and stay connected with Deal's Library:

https://secure.smore.com/n/h8bkc

Additionally, please be aware that the library will be sending out a reminder email for overdue books. Students should speak with Mr. Reichlen directly if they cannot locate a loaned item. There is no fine for lost materials. Families should feel free to reply to email notice if they have any questions. Mr. Reichlen will always respond.

Thanks,

Stephen Reichlen

Library Media Specialist

Deal MS – DC Public Schools

stephen.reichlen@k12.dc.gov

Mr. Cunningham: Click here

Congratulations to the IB Learner Profile Students of the Month, exemplifying KNOWLEDGEABLE: Alice McGovern and Owen Garriott! In the IB Learner Profile, a knowledgeable student actively explores concepts, ideas, and issues with local and global significance, developing a broad and balanced understanding across various disciplines. They strive for in-depth knowledge and understanding, going beyond surface-level learning to make connections between different areas of study.

April students of the month, August Frillici and Winter Evan-Jones are open minded!! The IB Learner Profile states that open-minded students, “critically appreciate (their) own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. (They) seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.”

Congratulations to the IB Learner Profile Students of the Month, exemplifying BALANCED: Evie Siegel and Alex Valchev! In the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, a "balanced" learner understands the importance of intellectual, physical, and emotional well-being, recognizing their interdependence with others and the world

Congratulations to our IB Learner Profile Students of the Month, exemplifying THINKER: Tara Swaminathan and Kai Swanson. Thinkers use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. They exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Maya Utley and Turk Suros!

As reflective students, they thoughtfully consider the world and their own ideas and experience. They work to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to support their learning and personal development.

Congratulations to our December IB Learner Profile Students of the Month for Principled: Noga Hulata and Emil Nooruddin. The IB Learner Profile states that a person who is principled is someone who respects the dignity and feelings of others, is honest and accountable, and accepts both responsibility for their decisions and the consequences that accompany them.

Congratulations to our IB Learner Profile Students of the Month, exemplifying CARING: Evelyn Fielding and Pasha Rubio. Students who are caring show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and the world around them. From helping a friend, to picking up garbage after lunch, if you care, it will show!

INQUIRER learner profile: Alma DiRuggiero and Jake Maretich. The IB Learner Profile aims to develop students who are inquirers. Students who are inquirers nurture their curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. They know how to learn independently with others. Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.

RISK TAKER learner profile: Camryn Jolly and Abdisa Kiyvyra. Risk takers approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; they work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. They are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.