World Languages
Week of August 24, 2026
Sra 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 22nd year in education. I look forward to an exciting year of growth and learning together!
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Sr Fontalvo
.¡Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Fontalvo, and I am so excited to be one of the Spanish Language and Culture teachers 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
Juan Fontalvo juan.fontalvo@k12.dc.gov
Sra Cuffee
¡Hola!
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 eighteenth year teaching; the last thirteen 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 current and former 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
Take a look at my Canvas page (www.dcps.instructue.com) for more information! 😊
Profe. 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 over 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.
Take a look at my Canvas page (www.dcps.instructue.com) for more information! 😊
Sr Almanza
Hello everyone!
My name is Mr. Almanza, and I am excited to welcome you to a new school year! I am originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and I have been teaching languages for more than ten years. This is my third year at Alice Deal MS, and I am thrilled to continue sharing my passion for languages, cultures, and global connections with my students.
This year, I will be teaching Introduction to French and Spanish 2. In Spanish 2, we will focus on building confidence in communication through engaging conversations, collaborative activities, and real-world language experiences. In Introduction to French, we will learn the foundations of the language, including greetings, self-introductions, everyday communication, and an exploration of French-speaking cultures through interactive lessons and creative projects.
Outside of school, I enjoy staying active through sports, especially soccer and biking. I also love science fiction novels, movies, and traveling with my wife and son. Discovering new places, meeting people from different backgrounds, and learning about diverse cultures are some of my greatest passions, and they are a big part of why I love teaching languages.
My goal is to create a positive, supportive, and engaging classroom where every student feels comfortable taking risks, learning from mistakes, and growing as a language learner. I am here to support you every step of the way.
Let’s make this an exciting, successful, and memorable year together!
Sra 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- Spanish II
I'm Ms. Wooten, 8th grade Spanish teacher (teaching Spanish 2 and Humanidades 2). This is my 12th year at Deal, 19th year teaching.
I believe that the best way to learn a language is to use it—to share ideas, tell stories, ask questions, make connections, and sometimes make a few mistakes along the way! My favorite part about teaching Spanish is that our main goal is communication. This year, I’m looking forward to diving into songs, books, stories, and a variety of Spanish-speaking cultures with my students. I hope our classroom will be a place where students are curious, take risks with their Spanish, and discover that there are many ways to communicate and connect.
When I’m not teaching, I love biking around DC, exploring the outdoors with my kids, cooking, and reading.
Sra Balestra
Sra Henderson
Sra Wooten
I'm Ms. Wooten, 8th grade Spanish teacher (teaching Spanish 2 and Humanidades 2). This is my 12th year at Deal, 19th year teaching.
I believe that the best way to learn a language is to use it—to share ideas, tell stories, ask questions, make connections, and sometimes make a few mistakes along the way! My favorite part about teaching Spanish is that our main goal is communication. This year, I’m looking forward to diving into songs, books, stories, and a variety of Spanish-speaking cultures with my students. I hope our classroom will be a place where students are curious, take risks with their Spanish, and discover that there are many ways to communicate and connect.
When I’m not teaching, I love biking around DC, exploring the outdoors with my kids, cooking, and reading.
Mme Bullock
Bonjour Deal families! My name is Emily Bullock. This is my seventh year at Alice Deal and my twentieth year as a teacher. Together, we will be learning to speak, read, write and understand spoken French. We will also learn about the cultures of countries where French is spoken. When I'm not at school, I love traveling, biking, swimming, petting ALL the dogs, and exploring the best ice cream places in the DMV. I am so excited to be your teacher! It's going to be a great year.
Reminder of supplies for Introduction to French:
1" binder
5 Tab dividers
Expo markers
Pencils
Personal headphones
Are you willing and able to help supply our classroom with those things that make it extra special? Check our wishlist!
M. Almanza
Hello everyone!
My name is Mr. Almanza, and I am excited to welcome you to a new school year! I am originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and I have been teaching languages for more than ten years. This is my third year at Alice Deal MS, and I am thrilled to continue sharing my passion for languages, cultures, and global connections with my students.
This year, I will be teaching Introduction to French and Spanish 2. In Spanish 2, we will focus on building confidence in communication through engaging conversations, collaborative activities, and real-world language experiences. In Introduction to French, we will learn the foundations of the language, including greetings, self-introductions, everyday communication, and an exploration of French-speaking cultures through interactive lessons and creative projects.
Outside of school, I enjoy staying active through sports, especially soccer and biking. I also love science fiction novels, movies, and traveling with my wife and son. Discovering new places, meeting people from different backgrounds, and learning about diverse cultures are some of my greatest passions, and they are a big part of why I love teaching languages.
My goal is to create a positive, supportive, and engaging classroom where every student feels comfortable taking risks, learning from mistakes, and growing as a language learner. I am here to support you every step of the way.
Let’s make this an exciting, successful, and memorable year together!
Mme Balestra-French I
M. Osei-French I
M. Osei-French II
Ms. Liang
Hello, my 6th graders and parents, 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 grade Level II Chinese at Deal. 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, and 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
One SLIDING BAR report cover for our textbook
Pencils
One red-color pen and one yellow highlighter
Headphones to use in class
Contact: yan.liang@k12.dc.gov