World Languages

Welcome! Bienvenido/a! Bienvenue! 欢迎

Spanish Language and Culture

Spanish Language and Culture (Mr. Fontalvo, Ms. Gonzalez)

Welcome to Spanish! 🌎 ¡Bienvenidos!

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new school year! We are so excited to begin this journey with our students and look forward to a year filled with learning, growth, and fun in Spanish class. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create a positive and welcoming learning environment for all students.

Last week was our first week of Spanish class! Students focused on getting to know their classroom community, learning our class expectations and routines, and practicing basic Spanish classroom commands that will help them understand and follow directions throughout the year.

Coming Up Next Week:
Students will explore cognates—words that look and have similar meanings in English and Spanish. They will discover that they may already know more Spanish than they think! Students will also begin learning and practicing the Spanish alphabet and pronunciation.

❤️ Want to Support Our Spanish Classrooms?

We have created Amazon Wish Lists with items that will help make our classrooms more engaging, organized, and welcoming for our students. Any contribution is completely optional but greatly appreciated!

🛒 Mr. Fontalvo’s Classroom Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/34YC9A6442UU3?ref_=wl_share

🛒 Sra. González’s Classroom Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3H7YQMESHHLZW?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for being an important part of our Spanish learning community. We are looking forward to a wonderful year together!

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Spanish I

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

The last week will be a celebration of all students' hard work throughout the term. There will be a class party to celebrate, along with final activities and a Kahoot review of everything covered.

No more SpanishDict.com homework for the rest of the year.

Spanish II

Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Almanza)

It's been a fantastic first week back in 8th grade Spanish class! We've been busy getting to know one another and establishing some norms for a productive and positive year ahead.

Supplies and First Assignment

By Monday, all students need to have a 1 inch hard binder (and 5 dividers optional) that is JUST for Spanish class. We would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to families who contributed clorox wipes, markers, tissues, and other supplies from our amazon wish list. I am here as a resource if your student ever needs anything throughout the day- first aid supplies, feminine hygiene, academic supplies- and I appreciate you all helping to make that possible.

By Wednesday, students need to bring in their complete “SOY YO perfil” – a decorated IT’S ME profile, reviewing basic phrases from Spanish 1. We will work on this in class Monday. On Wednesday we will use this resource to have conversations with peers in Spanish to share basic information about ourselves. Ask your student to share the list of questions and see if your whole family can practice asking and answering them over the weekend (start with the paper and then gradually go without!). You access all materials on CANVAS.

Looking ahead to next week, we will complete a diagnostic, share our SOY YO profiles, and continue our review of key Spanish 1 level vocabulary while beginning to implement 90% use of target language (Spanish) in class.

Please don’t hesitate to email with questions!

Spanish Humanities

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Spanish Humanities, 6th grade:

Welcome to Deal MS and Spanish Humanities! I'm so glad you are here! It has been a joy to get to know your child this past week. We have been speaking Spanish, listening to Spanish, and writing Spanish. Students are getting used to figuring out how to express themselves even when they don't have all the right words. This week we have reviewed classroom routines, class supplies, and class norms. We have reviewed how to ask and answer simple questions. We are working on getting to know our classmates through interviews and a writing assignment.

Next week we will focus on high-frequency verbs and writing a coherent paragraph.

For our Spanish Humanities class, your student needs a 1-inch 3-ring binder, and a composition book. Both of these items will be kept in the classroom.

I look forward to meeting you on September 16th at Back to School Night!

¡Bienvenidos a Deal MS y a Humanidades en Español! ¡Me alegra mucho que estén aquí! Ha sido un placer conocer a su hijo/a esta última semana. Hemos estado hablando español, escuchando español y escribiendo en español. Los estudiantes se están acostumbrando a encontrar la manera de expresarse incluso cuando no tienen todas las palabras correctas. Esta semana hemos repasado las rutinas del aula, los materiales de clase y las normas de clase. También hemos repasado cómo preguntar y responder preguntas sencillas. Estamos trabajando en conocer a nuestros compañeros a través de entrevistas y una tarea de escritura.

La próxima semana nos enfocaremos en verbos de alta frecuencia y en escribir un párrafo coherente.

Para nuestra clase de Humanidades en Español, su hijo/a necesita un cuaderno de 3 anillas de 1 pulgada, y un cuaderno de composición. Ambos artículos se quedarán en el aula.

¡Espero con entusiasmo conocerlos el 16 de septiembre en la Noche de Regreso a Clases!

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

It’s been a wonderful first week back to school! We’ve spent much of the week getting to know one another, learning names, and beginning to build our classroom community.

On Wednesday and Thursday, students worked in groups to “build something from nothing,” using a small collection of materials to design and create something together. This team-building challenge gave us a fun way to think about what helps a group succeed and led naturally into establishing our classroom norms. On Friday, students completed a diagnostic assessment that will help me better understand where they are as Spanish learners and inform my instruction and curriculum this year.

A quick reminder: Students who do not yet have a one-inch, three-ring binder will need one by Monday.

I also want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the many families who have donated books for our classroom library, along with tissues, hand sanitizer, paper, and other classroom supplies. Thanks to your generosity, I feel wonderfully prepared for the year ahead, and I am very grateful for your support!

Next week, we’ll begin our first unit, Una exploración de la identidad (An Exploration of Identity). We’ll explore the Hero’s Journey and use it as a framework for examining the lives and experiences of important figures from across the Spanish-speaking world. Students will also begin thinking about their own identities, experiences, and goals for the year ahead.

Humanidades en Español de 7.º Grado

¡Ha sido una primera semana de clases maravillosa! Hemos pasado gran parte de la semana conociéndonos, aprendiendo los nombres de nuestros compañeros y comenzando a construir nuestra comunidad en el salón de clase.

El miércoles y el jueves, los estudiantes trabajaron en grupos para “crear algo de la nada”, utilizando una pequeña colección de materiales para diseñar y construir algo juntos. Esta actividad de trabajo en equipo nos permitió reflexionar de una manera divertida sobre lo que ayuda a un grupo a tener éxito y nos sirvió como punto de partida para establecer nuestras normas de convivencia en el salón. El viernes, los estudiantes completaron una evaluación diagnóstica que me ayudará a comprender mejor dónde se encuentran en su aprendizaje del español y a adaptar la enseñanza y el currículo a sus necesidades.

Un recordatorio: Los estudiantes que todavía no tengan una carpeta de tres anillos de una pulgada necesitarán una para el lunes.

También quiero expresar mi más sincero agradecimiento a todas las familias que han donado libros para nuestra biblioteca del salón, además de pañuelos desechables, desinfectante de manos, papel y otros materiales. Gracias a su generosidad, me siento muy bien preparada para el año que tenemos por delante y estoy enormemente agradecida por su apoyo.

La próxima semana comenzaremos nuestra primera unidad, Una exploración de la identidad. Estudiaremos el viaje del héroe y lo utilizaremos como marco para explorar las vidas y experiencias de figuras importantes del mundo hispanohablante. Los estudiantes también comenzarán a reflexionar sobre sus propias identidades, experiencias y metas para el año que comienza.

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

It's been a fantastic first week back in 8th grade Spanish humanities class! We've been busy getting to know one another and establishing some norms for a productive and positive year ahead.

Supplies:

By Monday, all students need to have a 1 inch hard binder (and 5 dividers optional) that is JUST for Spanish class. We would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to families who contributed books, pencils, tissues, and other supplies from our amazon wish list. I am here as a resource if your student ever needs anything throughout the day- first aid supplies, feminine hygiene, academic supplies- and I appreciate you all helping to make that possible.

Next week: Looking ahead, next week we will kick off the week “tasting” a variety of different independent reading books so that students can choose one to read this first advisory. They are welcome to borrow a book from me, but if they have a specific one in mind- the DC public library is an excellent resource, you can BUY a book, or we will also visit the Deal library to browse options. All students must have an independent reading book in Spanish by Tuesday September 8th.

Next week we will take a diagnostic to determine current proficiency levels in reading and writing Spanish so we can set growth goals. Then we will begin our first unit on the connection between language and identity by reflect on the current language input in our lives and how we can increase input in Spanish. We will read an article on the bilingual brain and learn about text annotation expectations in this class!

Please don’t hesitate to email with questions!

French Language & Culture

French Language & Culture (Ms. Bullock, Mr. Almanza)

Welcome to French! We are so excited that you are here with us.

This week we have focused on getting to know each other, establishing classroom routines, and going over the supplies needed for French class. We also started talking about cognates! If you're not sure what that is, ask your student.

Next week, we will start learning French! Students will learn the French alphabet, greetings, farewells and how to say how they are doing. The easiest way to learn French is to practice a little every day. Encourage your student to review regularly! We will discuss strategies for success at BTSN.

For our French class, your student needs a 1-inch 3-ring binder and 5 tab dividers. Both of these items will be kept in the classroom.

We look forward to seeing you on September 16th at BTSN!

We have created Amazon Wish Lists with items that will help make our classrooms more engaging, organized, and welcoming for our students. Any contribution is completely optional but greatly appreciated!

Madame's Classroom Wish List

French I

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Welcome back to French! We are so excited that you are here with us.

This week we have focused on classroom routines, class norms, and supplies needed for French class. We have reviewed subject pronouns and interrogative words. Students are getting used to hearing French and grappling with how to express themselves even if they can't find all the words that they want.

Next week we will continue with our review and focus on common French verbs, adjectives, and expressions of time.

For our French class, your student needs a 1-inch 3-ring binder, and a composition book. Both of these items will be kept in the classroom.

We look forward to seeing you on September 16th at BTSN!

French II

French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)

French II – Unit 1: Qui suis-je ?

Week 1 – Identity Basics Sept

Students practiced introducing themselves in French. They learned vocabulary for names, ages, nationalities, and family members, reviewed être and avoir, and practiced nationality agreement. They listened to authentic French introductions, wrote short “Je me présente” paragraphs, and reflected on strategies for remembering new vocabulary. A cultural comparison explored how introductions differ in French vs. English.

Chinese

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

Grade 6

Grade 6 Chinese class last week focused on learning high-frequency words through their etymology. We learned basics about Chinese and the sound system - pinyin. We will have one formative assessment on pinyin next week. Please bind the new textbook, USP/Staples offers binding service, or use a report cover with a sliding bar. Look forward to a great school year ahead!

Grade 7

Grade 7 Chinese classes last week worked on mastering vocabulary related to daily schedules and key grammar concepts with focus on expressing their birthdays. We will have a formative assessment next week. Please bind the new textbook, USP/Staples offers binding service, or use a report cover with a sliding bar. Look forward to a great school year ahead!

Grade 8

Grade 8 Chinese class explored vocabulary related to daily school life, focusing on language application in listening, speaking, reading, and writing—to ensure a well-rounded understanding in class. We will have a formative assessment next week. Please bind the new textbook, USP/Staples offers binding service, or use a report cover with a sliding bar. Look forward to a great school year ahead!