World Languages

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

Last week, students completed their Reading and Speaking summative assessments focused on the topic of family. We are very proud of the effort many students put into demonstrating their understanding and communication skills in Spanish.

We encourage families to check grades in Aspen. If your child has not yet completed one of the assessments, or if they received a score below 73, please schedule a time with the teacher to complete a make-up.

Looking ahead, next week students will begin an exciting Pets Project. They will be learning and practicing vocabulary related to pet characteristics and will start making comparisons.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support!

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

There will be no further homework this term. During this week, students will receive and collaborate on a comprehensive Preterite Packet (3CW1.PP) that reviews and consolidates regular and irregular preterite verbs, ensuring they remain confident in their skills.

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

This week, we wrapped up Chapter 9 of our second novel of the year—an exciting milestone for the class! At the end of the week, students were introduced to their final project for the unit. Because we’ve been focusing heavily on speaking and listening skills (thank you so much to the parents who supported our recorded conversations!), the final project will ask students to record themselves responding to the novel in a format of their choice. You can explore the project options here.

Final projects are due on March 30th, and we will celebrate students’ hard work with a class party on March 26th. These projects are always a highlight, and students are encouraged to be as creative as possible—without the use of online translators.

As we approach the end of the advisory, please continue to check Aspen regularly for any missing assignments. Let’s finish Term 3 strong!

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Students have continued to work on mythology, looking at stories from different points of view. Students had great discussions around "La Casa de Asterion," a short story written by Jorge Luis Borges, which tells the story of the Minotaur from the Minotaur's perspective.

Next week, students will be creating their own myth to explain a natural phenomenon. Upon completion of their writing, students will use clay and other materials to create a scene from their original story.

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

This week in 7th Grade Spanish Humanities we continued our unit on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Students have been practicing the habit of sustained reading in Spanish by reading independently for twenty minutes at a time and reflecting on their reading in their reading logs. This practice helps them build stamina as readers, strengthen comprehension, and think more deeply about what they read.

We also explored the idea that developing and maintaining our relationships is just as important as personal growth. Students learned about the Relational Bank Account, which represents the trust we build with others through our everyday actions.

Next week we will accelerate our pace slightly in order to finish the unit by the end of the advisory. We will be learning about Habit 4: Think Win-Win, which focuses on finding solutions where everyone benefits rather than approaching situations as win-or-lose conflicts. This habit is essential for building strong relationships and resolving disagreements respectfully. Students will also continue writing reflections in their weekly journals.

As always, please check Aspen for grades and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Esta semana en Español Humanidades de 7º grado continuamos nuestra unidad sobre Los siete hábitos de los adolescentes altamente efectivos. Los estudiantes han estado practicando el hábito de leer en español durante veinte minutos seguidos y reflexionando sobre su lectura en sus registros de lectura. Este ejercicio les ayuda a desarrollar resistencia como lectores, mejorar su comprensión y pensar más profundamente sobre lo que leen.

También hemos explorado la idea de que cuidar y fortalecer nuestras relaciones es tan importante como el crecimiento personal. Los estudiantes aprendieron sobre la Cuenta Bancaria Relacional, que representa la confianza que construimos con otras personas a través de nuestras acciones diarias.

La próxima semana aceleraremos un poco el ritmo para terminar la unidad antes del final del advisory. Aprenderemos sobre el Hábito 4: Pensar ganar-ganar, que nos enseña a buscar soluciones donde todos puedan beneficiarse en lugar de pensar en términos de ganar o perder. Este hábito es fundamental para construir relaciones saludables y resolver conflictos de manera respetuosa. Los estudiantes también continuarán escribiendo reflexiones en sus diarios semanales.

Como siempre, por favor revisen Aspen para ver las calificaciones y no duden en comunicarse conmigo si tienen alguna pregunta.

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

This week students analyzed the song "Latinoamérica" by Calle 13, first practicing listening comprehension to identify lyrics, and then diving deeper to understand the historical and cultural references of the song. Ask your student what message the song is communicating and who is the intended audience? Next week, on Monday, we will respond to Ms. Wooten's comments on our Casa en Mango essays, make final edits, and go over MLA formatting expectations before handing in the FINAL FINAL draft for a summative grade. Then we will lauch into an exploration of biodiversity in Latin America - what it means, the importance of biodiversity- and small group research into biodiversity in specific zones of Latin America. Next Friday, some of us will be out for 6 days - traveling to Costa Rica. Students who remain at Deal will have (FUN) work to do while we are out, and will be able to share their learning when we return.

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

Last week students showed off all that they learned on their reading and speaking summatives. Both of these assessments focus on family vocab as well as describing.

This week, we will be reviewing question words and learning vocab to talk about animals! After all, we just learned family vocab and animals are often beloved family members.

Students and families are reminded that with the end of the term coming, this is the final opportunity to make up missed work or complete any missing assessments!

What can we do at home?

Vocabulary is KEY to language learning. Students should be reviewing their vocabulary for at least 5 minutes every night. They are welcome to use this resource to support their learning. It is updated every time we learn something new! Students have been commenting about how much they've learned so far. It's great to see their confidence grow.

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Students have continued working on talking about their daily routine using reflexive and non-reflexive verbs.

Next week students will show their ability to speak about their daily routines and leisure activities on their final Speaking Summative of the term.

French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)

Students demonstrate learning through a speaking and writing performance task.
🎯 Focus: applying skills confidently.
💡 Ask at home: What part of French do you feel most confident about now?

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

G6

Last week, students continued our exciting new unit on sports, where students began exploring vocabulary and expressions related to various physical activities.

Through engaging classroom discussions, written exercises, and interactive activities, students will continue to develop their ability to express opinions and preferences in Chinese, deepening their understanding of the topic and enhancing their communication skills.

G7

Last week, students continued their work on the food unit. We introduced specific measure words used for different places and explored a few iconic Chinese dishes, such as Peking duck and fried rice, while also discussing the importance of staple foods in Chinese cuisine. This unit offers a fun and meaningful way for students to expand their language skills while deepening their understanding of Chinese culture.

G8

In 8th grade, students came back from China trip. Students will write reflective essays about their China trip, capturing their memorable experiences and personal highlights. After completing their writing, we will share these reflections in class, giving students the opportunity to practice their language skills and learn from one another’s experiences.

As part of this activity, we will reintroduce the STAMP writing rubric, which provides clear criteria for success and helped students understand what is required to achieve a level 4 in their writing. We discuss specific elements such as organization, vocabulary range, sentence complexity, and accuracy, giving students actionable goals for improvement. After spring break, we will continue our focused review sessions to prepare for the upcoming STAMP exam, reinforcing writing strategies and building students' confidence for the assessment.