Team Kathmandu 6th Grade Updates

It was great to meet so many members of Team Kathmandu at 6th grade orientation this morning. If your child did not make it, no problem. We are excited to see everyone Monday morning.

If you are receiving this email but your child will not be attending Alice Deal this year, please reply to sender so we can pass this information along to the attendance office.

Here's to a great year!

Team Kathmandu

Monday, Aug. 25: First Day of School!

Monday, Sept. 1: Labor Day, No School

Friday, Sept. 5: Wear College Gear Day

Tuesday & Thursday, Sept. 9 & 11: 6th Grade Family Workshop Nights

Wednesday, Sept. 17: Back to School Night

Thursday, Sept. 25: FIRST FIELD TRIP: Sandy Spring Adventure Park (more info. to come)

Students leave backpacks in their lockers during the school day. BUT they do need to carry their computers, agendas, and other materials from class to class. The best way to do this is with a canvas tote bag or string backpack. Here you can see several of last year’s 6th graders showing off their bags.

Hi! I am excited to teach Geography and World Cultures this year! I have been teaching in DCPS since 1999 and joined Deal in the fall of 2012. I am originally from Michigan, but I’ve now lived in DC longer than I did in Michigan! I’ve attended Kalamazoo College (BA), The George Washington University (MA), and Pace University (MA) and adjunct in the School of Education at American University.

A Fun Fact about me: I love to garden and am currently getting ready to harvest basil, ginger, and all types of hot peppers. My favorite foods are chickpeas and potatoes!!! I’ve been plant based since 2012.

During our first week in Geography, we are getting to know each other, learning the systems of the school and each class, making class agreements, and beginning to dive into our geography world curriculum.

Students should have supplies by Tuesday, September 2nd and also have a world map quiz on Wednesday, September 3.

Amy Trenkle

amy.trenkle@k12.dc.gov

Classroom Wishlist

Greetings. My name is Marcus Brown and I am excited to teach Mathematics this year! I have been teaching in DC for 20+ years and at Deal for 2 years in the fall of 2012. I am a native Washingtonian and a proud alumnus of Alice Deal JHS (now MS)

About Me: I am a loving husband and father of two amazing who enjoys sports, art, music, business and technology. I strive to create an engaging classroom that fosters learning based on support, inclusion, and growth.

During our first week in Math, we are getting to know one another, learning the Mathematics class culture and expectations, systems of the school and each class, making class agreements, and beginning to dive into our geography world curriculum.

Students should have supplies by Tuesday, September 2nd and will also participate in their Beginning of the Year Assessment (BOY) on September 3 and 4th.

Looking forward to an AMAZING year.

Marcus Brown

marcus.brown@k12.dc.gov

Hello students and families! I am Shanishka Johnson, and I am excited to be teaching Earth and Space Science this year. I’m originally from Panama and graduated with a degree in Chemistry, which sparked my passion for exploring the natural world and the fascinating processes that take place within it.

I’ve been part of DCPS for several years, and this will be my first year at Deal Middle School. I’m looking forward to joining this vibrant community and supporting our students in their scientific journey.

A little about me: I love dancing, traveling, and learning about new cultures. I appreciate cultural richness and diversity, and I strive to create a classroom environment that is joyful, inclusive, and supportive of every student’s growth and success.

During our first few weeks, we’ll focus on building community, learning classroom routines, and beginning our exciting journey through Earth and Space Science. I can’t wait to get started!

shanishka.johnson@k12.dc.gov

Ms. Johnson's list SY25-26

Hello! My name is Katy Byrns and I will be your child’s Language Arts teacher this year. I am originally from Davis, California where I both grew up and the U.C.. Since then I’ve lived and taught in Oakland, CA; Bend, Oregon; and here in D.C. This is my third full year at Deal and my 18th year of teaching. My son just finished his Deal career and is starting at Jackson Reed while my daughter is in fourth grade at Murch. When I’m not at school you can find me reading, walking our dogs, reading, over at Orange Theory, or reading.

During our first week in ELA, we will get to know each other, do some low stakes writing, and create classroom agreements.

We will also start our monthly reading challenge (more to come on this soon). On Tuesday, students will check out graphic novels with the goal of finishing them by September 2nd!

A note on changes to the ELA Curriculum: This summer Deal became one of 9 DCPS schools to pilot a new ELA curriculum, Common Lit. Unfortunately, this change was made after we sent home supply requests. This year we will not be reading Roll of Thunder, Tuck Everlasting & Inside Out & Back Again. If you bought copies of these books, feel free to return them. Or, encourage your child to read them anyways as they are great books. Each one could fit a different category of our Monthly Reading Challenge.

Finally, due to this change in curriculum, we will be doing more work with short stories, and have lots of paper copies! Consequently, students will need 1" binders to keep organized. If you are able, extra binder donations are welcome to ensure every student is prepared. Thank you all for your flexibility and support around this.

Katy Byrns

katy.byrns2@k12.dc.gov

Amazon Wishlist

Bookshop.org Wishlist

Hello! I’m excited to join the 6th grade team this year as the Special Education instructor. I will be co-teaching Math and Language Arts alongside Mr. Brown and Ms. Byrns, as well as having a Math resource class. This will be my first year at Deal and I’m looking forward to being a part of this wonderful community.

My education background is in Spanish Linguistics and I attended SUNY Geneseo as well as the University of Florida. I spent three years living in Madrid, Spain where I worked in English classrooms in secondary schools.

In my free time I am an avid reader (any genre, but most often science fiction or fantasy), and I enjoy spending time with my cat. One fun fact about me is that I once biked from Boston to Toronto over the course of 2 weeks. It was quite a challenge but a lot of fun, too!

I can’t wait to get to know all of you during the first week of class, and I’m looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Brandon.shufelt@k12.dc.gov

¡Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Fontalvo, and I am so excited to be the 6th Grade Spanish Language and Culture teacher 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.

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

👉 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!

Juan Fontalvo
📧 juan.fontalvo@k12.dc.gov

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 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

Meet Deal's librarian Mr. Reichlen! 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/ep68k

Thanks,

Stephen Reichlen

Library Media Specialist

Deal MS – DC Public Schools

stephen.reichlen@k12.dc.gov

https://app.smore.com/u/patricia.balestra4