Unity Day, Panorama Survey, Clubs, and more…
Principal’s Message
Good afternoon,
On Friday, a few of our students were able to meet the US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. During his visit, Dr. Murthy discussed mental health, emotional well-being, and the importance of friendship. We are so grateful to Beyond Differences for their support for this event.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) This Week
Students will continue to explore strategies for responsible decision-making. As you know, students were able to discuss the connection between empathy and decision-making a few weeks ago. This week, they will have an opportunity to reflect on the kind of school community they want to have and how they can contribute to the common good.
Unity Day 2021 - Wear and Share Orange
ALL members of the Deal community are encouraged to wear orange on Wednesday, October 20 to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying. The DCPS Bullying Prevention Policy is available here. The grade-level counselors serve as our bullying POCs.
6th Grade - Ms. Travers
7th Grade - Ms. White
8th Grade - Ms. Monkou
Panorama Survey
All 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will take the Panorama Student Survey during the week of October 25. The survey will help us understand what our students think about their school experiences and their social-emotional learning. Your child's grades will not be affected by their responses. Additionally, your child is not required to participate, but the feedback would be very valuable.
As in previous years, the anonymous survey asks students in grades 6 - 12 about their gender and gender identity. These questions help DCPS promote equitable treatment for all students in accordance with the Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Policy Guidance. They are entirely voluntary, and students who are not comfortable answering can skip them. If you have any questions regarding the Panorama Student Survey or if you would like to see the survey questions, please visit the following link.
High School Planning
High School application season is upon us! In the coming weeks, we will be providing 8th grade families with key dates and information to assist with high school planning. This will include a virtual High School Night hosted by Deal to help families navigate through the application process and learn more about DCPS application high schools. In the meantime, if you have private school transcript requests, please submit your request to dealtranscripts@k12.dc.gov.
New Club - Headspace Thursdays
Looking to reduce stress and relax? Join Mr. Helsabeck on Thursday mornings for a dose of meditation to help you find the perfect headspace to finish out the week strong! Meditation has the potential to help you find more joy, catch your breath, relax your mind, and feel less stressed. What better way is there to start your day! We’ll meet on the front steps of Deal at 8:15 am each Thursday and walk together to COT10, Mr. Helsabeck’s classroom, where we will utilize Headspace, Calm, YouTube creators, and other sources for a morning dose of meditation for middle schoolers. Ohhhhhhmmmmmm.
Outdoor Lunch on Inclement Weather Days
Students who would like to eat outdoors on inclement weather days should see Ms. Neal at the beginning of their lunch period.
Save the Dates - Virtual Open Houses and Winter School Tours
We will host three Virtual Open Houses from 6:30 until 7:30 pm on the following dates:
Tuesday, November 16
Tuesday, December 14
Tuesday, January 11
The two Winter School Tours will take place on Saturday, December 4 (10:00 am - 12:00 noon) and Saturday, February 5 (10:00 am - 12:00 noon).
Here We GROW!
