6th Grade at Deal - Current Parent Reports Please...

[Anonymous]

Any word on how 6th is going at Deal? I have a 5th grader. I subscribe to the newsletter. I was looking at the curriculum for next year and preparing to ask "How is the Chinese at Deal"? My kid already knows some French and Spanish. I'm thinking they may want to learn something new. And I come to find the ALICE DEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL post trending... they say there are drug deals, disruptions, and no discipline? This does not sound like a good middle school at all. So, seriously, how is 6th actually going? I'm not expecting perfection, but here's what I am expecting:

1. excellent teachers giving challenging work
2. mainly students who are engaged in learning
3. 504 accommodations - with minimal parent teacher collaboration (at this point my kid advocates for themselves with my encouragement, besides conferences and the annual 504 meeting, if there is a known issue with med shortage or something where I need to quickly notify the teacher ahead of time, all I would like to know is "message received")
4. 6th graders not interacting with 8th graders - that's a huge jump in social emotional development

The post I'm referring to sounds like this year's 7th graders are having some issues... Does this school not do a decent job at pods so 6th is a bit not so much into drugs, bullying, and fights?

[Anonymous]

Here's the concerning thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1132926.page

[Anonymous]

Number 3 is not realistic. Entering middle school is a huge jump from elementary school and you will need to work with the school and teachers to modify accommodations. And self advocacy will be a learning curve for your child, as they move from 1-2 teachers to 5-7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Number 3 is not realistic. Entering middle school is a huge jump from elementary school and you will need to work with the school and teachers to modify accommodations. And self advocacy will be a learning curve for your child, as they move from 1-2 teachers to 5-7.

Let me try and rephrase #3... I want to be as involved and supportive as needed. I fully believe in the necessity of parent and teacher 504 collaboration. In my experience, I struggled to get the teachers to collaborate the first year it was approved and I didn't do a good enough job advocating. It's much better now. But I was meaning to say "I don't want to be ignored" and feel like no one is listening or interested in implementing the required accommodations. Is that realistic?

Maybe I'm jaded because I struggled.

[Anonymous]

Chinese is awesome at Deal and better than the other two languages. However, I believe Mr. Zhi just retired - he was simply wonderful. My kids liked the other Chinese teacher but not as well. But, Mr. Zhi created the entire curriculum there so it is pretty solid.

[Anonymous]

Are you at a Deal feeder now? Elsewhere in DCPS/charter? A private school? A public school somewhere else? Middle school will be a big change from elementary no matter what, but Deal will be a bigger or smaller change depending on where you're coming from. Honestly I don't think you will like it, and now you are almost definitely too late for BASIS or Latin. Maybe look at Truth? Or consider moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chinese is awesome at Deal and better than the other two languages. However, I believe Mr. Zhi just retired - he was simply wonderful. My kids liked the other Chinese teacher but not as well. But, Mr. Zhi created the entire curriculum there so it is pretty solid.

Yay thank you! Good to know... I'm going to leave it up to her and start her on duolingo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you at a Deal feeder now? Elsewhere in DCPS/charter? A private school? A public school somewhere else? Middle school will be a big change from elementary no matter what, but Deal will be a bigger or smaller change depending on where you're coming from. Honestly I don't think you will like it, and now you are almost definitely too late for BASIS or Latin. Maybe look at Truth? Or consider moving.

JKLM feeder and she has a group of close friends going to Deal. They hope to stay friends and be in classes together or at least be there for each other. We have already considered moving and would not do it. We plan private for 7th if it's such a disaster, but ideally 9th.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PP who said the 504 process will need a higher level of your involvement, esp at the beginning. The teachers want to implement but the admin is a roadblock most of the time. Fortunately, the one really problematic counselor left and things are better without having to manage around her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you at a Deal feeder now? Elsewhere in DCPS/charter? A private school? A public school somewhere else? Middle school will be a big change from elementary no matter what, but Deal will be a bigger or smaller change depending on where you're coming from. Honestly I don't think you will like it, and now you are almost definitely too late for BASIS or Latin. Maybe look at Truth? Or consider moving.

JKLM feeder and she has a group of close friends going to Deal. They hope to stay friends and be in classes together or at least be there for each other. We have already considered moving and would not do it. We plan private for 7th if it's such a disaster, but ideally 9th.

You and her need to be prepared for a scenario in which she only sees her elementary-school friends at lunch and (maybe) in phys ed, because the chances are good that she'll be placed on a team with none of her friends. But I think that could be a good thing in order to make new friends.

[Anonymous]

It is a gigantic school. A lot of things can be true at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chinese is awesome at Deal and better than the other two languages. However, I believe Mr. Zhi just retired - he was simply wonderful. My kids liked the other Chinese teacher but not as well. But, Mr. Zhi created the entire curriculum there so it is pretty solid.

He was the absolute best! My daughter's in ninth grade at Jackson Reed. At Back to School Night, the Chinese III teacher told us she was impressed by all the kids from Deal, because they are so far ahead of the upperclassmen who took Chinese I and II at Jackson Reed. I hope Deal can keep it going without him.

[Anonymous]

I thought they were phasing out Chinese, since Jackson Reed canceled their program? Maybe that all got reversed and I just don't know (my kids are at other schools). But just double-check, if that's a priority for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were phasing out Chinese, since Jackson Reed canceled their program? Maybe that all got reversed and I just don't know (my kids are at other schools). But just double-check, if that's a priority for you.

She picked Spanish. Not a priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you at a Deal feeder now? Elsewhere in DCPS/charter? A private school? A public school somewhere else? Middle school will be a big change from elementary no matter what, but Deal will be a bigger or smaller change depending on where you're coming from. Honestly I don't think you will like it, and now you are almost definitely too late for BASIS or Latin. Maybe look at Truth? Or consider moving.

JKLM feeder and she has a group of close friends going to Deal. They hope to stay friends and be in classes together or at least be there for each other. We have already considered moving and would not do it. We plan private for 7th if it's such a disaster, but ideally 9th.

You and her need to be prepared for a scenario in which she only sees her elementary-school friends at lunch and (maybe) in phys ed, because the chances are good that she'll be placed on a team with none of her friends. But I think that could be a good thing in order to make new friends.

Thank you... I appreciate this truth. We will prepare.