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Wednesday, 7/20: Carol off campus all day.

Saturday, 7/23: Parent Work Day from 9-2

Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, 8/9: New Staff PD Committee Meets on Zoom at 10:00 am

Thursday, 8/11 and Friday, 8/12: New Staff PD from 9-2 each day

Saturday, 8/13: Parent Work Day from 9-2. Be on the lookout for a request from our PSC for things you want help with in your classrooms during this work day

Monday, 8/15: Leadership meets from 10:30-12:00. Location still TBD.

Tuesday, 8/16: All Staff PD Day: 8:30-3:30. More details to come!

Wednesday, 8/17: First Day of the school year!

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On August 11th and 12th, we will have 2 days of PD for our new to DCS Staff. Thanks to the planning team that is working on creating the activities for our two days. Attached is the schedule. Please note that any staff members, even those that are not new this year, can attend the PD sessions. If you see something on the schedule that you think could be helpful for you, then join us! Just let me know if you plan to attend.

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All classrooms have been deep cleaned and are ready for move in! This is the time when many decide to rearrange and reorganize classroom spaces. For now, any furniture that you may want to move out will need to stay in your classrooms. You can take a photo of items and send to staff to see if anyone wants to take it off your hands! Otherwise, we will have a time in August when you can move out all unwanted furniture for disposal or donation. Thanks for your patience!

Also, if you have any broken items or items that need to be repaired, please let me know.

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Please take a minute to fill in these two super short surveys.

This one is for the Room 3 Foss Kits. Some of you have already filled it in, and I appreciate your feedback!

This survey is just a way for me to learn a bit more about you! There are only 6 quick questions.

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Each week when I send the Padlet, I will highlight a resource or two that could be helpful. All resource links will be compiled on the attached document. If you ever find something that should be included, send my way!

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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We have quite a few standing tables that can be delivered to classrooms if you would like one. I will send a photo of the tables out next week. If you are on campus and want to take a look at them, they are currently being stored in the Nest.  If you want one, let me know.

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I started teaching at DCS 12 years ago, and every year I would start each school day with an activity I called "Brain Warm Up." Although it morphed into a much more complex activity over the years, the two parts that always remained the same were: "Happy Face" and "Puzzler." Happy Face was a daily opportunity for the class to laugh and feel good, and Puzzler was a daily opportunity to think outside the box. So, each week in the padlet, I will include a Happy Face and Puzzler. I will compile them on the attached Slideshow, too. The hope is that you can get some enjoyment from the posts every now and then, and maybe there will be a nugget here or there that you can share with your kiddos :)

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One year, I had a group of students who LOVED having Liz Climo Comics in our Brain Warm Ups each day. You can find tons of free comic strips, including Liz Climo, at gocomics.com

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Link to site that I found the Rebus Puzzle. If you scroll down the page a little you will see the answers. The site also has other rebus puzzles you can download or take screenshots to share with your kiddos.

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Remember to send any photos you want me to include in our annual summer slideshow.

For those of you that are new to DCS, each year at our PD Day before school starts we have a slideshow highlighting what each staff member was up to over the summer vacation. Participation is not mandatory, but it would be great to get as many photos as we can! Any adventure can be included- big or small.

One of my summer adventures has been trying to figure out how to close our remote gate after Tuesday trash days. I have a feeling the gate is going to be a long lasting adventure for me!

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I have reached out to Greg Tang to see about possible PD options for our school, but I am still waiting to hear back. For now, if you would like to check out some of the virtual PD sessions being offered, check out this site. Thanks to Grace for sending to me! If you want to register for any of the sessions let me know.

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Virtual Academy

For the second summer since 2014, we will not be hosting our national Math Plus Conference or any regional conferences or in-person workshops. But there is a silver lining. Our Virtual Math Academy is back for Year 2, and after teaching more than 750 virtual workshops for teachers and 100 virtual lessons for students this past school year, Greg has more to offer than ever!

The theme for this summer and the 2021-22 school year is Differentiated & Effective Instruction. Yes, many students have some catching up to do after these past 2 school years, but many will be on track and some will be ahead of the curve. More than ever, it will be critical for teachers to feel comfortable and confident that they can give every student exactly what they need.

To be effective, teachers need the skills, know-how, tools, and technology to provide effective and differentiated instruction. To help, Greg has a brand, new workshop for this summer called Sensible & Strategic Instruction.

It will consist of four, 1-hour virtual sessions. Choose morning, afternoon, or both. Greg will cover Number Sense, Operations, Reasoning, and Word Problems for grades K thru 6.

To ensure everyone can focus on specific skills, strategies, and standards for each grade level, sessions will be offered to teachers in narrow grade bands: K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. You will have the choice of taking any workshop live by joining our Zoom sessions the week of June 21-24 or July 12-15.

Busy those weeks? Pay a reduced cost and watch the recording when you have time. It's virtually impossible to tell the difference between a live and recorded session!

In addition to his primary workshop, Greg will also be offering 10 supplemental, half-day workshops for teachers of grades 1 thru 8:

Our Virtual Math Academy starts June 21st and continues until August 4th. Create the perfect, summer PD schedule to meet your learning goals and budget. We weill help you get ready for the new school year in three important ways.

First. Greg will focus on the most important concepts at each grade level, including the specific concrete, pictorial, and abstract models that help kids most. We will focus on fewer more effective visual models and tools, then learn to generalize and apply them more broadly. That's algebraic thinking.

Second. Since all of our summer workshops are virtual, you will have the chance to experience the digital, math revolution - what effective math instruction could look like with the right tools and technology. Greg will show you how to save hundreds of hours of prep and modeling time - hours you and your kids need to fill gaps in understanding and skills. Greg will offer tips for:

1. Using the right models and manipulatives to model key concepts.

2. Teaching more effectively in whole group and small group settings.

3. Communicating concepts and assessing student understanding in person and online.

Third. Greg's sessions provide an opportunity for you to experience firsthand the power and flexibility of visual and virtual math instruction. Why did more than 450,000 students join Greg's lessons this spring? Because they loved learning math visually, virtually, and vivaciously! We want you to experience the magic of Greg's approach to teaching and learning, too. It's empowering. It's uplifting. It's engaging. It's enlightening.

Why Tang Math. Math is profoundly different than other subjects. Every skill, strategy, and standard is part of a conceptual and technical progression that begins in elementary school and builds through middle and high school. For instruction to be effective, we need to leverage foundational skills and strategies in systematic and sensible ways.

Greg Tang's "Less Is More" approach focuses on the most important skills and strategies at each grade level. The ones that generalize well when problems get harder and develop the abstract thinking and reasoning skills kids need as they grow older.

Since 2001, Greg has done more than 4,500 workshops, conferences, and author visits. His streamlined, strategic, and sensible approach to teaching math have transformed schools by increasing understanding, test scores, and enjoyment.

Greg's original website GregTangMath.com and his new website TangMath.com are now cornerstones of school curriculums around the world and have had more than 123 million page views to date.

Pitching In. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 - Greg Sr, Greg Jr, and colleague Jared have taught more than one thousand free PD sessions for teachers, workshops for parents, and lessons for students and their families.

In the past 3 months alone, more than 458,000 students have participated in a live, K-8 lesson, and in the past 12 months, tens of thousands of teachers and parents from across the United States, Canada and our military bases in Europe and the Pacific have joined a workshop.

Virtually Incredible. Teachers say Greg's virtual sessions are as informative and inspiring as in-person PD, and in a truly ironic twist, many say his sessions feel more personal than the in-person workshops they normally attend! Greg's student lessons? Teachers rave about the way he differentiates instruction and gets all of their students - even their most reluctant learners - to actively learn, participate, and dance to celebrate and enjoy their learning.

SUMMER 2021. We invite teachers, coaches, and administrators to join us and experience firsthand the magic of Greg's teaching style and teaching methods. You will learn to use:

1. Low floor/high ceiling activities that encourage exploration & independence.

2. Virtual tools & manipulatives that encourage visualization, reasoning, and intuitive understanding.

3. Clever problems that encourage metacognition and creative problem solving.

The best part? You will come away feeling encouraged, enlightened, and energized - likely more exicted than ever to start another school year. Whether you are new to the Greg Tang way of teaching math or a seasoned veteran back for the umpteenth time - we welcome you to what promises to be a scintillating summer of learning, laughing, and many weirdly satisfying moments!

2021 Summer Schedule

Summer 2020 Feedback

Survey Results.

Feedback from Summer 2020 was incredibly positive and many teachers said they liked our virtual format better than in-person instruction!
"The virtual platform was a relaxed and engaging way to learn. You felt a part of the group - able to ask and answer live questions. I was skeptical at first, but Greg Tang is highly engaging and full of real-world application of skills. I attended two sessions and the time flew by." "This is helpful for both the math content and the modeling of teaching virtually! Everyone will learn many things as Greg is so knowledgeable and engaging! Don't think twice about it and just sign up!" This is a must-do!! Very well designed, personal, interactive, and engaging. Better than in- person workshops!!" "This workshop allows the participant to get a good handle on many of those "nagging questions" teachers have like, "Well, how could I do that?" and "What would be a useful way to teach that?" Greg's no nonsense approach and clear explanations make even the most convoluted standard comprehensible." "Greg's pacing and effective delivery of content material is calming and thought-provoking. Love his approach to number sense!"

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Virtual Academy For the second summer since 2014, we will not be hosting our national Math Plus Conference or any regional conferences or in-person workshops. But there is a silver lining. Our Virtual Math Academy is back for Year 2, and after teaching more than 750 virtual workshops for teachers and 100 virtual lessons for students this past school year, Greg has more to offer than ever!

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See attached screenshot of various assessments that you can register for free between August and June (while funds last). For those of you completing credentials, some of the assessments may apply to you! Also, if you know of anyone who might want to be a sub, they can register for the CBEST for free, too.