Dear Student Stars and Supporting Cast Members,

Welcome to a very unusual school year!

I know that school is about academics, but for you, it is the main place where you interact with the rest of the world. In addition to a BA in Mathematics from Sac State, I have an MS in Educational Technology (2017) from National University, completed entirely online. Here is what I learned about distance education:

1. It’s hard, but we can do hard things. I have high expectations for you and your learning.

2. If you do not know something, you can almost always find it online, but you must think critically about the quality of your sources. How-to videos are great (like how to look cute in a Zoom meeting), but not everything out there is true or good. Also, after you forget everything you learned in school, what remains is your ability to search for the answers. You will never stop learning.

3. You must be present for classes for yourself. This is perhaps the most difficult and most important part of distance learning. Although you are not required to turn on your video, I encourage it. It makes a difference in your experience. You may feel like you are in the front row of the class and can’t stop watching yourself when stuck in a Zoom meeting, but you will be interacting with real people in this way. This is the social part of school that is missing during the pandemic, and you need this. Choose to be a part. This is for you.

I know from experience that things can and will go wrong (like the time my avatar showed up for VR class without pants), making you feel at the mercy of your instructors. I empathize and will always try to make it as easy as possible for you to get what you need to succeed, but you will need to advocate for yourself. In addition to class time, there are other ways to contact me.

Email: vicki-feliz-smith@scusd.edu

Google Voice (Text): (916)399-3142 Please identify yourself in the text.

Google Classroom: Leave a comment or question on the Stream Page.

Remind: Class code to be announced. Please download the app if you haven’t already.

I am really excited to start this year. I hope to one day see you in person, but for now, we are just going to completely rock distance learning like there is no distance!

Your Math Teacher,

Ms. Feliz

Dear Students,

Happy First Day of School Eve!

Tomorrow will begin a school year like any other. Please know that your teachers, counsellors, principals, and other school staff have been preparing for this, yet we know things can happen to disrupt the smooth flow of knowledge from us to you, even in the very best of times. We will be delighted to see you in any case and will treat this time with flexibility and understanding as I hope you will too.

If there are any materials such as textbooks or calculators that you need in addition to the online version, please complete this form.

Your class Zoom meeting codes and instructions will pop up in Google Classroom Stream on the day of that class. See you in class!

Ms. Feliz