MEET MR. C-

Grit, Energy, and Enthusiasm make me tick!

Hello Families! My name is Mr. David B. Carlson, and chances are, I am going to be your student's teacher this year. This will be my twenty-ninth year teaching but my tenth here in the Pleasant Valley School District. Over the years, I have taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, GATE, RSP, ELL, Science, P.E., Robotics, Coding, and 3D Design/Printing. I love teaching, exploring, learning alongside students, and having fun in the process.

Below is me with my first catch in 1970.

I have my National STEM Certification and am slowly progressing towards my Master's Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). I love STEAM so much, that one year, I taught a completely paperless 3D/math class that included Engineering Design Processes, prototyping, and research. That was a blast. I can’t wait explore and become more proficient with STEAM on the many adventures planned for this year.

Below is a picture of my niece, two of my daughters, and Lily, our dog, on our last backpacking trip to the Sierras.

I spent my younger years growing up in Malibu, CA. Having the beach as my playground helped me form a serious appreciation for the ocean and nature in general. Below is me getting my surf on.

In my mid-teens, my family moved to Agoura, CA, where I attended Medea Creek Middle School and Oak Park High School. While there, I played football, ran track, and loved playing volleyball. Shortly after high school, I loved staying in shape and having fun, so I enlisted in the Marine Corps. I spent many years as a Marine, traveling, training, and seeing the world. That was also a blast. Below is a picture of me taken at the 1989 Marine Corps Ball.

Below is an image of a backcountry lake we spent the night at while backpacking in the Eastern Sierras Last year. I love this image. I will be hiking Mount Whitney this June. I can't wait.

I attended one of our great Cal State colleges where I continued to form more of an appreciation for nature, focusing on environmental studies, earning awards and graduating with honors. Below is a picture of me at Joshua Tree National Park high fiving another rappeler getting ready to launch from a 60 foot high cliff. It is quite the adrenaline rush.

Today, I live in Moorpark with my daughters, Emma and Avery. Avery just graduated from UCSB with a degree in marine biology, and Emma is in the 12th grade here in Moorpark. Below is an image of my youngest, Emma, and I on a ride.

My interests are fishing, hanging with friends and family, and any activity that includes being active-running, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling, swimming, surfing, and motorcycle riding. I wonder if we share any common interests? Tell me about them when we meet. Below is me with a few nice sized catches I caught in 2020-2023.

This past summer my daughters and I traveled and spent time with our dog, Lily. She is awesome. I think she might have more energy than a room full of students. We run, mountain bike, beach it, lake it, surf it, hike it, and go everywhere together. She is our buddy. To the right is me training with Lily. We regularly run 5 or more miles, hot or cold, rain or shine.

I can’t wait to spend this year learning, thinking, having fun, and growing with you.

MR. C-

My Favorites

Foods: Anything Italian and chocolate

TV Show: This Old House

Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life

Books: Anything by Dweck, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, or London

Color: Green

Drink: Water

Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Sport: Fishing, Surfing, Running, and Backpacking

Animals: Large breed Dogs and all fish

Hobbies: Running, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling, swimming, surfing, and motorcycle riding, and handyman (I built and painted my own classroom shelves and have done many large home improvement projects over the years), to name a few.

People: My Daughters and PVSD staff and students

Collect: Refrigerator Magnets from all over the place

Feel free to Dojo message (best contact method), or email @ dcarlson@pvsdcamarillo.org with any questions you might have.

Be Amazing!

Mr. David B. Carlson