9/24/2026

Morning Announcements

Morning Meeting Agenda

Mon · Social Studies Tue · Literacy Wed · Science Thu · Math Fri · ROAR + Houses
Math of the Day

Math finds the BEST way!

Mathematicians don’t just find an answer — they look for the best one. The fastest route, the smartest plan, the least waste. Today, during Hispanic Heritage Month, we meet a mathematician who does exactly that.

Portrait of Dr. Richard Tapia

Meet Dr. Richard Tapia! His family came from Mexico. He was the first person in his family to go to college — and he became a famous mathematician who now teaches others to love math too!

Mathematicians look for the best way to do things — like the shortest path from our classroom to the cafeteria!

Let’s talk
  • What is the fastest way to get from our door to your seat? Can you think of a shorter one?
  • Is it better to put your crayons away one at a time, or all at once? Why?
Try it

Counting challenge! Count to ten in Spanish like Dr. Tapia’s family might: “uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, ¡diez!” Now try it again a little faster!

Mystery mathematician: The son of Mexican immigrants, he grew up in Los Angeles and became the first in his family to attend college. He now teaches at Rice University, uses math to solve real-world problems, and received the National Medal of Science — one of the highest honors a scientist can earn in America.

Who is he?Hide
Portrait of Dr. Richard Tapia
Dr. Richard Tapia — a Mexican American mathematician. He is just as well known for mentoring as for his research: he has helped hundreds of students from backgrounds like his own earn advanced degrees in math and science. A national conference on diversity in computing is named after him. Photo credit: [add if license requires]
Let’s talk
  • Dr. Tapia is famous for helping OTHER people succeed in math. Why might that matter as much as his own discoveries?
  • Where do you see math being used to find the “best way” in real life? (Think delivery trucks, video games, sports…)
Try it

Optimization challenge! You have 4 stops to make in the building: office, library, gym, cafeteria. With a partner, plan the route with the FEWEST steps. Then compare with another pair — did anyone find a shorter one? That’s the kind of problem Dr. Tapia solves.

Additional Notes/Activities

If additional activities are needed for the Morning Meeting, they will be added here.