Omega Teaching Summer Seminars

At Omega Teaching LLC, we are pleased to offer the following seminars during summer: Writing in Action, Writing with the Five Senses, Going to the Dogs, Intro to Literary Analysis and Intro to Mandarin. All classes are 3 hours with 4-8 students.

Writing In Action. Level I Entering 6th-7th; Level II Entering 8th/9th. 3 hours.

The Writing in Action program introduces middle and high school students to different writing genres. Students will practice and understand the common criteria needed to write well: Voice, Audience, Logic and Editing (VALE). All writing and editing to be done in class. Students will also review basic writing mechanics including COPS (capitalization, organization, punctuation and spelling).

Writing In Action Syllabus:
Day 1: Writing to Speak: Poets and Prophets
Day 2: Writing to Persuade: Prompts and Arguments
Day 3: Writing to Pitch: Ads and Propaganda
Day 4: Writing to Explain: News and "How-To"s
Day 5: Writing to Create: Memoir and Make-Believe

Writing with the Five Senses. Level I Entering 5th-6th; Level II Entering 7th-8th. 3 hours.

Inspired by Daniel Pink's book A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, this course combines right-brained activities (such as drawing), with left-brained activities (such as writing) to enhance both activities and encourage greater creativity. Students will learn how we perceive the physical world through our five senses and how all the arts, including writing, are merely ways to express our interpretation of the world around us.

Seminar Syllabus:
Day 1: Sight: Apple of My Eye.
Day 2: Sound: Can You Hear Me?
Day 3: Smell: A Rose by Any Other Name.
Day 4: Taste: I Want Candy!
Day 5: Touch: Pick It Up, Pick It Up!

Going to the Dogs. Level I Entering 5th-6th; Level II Entering 7th-8th. 3 hours.

Empathy is the ability to imagine the emotions and feelings of another being. Daniel Pink's book A Whole New Mind also considers this "right-brained" ability as another way to improve creativity. In this course students will image their life as a dog. As the domestic animal with the greatest variety, a dog exists for every personal preference. Students will find theirs by creating a dog character and a 1st person narration in both graphic (cartoon) and written form. The dog as character and metaphor in literature, arts and film will also be discussed, including written and audio excerpts. Instructor may invite special doggie guests.

Seminar Syllabus:
Day 1: In Dog We Trust: Dogs As Character and Metaphor.
Day 2: My Life as a Dog I. How to Draw and Animate Your Dog Avatar.
Day 3: My Life as a Dog II. First Person POV Narrative.
Day 4: Best in Show. Persuasive Writing.
Day 5: One Nation Under Dog. Advertising and Marketing.

Introduction to Literary Analysis. Entering 9th and 10th. 3 hours.

This course is specifically designed for high school students, although entering 8th graders will be allowed at instructor’s discretion. Each day will feature one short literary piece to be read in class for discussion and as the subject of a timed essay. Students will learn how to read and analyze literature, learn basic terms used in literary analysis and also practice writing timed persuasive essays. Genre types are listed below. Actual works may be based on students’ assigned summer reading lists.

Seminar Syllabus:
Day 1: Poetry
Day 2: Drama
Day 3: Short Story
Day 4: Short Story
Day 5: Non Fiction Essay

Introduction to Mandarin. Entering Grades 4th and up. 3 hours.

Learn basic Mandarin words and phrases through role play and games, including Mah Jong and Chinese chess! Friday will feature a special meal (additional fee to be determined). Classes are small and highly interactive. No prior Mandarin knowledge required. Students who wish to continue studying Mandarin can contact Omega for further arrangements.

Your instructor is Jean Liang, a native Mandarin Speaker who has taught Mandarin at the Palo Alto Chinese School and is currently a substitute Mandarin teacher at Castilleja School.

Seminar Syllabus:
Day 1: "Ni Hao" Greetings and Introductions.
Day 2: "Yi, Er, San" Counting, Shopping and Games.
Day 3: "Hong, Bai, Huang" Color My World.
Day 4: "Mao, Go, Yu, Niao" Flora and Fauna.
Day 5: "Jiao-Tze, Guo-Tie, Chun-Juan" Dining Out.

Enrollment for Omega Courses

Where: All courses take place at Omega’s studio, 1030 Curtis St.,#201, Menlo Park, CA 94025, #650. 322. 2671 across from the Menlo Park Trader Joes.
Time: M-Fri. 5 days: Morning session: 9:30-12:30 pm. Afternoon session: 2-5 pm.
Cost: $320 ($21/hour)
Class Size: 4-8 students per seminar.
Grade Levels: Varies per class. Range from entering 4th and up.

To enroll your student, contact Jennifer at jennifer@omegateaching.com, or by phone at: 650.324.1662.
Checks should be made out to Omega Teaching LLC and mailed to Omega Teaching, 1030 Curtis St., #201, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
Upon receipt of full payment, your student will be officially enrolled.

Enrollment Discounts: Enroll by April 30th; Tell a Friend or Bring Your Sibling. If full payment is received by April 30th, you will receive a $20 discount and pay only $300 per session. If you refer a friend who enrolls and is new to Omega Teaching you will each receive a $10 seminar discount. Families who enroll multiple children or for multiple seminars can receive an additional $10 discount per child. Total maximum discounts per student enrolled cannot exceed $50 per seminar.

Refund Policy. If the seminar is cancelled by Omega, you will receive a full refund. You may cancel your enrollment up to 2 weeks before the seminar begins and receive a refund less $50 administration fee. No refund for cancellations less than 2 weeks before seminar begins. However, instead of a refund, you may also choose to credit 100% of the payment towards other Omega Teaching services, including tutoring. Credit good for one year. This credit may be transferred to another family member.

Confirmation of Enrollment: We will confirm enrollment by email. Seminars may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.