Rock Creek Afterschool
Math Puzzles and Strategy Games
Math Puzzles and Strategy Games is an enrichment program designed for current 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders from any school.
Rather than focusing on “school math,” our goal is to boost students’ ability to apply quantitative thinking to a wide range of topics and to make math fun. This program shows kids the creative side of mathematical thinking and helps them build confidence in their math abilities!
Our first program will run Wednesdays from 3:45 to 5:30 PM, from March 5th through April 2nd, 2025 at Augustana Lutheran Church. It will be designed and taught by the founder and the math director of The Rock Creek School, who both love games & puzzles and teaching kids about them.
The space at Augustana Lutheran—perfect for spreading out & moving around as we learn.
Kids will participate in hand-on-activities, board games, and fun math challenges designed to build problem-solving skills, spatial intelligence, and logical reasoning. We’ll also discuss strategy, luck, and basic probability.
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Open to current 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders who are comfortable with basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).
Sessions are capped at 12 students to get the best balance of small group interaction and individual attention.
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Each session starts with an icebreaker or other social activity and includes a snack break . During our “work periods,” kids will be tackling team-building challenges, group math puzzles & extension problems, and playing new board games & discussing strategy.
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Augustana Lutheran Church at 2100 New Hampshire Ave NW.
If you’d like us to bring a program to your DC-area school community, fill out this form.
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Five Wednesdays, from March 5th through April 2nd, 2025
3:45 to 5:30 PM
If these dates & times don’t work for you, please fill out this form to let us know what times would work better.
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Your child will strengthen their problem-solving skills, explore mathematical concepts in fun and creative ways, gain confidence in approaching math, and build fluency with foundational math skills. Also, it will be a lot of fun!
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The total cost is $200 for five sessions. We hope to see you there!
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By the end of the Rock Creek Afterschool Math Program, parents can expect their child to:
Build interest and confidence in math
Strengthen problem-solving skills
Improve math fluency
Develop strategic thinking
Have fun!
Program Details
Meet Sarah and Jim, who are designing
and teaching this program!
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Sarah Dillard
FOUNDER
Sarah has been working in education for almost 20 years and always has the most fun when she gets to work directly with students. Most recently she was the founder of Kaleidoscope Education and previously she was on the policy team at the US Department of Education and the founding team at the National Math & Science Initiative. She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, and holds a BA in economics from Duke University. In her free time, Sarah likes to spend time outdoors, take on new learning projects, and read and play games with her two nieces aged four and six.
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Jim Diamondidis
MATH & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Jim has taught math to students at all levels—from kids who are struggling to advanced graduate students. He earned his BS in mathematics from Harvard College where he was a writer for The Crimson, a backpacking leader, and an actor in musical theater. In his free time, Jim enjoys pickleball, painting, and puzzles, especially the one Jane Street posts each month.
