frequently asked questions
Where are you located?
Redwood Day School is located in the Dimond District off Interstate 580 between Fruitvale Avenue and Park Blvd. For those familiar with the area, we are located in what used to be the Oakland/Piedmont Jewish Community Center.
How old is RDS?
The School was founded in 1963. In 1994 we purchased our permanent home on Sheffield Avenue. Please see our History page for details.
What is the RDS calendar?
In general, school begins during the last week of August. We have a two-week break in December, a weeklong break in February and a weeklong break in mid-spring. We usually end the school year in the second week of June.
What is the average class size?
Our class sizes range from 18-22 students per classroom. There are two classrooms per grade. We have two teachers, one lead teacher and one intern in each class from Kindergarten - 3rd grade. Our Middle School program has up to 44 students in each grade level with a maximum of 22 students in a classroom.
Is RDS affiliated with any other schools?
We are not affiliated with any other independent schools and have no religious affiliations. We are members of and accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) . RDS is also a member of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), and the East Bay Independent School Association (EBISA).
Where do your graduates attend high school?
Redwood Day School students go on to attend many Bay Area independent, parochial, and public schools and generally attend their first choice school. Schools attended by our graduates include: Athenian, Bishop O'Dowd, Branson, College Preparatory School, Head-Royce, Holy Names, Lick-Wilmerding, Marin Academy, San Francisco University, St. Mary's and The Urban School of San Francisco as well as public schools in Alameda, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Oakland, San Ramon, and Piedmont. See High School Attendance.
How culturally and ethnically diverse is the RDS community?
Nearly 41% of our families identify as having students of color, representing African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern, Latino/Hispanic American, and Multiracial cultures. Our faculty members reflect the rich cultural diversity of the Bay Area. Forty percent of our faculty and staff identify as people of color.
Does RDS have a preschool or Junior Kindergarten?
We do not offer any preschool program. In 2002 we ended our Junior Kindergarten program when we began to double the size of our lower school.
Does RDS have an age “cut-off” for Kindergarten?
Students must be four years, nine months as of September 1 and turn five no later than December 1 of their kindergarten year.
Each child applying to RDS is assessed to determine developmental readiness. By using our in-house assessment, which includes Gesell developmental tools, academic projects, and observation of social activity, we ascertain the appropriate class placement for each child.
Does RDS offer any international languages? If so, when do you begin?
We teach Spanish from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Kindergarten through third grade students take Spanish twice a week. Fourth- and fifth-graders take Spanish three periods a week. Middle School students take Spanish four periods a week.
What does RDS do for physical education? Do you have a sports program? When does it start?
RDS offers a variety of sports through our physical education classes - dance, martial arts, kick-boxing, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, badminton, and a collection of collaborative team building games. K-4th grade students attend PE two times a week and 5th-8th grades attend PE three times each week.
Team sports and interscholastic competition are offered at the Middle School level. Our seasonal sports include flag football, soccer, cross country, basketball, volleyball, baseball, ultimate Frisbee, and track & field. We participate in a league with other similar sized independent schools and nearby public schools. Please visit the Athletics Page for more information.
Does RDS offer extended child care? Do you have after-school classes? What do you do during the holidays or teacher in-service days for parents who work outside of the home?
Extended Care from 7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. is included in tuition and is offered in the library for grades K-5 and in the gym for middle school (from 7:45-8:10). There is a fee-based Extended Care Program from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. We offer a variety of options, including art clubs, high school test prep, chess, paper making, art, music, and choir, as well as lots of play time. Middle school students participate in X-Plus, specifically designed for their age group.
A variety of after school classes are offered for an additional fee. These classes have included: Capoeira, steel drums, filmmaking, Aikido, Hula, guitar, world music, and much more! Our extended care program operates a full schedule on teacher in-service days and conference days.
What is the RDS homework policy?
Homework begins in first grade and is given to complement the work being done in class. Assignments on Monday – Thursday are the norm. Kindergartners may be asked to show their parents what they have been working on in class. First- and second-graders receive 10-20 minutes of homework per night which relates to the current curriculum. Third grade - fifth grade may receive between 30–60 minutes of homework. Sixth- through eighth-graders receive between 60– 120 minutes of homework (20-30 minutes for each core class in a given day). Because Middle School students do not have each class every day, their homework may carry over to the weekend. Homework done over the weekend allows students to work on long-term projects or review work for the following week. Students are expected to bring their homework planners with them to all of their classes.
What has been the RDS faculty/administrative turnover in the past five years?
Dr. Mike Riera joined us in 2004 as the Head of School. Our faculty, staff, and specialists have been with us from 1-20 years with an average tenure of about 7 years. They enjoy a wonderful and supportive work environment and tend to stay with us a long time!
Does RDS offer financial aid?
Our financial aid program is intended to make the school accessible to a wide variety of families. Grants are strictly need-based and range from a thousand dollars to 95% of tuition. Although we can not fund every family, we firmly believe that no family should decide not to apply to RDS because they feel they cannot afford the tuition.
Does RDS have a sibling policy?
We do not automatically offer enrollment to all siblings. We give priority consideration to our sibling applicants and applicants who are children of our faculty and staff. We convey our decisions to these applicants in January.
Does RDS administer standardized testing?
RDS administers the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) test from grades three to eight. Results are provided to teachers and to parents to help monitor student growth and development. An optional meeting is held each year to help parents better understand the reports.
Our admission committee requires applicants to 6th-8th grades to take the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE). The ISEE is just one part of the application process; students do not "test in" or "test out" of Redwood Day School.
Does RDS work with students with diagnosed learning differences?
We have two part-time learning specialists who support teachers. The Middle School program allows some students the opportunity to meet in “SAS” (Seminar in Academic Strategies), a class of 2-4 students in lieu of Spanish, three times a week, to enable a smoother academic experience. Our learning specialists are teacher-directed and are not meant to replace any one-on-one tutoring or assistance.
How often do students have music, art, and drama at RDS?
Music and art are an integral part of our curriculum. Kindergarten-4th grade meet every week with both music and art teachers. They perform at least twice a year in either all school or divisional music productions, and display their work in divisional shows. The students in grades 5-8 meet for a double period of art, two periods of music, and a period of drama each week. Middle school students perform in two all-school or divisional productions and present a divisional art show. Chorus, orchestra, rock bands and jazz band are offered in the early morning or in after-school programs throughout the year. The middle school performs a play in the fall and spring. The music and drama instructors design and work with faculty to produce these programs.
Do you have a cafeteria?
We do not have a cafeteria. Students can bring their own bag lunch or order lunch through Kid Chow, a business that provides nutritional meals to schools.
With Kid Chow, families sign up online a week in advance and have many different healthy and eco-conscious choices each day. Lunches range from $5.50 - $6.50. RDS also offers pizza on Fridays as a Middle School fundraiser. We have microwaves for Middle School students and hot water for Cup of Soup/noodles for K-8 students. We do not have vending machines on campus. Students in the after-school program have the opportunity to prepare (and eat!) healthy snacks each day.
Where do RDS families live?
Redwood Day School families live all over the East Bay area. While the majority of our families live in Oakland, we have many families from Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro, Piedmont, Hayward, El Cerrito, Richmond, Albany, and Contra Costa County.
Do you provide transportation to RDS?
We do not offer transportation to RDS. We encourage carpools and provide a zip-code family list to our new families so that carpools can be set up from the start. Parents may give written permission for their child to take the bus, ride a bike, or walk to school.
What field trips and outdoor education programs do the students participate in?
All of our classes plan field trips throughout the year that relate to their course of study. Teachers and room parents coordinate carpools for these trips.
Students in grades 4-8 attend three to five day outdoor education programs.
The programs are generally as follows:
- Fourth grade to Coloma for California History and the Gold Rush
- Fifth grade to Walker Creek in Marin County for habitat study
- Sixth grade to Pinnacles to study Earth Science
- Seventh grade to Whitsett in the Southern Sierras
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Eighth grade to Catalina Island in Southern California