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Innovative Curriculum Provides Bay Area Teenagers with Advanced, Developmentally-Inspired Program

Oakland, CA – Redwood Day School (RDS) is redefining college preparatory education, and is now offering Bay Area teenagers and families a new option: an innovative, challenging, and developmentally-inspired high school experience. “It’s time to take a look at what rigor and excellence mean for adolescents, which is quite different from what it means for adults,” said Dr. Michel Riera, Head of School at Redwood Day School. “Rigor at Redwood Day School means giving students the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to think independently, confidently, and imaginatively while they develop the academic skills necessary to thrive in competitive colleges and beyond.”

Dr. Riera has been Head of Redwood Day School for the past five years. He is a nationally-recognized expert and one of the country’s foremost authorities on child/adolescent psychology and education. His latest book, Staying Connected To Your Teenager, has appeared on several bestseller lists and was written as the follow-up to his first book, Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers, both featured on Oprah. He was the host of the award-winning show, “Life in Progress”, on Oxygen cable network, and was the parenting correspondent for the “CBS Saturday Early Show” for seven years.

“Today, many schools are focused on memorization-based curriculums and on teaching students to take standardized tests,” continued Dr. Riera. This “teaching to the test” curricula is not preparing our students to be successful before, during or after college. We know that teenagers learn best with sustained, hands-on, project-based class work. This type of work requires in-depth investigation and analysis; is by far one of the most engaging and effective ways to teach and learn; and best prepares students for sustained success.”

The new Redwood Day School high school program is designed to develop effective writing skills and analytic reading abilities, excellence in math and science, cross-cultural literacy, competence with technology, and basic facility with a foreign language. The program will also include essential cross-functional skills like critical-thinking, problem-solving, and risk-taking. Service learning will be a key component, just as it is in Redwood Day’s Lower and Middle Schools, continuing the practice of helping students make a positive impact on their community.

Dr. Riera has been working hand-in hand with new Upper School Director Ray Wilson, in developing the high school program. Mr. Wilson joined Redwood Day School in July. He began working in Bay Area independent schools in 1992, and has served in a range of roles, including Upper School Head, Director of College Counseling, and Athletic Director. He has a B.A in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, an M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership from Holy Names University, and is a graduate of the NAIS/E.E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads. Ray has previously served as an active board member of Bay Area People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS).

Together, Dr. Riera and Mr. Wilson have built a program that is based on the most recent adolescent educational and brain research. “In addition to rethinking the way these important skills are taught to our high school students, our goal should be for adolescents to have an adolescence…to be a teenager, and, at the end of high school, be ready to go to college. It’s not about starting college during high school,” said Dr. Riera. “Students’ intellectual, emotional and social development should occur simultaneously, so that when students go to college, they have a strong foundation: they will know themselves; they will know which college is a good match, and they will be successful right from the beginning.”

“We have been having extensive conversations with top tier college admissions officers about our new program,” said Dr. Riera. “These officials are excited about our program and agree that our students will be very well prepared for college, and will be very competitive in the college admissions process.”

Redwood Day High School is now enrolling for the fall of 2009. For a curriculum guide and application go to www.rdschool.org/About_RDS/Upper_School or contact Katrina Hale Lappin, Associate Director of Admissions: klappin@rdschool.org or (510) 834-0804 x224.

Redwood Day School (RDS) is an educational leader in the East Bay. Established in 1963, RDS is a diverse, non-denominational independent K-8 school, expanding to a K-12 in the fall of 2009. Located in the foothills of Oakland, the School combines rigorous academics, differentiated instruction, and attention to social and emotional development—allowing students to discover their strengths and passions as individual learners. RDS students develop into self-aware and confident young people who learn to advocate for themselves and others, throughout school and beyond.