Dear Middle School Families, 
 
I hope you all enjoyed the summer. I was able to spend time with my family in LA and went to several concerts.
 
I am looking forward to the new school year and am excited to welcome everyone to campus. Faculty and staff are currently on campus preparing classrooms, planning lessons, and participating in professional development. 

New MS Faculty and Staff:

We are excited to welcome new community members this year who will be working with our Middle School students:

  • Amandria Banks, Assistant to the Middle School Director
  • Shana Barnett, Tech Integration Specialist
  • Mia Gittlen, K-8 Librarian, 6th Advising Team
  • Jamie Knowles, 7th History & English teacher, 6th Advisor
  • Deirdre Ford, 7th Math & Science teacher, 6th Advisor
  • David Palange, DBI teacher, 7th Advising Team
  • Jane Shamaeva, School Counselor
 
Sarah Masanek will be joining the 8th-grade Advisory team and will be the 8th Grade Dean. Sarah will join Vince Faso (7th) and Simon Alejandrino (6th) as Grade Level Dean. Families receive communication from the Grade Level Deans at various times throughout the year about grade level-specific items. 
 
As John shared in his earlier communication, we are excited to share that Alex Pollard and Sean Kanady will serve as the Middle School Deans this year. Alex and Sean will collaborate with Denise Breland, Director of Student Life. Their scope includes: discipline, leading Gathering and major events, Student Council, and the advisory (social emotional learning) curriculum. Please keep an eye out for additional communication from Alex and Sean in the coming weeks. 


Middle School Orientation

We host two days of Orientation prior to the first day of school. Thursday is for 6th-grade families only. Friday is for all Middle School students. 
 
6th Grade Orientation for all 6th-grade students and parents/guardians will be held on Thursday, August 24, from 9:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  • 6th-grade students will be on campus the entire time, with pick-up at 12:00 p.m.
  • The parent/guardian session will conclude by 10:30 a.m. Parents/guardians should plan to pick up their students at 12:00 p.m.
 
Middle School Orientation, for all students in 6th-8th grade, will be held on Friday, August 25, from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.


Daily Schedule

The Middle School will continue to be on an 8-day class rotation. Students will participate in four 75-minute classes and one-45 minute community period each day. Students will participate in their core classes four times per rotation and their specialist classes two times per rotation. Core classes include English, History, Math, Science, and World Language. Specialist classes include Art, DBI, Drama, and Music. Eighth-grade students also have the Advanced Topics courses scheduled as a specialist class. Students will participate in P.E. three times per rotation and Wellness and Life Skills class (formerly titled Health) one time per rotation. The community activity period includes Gatherings, K-8 Assemblies, Equity and Inclusion Groups, Study Hall, and Advisory. 
 
School is session from 8:35 a.m.-3:40 p.m. The start and end times each day remain the same, no matter the rotation day. All students must be seated in their Homeroom class by 8:35 a.m., ready to start the day; students should be dropped off with enough time to stop by their locker and make it to homeroom on time. Students who arrive in the classroom after 8:35 a.m. will be marked tardy. 
 

Community Handbook

The current Redwood Day Community Handbook is available on the School Portal; the updated 2023-24 Community Handbook will be uploaded by late August. I highly recommend that parents/guardians sit with their students and review the behavioral expectations, dress code, and academic integrity policies at the Middle School prior to the start of the school year. 
 

Walking To and From Campus

We recognize that several students walk or bike to and from school each day. Redwood Day requires a parent/guardian signed form to allow for this. This form can be found on the School Portal. This form should only be completed by families who would like their child to use this option regularly and as part of dismissal. We are unable to allow students to utilize this form to go to CVS or Peet’s after school while waiting for their after-school extracurricular to begin. This form is only for students who regularly walk or bike to school.
 

School Supplies

The grade-level supply list was sent out earlier this summer. Students will also need to bring a backpack, lunch box, and a reusable water bottle to school. I strongly encourage you to label all of your child’s belongings, including their lunch box, reusable water bottle, and hoodies with their name using permanent ink or a label maker. Last year's Lost and Found was overwhelmed with unlabeled items that could not be reunited with their owners. 
 

Building Home/School Partnership

I look forward to meeting your family and building a strong home/school partnership. I am available for a meet and greet and/or to discuss questions or concerns that you may have about your child. Please connect with my assistant Amandria Banks, to schedule a meeting via email at abanks@rdschool.org
 
Finally, I would like to invite you to an informal Zoom meet & greet for all parents/guardians on Wednesday, August 30, at 9:30 a.m.
 
Meeting ID: 823 100 3441
Passcode: redwood
 
Best, 
Karina
 
Karina Momary, EdD
Middle School Director
Redwood Day School
510.534.0804 X 221
kmomary@rdschool.org
(pronouns: she/her/hers)