When we start the new school year, we have a group of wonderful new people to welcome to our faculty/staff. In addition to the new hires announced in our June Comings and Goings letter, we have a few updates and additional faculty/staff member bios we’d like to share with you below. 

• Raisa Norberg joins us as our new Assistant Librarian. Raisa comes to us from the San Francisco Law Library, where she served as a Library Assistant. Previously, Raisa served as a High School Teacher Librarian in Providence, Rhode Island. Raisa is currently completing her Master of Science in Library and Information Science through Louisiana State University.
   
• Zhengyu Chi will be joining our Middle School Team as our new MS Mandarin Teacher. Zhengyu comes to us from the District of Columbia International School, where she served as a Social Studies in Chinese Teacher, Department Chair, and Peer Coach. Zhengyu holds a Master of Arts in Applied Second Language Acquisition from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh; a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpreting and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China.
   
• Also joining the Middle School team is Gabriella Welch as our new MS Math/Science Teacher. Gabriella joins us from the York School in Monterey, CA, where she served as the Director of Academic Support. Gabriella previously held positions as a Middle School Math and Science Teacher and an Assistive and Instructional Technology Learning Specialist at the Howard School in Atlanta, GA. Gabriella holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Leadership and School Management from Harvard University, a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida International University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from The University of Southern Mississippi.
   
• We would also like to share a few key internal shifts: Eli Rodriguez will move from 4th-grade Associate Teacher to a 4th-Grade Team Teacher role. Associate Teachers Gemma Marshall and Sophia Xiques will join the 1st Grade Team; Genesis Toscano will join the 2nd Grade Team; and Team Teacher Syd Thorne will join the 3rd Grade Team.
   
• Additionally, next year, Jillian Fraker will take on the new role of Advanced Topics and Enrichment Specialist. In this capacity, Jillian will continue to offer several 8th-grade Advanced Topics courses, a 5th Grade Advanced Topics course, and help to develop our Middle School Enrichment program, in addition to supporting the 4th and 5th-grade Explorers’ program.
   
• Finally, Alex Pollard will step down as an MS Dean and continue as our full-time MS Science Teacher. We thank Alex for his dedicated work in the Dean role. Alex will also be joining Kait Bowles’ Advisory as a Co-Advisor. Sean Kanady will continue in his role as an MS Dean.

Last year, we administered the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test in grades 2-8. The results from our Spring MAP Assessment indicate that Redwood Day students consistently outperform US independent school averages in key academic areas.

Note: NWEA does not provide independent school comparisons for Language

Note: NWEA does not provide independent school comparisons for Language

We are administering the MAP assessments again this year in Grades 2-8. On October 22 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the library, we look forward to sharing more detailed information about the School’s overall performance on this assessment, how/why we use the data to inform instruction, and our plans for continued data collection to support our decisions about the academic program to ensure our program remains rigorous and cutting-edge for all students. Check the RD Weekly for a sign-up link as the date approaches.

One of the metrics we use to evaluate the success of our program is our high school placement outcomes. We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2026 as they start their high school journeys. 98% of our graduating class will attend their first- or second-choice high school! Below is a list of the high schools our Class of 2026 is attending. 

We take great pride in sending our students to a wide range of high schools throughout the Bay Area and across the country. We have alumni at all of the schools listed above (and more), and we consistently receive feedback that Redwood Day students are not only prepared academically for the various high schools they matriculate at, but also kind, respectful human beings. As we enter the 2026-27 school year, we look forward to continuing to support our 8th graders as they begin their transition to the next stage of their educational journey, and we look forward to continuing to lay the foundational building blocks for all of our students in every grade as we prepare them academically, socially, and emotionally for their next challenge.

Starting August 26, staff supervision during morning drop-off will begin at 8:00 a.m. If you arrive between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m., please note that there will be no adult supervision or curbside support during that time. Our early-morning care program is open daily starting at 7:45 a.m. If your child needs assistance exiting the vehicle before 8:00 a.m., please pull forward to the end of the white zone and assist them out of the car, or park in the school lot and walk your child to the entrance. 

To help maintain a smooth and safe drop-off process at all times, cars should always continue moving forward along the white zone to close any gaps between vehicles. This helps prevent congestion on MacArthur Blvd and keeps the line moving efficiently.

If your child is able to exit the vehicle with their backpack independently, they should do so promptly and always on the school side of the street. If your child needs extra time, drive to the end of the white zone rather than stopping too long mid-way.

As a reminder, for the safety of our community:

• U-turns are NOT permitted on Sheffield Ave., except at the roundabout after the stop sign.
• Per our agreement with neighbors, parking is not allowed on the opposite side of Sheffield Ave.
• Drivers may not leave their vehicles unattended in the drop-off zone.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping drop-off safe, efficient, and respectful for all.

Our 8th Grade Advanced Topics Courses have become incredibly popular over the past few years. These courses provide an opportunity for in-depth study in an area of particular interest for 8th graders. The courses also prepare students for high school, as they opt into a course as an elective to deepen their knowledge. Below is a list of course offerings for this year. 

Even if you don’t have an 8th grader, it’s important to know how our program evolves as students progress on their journey. 

Hella Oakland
This course will examine Oakland through various lenses, including education, housing, transportation, culture, and government, to understand how these forces have shaped the city from the 20th century to today.

Songwriting: Hooks, Harmonies, Hits!
Students will develop comprehensive songwriting skills and create original songs of varying lengths in this course. Students analyze the lyrics, harmonies, melodies, and structures of popular songs and employ various strategies to write effective original lyrics, melodies, and chord progressions across a range of song types.

Leadership
This course focuses on the practical application of leadership principles and personal growth inspired by Abby Wambach's book "Wolfpack," which explores the themes of empowerment and finding one's voice.

Basketball & Volleyball: Train Hard
This yearlong course is designed for students who enjoy being active and are ready to work hard, improve their skills, and challenge themselves. Over the course of the year, students will spend the first semester focused exclusively on basketball and the next semester developing their skills in volleyball.

Garden to Table
In this course, students develop a wide set of culinary and agricultural skills. In-class activities focus on basic kitchen skills, techniques, recipe following and development, as well as workflow practices and restaurant-style dishes. 

Passion Projects
In this Advanced Topics course, students transform their interests into meaningful, student-driven projects that showcase creativity, critical thinking, and research skills. New for the 2026–2027 school year, students have the unique opportunity to see their passion projects funded through Oakland as a Classroom grant money.

Printmaking
In this course, students will discover the rich tradition and endless possibilities of printmaking through hands-on exploration of diverse techniques and artistic expression. Students will explore a comprehensive range of printmaking processes, including drypoint, linocut, gelli prints, stencils, screenprinting, and monoprints. 

Ecology
In this course, students learn about such topics as evolutionary ecology, population biology, species interactions, biological communities, and conservation biology. 

Economics in Action
In this Advanced Topics course, students explore how economics shapes everyday choices, businesses, global relationships, and the ways societies use limited resources. Through discussions, simulations, collaborative challenges, and project-based learning, students develop economic thinking, creativity, communication, and decision-making skills.

Theatre Arts
This course is grounded in collaboration and explores playwriting, stagecraft, monologues, and character work, and includes deep dives into theatrical genres such as horror, mystery, and sketch comedy.

Built to Matter
In this hands-on course, students learn to build things that actually work. They combine everything they’ve learned—digital fabrication, woodworking, design thinking, and user testing—to create. This course is about solving problems, making things, and building skills students will use for years to come.

Journalism and Sports Writing: A Comparative Study
In this course, students explore the world of sports journalism with particular attention to writing styles and perspectives in men's and women's sports coverage. Students study articles and reports by prominent sports writers while analyzing differences in coverage and narrative styles between men's and women's sports.

Learning to Learn
In this course, students unlock their unique learning potential by understanding how their brains work and developing personalized strategies for academic success. Students explore their individual learning profiles in greater depth while examining the science behind neurodiversity. The course provides opportunities for students to develop strengths in their areas of interest while building skills and tools to address challenges. 

Sculpture: Materials and Techniques
This studio-based course introduces students to the fundamentals of three-dimensional artmaking through hands-on exploration. Students will learn structural mechanics and practice building solid, balanced forms using diverse materials, including clay, cardboard, plaster, fabric, and found objects.

If you haven’t been on campus since June, you are in for a treat! Over the summer, we upgraded our Lower School yard with a new turf play space, an expanded courtyard for basketball and other recreational games, and multiple outdoor classroom spaces to capitalize on the synergy between indoor and outdoor learning opportunities. Students in our summer program absolutely loved the new outdoor recreation space, and we look forward to all students having access to a fully upgraded play space to expand gross motor skill development, build collaboration and teamwork skills, play, and enjoy the outdoors!

Since June 2025,  a committee of faculty and staff have been immersing themselves in AI, examining the current landscape of AI in education (perspectives, statistics, research), how AI works, how AI can enhance and be applied in learning, AI and ethics, the potential benefits and risks of using AI in education, and existing frameworks and guides to support the safe use of AI in schools. Last school year, the committee centered perspectives on Redwood Day and drafted a set of core beliefs, foundations, and principles for using AI at Redwood Day. Additionally, the group developed guidelines and guardrails for AI use for faculty, staff, and students, adopted a framework for student AI literacy, and, through professional development, established a foundation of AI literacy in all faculty and staff.

This school year, we are building on this important work through a continued partnership with PLEX out of Stanford University. On November 17, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., we will be offering a virtual parent/guardian education event to answer the question: How can we stay true to our educational values while supporting our kids in using these powerful AI tools effectively? Mark your calendars! In this interactive session, we will explore current trends and data around AI in school settings, discussing how to approach AI as neither a cure-all nor an existential threat. We will focus on the human dimensions of parenting in the digital age, emphasizing connection, shared understanding, and lifelong learning. Finally, faculty and staff at Redwood Day will share our school’s philosophy and approach to AI integration.

One of our first community opportunities of the year is Oakland Pride, taking place this Sunday, August 16. This year, Oakland Pride has shifted from its usual September timing and will now take place before the start of the school year. Unfortunately, given the new timing, we are not organizing an official Redwood Day contingent this year.

We encourage families and employees who are interested in attending to celebrate with the broader Oakland community. Redwood Day community members are also invited to march alongside other East Bay independent school communities through BADA (Bay Area Directors of Admissions), a consortium representing independent schools throughout the Bay Area. BADA has registered a group of East Bay schools to march together in this year’s parade. The group will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the corner of Telegraph Avenue and 21st Street, be in position by 9:30 a.m., and step off at 10:30 a.m. Families and employees are encouraged to wear Redwood Day T-shirts or other school gear and bring signs to represent our community.

Throughout the year, we will continue to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ community through school events and programming, including our 5th Annual Pride Parade on June 2, 2027, our LGBTQ+ Affinity Coffee on October 23, and other opportunities for students, families, and employees to come together in community. To ensure we’re prepared moving forward, Redwood Day will begin planning for an official Redwood Day presence at Oakland Pride 2027 this spring as part of our annual school planning process.

We look forward to seeing many of you at this year’s Oakland Pride celebration and to another year of learning, celebrating, and building belonging together. For parade details, festival information, and the full schedule of events, please visit the Oakland Pride website.

As always, please feel free to reach out to Sanjev deSilva (sdesilva@rdschool.org), Director of Equity & Belonging, with any questions, comments, or ideas.

Over the past few years, world/national events and divisive politics have greatly impacted all of us. Folks have increasingly looked to schools, workplaces, and other institutions to take a stance on issues and provide pastoral care for community members who are affected. In furtherance of our work from the last few school years, we will focus our energy, time, and human resources on educating and caring for our students when issues arise. When unexpected world events occur, we will do the same. We will always educate our students in an unbiased way, providing them with the objective information they need to critically analyze issues and arrive at their own conclusions.

As such, we will continue to refrain from commenting or writing community-wide acknowledgments regarding world/political events. Rather, we will focus our resources on our students, providing updates to parents/guardians about this important work, as necessary, so you can partner with us in educating our young people. In these updates, we will focus on specific actions that we are taking as a learning community that may address relevant happenings.  Additionally, and in alignment with our strategic plan, we will continue to invest in deepening our connections within Oakland and our local communities with our broader communications reflecting these intentions.

When educating young people, it is expected that they will make mistakes and sometimes engage in behavior that does not align with our community guidelines and expectations as outlined in our Community Handbook. Sometimes, these types of incidents happen individually between two students, and other times they happen more broadly, all the way up to and including impacts to the entire student body. When these incidents occur at Redwood Day, our primary focus is on the children first and foremost. From there, we turn our attention to communication with the adult community, if necessary.

There are times when our team deems it necessary to communicate with all parents/guardians in a grade level, in a division, or in the entire school. While these times are relatively rare, they do occur throughout each school year and are not endemic to Redwood Day. All schools have these moments and all schools handle communication differently. When this happens at Redwood Day, our team follows a communication protocol that focuses “one sphere out” from the actual incident. Below are a few general examples illustrating the “one sphere out” communication protocol.

1. When an incident occurs in a small group of students that impacts a larger group of students in a specific grade level, our team will communicate “one sphere out” to the grade-level parents/guardians as a whole.
2. When a larger-scale incident occurs that involves many students from across a specific grade level, depending on the nuances of the situation and keeping in mind that our School spans nine grade levels, our team determines if it is best to communicate “one sphere out” to immediately adjacent grade levels or an entire division.
3. When an incident occurs in which many students from across grade levels in one division are impacted - let’s say in the Middle School, for example - our team will communicate “one sphere out” to include all Lower School parents/guardians as well. 

Of course, nuances to each incident may influence whether or not, and how, the School communicates. In general, the “one sphere out” communication protocol is how our team philosophically approaches communication. We are sharing this information in full transparency to help demystify our practices and ensure a common understanding of how the School communicates with constituencies when incidents occur. Ultimately, our communication decisions are thoughtfully considered in such a way that allows our team to balance our communication approach with our great responsibility to guide and educate young people.