Volunteering

Hundreds of hard-working and enthusiastic volunteers come together each year to enrich the Redwood Day School community. The Redwood Day Parent Guardian Association is the vehicle that provides these important volunteer opportunities. Whether you have limited availability or are someone who can give more time – there are numerous volunteer opportunities from which to choose. We welcome your participation at any level!

Redwood Day uses SignUpGenius (SUG) to manage classroom and all-school volunteering opportunities. Please take a moment and sign up for FREE! Once logged in, you can see all the volunteer opportunities as they become available.

See below for a more detailed description of our volunteer opportunities. 

List of 12 items.

  • Auction Party (April 20, 2024) and Online Auction (April 20 - 28, 2024)

    The Redwood Day auction party and the online auction are the PGA’s cornerstone fundraising events. The funds raised help support both the work of the PGA (Fall Festival and other community events) and the School (tuition assistance, teacher development/PGA Summer Grants, assemblies), and, most importantly, our children. The auction party provides an opportunity for parents, guardians, and adult friends to come together as a community and simply celebrate. Volunteer opportunities range from leading a team, securing donations, editing item descriptions, and organizing a hosted event to planning the party!

    Chairs: Annie Anderson and Susie DePianto
  • Book Fair (January 29 - February 2, 2024)

    The annual Redwood Day Book Fair is an opportunity to support the school while you shop for great books. Students will also have the opportunity to shop during the school day. The Book Fair presents an extensive and diverse variety of books from which you will surely find perfect gifts for friends and family, your child(ren)’s classrooms, and, likely, quite a few for yourself! Volunteer opportunities include cashiering, staffing, set-up and breakdown, and support at associated events.

    Chairs: Kate Holekamp, Kelly Kawamoto, Kitty Neumark, and Stella Wong 
  • Community Caring

    The Community Caring Committee helps support our immediate Redwood Day community when a family is in transition or crisis by mobilizing volunteers for support via meals, childcare, rides, and more. The Committee also helps support our larger Oakland community through activities like the OUSD back-to-school supply drive, meal packing event, and organizing other volunteer and service learning opportunities for our families.

    Chairs: Debbie Schapira and Sarah Warner
  • Diversity in Action*

    This Committee supports the School’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Diversity in Action maintains a strategic partnership with the School supporting Heritage celebrations and Adult Affinity Groups for our parent/guardian community. They also help promote and represent the Redwood Day community at DEIB events such as the Oakland Pride Parade, Black Joy, and Parent Education evenings.

    Chair: Meredith Spencer
  • Faculty & Staff Appreciation

    The Faculty & Staff Appreciation Committee exists to show our faculty and staff just how much they are respected and appreciated. Volunteers bring snacks, organize themed luncheons and dinners, and acknowledge birthdays, holidays, and National Teacher Appreciation Week with special treats and honorings.

    Chairs: Sumi Cate, Kim Desai, Anagha Sreenivasan and Alyssa Witten
  • Fall Festival (October 21, 2023)

    The Fall Festival is a longstanding Redwood Day tradition for the whole family. On a Fall Saturday, we come together on campus to play with and get to know each other. Various volunteer activities include event planning, set up, clean up, and shifts at various activity stations and games.

    Chairs: Chris Keh and Megan Larson
  • Friday Coffee

    Redwood Day invites everyone for coffee, community, and conversation most Friday mornings throughout the school year. Every grade will have the opportunity to sign up to help by picking up pastries and assisting the chairs with set up and clean up. See the calendar for the full list of dates.

    Chair: Peter Marietta
  • Fun Run/Walk (March 23, 2024)

    Grab the kids, the dog, and your comfortable shoes. Run, walk, or stroll to create friendly competition among the grades, promote an active and healthy lifestyle, and build community. Volunteers assist in planning and staffing this annual event. 

    Chairs: Sanjay Bhatt, Jeff Hardy, and Jordan Karp 
  • Generations Day, (November 17, 2023)

    Generations Day is an event that welcomes grandparents and special friends to learn more about Redwood Day and their student’s experience here. Volunteers help set up, greet guests, serve refreshments, guide visitors on campus, take pictures, clean up, and offer assistance as needed.

    Chairs: Barrie McClune, Alice Schlein, and Brooke Welch
  • Library

    Volunteers assist the librarians and students with general tasks in the library, such as shelving, book check out, and other tasks as needed. Volunteers can sign up to assist with their child’s library class time (K-5).

    Chairs: Lisa Marietta and Jessica Pazirandeh
  • Pizza Friday

    Parents and guardians can purchase pizza for their student(s) for lunch on three Fridays during the school year: October 20, February 16, and April 19. Volunteers assist by serving hot pizza to our hungry students!

    Chairs: Teresa Surichamorn and Alyssa Witten
  • Room Parents/Grade Parents

    Room Parents (in the Lower School) and grade level parents (in the Middle School) coordinate directly with their teachers and administrators, as well as their fellow parents, to recruit volunteers for in-class/grade needs (field trip drivers, library volunteers, etc.), and school-wide events, purchasing teacher gifts, and more.

    Chairs: PGA Lower School Co-Coordinators Jennifer Butz and Shailika Kotiya, and PGA Middle School Co-Coordinators Letitia Grenier and Teresa Surichamorn

*RD Diversity in Action FAQ

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • Q: How can I join Diversity in Action?

    Email Henriette Ako-Asare, Nikki Gray, or Meredith Spencer to be added to the Diversity in Action Google Group.
  • Q: Who can join Diversity in Action?

    All parents and guardians of Redwood Day students.
  • Q: What is Diversity in Action?

    Diversity in Action supports the School’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Diversity in Action maintains a strategic partnership with the School, supporting Heritage celebrations and Adult Affinity Groups for our parent/guardian community. Diversity in Action also helps promote and represent the Redwood Day community at DEI events such as the Oakland Pride Parade, Black Joy, and Parent Education evenings.
  • Q: What types of things does Diversity in Action do?

    • Support Heritage Celebrations – celebrating the beauty of and within the heritage and uplifting the communities connected to the heritage. (vs. Reinforcing traumas & struggles— take care not to do this and be mindful of the differences.)
    • Support Parent/Guardian Affinity/Heritage Group events
    • Stay up to date on and support RD Board, Faculty, and Community in DEI events, activities, efforts
    • Recruitment and retention of students and families from diverse backgrounds
    • Other Ideas/Goals – to be determined by committee as interest and resources permit