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Grandparents Share Thoughts on Generations Day

On Tuesday, we look forward to welcoming over 400 guests to campus for Generations Day. This is one of my favorite events of the year as I get to connect with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and special friends and learn more about our students’ extended families. Recently, I had the pleasure of connecting with five grandparents about their experience at Generations Day over the years. Tom Brown and Nushi Safinya, grandparents of Briahn (alumna), Jasmine (8th Grade) and Michaela (1st Grade), Don and Terry Sarver, grandparents of Maia (2nd Grade) and Sydney (1st Grade) and Amirah Salaam, grandmother of Aeneas (6th grade) shared their thoughts with me about this special occasion.
 
Q: How many years have you been coming to Generations Day?
 
Brown/Safinya: This will be our 15th year coming to Generations Day!  We began coming when our oldest grandchild, Briahn, entered as a student.  She’s currently a junior at the University of Hawaii, our middle granddaughter, Jasmine, is preparing to move on to high school, and their youngest sister, Michaela, has just begun her Redwood Day journey and is a first grader.
 
Salaam: I’ve attended every Generations Day since my grandson started at Redwood Day. Wouldn’t miss it, and it goes onto my calendar first thing. My grandson is now in 6th grade. You do the math!
 
Sarver: This will be our 3rd Generations Day. We’ve been coming since Maia was in kindergarten, and she is now in 2nd grade. Now, we run from classroom to classroom to visit both of our granddaughters’ classes. We love how Generations Day provides extended family members the opportunity to witness how special the school is first hand. We look forward to it every year!
 
Q: What do you most enjoy about Generations Day?
 
Brown/Safinya: We appreciate the opportunity to meet with our granddaughters’ friends, their families, and their wonderful teachers.  We also enjoy watching the various grades performing AND, of course, those YUMMY baked goods!
 
Salaam: This is our third Generations Day, and we are always so impressed by the poise of the fifth grade "greeters," which we've never seen at other schools. The bright eyes and the enthusiasm of all of the students make it a delight to be present for any event there.
 
Sarver: The celebration happens a few days before Thanksgiving when folks are in good cheer and good spirit. Unity of the past and present generations are acknowledged and celebrated. 
 
Q: Over the years, how have you seen Redwood Day grow?
 
Brown/Safinya: The teachers have always been caring and child-centered, while the facilities continue to expand and improve significantly.
 
Salaam: Wow! There’s a new building/addition as the student population has expanded. The diverse student, faculty and administration has grown as Redwood Day strives towards all that is good in educating the students, parents, faculty, staff and admin. Redwood Day is keeping up with the rapid growth and changes in education!
 
Sarver: Our youngest daughter Morgan joined the school as a sixth grader in 1995, the first year Redwood Day was on Sheffield Avenue. It was always her favorite school before college because the student body was always so diverse and kind. Over the years, we've watched the school grow. There is both a broader spectrum of learning, as well as increased awareness and sensitivity to others. The physical school has grown as well. There are more beautiful buildings and more playground and play space. It's a wonderful place for all children to grow and learn, about themselves, their friends and the world.
 
Q: What makes you most proud about the fact that your grandchildren attend Redwood Day?
 
Brown/Safinya: As lifelong educators, it is encouraging to see a school environment that is centered on the development of the whole child—intellectually, physically, morally, etc. Too often schools (and parents) are primarily concerned about whether children will be ready for college and view places like Redwood Day as being “college prep” in one form or another.  The real focus of schools should be on preparing children for life in an increasingly complex, interconnected and diverse community, nation, and world.  Our experience is that Redwood Day works hard to meet this challenge.
 
Salaam: My grandson is happy everyday! 
 
Sarver: Our grandchildren are excited to come to school and learn every day. This is a priceless gift to give to any child, because it promotes lifelong learning. We are proud that we have had two generations of our family attend and flourish at Redwood Day.
 
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Generations Day is a wonderful tradition at Redwood Day filled with joy, connections, and intergenerational learning. Our students cherish the day and look forward to it every year regardless of whether their guest is a family member or friend, a teacher, or an older classmate at the School. Simply put, the day is about community- building, supporting, and celebrating together, as a community!
 
I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
 
John
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3245 Sheffield Ave
Oakland, CA 94602
510.534.0800