Dear Middle School Families,
I hope you've had a wonderful summer and found time to slow down and enjoy a little freedom from the school-year pace. The middle school team and I are excited to welcome everyone to campus in just a few short weeks.
Since this is my first year at Redwood Day, I'd like to briefly introduce myself. I just finished my 20th year in education! I’ve served as a senior administrator for the last 13 years, but started my career as an English teacher. What I loved most about the classroom was creating spaces and experiences for young people to discover who they were becoming, and over time, I realized I wanted to help cultivate those same conditions for growth across an entire school community. When the opportunity to join Redwood Day came along, it felt like an invitation to continue this work in a place already close to my heart. I've admired Redwood Day for a long time, and I see a school that has built something special: one where challenge, individuality, and relationships reinforce one another, and where the values we talk about are lived every day. It also feels like a place where I can continue to grow alongside our students and staff, and I'm grateful to have found a place where I hope to put down roots.
My summer included two very different kinds of cruises. First, with my sister, I took my first ever ocean cruise, which, I'll admit, surprised me by how much I enjoyed the relaxed "you do you" vibe. Then I spent time living out of a camper van with my partner and dog, cruising around the Eastern Sierra in search of alpine lakes and natural hot springs. As wonderful as both adventures were, the true highlight of my summer has been moving back to Oakland and joining the Redwood Day community.
I’m eager to get started–probably almost as eager as some of you are to retire from your job as summer cruise director. 😉 Still, before the first day of school comes around, I hope you'll savor these last days of summer. Middle school goes by quickly. Before long, these students will be off to high school, and family life will begin to shift in new ways. So before the first day arrives, I hope you’ll make time for the dinner that stretches a little long, for the afternoon with nowhere to be, for one more game, hike, movie, or conversation. These small moments have a way of becoming pearls over time.
Meanwhile, starting Monday, August 17, our faculty and staff will return to campus to prepare for a joyful year of learning together. Please take some time to review the important information in this mailing so you're ready for the year ahead. I can't wait to meet each of you and embark on the year ahead.
Warmly,
Jess
Middle School Important Beginning of Year Information
Welcome New Middle School Faculty & Staff!
- Gabriella Welch, MS Math and Science Teacher
- Zhengyu Chi, MS Mandarin Teacher
Middle School Orientation & First Day of School
We host two half-days of Orientation prior to the first full day of school. Monday is for 6th grade students only and also kicks off with a special welcome for parents/guardians. Tuesday is for all Middle School students.
Monday, August 24
6th Grade Student Orientation, 9:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.
New Parent/Guardian Program, 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 25
6th-8th Grade Student Orientation, 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26
First Day of School, 8:35 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.
Daily Schedule
The Middle School schedule operates on an 8-day class rotation. Students participate in four 70-minute academic classes and a community period each day. Students meet 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 (Design-Build-Innovate), Drama, and Music. Eighth grade students select four Advanced Topics courses which are scheduled in lieu of specialist classes. Students will participate in P.E. three times per rotation and Wellness & Life Skills class once per rotation. The community activity period includes Gathering, K-8 Assemblies, Equity and Inclusion Groups, Study Hall, and Advisory.
The start and end times each day remain the same, no matter the rotation day.
School is in session starting from 8:35 am each day. All students must be seated in their Homeroom class by 8:35 am, 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 to Homeroom after 8:35 am will be marked tardy.
NEW THIS YEAR
In an effort to mitigate traffic at pickup time, we will have a staggered dismissal time and an additional Homeroom session at the end of the day.
8th Grade: Pick up no earlier than 3:25 p.m.
7th Grade: Pick up no earlier than 3:35 p.m.
6th Grade: Pick up no earlier than 3:45 p.m.
It is critically important that we get dismissal right this year as we work to strengthen our neighborhood relationships. We appreciate you getting into the pickup line at the correct time (3:25, 3:35, or 3:45 pm) and your understanding and cooperation if a staff member needs to redirect you. If you are picking up multiple students in different grade levels, you should arrive no earlier than the published time for the oldest student. If necessary, you can schedule an early pickup by giving advanced notice to Jill. Each day, we can keep students out on the curb until 3:55 pm, and after that time they can go to X-Plus.
SchoolPass
This year we will be transitioning to a new dismissal app for a smoother pick up experience. Our community will no longer be using PikMyKid and will be moving to SchoolPass for dismissal. SchoolPass is the same service that helps us with visitor management when you or a guest arrives on campus. This change will allow for better integration with our attendance system and get our students out to the curb faster.
Our SchoolPass team has provided a few videos to help our community download the new app and get acclimated to the system. The process is similar to our old app so PikMyKid users should be able to catch on quickly:
- Download & Login Instructions
- Pick Up Instructions in the SchoolPass App
- Adding/Removing Authorized Drivers
If you have trouble with any of the steps, please contact our Tech Team [helpdesk@rdschool.org ]
School Supplies
The grade-level supply list was sent out earlier this summer. In addition to their supplies, students will also need to bring a backpack, lunch box, and reusable water bottle to school, starting with Orientation days. 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.
Communication
An important element of the home-school partnership is open two-way communication. Each Sunday, you will receive the Redwood Day Weekly with important information about special events, curriculum updates, etc. Please do read this as the team invests time to make sure that information is prioritized and streamlined.
Additionally, you will receive emails directly from your student’s teacher or your student’s advisor as needed. You are always welcome and encouraged to reach out directly if you have any questions or concerns. Teachers are likely to be with students during school hours and may be unable to answer a call on their classroom phone. Please feel free to email or set up a time to talk by phone/Zoom.
Additionally, our team is here to support your child and you through these middle school years. Our contact information is below:
MS Admin Team
Jess Dang, MS Director
jdang@rdschool.org
Amandria Banks, Assistant to the MS Director
abanks@rdschool.org
Sean Kanady, MS Dean | MS Math Teacher
skanady@rdschool.org
Jamie Knowles, 6th Grade Dean | MS English & History Teacher
jknowles@rdschool.org
Vince Faso, 7th Grade Dean | MS Drama Teacher
vfaso@rdschool.org
Kayla Stoler, 8th Grade Dean | MS History Teacher
kstoler@rdschool.org
