Welcome from the Middle School Director

Dear Middle School Families, 

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful summer. I was able to take time to be with my family in Southern California. As many of you know, I have a large, loud, and fun-loving family and we always have a great time when we are together. I recently got married and now we finally have a family photo where we are all looking at the camera!

I am excited for the start of my fifth year at Redwood Day. The school is an incredibly special place and I look forward to partnering with you throughout the year. Our wonderful teachers and staff return to campus on Monday to prepare classrooms, plan lessons, and participate in professional development. Please read through several important details below as we start the school year and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. 

We host two days of Orientation prior to the first day of school. Monday is for 6th-grade families only. Tuesday is for all Middle School students. 

Student Orientation 9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Parent/Guardian Programming 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

6th-8th Grade Student Orientation 9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

First Day of School 8:35 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.

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 which are scheduled as a specialist class. Students will participate in P.E. three times per rotation and Wellness and Life Skills class once per rotation. The community activity period includes Gathering, K-8 Assemblies, Equity and Inclusion Groups, Study Hall, and Advisory. 

 

School is in session from 8:35 a.m. to 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. 

PikMyKid

We ask that all families download the PikMyKid parent app. PikMyKid is used to facilitate student pick-up at the end of each school day. For all new families, we should have your student information uploaded to your app by Wednesday, August 21 (there is nothing for you to do on your end). The PikMyKid User Guide will provide you with more clarity about the PikMyKid app, and you can find more resources in the Parent Portal. If you have any questions or need technical support, please reach out to Rob Eifler [reifler@rdschool.org] 

The grade-level supply list was sent out earlier this summer. Students will also need to bring a backpack, lunch box, and 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. 

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, the MS Admin team is here to support. Their contact information is below: 

 

Amandria Banks, Assistant to the MS Director

 

Sean Kanady, MS Dean/MS Math Teacher 

Alex Pollard, MS Dean/MS Science Teacher 

 

Simon Alejandrino, 7th Grade Dean/ MS Science Teacher 

 

Vince Faso, 8th Grade Dean/MS Drama Teacher 

 

Sarah Masanek, 6th Grade Dean/MS English Teacher

 

I am looking forward to our year together and supporting the growth and development of our Middle School students.

 

Please do reach out if you have any questions or concerns. I will also be hosting a Zoom to connect with Middle School parents and guardians on Monday, September 9, at 9:00 a.m. 

 

Meeting ID: 823 100 3441

Passcode: redwood

 

Best, 

Karina Momary

Middle School Director