Newsletter for RDS: The Whole Journey
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April 9, 2008
In the 1999-2000 school year, the RDS Board of Trustees, in concert with faculty, staff and parents, created a long-range plan for the school—Sempervirens: The Redwood Day School Strategic Plan, 2000-2005. The plan called for the physical build-out of both the lower and middle schools, the expansion of the lower school from one section per grade to two sections, and the elimination of the Junior-Kindergarten program. One of the objectives not yet achieved in that plan was the development of an upper school and the transformation of RDS from a K-8 into a K-12.
While this search process has continued in the background of daily life at RDS, in January of this year, the Board made a bold decision: to start the RDS Upper School in the fall of 2009, even if we need to begin at an interim site. At their January meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved this proposal.
The upper school will build on what we already practice in Redwood Day School’s K-8 program. The curriculum will be developmentally inspired right from the beginning as we create program and schedule. We will deepen and extend our commitment to all kinds of learners, such that each student understands his/her strengths and challenges. We will continue forward as an inclusive community that embraces diversity in all its forms and is representative of greater Oakland. In the end, our goal is the dual preparation of our students: for life and for college. I will communicate to you much more on these topics as the months unfold. It’s an exciting time in RDS’s history. Engaged. Prepared. Inspired.
At that same meeting in January, I, as Head of School, was empowered to begin the search for an Upper School Director, whose charge is, starting this July, to get the program and curriculum in place and to hire the first round of faculty and staff for our opening in the fall of 2009.
I am happy to report that after a full-scale national search, we have hired the first RDS Upper School Director: Ray Wilson. Ray is a sixteen-year veteran of independent schools and has served in a range of roles: Upper School Head, Director of College Counseling, Athletic Director, History teacher, and basketball coach. He has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership from Holy Names University. Ray is also a graduate of the NAIS/E.E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads. Additionally, Ray even spent a year at RDS, teaching middle school history and serving as Athletic Director during the 1998-1999 school year, so he is familiar with the school, our culture and our mission.
When Ray visited campus in February, he quickly became our hands-on favorite, and not just because of the range of his experience. Ray believes in education and the power it has to transform lives, and this comes through from the moment you meet him. During one interview with Ray, when I asked him why he got into education, he succinctly replied: “To change students’ lives for the better.” For Ray, and for all of us at RDS, the kind of people we graduate matters to us—it’s our bottom line. To this end, Ray will also take over one of the eighth grade advising groups next year, in addition to his duties as Upper School Director.
As we move forward, I will keep you posted on our planning, visioning, and other breaking news as RDS expands from K-8 to K-12. In addition, there will be more information forthcoming as to our ultimate location. But for now, it is with great pride and pleasure that I inform you that in the fall of 2009, RDS will enroll its first class in the Upper School—the Class of 2013—with Ray Wilson as our Upper School Director!
Enjoy your conferences and have a great weekend.
Mike Riera
