Redwood City families are encouraged to tour local elementary schools before the first Schools of Choice application period ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22.
A full timeline for the Schools of Choice application process is available for parents who may have additional questions. Parents may also call (650) 482-2237.
Below are the 16 schools and links to information on school tours, as provided by the Redwood City School District:
Adelante Spanish Immersion School (Grades K-5)
Programmatic Focus: Spanish Language Immersion
Adelante Spanish Immersion School is a two-way Spanish Immersion School of Choice. Our student population is composed of 50% Spanish-speaking students and 50% English-speaking students. Our expectations for our students are high; to show high levels of proficiency in two languages by the time they exit our school. We have observed what research supports –participation in our immersion program has made the students confident, respectful, and academically engaged!
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2401
Clifford School (Grades TK-8)
Programmatic Focus: STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) integrated curriculum
Clifford School has created a number of opportunities to support students in and out of the classroom. Our award-winning STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) curriculum provides students an opportunity to dive deeper into these subjects with a hands-on learning approach. Our middle school students thrive in a smaller school setting where teachers have known them throughout their Clifford experience. In addition to learning core subjects, our middle school students also have the opportunity to explore different topics in an applied learning approach, including: art, computer coding, environmental community service, journalism/media, and yearbook. Clifford School is the only RCSD school Partnering with Healthy Cities after school tutoring program, which is free for families. Tutors follow the students as they transition through their grade levels.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2402
Fair Oaks Community School (Grades PreK-5)
Programmatic Focus: Support and Opportunities for Every Student and Family
Fair Oaks Community School supports families before, during, and after school through its on-site Family Center where students and their families can engage in educational and enrichment activities, as well as receive community services including support for basic needs; computer classes; employment, citizenship and immigration assistance, school uniforms; and translations and assistance completing school forms.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2403
Garfield Community School (Grades PreK-8)
Programmatic Focus: Family-focused Community School with K-5 English and Spanish instruction classrooms
Garfield offers an engaging and culturally-responsive educational experience through enhancing our students’ learning by valuing and leveraging our students’ primary cultures. Technology reinforces students’ daily classroom experiences. Garfield offers families additional assistance with school uniforms, health services, emergency financial support, food banks, Parent Universities, and mental health services. Our on-site Boys and Girls Club facilitates social and academic opportunities through an extended day option for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2405
Hawes Community School (Grades PreK-5)
Programmatic Focus: Community School with an Early Academic Language Focus and Multicultural Approach
On any given day, you will see our students learning rich academic language through interactive and engaging approaches to ensure that they will achieve grade-level mastery of academic material and become more motivated and confident learners. Hawes students also learn in a multicultural approach and have access to art, music, dance, physical education, and technology.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2407
Henry Ford Elementary School (Grades K-5)
Programmatic Focus: Individualized Instruction for Every Student’s Success
Our teachers are well trained and experienced in differentiating instruction so that all students have the knowledge and skills to reach their potential. Differentiated instruction involves providing different students with individual avenues to learning (often in the same classroom) for acquiring content; processing, constructing, or making sense of ideas; so that all students can learn effectively and be successful, regardless of their differences. We believe that the key to student learning is ongoing adult learning in our professional learning community setting.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2404
Hoover Community School (Grades PreK-8)
Programmatic Focus: Challenging Instruction for All Students & a Bilingual Education Strand
We bring together both Spanish and English speaking students in a community school and challenging academic environment that supports families before, during, and after school through its on-site Family Center where students and their families can engage in educational and enrichment activities. Students in both our Bilingual Education Strand and English Strand learn rich and advanced vocabulary development, while learning science, social studies, and technology in our integrated thematic units.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2408
John Gill Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)
Programmatic Focus: Challenging 21st Century Education with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) integrated curriculum and a Mandarin Language Immersion track
With a focus on an integrated curriculum, joined with an emphasis on science and social sciences, John Gill Elementary School students gain strong academic skills and have a firm grasp of each school subject, while cultivating their creative thinking and learning skills through our enriching visual and performing arts program. Students at John Gill come to school excited each day because of our supportive and joyful learning environment where they are encouraged, through individualized instruction, to strive to do their best and to succeed. Mandarin Immersion Program students will also graduate with fluency in English and the Mandarin languages.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2406
Kennedy Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Programmatic Focus: An array of programs to support middle schoolers’ social, emotional, physical, and academic needs
Our programs, such as AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Cornell notes, or WIN (What I Need) are aimed at supporting students in a traditional middle school setting by supporting their learning needs in a way that focuses on self-monitoring and mindfulness. Upon completing the Kennedy program, our graduates will be well-prepared for any high school or secondary learning experience. Kennedy Middle School students thrive in a supportive and encouraging educational environment that provides them a number of different opportunities to pursue their passions and interests, including sports, performing arts, and a number of different clubs and activities.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2409
McKinley Institute of Technology (MIT) (Grades 6-8)
Programmatic Focus: Traditional Middle School with Specialized Technology Electives
With one-to-one technology devices for students, all MIT students benefit from utilizing technology in each of their classes, and we offer electives in coding, keyboarding, and Technology in the Modern World. In addition to its technology focus, MIT also offers students a variety of elective choices in the creative and performing arts, science, as well as providing math and reading support to students who need additional assistance in these core subjects.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2410
North Star Academy (Grades 3-8)
Programmatic Focus: Educational Environment Focusing on the Unique Needs of Highly Capable Students
The program focuses on the combination of creativity, task commitment, and high academic rigor, to support students in developing to their fullest potential. The pace of responsive instruction, the depth and complexity of the grade level curriculum, the types of assignments, and the range of experiences provide a learning atmosphere that promotes excellence. All students are expected to demonstrate personal growth through the development of self-discipline, leadership skills, community involvement, and character growth.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2411
Orion Alternative Elementary School (K-5)
Programmatic Focus: Parent Participation
Orion Alternative Elementary School is a school of choice for parents who want to be actively involved in their child’s education. Parents agree to participate in classroom or school activities, parent education, and school leadership activities during the year. Parents may work in the classroom or help with activities outside the classroom a minimum of 2 hours a week (total of 72 hours for one child; 108 hours for two or more children). Parents can engage and participate in various opportunities based on their availability during the week and on the weekends, before and after work, and during the school day.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2412
Roosevelt School (PreK-8)
Programmatic Focus: Project Based Learning (PBL)
In a Project Based Learning (PBL) classroom, students are challenged to work cooperatively, think critically, and present their work in front of an audience. A variety of engagement strategies are used to engage students and encourage their participation in a rigorous curriculum. Roosevelt School is the only school in RCSD that utilizes the project based learning curriculum in all grade levels.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2413
Roy Cloud School (K-8)
Programmatic Focus: State of the Art Traditional Education with Inquiry & Project Based Learning
Roy Cloud students thrive in an enriching educational environment that provides them inquiry learning and active learner involvement, which allows students actively make observations, collect, analyze, and synthesize information, and draw conclusions while developing useful problem-solving skills. You will be confident that your child will learn and practice skills that help prepare them for “need to know” situations that they will encounter both at school and at work, and will also help students increase their knowledge of subjects as they progress through their school years, and provide them critical thinking skills that they can use throughout their lives.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2414
Selby Lane School (PreK-8)
Programmatic Focus: An Academically Rigorous Middle School with Language Enrichment Opportunities and a Two Way Immersion Spanish Language Strand.
Selby Lane’s grade students learn academically rich language in providing well planned and enriching integrated units for our students in every class. Through our Spanish Immersion strand for K-5 students, we bring together both Spanish and English speaking students and families for the opportunity of a promising future of being bilingual, bicultural, and academically enriched, as they think, discuss, explain, analyze, and problem solve in two languages! Our proven and dynamic Middle School program is safe, academically rigorous, and enriching so that students are prepared to be successful in high school and beyond.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2415
Taft Community School (PreK-5)
Programmatic Focus: English and Spanish Biliteracy Paths Integrated with Academic Language & Innovative Classrooms
The goal of our school is to develop a strong pathway to biliteracy leading into high school and beyond. This assures our students great opportunities in college and career by giving them skills that translate into the workplace. We are the only school in the Redwood City School District that has both a biliteracy path and an English path from preschool to third grade. Our teachers are at the forefront in integrating technology, critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration skills into their lessons. Taft Community School also offers enrichment programs in art and music, in addition to clubs and programs to both inspire and develop creativity and innovation.
Visit the school website for their tour schedule or call 650-482-2416
