Roosevelt School

Overview

During the 2007-08 school year Roosevelt started a Project-Based Learning (PBL) pilot program with a PBL class at each grade level. On March 24, 2010, the district’s school board voted to expand PBL into a school-wide program for all classes and all grades beginning in 2010-11. PBL is organizes curriculum, instruction and assessment around carefully crafted “problems” students are challenged to solve.  Students gather and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines in their quest for solutions.  This instructional practice is guided by instructors who act as cognitive coaches, teaching students critical thinking, problem solving and collaborative skills as they identify problems, formulate hypotheses, ask significant questions, conduct data searches, utilize powerful thinking, and formulate solutions to the problem. Students learn decision-making, critical thinking, collaboration and how to use multi-media.  In 2011/12, the school will expand to sixth grade.

School Curriculum and Instructional Philosophy

Instruction at Roosevelt School concentrates on a core academic curriculum of language arts, social studies, math and science, with an emphasis on literacy. All students are motivated by highly qualified and caring teachers to achieve high academic and behavior standards.  Since 2007 Roosevelt has been implementing the Redwood City School District’s Achievement Plan which includes teacher training, use of state-adopted and research-proven curriculum and instructional strategies, dedicated blocks of time for reading, writing, math, social studies and science, and targeted instructional groupings (TIG), where students receive differentiated instructions tailored to their specific needs (for example, English Language Development for English Learners, Reading Intervention for students reading below grade level, and Enrichment for students who are working at or above grade level.)

After School Programs

Roosevelt offers two after school programs Rainbow, which serves students in Kindergarten and First Grade and the YMCA After School Program for students in grades K- 6. Rainbow  is a licensed childcare program serving pre-school through first grade.

The YMCA provides an after school program which enhances the academic and social growth of the individual child by offering homework assistance to support literacy and math, hands on activities and sports.

Visiting Roosevelt

Please call the school at 369-5597 to arrange a visit.  If you live outside the Roosevelt boundary area, you may apply through the “School of Choice” program offered by the district.  Applications are accepted at the district office during February, and students are admitted according to a school board-approved “priority order” and a random lottery system.  For more information on the School of Choice application process, please visit the district website at http://www.rcsdk8.net/enrollment or call 423-2237.  School of Choice application forms are available on the district website, at the district office, 750 Bradford St., or in any school office beginning in January.

Opportunities for Parent Involvement

Parents play an important role at Roosevelt School through active participation and involvement in the School Site Council, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC), and other support committees. Parents and community members are extremely involved in Roosevelt classrooms and can be found throughout the day; instructing, mentoring, tutoring, working along side teachers during PE, instructing music classes and running our Art In Action program. All parents are asked to volunteer their time and talents during the school year.

"Roosevelt School offers life skills including team work, communication, research, and public speaking through the Project Based Learning Program, in a setting that is just the right size for my son.   He has many friends and he's challenged without being over-stressed." – Roosevelt Parent