Saratoga News Sixth graders from Redwood will head to Strawberry Park By Michelle Alaimo Redwood Middle School sixth-graders will be joining Saratoga School students at Strawberry Park School in San Jose next year. The Saratoga Union School District board of trustees approved the move at its Jan. 26 meeting--with the provision that the district will provide transportation. The decision came after a recommendation from Superintendent Mary Gardner and the administration at Redwood. The group jointly decided that the move would be best for the students based on concerns about student safety and congestion at Redwood during construction. Redwood is scheduled to begin 15 months of heavy construction this June. Because three major construction sites will be stationed at different locations around the school, Principal Christopher Farmer said it would be better for the sixth-grade class to move. "It's safe, secure, will be quieter and is a pleasant environment," Farmer said about Strawberry Park School. But he didn't always feel this way. Farmer said that when he first heard about the proposal, he was very apprehensive. "The last thing that a principal wants is having part of his school somewhere else," he said. Then his staff and the SUSD starting studying what would happen if the sixth-graders stayed during construction and what would happen if they moved. To keep the current sixth-grade program at Redwood, Farmer said the school would have to add 15 portable buildings, 12 of which would line the front of the school grounds. The school would also be faced with a growing enrollment of two more sixth-grade classes while dealing with a significant cut in space during construction. At a parent meeting Jan. 21, parents of sixth-graders were divided almost evenly on the move. Many had concerns including transportation and were worried that students wouldn't feel like part of Redwood. They also expressed concern about how students would participate in extracurricular activities. The motion to approve the move included the provision that the district would provide transportation to and from the school. Gardner said students will all meet at a central spot and then be bused to the school. For many students, the move will be their first regular bus riding experience, other than field trips. She adds that a monitor will be placed on each bus to aid in supervision. A survey is planned to determine the best location for pickup. The move to Strawberry Park will not affect sixth-grade teachers who will make the move with their students. The teachers will take the expectations and traditions of Redwood with them, Farmer said. And to help further build a sense of sixth-grade unity, the students will be placed in a group of portable classrooms that are close together and clearly identifiable, he said. Farmer said that the school has had two staff meetings, and he believes the staff is overwhelmingly in support of the move. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 3, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.