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Parents and community members transition from activities on the South Lawn for Back to School Night before heading into classrooms.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, Redwood kicked off the school year with a lively Back to School Night, bringing together students, parents and teachers for an evening of connection and information. The event began at 5:30 p.m. with an assembly in the main gym, followed by a resource fair on the south lawn where families could explore all the programs and services Redwood has to offer. 

Back to School Night wasn’t just about walking through schedules; it was about building connections. Principal Dr. Barnaby Payne described how the event gives families a chance to connect with teachers and get a firsthand look at their student’s classroom experience.

“The main goal of Back to School Night is for parents to make connections with their students. When they ask about a teacher or a class, they now have a point of reference because they’ve seen the classroom and the course of study,” Payne said. 

Newly appointed Tamalpais Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Courtney Goode also attended.

“There are a lot of wonderful people here and great students who want to do good things. I want to get to know everybody and get an understanding of what they want out of school. [The event is very] well done, and I’m very excited to be the new superintendent,” Goode said. 

Even though classroom visits were brief, they gave families a valuable glimpse into daily school life and a chance to connect with teachers. 

Adding to the excitement, the Associated Student Body and Leadership students sold merchandise while each grade hosted bake sales to raise money for their class. Melissa Boles, one of the leadership teachers, shared her perspective.

“Leadership’s role tonight is to take advantage of having all these parents on campus to fundraise for their classes. Parents are excited to see kids fundraising for their grade level, and it gives students exposure and excitement about the program,” Boles said.

Junior class president Jane Shuering spoke about the bake sale and the spirit her class brings to leadership.

“Every year, the class of 2027 brings [its] energy [to] our bake sale. We have the school spirit that I’m always proud of. All of leadership works really hard to put [these events on],” Shuering said. 

To Dr. Payne, family engagement is very important. Payne believes that being involved in the school community has advantages and recommends this level of engagement to parents. 

“My advice to parents is to stay connected–follow the website, read the newsletter, attend PTA or foundation events, and ask their students a lot of questions about school. Sometimes parents pull back in high school, but I say no, stay involved and really understand how your child is doing,” Payne said. 

Longtime Redwood parent Julie Muller shared her experience attending the event.

“[The evening] has been amazing. The communication was great, all the emails and directions were clear and the welcome from the kids and faculty [was] wonderful. You get a visual of where your child is, what period and what the teacher is all about. It’s so helpful,” Muller said. 

As the night came to a close at 8 p.m., the Redwood community was buzzing with excitement and ready to dive into the new school year.