Our Joyful Schools Lead to Joyful Learning

When someone is taught the joy of learning, it becomes a life-long process that never stops, a process that creates a logical individual. That is the challenge and joy of teaching. Marva Collins, American Educator

Now that it’s summer, we can feel the energy of this changing season. Our younger students are delighting in more playtime and longer days, while our recent graduates are likely enjoying their final high school summer break with an eye toward the changes to come this fall.

During the 2024-25 school year, I provided updates on the progress of our Strategic Plan, highlighting three of the four initiatives (Early Literacy, Empowered Graduates, and Diverse and Stable Staff) and taking a deep dive with the Mid Year Report. I love sharing our wins and lifting up the amazing things taking place across the district. Today I want to call attention to the fourth initiative of the Strategic Plan; Joyful Schools.

What exactly do we mean when we talk about our commitment to creating joyful schools? Let’s spell it out.

Creating joyful schools is all about ensuring that our schools are engaging, and emotionally and physically safe learning spaces that our students are excited to attend. Joyful schools are places that our families feel confident about sending their children, knowing that they will be truly cared for and treated with respect.

The entire school community from staff to families to students feels proud of their school climate and culture at a joyful school.

Below, I’ve provided some snapshots of this work that took place this year. I think these examples really embody our commitment to ensuring that every OUSD school truly is a joyful school.

Next school year we will expand our Joyful Schools focus by lifting up the Joyful Learning happening both inside and outside our classrooms. I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

As always, I root for you, Oakland.

In community,

Kyla Johnson-Trammell
Superintendent

---

Welcoming Families From Day One

In an effort to ensure that our youngest learners and their families are best prepared for the educational journey ahead, OUSD hosts up to ten Early Learning Family Nights each year for PreK and TK families. These sessions take place online with the goal of creating community and making families and children feel comfortable in relaxed learning environments and gain confidence in their skills. Typically, about 20 families participate in each Early Learning Family Night, however, attendance can skyrocket to 200 families under certain circumstances.

Recent Family Nights have featured puppet shows, presentations from the Oakland Zoo, a focus on literacy including read-aloud time and information from the Oakland Public Library, as well as a focus on family engagement and enrollment support.

"Being in community with our PreK and TK families is incredibly powerful," says Mirsha Heredia Gomez, Early Learning Principal at International Child Development Center (CDC) and United Nation CDC, who helps convene the events. "Family Nights on Zoom are a great way to partner with families from across Oakland and center engagement around their young students' and families' strengths, interests, and particular needs."

---

Creating Joyful Physical Spaces

Thanks to our incredible partners, Eat. Learn. Play. foundation and KABOOM!, not only are we ensuring that our young people have access to greener, high quality spaces -  in alignment with Green Schoolyard Legislation (SB 1091) - but that these spaces are inviting and joyful.

One of the most recent schoolyard transformations was completed in February at East Oakland Pride (EOP) Elementary. "This used to be all blacktop," said Principal Michelle Grant about her playground. "We used to have three trees…now we have 80 trees and all of this greenery! The kids come out to play, and they are so excited."

With the completion of the Madison Park Academy schoolyard, which held its ribbon cutting at the end of this school year, and the Melrose Leadership Academy Maxwell campus which will unveil its new playground this summer, our amazing partners have remodeled 23 schoolyards. Stemming from the imagination of Oakland students, these kid-designed spaces provide access to safe and high-quality spaces for students and the surrounding school community, including new play structures, gardens, nature exploration areas, outdoor classrooms, multi-sport courts, soccer fields, murals, and much more. 

Looking ahead, we are planning to remodel an additional eight schoolyards across the District by the end of 2026.

---

New Child Development Center at Laurel

Thanks to the Measure Y bond, the Laurel community has a beautiful, innovative, and free-for-most-students Child Development Center that better serves young learners in the area.

The brand new 10,500 square foot facility includes four state-of-the-art classrooms, a lobby, a principal’s office, a multi-use resource room, a kitchen, and an outdoor space with play structures, a paint wall, a tricycle track, and a learning garden. All of it provides a safe and joyful environment where young children can learn and thrive.

The new center was thoughtfully designed to support quality instruction in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

OUSD’s Executive Director of Early Learning, Jessica Cannon, highlighted the potential impact of Laurel’s new space on student outcomes. "I really do believe that if we can give Oakland’s two, three, and four year olds a quality early learning experience, then we can narrow the opportunity gaps and have more kids ready for kindergarten."

---

Establishing a Culture of Inclusivity

Creating inclusive learning environments where all students feel valued and can fully participate is essential in education. This involves accommodations, inclusive language, diverse curricula, and culturally responsive teaching.

The Montera Middle School community recently demonstrated its commitment to this work during its "Inclusion Matters" week in March. Led by leadership teacher Mx. J and in partnership with the OUSD Disability Access Team, the initiative aimed to deepen conversations around disability awareness. 

The week featured student presentations, school-wide announcements, and a door decorating contest culminating in a disability awareness event. These activities were a collaborative effort between special and general education teachers, students, and the Disability Access Team, fostering meaningful dialogue across the school.

Participants celebrated seeing students connect and the proactive nature of the events. Amanda Seaton of the Disability Access Team said, "It was so amazing to see all of the teachers and students come together... It was really inspiring to see ALL kids openly talking and learning about disabilities." Montera teachers plan to make this an annual event.

---

YAP Prom

The Young Adult Program celebrated in style on Friday, April 25, with their 2nd Annual YAP Sneaker Ball at Preservation Park. Students, staff, and families came together for an unforgettable evening of dinner and dancing, with music provided by a YAP Alumni DJ.

This special prom celebration honored all of our amazing students, particularly those graduating this year whose high school experience and senior prom had been impacted by COVID-19. The photo booth was a hit throughout the night, bustling with attendees, including dedicated staff members who volunteered their time to help make this truly the "party of the century." The Young Adult Program, recognized as an OUSD school, continues to create incredible opportunities for students with disabilities.

Since its inception, the program has grown stronger each year, and these remarkable students are taking the lead and making their mark on the world.

---

Autism Appreciation Month

April was Autism Appreciation Month, and our district proudly hosted a variety of events demonstrating our commitment to creating engaging and inclusive spaces for all learners. These celebrations of neurodiversity perfectly align with our Joyful Schools initiative, showcasing how we build learning environments where every student feels valued and excited to participate.

Our Neurodiversity Read-In at Emerson Elementary brought parent volunteers into classrooms, sharing stories that celebrate different ways of thinking and experiencing the world, helping students develop understanding and appreciation for neurodiversity.

The Community Movie Night at Grand Lake Theater on April 15 was particularly special, featuring a panel of young adults with disabilities, including students from OUSD's Young Adult Program, who courageously shared their educational experiences and journeys to adulthood. This was followed by a screening of Samuel Habib's inspiring film "The Ride Ahead: Love, Tattoos, and other Disabled Things," which offers a powerful perspective on navigating adulthood as a young person with a disability.

We also invested in our educators through Professional Development on Neurodiversity, with training sessions held on April 23 and 24. These sessions equipped our staff with strategies for integrating students on the autism spectrum and anticipating their needs, building the skills necessary to create more inclusive classroom environments where all students can thrive.

---

Claremont girls' basketball meets the Bay Area’s new WNBA team

The Golden State Valkyries visited Claremont Middle School to spend time with the school's 2025 league champion girls' basketball team. Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, and Tiffany Hayes sat for a panel discussion with the girls, answering questions about what it took for them to make it to the WNBA, the importance of being a good student and working hard in school and sports, and their love for the game of basketball.

After the talk, the team handed out t-shirts, which the players signed. They also produced a student podcast and went outside for some games in the sun. Thornton also did a short video with the girls for the Valkyries' social media channels. OUSD thanks the Valkyries for their support of our students!

---

Summer Learning: Cultivating Joy and Community

This week, more than 6,000 of our students are enjoying our summer learning programs at 42 school sites and 14 Child Development Centers across the District. To support this massive undertaking, more than one thousand OUSD employees are working, and we have partnered with 22 summer lead agencies. These collaborative efforts ensure that students of all grades will experience at least two enriching field trips this summer, extending learning beyond traditional classroom walls and into the vibrant Oakland community.

Our summer learning programs also offer life-changing internships for high school students exploring potential career paths. They provide crucial support for young people, including students with disabilities, newcomers, high school students in need of credit recovery, students requiring additional literacy support, and those transitioning from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school. We’ll provide a more in-depth look at all of our summer learning opportunities in late July.

---

Here are a few highlights so far this summer:

Oakland Fine Arts Summer School

For many students, summer school is about music and the arts, with the Summer Music Camp for middle schoolers and the Oakland Fine Arts Summer School (OFASS) for elementary students. (The culminating performances for each of these programs are this Friday, June 27.)

Thanks to our strong partnership with the City of Oakland’s Parks, Recreation, and Youth Development Department, OFASS provides students with a welcoming space for creativity. Young people have been exploring a range of visual and performing arts, including painting, sewing, and dance, in a warm and supportive atmosphere.

The Ikuna Summer Crew

The Ikuna Group is hosting its annual Summer Crew program from June 9 to July 3, designed specifically for our Pacific Islander students. Led by Taimani Lauti, this partnership reflects IKUNA's belief that "for Pacific Islander youth, a strong sense of cultural identity is not just a source of pride, but also a wellspring of strength and resilience in today's challenges."

Students experience a rich blend of cultural activities, including ukulele lessons, hula, traditional artwork, rugby, football, music, dance, and creative writing, all woven together with IKUNA's special CREW curriculum, which focuses on social-emotional learning. This approach shows our commitment to teaching that honors and strengthens our students' identities while building lasting friendships and community connections.