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Oakland Unified School District

The First Day of School was Abuzz with Excitement As Students and Staff Reunited for Another Great Year of Teaching and Learning

Three students yonder pouches
The First Day of School was Abuzz with Excitement As Students and Staff Reunited for Another Great Year of Teaching and Learning
The First Day of School was Abuzz with Excitement As Students and Staff Reunited for Another Great Year of Teaching and Learning
The First Day of School was Abuzz with Excitement As Students and Staff Reunited for Another Great Year of Teaching and Learning
 
Here’s a video from the team at the District’s TV station, KDOL, that will take you through the first day of school!
 
 
Monday, the first day of the 2026-27 school year in OUSD, was exciting across Oakland. Walking into school, students at all middle and high schools ensured their cell phones and watches were secured and inaccessible, most of them going through a new process with Yondr pouches. Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler explained to the media at McClymonds High School how it works. She and Board of Education Director Vancedric Williams and leaders from the District’s Facilities Department also showed off the construction that’s happening on the campus as part of a major renovation project.
In the foreground, people are lining up at a table with a laptop and merchandise, while in the background, a hallway with doors and windows leads to a brighter area.

Next up for Dr. Saddler on her tour of schools with Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sondra Aguilera was a stop at our Young Adult Special Education Program at the Santa Fe campus. It's an award winning program that supports our recent high school graduates on their journey toward independence. Dr. Saddler and Board of Education Director Rachel Latta met Brooklyn, a student who explained the Independent Living classroom, which teaches students what they need to know to live on their own.

In the foreground, a young woman in a wheelchair talks with two women, while the background reveals a colorful room with a bed, clothing racks, and bookshelves.

The next stop for Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler and Board Directors was Sankofa United Elementary where the team met with new Principal Leigh Daniels (who moved over from Brookfield Elementary this year) and visited several classrooms.

Three photos from Sankofa United

Then it was onto Garfield Elementary where a major construction project will be starting in the coming months. The team, along with Principal Alex Brandenburg and Board President Jennifer Brouhard, toured the yard where much of the construction will take place, and visited several classrooms.

Three women stand in front of a yellow banner with colorful drawings and the word "HOORAY!" while one of them points to a poster with images of campus transformations.

After that, they visited Sequoia Elementary, where teaching and learning was well underway. Dr. Saddler got to talk with some students in class. The team, along with Director Mike Hutchinson, visited the library with some partners who may be helping to renovate a library on one of our campuses this year. More on that later!

Children sit at desks in a classroom with a teacher standing and talking to them, while bookshelves and windows fill the background.

At Greenleaf K-8 School, the group visited numerous classrooms, and Board Vice President Valarie Bachelor played for a bit with some TK students. That visit happened just before school let out for the day and new Principal (and former Assistant Principal) Kate Mosely did traffic duty out front making sure the student pickup was smooth.

3 photos from Greenleaf

At Urban Promise Academy, Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, who is the Dean of the School of Education at St. Mary’s College, also joined the fun. The team, including Board Director Patrice Berry, sat down to discuss the many things the school does to support students with Counselor Mary Ellen Bayardo and Principal Tierre Mesa.

Six women are gathered around a large square table in a classroom with shelves of books and supplies in the background.

The day ended at Madison Park Academy Secondary School where Director Clif Thompson joined the team to visit the high school media classroom to watch students being briefed by Teacher Hannah Scharlin-Pettee, Ms. S-P, on expectations for the year.

A hand holds a string with two yellow objects dangling above a red tray with a plastic cup and a paperclip, while students sit at desks in a classroom background.

They also stopped in a history class and a science class where teamwork was the key to solving a gummy worm assignment. The day ended at MPA with students exiting after having their phones in their Yondr pouches unlocked by staff.

Three students yonder pouches

One of the high points there was a joyful reunion between Director Thompson and Assistant Principal Aaron Pratt, who was one of Thompson’s students when he was Principal of Emery High School in Emeryville.

Two smiling men stand in a school hallway, with a bulletin board displaying artwork and student photos in the background.

It was a great first day of school at these campuses, and by all accounts, a great day across the entire district.