Sandpiper Middle School outlines curriculum, student supports and extracurriculars at BRSSD information night

Sandpiper Middle School staff in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) presented an overview of the school's curriculum, student supports and extracurricular programs during a virtual information night for incoming fifth-grade families.

The presentation, led by Principal Gloria Higgins and Assistant Principal Stephanie Scala, described Sandpiper's instructional approach (double-block schedule), signature practices (design thinking, metacognition, and diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging), pathways for math, special education and English learner supports, and before- and after-school add-on programs such as music, world language and intersession.

Higgins opened the event by saying she was "the proudest, luckiest principal in the district" and emphasized the school's focus on student-centered programming. The district strategic plan, she said, guided Sandpiper's goals to develop well-rounded learners and to strengthen belonging, inclusion and long-term investment in staff and facilities.

Teachers and staff described classroom curricula and routines. Sixth-grade English language arts and history will use StudySync and TCI History Alive; sixth-grade science will use STEMscopes and include weekly hands-on labs; math uses Desmos curriculum and emphasizes conceptual understanding. Staff described two math tracks with flexibility for students to move between regular and accelerated pathways; Carlmont High School was identified as the primary high-school destination for most students.

Speakers highlighted Sandpiper's signature instructional practices. A staff member described metacognition and executive-function teaching (planning, reflection and "eat the frog" prioritization) that students practice through routines and check-ins. Another teacher said design thinking is used across subjects for problem-solving projects such as student-created videos, escape rooms and prototypes.

Staff also outlined student supports. The school counselor described individual and short-term group counseling (six-to-eight week groups) on topics including executive functioning and emotional regulation, referrals to outside resources, and a four-year high-school planning process for current eighth graders. The learning center teacher described push-in and pull-out special education supports and coordination with general education staff for students on individualized education programs (IEPs). The language specialist described services for multilingual learners, including pull-out or push-in sessions aligned to ELPAC domains.

Extracurriculars and enrichment time were a major focus. Sandpiper operates a double-block schedule (the staff said core periods can run about 1 hour and 50 minutes) to allow longer labs and deeper project work. The school offers before-school band and strings, a monitored online world-language course (planned to start with eighth grade and expand if space allows), elective rotations (digital media, cultural arts, public speaking, journalism, makerspace, broadcast/podcasting), Quest time (weekly student passion projects), intersession (short-term passion classes during conference periods), and sports including flag football, cross-country, volleyball, basketball, tennis and others depending on interest.

Administrators reminded families about logistics: a parent-only campus tour scheduled for 08:45 the following day (registration requested), first day of school on Aug. 14, and a prospective student orientation to be scheduled on Aug. 12 or 13 (date to be determined). ParentSquare is the district's official communication tool; families will receive invitations after enrollment is confirmed.

The night concluded with staff inviting questions through the webinar Q&A and offering contact information for follow-up. Higgins closed by reaffirming the staff's pride in the Sandpiper program and the school's student-centered approach.