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Oakland In The Middle

@oakinthemiddle

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OAKLAND MIDDLE SCHOOLS FTW
OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
PROUD OF THIS TOWN ❤️
chooseOUSD.org
Follow @townsproutsousd @thelinkousd

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Art, nature, history, and adventure all in one place for today’s #ParkSpotlight!

The Albany Bulb is one of the Bay Area’s most unique outdoor spaces. Once a landfill, this shoreline peninsula has been reclaimed by nature and transformed over time into a wild landscape filled with coastal habitat, sweeping Bay views, local wildlife, and an ever-changing collection of community-created art.

Last school year, students from @frickunited and @ednabrewerpanthers got to explore the Bulb for themselves.

Frick students spent the day following their curiosity, taking in the waterfront views and discovering unexpected art installations tucked throughout the landscape. Edna Brewer students turned their visit into a Nature Search scavenger hunt, exploring the many sculptures and art pieces scattered around the park.

Places like the Albany Bulb remind us that outdoor learning can happen in all kinds of landscapes, especially right here in our own Bay Area backyard.

#OaklandGoesOutdoors #OutdoorLearning #OutdoorEquity #AlbanyBulb YouthOutside by @oakinthemiddle

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6 days ago

For today’s #MondayMotivation, hear from Nelly Alcantar of @mlaoakland about a moment she’ll never forget.

On one of her students’ first camping trips to Muir Woods and @mounttamalpaisstatepark, a student asked if the sounds they were hearing were “real nature sounds.”

That simple question reinforced just how important it is to give students opportunities to get first-hand experience in nature.

Today, this overnight trip is an annual tradition for MLA’s 8th graders, giving students the chance to soak up all the sounds and benefits of quality time outdoors.

#OaklandGoesOutdoors #OutdoorLearning #OutdoorEquity by @oakinthemiddle

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13 days ago

Nature vibes only! Our Westlake Middle School 6th graders just leveled up their outdoor game on their very first Oakland Goes Outdoors trip to Lake Temescal Regional Recreation Area, and the energy was absolute magic.

From casting lines and catching their first-ever fish to catching breathtaking views on a trail hike with Mr. Tim, our 6th-grade starters traded screen time for sunshine. Out in the fresh air, real connections happened classmates bonded, teachers shared laughs outside the classroom, and fresh memories were locked in.

Major props to Mr. Santiago for opening up a whole new world of fishing to our students, and a massive shoutout to our rockstar parent volunteers for showing up and holding it down! None of this outdoor magic happens without our incredible Black Thriving TSA, whose dedication made this whole day possible for our scholars.
Our 6th graders stepped way out of their comfort zones, tried new things, and showed up for each other in the best way possible. Here is to breaking new ground, building community, and taking learning way beyond the classroom walls!

#WestlakeMiddleSchool

#OaklandGoesOutdoors #LakeTemescal #BlackThrivingTSA #OaklandEd OutdoorsForEveryone NextGenExplorers by @oakinthemiddle

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25 days ago

What a great evening at Westlake!
Thank you to all of our families who joined us, connected with teachers, and helped us kick off another amazing school year.

We’re excited for all that’s ahead and grateful to have our Westlake community alongside us!

Let’s SOAR, Warrior Eagles! 🦅

#WestlakeMiddleSchool #WarriorEagles #BackToSchoolNight #WestlakeSOARS #OUSD by @oakinthemiddle

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a month ago

The first few days are in the books and you can feel the joy on our campuses! Just look at the smiles and excitement from the start of the school year. 📸 😁

See the full recap of Superintendent visits on the first day of school: link in bio by @oakinthemiddle

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2 months ago

Day 2 energy! ✨🎒 We asked our students one big question: What are you most looking forward to this year? 💭👇

Hit play to see their answers! 🎥🍿 by @oakinthemiddle

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2 months ago

And that’s a wrap on the 25-26 school year. Class of 2026 we are so proud of you! Remember, once a Bobcat always a Bobcat! ROAAARRR #bobcatsroar @oakinthemiddle by @oakinthemiddle

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

🌿🎬That’s a wrap on the 2025–2026 school year, Oakland!

Today marks the last day of school for OUSD, and we couldn’t be more proud of every student who spent time outside with @oaklandgoesoutdoors this year, exploring, discovering, learning, and building connections in the incredible natural spaces right here in the Bay Area.

What a year it’s been:
✨6,000+ students
✨22 school sites
✨Nearly 300 outdoor learning experiences
✨More than 15,000 days spent outside
✨And we even celebrated our 1,000th trip since launching in 2018!

From creek walks and tidepools to kayaking and overnight camping trips, each experience was made possible by the amazing community surrounding this work. To our educators, partners, donors, volunteers, families, and supporters: thank you for helping make sure Oakland youth have access to the joy, healing, belonging, and discovery that can happen outdoors.

We can’t wait to share more stories and highlights from the school year throughout the summer. Until then, wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and restorative summer aheady, with PLENTY of time spent outdoors!

#OaklandGoesOutdoors #OUSD #SummerBreak #HAGS #getoutside taken in Oakland, California by @oakinthemiddle

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4 months ago

Earlier this year, middle school students from @rms_oak had the opportunity to visit @hiddenvilla in Santa Clara County.

Nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Hidden Villa’s 1,600-acre working farm and educational space offered students a chance to slow down, explore, and connect with each other and the natural world in new ways. Throughout the trip, students hiked the surrounding trails, challenged themselves on the ropes course, met farm animals, sampled fresh veggies and herbs from the edible garden, and experienced the beauty and calm of the environment around them.

Thank you to Hidden Villa for being such an important partner in helping Oakland youth access transformative outdoor learning opportunities!

#OaklandGoesOutdoors #HiddenVilla ##OutdoorLearning #EnvironmentalEducation by @oakinthemiddle

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4 months ago

Building bridges between community schools 🤝🌱
As an organization dedicated to strengthening arts access across the full continuum of a child’s educational experience, we’ve been investing deeply in building relationships between elementary, middle, and high school arts programs within the same Oakland neighborhoods.

Earlier this month, we facilitated a field trip where students from the @elmhurstunited band program visited neighboring elementary school @reachoakland to perform for 5th graders and share about their experiences in the Elmhurst music program.

With support from Elmhurst music teacher Deario Austin, Elmhurst students stepped into the role of community leaders—speaking about how participating in music has positively shaped their school experience, answering questions from incoming students, and even giving 5th graders a chance to try out instruments themselves.

We’re so proud of our Elmhurst students and look forward to welcoming rising 6th graders from Reach Academy in the fall 💗 by @oakinthemiddle

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4 months ago

On Wednesday, our Warrior Eagles had a field day celebrating both the end of the school year and a job well done! The event was hosted by our amazing after-school programs, BACR and RJ.

A huge shoutout to Ms. Ashley for making the day unforgettable by hooking our students up with food trucks, game trucks, and a bouncy basketball court full of fun and excitement. Thank you to everyone who helped create such a special experience for our students! by @oakinthemiddle

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4 months ago