As we come to the end of the first semester, I have been reflecting on how Saklan comes alive because people show up — not just physically, but thoughtfully and generously.
We’ve seen it in our middle school students stepping outside the classroom to serve at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, working side by side to bag thousands of pounds of produce while learning what it means to contribute to something larger than themselves. We’ve seen it in our 8th graders traveling to Puerto Rico, engaging deeply with culture, history, and service, and learning firsthand how resilience, empathy, and hard work intersect in the real world.
We’ve also felt it right here on campus. Families gathering on a weekend to paint, build, problem-solve, and laugh together as they work to bring SpongeBob alive. Grandfriends sitting next to students in classrooms, sharing curiosity, pride, and connection. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and staff creating moments that remind students their learning matters — and that they are supported by a community that cares.
This kind of learning doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens because teachers design meaningful experiences, students lean into challenge, and families trust, support, and partner with us. It happens when people give their time, energy, creativity, and resources — whether that’s volunteering at an event, contributing to the Annual Giving Fund, or simply being present and engaged.
I’m deeply grateful for the Saklan community and for the many ways you help make this a place where students learn with purpose, feel a sense of belonging, and develop compassion for the world around them. What your children experience here is the result of a shared commitment, and it is something we don’t take for granted.
Thank you for showing up — for our students, for one another, and for Saklan.
What do a paper clip, an eraser, and a handful of classroom treasures have in common? In the third-grade classroom, they are all helping build big mathematical thinking, one gram at a time.
As part of their daily Number Corner routines, third graders have launched into a month-long, hands-on math investigation focused on measurement and estimation. Each day, a different student takes the lead by selecting an object to place on the pan balance and measuring its mass in grams. The excitement is palpable as classmates gather around to make predictions and watch the scale tip. Reactions like, “I didn’t think it would weigh that much!” spark meaningful conversations about size, weight, and accuracy.
This hands-on approach transforms abstract numbers into something students can see, touch, and reason about. As a class, students are working toward a shared goal: reaching 1 kilogram, or 1,000 grams, by the end of the month. Achieving that goal requires more than mathematical skill—it calls for collaboration, patience, and perseverance. Each day, students estimate how many grams are still needed, strengthening number sense while practicing flexible thinking and reflection.
Equally important, this routine fosters student agency. Children make choices, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from one another, shaping the learning experience through their curiosity and observations. The result is a joyful blend of engaging academics, social-emotional growth, and hands-on discovery.
Over the past few weeks, Saklan’s first graders stepped confidently into the role of designers. What began as an exploration of shapes, colors, and feelings grew into a hands-on design project that blended creativity with meaningful self-expression.
The journey began with a close look at the vibrant artwork of artist Ashley Mary. Students noticed how she uses both geometric and organic shapes to tell what she calls “emotional stories.” This idea connected naturally to the book Exactly You: The Shape of Your Feelings, which affirms that emotions have their own colors, movement, and “feel.” Inspired by these ideas, students explored their own inner worlds through mark-making practice, experimenting with patterns, shapes, and color combinations that reflected their personalities and moods.
With these tools in hand, students took on their design challenge: creating a pair of expressive socks that reflected their unique selves. Like real designers, they brainstormed multiple ideas, sketched drafts, and made thoughtful decisions before committing to a final design. Each choice was deeply personal: blue wavy lines to show calm, tree motifs celebrating a love of nature, and playful “glob” shapes from students who see themselves as artists.
Excitement filled the room as students transferred their final designs onto real socks using fabric markers. Through this joyful process, students discovered that art can be a powerful vehicle for self-expression, one that invites creativity, confidence, and connection.
On Wednesday, the Saklan faculty and staff were treated to an incredibly thoughtful and generous day of appreciation. From an espresso bar serving individually crafted drinks to bagels for breakfast, a delicious lunch from Anne’s Catering, and individual gift bags filled with bottles of oil and vinegar, every detail reflected the care and gratitude of our community.
We are deeply thankful to Christine Jensen, the Saklan Parent Association, and all Saklan families for making this special day possible. Your generosity and kindness made our faculty and staff feel truly valued and supported this holiday season.
Moments like these remind us how fortunate we are to be part of such a warm, connected community. Thank you for all you do to support Saklan and the people who make it such a special place for our students every day.
Earlier this month, Saklan’s 8th graders completed a meaningful service learning field experience in Puerto Rico. We shared highlights from the beginning of the trip in last week’s blog; below, we invite you to catch up on the final days through reflections written by the students themselves. Throughout the week, students documented their learning, service, and growth in a daily blog, capturing both the work they did and the connections they formed along the way.
Day 3: Filling in Walls with Cement
Today, when we woke up, we were greeted by a delicious waffle breakfast. By the end of breakfast, we were ready to rumble and headed to the construction site. Angel told us that today we were going to be filling in the walls with cement. The jobs for today were: shoveling, passing buckets, and filling in the wall. We worked tirelessly and filled in the first wall in only 45 minutes! During our breaks, we were surprised to receive different snacks like fruit, CapriSuns, and Gatorade. After each break, we switched around our jobs and learned more skills for rebuilding houses.
When we were finished with construction, we were welcomed back to Maria’s house with a very delicious lunch, and a very friendly dog that we called Lil Brunc. Our delicious lunch today was rice, beans, chicken nuggets, and salad. After our lunch, we headed to a local bakery where Ms. O bought us giant donuts the size of Lil Brunc! Then, we went to a nearby supermarket where we bought a bunch of delicious and exclusive Puerto Rican snacks. After that, we went back to the Big Yellow House to get ready for the beach. The beach was super fun, and when we got back, we all ate a really delicious meal. Then we enjoyed the rest of our day with group activities and free time.
Day 4: Last Day in the Big Yellow House
Today was an amazing day to close our stay at the Big Yellow House! We woke up to the delightful scent of French toast and sausages. After applying sunscreen and bug spray, we returned to the work site to finish filling in the wall. During our work, we were given tasty ice pops by Yulissa, the person for whom we were building the room. After a few hours of hard work, we filled in the wall completely.
We ate a lunch that consisted of burgers and French fries, along with fruits of many kinds. We returned to the Big Yellow House and had a few extra hours of beach time, because we had finished early. At the beach, we used our creativity to dig holes and play with rocks in the sand. After a fun time at the beach, we headed home to pack up our luggage for our last night at the Big Yellow House.
The group prepared thank you cards written to the community we worked with over the week. Once everything was ready, we spent time with Miss O and Miss Kim to reflect on our experiences with the community so far through journaling. For our final dinner at the Big Yellow House, we invited the community to share it with us. We had a delicious dinner of chicken breast, pork chops, yellow rice, and potatoes. After everyone had finished their food, our class played games with the other kids in the community. To close up our dinner, we had a final meeting about our overall thoughts on our three days at the work site. Before we said our final goodbyes, the community gave us each a bracelet as a thank you and as a reminder of our time here in Puerto Rico.
After everyone left, we all pitched in to help clean up and turned in for our final night at the Big Yellow House. We cannot wait for our upcoming adventures during our last full day here in Puerto Rico!
Day 5: El Yunque Rainforest
Today we started off with an early wake-up to eat a breakfast of delectable waffles, sausages, French toast, and fruit. We packed up everything and got in the vans for a one-hour drive to El Yunque Rainforest. At El Yunque, we went down a short and muddy trail to a beautiful but cold river, which we swam in for a nice, peaceful morning. After trekking back up the muddy trail, in our vans, we headed to the El Yunque Visitor Portal, where we had to run through random bursts of rain to get inside. At the Visitors Portal, we learned about how the local ecosystem works, shopped at souvenir vendors, and adopted a Puerto Rican stuffed parrot, where all the proceeds go to a recovery fund for this endangered species. Once we headed back to the vans, we ate lunch at Rest. El Terruño. There we ate some traditional Puerto Rican food, and tasted the island’s national drink, the Piña Colada (the non-alcoholic version!).
After the delicious lunch, we had an hour to visit and buy from the kiosks that were on the street. Once we were finished shopping, we made the trip to Casa Coral, which is where we get to stay for one short night! There, we settled in and checked out the beach. We had an early dinner of pizza and got in the van one last time to head to Biobay kayak tours. We paddled a mile and a half each way through tangled mangrove roots with our partners to see the bioluminescence of the microscopic things living in the bay. Back at Casa Coral, we shared about what we had learned on the trip and what we will take back home. We will miss our time here in Puerto Rico!
Through service, collaboration, and reflection, Saklan’s 8th graders deepened their understanding of community, responsibility, and global connection. Their time in Puerto Rico left a lasting impression, one they will carry forward long after returning home.
Now that the fall session of enrichment has come to an end, we are excited to share the classes that will be offered during the next enrichment session! For the winter session, the following classes are available:
Check out the class descriptions here. Classes begin the week of January 26th, and have limited space available. Registration for winter enrichment classes is now available on the Saklan Enrichment Webpage.
All Saklan community members are invited to join us for The Saklan School’s 3rd – 5th grade production of The SpongeBob Musical on Friday, December 19th at 10:30 a.m. The show will take place in the Holy Trinity Cultural Center (next door to Saklan). Doors will open at 10:15 a.m.
If you will attend and haven’t already done so, please RSVP here. There is no cost to attend; we want to ensure we have enough seats for all!
This week, our 6th and 7th graders stepped beyond the classroom and into the heart of service as they spent two mornings volunteering at the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Their hard work, teamwork, and compassion made a meaningful impact.
On Monday, the 7th-grade class rolled up their sleeves and got straight to work, sorting and bagging an impressive 3,200 pounds of apples and oranges. The room buzzed with energy as students picked through the fruit, sorting it into family-sized bags. The class collaborated efficiently and encouraged one another to keep the momentum going.
The very next day, it was the 6th graders’ turn. With equal enthusiasm and determination, they tackled a mountain of produce and successfully bagged 6,860 pounds of oranges! Their focus, teamwork, and positivity were inspiring to watch.
These service-learning experiences help students understand the real needs within our broader community and the powerful role they can play in addressing them.
We extend a huge thank you to the Alameda County Community Food Bank for welcoming us, and to our students for their hard work, kindness, and commitment to making the world a better place, one bag of fruit at a time.
Last Saturday, our campus was buzzing with paintbrushes, cardboard, creativity, and a whole lot of teamwork. Over the weekend, students, families, and staff gathered for a Lower School Musical Work Day, transforming our school into a lively workshop filled with color, imagination, and community spirit.
From the moment volunteers arrived, the campus came alive with purpose. Laughter mixed with the sounds of cutting, painting, measuring, and building as teams worked together on the many props and set pieces that will bring Bikini Bottom to life onstage. Giant jellyfish, coral reefs, vibrant backdrops, and whimsical underwater details began taking shape as everyone, kids and grown-ups alike, rolled up their sleeves and dove into the fun.
What made the day truly special wasn’t just the art we created, but the connections we strengthened. Parents and students collaborated side-by-side, sharing ideas, solving problems, and celebrating each finished piece. Older students supported younger ones, families made new friends, and the room glowed with the feeling of creating something meaningful together. Events like this remind us that the heart of the Saklan community lies in our willingness to show up, contribute, and lift one another up.
Thank you to everyone who gave their time, talent, and energy last weekend. Your support makes all the difference, and we are so grateful.
Yesterday, our 8th graders returned from a transformative week-long field experience in Puerto Rico. The trip was a powerful blend of cultural exploration, hands-on service, and unforgettable experiences. Throughout the week, students documented their learning and reflections in a daily blog. Below, we are excited to share the first two entries from their travel journal.
Day 1: Exploring Old San Juan
Today was a great start to our Puerto Rico trip! We began the day with a delicious breakfast and then set out to explore Old San Juan. We walked along the blue cobblestone streets and observed historic monuments such as churches, statues and fortresses. El Morro was one of the fortresses that we visited, and it had a gorgeous view of the ocean, many tunnels and staircases, and great spots for photos. Next, we walked among the colorful buildings of Old San Juan to get to our lunch restaurant. We ate tasty Puerto Rican cuisine before exploring the local shops to buy souvenirs. We also stopped at one of the narrowest houses in the world, which is only five feet across the entire way back!
Then we headed to Santurce, another one of the neighborhoods in San Juan, and we walked along the streets to view the huge murals and street art.
After a long day of walking in the heat, we finally returned to the Big Yellow House and relaxed in the ocean. We saw a horse swimming in the ocean, which surprised all of us! After visiting the beach, we showered off and ate a dinner filled with more Puerto Rican food.
Our favorite parts of the day were visiting El Morro to explore the different levels, playing in the warm ocean, and observing the murals of Santurce.
Day 2: Service and Salsa
Today we went to the worksite to begin the construction project. We poured buckets of sand, shoveled concrete, and passed buckets full of wet concrete. It was very challenging in the smoldering heat, but we made sure to stay positive and hydrated. After we finished with construction for the day, we went to a member of the community´s home. There, we learned about Angel, the foreman, and his experience with Hurricane Maria. Angel and many others lost everything in the hurricane, and Angel has helped rebuild over 60 houses since. Afterward, we went to the beach to swim and relax.
When we returned to the Big Yellow House, we had pasta with red sauce for dinner. Following dinner, we learned how to salsa dance, which was quite tiring!
The best parts of the day were visiting the beach and playing in the sand and water. We also enjoyed seeing the completed floor that we made at the construction site.
We are so proud of our 8th graders for their curiosity, compassion, resilience, and willingness to learn through real-world experiences.
FRIDAY BLOG 
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