Discussions with David: Using Data to Guide Our Work

How do we know our students are growing, learning, and feeling connected to their school community? At Saklan, we use a variety of tools to better understand the student experience and ensure we are meeting the needs of every learner.

Join Head of School David O’Connell on Friday, November 13, at 8:30 a.m. in the Humanities Room for the next Discussions with David.

David will share highlights from Saklan’s recent MAP testing and Student Belonging Survey, offering insight into what the data tells us about student learning, academic growth, and overall well-being. He will also discuss how these findings inform our ongoing work, helping us celebrate areas of strength, identify opportunities for growth, and make thoughtful decisions that support our students.

We hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of how data helps guide the Saklan experience.

Creativity, Connection, and Halloween Fun!

What a fun and festive Halloween celebration we had at Saklan! From the moment students arrived on campus, excitement filled the air as everyone prepared for one of our favorite fall traditions.

The morning kicked off with our beloved Costume Parade, bringing the entire Saklan community together. It was wonderful to see the creativity, colorful costumes, and big smiles as families cheered from the sidelines.

The day was also filled with opportunities to practice two important parts of the Saklan spirit: compassion and connection. Our Kindergartners, first graders, second graders, and eighth-grade choir members visited Moraga Royale, where they performed Halloween-themed songs for the residents. Their performance brought smiles and warm applause, creating a special intergenerational connection.

Back on campus, our Middle School Student Council hosted a spooky celebration for students from Preschool through eighth grade. Activities included trips through a haunted house designed by the students themselves, a bean-bag toss, and spooky story reading! The festivities continued into the afternoon with classroom parties filled with food, games, and plenty of laughter.

A heartfelt thank-you to all the Saklan families who helped make the day so memorable. Your time, creativity, and enthusiasm bring our celebrations to life and remind us what makes the Saklan community so special. What a wonderful day of creativity, connection, and Halloween fun!

Growing Compassion at Saklan

At Saklan, social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of helping students grow not only as learners, but also as thoughtful, caring members of our community.

For November and December, Saklan’s SEL focus is being compassionate.

Compassion means recognizing how others feel, showing kindness, and treating people with empathy and respect. It also means understanding that everyone makes mistakes, appreciating our differences, and looking for ways to care for those around us.

Throughout the next two months, students will be encouraged to put compassion into practice by:

  • Thinking about the feelings and perspectives of others.
  • Remembering that everyone makes mistakes and deserves understanding.
  • Letting teachers, parents, and friends know they are appreciated.
  • Respecting that people may have different beliefs and perspectives.
  • Caring for the Earth and all living things.

These simple but meaningful actions help students build stronger relationships, develop empathy, and contribute to a more inclusive and caring community.

At Saklan, we believe that learning to act compassionately is just as important as learning to think critically. By practicing compassion every day, our students take another step toward living our mission: thinking creatively, acting compassionately, and living courageously.

#SaklanSEL

Curious First Graders Create Their Own Book

What happens when a classroom full of curious first graders gets inspired to write a book? A little desert science, a lot of creativity, and plenty of teamwork!

First graders recently explored the Sonoran Desert and its fascinating creatures, from snakes and spiders to bats. Their classroom even transformed into a bat cave as students learned about these nocturnal animals through fiction and nonfiction books! They discovered that bats are mammals that roost and raise pups, explored concepts like echolocation and migration, and practiced important research skills, including taking notes and documenting facts.

Their learning took an exciting new direction with a special visit from illustrator and graphic novelist Mat Heagerty. Inspired by his work, students had plenty of questions about the bookmaking process, from how illustrations come to life to why books have thin pages and thick covers. Their curiosity sparked a new classroom activity: creating an original book titled The Very Lonely Cactus!

Each student illustrated a character and wrote their own dialogue, while the entire class contributed to coloring the finished illustrations. Along the way, they explored character development, setting, sequencing, and storylines, discovering how dialogue helps bring characters to life. From brainstorming and storyboarding to writing final drafts, students listened to one another, shared ideas, and collaborated to bring their story together.

#SaklanCurious

Snack Shack is Back!

Every Saklan student knows how rewarding a snack can be at the end of a busy day of learning and having fun with one another here at school. Our dedicated and resourceful Student Council has been busy planning the return of Snack Shack this year!

Last year, Student Council officers and representatives in grades 1 through 8 selected the final items for sale based on desirability, minimizing waste, and setting reasonable prices ranging from 50 cents to $3.00 per item. Yummy snacks for sale this year will include: Goldfish crackers, gummies, chips, Veggie Straws, Hello Panda, Pirate’s Booty, Rice Krispies treats, La Croix bubble water, Honest Juice, and Martinelli’s apple drinks.

Last year’s Student Council also voted to allocate most of the proceeds from Saklan’s Snack Shack to support two non-profits: Global Preservation Initiative, which is based in Hawai’i and promotes shared human and environmental health, and Global Refuge, which provides support and resources to new immigrants to the U.S. Money earned from purchasing snacks at Snack Shack is converted into donations to support causes that our students care about, inspiring them to Act Compassionately. Stay tuned for which charity or cause this year’s Student Council selects!

Snack Shack will open outside David’s office, or inside the Science Room if it’s raining, from 3:05 – 3:25 p.m. every Thursday.  Saklan students are invited to come by and purchase a snack from our hardworking Student Council members. Cash only, please.

#SaklanStudentCouncil #SaklanCompassion

Orange Envelope Day Success: Saklan Shows Up in a Big Way!

This year’s Orange Envelope Day was definitely one for the books! Our Saklan community embraced David’s Orange Suit Challenge with incredible enthusiasm, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the outpouring of generosity and school spirit.

On Orange Envelope Day alone, we received 75 gifts and pledges, representing 57% of our community! Thanks to this amazing show of support, David will be donning his fan-favorite bright orange suit on Monday! Be sure to look for him during car line before he heads down the street to Sí Sí Caffé for coffee. Saklan families are welcome to join him for a celebratory cup!

And the excitement doesn’t stop there. To date, we’ve raised more than $210,000, with 74% of our community participating in this year’s Annual Giving Fund (AGF). What an incredible start to our campaign!

The AGF supports the teachers, programs, and meaningful learning experiences that make Saklan such a special place for our students. Every gift matters, and every family’s participation helps strengthen our community and enrich our students’ experience.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed, participated, and helped build momentum for this year’s campaign. Your generosity reflects the care and commitment that make Saklan such a wonderful community.

We’re off to an amazing start, but we’re not done yet! Our goal is 100% family participation and $250,000 raised. If you haven’t had a chance to make your gift, there’s still time to join in. Every gift makes a difference, and together we can make this year’s AGF a success!

Thank you for showing up for Saklan. We can’t wait to see David—and that orange suit—on Monday!

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanGives

Growing Curiosity in Family Groups

This week, Saklan students in Kindergarten through eighth grade came together for one of our favorite school traditions: Family Groups! On October 28, students gathered across grade levels to explore our October Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) focus: Curiosity.

Family Groups offer students an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with classmates in other grades while developing the social-emotional skills that help them thrive. This month, students explored what it means to be curious, why curiosity matters, and how asking questions can open the door to new discoveries.

What Does It Mean to Be Curious?

Students began by sharing a little about themselves before diving into a conversation about curiosity. Together, they considered what curiosity looks like, why it matters, and how it helps us learn more about ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Curiosity encourages us to ask questions, explore new ideas, express ourselves creatively, and approach unfamiliar experiences with an open mind.

Learning Through Exploration and Play

After their discussion, students put their curiosity into action through a series of interactive activities designed to spark wonder and encourage creative thinking.

Working together, groups explored a mystery bag, examined mystery photos, and challenged themselves with trivia questions. These activities invited students to observe carefully, think critically, share ideas, and learn from one another. Older and younger students partnered up, creating opportunities for collaboration and connection across grade levels.

Sharing Our Wonder

To wrap up the meeting, each student received a paper leaf and wrote down something they were curious about, adding a drawing when space allowed. From questions about the natural world to interests and ideas waiting to be explored, each leaf represented a unique spark of wonder.

The leaves were then added to a shared Family Group poster, creating a colorful collection of questions and interests that celebrates the many ways curiosity inspires learning.

Curiosity Connects Us

At Saklan, curiosity is more than asking questions. It means being open to new perspectives, exploring possibilities, and discovering that learning often begins with a simple “I wonder…”

As our students continue to explore their questions and follow their interests, we look forward to seeing where their curiosity takes them next!

Exploring Life on the Creek

The Owlets are fully immersed in their Life on the Creek project, and their curiosity is flowing! To begin, students shared what they already knew about the creek and created a Wonder Wall to collect questions about what they hoped to discover. With a little practice learning that questions often begin with words like how, what, why, where, and who, the Owlets got right to work asking thoughtful questions. They were especially curious about the animals that live in the creek, where the water comes from, and where it goes. Their Wonder Wall is already filled with ideas, setting the stage for continued exploration and discovery.

The first investigation focused on the creek as a whole and its different features, including riffles, pools, bends, and the mouth. Inside the classroom, the Owlets worked together to create a beautiful creek mural. As their learning grows, students are adding labels and details such as rocks, logs, and trees. Animals will also find their way onto the mural as the Owlets learn more about the creatures that call the creek home.

As part of the investigation, students have been building their vocabulary by tracing new words and discussing what each creek feature means. One student offered a wonderful description of the creek’s mouth, explaining that it is “when the creek water spits out into a different creek.” Another helped create signs for riffles, the shallow, fast-moving sections of the creek. These conversations show how the Owlets are using their own words and observations to make sense of new concepts. Students also explored their creativity by using natural materials and art supplies to build their own miniature creeks.

One animal that has captured the Owlets’ attention is the pond turtle. Although no turtles have been spotted during creek walks, students learned that turtles enjoy living near the water and basking on rocks. After reading Turtle Splash, a counting story, the Owlets created their own turtles using cutout pieces to form the shells. They paid close attention to the red and yellow stripes on pond turtles’ heads, making sure to include these special details in their artwork.

The turtle investigation also brought together math, literacy, and art. Students counted their turtles, practiced writing numbers, and created their own turtle stories. Soon, these stories will become part of the classroom creek mural, adding another layer to the growing record of their discoveries.

Through questions, observation, hands-on exploration, and creative expression, the Owlets are learning to look closely at the natural world around them. Their Life on the Creek project is just beginning, and their curiosity is sure to lead to many more exciting discoveries!

#SaklanProjectWork

Why I Give: Celebrating the Joy of Learning and Community

I give to Saklan each year through the Annual Giving Fund because Saklan is more than just a school. It’s a place where kids learn respect, kindness, and the joy of learning. It’s a community of students, teachers, and parents who all want creative, compassionate, and courageous learning opportunities. And it’s a place where I have gotten to see the joy of science fill my students’ eyes, hearts, and minds.

I give because I want Saklan to flourish and grow, providing students with the foundational skills and opportunities they need to discover their passions in life—even if those passions don’t involve science! 🙂

Most of all, I give because I love this school, our amazing students, and our wonderful community!

Join Ms. O, Saklan’s Science Teacher, in supporting Saklan by making an AGF gift today!

When EdTech Disrupts Learning

Tuesday, Nov. 10, noon–1 p.m. PT

Technology promised to transform learning. But as screens have steadily crept into nearly every aspect of education, many parents are asking whether EdTech has gone too far, and how they can push for less screen time in the classroom.

Join Emily Cherkin, M.Ed., former teacher and nationally recognized speaker, for a timely ParentMap Talks conversation to take a closer look at the growing role of technology in your child’s education. Cherkin will help you understand how EdTech impacts learning, speak up when something feels off, and discover how families and schools are already finding a healthier balance.

Register Now (Promo code: SAKSCHL)

#SaklanParentEd