Alumni Spotlight: Luke Lawless

It was wonderful to welcome Saklan alumnus Luke Lawless back to campus recently! Now a sophomore at Bentley, Luke returned to Saklan as part of Bentley’s student ambassador program, giving our eighth graders an inside look at life at Bentley and sharing his experiences as a high school student.

During his visit, Luke talked with students about some of the classes and activities he has enjoyed during his time at Bentley. He is especially excited to take AP Environmental Studies, and he shared how much he enjoys Latin. Beyond learning the language itself, Luke appreciates that the class connects to other languages and incorporates a lot of history, giving him a broader perspective on what he is learning.

Outside the classroom, Luke is a member of the Robotics Club, which meets on weekends. He described the club as a lot of fun and a great opportunity to work alongside other students on hands-on projects.

For our eighth graders, having Luke back on campus offered a valuable opportunity to hear directly from a former Saklan student about the transition to high school, discovering new interests, and making the most of the opportunities available along the way.

We are grateful to Luke for taking the time to return to Saklan and share his experience with our students. 

#SaklanAlumni

See You Tomorrow for Taste of Traditions!

Tomorrow, Saklan families, alumni, and friends will come together for Taste of Traditions, an evening dedicated to celebrating the wonderful community that makes Saklan so special!

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court for an evening filled with delicious food, fun games, music from our DJ, and opportunities to connect with fellow members of our community.

One of the best parts of being part of Saklan is the sense of connection we share across grades, families, and generations. Events like Taste of Traditions give us a chance to slow down, enjoy time together, share our favorite traditions, and create new memories.

Whether you’re bringing a favorite dish to share or simply bringing yourselves, we can’t wait to see you there.

We look forward to a wonderful evening of food, fun, and community. See you tomorrow!

#SaklanCommunity

Math Detectives: Discovering Numbers, Patterns, and Possibilities

Who knew there were so many ways to make five, or ten? Our kindergarten mathematicians are finding out!

In math, students have been exploring numbers and discovering the many ways to put them together and take them apart. Five can be made with two and three, four and one, or even five and zero! Using tools called five frames and ten frames, students are becoming number detectives, looking for patterns and discovering how numbers work together. These playful investigations build a strong foundation for addition and subtraction.

Students have also been learning to compare numbers, trading in everyday words like more and less for the mathematical vocabulary greater than and less than.

And what better way to practice than through a game? In their newest Math Work Place, Count & Compare Dots, students compare cards to determine which shows the greater or lesser number. But there’s a twist! A spinner decides whether the greater or lesser number wins each round.

Think collecting the most cards guarantees victory? Think again! A final spin determines whether the player with the most, or the fewest, cards wins the game.

Through hands-on exploration, playful challenges, and collaborative learning, our kindergartners are developing number sense, building mathematical vocabulary, and discovering that math is full of patterns, possibilities, and surprises!

#SaklanHandsOn

An Update on Saklan’s Auction and Gala

At Saklan, our community comes together in so many meaningful ways to celebrate our students, support their learning, and strengthen the connections that make our school special. One of those traditions is our annual auction!

This year, we’re making a change to our auction format. We will host an online auction this year rather than an in-person Gala. Families will still have the opportunity to participate, bid on exciting items and experiences, and support Saklan’s programs and students.

Moving forward, Saklan’s Gala will take place every other year, alternating with our online auction. This new schedule allows us to continue offering opportunities for our community to come together in support of Saklan while giving each Gala the time and attention it deserves.

We’re grateful for the generosity and enthusiasm our families, alumni, and friends bring to these events. Your participation helps make the Saklan experience possible for our students, and we look forward to sharing more details about this year’s online auction in the months ahead.

Thank you for being part of the Saklan community and for your continued support!

Head’s Corner: Learning to Listen, Together

Last Friday morning, a group of Saklan parents gathered with Isaac to experience our West African drumming program firsthand.

Isaac introduced us to movements from West African music traditions and explained what they communicate to an audience. For us, those first dance steps offered another lesson: learning very often requires a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

Dancing (sometimes awkwardly) with other adults makes us vulnerable — and connected — through movement and laughter. It was a useful reminder of what we ask of our children every day—to take risks, try new things, and trust the people around them.

As we moved into drumming, Isaac emphasized the importance of listening. He remarked that in West Ghanaian culture, there is a strong emphasis on listening over speaking, and that our first responsibility in making music together is to listen to others before adding our own contributions.

That idea reaches well beyond music. Collaboration and learning depend on noticing what others are doing, making room for their contributions, and adjusting our own. In a classroom, a conversation, or a group of musicians, listening helps us find our place while staying connected to the whole.

We ended by talking about the many kinds of learning involved in making music: attention, memory, movement, coordination, and connection with others. We left with a deeper appreciation of what our students experience in the drumming program—and why it has a meaningful place at Saklan.

For me, the morning brought several of our beliefs about learning to life. We learn through experience. We grow when we feel comfortable enough to take a risk. And we contribute more thoughtfully when we first make the effort to connect and listen.

Isaac gave us a chance to practice all three, together.

#SaklanHeadsCorner #SaklanHandsOn #SaklanCommunity

Taste of Traditions Oct. 17

We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 17, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. for Taste of Traditions! This family-friendly community celebration will take place on the Saklan Sports Court and feature delicious food, fun games, and a DJ.

All Saklan families and alumni are invited to come together for an evening of connection, celebration, and community!

Planning to attend? Please RSVP using the button below so we can get an accurate headcount. No need to let us know what you’re bringing—just bring yourselves! If you’d like to bring a favorite dish to share, we’d love that, too.

Let us know if you are attending!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

#SaklanPA #SaklanCommunity

October SEL Focus: Curious

Each month at Saklan, we focus on a different Social Emotional Learning (SEL) topic that helps students develop the skills they need to navigate school, relationships, and the world around them. For October, our SEL focus is Curious.

Being curious means more than simply wanting to know the answer. It means being willing to ask questions, explore new ideas, listen to different perspectives, and approach unfamiliar experiences with an open mind.

These skills extend far beyond the classroom. When students are curious, they become more willing to take intellectual risks, consider perspectives different from their own, and see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Curiosity helps students develop the very qualities at the heart of Saklan’s mission: thinking creatively, acting compassionately, and living courageously.

#SaklanSEL

Geometry Students Investigate Dilations

In 8th Grade Geometry, students recently explored the concept of dilations, investigating what happens when a figure is proportionally enlarged from a specific point, known as the point of dilation.

Using a stretched rubber band as a hands-on model, students experimented with how a figure changes as it is enlarged. Through their investigation, they discovered an important geometric relationship: while the size of a figure changes during a dilation, its angles remain congruent.

This hands-on exploration allowed students to discover the properties of dilations for themselves rather than simply learning them as rules. The insights they developed provide an important foundation for their next unit of study: similarity.

#SaklanHandsOn

Human Raised: Helping Kids Flourish in the Age of AI

Chatbots can become confidants. AI can do homework, answer questions and even power plushies that talk back. As these technologies become part of everyday childhood, parents and educators face a new question: How do we embrace what AI can offer without losing the human experiences children need most?

Dana Suskind, pediatric surgeon and New York Times bestselling author of “Human Raised,” joins us to help parents and educators navigate AI with intention while protecting the uniquely messy and beautiful human experiences kids need to thrive. Drawing on brain science and practical frameworks, she’ll help adults guide their children to make thoughtful choices about technology while preserving the relationships, experiences, and human connection at the heart of healthy development.

You’ll learn

  • Why human connection matters so much to a developing brain
  • How to evaluate whether AI products support or undermine healthy development
  • Where and how to set meaningful boundaries around AI
  • Ways to nurture your child’s uniquely human skills

AI is here to stay. Learn how to make sure it supports — rather than replaces — what kids need to flourish. Reserve your spot here for the live Zoom talk using promo code SAKSCHL to attend for free — and get access to the recording to watch anytime.

#SaklanPA #SaklanParentEd

Staff Spotlight: Coach Rob

For Coach Rob, Physical Education is about much more than sports. It’s an opportunity for students to explore, take risks, build relationships, and discover what they’re capable of.

Now in his third year at Saklan, Coach Rob teaches PE to students in Kindergarten through eighth grade, giving him the unique opportunity to work with students throughout nearly their entire Saklan journey.

Coach Rob draws much of his approach to teaching from his own interests and experiences. Sport, wellness, travel, culture, and exploring new places have always been important parts of his life.

“I try to bring that same sense of curiosity and adventure into PE,” he shares. “I want students to experience new games, sports, challenges, and ways of working with people that they might not always choose on their own.”

For Coach Rob, movement can be a powerful vehicle for learning not just about physical skills, but about ourselves and the world around us.

Learning Through Play

Coach Rob sees play as an essential part of learning.

“Play gives kids the opportunity to explore, problem-solve, communicate, compete, take risks, fail safely, and try again,” he explains. “I don’t see play as something separate from learning. I think it’s one of the ways kids learn best.”

His goal is to create an environment where students can be present, challenge themselves, try new things, and most importantly, enjoy moving.

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching PE is watching students discover that they don’t have to fit a particular definition of an “athlete” to find success.

Coach Rob especially enjoys seeing a student who may not initially consider themselves athletic or have much interest in sports find an activity they genuinely enjoy. That might be a sport, a game, running, an adventure, a team challenge, or simply realizing they can accomplish something they didn’t think they could do.

“I want every student to understand that there is more than one way to be successful in Physical Education,” he says.

Be Willing to Try

If Coach Rob could offer his students one piece of advice, it would be simple: Be willing to try.

“You don’t have to be the best at everything. Be present, give your best effort, try something new, and be willing to be uncomfortable sometimes. That’s usually where growth starts.”

Ultimately, Coach Rob hopes students remember his classes not simply for the games they played or the skills they learned, but for how they felt while learning.

“I hope they remember that we played. We explored. We competed. We laughed. We tried things we weren’t always good at. And we learned how to work with different people.”

More than anything, he hopes students leave PE with healthy habits, healthy relationships, and the confidence to step into whatever comes next.