Head’s Corner: Investing in the Human Qualities That Matter Most

At this year’s auction, our Fund-a-Need is about something that feels especially important right now.

The world our children are growing up in is changing quickly. A lot of attention is paid to what students need to know to keep up. That matters, of course. But I would argue that more importantly is who they are becoming.

Are they learning to work with others?
Can they solve problems?
Can they listen across differences?
Can they stick with something hard?
Can they stay grounded in themselves while also growing in empathy for people whose lives may look very different from their own?

Those are not nice to haves in the work of education. They are central to it.

At Saklan, we believe those qualities are built through experience. They grow when children are well-known by their teachers. They grow when students are given meaningful opportunities to collaborate, create, persist, and solve real problems together. They grow when a school makes space for belonging, challenge, reflection, and joy.

At Saklan, that kind of growth starts early and deepens over time.

It looks like our youngest students noticing that some trees on the playground have already dropped their leaves while others are still holding on, and turning that simple observation into a real investigation—sorting leaves, sketching them in observation notebooks, learning their parts, and filling a Wonder Wall with questions.

It looks like kindergartners exploring the stories behind their names—interviewing their families, learning about one another. In the process, they begin to navigate friendship, identity, and belonging while practicing the problem-solving skills that help communities thrive.

And it looks like 8th graders in Puerto Rico, working side by side to help rebuild, listening to the stories of people whose lives were changed by Hurricane Maria, and coming to understand that service, resilience, and empathy are not just ideas we talk about at school—they are things you live.

These are very different experiences, but they are connected by the same purpose. In each case, students are learning habits that matter deeply: how to notice, how to wonder, how to solve problems, how to connect, and how to contribute.

That kind of learning takes intention, skill, and care. It takes talented teachers. It takes intentional programs. It takes time, trust, and experiences that invite students to lean in fully.

That is why this year’s Fund-a-Need matters.

Your support helps make possible the relationships that allow children to feel known and valued. It creates the kinds of projects and experiences that spark curiosity, challenge students to think deeply, and give them meaningful opportunities to solve problems together. And it strengthens the environments where students build confidence, empathy, and resilience over time.

Join me in supporting this work.

By making a Fund-a-Need donation, you are investing in more than a single program. You are investing in the daily work of helping children become thoughtful, capable, compassionate people who can contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

That is work worth supporting, and I am deeply grateful to be part of a community that understands its value.

Warmly,
David

See You Sunday!

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, March 15th, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. for the PA’s Spring Service Social in the Saklan Pavilion. Light snacks will be provided. Please bring your reusable water bottles. 

Together, we will be assembling kits of food for White Pony Express to distribute to local unhoused neighbors who do not have kitchen appliances.

#SaklanPA #SaklanCompassion

7th Graders Take on Single-Use Plastics

Seventh graders at Saklan recently completed an engaging Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit focused on one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges: single-use plastics.

The project began with a look close to home. Students explored the impact of plastic waste found locally in Moraga and also examined the debris that washes up on beaches in Hawai‘i while studying the Pacific ecosystem. These investigations were guided by the driving question: What can we do to help reduce single-use plastics in my area?

Working in teams, students combined research, creativity, and problem-solving to develop their own eco-friendly solutions. Their ideas included biodegradable straw wrappers, edible silverware, reusable snack bags made from sustainable materials, and renewable bamboo shopping bags.

Throughout the project, students followed the engineering design process: brainstorming ideas, building prototypes, testing their designs, and refining them along the way. The classroom quickly became a hub of experimentation, collaboration, and innovation.

The unit culminated in a lively presentation to the “Sharks of Saklan,” a panel that evaluated each team’s proposal in a real-world style entrepreneurial pitch. Students confidently presented their prototypes and explained the research and thinking behind their designs. The panel praised their creativity, teamwork, and thoughtful approach to addressing a global environmental issue.

Students also extended their work beyond the classroom by writing persuasive letters to companies, encouraging them to consider adopting their ideas—or similar environmentally responsible alternatives. Now, the class is eagerly waiting to see whether any companies respond.

This project beautifully highlighted Saklan’s commitment to learning by doing. By tackling a real-world challenge, students not only deepened their understanding of environmental science but also experienced what it means to think creatively, collaborate with others, and imagine solutions that could make a positive impact on the planet.

#SaklanPBL #LearningByDoing

1st Grade Engineering Challenge

Saklan’s first graders recently put their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test with a hands-on engineering challenge: building straw bridges.

Students were divided into three groups and given a simple set of materials—straws—and a big challenge: design and construct a bridge using their own ideas and strategies. Working together, students brainstormed different approaches, experimented with ways to connect the straws, and carefully built structures they hoped would be both strong and sturdy.

Once the bridges were complete, it was time for the big test. Each bridge was carefully evaluated by placing a box on top to see how much weight it could support. Students watched closely and cheered one another on as the bridges were tested.

The activity allowed students to experience the engineering design process in action: planning, building, testing, and improving their ideas. Along the way, they practiced teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance.

Most importantly, the challenge showed students that engineering is about experimenting, learning from mistakes, and working together to solve problems. The first graders also discovered that even simple materials, like a handful of straws, can lead to big ideas.

Why You Should Attend Saklan’s Starlight Gala & Auction

We are very excited for Saklan’s Starlight Gala & Auction, and hope you will join us on Saturday, March 21st, from 6:00 – 11:00 PM at Lafayette Park Hotel. This swanky, adults-only event will feature a cocktail reception, photo booth, seated dinner, live auction, paddle raise, live music, dancing, and loads of fun!

Wondering why you should attend?

To support a great cause! Proceeds from the auction support the unique programs offered at Saklan, including: field experiences, guest experts, Project Based Learning, family groups, and professional development opportunities for our amazing teachers.

To hang out with old friends and make new ones! Many Saklan parents, teachers and staff members will be in attendance. This is an opportunity to get to know fellow parents and Saklan teachers better.

To bid on fantastic auction items! This year’s live auction is full of must-have items, including:

  • Tour of Lucasfilm/ILM with Darla Lovrin
  • Head of School for a Day
  • Morro Bay Getaway
  • Steph Curry’s Shoes
  • Read Poster
  • Movie Night for Your Class

To dress up and have an adults-only night out! Dust off your little black dress, slip into a flapper dress, top off your look with fedoras or spats, or cocktail attire from the decade of your choice, and join us for a night of fun! Signature cocktails, jazzy tunes, and a massive game of rock, paper, scissors await!

Ticket sales close today, so don’t delay – get your tickets now!

Check out the pictures below from last year’s auction to get an idea of the fun to be had!

A Musical Collaboration

It isn’t often that a class of middle school students gets to compose music for which second graders write lyrics, but that is exactly what our music teacher, Dianne, facilitated in her recent PBL unit. Many of you even witnessed the culminating moment of that collaboration at our all-school concert at the Lesher Center this past month! 

Guided by the concert theme of belonging and music content standards, Dianne developed the driving question, “How do we, as composers, express ‘belonging’ in song?” 

Middle school percussion students began by watching videos of composers. They discussed the process of composing a piece of music by themselves and as part of a collaborative team. With that wisdom in mind, they began to brainstorm ideas for appropriate instrumentation and dynamics to effectively communicate the concert theme of belonging. After experimentation and various rounds of sharing, feedback, and revision, they decided on disparate stormy sounds to start using tom drums and a brush along a cymbal. Student musicians then wanted the song to move to a cohesive driving beat highlighted by bright-sounding instruments such as djembe and bongos.

Both their music track and a chart of the song were then passed along to the second graders, who had been identifying words and phrases to express belonging. While listening to the middle school students’ track, they arranged their words and phrases on the chart while discussing the elements of song structure. Together, they built an intro, verses, and a chorus that further explored and communicated belonging. 

Both the music and lyrics explored the journey of not feeling connected to others before coming together musically and with lyrics that reinforced the theme. See the complete lyrics below!

As a teacher, Dianne’s real excitement came from watching the students support one another.

“The beauty of collaborating in composition is that middle school and lower school students got a chance to hear each other’s voices and ideas. The middle school musicians created a backdrop to lift up lower school voices while the second graders got a window into middle school music classes, which will hopefully inspire them in their musical endeavors.” 

This particular Project Based Learning unit is a beautiful example of what can happen when we blend high-quality project unit design with our Saklan values of thinking creatively, acting compassionately, and living courageously. Indeed, both groups of students needed to employ all three of these mindsets to complete this work together.

#SaklanPBL

A Vision Takes Root

This weekend, an exciting new chapter begins at Saklan.

Construction on the first phase of the Redwood Grove Treehouse, made possible through the generous support of our community at last year’s auction, officially starts on Saturday. Two of the three elevated decks will be installed during this initial phase, with the more complex and intrusive work scheduled for June. To ensure safety, the area surrounding the redwoods will be carefully fenced, and the majority of heavier construction will take place over the weekend.

But the Redwood Grove was never just about building platforms in trees.

It has always been about creating a space where imagination expands, where confidence grows, and where children stretch themselves—physically, socially, and creatively—within the safety of community. It is designed to be a place of collaboration and storytelling, of challenge and belonging. A place where students test their balance, their bravery, and their ideas.

In many ways, the Grove is a living extension of how Saklan teaches: experiential, relational, and rooted in curiosity (pun very much intended). It reflects our commitment to learning that is hands-on, heart-centered, and deeply connected to the natural world.

And the momentum doesn’t stop there.

Installation of our new Early Childhood play structure—also made possible through generous community support—will begin in late May. The pieces arrived on campus earlier this year, offering a tangible reminder that our youngest learners will soon have a space intentionally designed for exploration, coordination, imagination, and joyful risk-taking.

These projects represent more than new equipment. They represent environments where children climb, balance, create, problem-solve, and connect. Spaces where resilience is built alongside friendships. Where confidence grows branch by branch.

Because of this shared vision, what once existed only as drawings and dreams is now becoming reality.

We look forward to sharing photos of the Grove as it rises—and to watching the countless moments of growth that will unfold within it for years to come.

#SaklanCommunity

Perseverance in Action

Last Friday, Saklan’s February Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) focus on perseverance came to life in a memorable way for students in third, fourth, and fifth grade.

Students gathered in mixed-grade groups of five for a silent puzzle challenge that quickly proved to be about much more than fitting shapes together. Each student began with three puzzle pieces, and together their group needed to complete five square puzzles. There was just one twist: students had to trade pieces without speaking. While they were allowed to offer a piece if they noticed someone needed it, they could not ask for one themselves.

At first, the rules prompted puzzled looks and raised eyebrows. One student even asked, “Wait… we can’t talk at all?” before the challenge began. Soon, however, the pavilion filled with intense focus, expressive gestures, and quiet determination. Without words, students leaned in, carefully studied one another’s progress, and began noticing—really noticing—what their teammates needed.

Gradually, the groups found their rhythm. Students passed pieces across the table, pointed gently to openings, and patiently waited for the right moment to help a teammate. When the final squares clicked into place, the groups celebrated in their own silent way, pumping their arms and grinning with pride.

The activity was more than a puzzle-solving exercise. It was a powerful opportunity for cross-age collaboration and social-emotional growth. Students practiced perseverance as they worked through frustration and uncertainty. They also strengthened empathy and social awareness by learning to observe others closely and respond thoughtfully.

During reflection afterward, many students shared how challenging it was to wait patiently and trust their teammates. Teachers helped connect the experience to friendship and community, encouraging students to look beyond their own needs and pay attention to those around them.

It was a meaningful reminder that perseverance often involves patience, teamwork, and the willingness to support others.

#SaklanSEL #SaklanCommunity

March SEL Focus: Practicing Accountability

This month, all Saklan students are practicing how to be more accountable.

Being accountable means taking responsibility for one’s actions, choices, and commitments. It involves recognizing how our behavior affects others, following through on responsibilities, and learning from mistakes when things do not go as planned. For students, practicing accountability can look like owning up to a misunderstanding with a classmate, completing work on time, or contributing positively to the classroom and school community.

Throughout the month, teachers will guide students in conversations and activities that explore what accountability looks like in everyday situations. Students will reflect on how their decisions impact others and consider ways they can show responsibility and integrity both inside and outside the classroom.

A special opportunity to deepen this conversation will take place on March 24, when Kindergarten-8th graders gather with their Family Groups to discuss accountability, share examples from their own experiences, and think about how they can support one another in making responsible choices.

By practicing accountability, students learn that their actions matter—and that being part of a community means showing care, honesty, and responsibility toward others.

We look forward to seeing how our students continue to grow as thoughtful and accountable members of the Saklan community throughout the month of March and beyond.

#SaklanSEL

Parent Ed on Tuesday

Saklan is excited to share an opportunity for our community to hear from neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, whose recent congressional testimony has sparked a national conversation about how technology is affecting the way children learn.

On Tuesday, March 10, at 12:00 p.m., Dr. Horvath will present a live, interactive talk titled “The EdTech Wake-Up Call: Rethinking Digital Learning for Kids.” Drawing on the research behind his bestselling book The Digital Delusion, he will explore how excessive technology use can impact children’s attention, memory, and learning.

During the session, Dr. Horvath will share clear, evidence-based insights along with practical strategies that parents and educators can use to support deeper, more meaningful learning both at school and at home.

Reserve your spot here for the live interactive talk using promo code SAKSCHL to attend for free (a $10 value). Registration also includes access to the recording, so you can watch the presentation at your convenience if you are unable to attend live.

We hope you will take advantage of this timely and thought-provoking conversation.

#SaklanParentEd