Month: November 2017

Dear Saklan Community,

This week, we had Moving Up Day for our fifth grade students. Fifth grade is a crucial year and getting ready for the move to middle school is an important goal of our program at Saklan. Our fifth graders spent a morning in the middle school getting to know our faculty and learning about what a middle school program looks like. They learned about some of the big changes and challenges of being a middle school student, like moving between classrooms, being in an advisory group, organizing their lockers, being more autonomous and responsible, having elective classes, and of course the week-long overnight trips. Our Middle School Dean, Miss Parks, lead the class in a lively discussion about what it’s like to be a middle school student which ended with lively Q&A using the snowball activity. Students write their burning questions on a piece of paper, crumple it up and then toss them around like snowballs. Each student then reads the question that they end up with.

Today was the day of Saklan’s Annual Fall Follies. This is a fantastic and fun event which brings out the talent, creativity and confidence that are characteristics of Saklan students. Many of our students are truly in their element when on stage. It is impressive how each and every student was willing to take risks with their performance and showed their inner courage. I commend the students on their excellent performances and the audience on being supportive and compassionate. Mr. Prestianni has done another outstanding job organizing the show, auditioning the performers and putting together the program. Hats off to Mr. P for putting together this stellar event for yet another year and providing our students with such an amazing learning opportunity.

Thanksgiving is on our doorsteps and this is naturally a time for gratitude. I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful community that is our school and to the creative, courageous and compassionate teachers, staff, parents and students that share and work towards our common goals. Please take a moment and think about what Saklan is doing for your children and, if you have not already done so, support our Annual Giving Fund.

Today is the last day of the first trimester and report cards for K – 8 students will be sent home on Friday, December 1st. Report cards are used to validate the growth and progress that each student has made on their educational journey. I encourage all parents to both celebrate the accomplishments that your children have made and reflect upon goals for the next trimester. This will also be a good time to plan to connect with teachers to discuss any concerns or questions that may have come up as a result of the report cards. All K – 8 reports will be mailed home.

Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday and thank you for being a wonderful and supportive community!!!

Peter

Dear Saklan Community,

As I am sure you already know, Saklan is recognized for the outstanding quality of its faculty. I was recently thrilled to find out that our Science/STEM teacher, Vickie Obenchain has been selected for the 2017-18 Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The selection process for the program was highly competitive with 76 teachers being chosen from over 450 applications from across the United States. The Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (TGC) is a year-long professional development program for U.S. elementary, middle, and high school teachers to become leaders in global education. Global education is integral to building 21st century skills in students, and teachers are the greatest resource to empower our students as global citizens. The TGC program equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration. The TGC program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and implemented by IREX, an international non-profit organization.

The TGC program begins with a ten-week online professional development course. Upon successful completion of this course, participants will participate in a Global Education Symposium in Washington, D.C. in February, 2018. At the Symposium, TGC Fellows will collaborate with teachers, administrators and education leaders from across the United States in a two-day conference on Global Education. Following the Symposium, TGC Fellows will travel with a cohort of other U.S. teachers for an international field experience and have the opportunity to meet with school teachers and educational leaders in one of the participating host countries. Throughout their fellowship, TGC Fellows will explore the themes and applications for global education in the classroom and bring these back to their own school and community. We look forward to all the new ideas that Vickie will be bringing back to Saklan as she goes through this prestigious program. Congratulations, Vickie!

Don’t forget Fall Follies next Friday at 10:30AM. This is also the end of the First Trimester which means report cards will be on their way. They will be sent out by mail on the Friday after Thanksgiving Break.

Have a great weekend!

Peter