Head’s Corner

Dear Saklan Parents,

Today at Flag our 2^nd Graders shared their plans to improve the country should they become President of the United States.  They have been studying George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in connection with the upcoming Presidents Day holiday.  In celebration of this, Saklan will be closed next Monday and Tuesday.  While you are relaxing at home and contemplating some of the achievements of these past American Presidents, you might consider some of the suggestions from our upcoming leaders.

If I were President I would….

• make sure everyone has a house. I will do this by getting teenagers to build more houses. TJ
• want to give all of the people some money. I would do that by getting my money from my piggy bank. Lilia
• make sure that everyone has good food. I would do it by making money off of teaching kids math and teaching kids to ride horses. Hana
• give poor people food to survive. I would do that by putting out a stand that sells iPads and cars. I would sell the iPads for $1000 and the cars for $2,239. Max
• make sure that women don’t have to be weaker because it is not true. Men and women should be equal. Lilah

Next week we have an all-school lockdown drill.  Being prepared in an emergency is something we take seriously and practice regularly at Saklan. Every month we do an earthquake, fire or lockdown drill. In the light of the recent shooting at a Florida school, and the increase in these tragic events happening nation-wide, it is imperative that the safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of our attention. To that end we have put in place a number of security procedures.

• We have recently changed our gate code. We will continue to do this with much greater frequency. Please do not share this code with others.
• We have upgraded our alarm system and added surveillance cameras.
• The school office is monitoring the main entrance and visitors are required to sign in.
• School staff are required to challenge any unfamiliar person they encounter on campus and to report unusual activity immediately.
• Faculty and staff are trained to lock down and secure the school in case of an internal or external threat with periodic lock-down drills.
• We increased the height of the back fence to the limit allowed by law.
• We have recently implemented a new feature through Renweb which will provide a more efficient and broader range of contact options to include both emails and text messages. More information on our safety procedures can be found in our Crisis and Preparedness Plan, which is found on Renweb.
• We will also be replacing the external door by the Admissions and Business Offices with one that is more secure.

You can also help in the following ways:

• Pre-K and Kindergarten parents please pick up your children via the external classroom door if you arrive at dismissal time. This will decrease the number of persons coming on campus. If you are picking up from extended day, please do come through the front gate.
• Unless we are hosting a school-wide event, sign in at the office when coming on campus during the school day.
• Make sure that your information on Renweb is up to date and all emergency contacts are included.
• Speak with your children about safety and ensure them that Saklan is a safe place and all the teachers and staff are working hard to make it so.

Have a great 4-day weekend!

Peter