Month: March 2018

Head’s Corner

Dear Saklan Community,

I would like to start by thanking all of the wonderful grandparents and special friends that came out this morning for our annual event celebrating this important aspect of our community. The day was truly enjoyable and our students were thrilled to show off their campus, teachers and classmates, and engage in a fun activity with their guests.

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I am happy to formally announce a new scholarship program that Saklan has instituted in memory of Sharon Reichow.  Sharon, who passed away one year ago, was our 5th grade teacher for thirteen years and was one of the stellar teachers that contributed to the school’s growing reputation in the community. Much of the success of the Saklan middle school program can be attributed to the high level of preparation that was characteristic of the students that graduated from Sharon’s 5th grade class. In honor of her commitment and dedication to Saklan, we are launching the “Sharon Reichow Memorial Scholarship for New Middle School Students.” This scholarship will be available for new students who have not yet applied to the Saklan middle school for the 2018-19 school year, and who show high academic potential and commitment to the school’s mission.

We now go into our Spring Break, which I hope will be restful and re-energizing. Upon our return, we will have less than two months of school left, and in this time we have a number of big activities planned at Saklan. These include the Middle School Musical, the Spring Arts Festival, Book Fair, Family Fun Night, and Graduation.

Have a great Spring Break!

Peter

Fifth Grade Marin Headlands Trip

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The fifth grade class visited the Marin Headlands for an amazing outdoor experience. The goal of the program was to broaden the student’s awareness of the natural world and his/her relationship to it. Students participated in many nature hikes, hands-on laboratory experiences, and many team building activities. They spent time learning about the many plant and animal species that live in the Marin Headlands. It was an incredible three days!

Historical Characters Seen at Saklan

March is biography month in second grade. We have been reading many stories in our social studies and reading textbooks as well as individual biographies about people who have made a difference in our world. Each student then selected a particular biography to read. They wrote down facts from their biography book and Internet material about their famous person. They also drew portraits which we displayed in our classroom. The next step was to transfer this information to note cards, and plan their one-person show, costumes, props, and all.
The second grade parents were invited to our class to witness this historical presentation. The second graders also dressed in full costume and shared some of the information they had learned at our Friday Flag.

Japanese Exchange Students

Yesterday, 15 Japanese exchange students and 2 teachers from Shanon Seminar School spent the day at Saklan!

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In the morning they were paired up with our 7th grade students. Our 7th graders presented PowerPoints about American culture like sports, music, food, etc. The Japanese students then shared family stories/experiences of World War II which tied in perfectly with the 7th grade history curriculum. Both groups participated in a Science class together and ate lunch together.

After lunch, the Japanese exchange students spent time with the Kindergarten and first grade classes, making origami and playing. “This was the best day of the year!” said one enthusiastic first grader at the end of the day!

Hopefully this is just the first of many global exchanges to come to Saklan!

Spring Egg Hunt

The Owlets and Hoot Owls had fun hunting for eggs yesterday morning. It was a great way to welcome Spring and celebrate the last couple of days of school before Spring Break.

 

The Owlets also had a nice party filled with sweet treats to end a fun hunt!

Guide Dogs

guide dogs

Members from the San Ramon Valley Guide Dog Puppy Raising Club brought some “guide dog puppies in training” to visit the second grade.

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We presented them with our check of $343.00 that we had raised from our school bake sale. They gave a short lecture about what they do to raise a puppy to be a possible guide dog.

Volleyball Players Wanted

volleyballSpring time is coming and that means it is time for volleyball! We are scheduling six games this year: two in April and four in May. Once the dates are confirmed, we will post the season. Any fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who would like to play are eligible. Just let Mr. Crabtree know.

Head’s Corner

Dear Saklan Community, IMG_7474

At Flag this morning our Director of Development, Carol Goldman, announced this year’s Annual Auction, Festival Des Arts, which will be held on April 21 at the Lafayette Park Hotel.

Each year, tied to the auction, we designate a Fund A Need project for the year.  The Fund A Need helps us enhance a program or our grounds and facilities to benefit all of our students.

Last year our Fund A Need was for the STEM program and thanks to your generosity we were able to raise over $55,000 to renovate our science room and add new technology and materials to enhance the program.  Our students have been enjoying this new classroom and all of the additional projects and science kits they have been able to dive into this year.

Amplify the Arts poster-FINAL

This year’s Fund A Need project is Amplify the Arts and your gifts will go directly towards enhancing our music, performing and visual arts programs.  At Saklan, educating our students goes far beyond acquiring important academic skills. The experiences in our Arts Programs are an essential piece of how we accomplish our mission of fostering students…

To become more Compassionate– through exploring other cultures, communities, and characters through music, art, dance, and drama, and supporting one another through these processes.

To become more Creative– through exploring various media and learning how to express themselves with their voices and hearts: singing, acting, playing instruments, or with their hands by creating unique pieces of visual art.

To become more Courageous– through being on stage, displaying their art, or composing music as means of expressing their unique ideas and voices to the world.

Our goal is to give Mrs. Chaffey, Mr. Isaac, and Ms. Natalie the items and technology they feel will be the most impactful ways of enhancing our programs and take our music, performing and visual arts programs to the next level.

Highlights of this year’s Amplify the Arts project include:

  • Kiln, Mini Print Presses, and New Art Tables
  • New Technology and Equipment for Recording and Composing
  • African Drums in the Ewe Tradition of Ghana
  • New Mac Computers for Teachers and New Digital Art for Students
  • Protective Glass Display Cases for Student Art

The faculty and I thank you in advance for supporting our kids.  We look forward to seeing you at the auction.

Have a great weekend!

Peter

 

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