Month: April 2020

Virtual Friday Flag 4/24

Thank you for joining us for our second Virtual Friday Flag this morning!

#SaklanFridayFlag

Subtraction Bowling

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The Kindergarteners have been busy learning about subtraction. This week, the children played Subtraction Bowling by lining up objects found around their home then using a ball to knock down or take away objects. The Kindergarteners then wrote their equation. Strike!

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Make Your Own Play Dough

Play dough1

Since we’ve started our distance learning program, Miss Maggie K. has been preparing science and art projects with Kindergarten and first grade. She tries to find activities that are easy so kids can do it and with materials that are common household items. These projects usually explore a science concept and/or promote creativity.

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Last Thursday, Miss Maggie shared how to make your own play dough with a few simple ingredients and had two recipes ready in case some items weren’t found at home. She posted the recipes with instructions and one recipe also had a video tutorial that she found on Youtube.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

It’s Book Fair Time!

book fair

Dear Saklan Community,

It’s (virtual) book fair time!! Need to escape your life without leaving your house? Tired of reading the same book to your children night after night after night? Then head on over to https://www.rakestrawbooks.com/

Rakestraw Books is an independent bookstore in Danville, CA and they are hosting Saklan’s (virtual) book fair. They have literally thousands of titles, suitable for children and adults of all ages.

IMPORTANT: To order, simply fill your shopping cart with as many books as you want, then put the word “Saklan” in the coupon code box and click “apply to order.” This is the only way for Saklan to get credit for your order.

You filled your cart? You put Saklan in the coupon code box? Okay, now click “checkout.” At checkout, you will have two shipping options: Standard Shipping (this amount will change depending on how much you order) and a 99 cent pickup option.

IMPORTANT: The 99 cent pickup option only appears if your order is over $25. If your order is under $25 and you wish to use the 99 cent pickup option, please put PICKUP in the comments section. Your total will be manually adjusted once it is received by the bookstore.

Once a week, or once every other week depending on how many orders we get, all “pickup” orders will be picked up from Rakestraw and taken to Saklan. You will get an email telling you your order is ready for pickup and you are then free to come by Saklan at your leisure and pick up your new goodies.

Please share the virtual book fair with friends and family members! Saklan will receive 10% credit for all orders placed between now and the end of the school year so the more people who order the more Saklan will benefit. Just remember, you must write SAKLAN in the coupon code box for Saklan to benefit.

In the next couple of weeks, we will also be releasing teacher and library wish lists. These will be lists that the Saklan faculty (teachers and specialists) and library association would love to have for their classroom or available for checkout. All books purchased from this list, by Saklan community members, will be donated directly to the teacher (or library) for use in his or her classroom. You are welcome to buy books from any teacher’s wish list; you are not restricted to purchasing books only from your child’s current teacher’s wish list.

As the academic year comes to a close, we will also be sending out suggested summer reading lists. With the libraries closed indefinitely, purchasing some books from these lists will be a great way to round out our book fair and give your children some great summer reads.

Questions or comments? Feel free to contact Tara (aka Kaylah’s Mom) at jade4037@gmail.com.

Thank you!

#SaklanBookFair

In Their Own Words

“Scott and I feel extremely lucky to have Katerina and our family join The Saklan School, even with all that is happening now. We joke that we were homeschooling this year while trying to find the right school, and once we choose schools for both girls [Katerina was in school for less than 2 weeks (officially 4.5 days)!!], we somewhat feel we are back where we were. However, we are NOT in the same place as before because our girls are connected with their teachers and classmates and feel a sense of class social connection. Both schools have risen far above any other school we have heard about in the nation. We are quite proud of The Saklan School in how it immediately stepped up and transitioned into distant learning. I love how a lot of elements are included that I didn’t think were possible (scavenger hunts that lead to laughter, group games in Spanish, daily subject meetings on top of the class meetings, etc). We are extremely grateful.

Kat

Today, Penelope, our youngest, created an outside classroom for her and Katerina. It is under our back tree on our lawn. It was even a haven for our pets as well as they joined in school when they chose. It is dreamy, but it doesn’t replace the classroom at Saklan. We look forward to our world being healthier and safer so we can rejoin the wonderful school we just joined!” – Saklan Parent

Please take a moment to share with us your thoughts on how things have gone so far with distance learning, what we have done well, what we could do better and how we can better support your family. Email us at feedback@saklan.org.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Earth Day-April 22nd

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans for the protection of the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – 10% of the U.S. population at the time – took to the street, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

Earth Day is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event and it led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clear Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Normally, we make a whole day Earth Day at Saklan, but this year we thought we’d make it a week. Here are some ideas for your students to help celebrate this coming week:

Earth Week Activities You Can Do At Home

Save it Sunday – have your child make a sign to hang in the home or other shared space to remind people to save resources (turn off the lights, save water at the faucet)

Make it Monday – encourage your child’s engineering/artistic side, allow your student to create something that had been made from recycled materials (for example, turn a jar into a vase, create sunbutter and pine cone bird feeder, or artistically make a milk jug into an animal)

Earth day

Teach it Tuesday – have you or your students learn and then teach a friend or family member something about sustainability (for example, an idea about saving water or reducing waste)

Walk it Wednesday (Actual Earth Day) – take you and your children on a walk (even if it’s just in your backyard) and enjoy the wonders of our planet. Enjoy the beauty of your community, create a nature treasure hunt or even pick up trash in your community to help celebrate Earth Day.

Be Thankful Thursday – Even in uncertain times, the sun rises each day, our birds chirp, and we are blessed to have this amazing community. Encourage your students (and family members) to share what they are thankful for.

Farm it Friday – Spring has sprung and what better time to plant and plan for the future. Let your students put their hands in the dirt, plant some seeds or small plants, water them, and tend to their flower or vegetable filled future.

Set a new Habit Saturday – Encourage your students to make one environmental gesture a habit; maybe always using a reusable water bottle, never using a plastic straw again, riding their bike short distances instead of needing a ride, etc. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something! 

Here are some great picture books as well to get your students in the mood:

Want to hear from Scientists in the field?

National Geographic Explorer classroom lets you hear & chat with real scientists, sign up here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/explorer-classroom/sessions/#inthefield

Want a Family Movie Night? These are always a hit:

  • Our Planet
  • Disney’s Ocean
  • Wall-E
  • Planet Earth
  • Blue Planet

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Music With Mr. Isaac

Mr. Isaac has started working with students on Thursday afternoons. Our more flexible online learning schedule has created an opportunity to work with more students one-on-one. He is offering the middle schoolers individual instruction on their instruments. He has already started giving lessons to kids in the Orchestra. You can e-mail Mr. Isaac at inarell@saklan.org if you want to have a lesson and he will try to fit you in.

The Saklan after school music program on Thursdays has continued its normal schedule. 4th graders meet at 3:00 pm, the West African Drumming ensemble at 3:30 pm and individual lessons start after that. If you want to sign up for the after school music program, please email office@saklan.org.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Sink Or Float?

The Owlets have been busy with their science studies. This week’s science experiment was sink or float. First, the students picked five objects in their house. Then, they made predictions of what they thought that object would do, sink or float. They wrote it all down so they don’t forget their predictions. Finally, they conducted the experiment to see if their prediction was right! This was a fun, at-home science experiment.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

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