Month: March 2022

Fund-A-Need & the Importance of Inspiration

Two and a half years ago, we started a conversation about the Pavilion and the desire to convert it into a more flexible space. We would refurbish it and install walls that would roll down on rainy or cold days. It would be a space that could be used for lunch and for class assemblies, student presentations, collaborative workspace, parent and teacher meetings, PE on rainy days, guest speakers; the list goes on. 

The plan was (and still is) to take a mundane eating area and create a space that every community member could use. 

And while all those things are still valid, one facet has recently driven how we think about space. How can this space inspire us? 

The Pavilion’s primary purpose has always been to provide a place for students to eat. The additional practical needs of the school are things like more meeting space or PE on rainy days. 

As we continue to include more genuine project-based learning, students need room to collaborate in an environment that fosters creativity. They need a setting where they can share what they have learned with an authentic audience. They need a space that helps them build the confidence and the courage to tackle complex problems. They need a space that inspires.

And so our vision has evolved.  

Our Fund-A-Need for the Pavilion is to create a space where creativity, confidence, and collaboration are inspired – and yeah- you can eat there too. 

#HeadsCorner #SaklanShindig

From Seeds to Plants

It’s starting to feel like spring in the Owlet class! The Owlets have been learning about seeds and plants. The students looked at seeds and flowers under magnifying glasses. They identified and sorted different types of seeds. And each student even got to pick a seed to plant and tend to!

After choosing to plant either radish, green bean, or zinnia seeds, the Owlets then made a prediction about which type of seed would grow the fastest. The majority of the class guessed that the green bean seed would grow fastest, but they have to wait and see!

The class watched this video to learn a little about how a seed grows into a plant. The Owlets now know that even though they can’t see their seeds growing just yet, there are roots beginning to grow under the soil. They also read the books A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss to explore seeds further.

Up next, the Owlets will learn more about plants, flowers, and pollinators.

#SaklanHandsOn

Shindig Silent Auction is Open

The Auction Shindig 2022 silent auction is now open! The Legacy Baskets that the 8th Graders presented at CLAS this morning as well as many other items are now open for bidding. Additional auction lots, including student collaborative art pieces, will open for bidding on Monday, March 14th.

Click here to view the items and begin bidding!

Once you are on the Online Bidding page, click the Start Bidding button and finish creating your account.

HOW TO BID:

  1. Search for packages by name or number by using the magnifying glass or by choosing a category under the menu.
  2. You can Bid the next increment or Bid More than the next increment. If you choose Bid More you can set your max bid. If your max bid is the highest, the system will automatically bid in your favor until you are outbid or until the auction closes.
  3. To “watch” a package, select the star icon on the package.
  4. You’ll be notified if you’re outbid at any point before the auction closes and you will see an Outbid notice at the top of your screen.
  5. To get back to the main screen, click the house icon.
  6. To view the packages you are bidding on, click the menu button and select Bids.

This auction is open to the public, but we ask that the winning bidders pick up items from Saklan. Feel free to pass on the auction link – https://saklanshindig.ggo.bid – to those you think might be interested. 

Thank you for your support of The Saklan School!

#SaklanShindig #BidEarlyBidOften

Water Rockets

Since February, the 8th grade has been studying physics in science. They have been learning about the forces on our planet: gravity, air resistance, friction and centripetal force. They have also been working on putting Newton’s three Laws of Motion into real life scenarios.

The 8th graders were tasked with creating a rocket that could fight air resistance and gravity, and that could exhibit all of Newton’s three laws. After creating different straw rockets and learning how different designs create different amounts of drag, their goal was to design a water rocket that could not only defy gravity, but go the highest in the class.

They worked in pairs to design different wings and different types of cones for the top of their rockets. When the time came to shoot them off, they used an altimeter to measure their height as they blasted off. While each reached amazing heights, one rocket design made it an astonishing 40 meters in the sky (approximately 131 feet). Congrats, Anessa and Cassidy on the highest reaching rocket!

#SaklanHandsOnLearning #SaklanAcademic

Get Your Shindig Tickets Today!

Y’all are invited to this year’s Auction Shindig! The western-themed event is a little over a week away, on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. Get ready for a good time, as this event will feature a BBQ dinner, open bar, live auction, fund-a-need, raffles and dancing! 

This event is always a great community builder. Most Saklan faculty and staff will be in attendance, and you won’t want to miss seeing Mr. Javi’s dance moves!

Ticket sales close on Monday, March 14th. Don’t delay, get your tickets today!

Click Here to Get your tickets!

The Saklan School’s Annual Auction is the Parents Association’s largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the auction are invested directly back into the children’s educational experiences, in and out of the classrooms.

#SaklanShindig

Saklan’s Annual School Concert

We are beyond excited to formally announce the return of Saklan’s Annual School Concert on Wednesday, April 20th! It has been three years since our last concert, and although the venue will be different this year, we are so excited to bring back all the joy that comes with performing live for the people who love our students the most. 

This year, the students will be performing outdoors at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, next door to Saklan. Every Saklan student participates in this fun and energetic event, and every grade performs multiple times.

Day of Concert 

Wednesday, April 20th will be a noon dismissal day for all students. Extended Day will be available until 3:30pm, but it is recommended that students go home earlier to have some down time before the concert if possible. Students are asked to report back to Saklan at 4pm, dressed and ready to perform. The show is scheduled to begin at 4:30pm and will end no later than 6pm. 

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule

Please make every effort to ensure that your student is at school on Monday, April 18th, Tuesday, April 19th, and Wednesday, April 20th so they can take part in our all-student rehearsals.

Attire

All students are asked to come to the concert in their “Sunday best” version of all black clothing, with an accessory of pink. Ballet flats, Toms, Converse All-Star, Keds, and dress shoes are all welcome and encouraged; shoes should fit and be clean. Please, no high heels, UGGS, rain boots or hats. Click here for examples of some outfits that are appropriate, and feel free to talk to other Saklan parents who have been through the concert before, or email me!

Please feel free to put together an outfit that fits well and speaks to your child’s personality. However, use appropriate discretion in choosing clothes (please no midriff showing), and remember that your child will be on stage in front of almost 500 people. 

We are so excited to bring our concert back to Saklan, and are overjoyed to welcome you for this event. 

Seeing the World

Most of the fourth graders had heard that we really see the world upside down. But why? After watching a series of videos, looking closely at their own eyes, and examining anatomical diagrams, the fourth graders put their hypotheses into practice by constructing their own working models of the human eye.

The students used readily available materials to make the iris (colored paper), pupil (cut-out circle), lens (magnifying glass), and retina (note card) for their models.

Then, the students experimented with light to determine how these structures interact and function by creating images for processing by the brain. In the end, they discovered that an image refracted through the lens of the eye will reveal a “flipped” image on the retina! The images on the retinas were surprisingly clear. Below are a few of the images the students captured. 

#SaklanHandsOn

Using Data to Graph

The third graders recently completed a math unit on data and graphing. They learned about how to complete a survey, how to count votes with a tally chart, and how to display the results with various types of graphs.  In order to demonstrate their understanding of graphs, students worked together in groups to complete a graphing project. First, they came up with a question to ask their classmates, usually asking them to determine their favorite in a certain category. Next, they collected data by surveying their classmates. Finally, they worked together to create a poster with multiple types of graphs (bar graphs, pictographs, and line plot graphs) to display their findings.

Not only did the third graders show their understanding of the math standards, they also practiced the important skills of listening, communication, compromise, and collaboration that comes along with being a good team member. 

#SaklanAcademic

Social-Emotional Learning

“Educating the mind but not the heart is no education at all.”

Edutopia

At Saklan, the education we provide integrates social-emotional learning into everything that we teach and learn. Kim Parks outlined the details of Saklan’s SEL program during last Friday’s PA Parent Coffee. The slides she shared during the presentation are below for your perusal.

In the COVID Age, students are feeling increasingly more anxious, upset, and depressed because there is so much out of their control. However, by prioritizing social-emotional learning into each school day, this helps students understand their feelings, have strategies to regulate their emotions, and have a safe place to go every day with caring teachers that pay attention. Over the past three years, Saklan has adopted a learning approach called Responsive Classroom in the hopes that all our teachers will use similar clear and positive language, as well as developmentally-appropriate teaching that students find interesting and engaging.

#SaklanSEL

Wine Raffle Tickets

The 2022 Instant Wine Cellar Raffle is here! This year’s wine cellar collection features 40 top-rated bottles valued at $3,000! Tickets are $100 each and are now available online at https://saklan.ejoinme.org/wineraffle. Get your tickets as soon as possible since this raffle sells out every year!

Two winning tickets will be drawn at the Auction Gala on March 19th. The first winner is the Grand Prize winner who receives the Instant Wine Cellar Collection and need not be present to win. The second winner will receive a magnum bottle and a jeroboam bottle of wine. Both prizes cannot be won by the same family.

Raffle proceeds will go to the Saklan Summer Reflection Fund, enabling our wonderful teachers to be creative and reflective in their professional development.

For questions about the ticket sales or wine collection, please contact Sandy Lo, wine raffle coordinator: sandralo@gmail.com

#SaklanShindig