Month: March 2023

With Joy!

What a wonderful experience to be back at the Lesher Center to watch our students shine with Joy! 

Thank you to all of the parents and guardians for making Wednesday’s logistics work in order to support the students and watch the performance. 

Thank you to the faculty and staff for all of the behind the scenes work to prepare for the concert, from your flexibility with the schedule to helping with rehearsals. Thank you also for your support of your students and encouraging them to get up on that stage!

Thank you to Lauren for working with the second and third grade students on the gorgeous backdrop that we got to see during the concert. Thank you for your continued collaboration with teachers, and for the inspiration you ignite in our students.

Thank you to Erin for preparing the Preschool and Pre-K students to be on stage for their first concert at the Lesher Center! The little ones were so excited and brave and shared their joy and love of music with the audience. 

Thank you to Isaac for continuing to share your knowledge of traditional Ghanaian drumming with our students. What a joy to see them drumming, singing and dancing together!

Thank you to Ashley, Hector and Isaac for sharing your musical talents and accompanying the students on piano, drums and guitar. Without you, the concert would have been a very different experience.

Thank you to Shay and Emily for behind the scenes work on the program, communication, transportation logistics, ushering duties, securing seats, and filling in all the gaps where they were needed. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you to Daisy Coby for beautifully photographing the concert.

Thank you to Javier for helping set up for rehearsals, for moving instruments all week, for moving artwork, transporting students, and for doing it all with laughter. 

Thank you to Grace for the vision of Joy, for teaching with purpose and for knowing what songs and parts to choose for whom. You create magic on stage and allow students to shine bright. What you do is invaluable and greatly appreciated. 

Mountain Yellow Legged Frog

Last week the 6th graders learned about the Mountain Yellow Legged Frog, an endangered species from Southern California, as part of their climate change and conservation unit. There are believed to be only 200 of these frogs left in the wild. The students learned about the threats to their habitat, including the human impacts of invasive species and disease and how a certain fungus is a threat to amphibian survival world wide. After learning about about the frog’s spatial ecology, students knew what was needed for them to survive. The sixth graders then took on the role of scientists and researched areas in the southern California mountain ranges that would be a good fit for them to be released. Students then learned how researchers come back and find the frogs to understand the survival rates of those previously released. 

Using telemetry equipment borrowed from the San Diego Zoo, the students experienced what it is like to conduct scientific wildlife research out in the field. Students used the telemetry devices to track hidden stuffed animal frogs on the Saklan campus. This hands-on experience allowed the students to understand how researchers track released endangered species, in this case their frogs, and to monitor the health of the frogs over time. 

Fiesta Success

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Auction Fiesta on March 11th. It was a fun event with many guests walking away with bottles of wine won in the wine toss and photo booth pictures taken with friends old and new! As a community we raised over $63,000, including $31,200 for the Fund-a-Needs. Thank you all for your generosity.

Special thank you to Emily Williamson, who worked tirelessly on the event, and to the auction committee: Amy Perkins, Shana Hammers, and Darla Lovrin for their help in planning a fun event, procuring auction items, and creating event decorations.

Thank you to Makeda Assefa, Erin Moorhead, Amy Perkins, John Miazga, Hector Ramos Diaz , Mel Zippin, Javier Yacarini, Ester Vines, and Shay Sager for helping to set up the event and make the hall look so festive. 

A huge thank you to Lauren Haberly for her work on the collaborative art pieces, to Daisy Coby for photographing the Middle School art, and to Eric Lompa and ScanArt for printing all the posters and note cards.

Thank you to Zuly Zuleima for her help with decor, and to Ester Vines for her guidance of the lower school students in creating the papel picado that so beautifully decorated the room.

At the event – thank you to Linda Lathrop, Mel Zippin, Gina Gabriel, and Lisa Rokas for helping to sell raffle tickets, to Karen Catanzarite and Toshie Baba for helping check in guests, to Peta Wansbrough-Siacor for running the wine toss, and to Javier Yacarini and Shay Sager for tending the bar.

We had some very generous contributions from many families too. Thank you to everyone who donated auction items and/or bottles of wine, and helped to procure auction items. It truly was a team effort!

Grandfriends’ Day

Saklan’s Grandfriends’ Day is on Friday, April 21st from 9:45 a.m. to noon.

Please remind your grandparents and special friends about this event so they join us! 

Rsvp for grandfriends’ day here!

Joy! Music for the Whole World

Saklan’s All-School Concert is next Wednesday, March 29th at 4:30 p.m. Students will be dismissed at noon from the Lesher Center and asked to return at 4:00 p.m. in preparation for the performance.

Please note the following details for the day:

  • All Saklan students need to be dropped off directly at the Lesher Center at 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the 29th. Normal Saklan Bus & Van service will NOT be operating that day. 
  • Students will be Dismissed at Noon from the Lesher Center.
  • Extended Day will be available until 3:00, but it is recommended that students go home at noon to have some down time before the concert. Reserve your child’s spot in Extended here.
  • All students are asked to report back to the Lesher Center at 4:00 p.m. dressed in their “Sunday best” version of all black clothing, with an accessory of yellow. 

The Concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. Feel free to invite extended family and friends to join us!

Covid Tests

We will be sending home COVID-19 tests with all students next Tuesday afternoon. Parents, please COVID test your student before you drop them off at the Lesher Center on Wednesday morning.

Skipolini’s After the Concert

All Saklan students and family members (including extended family) are invited to join us after the All-School Concert on March 29th for dinner at Skipolini’s Pizza in Walnut Creek. Pizza will be served on the Outdoor Patio. In order to make the evening more enjoyable for all, we are asking families to purchase tickets in advance to ensure enough pizza for all. Please use the button below to get your tickets for the dinner.

Get Your Skipolini’s Tickets

Thank you to the Saklan PA for organizing this dinner!

Pi Day

On Tuesday, March 14th, Saklan’s third and eighth graders celebrated every mathematician’s favorite holiday: Pi Day! Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference in relation to its diameter. It is celebrated on March 14 because the date format 3-14 are the first three digits of Pi. Third graders worked together with the eighth graders to see if they could find Pi by measuring the circumference and diameter of a cookie.

They also collaborated to write mnemonic devices to help remember the digits of Pi and wrote some original Pi-Ku poetry. The third graders really enjoyed collaborating with the eighth graders in learning about Pi!

#SaklanCollaboration

2023-24 Calendar

As we approach the 2023-2024 school year, we want to share the important calendar dates so that you too can begin planning for the year ahead. You will notice that the Middle School will begin school a day earlier than the Lower School and ECE students in order to accommodate dates available for The Advance with our vendor. We know this is a complicated switch, especially for families with students in both Middle School and Lower School. This is anticipated to be a one-time occurrence, and we thank you for your understanding.

Below are the dates for school breaks, noteworthy events, and early dismissal days for next year. A more detailed calendar will be shared over the summer.

2023-2024 IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

Aug 18 Back to School Social
Aug 22 – 24Middle School Advance for 6th – 8th Grade
Aug 23First Day of School for PS – 5th Grade
Aug 25Middle School Rest Day (NO SCHOOL for 6TH-8TH GRADE)
Sept 4Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 6Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 9Indigenous Peoples’ Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 26 & 27Parent Teacher Conferences (NOON DISMISSAL)
Oct 31Halloween Celebration (2PM DISMISSAL)
Nov 1Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 20 – 24Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)
Dec 15Lower School Musical (NOON DISMISSAL, NO EXTENDED DAY)
Dec 18 – 29Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 1New Year’s Day (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 2Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 15MLK Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 16 – 19Presidents’ Day Weekend (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 29 – Mar 1Parent Teacher Conferences (NOON DISMISSAL)
April 1 – 5Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)
April 8Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 6 – 10Teacher Appreciation Week
May 10Teacher Appreciation Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 27Memorial Day (NO SCHOOL)
June 6Last Day of School (NOON DISMISSAL, NO EXTENDED DAY)

The Gas Giants!

If you joined us for CLAS this morning, then you are well aware that the Hoot Owls have been learning about our solar system. This morning they sang a song about the planets, and then shared their favorite planet and why. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Pluto (because it is a dwarf planet!) all made the list.

Leading up to their presentation, the Hoot owls learned about the gas giants of our solar system. They discovered that Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is the largest planet in our solar system with a huge red spot on it. Scientists think that this is a huge storm that has been raging for hundreds of years! The Pre-K kiddos strengthened their fine motor skills by using an eyedropper to add watercolor to shaving cream, and then made prints of it to hang on the wall.

The Hoot Owls also learned that Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, doesn’t look round because it is spinning so fast. They were fascinated to learn that Saturn’s rings are made of ice and dust! 

Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, is the coldest planet in our solar system. To remember this the students painted Uranus using bluish green ice cubes! Neptune, the eighth planet from the sun, is the windiest. The Hoot Owls painted Neptune with Q-tips so they could swirl and twirl the wind.

Hope and Joy for our Future

Thinking back on my own elementary school experience, what stands out to me is rote repetition, memorization, and regurgitation. Not much thought or research was put into what or how we were taught; it was just the way it always was.

As I wander through the classrooms here at Saklan now, even in the preschool where my own daughter has the privilege to explore, I am struck by how much more inspiring, fun, and memorable school is for these students. And that gives me so much hope and joy for our future.

Learning at Saklan is interactive, collaborative, mindful, relevant, and thought provoking. And now, more than ever, it is being infused with more Project-Based Learning. I am so proud to see how that has been changing the way the students see their role in learning and in the greater world.

In one short year, Project Work has led to exciting changes at Saklan. There is a buzz that was reflected in the success of the fund-a-needs presented at last Saturday’s auction. In order to continue and enhance their Project Work, teachers have responded with specific requests. 

Grace spoke about the power of professional development and how her past experience with the Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City reconnected her to her 13 year old self in a way that allowed her to further connect to and inspire her students. 

Lauren spoke of her passion for bringing media arts literacy to our students, through digital art and graphic design learning tools that will apply across subjects and grade levels, helping students produce and share final products with the wider community. 

Peta reminded us how much design and architecture can influence the learning environment.  She asked for support in redesigning her classroom to integrate furniture that promotes collaboration. 

If you are as inspired as our teachers are and would like to donate to these initiatives, you can make a gift here. We thank you for your support.

In gratitude,

David