Month: March 2024

On Tuesday, Saklan’s 1st – 8th grade students gathered with their family groups to discuss how to be loving, the March social emotional learning focus. Together the groups shared actions to show love or care for others.

The family group leaders shared that the 1st and 8th graders have been learning about homes and what it is like to not have a home or not know where your next meal is coming from. The 1st graders shared reasons why people might need help or experience hunger. The 1st and 8th graders explained that there are many reasons why people might need help, including: because they lost their job, due to a natural disaster, due to extra expenses (like a broken down car or unexpected medical expenses).

After sharing the book, Saturday at the Food Pantry, the Family Group leaders explained that the day’s family group activity was to make bagged lunches for those who are food insecure in our community. Each group then worked together to make 20 bagged lunches, each containing a can of Vienna sausages, fruit cup, fruit squeeze, oatmeal, granola bar, peanut butter, crackers and tuna.

After school on Tuesday, the bagged lunches were transported to 10,000 Lunches, a local organization that distributes food to those who are food insecure in our bay area community.

#SaklanCompassionate #SaklanSEL

Spring has sprung and with that has come the time to plan ahead for the rest of the school year. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Art Show has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 23rd from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This year’s event will again take place in the Holy Trinity Cultural Center.

Additional dates to note for the remainder of the year include:

Irresistible auction items make for a great auction! A huge THANK YOU to the following organizations and families for their in-kind donations received in support of Saklan’s upcoming Peace, Love, Saklan auction:

Items from these donors, as well as uniquely Saklan experiences, will be open for bidding during our Peace, Love, Saklan auction on Friday, April 26th. This adults-only event is a fun way to celebrate our vibrant Saklan community and support the ongoing success of our school. Funds raised from the auction support the unique programs offered at Saklan, including: field experiences, family groups, guest experts, and project based learning.

Last Call for Auction Items

Saklan’s Auction Committee is looking to acquire a few more irresistible auction items for our upcoming event! Here are a few specific things we are looking for, both to raise money and raise excitement in the room:

• Wine – Support this year’s Wine Raffle by donating a few bottles of your favorite Cab or Chardonnay.
• Vacation Homes – Do you have or know someone with a vacation property, timeshare or other access to destination properties? 
• Unique Experiences – Do you have a connection to something unavailable to the general public? Think Club 33, behind the Scenes tours, throwing out the first pitch, dinner with someone famous, or an opportunity to sit in an owner’s box.
• Event Tickets – Do you have season passes for the Giants, A’s, Warriors, theatre, symphony, or live music venues?
• Adventure Experiences – Hot Air Ballooning, Horseback Riding, and Cooking Classes are always popular items.
• Gift Cards – Your unused gift cards can enhance a basket of themed goods.

Please let us know if you have any other ideas for amazing auction items. As our mission says, think creatively! Click here to complete the online donor form, or email ewilliamson@saklan.org to share your ideas with the committee!

What a wonderful experience to gather together at the Lesher Center to watch our students shine and share Love! 

Thank you to all of the parents and guardians for making Tuesday’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. Your support of your students and encouragement to take the stage is greatly appreciated!

Thank you to Lauren and Linda for working with the second grade students on the gorgeous backdrop that we got to see during the concert. Thank you for your continued PBL work, and for the passion you ignite in our students by elevating their voices and choices.

Thank you to Erin for preparing the Preschool and Pre-K students to share their songs with our community! 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 delight to see them drumming, singing and dancing together!

Thank you to Hector, Shay, Javi, 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, and filling in all the gaps where they were needed. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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

Thank you to Grace for the vision of Love, 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 greatly appreciated. 

#SaklanWellRounded #SaklanCreative #SaklanCourageous

In early February, the seventh-grade class embarked on a field experience in Oahu, focusing on the island’s amazing plant and animal adaptations and evolutionary processes. However, amidst the natural beauty, the students encountered a sobering reality: human impact, particularly in the form of micro and nano plastic pollution. Rather than accepting this unsettling truth, the students began learning about the intricate ways plastic is found in our water systems. The eye-opening mockumentary “The Majestic Plastic Bag” helped students understand how one simple bag can travel so far. Now imagine millions of those bags in our oceans.

Following this eye-opening experience, the seventh graders delved deeper into the consequences of plastic waste on Hawaiian and global wildlife. Through a hands-on dissection of an albatross bolus—a mass of undigested materials regurgitated by the bird—students were confronted with an upsetting sight. Among the typical contents like squid beaks and small bones, they discovered man-made debris, including rope, fishing line, lures, toy tires, and plastic utensils. Witnessing firsthand the ingestion of our discarded plastics by wildlife left a profound impression on the seventh-grade class.

To expand their understanding, students explored various ecosystems and the impact of plastic waste on species such as sea turtles, albatrosses, and even bears in Utah. Then, they analyzed the prevalence of everyday single-use plastic items in their school environment, working collaboratively to gather data on usage and disposal. This information was translated into visual representations and graphs to highlight the scale of the problem. Afterward, students engaged in research and design efforts to devise innovative, environmentally friendly solutions.

Using the entrepreneurial format from the reality TV show Shark Tank, the students received support from Saklan’s panel of Sharks. Unlike their televised counterparts, Saklan Sharks provided constructive feedback and encouragement and asked clarifying questions as students pitched their environmentally conscious solutions. Some environmentally friendly products presented were edible spoons and forks, biodegradable shoe soles, and a refillable ink station for whiteboard markers. We are proud of the thoughtful and creative products each group presented. 

#SaklanCompassionate

Saklan’s annual hopscotch tournament will begin after Spring Break! The single-elimination tournament will continue for several weeks until there is a champion. The competition is open to Saklan students in 1^st– 8^th grades and faculty. Sign up are available in the pavilion and by the middle School drinking fountain.

The game of hopscotch dates back to at least the 17th century, and different variations are played worldwide. For our tournament, we will use a nine-square layout and players are encouraged to make their own markers. Two players will “duel.” Both markers are placed on the first square, and the players rock, paper, scissors to determine who goes first. A player must hop over the marked square and complete the pattern without touching a line. When they return they must retrieve their marker without losing balance and clear the opponents marker. Once back to the beginning, the player tosses the marker to the next square and repeats the sequence. If a player makes a mistake or misses the toss, they lose the turn and it is the opponent’s turn to complete the layout. The first player to complete nine tosses and retrievals wins.

Hopscotch is a fun game that all ages can play against each other. The skills come down to an accurate toss of the marker, agility hopping on the squares, and balance and flexibility in retrieving a marker. The activity seems simple, but is deceptively hard.

Get your markers ready and start hopping!