Month: August 2024

Head’s Corner: Being Intentional about Back-to-School Night

Schools around the country traditionally begin the year with a Back-to-School Night.  In many schools, this evening serves primarily as a time for teachers to outline their curriculum and policies, often squeezing in just a few minutes for questions (I vividly remember my days as a middle school teacher, where I had a mere ten minutes to cover an entire Western Civilization course before parents had to rush off to the next classroom). At Saklan, the night holds deeper meaning.

For us, Back-to-School Night is more than just an informational session; it’s the continuation of a partnership centered around your child. While discussing the curriculum is certainly important, the evening is also about building trust, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the connections between the adults who care for and guide your child. 

With this in mind, I asked our teachers and staff what they most want families to take away from Back-to-School Night. Below are some of their heartfelt responses.

Care

  • I want parents to know that their child is loved and cared for 
  • Students and parents need to feel welcome and included
  • That they trust their children are safe, will be inspired to learn and grow personally and academically
  • That they feel a part of their kid’s classroom
  • That they know their children are in good hands
  • Every child will feel secure and supported while exploring their full potential

Partnership

  • It’s a partnership – I value your child and your insight. 
  • That parents feel a sense of connection with the teacher
  • It’s a partnership. Keep communication open.
  • Who I am as their child’s teacher
  • Parents understand the means of communication and information (both ways) throughout the year ahead.
  • That we are here to help support the students grow + learn. We are a team!
  • A sense of trust

Information and Logistics

  • That parents have an understanding of  the classroom program/procedures
  • They understand the goals of the class and student expectations
  • That parents see I know this age group and the curriculum
  • That parents understand my approach to teaching and learning
  • That parents know the logistics, schedules, important days, upcoming field experiences, etc 
  • Understand the communication policies/protocols
  • Class procedures around homework and assessment

Back-to-School Night at Saklan goes beyond curriculum and schedules; it’s about building a supportive, collaborative community around your child. As we come together, we reinforce our commitment to care, partnership, and educational excellence, setting the stage for a year of growth and connection.

Warmly, 

David

#HeadsCorner

Fall Enrichment 2024

The fall session of enrichment classes will begin the week of September 9th and run through December 12th. Classes available this session include Science & Engineering Fun, Soccer, and Arts & Crafts. The complete schedule of classes offered this fall is below.

Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and some classes already have a wait list. To enroll your child in a fall enrichment class, please click on the button below.

Fall Enrichment Registration

70th Anniversary BBQ

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Saklan’s 70th Anniversary Welcome Back BBQ. It was a fabulous way to kick off the 70th year of Saklan!

It was so nice to see all the smiling faces and feel the positive energy of the 320+ attendees, including students, staff, families, grandparents, alumni and friends. This was the best attended BBQ to date, and a wonderful way to kick off the new year!

A huge thank you to:

  • Javier, Hector and John for getting the campus ready, moving tables, getting ice and filling ice chests.
  • Amy Perkins for the beautiful sunflower and rose arrangements.
  • Irina Barol for the beautiful pictures.
  • Hazy BBQ for the delicious food.
  • The PA for setting up the Uniform Exchange, helping attendees make name tags, and helping us build community through volunteer opportunities.
  • All the families who volunteered to help with community events this year.

#SaklanCommunity

70th Anniversary Spirit Wear

We are excited to offer Saklan spirit wear commemorating the 70th anniversary of Saklan! We are starting with t-shirts and will add other options later in the year. The order deadline for this first order is Thursday, September 12th so that we receive the shirts prior to the Moraga Parade.

We are offering two design options, which are shown below. Each design comes in youth and adult sizes.

Order a Saklan Tie Dye Shirt Here

In addition to the tie dye shirt, we are offering the shirts that the faculty and staff wore at the BBQ. This is your child’s chance to twin with the teachers! The design and color options are below. Please note, not all colors are available in youth sizing.

Order a 70th Anniversary Shirt Here

Saklan Spirit Fridays

Starting in October, Saklan will have Spirit Days each Friday, where 1st – 8th grade students can wear Saklan Spirit Wear instead of uniforms. Students are also free to wear these shirts on Free Dress Wednesdays.

#SaklanSpirit

Fall Festival 2024

All Saklan families are invited to join us for the Fall Festival on Sunday, September 29th from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This event will again be held at the Hacienda Las Flores.

This event is a favorite of Saklan students of all ages. We hope you will join us for face painting, fall crafts, food trucks, lawn games, and a whipped cream pie challenge! 

A huge thank you to the Parent Association Board for planning and hosting this event.

#SaklanPA #SaklanCommunity

Ready to Thrive and Grow

A long-standing tradition of the Saklan Middle School is to start the year with a three-day, two-night field experience called the “Advance.” This field experience is intentionally designed to allow the middle school students to advance into the new school year in a positive, proactive way that helps them flourish into self-confident young adults.  

During the Advance, students engage in different activities that build relationships between students and their teachers. Navigating ropes courses, paddling canoes, determining advisory names and norms, and playing team-building games facilitate positive interactions and friendships. Students are asked to take risks together, creating bonds that will carry them through the school year. Not only does this help solidify their sense of belonging, but it also allows for better collaboration, trust, and academic focus.

Yesterday afternoon, the middle school students and teachers returned from the Advance as a slightly different group than when they left Tuesday morning. They formed new friendships, built a new community, and have a new sense of confidence. They were also very tired from all the fun and activities. But most importantly, the middle school team returned ready to thrive and grow during their middle school experience.

#SaklanConfident

Picture Day on Monday

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students on Monday, August 26th. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and are available for purchase.

Pictures will be taken outside on the play yard during the school day. Please note that 1st – 8th grade students need to be dressed in uniform for the pictures.

For students who are absent on picture day, a make up day will be held on Monday, October 21st.

Portrait Ordering Process

Portraits will be available to order online approximately 4 weeks AFTER picture day. Complimentary proofs will be provided for every student, so you can decide whether you would like to order them. If you do order, all portrait packages will be shipped directly to your home (a shipping fee will apply). There will be no school package drop off.

Questions? Please contact Roots & Shoot directly at grow@roots-shoots.com. They will be happy to assist you!

Join us on Friday for CLAS

All Saklan families are invited to join us next Friday, August 30th, for our first CLAS of the year. CLAS is an all-school assembly focused on Community, Learning, Appreciation, and Sharing that occurs every other Friday on the Saklan Sports Court.

Each CLAS has student hosts, presentations of learning, a birthday celebration, and a song sung by all. CLAS is one of the opportunities that Saklan students have to build their confidence and practice public speaking skills. It is also an opportunity to showcase how supportive, creative, compassionate, and courageous our community is.

CLAS will be held at 8:30 a.m. on the following Fridays:

  • August 30 – Coffee & Tea Provided!
  • September 13
  • September 27
  • October 4
  • October 25
  • November 8
  • November 22
  • December 13
  • January 17
  • January 31
  • February 21
  • March 7
  • March 28
  • April 18
  • May 2
  • May 16
  • May 23

We hope you can join us!

#SaklanCommunity

New Hot Lunch Program

The Saklan School is partnering with The Fourth Bore, to offer a variety of delicious and healthy hot lunch options this year. The program, which begins on Monday, August 26th, utilizes the BOONLI online ordering platform. Click on the button below for ordering instructions.

Hot Lunch Ordering Info

Each day of the week features a different menu, with vegetarian and gluten-free options daily. Check out the menus for the first three weeks below.

Please note that orders need to be placed by 2:00 p.m. two days before the delivery date.

If you have questions about the food, including menu offerings, please contact The Fourth Bore at info@thefourthbore.com.

If you have any questions or encounter any issues with ordering, please contact Boonli support directly at support@boonli.com 8am-5pm PT, Monday-Friday.

Moraga Parade

Saklan is participating in Moraga’s 50th Anniversary Parade on Saturday, September 28th, and all Saklan families are invited to join us! Participants need to arrive at Saklan at 8:00 a.m.; the parade will begin at 10:00 and conclude by 11:00 a.m. The parade route will start and end in front of Saklan. All participants need to sign a hard copy waiver of liability, which will be available by the front gate during drop-off and pick-up next week. If you signed the waiver at the BBQ, you are all set! The deadline for signing the waiver is September 4th.

If you have questions about the parade, or won’t be on campus to sign the waiver, please reach out to Emily at ewilliamson@saklan.org. Emily will be happy to answer any questions or get you a waiver to sign.

#SaklanCommunity