Month: August 2026

Head’s Corner: Beginning the Year with Connection

The start of the year is always exciting. The lifeblood of our campus—our students—return eager to see one another, meet new students, reconnect with their teachers, play on the new structures, and simply bond. It is a time to celebrate and nurture who we are as a community—one that places a high value on connection. If students are the lifeblood of Saklan, connection and belonging are its heart.

We know from research that children thrive and grow when they feel known, valued, and connected. That sense of belonging gives them the confidence to share their ideas, take risks, try something difficult, and recover when things do not go as planned.

The same is true of our larger community. We thrive when we are connected—when we come together to support one another, learn together, and share joyful moments.

That is why we are being intentional this year about creating more opportunities to bring our community together. In addition to CLAS, Taste of Traditions, and many other offerings, I want to introduce a new initiative—our Discussions with David series. These gatherings will give us a chance to connect and explore topics that shape our children’s experiences, help us create a deep sense of belonging, and shape our lives as parents and as members of a community dedicated to the well-being of our kids. 

A strong community is not built through any one event. It grows when we show up, share our experiences, remain curious about one another, and make room for new voices. I hope you will join us for the celebrations, conversations, and shared learning that will help Saklan continue to thrive.

I am excited about what we will build together this year. Welcome back.

Warmly,

David

Picture Day

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students on Monday, August 24th. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and will be available for purchase.

Pictures will be taken outside in the Redwood Grove during the school day. Please note that 1st – 8th grade students may be in spirit wear or uniform tops for the pictures.

For students who are absent on picture day, makeup pictures will be taken on Thursday, August 27th at 9:30 a.m.

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 for CLAS!

All Saklan families are invited to join us next Friday, August 28th, 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 28 – Coffee & Tea Provided
  • September 11
  • September 25 – Student Council Candidate Speeches
  • October 9
  • October 23
  • October 30 – Join us for the Halloween Costume Parade and more!
  • November 6 –
  • November 20 – Special Grandfriends’ Day CLAS
  • December 11
  • January 15
  • January 29
  • February 19
  • March 12 – Pi Day Celebration
  • March 26
  • April 16
  • April 30
  • May 14
  • May 21 -Final CLAS of the Year

#SaklanCommunity

Investing in Excellence: Summer Professional Learning

At Saklan, learning extends well beyond the school year. This summer, our faculty embraced opportunities to grow professionally, bringing new ideas and strategies back to the classroom for the benefit of every student.

Kim Parks, Jennifer Lettieri, and Shelby Hastings participated in Responsive Classroom professional development, strengthening their understanding of practices that foster engaging, supportive learning communities in both the Lower School and Middle School.

Linda Lathrop and Tausha Kordisch attended PBL World, a three-day conference dedicated to Project Based Learning. During the conference, they collaborated with educators from around the world and developed innovative PBL units that will inspire inquiry, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences in the year ahead.

Vickie Obenchain attended the NEED (National Energy Education Development) Conference in Nashville, where she explored hands-on, inquiry-based approaches to teaching energy science. She returned with new knowledge and engaging labs that will allow students to investigate topics including nuclear technologies, hydrogen fuel cells, and hydropower engineering. 

These enriching professional development opportunities were made possible in part through the generosity of Saklan’s Annual Giving Fund donors.

#SaklanLifelongLearners

Fall Enrichment Classes

The fall session of enrichment classes will begin the week of September 14th and run through December 10th. Classes available this session include Garden Club, Scratch Coding, Mixed Media Art, and Soccer. The complete schedule of classes offered this fall is below.

Registration for the fall session of classes opens on Tuesday, August 25th at 11:00 a.m. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and often fill very quickly.

Fall Enrichment Information