Author: The Saklan School Friday Blog

The Saklan School is a private Pre-K through 8 school located in Moraga, CA. Our mission is to think creatively, act compassionately, and live courageously.

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

This morning, we honored and celebrated The Saklan School’s Graduating Class of 2026. It was a heartfelt ceremony in which the middle school teachers introduced the graduates, and the graduates shared short speeches with their parents, teachers, and fellow students.

A highlight of the ceremony was a speech by Saklan alumnus Levi Kim. Levi graduated from Saklan in 2021 and has since completed high school at The Athenian School and his freshman year at Brown University. During his speech, Levi shared with the graduates that their ability to always get back up is one of their greatest strengths and an important gift they bring to the world. He also reminded them that they will always have a place at Saklan.

Equally heartwarming was the performance led by Dianne and the Kindergarten through 7th grade students, who invited the audience to join in singing “Your Nonsense Makes Sense” by The 502s.

We know the Saklan Class of 2026 will do great things as they move on to the following high schools:

  • Acalanes High School
  • The Athenian School
  • Bentley School
  • Campolindo High School
  • Clayton Valley Charter High School
  • The College Preparatory School
  • Head-Royce School
  • Los Lomas High School
  • Miramonte High School

There are several people who made the graduation events possible this year. We would like to extend a special thank you to Emily Williamson, Kim Parks, Hector Ramos Diaz, and Javier Yacarani for organizing the graduation dinner and gifts. It takes a lot of planning and coordination, but the dinner was beautifully orchestrated. Thank you to Kim Parks, Vickie Obenchain, Linda Lathrop, and Jennifer Lettieri for helping the students express themselves so eloquently in their graduation speeches. Thank you to all the teachers who introduced the students during the Graduation Dinner and during today’s ceremony. Additionally, a special shout-out goes to Dianne Hurvitz, Shay Sager, Kim Parks, Emily Williamson, Hector Ramos Diaz, John Miazga, Coach Rob, and Javier Yacarini for all their behind-the-scenes work handling the logistics of the graduation ceremony.

#Classof2026

Thank You for an Incredible Year

As we wrap up the 2025–2026 school year, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible community that makes our school such a joyful, engaging, and meaningful place to learn and grow.

Thank you to every Saklan family for your support and partnership throughout the year. Your involvement and encouragement have had a lasting impact on our students, faculty, and the broader school community.

A special thank you goes to all of the community members who generously volunteered their time, energy, and talents throughout the year. Your support helped make so many events, celebrations, and learning experiences possible, and we are deeply grateful for all you did to strengthen our community. Your contributions were instrumental in the success of the following activities and events:

  • Welcome Back BBQ
  • Uniform Exchange
  • Annual Giving Fund
  • Parent Coffees
  • Grandfriends’ Day
  • Book Fair
  • Lower School Musical
  • All-School Concert
  • Starlight Gala & Auction
  • Teacher Appreciation Week
  • Middle School Musical
  • Yearbook
  • Field Experiences
  • Class Celebrations
  • Open Houses
  • Fall Festival
  • Movie Night
  • Spring Service Social
  • Taste of Traditions
  • Parent Education Events
  • End of Year Parties

Additionally, thank you to everyone who showed support for our students during the following events:

  • CLAS
  • Halloween Costume Parade
  • The Spongebob Musical
  • Basketball Games
  • All-School Concert
  • Spring Follies
  • Curtains Young@Part
  • Art Show
  • Presentations of Learning
  • Graduation

It was a wonderful year. Thank you, Saklan families, for your support and partnership in making the 2025-2026 year a success!

Team Spirit on Display

Saklan’s annual Family Group Field Day was a terrific day filled with exemplary sportsmanship, great team spirit, and tons of fun! Students in Kindergarten through 8th grade kicked things off by performing creative and entertaining cheers in their family groups, each one judged by our enthusiastic panel of faculty and staff.

Following the cheers, the family groups faced off against each other as they rotated through the following activities:

  • Super Volleyball
  • Sponge Relay
  • Marbles, Marbles
  • Sack Relay
  • Charades

Next up was the water-balloon toss!

Finally, the family groups ended the day on the sports court where the top 3 teams were announced and popsicles were enjoyed by all.

This high-energy event wasn’t just about games and laughter—it was also a powerful culmination of the year’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) work. As students navigated relay races, team challenges, and friendly competition, they demonstrated the core SEL skills they’ve been developing all year. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of another wonderful year of family groups!

#SaklanConnected #SaklanFamilyGroups

Save the Date: 2026 Welcome Back BBQ!

Please save the date for Saklan’s annual Welcome Back BBQ on Friday, August 14, 2026, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. This fun community tradition is a wonderful opportunity for new, returning, and alumni families to reconnect, meet teachers and staff, and kick off the new school year together.

Be sure to mark your calendars; we look forward to celebrating the start of another great year with you!

#SaklanCommunity

Summer Fun at Saklan!

A summer of creative exploration awaits your child during Summer@Saklan! Designed with curiosity and imagination in mind, this year’s summer camp promises to be a dynamic blend of art and science, giving campers the perfect opportunity to learn, play, and grow in a joyful environment.

Ages of Campers

Students entering Preschool through 3rd Grade are invited to join us for Summer@Saklan, and will be divided into two age groups:

  • Mini Campers: Age 3 – Entering Kindergarten
  • Explorers: Entering 1st – 3rd Grade

Session Dates & Themes

This summer, camp will run in one-week sessions from June 15th – July 31.

Session DatesMini Camper ThemeExplorers Theme
June 15 – 18 Dramatic PlayClaymation & Art
June 22 – 26SportsThe Art of Puppetry
June 29 – July 2 Bug ExplorationJewelry Making
July 6 – 10ScienceBookmaking & Printing
July 13 – 17Safari AnimalsLEGO Science
July 20 – 24CookingSpace
July 27 – 31ArtSTEAM

The camp day will begin with drop off from 8:15 – 8:30 a.m. and run until 2:30 p.m. Extended Day will be available until 4:30 p.m.

Whether your child loves painting, building, experimenting, or just having fun with friends, Summer@Saklan offers something for everyone. It’s the perfect way to keep young minds active and inspired during the summer months.

We can’t wait to see all the creativity and curiosity that unfolds this summer at Saklan!

Bravo to the Cast and Crew of Curtains Young@Part!

A huge congratulations to Saklan’s middle school students on their fantastic performance of Curtains Young@Part at the Town Hall Theatre last Friday evening!

From the memorable characters and energetic musical numbers to the heartfelt moments throughout the show, the cast and crew brought the production to life with incredible creativity, talent, and enthusiasm. Students impressed audiences with their confidence on stage, teamwork behind the scenes, and dedication throughout the rehearsal process.

Producing a musical is truly a community effort, and this performance showcased not only the artistic talents of our students, but also their collaboration, perseverance, and willingness to take creative risks. Whether acting, singing, dancing, managing backstage, or supporting technical elements, every student played an important role in making the production such a success.

Special thanks to the many people who helped make the show happen.

  • To Jayme Feldhammer for her time, sewing machine, and deep kindness.
  • To Javier Yacarini, for his work on the sets.
  • To the Middle School Teachers for their help with props and rehearsals, their willingness to share their class time, and their encouragement of all performers.
  • To the Middle School Parents for helping their performers run lines and gather their base costumes.
  • To the Middle School Students for their creativity, courage, and perseverance. Your performance was inspiring!
  • To Dianne for all the hard work, dedication, and passion poured into the show. Your vision and casting created magic on the stage and allowed the students to shine bright. Inspiring middle school students to share their creativity, compassion, and courage on the stage is no easy feat, but you made it look effortless. Thank you!

#SaklanCreative

Second Graders Become Published Authors

Saklan’s second graders recently celebrated the culmination of their Project Based Learning unit, The Secret Life of Seeds, by becoming published authors and sharing their work with younger students across campus.

Centered around the driving question, If a seed could talk, what story would it tell about how it travels?, the project invited students to combine scientific inquiry with imagination and storytelling. Throughout the unit, students explored the many ways seeds travel, survive, and grow, studying methods of seed dispersal such as wind, water, and animals. Each student selected a specific seed to research before creating an original narrative that followed the seed’s unique journey.

As students moved through the writing process, they experienced firsthand how ideas develop and strengthen over time. Early brainstorming and planning sessions helped students organize both the scientific concepts they wanted to teach and the creative elements they hoped to include in their stories. During drafting, students experimented with voice, dialogue, and storytelling techniques as they transformed seeds into characters with adventures, challenges, and destinations.

Revision became one of the most meaningful parts of the project. Students carefully reread their work to strengthen descriptions, clarify scientific explanations, and make their stories more engaging for readers. Peer feedback conversations encouraged students to think about their writing in new ways and reinforced the idea that strong writing develops through reflection, collaboration, and persistence.

The project culminated in a series of “Meet the Author” events held in the library with ECE, Kindergarten, and First Grade classes. During these special visits, second graders proudly read their published books aloud, answered questions about their stories and scientific research, and stepped into the role of confident authors and experts. Sharing their work with younger students gave second graders an authentic audience and highlighted the meaningful connections between literacy, science, and community.

The Secret Life of Seeds beautifully reflected the inquiry, creativity, and communication that are central to Saklan’s Project Based Learning approach. Most importantly, students experienced the joy and power of using their voices and ideas to teach, inspire, and connect with others.

#SaklanProjectWork

End-of-Year Reminders

As we count down the final days of the 2025–2026 school year, we would like to share a few important reminders with families as we prepare for graduation and summer break.

Uniform Exchange

We are currently collecting gently used Saklan uniform and spirit wear items for our Uniform Exchange. Families are welcome to donate shirts, jumpers, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, and other items featuring the Saklan logo.

Beginning next week, a plastic collection bin will be placed in front of the school for donations. Thank you for helping support other Saklan families through the exchange program!

Lost and Found

Our lost and found is overflowing with sweatshirts, jackets, water bottles, and other items. Next week, all lost and found items will be placed outside at the front of the school for families to look through.

We encourage everyone to stop by and check for missing belongings before the end of the school year. Any unclaimed items remaining after school ends will either be added to the Uniform Exchange or donated to charity.

Graduation

All Saklan families and friends are warmly invited to attend this year’s graduation ceremony on Friday, May 29, at 10:15 a.m. on the Sports Court. If you enjoy CLAS, you will LOVE Saklan’s Graduation!

As the ceremony will take place outdoors, guests are encouraged to come prepared for the weather. We recommend bringing sunglasses and water bottles in case of sun, as well as sweaters or jackets in case of cooler or breezy conditions.

We look forward to celebrating the close of another wonderful school year together!

Eighth Graders Put Physics into Motion 

The end of the year in Saklan’s eighth grade physics class is filled with hands-on science, engineering, and problem-solving. As the culmination of their physics studies, students recently worked in teams to design and build their own roller coasters for marbles to ride.

Each group created an eight-foot-long coaster that incorporated the major physics concepts they studied throughout the year, including force, momentum, motion, and energy transfer. To meet the project requirements, every coaster needed to include at least one loop, a slow-down stop, and creative decorations inspired by the themed roller coasters found at amusement parks.

Throughout the project, students relied on creativity, collaboration, math skills, and the scientific method as they designed, tested, redesigned, and refined their creations. Groups analyzed what worked, identified challenges, made adjustments, and in some cases started over entirely before successfully completing their final designs.

The project challenged students to apply their understanding of the four forces studied in class while ensuring their coaster had enough momentum to complete a loop and safely guide the marble to a stop. More importantly, it gave students the opportunity to experience physics in action through experimentation, teamwork, and hands-on learning.

The final roller coasters showcased not only impressive engineering and creativity, but also the persistence and problem-solving skills students developed throughout the process.

#SaklanHandsOn

Head’s Corner: What Kind of Childhood Are We Trying to Protect?

When I was a child, I routinely got into trouble. (Hard to believe, right?)

I grew up in a Detroit neighborhood with lots of friends and neighbors around. Most of the trouble we got into could best be described as “good trouble.” Staying out past the time the streetlights came on. Using the entire city block to play tag, running through neighbors’ backyards with friends, cutting across lawns. Nothing serious. Nothing mean-spirited. Just the ordinary trouble of childhood: testing boundaries, losing track of time, and discovering the world beyond adult eyes.

Looking back, I am struck by how much learning was tucked inside those moments. We were practicing judgment, negotiating with friends, taking small risks, and discovering what it felt like to be trusted.

I have been thinking about this because of two things I have been reading: The Amazing Generation and a new report from the Institute for Family Studies, High Tech, Low Play: The Life of American Children. Together, they point to something many of us sense: children need more than protection from the virtual world. They need more opportunities to experience the real one.

What struck me most in the report was a simple but unsettling idea: many children today are highly protected in the physical world, yet relatively unprotected in the digital one. They have access to screens earlier and more often, while having fewer opportunities to roam, play, take small risks, and build independence with friends.

That imbalance gives me pause.

Many children today can wander widely online before they are trusted to wander very far in real life. They may have access to enormous digital worlds before they have had enough practice navigating the physical one.

This is not to say we should simply recreate the childhoods we remember. The world has changed. But children still need opportunities to stretch, explore, decide, negotiate, and discover their own capabilities.

That is one reason I am drawn to The Amazing Generation, by Jonathan Haidt. Its invitation is not simply for children to put down their screens, but to imagine what they might pick up instead: more freedom, more friendship, more movement, more play, more responsibility, and more real-life adventure.

So what kind of childhood are we trying to protect?

One with enough safety to feel held, and enough freedom to grow. One with adults close enough to guide, but not so close that children never get to practice. One with room for play, movement, friendship, responsibility, and the small, good trouble that helps children discover their capacity.

And maybe that is the real invitation — not just to give children fewer screens, but to give them more childhood.

Sincerely,

David