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.

Earth Day-April 22nd

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans for the protection of the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – 10% of the U.S. population at the time – took to the street, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

Earth Day is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event and it led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clear Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Normally, we make a whole day Earth Day at Saklan, but this year we thought we’d make it a week. Here are some ideas for your students to help celebrate this coming week:

Earth Week Activities You Can Do At Home

Save it Sunday – have your child make a sign to hang in the home or other shared space to remind people to save resources (turn off the lights, save water at the faucet)

Make it Monday – encourage your child’s engineering/artistic side, allow your student to create something that had been made from recycled materials (for example, turn a jar into a vase, create sunbutter and pine cone bird feeder, or artistically make a milk jug into an animal)

Earth day

Teach it Tuesday – have you or your students learn and then teach a friend or family member something about sustainability (for example, an idea about saving water or reducing waste)

Walk it Wednesday (Actual Earth Day) – take you and your children on a walk (even if it’s just in your backyard) and enjoy the wonders of our planet. Enjoy the beauty of your community, create a nature treasure hunt or even pick up trash in your community to help celebrate Earth Day.

Be Thankful Thursday – Even in uncertain times, the sun rises each day, our birds chirp, and we are blessed to have this amazing community. Encourage your students (and family members) to share what they are thankful for.

Farm it Friday – Spring has sprung and what better time to plant and plan for the future. Let your students put their hands in the dirt, plant some seeds or small plants, water them, and tend to their flower or vegetable filled future.

Set a new Habit Saturday – Encourage your students to make one environmental gesture a habit; maybe always using a reusable water bottle, never using a plastic straw again, riding their bike short distances instead of needing a ride, etc. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something! 

Here are some great picture books as well to get your students in the mood:

Want to hear from Scientists in the field?

National Geographic Explorer classroom lets you hear & chat with real scientists, sign up here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/explorer-classroom/sessions/#inthefield

Want a Family Movie Night? These are always a hit:

  • Our Planet
  • Disney’s Ocean
  • Wall-E
  • Planet Earth
  • Blue Planet

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Music With Mr. Isaac

Mr. Isaac has started working with students on Thursday afternoons. Our more flexible online learning schedule has created an opportunity to work with more students one-on-one. He is offering the middle schoolers individual instruction on their instruments. He has already started giving lessons to kids in the Orchestra. You can e-mail Mr. Isaac at inarell@saklan.org if you want to have a lesson and he will try to fit you in.

The Saklan after school music program on Thursdays has continued its normal schedule. 4th graders meet at 3:00 pm, the West African Drumming ensemble at 3:30 pm and individual lessons start after that. If you want to sign up for the after school music program, please email office@saklan.org.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Sink Or Float?

The Owlets have been busy with their science studies. This week’s science experiment was sink or float. First, the students picked five objects in their house. Then, they made predictions of what they thought that object would do, sink or float. They wrote it all down so they don’t forget their predictions. Finally, they conducted the experiment to see if their prediction was right! This was a fun, at-home science experiment.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Head of School COVID-19 Update

“The job of an online teacher is the job of an offline teacher is the job of a teacher. Connect to people and help them to feel connected to you and to the dimension of the world you are leading them to experience. Connect your students to one another in a way that enables them not only to learn content from one another but also to catch life experiences from one another—to shape one another in the way that only peers can. It’s that simple… and it’s that complex.”

A Letter to Educators Teaching Online for the Very First Time – Ed Surge

Dear Saklan Community,

As we work through week three of our distance learning at Saklan, the quote above struck me. At Saklan, we brag about the importance placed on being connected with students and families. Yet making those connections work through online learning has its challenges. In the first two weeks, we tried to nail down the academics. This week we have incorporated live sessions with the specialist teachers. By next week, we will begin incorporating more ways for kids to connect with teachers as well as each other.

Teaching through a pandemic has had its challenges. We appreciate your support and patience as we have built up (and continue to improve) our program. While we have had feedback from parents, I would like to take this opportunity to collect it in one place. Please take a moment to share with us your thoughts on how things have gone so far, what we have done well, what we could do better and how we can better support your family. Email me at feedback@saklan.org.

In other news:

  • We will be holding our first Virtual Friday Flag on Friday, April 17th, at 9 am. Please have the whole family join, it will be fun. We will be sending a Zoom invite early next week.
  • The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is around the corner on April 22nd and Ms. O. has lots of plans! Keep your eye out for more information to come.
  • Our first Virtual Family Groups is planned for May 1st at 1:30 pm. Family Groups is for students in 1st – 8th grades. This month’s theme is Compassion. Parents are welcome to join. More information to come.
  • Most of you must be aware of the Zoombombing issues that are happening within Zoom. We have instituted the correct protocols, and Zoom has updated its software. We are continuing to monitor this situation.
  • Our hot lunch vendor, Food for Thought, is offering meal delivery on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. The menu is more “adult” than their student meals. As a bonus, they are selling toilet paper and rice in bulk! Using them is a great way to support local businesses in this time of need. Pick up will be at Perpetua School. Click here for more information.
  • Do you have a favorite local business that could use our community’s support? If so, share with me a few details, and we will promote them within our community.
  • Saklan will be hosting a Virtual Town Hall towards the end of next week. Details will follow in the next couple of days regarding time and date.
  • Next week, the Business Office will begin processing credit memos for unused bus and extracurricular fees.

Lastly (and sadly), on Tuesday, the Contra Costa Office of Education announced that school campuses must remain closed until the end of the school year. Although this announcement was expected, it is not the news we were all hoping for. While I had wished they would have waited to make the decision, I understand why they wanted to make the decision earlier than later. That said, it is starting to look like the sacrifice of social distancing may be paying off. While I would never claim to be a math guy (or a doctor), the curve does seem to be flattening. As a community, we have accomplished much over the past few weeks, but it has been a heavy lift. While it has been hard, I hope that it may begin to feel that we are finding our way out (as in out of the house).

Stay well,

David

#SaklanDistanceLearning

A Common Struggle

Today, we had about 15 parents show up at our Parents Association Virtual Coffee centered around the topic of ‘Sharing Our Home Solutions to Distance Learning.’ You know how these things can go sometimes, the session was more an opportunity for people to share what they were struggling with when it comes to distance learning. And while there were many positives that came out of the conversation, reading the struggles brought a weird sense of comfort. We are not in this alone. 

Here are a few of the more common things our families are grappling with: 

  • It’s been hard to keep the kids focused, sometimes bribing the kids with treats or whatnot is what parents have resorted to.
  • Parents are having guilt regarding large amounts of screen time (not necessarily regarding school work but in general, i.e. video games etc.)
  • Having to keep in mind that some kids love distance learning and do well at it, and others are having more of a challenge and strive on the physical connection/physical learning.
  • Some parents find themselves losing temper and finding it hard to not have “me time” in which they can take a deep breath and gather their thoughts. They are in survival mode and some kids are feeling the stress they are under.
  • Each week is very different. Each load of stress (whether on parents or students, whether from life in general or from classes) is different throughout the weeks.
  • This whole world event is taking a toll on mental health. People are really struggling with not being able to go to coffee with a friend or have hangouts. Virtual ones just aren’t the same.
  • There’s no time for parents to process emotions anymore.

I am not sure if sharing this list solves any of the issues, but I do hope that it makes us feel maybe just a touch closer to those we used to see so often. 

Warm regards,

David 

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Kindergarten News

In the video below, Mrs. C is teaching the Kindergarten class how to make a bunny.

Another one of the Kindergarten lessons this week was learning to draw a bunny. Although the directions were the same, every bunny was unique.

IMG_2850

IMG_2851

IMG_2856

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Owlets Have Fun With Science And Springtime!

The Owlets’ theme for the month of April is ‘Science and Springtime.’ They have started doing some science experiments and spring activities at home.

Their first week has already started with some chemical reactions by mixing vinegar and baking soda together.

IMG_20200406_102901

Another Owlet friend had fun taking the experiment in another direction. She had fun mixing colors together and seeing what colors you get when you do.

image1 (8)

The Owlets also did a static electricity butterfly. This was where they made a butterfly from a construction paper body that was glued to a piece of cardboard, but the tissue paper wings were not glued down. Then they took a balloon and rubbed it in their hair to the static electricity which made the wings move them up and down like it was flying because the balloon got a static charge. From the static charge the negatively charged balloon was able to move the positively charged tissue paper wings to fly. One of our friends didn’t have balloons, but they still found other things to use to move the butterfly wings, like this comb to get the same results and static charge.

image1 (5)

The weeks to come, the Owlets will have more fun with science experiments and springtime fun like this spring egg wreath.

IMG_4616

#SaklanDistanceLearning

 

The Hokey Pokey

This week in PE, the students worked on their dance moves and learned the hokey pokey. Check out this instructional video created by Mr. Crabtree and start moving.

#SaklanDistanceLearning