The Kindergartner’s imaginations were running free while looking at the Rorschach Tests. They learned about symmetry and created their own paintings!
#SaklanWellRounded
Rorschach Paintings
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.
Sarah’s Science Visits Saklan
The first and second graders were very fortunate to have special guest Sarah Shaffer of Sarah’s Science visit their classroom this week. The students all became scientists as they delved into the world of electricity, what it is and how it works.
As they did that, they each built their own secret pressure pad to sound an alarm when someone enters the room. We are sure they will come in very handy at home! #SaklanHandsOn
Inside the Egg
Hoot Owls learned about the 21 day embryonic development of a chicken. The children took turns opening pretend eggs that show pictures of the changes occurring inside an egg. Hoot Owls shared the picture inside the egg with classmates during circle-time. Together they talked about what specific changes they noticed from egg to egg. The whole class cheered when they opened egg number 21 and a small toy chick popped out!
They explored the eggs a little more closely by choosing four very different stages of egg development to study and draw. Hoot Owls decided that the beginning cluster of cells should be called, “The Little Nothing Stage.” They appropriately named the second transformation, “The Little Blah-Blah Stage.” #SaklanHandsOn
Shooting Rockets
Since February, the 8th grade has been learning physics in Science class. They have been learning about the forces on our planet: gravity, air resistance, friction and centripetal force. They have also been working on putting Newton’s three Laws of Motion into real life scenarios.
In one example of this, the 8th grade had to create a rocket that could fight air resistance and gravity, and that could exhibit all of Newton’s three laws. After creating different paper airplanes and learning how different designs create different amounts of drag, their goal was to design a rocket that could not only defy gravity, but go the highest in the class.
They worked in pairs to design different wings and different types of cones for the top of their rockets. When the time came to shoot them off, they used an altimeter to measure their height as they blasted off. While each reached amazing heights, one rocket design made it an astonishing 39 meters in the sky (approximately 128 feet), a first for the 8th grade rocket experiment. Congrats, Max and Harrison on your design! #SaklanHandsOn
The Big, Bad, Blow-Dryer Challenge
Kindergartners favorite fairy tale has been The Three Little Pigs. The children have been busy retelling the story using props. They love to huff and puff! Finally, the class had a lot of fun taking the Big, Bad, Blow-dryer Challenge.
Working in pairs, the children chose building materials needed to build a house. They made a diagram of how they wanted their house to look and predicted if their house would withstand the Big, Bad, Blow-dryer Challenge. The children then built their houses and the Big, Bad, Blow-dryer tried to blow down their houses.
Every house survived the Big, Bad, Blow-dryer Challenge. The children were very proud! #SaklanHandsOn
Field Experience at San Francisco Symphony
On Tuesday, March 5th, the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades went out to explore our Bay Area community by traveling to the San Francisco Symphony. They attended a concert called “Play Me a Story,” designed to help students identify different sounds made by each unique instrument, and connect them to characters or events in a story. The students and teachers then heard a program that introduced them to the Overture from “Barber of Seville” by Rossini, “Elephants” by Camille Saint-Saens, and “Scheherezade” and “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korskov, amongst others.
The musicians in the symphony expertly demonstrated to our students how a flute can be a bird, how and oboe can be a duck, how a group of violins can be a swarm of bumblebees, and how a trombone and trumpet conversation can be a battle! Everybody’s favorite moment was when the percussion section played us the story of a ship crashing against the rocks!
Introducing children to instrumental music at an early age is so important, but amongst the laundry list of reasons, one stands out; helping children experience the Symphony in person helps them understand fully that music is played by humans, not by computers, phones, or Alexa. Going outside our school gates and realizing that it is with our own bodies and brains that we create beauty helps our children realize that they too can create art, music or something beautiful, and that it is not out of their reach. For Saklan students, the experience helped them understand concepts reinforced every day in their classrooms and allows them to make a career connection into the greater community.
We 💜 SF Symphony! #SaklanExperiental
Head’s Corner
Why Do We Have a GPSF Day?
Many of you know that I am the father of a 14-month-old toddler who goes by the name Finn. She came to my wife and me by what we like to call a “spontaneous pregnancy.” Children were never part of our life plan and we had absolutely no clue what an impact a child would have on us (emotionally, physically and financially). Furthermore, we had no idea of the support one needs when raising a little human.
I bring this up not because I like to talk about Finn (although I do), but because I never understood the importance of a support network when it comes to raising a family. I have come to learn that extended families serve at least two crucial roles in my family’s well being. The first of course is the emotional and hands-on support they give. The second, and just as important, is as a role model. I have lost count of the number of times I have thought about how my siblings or parents did their child rearing to help guide me in my efforts .
I bring this up because having a child has made me see Grandparents and Special Friends Day in a new light. As educators, we spend over seven hours a day with your sons and daughters. We work to partner with you and keep you up-to-date and support you in this complicated world of child raising. But sometimes we are unfamiliar with a key component of the equation – the grandparent or special friend. I have always enjoyed Grandparents and Special Friends Day because our visitors are such neat people, and they are always interested in what is going on at school. But, to be honest, I had not really viewed them as a critical cog in the work of creating a good person.
Hence the importance of Grandparents and Special Friends Day. They are an integral part of your child’s journey (and sometimes the key to your sanity). On the 29th of this month, we look forward to connecting, sharing and honoring those “others” who are so essential to your child’s life. #SaklanConnected
Washington DC: The Final Word
Personal reflections are one of the most powerful tools we can use to cement our learning. They compel us to quietly consider all aspects of our learning process and challenge us to clarify and personalize our experiences. In so doing, we transfer ephemeral insights to our long-term memory, and this leads to the kind of substantive growth that powers mindful action and positive change.
After nearly two months of exploring the US cultural values represented in our nation’s capital, the 8th graders came up with some profound insights and “Democracy in Action” plans in their final reflections. Here are a few excerpts…
on the WWII, Korean & Vietnam War Memorials:
“I will now make sure everyone gets an equal chance to have their voice heard. I will also stand up for what I believe in, so my voice can be heard.” – Lauren A.-C.
on the National Museum of Women in the Arts:
“I will go to more rallies to help fight for equal rights for women.” – Kyle Y.
on the National Museums of the American Indian, Women in the Arts & African American History & Culture:
“I will use what I have learned to be more respectful and politically correct by seeing past stereotypes and thinking for myself.” – Roan K.
“I will never let myself get caught up in old habits, and I will continue to look through different lenses. I will also listen to all different voices to get a full picture.” – Lily M.
on the Lincoln & Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorials:
“Hope contributes to a functional democracy by allowing people to believe and have faith in the future.” – Maile M.
“I will not allow myself to be oppressed. I will listen to others in my group (unity) and have positivity as it can only help (hope). I will have the courage to stand up for my beliefs and support those who I agree with. I will not allow myself to be weighed down but will become a better human being.” – Isabel D.
on the value of experiential learning in Washington, DC:
“I now know that you cannot judge a place by what you’ve read online.” – Juliet P.
#SaklanExperiental
Hoot Owls Grow Crystals
The Hoot Owls tried out a science experiment where they grew crystals on pipe cleaners with laundry detergent. They measured the detergent, just like “real scientists,” into plastic mason jars. Then, they twisted and bent pipe cleaners into interesting shapes that they taped to the inside of the lids. They watched as a grown up carefully added hot water to detergent and mixed it together. The Hoot Owls began creating hypotheses right away when the solution in one of the jars turned pink! They continued to hypothesize as the days went by.
They observed some pipe cleaners grew small crystals while others grew little to none. All the pipe cleaners were supposed to grow crystals…. so they might try this experiment again following a different recipe. Another teachable moment: Sometimes experiments go according to plan and sometimes they don’t, but scientists have to try and try again! #SaklanHandsOn
Third Annual Hula Hoop Contest
Saklan’s Third Annual Hula Hoop Contest concluded last Friday. We started with twenty participants and after two contests the finalists finished off with a double hula hoop finale. Nine competitors used two hoops.
After about ten minutes there were two people left: Chloe in fifth grade and Jack D. in second grade. The tiebreaker used three hula hoops!
In the end, Chloe was the two hoop champion, Jack was the single hoop champion, and Lilia (third grade) was the no hoop champion. Good job to all those who participated! The contest was a fun way to spend time outside during recess. #SaklanWellRounded
FRIDAY BLOG 
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