The last few weeks the 5th grade has been coming to science lab to learn some basics of astronomy. They have learned about the big bang theory, scaled down the solar system, learned about the formation of the moon, and discovered how our sun produces its energy. Lastly, we have been discussing space exploration, and so the 5th graders worked together to create their own rockets to shoot off!
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.
Open House
Friday, December 1, 2017
8:30 – 10:30AM
We invite all current and prospective parents to join us for an inside look of the highlights of Saklan’s middle school program. Whether you are interested in the lower school or middle school, hearing what our students experience by the time they graduate from Saklan will inspire you.
Join Us For Some Spooky Fun!
Click here for the full Halloween Harvest Festival Schedule .
Mark Your Calendars!
First Middle School Pops Night
Thursday, November 2nd, 5:00 – 5:30PM
Willow Spring Church
Our students will share the music they have been working on during the first trimester.
Pizza and drinks will be provided by the middle school.
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Community,
The Fall Session of our after school enrichment program has gotten off to a great start. We have nine different sections which meet after school from Mondays to Thursdays, with a total of 85 students participating. I am pleased to announce that Saklan will again be participating in Mathcounts this year. The Mathcounts Competition Series is a national program that provides students the opportunity to compete in live, in-person contests against and alongside their peers. Mr. Zippin will be coaching our Mathcounts team, which is open to students in grades 6-8. This is the second year that we have participated in Mathcounts. Last year’s team of seven students had a great time participating in our local Diablo Chapter Competition. Feedback from the students who participate in the program includes comments such as: “I enjoy math,” “I like solving complicated problems and being challenged,” I did it last year and really enjoyed it,” “It’s fun doing math in a group.”
This year’s Mathcounts Team, which meets on Mondays from 3:30 – 4:30 is currently made up of six students. During the weekly meeting, the students will typically do a warm up exercise followed by reviewing some math concepts that come up in the problems that the students are working on. After this, the students will get into teams to get practice in working collaboratively on the problem of the week. They end the session with a workout on some harder problems. A big thank you to Mr. Zippin for coaching the Saklan team. This activity allows students who like math to get together and have a different kind of problem solving experience. Plus it’s fun!
The goal of the Mathcounts Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is to provide engaging math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels in order to build confidence and improve attitudes towards math and problem solving. The Foundation believes that middle school students exist at a critical juncture in which their love for mathematics must be nurtured, or their fear of mathematics must be overcome. Mathcounts thus provides students with the kinds of experiences that foster growth and transcend fear to lay a foundation for future success. You can get a taste of the kind of problems that Mathcounts students solve by looking at the problem of the week on the Mathcounts website.
Have a great weekend!
Peter
Fall Leaves & Gratitude Poem
The Hoot Owls spent some time this week with their buddies, the Fourth Grade, and created vibrantly colorful fall leaves. The end result of this paint-filled activity is loads of beautiful leaves that will be used to create our Gratitude Tree. They also brainstormed ideas for a Gratitude ABCs poem, which represents all of the things that we are thankful for. Hanging out with our Buddies is the best!!!
Research Buddies
The second graders have each chosen a mammal to research as part of their Mammal and Classification Unit. They teamed up with their seventh grade buddies for a special project.
They had to gather information about the size, coloring, diet, habitat, and special facts about their mammal. They worked with their buddies to find this information from books and Internet material.
The second graders then transferred this information to note cards as they prepared for an oral report for their parents and classmates. This is a good example of students helping each other learn at Saklan.
News From The Sports Court
The 2017 Hopscotch Tournament has concluded. Starting with forty-six competitors, the semi-finalists were: Colin T. (5th), Mr. Zippin, Mr. Javier, and Wesley G. (5th). The final match was played during Thursday’s lunch between Mr. Zippin and Wesley. This match was very close with both players on the eighth square. Wesley made the final pitch to the ninth square and was victorious.
Congratulations to Wesley, the 2017 hopscotch champion!
Chemistry In Action
This week, the 8th grade went to Smitten in Lafayette to see chemistry in action. The students saw how a dream to make the best ice cream involved understanding of matter, thermal dynamics, and engineering. Smitten uses local ingredients, machines that make evenly cooled ice cream, and liquid nitrogen to ensure the smallest ice crystal formation and smoothest texture.
Students saw ice cream being made by the machines, nitrogen boiling, and enjoyed a scoop themselves. It was a very tasty and interesting field trip!
2017 Saklan T-Shirt Sale Extended!
Order by Friday, October 27
ADULT LARGE – SOLD OUT. ALL OTHER SIZES ARE STILL AVAILABLE.
Show Your Saklan Spirit!
Be ready for the “Saklan Spirit Day” kickoff on November 3rd.
Remember the first Friday of the month is not just for Parent Coffees anymore!
FRIDAY BLOG 
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