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.
Every year, our Saklan community looks forward to the 2nd and 3rd grade collaborative PBL unit that culminates in the all-school concert backdrop! This unit centers on the driving question, “How can we, as a team of artists, create a backdrop that communicates belonging?” While reinforcing the concert theme, this incredible PBL unit showcases how Project Based Learning provides a rich learning experience that culminates in a product with an authentic purpose for our school community.
The concert theme shifts each year, so naturally, the project path shifts as well to reflect the theme and honor the strengths and interests of the students collaborating on the project in any given year. This year’s theme of belonging led the students to research artists like Jeffrey Gibson, Ashley Mary, and Byron Kim to understand how they communicate belonging through their art. Students have also been developing their expertise in color theory and color mixing. They have brought their own ideas of belonging and previous art knowledge to this process, too, as they grapple with how to use color to communicate.
Inspired by the work of Gibson, Mary, and Kim, students became curious about how the community would interpret these artists’ work. They asked students and teachers which pieces by these key artists most connected to the idea of belonging, took a poll, and reflected on the results. As a group, they considered how the community’s perspectives may help guide their choices as a team of artists.
Using feedback from the community, our second and third graders considered which elements of the different artworks resonated with the Saklan community as a guide to developing their own interpretation of belonging. Students are now designing and producing their own concert backdrop to communicate the concert theme. We hope you join us on Thursday, February 12, at the Lesher Center for the Arts for our All-school Concert and to see the final backdrop installation!
If you attended CLAS on December 12th, you heard the 7th-graders share facts they learned from their World of Islam unit in Humanities. Today, more than 1.9 billion people follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, and Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Yet despite its global reach, the origins, beliefs, and faith-based practices of Muslims are often misunderstood in Western societies.
As students prepared for their CLAS presentations, Humanities teacher Jennifer asked them to reflect on a deeper question:
Is there anything you have learned that might help people be more tolerant of Muslims today? If yes, please explain it.
The students’ responses demonstrated thoughtfulness, empathy, and a growing awareness of the power of education and understanding. Here are a few of their responses:
“People can educate themselves and others on the religion of Islam and challenge negative stereotypes.” – Amelia
“They are a very kind community helping the homeless and other things.”– Jason
“I think that the world isn’t perfect, and some people won’t listen to people who won’t be inclusive to others who don’t look the same as them or who are of another nationality. But if people really try to show those kinds of people that others are still human, this world could be a bit better.” – Caleb
“Yes, from reading the book Once Upon an Eid, I have learned that many Muslims, refugees or not, have faced lots of unfair discrimination because of their clothing and what their school textbooks say. However, when I learned about Muslim culture and wondrous celebrations, I realized that people who discriminate against Muslims don’t know how full of life Muslim culture is. Also, they clearly haven’t met a Muslim, because Muslims are normal people just like you and me.” – Willow
These reflections highlight the heart of Saklan’s Humanities program: encouraging students to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and develop empathy through learning.
The 7th graders will share their comprehensive research and learning with the community at the World of Islam Symposium on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. in the Humanities Room and Library. All Saklan families are warmly invited to attend and engage with this thoughtful and important work.
As the new year begins, Saklan’s January social-emotional learning focus is self-disciplined—a skill that supports students in setting goals, managing impulses, and following through with responsibility and care.
Throughout January, students will engage in conversations and activities that encourage them to pause, reflect, and choose actions aligned with their values and goals. By nurturing self-discipline in a compassionate and age-appropriate way, Saklan helps students grow into confident, capable, and self-aware learners—skills that will serve them well far beyond the classroom.
The winter 2026 session of enrichment classes will begin the week of January 26th. Many exciting classes are being offered this session, including Guitar, Reading Club, Basketball, and Yoga!
Class descriptions and registration for the winter enrichment classes are now available on the Saklan Enrichment Webpage. Space is limited in most classes, so don’t delay, register today!
As we come to the end of the first semester, I have been reflecting on how Saklan comes alive because people show up — not just physically, but thoughtfully and generously.
We’ve seen it in our middle school students stepping outside the classroom to serve at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, working side by side to bag thousands of pounds of produce while learning what it means to contribute to something larger than themselves. We’ve seen it in our 8th graders traveling to Puerto Rico, engaging deeply with culture, history, and service, and learning firsthand how resilience, empathy, and hard work intersect in the real world.
We’ve also felt it right here on campus. Families gathering on a weekend to paint, build, problem-solve, and laugh together as they work to bring SpongeBob alive. Grandfriends sitting next to students in classrooms, sharing curiosity, pride, and connection. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and staff creating moments that remind students their learning matters — and that they are supported by a community that cares.
This kind of learning doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens because teachers design meaningful experiences, students lean into challenge, and families trust, support, and partner with us. It happens when people give their time, energy, creativity, and resources — whether that’s volunteering at an event, contributing to the Annual Giving Fund, or simply being present and engaged.
I’m deeply grateful for the Saklan community and for the many ways you help make this a place where students learn with purpose, feel a sense of belonging, and develop compassion for the world around them. What your children experience here is the result of a shared commitment, and it is something we don’t take for granted.
Thank you for showing up — for our students, for one another, and for Saklan.
What do a paper clip, an eraser, and a handful of classroom treasures have in common? In the third-grade classroom, they are all helping build big mathematical thinking, one gram at a time.
As part of their daily Number Corner routines, third graders have launched into a month-long, hands-on math investigation focused on measurement and estimation. Each day, a different student takes the lead by selecting an object to place on the pan balance and measuring its mass in grams. The excitement is palpable as classmates gather around to make predictions and watch the scale tip. Reactions like, “I didn’t think it would weigh that much!” spark meaningful conversations about size, weight, and accuracy.
This hands-on approach transforms abstract numbers into something students can see, touch, and reason about. As a class, students are working toward a shared goal: reaching 1 kilogram, or 1,000 grams, by the end of the month. Achieving that goal requires more than mathematical skill—it calls for collaboration, patience, and perseverance. Each day, students estimate how many grams are still needed, strengthening number sense while practicing flexible thinking and reflection.
Equally important, this routine fosters student agency. Children make choices, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from one another, shaping the learning experience through their curiosity and observations. The result is a joyful blend of engaging academics, social-emotional growth, and hands-on discovery.
Over the past few weeks, Saklan’s first graders stepped confidently into the role of designers. What began as an exploration of shapes, colors, and feelings grew into a hands-on design project that blended creativity with meaningful self-expression.
The journey began with a close look at the vibrant artwork of artist Ashley Mary. Students noticed how she uses both geometric and organic shapes to tell what she calls “emotional stories.” This idea connected naturally to the book Exactly You: The Shape of Your Feelings, which affirms that emotions have their own colors, movement, and “feel.” Inspired by these ideas, students explored their own inner worlds through mark-making practice, experimenting with patterns, shapes, and color combinations that reflected their personalities and moods.
With these tools in hand, students took on their design challenge: creating a pair of expressive socks that reflected their unique selves. Like real designers, they brainstormed multiple ideas, sketched drafts, and made thoughtful decisions before committing to a final design. Each choice was deeply personal: blue wavy lines to show calm, tree motifs celebrating a love of nature, and playful “glob” shapes from students who see themselves as artists.
Excitement filled the room as students transferred their final designs onto real socks using fabric markers. Through this joyful process, students discovered that art can be a powerful vehicle for self-expression, one that invites creativity, confidence, and connection.
On Wednesday, the Saklan faculty and staff were treated to an incredibly thoughtful and generous day of appreciation. From an espresso bar serving individually crafted drinks to bagels for breakfast, a delicious lunch from Anne’s Catering, and individual gift bags filled with bottles of oil and vinegar, every detail reflected the care and gratitude of our community.
We are deeply thankful to Christine Jensen, the Saklan Parent Association, and all Saklan families for making this special day possible. Your generosity and kindness made our faculty and staff feel truly valued and supported this holiday season.
Moments like these remind us how fortunate we are to be part of such a warm, connected community. Thank you for all you do to support Saklan and the people who make it such a special place for our students every day.
Earlier this month, Saklan’s 8th graders completed a meaningful service learning field experience in Puerto Rico. We shared highlights from the beginning of the trip in last week’s blog; below, we invite you to catch up on the final days through reflections written by the students themselves. Throughout the week, students documented their learning, service, and growth in a daily blog, capturing both the work they did and the connections they formed along the way.
Day 3: Filling in Walls with Cement
Today, when we woke up, we were greeted by a delicious waffle breakfast. By the end of breakfast, we were ready to rumble and headed to the construction site. Angel told us that today we were going to be filling in the walls with cement. The jobs for today were: shoveling, passing buckets, and filling in the wall. We worked tirelessly and filled in the first wall in only 45 minutes! During our breaks, we were surprised to receive different snacks like fruit, CapriSuns, and Gatorade. After each break, we switched around our jobs and learned more skills for rebuilding houses.
When we were finished with construction, we were welcomed back to Maria’s house with a very delicious lunch, and a very friendly dog that we called Lil Brunc. Our delicious lunch today was rice, beans, chicken nuggets, and salad. After our lunch, we headed to a local bakery where Ms. O bought us giant donuts the size of Lil Brunc! Then, we went to a nearby supermarket where we bought a bunch of delicious and exclusive Puerto Rican snacks. After that, we went back to the Big Yellow House to get ready for the beach. The beach was super fun, and when we got back, we all ate a really delicious meal. Then we enjoyed the rest of our day with group activities and free time.
Day 4: Last Day in the Big Yellow House
Today was an amazing day to close our stay at the Big Yellow House! We woke up to the delightful scent of French toast and sausages. After applying sunscreen and bug spray, we returned to the work site to finish filling in the wall. During our work, we were given tasty ice pops by Yulissa, the person for whom we were building the room. After a few hours of hard work, we filled in the wall completely.
We ate a lunch that consisted of burgers and French fries, along with fruits of many kinds. We returned to the Big Yellow House and had a few extra hours of beach time, because we had finished early. At the beach, we used our creativity to dig holes and play with rocks in the sand. After a fun time at the beach, we headed home to pack up our luggage for our last night at the Big Yellow House.
The group prepared thank you cards written to the community we worked with over the week. Once everything was ready, we spent time with Miss O and Miss Kim to reflect on our experiences with the community so far through journaling. For our final dinner at the Big Yellow House, we invited the community to share it with us. We had a delicious dinner of chicken breast, pork chops, yellow rice, and potatoes. After everyone had finished their food, our class played games with the other kids in the community. To close up our dinner, we had a final meeting about our overall thoughts on our three days at the work site. Before we said our final goodbyes, the community gave us each a bracelet as a thank you and as a reminder of our time here in Puerto Rico.
After everyone left, we all pitched in to help clean up and turned in for our final night at the Big Yellow House. We cannot wait for our upcoming adventures during our last full day here in Puerto Rico!
Day 5: El Yunque Rainforest
Today we started off with an early wake-up to eat a breakfast of delectable waffles, sausages, French toast, and fruit. We packed up everything and got in the vans for a one-hour drive to El Yunque Rainforest. At El Yunque, we went down a short and muddy trail to a beautiful but cold river, which we swam in for a nice, peaceful morning. After trekking back up the muddy trail, in our vans, we headed to the El Yunque Visitor Portal, where we had to run through random bursts of rain to get inside. At the Visitors Portal, we learned about how the local ecosystem works, shopped at souvenir vendors, and adopted a Puerto Rican stuffed parrot, where all the proceeds go to a recovery fund for this endangered species. Once we headed back to the vans, we ate lunch at Rest. El Terruño. There we ate some traditional Puerto Rican food, and tasted the island’s national drink, the Piña Colada (the non-alcoholic version!).
After the delicious lunch, we had an hour to visit and buy from the kiosks that were on the street. Once we were finished shopping, we made the trip to Casa Coral, which is where we get to stay for one short night! There, we settled in and checked out the beach. We had an early dinner of pizza and got in the van one last time to head to Biobay kayak tours. We paddled a mile and a half each way through tangled mangrove roots with our partners to see the bioluminescence of the microscopic things living in the bay. Back at Casa Coral, we shared about what we had learned on the trip and what we will take back home. We will miss our time here in Puerto Rico!
Through service, collaboration, and reflection, Saklan’s 8th graders deepened their understanding of community, responsibility, and global connection. Their time in Puerto Rico left a lasting impression, one they will carry forward long after returning home.
Now that the fall session of enrichment has come to an end, we are excited to share the classes that will be offered during the next enrichment session! For the winter session, the following classes are available:
Check out the class descriptions here. Classes begin the week of January 26th, and have limited space available. Registration for winter enrichment classes is now available on the Saklan Enrichment Webpage.
FRIDAY BLOG 
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