The Saklan School Friday Blog

The Biggest Bubble

In preparation for a full year of fun and exciting science, middle school students have been reviewing and practicing the scientific method. The sixth grade students were given the question: “Which bubble gum creates the biggest bubbles: Double Bubble or Hubba Bubba?”

Students created their hypothesis, were given the same amount of each gum for consistency, and decided on a bubble gum blower for the experiment to keep the ability consistent. After measuring 5 bubbles and averaging their findings, most groups found Hubba Bubba to be better at consistently blowing large bubbles. Students noted that Hubba Bubba was the softer of the two gums. This and other flavor preferences played into their guess as to why Hubba Bubba was better. From this fun experiment, the scientific questions and hypotheses started flowing!

#SaklanHandsOn

Hot Lunch Starts Tuesday

Saklan is partnering with Grand Bellevue Cafe & Catering to offer a variety of delicious and healthy options for delivered lunches this year. Hot Lunch service begins on Tuesday, September 5th. Families interested in ordering lunches need to order online by 7:00 a.m. on the day prior to the lunch service date.

To order lunches:

1. Go to https://grandbellevuecatering.boonli.com
2. Click “Create an Account.” Password is: Sak1
3. Add account and profile(s) information
4. Sign in with your username & password
5. To begin ordering, navigate to the month, click on the menu, click a date.

Additional information on purchasing lunches can be found on Saklan’s Hot Lunch webpage.

Join Us for Saklan’s Fall Festival

The Saklan School’s Parent Association is hosting a Fall Festival on Sunday, October 1st from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., and all Saklan families are invited!

There will be food trucks, lawn games, a whipped cream pie challenge, and a Fall Food Showcase. Join for face painting, photo booth, and fall crafts. Can’t wait to see you there!

Fall Food Showcase

If your kiddos like to cook and create, we would love for them to participate in the Fall Food Showcase! Bring a fall-inspired homemade treat or snack to the Fall Festival; savory, sweet, and creative dishes are all welcome and will be put out to share. Each participant gets a raffle ticket to a prize!

Please remember No Nuts! Please no temperature controlled dishes, as there will not be electricity at the table.

Please sign up ahead of time using the button below.

Fall food showcase sign up

#SaklanFallFestival

Connected, Confident Middle School

A long-standing tradition of the Saklan Middle School is to start the year with a three-day, two-night field experience called the “Advance.” This field experience is intentionally designed to create an opportunity for the middle school students to advance into the new school year in a positive, proactive way that helps them flourish into self-confident young adults.

During the Advance, students engage in different activities that build relationships between students and their teachers. Navigating ropes courses, completing blindfolded trust walks, and playing team-building games facilitate positive interactions and friendships. Students are asked to take risks together, creating bonds that will carry them through the school year. Not only does this help solidify their sense of belonging, but it also allows for better collaboration, trust, and academic focus.

Yesterday afternoon, the middle school students and teachers returned from the Advance as a slightly different group than when they left Tuesday morning. They formed new friendships, built a new community, and have a renewed sense of confidence. They were also a bit tired from all the fun and activities. But most importantly, the middle school team returned ready to thrive and grow during their middle school experience.

#SaklanConnected #SaklanConfident

Our Deepest Gratitude

Anyone who’s dabbled in home improvement knows that initial visions—whether about aesthetics or budget—can dramatically transform by the time the last nail is in place. Often, the journey between inception and completion reveals surprises, challenges, and, ultimately, growth.

Our summer facilities work was no different. Where our vision started and what we had in the end were vastly different. Some of the work was typical deferred maintenance work (think roof repairs or drainage), but much of it was centered around the concept of creating spaces that let brains “breathe” and encourage collaborative work.

To illustrate:

When we encountered root damage from the trees out front and town regulations around juniper bushes, it prompted us to reimagine what students experience as they walk into Saklan. As they enter the school, they pass by drought-resistant plants, through a skylit breezeway, and the first thing they see is a tree-shaded conversation and collaboration area.

One of last year’s Fund-A-Need projects was to purchase collaborative furniture for the 5th grade classroom. As we evaluated the space and how the new furniture would work in the room, it was clear that we needed new LED lighting that could be adjusted depending on the activity and flooring that allowed the student work spaces to be reconfigured easily. We liked the outcome so much that we replicated the work in the Kindergarten classroom.

Lastly, our work on the Pavilion and the lower school outdoor learning spaces are almost completed. The Pavilion now boasts improved lighting, heating, and flooring, while new communal lunch tables, designed to encourage bonding and dialogue, will arrive in early September. Behind the Lower School classrooms the outdoor learning space is now graced with a redwood fence and new sunshades. Furniture designed for group work is soon to be delivered.

This transformation would have remained a dream without two things: the hard work of Javier Yacarini and his leadership of a team of individuals who worked diligently to make all these visions a reality, and the incredible support of our parent community. A substantial portion of the funding for these improvements was generously provided through Auction Fund-A-Need contributions and our successful Annual Giving Campaign. We extend our deepest gratitude. As Saklan continues to innovate in the realm of education, it’s only fitting that our facilities evolve in tandem.

With gratitude,

David

#SaklanHeadsCorner #SaklanGratitude

Join us for CLAS

All Saklan families are invited to join us next Friday, September 1st, for our first CLAS of the year. CLAS is an all-school assembly focused on Community, Learning, Appreciation, and Sharing that occurs every other Friday on the Saklan Sports Court.

Each CLAS has student hosts, presentations of learning, a birthday celebration, and a song sung by all. CLAS is one of the opportunities that Saklan students have to build their confidence and practice public speaking skills. It is also an opportunity to showcase how supportive, creative, compassionate, and courageous our community is.

CLAS will be held at 8:30 a.m. on the following Fridays:

September 1st – Coffee & Tea Provided!
September 15th
September 29th – Parent Coffee to Follow
October 13th
October 27
November 10th
November 17th
December 8th
January 12th
January 26th
February 9th
February 23rd
March 8th
March 22nd
April 19th – Parent Coffee to Follow
May 3rd
May 17th
May 31

We hope you can join us!

Soccer, Glee Club & More!

The fall session of enrichment classes begins the week of September 11th and runs through the week of December 4th. We have many new and exciting classes this fall, including: Glee Club, ECE Cooking & Science, Cartooning & Science Fun, and Soccer with Soccer Stars!

Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and some classes already have a wait list. To learn more about the class offerings and enroll your child in a fall enrichment class, please check out Saklan’s Enrichment webpage.

Want to learn more about Soccer with Soccer Stars? Ask your K-5th grade students about the fun Soccer Stars demo they attended this afternoon!

#Saklanwellrounded

Kicking Off the New School Year

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Saklan’s Back-to-School BBQ Social last Friday afternoon. It was so nice to see all the smiling faces and feel the positive energy of the 285+ attendees. What a wonderful way to kick off the new year!

Thank you to the PA for setting up the Uniform Exchange, helping attendees make name tags, and helping us build community through volunteer opportunities. Additionally, thank you to everyone who volunteered to help with community events this year.

#SaklanCommunity

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

On Wednesday morning, we honored and celebrated The Saklan School’s Graduating Class of 2023. 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.

If you were not able to join us for the ceremony, you can view the graduation here.

Each year we create a slideshow that highlights the memories of our graduates from their first years at Saklan all the way through the end of 8th grade. Take a moment to watch this video and relive their journey.

There are several people that made the graduation events possible this year. We would like to extend a special thank you to Lori O’Keefe, Jen Tompkins and Mel Zippin for organizing the graduation dinner. It takes a lot of planning and coordination, but the dinner was beautifully orchestrated. Thank you to Christina Nguyen, Jennifer Lettieri, and Kim Parks for helping the students express themselves so eloquently in their graduation speeches. Additionally, a special shout-out goes to Grace Chaffey, John Miazga, Shay Sager, Emoke Veres, Emily Williamson and Javier Yacarini for all their behind-the-scenes work handling the logistics of the graduation dinner and ceremony.

Thank You for Your Partnership

As we reflect on the 2022-2023 school year, we are reminded of the impact that every Saklan family had in making the year such a joyful experience. Parents, we truly appreciate your partnership and support throughout the year.

Thank you to all the family members that volunteered their time and talents. Your help was instrumental to making the following activities successful: