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.

2023-24 Calendar

As we approach the 2023-2024 school year, we want to share the important calendar dates so that you too can begin planning for the year ahead. You will notice that the Middle School will begin school a day earlier than the Lower School and ECE students in order to accommodate dates available for The Advance with our vendor. We know this is a complicated switch, especially for families with students in both Middle School and Lower School. This is anticipated to be a one-time occurrence, and we thank you for your understanding.

Below are the dates for school breaks, noteworthy events, and early dismissal days for next year. A more detailed calendar will be shared over the summer.

2023-2024 IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

Aug 18 Back to School Social
Aug 22 – 24Middle School Advance for 6th – 8th Grade
Aug 23First Day of School for PS – 5th Grade
Aug 25Middle School Rest Day (NO SCHOOL for 6TH-8TH GRADE)
Sept 4Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 6Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 9Indigenous Peoples’ Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 26 & 27Parent Teacher Conferences (NOON DISMISSAL)
Oct 31Halloween Celebration (2PM DISMISSAL)
Nov 1Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 20 – 24Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)
Dec 15Lower School Musical (NOON DISMISSAL, NO EXTENDED DAY)
Dec 18 – 29Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 1New Year’s Day (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 2Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
Jan 15MLK Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 16 – 19Presidents’ Day Weekend (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 29 – Mar 1Parent Teacher Conferences (NOON DISMISSAL)
April 1 – 5Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)
April 8Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 6 – 10Teacher Appreciation Week
May 10Teacher Appreciation Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 27Memorial Day (NO SCHOOL)
June 6Last Day of School (NOON DISMISSAL, NO EXTENDED DAY)

The Gas Giants!

If you joined us for CLAS this morning, then you are well aware that the Hoot Owls have been learning about our solar system. This morning they sang a song about the planets, and then shared their favorite planet and why. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Pluto (because it is a dwarf planet!) all made the list.

Leading up to their presentation, the Hoot owls learned about the gas giants of our solar system. They discovered that Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is the largest planet in our solar system with a huge red spot on it. Scientists think that this is a huge storm that has been raging for hundreds of years! The Pre-K kiddos strengthened their fine motor skills by using an eyedropper to add watercolor to shaving cream, and then made prints of it to hang on the wall.

The Hoot Owls also learned that Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, doesn’t look round because it is spinning so fast. They were fascinated to learn that Saturn’s rings are made of ice and dust! 

Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, is the coldest planet in our solar system. To remember this the students painted Uranus using bluish green ice cubes! Neptune, the eighth planet from the sun, is the windiest. The Hoot Owls painted Neptune with Q-tips so they could swirl and twirl the wind.

Hope and Joy for our Future

Thinking back on my own elementary school experience, what stands out to me is rote repetition, memorization, and regurgitation. Not much thought or research was put into what or how we were taught; it was just the way it always was.

As I wander through the classrooms here at Saklan now, even in the preschool where my own daughter has the privilege to explore, I am struck by how much more inspiring, fun, and memorable school is for these students. And that gives me so much hope and joy for our future.

Learning at Saklan is interactive, collaborative, mindful, relevant, and thought provoking. And now, more than ever, it is being infused with more Project-Based Learning. I am so proud to see how that has been changing the way the students see their role in learning and in the greater world.

In one short year, Project Work has led to exciting changes at Saklan. There is a buzz that was reflected in the success of the fund-a-needs presented at last Saturday’s auction. In order to continue and enhance their Project Work, teachers have responded with specific requests. 

Grace spoke about the power of professional development and how her past experience with the Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City reconnected her to her 13 year old self in a way that allowed her to further connect to and inspire her students. 

Lauren spoke of her passion for bringing media arts literacy to our students, through digital art and graphic design learning tools that will apply across subjects and grade levels, helping students produce and share final products with the wider community. 

Peta reminded us how much design and architecture can influence the learning environment.  She asked for support in redesigning her classroom to integrate furniture that promotes collaboration. 

If you are as inspired as our teachers are and would like to donate to these initiatives, you can make a gift here. We thank you for your support.

In gratitude,

David

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Since February, the 8th graders have been studying physics in science class. They have been learning about the forces of gravity, air resistance, and friction on our planet. The students have also been working on putting Newton’s three Laws of Motion into real life scenarios.

To learn about these forces, the eighth graders have been taking part in different hands-on labs to help exhibit how these forces act on objects on our planet.  Students first studied friction by measuring the force needed to move different blocks and bricks along different surface textures.  These textures included a smooth countertop, markers that roll and sandpaper. Using a spring scale students could measure the force needed to move the objects and the amount of friction the textures were producing.

To see gravity and air resistance, students created different sized parachutes in class and dropped them from the ceiling of the science lab. Students could then see the pull of gravity on the parachutes and how air resistance could be used to slow that force down. Next, students worked on designing, creating, and shooting off rockets to try to see how to defy both air resistance and gravity.

#SaklanHandsOn

Skipolini’s After the Concert

All Saklan students and family members are invited to join us after the All-School Concert on March 29th for dinner at Skipolini’s Pizza in Walnut Creek. Pizza will be served on the Outdoor Patio. In order to make the evening more enjoyable for all, we are asking families to purchase tickets in advance to ensure enough pizza for all. Please use the button below to get your tickets for the dinner.

Get Your Skipolini’s Tickets

Thank you to the Saklan PA for organizing this dinner!

Concert Reminders

Saklan’s All-School Concert is Wednesday, March 29th at 4:30 p.m. Students will be dismissed at noon from the Lesher Center and asked to return at 4:00 p.m. in preparation for the performance.

Please note the following details for the day:

  • All Saklan students need to be dropped off directly at the Lesher Center at 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the 29th. Normal Saklan Bus & Van service will not be operating that day. 
  • Students will be Dismissed at Noon from the Lesher Center.
  • Extended Day will be available until 3:00, but it is recommended that students go home at noon to have some down time before the concert if possible. Reserve your child’s spot in Extended here.
  • All students are asked to report back to the Lesher Center at 4:00 p.m. dressed in their “Sunday best” version of all black clothing, with an accessory of yellow. 

The Concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. Feel free to invite extended family and friends to join us! Your extended family and friends are also welcome to join us at Skipolini’s.

Experts in our Community

As teachers bring our project work deeper, students have had a vast number of opportunities to connect with experts in fields relevant to their units. Some of our personal favorites here at Saklan have been our Saklan parent experts! Recently Lauren Wolf came to speak with 4th graders and Gary Hill with 6th graders to share their knowledge and insights.

If you have expertise in any of the following, we’d love to connect you with students in the classroom!

  • animation, drawing, and comic books
  • toxicology
  • small business ownership
  • ancient China

Please reach out to Linda (llathrop@saklan.org) if you have an expertise you are willing to share with Saklan students.

Parent Coffee Next Friday

Please join us next Friday, March 24th from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. in the Pavilion for warm coffee, snacks, and a conversation about social emotional well-being! Saklan Mom, Jaime Pham, will share about the role that emotional well-being plays in overall health. Jaime works in social media with a focus on mental health. She will lead us in a brief meditation and then discuss the youth mental health crisis, social media, and share how she incorporates EQ and emotional management into conversations with her fifth grader. Kim Parks, Saklan’s Director of Teaching and Learning, will share about Saklan’s Social Emotional Learning program as well.

If you can’t make it in person, please join us on zoom.

This is a can’t miss parent coffee event and we hope to see you there!

#SaklanSEL

Fiesta Silent Auction is Open

The Auction Fiesta 2023 silent auction is now open! Along with the items from the greater community that opened yesterday, the student collaborative art, legacy baskets, and fun teacher experiences are now open for bidding!

Student Collaborative Art

Each class has an art item that they worked on in the auction. View the slideshow below to see some of the beautiful work the Saklan students created!

Legacy Baskets

To learn more about the legacy baskets that the 8th graders created for the auction, check out the video below!

Click here to view the items & bid!

Once you are on the Online Bidding page, click the Start Bidding button and finish creating your account.

HOW TO BID:

  1. Search for packages by name or number by using the magnifying glass or by choosing a category under the menu.
  2. You can Bid the next increment or Bid More than the next increment. If you choose Bid More you can set your max bid. If your max bid is the highest, the system will automatically bid in your favor until you are outbid or until the auction closes.
  3. To “watch” a package, select the star icon on the package.
  4. You’ll be notified if you’re outbid at any point before the auction closes and you will see an Outbid notice at the top of your screen.
  5. To get back to the main screen, click the house icon.
  6. To view the packages you are bidding on, click the menu button and select Bids.

This auction is open to the public, but we ask that the winning bidders pick up items from Saklan. Feel free to pass on the auction link – https://saklanfiesta.ggo.bid – to those you think might be interested. 

Thank you for your support of The Saklan School!

#SaklanFiesta #BidEarlyBidOften

Exploring Colors and Feelings

Last week, the second and third graders went on a field experience to the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. While at the gallery, the students explored an exhibit by artist Erin Fong: The Sensation of Color. They were immersed in colors and connected how different colors can make you feel. They also created some of their own artwork as part of the exhibit!

Back on campus, the students continued their unit on color in art class where they asked the question “can colors make us feel different emotions and help us connect with others?” The second graders learned about color mixing and the different groups of colors on the color wheel. Afterwards students painted hearts as they engaged in an activity where they found their “complementary” (opposite) and “analogous” (neighbor) colors, among other color wheel based discoveries.

The third graders also learned about color mixing and the color wheel, and painted their hands to make the unique color wheel you see below!

#SaklanCreative

Celebration of Colors

On Wednesday, the Owlets we had a special visitor. Rachel, one of the Owlet parents, joined the class to teach them about the holiday Holi. She read Festival of Colors and the Owlets learned that Holi originated in India, and is a celebration of spring and all the beautiful colors that come with it. Traditionally people celebrate Holi by making colorful powders out of flowers, then throw the powders everywhere! The Owlets celebrated in their own way by throwing colorful confetti in the air.

They also made a collaborative “tree of life” using bright flowers instead of paintbrushes. Its colors represent how beautiful the world is when there’s variety, diversity, and individuality.