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.

The Power of Belonging

The Washington Post recently published an article by two teachers about the six things children need to thrive in today’s world. Of the six, mastery of core skills was the last one mentioned. The other five were “soft” skills, such as emotional safety, unstoppable curiosity, and a sense of agency. I can make a case of how each of the six are things that Saklan practices regularly. But of them all, the one that really “popped” for me was love, trust, and belonging.

A couple of the biggest compliments a parent can pay the school are saying things like “my child is seen” or “Saklan is their second home.” What we most want for our children is an environment where they are understood, supported through thick and thin, and loved unconditionally. We intuitively know that without those pieces in place, nothing else is possible. 

Maslow published his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943. The theory that our belonging and love needs must be met before we can truly realize our cognitive abilities (creativity, curiosity, developing understanding) is as true today as it was in 1943. If we want our students to do the hard work of making meaning out of our complex world, it starts with love, trust, and belonging. 

Warmly, 

David

#HeadsCorner #SaklanCommunity

Mid-Autumn Festival

This week, the Hoot Owls learned about the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, that is celebrated in East and Southeast Asia to mark the end of the autumn harvest. The students read the book Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin, and learned how Maggie, one of the Pre-K teachers, celebrates the festival with her family. Maggie shared that this Saturday evening, September 10th, she will have a special dinner with her family and then go out to view the moon at night. During the viewing, her family will eat fruits and mooncakes and thank the moon for a bountiful harvest.

The Hoot Owls got to try their hand at making play-dough mooncakes using real mooncake presses. They were delighted at the beautiful “mooncakes” they created!

Thank you, Maggie, for sharing your family tradition with the Hoot Owls.

#SaklanDiversity #SaklanConnected

Early Humans

Sixth grade has begun their year of studying ancient civilizations in humanities by looking at the artifacts and clues left behind by early humans. Students have been learning from paleoanthropologists on early forms of graphic communication. They have also been exploring what it means to try and interpret an artifact or cave painting when anyone who could give definitive answers about their true meaning and purpose is long gone. 

The class has been using an interactive inquiry wall and question protocols to generate student inquiry.

They moved questions and things they know into groups, and in the coming weeks students will have a chance to research and answer their own questions on early humans before beginning the project-based learning cycle with their next unit. 

#SaklanInquiryBasedLearning

Collaborative Start to the Year

The first few weeks of each school year are all about developing new routines, making connections with teachers and classmates, and building relationships that will enable the class to work collaboratively throughout the year ahead. During this time, each class works together to create a class agreement (sometimes called class rules). As part of the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching, the agreements are created collaboratively between students and teachers, focusing on what all members of the classroom community can do to help create a calm, orderly and safe environment that promotes academic autonomy.

The agreements will look different for each class, but all are phrased in the positive, offering clear expectations of behavior and how students can live up to those expectations. By including students in the process of creating the agreements, the students are engaged in their learning, feel a sense of belonging and safe in school, and view the rules in a positive light.

Check out some of this year’s class agreements below.

#SaklanSEL

Box Tops for Education

Box Tops for Education is a quick and easy way to support Saklan!

Wondering how it works? All you have to do is buy participating products and use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt. The app identifies eligible products and earnings are credited to your designated school. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your digital or email receipt with the Box Tops app.

Use this link to download the Box Tops app and Saklan will receive a referral bonus for your participation.

Don’t want to download an app? We will have a basket out at the front gate with the Box Tops logo on it. Drop your receipt in the basket, and a member of the Saklan admin team will use the app to scan it for you. After scanning with the app, all receipts will be shredded.

Thank you for your support of Saklan!

Washing Away Germs

The Owlets have been practicing new school routines this week. One of the most important things they practice throughout the day is hand washing! First the Owlets shared what they already know about germs, including that:

  • They make us sick.
  • They are small.
  • We wash them off.

The class then watched a short video to learn a little more about what germs are and how they get into our bodies. Finally the Owlets got to do a messy experiment to practice great hand washing!

The teachers put oil and cinnamon on the students’ hands and told them to pretend the small specks of cinnamon were germs.

The students were then asked to wash their hands to try and get rid of the “germs.” The Owlets learned that they couldn’t get all the germs off with only water; they needed to use soap and scrub all over. They also noticed that sometimes when all the germs on their palms were gone, some were still hiding in between their fingers and on the backs of their hands!

This hands-on activity has really helped the Owlets understand the importance of thorough hand washing to keep themselves and their friends healthy!

Task Party!

This week in art class, students in 4th – 8th grade got in touch with their creative sides by participating in something called a “Task Party,” where students draw and complete random tasks.

Fourth graders worked collaboratively in table groups to “turn a stool into a monster.”

Fifth graders worked collaboratively with their table groups to “design and create a themed Met Gala gown for a member of their group.”

Middle school students independently drew tasks from a box and either completed as many as they could, or chose to spend the entire time on one task. Tasks included: making a treasure map, making a robotic arm, making a musical instrument, making a parrot and wearing it on one’s arm, making puppets and putting on a puppet show, making an octopus garden, making everyone name tags, making a walled fortress, and more!

Task parties originate from contemporary artist Oliver Herring and are meant to build community, inspire creativity, critical thinking, and fun through the arts. Tasks can be building and creating art with crafting and recycled materials or can be performance based and encourage students to step out of their comfort zones. 

The best part about a task party is getting to know the students as makers, artists and creative minds in an open, stakes-free environment. Because there is no right or wrong way to perform a task, everyone is participating and engaged, as there is little judgment or fear of making mistakes. 

#SaklanCreative

Fall Enrichment Classes

The fall session of enrichment classes will begin the week of September 12th and run through December 8th. Classes available this session include: Book Making, Ceramics, Homework Club, and ECE Art. The complete schedule of classes offered this fall is below.

Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and some classes already have a wait list. To enroll your child in a fall enrichment class, please click on the button below.

Register for fall enrichment classes

#SaklanEnrichment

Bubble Gum Hypothesis

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 Big League Chew?”

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, all groups found Big League Chew to be better at consistently blowing large bubbles. They noted that it was the softer of the two gums as well. This and other flavor preferences played into their guess as to why Big League Chew was better. From this fun experiment, the scientific questions and hypotheses started flowing!

#SaklanScience #SaklanHandsOn

Everyday Ways We Can Help the Environment

How can our kids become superheroes and help save the world?

See the source image

One small choice at a time!

Image result for Environmental Awareness

Let’s foster some superhero behavior in our kids! Join the Saklan Parent Association on Zoom September 27, 2022 from 7-8 pm for a Parent Education session full of tips on how Saklan families can take small, attainable steps to make a difference and improve our environment. Our presenter, fellow Saklan parent, Scott Cashen, is an environmental scientist who will provide information and extend some challenges that we can all accomplish. The students will have a chance to be recognized at school throughout the year as they meet the challenge goals.  Join us to learn about small steps we can all take and support the students’ success! 

#SaklanPA #SaklanCompassionate