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.

Seeing the World

Most of the fourth graders had heard that we really see the world upside down. But why? After watching a series of videos, looking closely at their own eyes, and examining anatomical diagrams, the fourth graders put their hypotheses into practice by constructing their own working models of the human eye.

The students used readily available materials to make the iris (colored paper), pupil (cut-out circle), lens (magnifying glass), and retina (note card) for their models.

Then, the students experimented with light to determine how these structures interact and function by creating images for processing by the brain. In the end, they discovered that an image refracted through the lens of the eye will reveal a “flipped” image on the retina! The images on the retinas were surprisingly clear. Below are a few of the images the students captured. 

#SaklanHandsOn

Using Data to Graph

The third graders recently completed a math unit on data and graphing. They learned about how to complete a survey, how to count votes with a tally chart, and how to display the results with various types of graphs.  In order to demonstrate their understanding of graphs, students worked together in groups to complete a graphing project. First, they came up with a question to ask their classmates, usually asking them to determine their favorite in a certain category. Next, they collected data by surveying their classmates. Finally, they worked together to create a poster with multiple types of graphs (bar graphs, pictographs, and line plot graphs) to display their findings.

Not only did the third graders show their understanding of the math standards, they also practiced the important skills of listening, communication, compromise, and collaboration that comes along with being a good team member. 

#SaklanAcademic

Social-Emotional Learning

“Educating the mind but not the heart is no education at all.”

Edutopia

At Saklan, the education we provide integrates social-emotional learning into everything that we teach and learn. Kim Parks outlined the details of Saklan’s SEL program during last Friday’s PA Parent Coffee. The slides she shared during the presentation are below for your perusal.

In the COVID Age, students are feeling increasingly more anxious, upset, and depressed because there is so much out of their control. However, by prioritizing social-emotional learning into each school day, this helps students understand their feelings, have strategies to regulate their emotions, and have a safe place to go every day with caring teachers that pay attention. Over the past three years, Saklan has adopted a learning approach called Responsive Classroom in the hopes that all our teachers will use similar clear and positive language, as well as developmentally-appropriate teaching that students find interesting and engaging.

#SaklanSEL

Wine Raffle Tickets

The 2022 Instant Wine Cellar Raffle is here! This year’s wine cellar collection features 40 top-rated bottles valued at $3,000! Tickets are $100 each and are now available online at https://saklan.ejoinme.org/wineraffle. Get your tickets as soon as possible since this raffle sells out every year!

Two winning tickets will be drawn at the Auction Gala on March 19th. The first winner is the Grand Prize winner who receives the Instant Wine Cellar Collection and need not be present to win. The second winner will receive a magnum bottle and a jeroboam bottle of wine. Both prizes cannot be won by the same family.

Raffle proceeds will go to the Saklan Summer Reflection Fund, enabling our wonderful teachers to be creative and reflective in their professional development.

For questions about the ticket sales or wine collection, please contact Sandy Lo, wine raffle coordinator: sandralo@gmail.com

#SaklanShindig

What Gratitude Looks Like

We spend quite a bit of time here at Saklan thinking about the power of gratitude. We work to recognize when others do good work and call it out. We send handwritten cards home to children, sharing with them the good we notice, and let them know how grateful we are that they are an important part of what makes Saklan- well Saklan. 

And sometimes someone shares their heartfelt gratitude with words that resonate and meet the moment. January and the beginning of February felt like the most challenging time of the pandemic. At the end of January, Mel Zippin sent the email below to everyone on the Saklan team. I share it because it speaks to how special this community is, and how powerful gratitude is. Take three minutes to read it, it is worth your time. -David

Hi,

As we near the two-year mark of this pandemic, I have been reminded several times this week that we are all running on fumes. What we have endured and continue to deal with is absolutely not sustainable, and yet here we are sustaining. 

We have grieved the loss of normal outings, seeing faces, hugging friends, traveling, seeing family, etc. And in all of this, we have tried to wrap our minds and hearts around what was happening – as adults even that has been exhausting.

Then I think about the kids and my heart breaks. Because although they are seemingly resilient, it is confusing. They see and hear and feel much of what we do, and many of them can’t totally understand or even remember life before masks.

And in all of this, YOU have guided them through this weirdness. You show up and teach and love and see them and listen to them. You model kindness and compassion and hard work and resilience. I think in many ways you have saved them.

Since we’ve come back from Winter Break things have become really challenging again. Personal tragedies and challenges aside (of which there have been plenty), you are working overtime, testing and testing, accommodating students who are home, overcommunicating to families, worrying about omicron. It feels endless. 

So, I guess I just wanted to acknowledge the exhaustion. And I wanted to thank you for being this community for my kids and my family. Being able to come to work (and having my children in school) has been a lifeline for me too. I appreciate all of you for what you do and for the gift that you have given me. 

Please take a moment today to take a breath and realize that I am in my office appreciating the heck out of you. And I hope that you are all finding time for some self-care in this madness.

Hugs,

Mel 🙂

#HeadsCorner

Parachuting into Physics

This month, the 8th graders started physics as part of their physical science curriculum. So far, they have learned about Newton’s first and second laws, how to calculate the speed and acceleration of an object, and how much force is required to keep that acceleration going. Additionally, students have been learning about different forces on our planet. In a lab last week, students looked at the effect of gravity on a falling object and how air resistance can work against that force. In doing so, students made different sized parachutes and dropped them from the ceiling of the science lab.

Students timed the rate of fall, used that to determine the acceleration of the parachute, and then determined the force of air resistance on the different parachutes. It is great to see them understanding science in the world around them!

#SaklanHandsOn #SaklanAcademic

Saklan Spirit

Saklan students and teachers had fun showing their school spirit during some fun dress days this week. On Tuesday, students dressed in tropical-themed clothing to celebrate Tropical Tuesday!

Wednesday led to all kinds of interesting outfits, as we enjoyed Wacky Wednesday!

On Thursday it was hard to tell if we were on the Saklan play yard or a movie set as the students donned apparel to showcase their favorite character or superhero!

On Friday the community showed school spirit by wearing clothing with Saklan and other school logos and colors on it.

Thank you to everyone who joined in the spirit week fun!

#SaklanSpirit

Building Houses

Recently, Ms. Maggie and the Hoot Owls worked on creating some really unique houses! Using tape and craft sticks, the Hoot Owls constructed square, rectangular and even triangular-shaped houses. The features of the houses varied during this open-ended project, with some students choosing to add doors and windows and others adding bridges! Most of the Hoot Owls plan to use their houses as bird houses.

This fun activity allowed the Hoot Owls to work on their fine motor skills, shape recognition and of course creativity and design!

#SaklanCreative

Get Your Shindig Tickets!

Get your cowboy hats and boots ready because y’all are invited to this year’s Auction Shindig! The western-themed event is on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. and will feature a BBQ dinner, open bar, live auction, fund-a-need, dancing and lots of fun!

Tickets are now available online; get your Shindig tickets today!

The Saklan School’s Annual Auction is the Parents Association’s largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the auction are invested directly back into our children’s educational experiences, in and out of the classrooms.

Can’t make the auction?

There are several ways to participate in this year’s event even if you can’t attend: underwrite a teacher ticket, make a donation to the Summer Reflection Fund, or stay tuned for more information on purchasing wine raffle tickets or participating in our online silent auction.

Thank you for your support of the auction and Saklan.

#SaklanShindig

100 Days Smarter

Saklan celebrated the 100th day of the 2021-2022 school year on Thursday, February 10th. To mark the occasion, the Hoot Owls made “100” crowns, participated in several counting activities and had a celebratory lunch.

The Kindergartners celebrated the 100th day of school by rotating through a series of activities focusing on the number 100. Students had the opportunity to build with 100 cups, match numbers 1 – 100 on the bottom of kisses to a hundreds chart, hear the story 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler, draw themselves when they are 100 years old, and make a necklace with 100 loops on it.

To get the 100th day started, the first graders each created a poster that contained 100 of something of their choosing. The posters were very unique and creative!

During the school day, the first graders commemorated the day by answering writing prompts such as, “What would you do with 100 dollars?” and “What would you do if you were 100 years old?” They practiced counting to 100 by 10s, drew 100 decorations on cupcake drawings, made necklaces using 100 circular cereal pieces and yarn and read The 100th Day of School by Angela Shelf Medearis.

The students had a wonderful day celebrating the 100th day of school and noting that they are now 100 days smarter.

#SaklanAcademic #100daysSmarter