Category: General

Can We Get David Back in the Orange Suit? The AGF Challenge Is ON!

Saklan’s 2026–2027 Annual Giving Fund (AGF) officially kicks off next Tuesday, October 27, with Orange Envelope Day—and this year, there’s an extra incentive to participate!

David may be hoping to retire his fan-favorite orange suit, but our students have other plans. He’s made a promise: if we reach more than 50% participation on Orange Envelope Day, he’ll wear the bright orange suit for a walk to Safeway to buy a coffee!

Let’s rally together, show our Saklan spirit, and make sure everyone at Safeway gets to see David in all his orange glory!

How to Participate

All Saklan families are invited to join the fun by dropping off the orange envelope and donor form mailed to you last week (check your mailbox if you haven’t seen yours!) in the orange box in front of the school on Tuesday, October 27.

What Is the AGF?

The Annual Giving Fund is Saklan’s yearly fundraising campaign, providing essential support for the people, programs, and experiences that make Saklan special.

Why Does It Matter?

Tuition covers approximately 85% of the true cost of a Saklan education. The AGF provides vital resources that directly support our students and programs throughout the year.

What Is Our Goal?

This year, we’re working toward 100% family participation and $250,000 raised! Every gift, at every level, makes a difference. And on Orange Envelope Day, every family’s participation brings us one step closer to seeing David take his orange-suited stroll to Safeway!

How Much Should I Give?

The right amount is whatever feels meaningful for your family. During the 2025–2026 campaign, gifts ranged from $5 to $30,000, with an average gift of $1,337. Whether you give $20, $200, or $20,000, your participation helps make a difference for our entire community.

How Can I Make a Gift?

There are several convenient ways to contribute to the AGF:

  • Cash or check: Make checks payable to The Saklan School.
  • Online giving: Give by credit card, with the option to set up recurring monthly or quarterly payments.
  • Business Office: Request an invoice.
  • Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): Recommend a grant to Saklan through your fund.
  • Securities transfer: Make a gift through a transfer of securities.

Orange Spirit Day: Wear Orange!

To celebrate Orange Envelope Day, all students are invited to wear orange on Tuesday, October 27! Students in grades 1–8 who wear orange may enjoy a uniform-free day. Let’s fill our campus with orange and show our Saklan spirit!

Have questions about the AGF? Contact Emily at ewilliamson@saklan.org.

Every family counts. Every gift makes a difference. Let’s reach that 50% participation mark and send David—and his orange suit—to Safeway!

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanAGF #OrangeEnvelopeDay #SaklanSpirit

Join Us for Saklan’s West African Music Festival!

Saklan is excited to welcome families to our West African Music Festival on Thursday, November 5, from 12:40–1:25 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court!

The festival will feature Vodji, bringing the energy and rhythms of West African music to campus. We’re also delighted to welcome students from Wildcat Canyon Community Day School for this special community event.

Music has a wonderful way of bringing people together, creating opportunities to experience new traditions, celebrate cultural expression, and strengthen connections across our community. This festival promises to be a joyful opportunity for Saklan students and visiting students to learn, listen, and celebrate together.

Saklan families are invited to join us! We hope you’ll come to the Sports Court and share in this special celebration of music, culture, and community.

Event Details

  • When: Thursday, November 5, 12:40–1:25 p.m.
  • Where: Saklan Sports Court
  • Who: Saklan 3rd-8th students, Wildcat Canyon Community Day School students, and Saklan families

We look forward to celebrating with you!

#SaklanCommunity

Grandfriends’ Day 2026

Saklan’s Grandfriends’ Day is on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Please share information with grandparents and special friends (a friend or family member that your child looks up to and/or has a grandparent-like relationship with) about this event, as we would love for them to join us!

RSVP for Grandfriends’ DAY HERE!

#SaklanCommunity

See You Tomorrow for Taste of Traditions!

Tomorrow, Saklan families, alumni, and friends will come together for Taste of Traditions, an evening dedicated to celebrating the wonderful community that makes Saklan so special!

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court for an evening filled with delicious food, fun games, music from our DJ, and opportunities to connect with fellow members of our community.

One of the best parts of being part of Saklan is the sense of connection we share across grades, families, and generations. Events like Taste of Traditions give us a chance to slow down, enjoy time together, share our favorite traditions, and create new memories.

Whether you’re bringing a favorite dish to share or simply bringing yourselves, we can’t wait to see you there.

We look forward to a wonderful evening of food, fun, and community. See you tomorrow!

#SaklanCommunity

An Update on Saklan’s Auction and Gala

At Saklan, our community comes together in so many meaningful ways to celebrate our students, support their learning, and strengthen the connections that make our school special. One of those traditions is our annual auction!

This year, we’re making a change to our auction format. We will host an online auction this year rather than an in-person Gala. Families will still have the opportunity to participate, bid on exciting items and experiences, and support Saklan’s programs and students.

Moving forward, Saklan’s Gala will take place every other year, alternating with our online auction. This new schedule allows us to continue offering opportunities for our community to come together in support of Saklan while giving each Gala the time and attention it deserves.

We’re grateful for the generosity and enthusiasm our families, alumni, and friends bring to these events. Your participation helps make the Saklan experience possible for our students, and we look forward to sharing more details about this year’s online auction in the months ahead.

Thank you for being part of the Saklan community and for your continued support!

Taste of Traditions Oct. 17

We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 17, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. for Taste of Traditions! This family-friendly community celebration will take place on the Saklan Sports Court and feature delicious food, fun games, and a DJ.

All Saklan families and alumni are invited to come together for an evening of connection, celebration, and community!

Planning to attend? Please RSVP using the button below so we can get an accurate headcount. No need to let us know what you’re bringing—just bring yourselves! If you’d like to bring a favorite dish to share, we’d love that, too.

Let us know if you are attending!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

#SaklanPA #SaklanCommunity

Human Raised: Helping Kids Flourish in the Age of AI

Chatbots can become confidants. AI can do homework, answer questions and even power plushies that talk back. As these technologies become part of everyday childhood, parents and educators face a new question: How do we embrace what AI can offer without losing the human experiences children need most?

Dana Suskind, pediatric surgeon and New York Times bestselling author of “Human Raised,” joins us to help parents and educators navigate AI with intention while protecting the uniquely messy and beautiful human experiences kids need to thrive. Drawing on brain science and practical frameworks, she’ll help adults guide their children to make thoughtful choices about technology while preserving the relationships, experiences, and human connection at the heart of healthy development.

You’ll learn

  • Why human connection matters so much to a developing brain
  • How to evaluate whether AI products support or undermine healthy development
  • Where and how to set meaningful boundaries around AI
  • Ways to nurture your child’s uniquely human skills

AI is here to stay. Learn how to make sure it supports — rather than replaces — what kids need to flourish. Reserve your spot here for the live Zoom talk using promo code SAKSCHL to attend for free — and get access to the recording to watch anytime.

#SaklanPA #SaklanParentEd

Staff Spotlight: Coach Rob

For Coach Rob, Physical Education is about much more than sports. It’s an opportunity for students to explore, take risks, build relationships, and discover what they’re capable of.

Now in his third year at Saklan, Coach Rob teaches PE to students in Kindergarten through eighth grade, giving him the unique opportunity to work with students throughout nearly their entire Saklan journey.

Coach Rob draws much of his approach to teaching from his own interests and experiences. Sport, wellness, travel, culture, and exploring new places have always been important parts of his life.

“I try to bring that same sense of curiosity and adventure into PE,” he shares. “I want students to experience new games, sports, challenges, and ways of working with people that they might not always choose on their own.”

For Coach Rob, movement can be a powerful vehicle for learning not just about physical skills, but about ourselves and the world around us.

Learning Through Play

Coach Rob sees play as an essential part of learning.

“Play gives kids the opportunity to explore, problem-solve, communicate, compete, take risks, fail safely, and try again,” he explains. “I don’t see play as something separate from learning. I think it’s one of the ways kids learn best.”

His goal is to create an environment where students can be present, challenge themselves, try new things, and most importantly, enjoy moving.

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching PE is watching students discover that they don’t have to fit a particular definition of an “athlete” to find success.

Coach Rob especially enjoys seeing a student who may not initially consider themselves athletic or have much interest in sports find an activity they genuinely enjoy. That might be a sport, a game, running, an adventure, a team challenge, or simply realizing they can accomplish something they didn’t think they could do.

“I want every student to understand that there is more than one way to be successful in Physical Education,” he says.

Be Willing to Try

If Coach Rob could offer his students one piece of advice, it would be simple: Be willing to try.

“You don’t have to be the best at everything. Be present, give your best effort, try something new, and be willing to be uncomfortable sometimes. That’s usually where growth starts.”

Ultimately, Coach Rob hopes students remember his classes not simply for the games they played or the skills they learned, but for how they felt while learning.

“I hope they remember that we played. We explored. We competed. We laughed. We tried things we weren’t always good at. And we learned how to work with different people.”

More than anything, he hopes students leave PE with healthy habits, healthy relationships, and the confidence to step into whatever comes next.

Democracy in Action: Saklan Students Take the Lead

Another exciting Student Council election cycle came to a close at Saklan last Friday, offering a wonderful reminder of the importance of student voice and civic engagement within the school community.

This year, fifteen out of thirty-three Middle School students submitted their candidacies for Student Council officer positions, and each candidate put forth a strong effort throughout the election process.

The Middle School officer candidates presented lively and engaging speeches at CLAS last Friday. Students in Grades 1–8 then participated in the balloting process in their classrooms, with the results of the Middle School election announced just before the end of the school day.

Earning a seat as a Saklan Student Council officer involves more than simply winning the popular vote. Each candidate had to submit a Letter of Intent, make a campaign poster, sit for an interview conducted by Jennifer Lettieri and Kim Parks, and share slogans and stickers with the Lower School students during lunch recess. The speeches presented at CLAS were the culmination of their campaigning.

Candidates were awarded points for timeliness and quality when carrying out each of these tasks, and the candidates with the most points were the winners.

Lower School Student Council representatives were selected by their classmates and respective homeroom teachers in grades 1-5. This year, two Kindergarten representatives were also selected, and they will join the Lower and Middle School students at regular Student Council meetings every other Wednesday.

Congratulations to our 2026-2027 Student Council members!

Middle School Officers

President– Mae

Vice President– Willow

Treasurer – Makena

Publicity Chair – Roni

Secretary – Elise

Environmental Affairs Chair – Meredith

Lower School Representatives

Kindergarten – Cayden and Graham

Grade 1 – Alina and Noah

Grade 2 – Can and Nora

Grade 3 – Evan and Addys

Grade 4 – Olin and Satya

Grade 5 – Sam and Ruby

The 2027–28 Admissions Season Is Here!

We’re excited to welcome families to Saklan this admissions season! Bring your family and friends and join us for upcoming opportunities to experience our Preschool–8th Grade program firsthand, meet our teachers, explore our campus, and discover what makes Saklan such a special place to learn and grow.

Upcoming Admissions Events

Kindergarten at Saklan Information Session
Thursday, October 8 at 8:45 a.m.

Preschool–8th Grade Open House
Friday, October 16 at 9:00 a.m.

Parent Perspective: Virtual Parent Panel
Thursday, December 10 at 12:00 p.m.
Hear from current Saklan parents about their family’s experience and what makes our community meaningful to them.

Preschool–8th Grade Open House
Friday, January 8 at 9:00 a.m.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

New student applications for the 2027-2028 school year are now open! This application is for students not currently enrolled at Saklan. For priority consideration, please submit your application by Friday, January 22, 2027.

Current families, please note that re-enrollment information will be shared in January.