Category: General

Art Show Opening Reception

The Saklan School’s Annual Art Show will open on Friday, May 1, at the Moraga Art Gallery, located in the Rheem Valley Shopping Center. This much-anticipated event celebrates the creativity and artistic growth of Saklan students across all grade levels.

An opening reception will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., offering families and community members the opportunity to view the artwork, connect with one another, and celebrate the students’ accomplishments.

The exhibition will remain on display through Wednesday, May 6. Gallery hours are 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, providing multiple opportunities to experience the collection.

In addition, Moraga’s Art Walk on Sunday, May 3, offers another wonderful chance to visit the gallery and enjoy students’ work as part of a broader community celebration of the arts.

#SaklanCreative #SaklanCommunity

Preschool Rolls into Learning

As part of their Transportation Project, the Owlets enjoyed a special “Wheels Day,” focused on the types of transportation they can use themselves.

The sports court came alive with movement as students and staff propelled the wheels of roller skates, scooters, bikes, and skateboards. With teachers guiding and encouraging them, the Owlets practiced riding with awareness and care, demonstrating strong safety habits and teamwork as they looked out for one another.

Driven by student curiosity, the experience naturally led to a deeper exploration of safety gear. When the preschoolers noticed that one classmate was wearing more than just a helmet, they became eager to learn more. Together, they examined wrist guards, knee pads, and elbow pads, discussing how each piece protects different parts of the body.

Building on this interest, students used Model Magic to design and create their own safety gear. As they worked, they paid close attention to details like shape, straps, and padding. Through this hands-on activity, they discovered an important concept: protective gear is designed with a hard outer layer for safety and a soft inner layer for comfort.

Through play, observation, and creativity, the Owlets are not only learning about transportation—they are developing an understanding of safety, design, and how thoughtful choices help keep us protected.

#SaklanProjectWork #SaklanCuriosity

Taste of Traditions Tomorrow

We hope to see you at our annual Taste of Traditions Dance & Potluck tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court!

This special evening is a celebration of our vibrant community and is open not only to our current families but also to newly enrolled families who will be joining Saklan next year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect, share traditions, and enjoy time together.

Expect a fun, relaxing, family-friendly event filled with:

  • A DJ (with song requests!)
  • Glow toys, lights, and a fog machine
  • Delicious food from our community
  • Games, activities, and plenty of time to connect

Bring a favorite family dish or a traditional recipe to share, or simply come as you are. The most important ingredient is YOU, and we can’t wait to gather as a community.

If you’d like to contribute a dish, please sign up using the button below.

Sign Up to bring a dish to share

See you tomorrow!

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA

Up Close with Arthropods

Students across multiple grade levels at Saklan recently had a hands-on encounter with the fascinating world of arthropods, thanks to a special visit from guest experts from SaveNature.org.

Preschool, Pre-K, and seventh-grade students all took part in this engaging learning experience, exploring how different arthropods survive and thrive in their environments. The visiting experts introduced students to key concepts such as camouflage, defense mechanisms, and adaptation, bringing science to life in memorable ways.

The highlight of the visit was the opportunity for students to interact directly with a variety of live creatures. With a mix of curiosity and courage, students were able to pet, hold, and even smell some of the arthropods, including stink beetles, two types of walking sticks, grasshoppers, a whip scorpion, and an African millipede.

These up-close encounters sparked excitement and wonder, giving students a deeper appreciation for the diversity and ingenuity of the natural world. Experiences like this not only build scientific understanding but also inspire curiosity, encouraging students to ask questions and explore the world around them in new ways.

#SaklanHandsOn

A Celebration of Talent and Courage

On the Friday before Spring Break, Saklan students took the stage for one of the community’s beloved traditions—Spring Follies.

As always, the event was filled with energy, creativity, and joy. Students wowed the audience with their singing, dancing, and a wide range of performances that highlighted both their talents and their personalities. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and it was clear that many students felt right at home in the spotlight.

What made the event especially meaningful was the courage each performer showed. Stepping onto the stage takes confidence, and our students embraced the opportunity to take risks, try something new, and share a part of themselves with the community.

We are incredibly proud of all the performers for their outstanding efforts, and equally grateful to the audience for creating such a supportive and encouraging environment.

Be sure to check out photos from this joyful event below!

A big thank you to our 8th-grade emcees, and to Dianne, Linda L., Riva, Saul, and Shelby for working with the performers, moving props, and organizing a wonderful show. Your leadership and behind-the-scenes efforts made the event truly shine!

#SaklanCreative #SaklanCourage

The Fun Isn’t Over Yet!

There are still a few opportunities available, including sign-up experiences, student artwork, and special items added after the event.

Be sure to check out the links below to learn more and grab these final offerings before they’re gone!

Auction Experiences

Urban Air Adventure with Kim Parks & David – for K-5th Graders

Escape Room & Pizza with Shay and Javi – for 4th – 8th Graders

Backyard Movie & S’mores Family Party – fun for the Whole Family

Pilates & Pampering Experience – for Adults Only

Whiskey Tasting Experience – for Adults Only

Auction Items

Virtual Wine Pull – Get a Mystery Bottle of Wine!

4 Tickets to the de Young or Legion of Honor Museums

$250 Urban Adventure Summer Camp Gift Card

Student Art

A Year of Trees: Hoot Owl Poster – 11″ x 17″ poster comes in a 12″ x 18″ black frame

Kindergarten Geode Poster – 11″ x 17″ poster comes in a 12″ x 18″ black frame

2nd Grade Collaborative Poster – 11″ x 17″ poster comes in a 12″ x 18″ black frame

3rd Grade Collaborative Poster – New Item! An 11″ x 11″ print of their original artwork, which comes with a black frame.

4th Grade Printmaking Poster – 11″ x 17″ poster comes in a 12″ x 18″ black frame

Have questions about any of the items? Reach out to Emily at ewilliamson@saklan.org.

Thank you for your support of The Saklan School.

A Star-Studded Thank You

We’re tipping our berets and feathered headbands to everyone who helped make Saklan’s Starlight Gala & Auction a true Golden Age triumph! From a swanky evening under the stars to spirited bidding in the online auction, from unforgettable student experiences to generous support of our Fund-a-Need—you made the night shine brighter than the silver screen.

Thanks to our dazzling community, we raised over $155,000 for our beloved school.

A special round of applause to Emily Williamson, whose tireless efforts brought this magical evening to life, and to our incredible auction volunteers: Neela Campbell, Ani Golovko, Shana Hammers, Gina Altman, Katia Senff, Etienne Lacrampe, Brian Lovrin, Meredith Avant, and Shay Sager for their help in curating such a fun and memorable event.

Bravo to Elise Ho and Eric Fong for helping set the stage, from place cards to photobooth prep, and to Yvonne Lin for the fabulous signage, witty touches, and creative spark.

We are deeply grateful to Brian Lovrin, David O’Connell, and Erin Moorhead for producing the Fund-a-Need video, and to Dianne Hurvitz, Kim Parks, Coach Rob, Linda Lathrop, Ms. O, and the choir for lending their voices to the story.

A heartfelt thank you to our talented alumni—James Rokas for the smooth cocktail hour tunes and Levi Kim for his inspiring words during the Fund-a-Need.

And to our generous families: thank you for donating auction items and wine, sponsoring the event, underwriting teacher tickets, and helping bring it all together. It truly was a team effort worthy of the spotlight.

Your generosity was nothing short of star-studded; the kind that would make Hollywood proud.

Art Show Date Change

The Saklan School is delighted to share that our Annual Art Show will once again be held off campus at the Moraga Art Gallery.

To secure this wonderful gallery space, the show has been moved back by one week. It will now open on Friday, May 1, with a special reception from 3:00–5:00 p.m.

More details on the Art Show will be shared after Spring Break. We look forward to celebrating the creativity and talent of our students in this beautiful community setting and hope you will join us for this inspiring event!

Redwood Grove Update

We are excited to share an update on the Redwood Grove Treehouse construction. After two weeks of work, the first phase of the Redwood Grove is now complete, and it is already inspiring to see this vision begin to take shape. The new space already hints at what this area will become for our students: a place for exploration, play, imagination, and connection.

The second phase of the project, including the planting of additional redwood trees, will happen this summer.

We are deeply grateful to everyone whose support helped make this first stage possible, and we look forward to sharing more as the project continues.

Join us for Spring Follies

All Saklan families are invited to our Spring Follies Talent Show next Friday, March 27, at 1:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church (right next door to Saklan).

This fan-favorite event features students from Kindergarten through 8th grade taking the stage to share their amazing talents with our community.

We hope to see you there for an afternoon of creativity, courage, and fun!