Category: General

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!

Online Auction is Open

Saklan’s Starlight Gala Online Auction is open! Items open for bidding include front row seats for upcoming Saklan productions, free dress passes, items from the greater community, fun experiences with Saklan teachers and families, student art, and more! Some experiences are available for a flat fee to a limited number of people, so be sure to secure your spot today.

The online auction is open to the greater community, so if you know of others who would be interested in the items, feel free to share the link with them!

All proceeds from the auction support the unique programs offered at Saklan, including: field experiences, guest experts, Project Based Learning, family groups, and professional development opportunities for our amazing teachers. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Bidding in the online auction will continue through Tuesday, March 24th, at 9:00 p.m. As we like to say, bid early and bid often!

View the Online Auction

Live Auction Proxy Bidding

In the online auction, you will see that the first six items (shown below) are Live Auction items, meaning they will be sold during the Starlight Gala on Saturday.

If you are interested in bidding on these items but can’t make the gala, reach out to Emily at ewilliamson@saklan.org by Saturday at 2:00 p.m. to set up a proxy bid.

Why You Should Attend Saklan’s Starlight Gala & Auction

We are very excited for Saklan’s Starlight Gala & Auction, and hope you will join us on Saturday, March 21st, from 6:00 – 11:00 PM at Lafayette Park Hotel. This swanky, adults-only event will feature a cocktail reception, photo booth, seated dinner, live auction, paddle raise, live music, dancing, and loads of fun!

Wondering why you should attend?

To support a great cause! Proceeds from the auction support the unique programs offered at Saklan, including: field experiences, guest experts, Project Based Learning, family groups, and professional development opportunities for our amazing teachers.

To hang out with old friends and make new ones! Many Saklan parents, teachers and staff members will be in attendance. This is an opportunity to get to know fellow parents and Saklan teachers better.

To bid on fantastic auction items! This year’s live auction is full of must-have items, including:

  • Tour of Lucasfilm/ILM with Darla Lovrin
  • Head of School for a Day
  • Morro Bay Getaway
  • Steph Curry’s Shoes
  • Read Poster
  • Movie Night for Your Class

To dress up and have an adults-only night out! Dust off your little black dress, slip into a flapper dress, top off your look with fedoras or spats, or cocktail attire from the decade of your choice, and join us for a night of fun! Signature cocktails, jazzy tunes, and a massive game of rock, paper, scissors await!

Ticket sales close today, so don’t delay – get your tickets now!

Check out the pictures below from last year’s auction to get an idea of the fun to be had!

A Vision Takes Root

This weekend, an exciting new chapter begins at Saklan.

Construction on the first phase of the Redwood Grove Treehouse, made possible through the generous support of our community at last year’s auction, officially starts on Saturday. Two of the three elevated decks will be installed during this initial phase, with the more complex and intrusive work scheduled for June. To ensure safety, the area surrounding the redwoods will be carefully fenced, and the majority of heavier construction will take place over the weekend.

But the Redwood Grove was never just about building platforms in trees.

It has always been about creating a space where imagination expands, where confidence grows, and where children stretch themselves—physically, socially, and creatively—within the safety of community. It is designed to be a place of collaboration and storytelling, of challenge and belonging. A place where students test their balance, their bravery, and their ideas.

In many ways, the Grove is a living extension of how Saklan teaches: experiential, relational, and rooted in curiosity (pun very much intended). It reflects our commitment to learning that is hands-on, heart-centered, and deeply connected to the natural world.

And the momentum doesn’t stop there.

Installation of our new Early Childhood play structure—also made possible through generous community support—will begin in late May. The pieces arrived on campus earlier this year, offering a tangible reminder that our youngest learners will soon have a space intentionally designed for exploration, coordination, imagination, and joyful risk-taking.

These projects represent more than new equipment. They represent environments where children climb, balance, create, problem-solve, and connect. Spaces where resilience is built alongside friendships. Where confidence grows branch by branch.

Because of this shared vision, what once existed only as drawings and dreams is now becoming reality.

We look forward to sharing photos of the Grove as it rises—and to watching the countless moments of growth that will unfold within it for years to come.

#SaklanCommunity

Fifth Grade Leads Redwood Grove Restoration Project

The culmination of fifth grade’s Redwood Grove Project Based Learning unit was a powerful example of student leadership in action. After weeks of studying forest ecosystems and soil health, students led a shared effort to show their beloved redwood grove some love, restoring natural forest-like conditions to support the trees’ long-term health.

The culmination began with a purposeful walk to Outdoor Supply Hardware, where garden staff offered just the expert advice students needed. Rather than “feeding” the trees, they learned that the grove required a return to natural conditions. Mulch would help retain moisture and encourage the healthy decomposition of fallen leaves, needles, and twigs. With this knowledge, students selected shredded redwood mulch, leaf scoops, and rakes, tools that will allow fallen leaf litter to be returned to the grove year-round.

Back on campus, students worked collaboratively and followed their team contracts to prepare for service day. They drafted a formal purchase request, created hearts and ribbons with messages of appreciation, designed and hung posters, unloaded supplies, and set up tables and chairs. Every detail was thoughtfully planned and entirely student-led.

On the morning of the restoration, they were ready. Students shared their research, explained their decisions for the grove, and confidently guided family members through the work they had prepared: loosening compacted sand, carefully spreading mulch, and protecting exposed roots in one section of the grove.

As the first section wrapped up, students received a surprise gift: Dawn Redwood seeds. If successfully grown, one may eventually stand in the new redwood playground, becoming a living learning legacy for future students.

The work didn’t stop there. During recess, fifth graders invited younger students to help restore the next section of the grove, modeling leadership and stewardship. Even steady rain at lunchtime could not dampen their momentum. Paths were raked, clear “go” and “no-go” zones were established, and by the end of the day, the transformation of the grove was visible.

This project was more than a lesson in ecology. It was a lesson in agency. When students are trusted to lead meaningful work, motivation and engagement flourish.

#SaklanPBL