Save the date for the 3rd Annual Taste of Traditions Dance and Potluck on Saturday, October 17th. The event will be held from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court. All Saklan families, students, and alumni are invited to join us for this family-friendly community party!
Special thanks to the Saklan Parent Association for hosting this event. Stay tuned for more information!
#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA
Parenting today comes with endless advice, but finding trusted support can be harder than ever. Saklan is thrilled to partner with ParentMap again this year to bring parents together for live online discussions featuring leading experts on the most pressing parenting issues, from ADHD and mental health to EdTech and resilience.
The ParentMap Talks series kicks off on Sept. 24 with New York Times bestselling authors and viral content creators The Holderness Family, who will share stories and strategies from their book “ADHD is Awesome: How to (Mostly) Thrive with ADHD.”
Register now to unlock all eight live Zoom talks, plus on-demand access to the entire library of recordings to watch anytime, anywhere for free. To claim your complimentary tickets ($80 value), sign up here and enter promo code SAKSCHL.
ADHD Is Awesome: How to (Mostly) Thrive With ADHD
With Penn and Kim Holderness, viral creators and New York Times bestselling authors
Sept. 24, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT
Human Raised: Helping Kids Flourish in the Age of AI
With Dana Suskind, pediatric surgeon and New York Times bestselling author
Oct. 15, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT
When EdTech Disrupts Learning: How Parents Can Speak Up
With Emily Cherkin, M.Ed., The Screentime Consultant
Nov. 10, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT
Raising Capable Kids: Are We Helping Our Children Too Much?
With Lenore Skenazy, author of “Free-Range Kids” and co-founder of Let Grow
Jan. 21, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT
Less Awkward: How to Handle Growing Up, From Early Signs to Hard Questions
With Dr. Cara Natterson, pediatrician and bestselling author
Feb. 9, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT
Growing Good Humans: Raising Kind Kids in a Divided World
With Uju Asika, bestselling author and global speaker
March 10, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT
Parent Without the Panic: Worry Less and Trust Yourself More
With Dr. Michael Milobsky, board-certified pediatrician and father of seven
April 20, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT
The Motherhood Trap: Why You Feel Like You’re Failing — and Why You’re Not
With Reshma Saujani, Time 2026 Woman of the Year and founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First
May 4, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT
#SaklanParentEd
We’re excited to introduce a new series at Saklan: Discussions with David.
In this series, Head of School David O’Connell will sit down with members of our community to explore the ideas, experiences, and questions that shape life at Saklan. Through these conversations, we’ll take a closer look at the thinking behind our approach to education, the people who make up our school, and the many ways our community brings Saklan’s mission to life.
From conversations about Project Based Learning and progressive education to discussions about student growth, community, and the experiences that make Saklan unique, Discussions with David will offer an inside look at the ideas and people at the heart of our school.
Our first Discussions with David event will take place on Friday, September 4, at 8:30 a.m. All families are invited to join us in the Pavilion for a Community Campfire as we come together to begin the school year with connection, conversation, and a campfire!
Future Discussions with David dates include:
We look forward to gathering throughout the year for meaningful conversations and opportunities to connect with one another.
We’re excited to welcome families to campus for our upcoming Back-to-School Nights! These evenings are a wonderful opportunity for parents to get to know their children’s teachers, learn more about the curriculum, and gain insight into the year ahead.
Please note that these are adults-only events, designed to give parents time and space to connect with teachers and one another.
Kindergarten – 5th Grade Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 3rd at 6:00 p.m.
Preschool & Pre-K Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 10th at 5:45 p.m.
6th – 8th Grade Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m.
We look forward to seeing you on campus and sharing more about the exciting year ahead at Saklan!
Each month Saklan focuses on a different Social Emotional Learning (SEL) topic, incorporating it into lessons and discussions from Preschool through eighth grade.
Saklan’s social-emotional learning emphasis for August and September is being inclusive and accepting. Throughout these two months, students across all grade levels are exploring what inclusion and acceptance mean and putting these values into practice by listening to others, choosing their words thoughtfully, including others in activities, and recognizing that every person is important.
On Tuesday, September 29, Kindergarten through 8th Grade students will gather in their family groups for cross-grade-level discussions and activities focused on deepening their understanding of what it means to create a community where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and included.
#SaklanSEL
Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students on Monday, August 24th. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and will be available for purchase.
Pictures will be taken outside in the Redwood Grove during the school day. Please note that 1st – 8th grade students may be in spirit wear or uniform tops for the pictures.
For students who are absent on picture day, makeup pictures will be taken on Thursday, August 27th at 9:30 a.m.
Portraits will be available to order online approximately 4 weeks AFTER picture day. Complimentary proofs will be provided for every student, so you can decide whether you would like to order them. If you do order, all portrait packages will be shipped directly to your home (a shipping fee will apply). There will be no school package drop-off.
Questions? Please contact Roots & Shoot directly at grow@roots-shoots.com. They will be happy to assist you!
All Saklan families are invited to join us next Friday, August 28th, for our first CLAS of the year. CLAS is an all-school assembly focused on Community, Learning, Appreciation, and Sharing that occurs every other Friday on the Saklan Sports Court.
Each CLAS has student hosts, presentations of learning, a birthday celebration, and a song sung by all. CLAS is one of the opportunities that Saklan students have to build their confidence and practice public speaking skills. It is also an opportunity to showcase how supportive, creative, compassionate, and courageous our community is.
CLAS will be held at 8:30 a.m. on the following Fridays:
#SaklanCommunity
At Saklan, learning extends well beyond the school year. This summer, our faculty embraced opportunities to grow professionally, bringing new ideas and strategies back to the classroom for the benefit of every student.
Kim Parks, Jennifer Lettieri, and Shelby Hastings participated in Responsive Classroom professional development, strengthening their understanding of practices that foster engaging, supportive learning communities in both the Lower School and Middle School.
Linda Lathrop and Tausha Kordisch attended PBL World, a three-day conference dedicated to Project Based Learning. During the conference, they collaborated with educators from around the world and developed innovative PBL units that will inspire inquiry, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences in the year ahead.
Vickie Obenchain attended the NEED (National Energy Education Development) Conference in Nashville, where she explored hands-on, inquiry-based approaches to teaching energy science. She returned with new knowledge and engaging labs that will allow students to investigate topics including nuclear technologies, hydrogen fuel cells, and hydropower engineering.
These enriching professional development opportunities were made possible in part through the generosity of Saklan’s Annual Giving Fund donors.
#SaklanLifelongLearners
The fall session of enrichment classes will begin the week of September 14th and run through December 10th. Classes available this session include Garden Club, Scratch Coding, Mixed Media Art, and Soccer. The complete schedule of classes offered this fall is below.
Registration for the fall session of classes opens on Tuesday, August 25th at 11:00 a.m. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and often fill very quickly.
This morning, we honored and celebrated The Saklan School’s Graduating Class of 2026. It was a heartfelt ceremony in which the middle school teachers introduced the graduates, and the graduates shared short speeches with their parents, teachers, and fellow students.
A highlight of the ceremony was a speech by Saklan alumnus Levi Kim. Levi graduated from Saklan in 2021 and has since completed high school at The Athenian School and his freshman year at Brown University. During his speech, Levi shared with the graduates that their ability to always get back up is one of their greatest strengths and an important gift they bring to the world. He also reminded them that they will always have a place at Saklan.
Equally heartwarming was the performance led by Dianne and the Kindergarten through 7th grade students, who invited the audience to join in singing “Your Nonsense Makes Sense” by The 502s.
We know the Saklan Class of 2026 will do great things as they move on to the following high schools:
There are several people who made the graduation events possible this year. We would like to extend a special thank you to Emily Williamson, Kim Parks, Hector Ramos Diaz, and Javier Yacarani for organizing the graduation dinner and gifts. It takes a lot of planning and coordination, but the dinner was beautifully orchestrated. Thank you to Kim Parks, Vickie Obenchain, Linda Lathrop, and Jennifer Lettieri for helping the students express themselves so eloquently in their graduation speeches. Thank you to all the teachers who introduced the students during the Graduation Dinner and during today’s ceremony. Additionally, a special shout-out goes to Dianne Hurvitz, Shay Sager, Kim Parks, Emily Williamson, Hector Ramos Diaz, John Miazga, Coach Rob, and Javier Yacarini for all their behind-the-scenes work handling the logistics of the graduation ceremony.
#Classof2026
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