Category: General

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students next Tuesday, January 23rd. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and are available for purchase.

Pictures will be taken outside on the play yard during the school day. Please note that 1st – 8th grade students need to be dressed in uniform for the pictures.

For students who are absent on picture day, a make up day will be held on Tuesday, February 27th.

Portrait Ordering Process

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 $7.25 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!

Dear Saklan Community,

Happy 2024! Seeing the kids return from Winter Break always brings a sense of joy and optimism for the year ahead. 🙂 

January marks a winding down of admissions activity, as our application deadline for new students is Friday, January 26th. Thank you for continuing to share wonderful information about our school and our program to the broader community. Most of the inquiries I receive come from friends of yours with whom you have shared your positive experiences. I feel your support and your partnership.

Friday, January 26th is also our deadline for families to apply for Tuition Assistance.This year we have moved to Clarity, a new and more efficient application provider. We are confident that this will improve your application experience.

On Thursday, February 1st, current families will receive an offer to re-enroll for the 2024-25 school year. Signed contracts are due by Thursday, February 15th. Please understand that we can only guarantee your child’s spot if we have your signed contract by the deadline. 

Your children are the heartbeat of our school. Thank you for your support, your cooperation, your trust, and your presence. 

In gratitude,

Mel 🙂

The winter session of enrichment classes will begin the week of January
22nd. Many exciting classes are being offered this session, including
Lego Brick Building, Basketball, Soccer, Chess and The Intuitive Writing Project!

Class descriptions and registration are available on the Saklan Enrichment Webpage.

#SaklanWellRounded

Saklan’s 2024 Auction will be held on Friday, April 26th. This year’s event will be at The Garden in Walnut Creek, but we need your help to determine the theme.

The Auction Committee brainstormed several possibilities, and narrowed them down to three choices:

• 1920s
• Peace, Love, Saklan
• James Bond

Voting will close on Thursday, January 11th.

Don’t forget to save the date for this adults-only event! Saklan’s Annual Auction is a fun, community-building event where parents, grandparents, alumni, friends, faculty and staff come together in celebration of our wonderful school.

Proceeds from the auction are invested directly back into your children’s educational experiences, in and out of their classrooms.

Fol·ly /ˈfälē/ noun – A lack of good sense; foolishness

It appears to me that our annual Fall Follies is somewhat mischaracterized by its name, for it is anything but folly. In reality, the entire production fully embodies our mission to Think Creatively, Act Compassionately, and Live Courageously.

Creativity radiated through many of the acts, from Elise, Airlie, and Cassy’s restaurant comedy skit to the Hula Hooping of Cam and Adora. The execution of Aliya, Rebecca, Haley and Kylie’s dad jokes was not just creative, but spot on.

Compassion was on display by the audience as students summoned their courage to perform. It wasn’t just compassion, but there was an energy of encouragement, a tangible sense of “you can do this.” Performers encouraged, supported, and uplifted their fellow cast members. One of my favorite parts of the show (besides my daughters) was when Eli momentarily froze in his “How to Draw a Crocodile” act. Not only was the audience supportively patient, but I could hear students gently whisper, “Go, Eli.” That moment embodied so much of what Saklan is about.

And then there’s the courage. Stepping onto the stage in front of 250 people, spanning from peers to parents and grandparents, is no small feat.  All of the acts were displays of courage and bravery and deserve a shout out. 

While it’s unlikely that we’ll consider renaming our Fall Follies, it’s clear that the event is the antithesis of folly.

#SaklanCreativity #SaklanCompassion #SaklanCourage

Thank you, Saklan, for your extraordinary support of this year’s Annual Giving Fund (AGF) campaign.

Our goals for this year’s campaign are to raise $175,000 and have 100% participation from the Saklan community. To date, we have raised over $157,000 with participation from 88% of our community (a record for this time of the year at Saklan). The chart below shows you where each class is towards reaching the 100% participation goal.

The outpouring of support from the Saklan community this year is humbling and will make a powerful impact on our ability to continue challenging students to think creatively, act compassionately, and live courageously.

If you haven’t had the chance to donate to our AGF campaign, it’s not too late! You can make an AGF gift via the following methods:

• DONATE ONLINE through our secure site; or
• Write your check made out to The Saklan School with “Annual Giving Fund” written on the Memo line and deliver it to our office.

If you would like to discuss your gift further, please contact Emily at ewilliamson@saklan.org.

On behalf of all of us at The Saklan School, thank you very much for your support.

#SaklanCompassionate #SaklanAGF