Category: General

Last week, our compassionate fifth graders created heart table toppers to brighten the dining room of Aegis Senior Living Center, and then hand-delivered them.  The students also delivered cards that the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students made, as well as table-toppers from 4th grade.

Lin and Alison, of Aegis Senior Living Center, were delighted to receive the Valentine’s Day decorations.  They shared that they were used to decorate their dining tables on Valentine’s day night, and that their residents loved the cards and table décor!

#SaklanCompassionate #SaklanCreative

Written by Guest Blogger, Saklan 7th Grader, Astro

Deep within the lush tropics on the island of Oahu, there resides an 1875-acre nature park by the name of Waimea Valley. This valley holds more significance than simply being a botanical garden, for the abundance of wildlife is also reflected in the richness of its history. The seventh grade class visited Waimea Valley on Tuesday, February 7th. During the visit, we walked the 3.5-mile hike, and at the end of it, swam under a waterfall.

Waimea Valley is one of the most flourishing environments for farming and is considered one of the best environments for tropical plants in Polynesia. This is because of the heavy tropical rainfall that happens all over the Hawaiian archipelago which in turn creates vibrant soil. In fact, Waimea Valley is home to 5,000 species of plants, most of which are rare Polynesian plants or native Hawaiian plants. Though this doesn’t seem all that exciting, Waimea Valley is one of the reasons why many native Hawaiian plants are not extinct, which makes it extremely important. When we visited, we saw many foreign plants that have adapted to live in a climate like Hawaii. The valley is located on the north shore of Oahu, near Haleiwa. We were lucky enough to experience this beautiful location on our Hawaii field experience.

Thank you, Astro, for sharing your experience!

A summer of creative exploration awaits your child during Summer@Saklan! Saklan’s summer camp offers children the chance to have fun learning new languages and cultures, creating art projects, playing games, meeting special guests, and more!

This summer will feature three sessions of Spanish and Mandarin classes in the mornings, and fun, enriching activities in the afternoons. The Camp days run from 8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. (with Extended Day available until 4:30 p.m.), for both the Mini Campers (ages 3-5) and Explorers (entering 1st – 4th grade). Each day will feature activities including art, music, language, science, engineering, and tech, with field trips and fun workshops taught by members of the community on Fridays.

More information, including session dates and rates, can be found here.

For fun, engaging learning and play, there’s no better time or place than Summer@Saklan. Join us!

On Thursday, February 9th, Saklan hosted its annual State of the School presentation over Zoom. This year’s presentation focused on the Interim Strategic Framework, showcasing Saklan’s emphasis on connection, belonging, love of learning, and spaces that support collaboration. In addition, the CAIS accreditation process was shared, as well as the overall solid financial health of the school.

View the 2022-2023 State of the School presentation below.

Saklan’s social-emotional learning emphasis for February is equality and fairness. Throughout the month, all students will be learning about the difference between equality and fairness. On Monday, February 27th, the first – eighth graders will meet with their family groups and take part in cross-grade level discussions and activities to gain an even greater understanding of fairness and equality, as well as further their sense of belonging and community.

The opportunity to help our students understand and integrate new SEL concepts each month, is an integral part of the Saklan experience.

#SaklanSEL

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students on Tuesday, February 21st. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and are available for purchase.

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

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 $5.25 shipping fee will apply). There will be no school package drop off.

Forgot to Order Last Year’s Portraits?

It’s not too late to get them! Click here to order your child’s 2021-22 school portraits. The password is: sak22.

Questions? Please contact Roots & Shoot directly at grow@roots-shoots.com. They will be happy to assist you!

On Thursday, February 9th, join Saklan’s Head of School, David O’Connell, along with members of the Saklan faculty and community, for this year’s State of the School presentation. During the presentation we will share updates on the interim strategic framework and the school’s financial health, as well as stories from throughout the school year that provide insight into everyday life on campus.

The presentation will be recorded and shared with the community, for those that are unable to attend.

#SaklanCommunity

Calling all Saklan Alums and Alumni Families! Please save the date for an Alumni Reunion to be held this summer on the afternoon of Saturday, June 17th at Saklan. We are excited to welcome our past students and their families back to campus! Look for more information about the event to be shared in the coming months.

Can’t wait until June to catch up with fellow alumni and their families? Join the Saklan School Alumni Facebook Page to start connecting today!

#SaklanAlumni

The Saklan Family Groups participated in the Saklan Family Cup, a soccer tournament modeled after the World Cup. The games took place during lunches starting in mid-November and concluded this week. The intention of the soccer tournament was to provide more opportunities for the family groups to interact with each other and develop camaraderie and group cohesion. 

The games were friendly, well played, and very exciting.  Way to go Saklan!

#SaklanFamilyGroups

We are excitedly preparing a Wine Ring Toss for this year’s Auction Fiesta on March 11th, and we would love your help! Please consider donating a favorite bottle or two (valued at $20 or more) to this year’s wine collection.

Please drop your wine donations off at the auction table in the mornings, or bring them to the Saklan Office.

Thank you for your support!