Category: General

As we shared at the beginning of the year, the sixth grade partnered with GotSneakers, an organization that helps keep sneakers out of landfills by recycling and reusing them. Each pair of shoes donated can earn their class money, which they are using to symbolically adopt a species affected by climate change as part of their way to give back.

To date, 12 bags of sneakers have been sent to GotSneakers. Thank you to everyone who helped support this initiative. Your donations have really helped the environment:

• Shoes displaced from landfill: 206
• Carbon Dioxide: 6180 Pounds Displaced
• Water: 464,942 Gallons Saved

It isn’t too late to donate sneakers! The 6th graders will be collecting sneakers through Friday, June 2nd.

#SaklanServiceLearning

During the month of May, all Saklan students are focusing on being resilient! Students are discussing what resiliency means and practicing having a positive attitude and not giving up when faced with challenges.

Later this month, the 1st – 8th graders will showcase their resiliency and teamwork skills when they participate in Family Group Field Day!

#SaklanSEL

On April 11th, Saklan celebrated Earth Day early by doing a service learning project of building wood duck egg boxes. The boxes built will be placed in the wild for wood ducks to use for nesting, hoping to increase survival rates their young.

Additionally, students got to learn about and see several animals from Wildmind, an animal rescue organization. Wildmind shared the stories of Pugsley the turkey vulture, Sonora the grey fox, Taborri the red-tailed hawk, Oscar the opossum, and Sherman the desert tortoise. The goal was to inspire students to help support our beautiful animal kingdom. The students were excited to see the animals and learn their stories, and took away a greater understanding of ways to help support our local animal species.

#SaklanCompassionate

Middle schoolers have been planning and making “textured” ceramic vases that represent a theme, idea or hold personal connection. Students started the unit with an in-depth exploration of the art element of “texture” and how people can react differently, and sometimes strongly, to how different surfaces look and feel. 

Students worked in groups to observe, respond to and research the work of ceramic artists who use texture to create meaning and visual interest in their artwork. After presenting the work and meaning behind their artists to the class, they began to plan their own work. 

Their challenge was to create a themed, functional vase, that a viewer could experience both visually and tacitly. Student themes vary greatly and range from representing objects or items of personal meaning, eliciting strong reactions or feelings from their audience, or wider explorations such as capturing the beauty of natural decay, people’s fears of imperfection, or the passing of time. 

The works in progress are stunning and incredibly well made. Join us on April 21st to see them yourself, as they will be on display at the Spring Art Show. 

#SaklanCreative #SaklanArtShow

All Saklan families and friends are invited to join us for The Saklan School’s Spring Art Show on Friday, April 21st! The event will take place in the Holy Trinity Cultural Center and feature artwork from all of our Preschool – 8th grade students.

We hope you will join us!

#SaklanArtShow #SaklanCreative

During the month of April, all Saklan students are focusing on being curious! Students are discussing what it means to show curiosity, teachers are posing lots of questions for students to ponder, and everyone is working on keeping an open mind when it comes to listening to others or trying new activities.

#SaklanSEL

What a wonderful experience to be back at the Lesher Center to watch our students shine with Joy! 

Thank you to all of the parents and guardians for making Wednesday’s logistics work in order to support the students and watch the performance. 

Thank you to the faculty and staff for all of the behind the scenes work to prepare for the concert, from your flexibility with the schedule to helping with rehearsals. Thank you also for your support of your students and encouraging them to get up on that stage!

Thank you to Lauren for working with the second and third grade students on the gorgeous backdrop that we got to see during the concert. Thank you for your continued collaboration with teachers, and for the inspiration you ignite in our students.

Thank you to Erin for preparing the Preschool and Pre-K students to be on stage for their first concert at the Lesher Center! The little ones were so excited and brave and shared their joy and love of music with the audience. 

Thank you to Isaac for continuing to share your knowledge of traditional Ghanaian drumming with our students. What a joy to see them drumming, singing and dancing together!

Thank you to Ashley, Hector and Isaac for sharing your musical talents and accompanying the students on piano, drums and guitar. Without you, the concert would have been a very different experience.

Thank you to Shay and Emily for behind the scenes work on the program, communication, transportation logistics, ushering duties, securing seats, and filling in all the gaps where they were needed. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you to Daisy Coby for beautifully photographing the concert.

Thank you to Javier for helping set up for rehearsals, for moving instruments all week, for moving artwork, transporting students, and for doing it all with laughter. 

Thank you to Grace for the vision of Joy, for teaching with purpose and for knowing what songs and parts to choose for whom. You create magic on stage and allow students to shine bright. What you do is invaluable and greatly appreciated. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Auction Fiesta on March 11th. It was a fun event with many guests walking away with bottles of wine won in the wine toss and photo booth pictures taken with friends old and new! As a community we raised over $63,000, including $31,200 for the Fund-a-Needs. Thank you all for your generosity.

Special thank you to Emily Williamson, who worked tirelessly on the event, and to the auction committee: Amy Perkins, Shana Hammers, and Darla Lovrin for their help in planning a fun event, procuring auction items, and creating event decorations.

Thank you to Makeda Assefa, Erin Moorhead, Amy Perkins, John Miazga, Hector Ramos Diaz , Mel Zippin, Javier Yacarini, Ester Vines, and Shay Sager for helping to set up the event and make the hall look so festive. 

A huge thank you to Lauren Haberly for her work on the collaborative art pieces, to Daisy Coby for photographing the Middle School art, and to Eric Lompa and ScanArt for printing all the posters and note cards.

Thank you to Zuly Zuleima for her help with decor, and to Ester Vines for her guidance of the lower school students in creating the papel picado that so beautifully decorated the room.

At the event – thank you to Linda Lathrop, Mel Zippin, Gina Gabriel, and Lisa Rokas for helping to sell raffle tickets, to Karen Catanzarite and Toshie Baba for helping check in guests, to Peta Wansbrough-Siacor for running the wine toss, and to Javier Yacarini and Shay Sager for tending the bar.

We had some very generous contributions from many families too. Thank you to everyone who donated auction items and/or bottles of wine, and helped to procure auction items. It truly was a team effort!

Saklan’s All-School Concert is next Wednesday, March 29th at 4:30 p.m. Students will be dismissed at noon from the Lesher Center and asked to return at 4:00 p.m. in preparation for the performance.

Please note the following details for the day:

• All Saklan students need to be dropped off directly at the Lesher Center at 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the 29th. Normal Saklan Bus & Van service will NOT be operating that day. 
• Students will be Dismissed at Noon from the Lesher Center.
• Extended Day will be available until 3:00, but it is recommended that students go home at noon to have some down time before the concert. Reserve your child’s spot in Extended here.
• All students are asked to report back to the Lesher Center at 4:00 p.m. dressed in their “Sunday best” version of all black clothing, with an accessory of yellow. 

The Concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. Feel free to invite extended family and friends to join us!

Covid Tests

We will be sending home COVID-19 tests with all students next Tuesday afternoon. Parents, please COVID test your student before you drop them off at the Lesher Center on Wednesday morning.