Category: General

We are beyond excited to formally announce the return of Saklan’s Annual School Concert on Wednesday, April 20th! It has been three years since our last concert, and although the venue will be different this year, we are so excited to bring back all the joy that comes with performing live for the people who love our students the most. 

This year, the students will be performing outdoors at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, next door to Saklan. Every Saklan student participates in this fun and energetic event, and every grade performs multiple times.

Day of Concert 

Wednesday, April 20th will be a noon dismissal day for all students. Extended Day will be available until 3:30pm, but it is recommended that students go home earlier to have some down time before the concert if possible. Students are asked to report back to Saklan at 4pm, dressed and ready to perform. The show is scheduled to begin at 4:30pm and will end no later than 6pm. 

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule

Please make every effort to ensure that your student is at school on Monday, April 18th, Tuesday, April 19th, and Wednesday, April 20th so they can take part in our all-student rehearsals.

Attire

All students are asked to come to the concert in their “Sunday best” version of all black clothing, with an accessory of pink. Ballet flats, Toms, Converse All-Star, Keds, and dress shoes are all welcome and encouraged; shoes should fit and be clean. Please, no high heels, UGGS, rain boots or hats. Click here for examples of some outfits that are appropriate, and feel free to talk to other Saklan parents who have been through the concert before, or email me!

Please feel free to put together an outfit that fits well and speaks to your child’s personality. However, use appropriate discretion in choosing clothes (please no midriff showing), and remember that your child will be on stage in front of almost 500 people. 

We are so excited to bring our concert back to Saklan, and are overjoyed to welcome you for this event. 

“Educating the mind but not the heart is no education at all.”

Edutopia

At Saklan, the education we provide integrates social-emotional learning into everything that we teach and learn. Kim Parks outlined the details of Saklan’s SEL program during last Friday’s PA Parent Coffee. The slides she shared during the presentation are below for your perusal.

In the COVID Age, students are feeling increasingly more anxious, upset, and depressed because there is so much out of their control. However, by prioritizing social-emotional learning into each school day, this helps students understand their feelings, have strategies to regulate their emotions, and have a safe place to go every day with caring teachers that pay attention. Over the past three years, Saklan has adopted a learning approach called Responsive Classroom in the hopes that all our teachers will use similar clear and positive language, as well as developmentally-appropriate teaching that students find interesting and engaging.

#SaklanSEL

Saklan students and teachers had fun showing their school spirit during some fun dress days this week. On Tuesday, students dressed in tropical-themed clothing to celebrate Tropical Tuesday!

Wednesday led to all kinds of interesting outfits, as we enjoyed Wacky Wednesday!

On Thursday it was hard to tell if we were on the Saklan play yard or a movie set as the students donned apparel to showcase their favorite character or superhero!

On Friday the community showed school spirit by wearing clothing with Saklan and other school logos and colors on it.

Thank you to everyone who joined in the spirit week fun!

#SaklanSpirit

Join the Saklan Student Council in showing your school spirit next week, February 22 – 25th. All students and teachers are invited to dress up for the following spirit days:

Tuesday, February 22: Tropical Tuesday – Dress in tropical-themed clothing.

Wednesday, February 23: Wacky Wednesday – Dress up in odd or unusual clothing like mismatched or inside-out shirts, socks, shoes, pants, etc.

Thursday, February 24: Favorite Character/Superhero Day – Dress like your favorite character or superhero, or make up your own superhero. We all are awesome in our own ways!

Friday, February 25: School Spirit Day – Dress in Saklan school colors or attire that promotes a favorite high school or college.

Students who choose not to participate in the spirit week themes need to wear their uniforms.

#SaklanSpirit

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students next Tuesday, February 15th. Pictures will be taken during the school day, outside on the play yard, and students need to wear their uniforms. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and will be available for purchase.

If your child misses picture day, Roots & Shoots will be back on campus on Friday, February 25th for makeup pictures. Makeup day will only be for absentee students due to yearbook time constraints. 

Portrait Ordering Process

Roots & Shoots has implemented a new ordering process. Ordering will be fully online, and will take place approximately 2 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 families’ homes ($5.25 shipping fee will apply). 

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

The sixth graders recently wrapped up a study of watercolors in art class. For their final project, students had a choice of four different assignments, all of which centered around the artwork of a key artist. The projects also showcased different watercolor techniques and skills, such as color mixing, stretching their imaginations, science integration, and self-reflection. Student projects included: painted terrariums featuring plants, animals, and imaginary organisms; free-flowing, imaginative creatures decorated with intricate pen patterns; precise, angular geometric masterpieces; and much more.

Save the date for Saklan’s Annual Art Festival on April 28th to check out these and many other works of art!

#SaklanCreative

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual and class portraits of Saklan students on Tuesday, February 15th. 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. Roots & Shoots staff will follow all CDC guidelines, including social distancing when possible, wearing masks and washing/sanitizing hands, in order to make the picture taking process as safe as possible

Portrait Ordering Process

Roots & Shoots has implemented a new ordering process. Ordering will be fully online, and will take place approximately 2 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 families’ homes ($5.25 shipping fee will apply). 

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

Join Saklan’s Student Council in participating in a winter clothing drive organized by the local non-profit, Hip Hop for Change. The drive benefits unsheltered families and individuals in our neighboring communities. New or gently used outerwear (coats, jackets, raincoats, sweatshirts), as well as new socks, underwear, sleeping bags and 4+person tents will be accepted through February 3rd. If you would like to participate, please place your donation in a sealed bag and drop it off in the donation bin by the main office.

Please wash used clothes in high heat and seal all clothing items in bags. A member of the Saklan Community will deliver the donated items to the Hip Hop For Change drop-off site.

#SaklanCompassion

On Tuesday, November 30th, all Saklan students participated in a Giving Tuesday service project. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that aims to unleash the power of people to transform their communities and the world, and to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life. Using their creative talents our Preschool – 8th grade students crafted holiday greeting cards for our neighbors at two senior living communities just around the corner from Saklan.  

Serving others in the community helps students to mature and develop thoughtfulness and compassion, beginning the path to lifelong civic involvement and  fulfillment. Research shows it also pays off academically too! 

The cards the students made reflected great effort and care, and they were very happily received by our neighbors!

#SaklanCompassionate #SaklanCreative