General – Page 39 – FRIDAY BLOG

Spirit Day Re-Cap

Throughout February, Saklan students showed off their school spirit by participating in themed Spirit Days! Each Friday was another chance for Saklan students and faculty to dress up in unique ways.

Spirit Day Fridays kicked off on February 5 with Superhero Day! Students showed off their creativity, with some choosing to honor our hero healthcare workers with their costumes.

Next up, on February 12, was Valentine’s Spirit Day. Students wore colors associated with Valentine’s Day to show their love for our wonderful Saklan Community!

For Sports Day, on February 19, Saklan students wore uniforms and sport’s gear that represented their favorite teams from the Bay Area and beyond!

Our month of Spirit Fridays came to a close today with a Saklan Favorite – Pajama Day! Even in their coziest pajamas, our incredible Saklan students were still focused, hard-working, and full of school spirit!

#SaklanSpirit

Head’s Corner

The Fable of Mug Shot 7053

A couple of weeks ago, I shared this New York Times article on Rosa Parks in a faculty meeting. The article itself is fascinating, with lots of fodder for good conversation. It unpacks the popular myth of Rosa Parks and her famous refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus – the myth that a meek, tired seamstress was too exhausted to walk to the back of the bus and accidentally started a movement that changed civil rights.

In reality, Rosa Parks had been an activist fighting for racial justice for decades before her bus stand. Though the word “quiet” was used in most of the obituaries that ran after her 2005 death, she was anything but.

The fable of Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement of the time betrays the reality, pain, and sacrifice, and down plays how resistant Americans were, and often still are, to change that challenges the status quo.

As educators, we used this article to examine the fables and myths we have heard, and those we have perpetuated. From Christopher Columbus to “American Exceptionalism,” we owe it to our students, to ourselves, and to our society to take a closer look at what and how we are teaching.

When you have the time, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read the New York Times piece – what fables do you know?

#SaklanDiversity

Eighth Grade Acts of Service

A group of eighth grade students spent the Valentine’s Day holiday fulfilling an important aspect of Saklan’s mission – to ‘act compassionately.’ As part of the Team Compassion group with youth volunteer non-profit Pledge to Humanity, students made homemade Valentine’s Day cards and delivered them, along with a rose plant, to every resident at Aegis Moraga Senior Home.

This act of service not only brightened the spirits of the senior home’s residents, it also was fulfilling for the students. They enjoyed helping seniors who have been especially isolated during this difficult year know that they are not alone, and in fact, are remembered and loved!

#SaklanCompassionate

Kindergarten Paper Sculptures

What can lines create? Paintings, shapes, sculpture, and more!

In Art class this week, Kindergarten students learned that when something is flat, like a painting or a drawing, it is known as “two-dimensional.” When something is not flat, like a sculpture, it is known as “three-dimensional.”

Students explored sculpture further, learning that there are many sculptures all around us, and they can be viewed from multiple angles. Using strips of paper and glue, they learned how to make shapes, spirals, arcs, and zig zag lines to create their own paper sculptures.

The possibilities are endless to this sculpture project, as students can continue to add onto their existing structures. Their imaginations grow each time they build off another line of paper and relate it to something they have seen or imagined.

Throughout the project, listening to each student describe their creation brought the whole class some laughter and joy!

#SaklanCreative

People Who Make a Difference

This week, second graders at Saklan have been learning about the lives of two of our most accomplished presidents – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

These two giants of American history had a significant impact on the lives of all Americans, and are a perfect introduction to looking at ‘People Who Made a Difference,’ the next topic of second grade study.

The class learned about both men’s childhoods, what they achieved in their lives, and the legacies they left behind. They have also been learning a fun, graphical way to takes notes and remember all the incredible facts about these two men in an interesting way.

#SaklanAcademic

Learning About Famous Authors

The Owls in Ms. Jessica’s class are bringing classic children’s books to life by learning about famous authors in a hands-on way! First, the Owls read books written by children’s author Laura Numeroff, including If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. To further engage with the book, they used messy foam paint to “frost” giant cupcakes of their own, complete with sparkly sprinkles!

Next, the Owls learned about Mo Willems, who wrote and illustrated books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, as well as various books featuring the characters Gerald and Piggy. After watching a video of Mo Willems and his friends acting out one of his books, they created Gerald and Piggy art of their own.

As the Owls continuing learning about famous authors, they will also begin writing and illustrating books of their own. We can’t wait to see what stories they will share!

#SaklanHandsOn

Owls on the Move

To wrap up their transportation unit, the Saklan Owls turned their sights skyward, learning about airplanes and helicopters. They incorporated math learning and built fine motor skills by cutting and assembling different shapes like a puzzle to make a helicopter.

They also tapped into their inner artists by doing marble painting on airplane shapes, creating unique lines and patterns. The tracks that the marbles made across the paper were reminiscent of the condensation trails planes make when they move across the sky!

The Owls closed out their transportation unit with a fun celebration! Each student brought in their own method of transportation from home, and had a blast zooming around the parking lot on their bikes and scooters!

#SaklanHandsOn

Saklan Spirit Days

During the month of February, every Friday will be a Saklan Spirit Day. All students and teachers are invited to dress up for the following spirit days:

Feb. 5th: Superhero Day- Dress like your favorite superhero or make up your own superhero! We all are awesome in our own ways!

Feb. 12: Valentine’s Spirit Day – Wear colors associated with Valentine’s Day like red, pink, and white. Hearts are welcome too!

Feb. 19: Sports Day – Here’s a Saklan favorite! Wear your favorite sports team gear, uniform, etc.

Feb 26: Pajama Day – Here’s another tradition. Wear your pajamas to school! Make sure they are school appropriate and that you wear shoes (no slippers, please).

Participation is optional. If students choose not to dress up, they are asked to wear their uniforms.

#SaklanSpirit

Picture Day

Roots & Shoots Photography will be taking individual portraits of Saklan students on Thursday, February 11th. These pictures will be used in the yearbook and are available for purchase.

If you are interested in ordering pictures of your child, HERE IS THE LINK TO ORDER PORTRAITS. You will need to submit this form on or before Thursday, February 11th to avoid a late fee. There is 100% money back guarantee if you are unhappy for any reason.

COVID-19 procedures:

All students on campus will get their portraits taken with their class.
All distanced learners will be asked to come to school at a special time. You will be notified by Saklan of your time slot by email.
All CDC guidelines will be followed by R&S staff including social distancing, wearing masks and washing/sanitizing hands.
Composite class portraits will be created in lieu of group class portraits due to COVID-19.

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

Hardworking

During January, Saklan students have been focusing on being hardworking. The eighth grade Family Group leaders created a video to explain what hardworking means and how it can help students reach their goals and overcome challenges.

After hearing suggestions from the eighth graders, each of Saklan’s first through seventh graders wrote down one goal, project or activity they want to work hard to accomplish or improve on. Check out the many areas in which our students are working hard!