Category: General
Re-Creating Art Masterpieces
With art museums closed, institutions such as the Los Angeles Getty Museum made their collection accessible online. The museum challenged their viewers to choose their favorite artwork and re-create the painting. What does that look like?
Well, branching off of performance art, the 4th-8th grade took on the challenge. Using household items, costumes, pets, plants and beyond, they re-created the artwork of their liking. Each piece is nothing short of creative! The question is, who did it better?
#SaklanCreative
Teacher Appreciation Week 2020
“Your continuing commitment, love, compassion, positivity and dedication during this time are keeping our kids (and our families) going. We are extremely grateful for everything you’ve done for this community!” – Saklan Parent
Thank you to our wonderful families for making us feel so special this week! We love and appreciate you all!
#SaklanCommunity
COVID-19 Task Force
The COVID-19 Task Force will begin meeting this Monday to discuss Saklan’s response to our current crisis and what the start of the school year will look like. We know there are many questions out there regarding next year and not many answers. It is our full intention to be in person with students as much as safely possible. The work of the task force will be to look at the different scenarios for next year and develop responses that achieve that goal.
We would like to hear from you regarding your questions, concerns, and ideas. Please take this short survey to help our task force.
The members of the task force are:
- David O’Connell – Head of School
- Geri Buhl – Board of Trustees Co-Chair
- Vickie Obenchain – Science Teacher
- Karen Catanzarite – Kindergarten Teacher
- Melanie Booth – Parent currently serving on three other COVID related committee
- Dayna Long – Parent and Pediatrician
- Jenny Park Choi – Board Member and PA Member
Other members of the administration and community will be invited as needed.
#SaklanTaskForce
Virtual Book Fair
It’s (virtual) book fair time! Need to escape your life without leaving your house? Tired of reading the same book to your children night after night after night? Then head on over to https://www.rakestrawbooks.com/
Rakestraw Books is an independent bookstore in Danville, CA and they are hosting Saklan’s (virtual) book fair. They have literally thousands of titles, suitable for children and adults of all ages. Check out the video below with Susan’s recommendations for the different age groups. (00:00 min. – for PreK, K and LS; 12:00 min. – for LS and MS; 24:00 min. – for MS, HS and Adults)
IMPORTANT: To order, simply fill your shopping cart with as many books as you want, then put the word “Saklan” in the coupon code box and click “apply to order.” This is the only way for Saklan to get credit for your order.
You filled your cart? You put Saklan in the coupon code box? Okay, now click “checkout.” At checkout, you will have two shipping options: Standard Shipping (this amount will change depending on how much you order) and a 99 cent pickup option.
IMPORTANT: The 99 cent pickup option only appears if your order is over $25. If your order is under $25 and you wish to use the 99 cent pickup option, please put PICKUP in the comments section. Your total will be manually adjusted once it is received by the bookstore.
Once a week, or once every other week depending on how many orders we get, all “pickup” orders will be picked up from Rakestraw and taken to Saklan. You will get an email telling you your order is ready for pickup and you are then free to come by Saklan at your leisure and pick up your new goodies.
Please share the virtual book fair with friends and family members! Saklan will receive 10% credit for all orders placed between now and the end of the school year so the more people who order the more Saklan will benefit. Just remember, you must write SAKLAN in the coupon code box for Saklan to benefit.
Questions or comments? Feel free to contact Tara (aka Kaylah’s Mom) at jade4037@gmail.com. Thank you!
#SaklanBookFair
Subtraction Bowling
The Kindergarteners have been busy learning about subtraction. This week, the children played Subtraction Bowling by lining up objects found around their home then using a ball to knock down or take away objects. The Kindergarteners then wrote their equation. Strike!
#SaklanDistanceLearning
It’s Book Fair Time!
Dear Saklan Community,
It’s (virtual) book fair time!! Need to escape your life without leaving your house? Tired of reading the same book to your children night after night after night? Then head on over to https://www.rakestrawbooks.com/
Rakestraw Books is an independent bookstore in Danville, CA and they are hosting Saklan’s (virtual) book fair. They have literally thousands of titles, suitable for children and adults of all ages.
IMPORTANT: To order, simply fill your shopping cart with as many books as you want, then put the word “Saklan” in the coupon code box and click “apply to order.” This is the only way for Saklan to get credit for your order.
You filled your cart? You put Saklan in the coupon code box? Okay, now click “checkout.” At checkout, you will have two shipping options: Standard Shipping (this amount will change depending on how much you order) and a 99 cent pickup option.
IMPORTANT: The 99 cent pickup option only appears if your order is over $25. If your order is under $25 and you wish to use the 99 cent pickup option, please put PICKUP in the comments section. Your total will be manually adjusted once it is received by the bookstore.
Once a week, or once every other week depending on how many orders we get, all “pickup” orders will be picked up from Rakestraw and taken to Saklan. You will get an email telling you your order is ready for pickup and you are then free to come by Saklan at your leisure and pick up your new goodies.
Please share the virtual book fair with friends and family members! Saklan will receive 10% credit for all orders placed between now and the end of the school year so the more people who order the more Saklan will benefit. Just remember, you must write SAKLAN in the coupon code box for Saklan to benefit.
In the next couple of weeks, we will also be releasing teacher and library wish lists. These will be lists that the Saklan faculty (teachers and specialists) and library association would love to have for their classroom or available for checkout. All books purchased from this list, by Saklan community members, will be donated directly to the teacher (or library) for use in his or her classroom. You are welcome to buy books from any teacher’s wish list; you are not restricted to purchasing books only from your child’s current teacher’s wish list.
As the academic year comes to a close, we will also be sending out suggested summer reading lists. With the libraries closed indefinitely, purchasing some books from these lists will be a great way to round out our book fair and give your children some great summer reads.
Questions or comments? Feel free to contact Tara (aka Kaylah’s Mom) at jade4037@gmail.com.
Thank you!
#SaklanBookFair
In Their Own Words
“Scott and I feel extremely lucky to have Katerina and our family join The Saklan School, even with all that is happening now. We joke that we were homeschooling this year while trying to find the right school, and once we choose schools for both girls [Katerina was in school for less than 2 weeks (officially 4.5 days)!!], we somewhat feel we are back where we were. However, we are NOT in the same place as before because our girls are connected with their teachers and classmates and feel a sense of class social connection. Both schools have risen far above any other school we have heard about in the nation. We are quite proud of The Saklan School in how it immediately stepped up and transitioned into distant learning. I love how a lot of elements are included that I didn’t think were possible (scavenger hunts that lead to laughter, group games in Spanish, daily subject meetings on top of the class meetings, etc). We are extremely grateful.
Today, Penelope, our youngest, created an outside classroom for her and Katerina. It is under our back tree on our lawn. It was even a haven for our pets as well as they joined in school when they chose. It is dreamy, but it doesn’t replace the classroom at Saklan. We look forward to our world being healthier and safer so we can rejoin the wonderful school we just joined!” – Saklan Parent
Please take a moment to share with us your thoughts on how things have gone so far with distance learning, what we have done well, what we could do better and how we can better support your family. Email us at feedback@saklan.org.
#SaklanDistanceLearning
Facebook Live Storytime
A Common Struggle
Today, we had about 15 parents show up at our Parents Association Virtual Coffee centered around the topic of ‘Sharing Our Home Solutions to Distance Learning.’ You know how these things can go sometimes, the session was more an opportunity for people to share what they were struggling with when it comes to distance learning. And while there were many positives that came out of the conversation, reading the struggles brought a weird sense of comfort. We are not in this alone.
Here are a few of the more common things our families are grappling with:
- It’s been hard to keep the kids focused, sometimes bribing the kids with treats or whatnot is what parents have resorted to.
- Parents are having guilt regarding large amounts of screen time (not necessarily regarding school work but in general, i.e. video games etc.)
- Having to keep in mind that some kids love distance learning and do well at it, and others are having more of a challenge and strive on the physical connection/physical learning.
- Some parents find themselves losing temper and finding it hard to not have “me time” in which they can take a deep breath and gather their thoughts. They are in survival mode and some kids are feeling the stress they are under.
- Each week is very different. Each load of stress (whether on parents or students, whether from life in general or from classes) is different throughout the weeks.
- This whole world event is taking a toll on mental health. People are really struggling with not being able to go to coffee with a friend or have hangouts. Virtual ones just aren’t the same.
- There’s no time for parents to process emotions anymore.
I am not sure if sharing this list solves any of the issues, but I do hope that it makes us feel maybe just a touch closer to those we used to see so often.
Warm regards,
David
#SaklanDistanceLearning
FRIDAY BLOG 
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