Category: General

Collaboration Blocks

Have you heard about Saklan’s collaboration blocks? These large blue blocks have been a favorite recess activity since they were introduced at the beginning of December.

The blocks are manufactured by Imagination Playground, and are designed to allow for open-ended play, giving children the freedom to create and pursue their own play activities. These blocks have produced numerous creations, giving our students the opportunity to not only have fun, but to further develop their logic and mathematical skills, problem solve, use their imaginations, and develop inter and intrapersonal skills.

Working together with classmates to build with the collaboration blocks has provided Saklan’s students with many opportunities for creativity, fun and learning. Check out the pictures below to see some of the creations the students have built.

The collaboration blocks were made possible by gifts to Saklan’s Annual Giving Fund. Saklan relies on the generous support of the community to provide the many extras, like the collaboration blocks, that make Saklan such a vibrant place for children to learn and develop. Thank you to all our generous AGF donors.

#SaklanCreative #MadePossibleByAGFGifts

Why We Give

Saklan has been a wonderful, positive, nurturing, life changing, environment for our 8th grader, Blake, who has been attending Saklan since 6th grade. Blake transferred to Saklan in the October 2018 timeframe and it has been hands down the best decision for Blake and our family. The teachers, faculty and administration made the transition to Saklan seamless and in a short few months, Blake was thriving in school. The teachers are dedicated, motivating, encouraging, nurturing, instill discipline, and the coursework is adequately challenging. Blake is always eager to go to school and I am confident his middle school experience at Saklan has laid a strong foundation and prepared him for high school, college and beyond. I sat through the graduation ceremony of the 8th grade class in 2019, where teachers pay a tribute to each student, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Through the course of the ceremony, it was evident due to the small school size, caliber of the faculty, and culture of the school, Saklan teachers become intimately familiar with a student’s personality, strengths, opportunities for improvement, progress, growth and maturity, and provide a strong, positive influence. The student population is very diverse and there are several opportunities students can participate in without judgement or barriers that might be a factor at a larger middle school, such as the school play and concerts. We are very grateful to be part of the Saklan community and thrilled to support the Saklan Annual Giving Fund.

Tia and Jeff Hutchinson

Blake (8th)

Join the Hutchinson family in supporting Saklan by making an AGF gift today!

#SaklanGiving

Parenting in the Pandemic

On Monday, January 11th, Kehillah Jewish High School is hosting a night with Dr. Michael Thompson, and Saklan parents are invited to attend. Dr. Thompson is a clinical psychologist, school consultant and international speaker on the subjects of children, schools and parenting. 

Dr. Michael Thompson

This event, titled Parenting in the Pandemic for the Long Haul, will be held on Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:00 PM. Here are the details:

#ParentEducation

Thoughtful

During the month of December, Saklan students have been thinking about being thoughtful. Each class talked about what it means to be thoughtful and played a game of Thoughtful Bingo to help students learn ways to show their thoughtfulness. Some students even created their own Thoughtful Bingo cards, describing ways they could be more thoughtful at school and home.

Students also participated in a “Jar of Compliments” activity to help them thoughtfully recognize their peers.  This was a great activity to have them take note on what others bring to the class, and take time to recognize them.

Following these activities to help the students understand what it means to be thoughtful, each of the first through eighth grade students wrote down one way they can work to be thoughtful this winter. The thoughtful ideas were then grouped together into family groups and wreaths of thoughtfulness were created. Check out the wreaths below!

#SaklanFamilyGroups #SaklanSocialEmotionalLearning

Pandemic Parenting Course

Dr. Chelsey Hauge of Positive Parenthood is offering a free Pandemic Parenting Course. This 6-part course is for parents who wish to support their children in whole, peaceful, and gentle ways during this challenging time.  The course is virtual and self paced, so you can complete it when it works for you!

#SaklanParentEd

Why We Give

“Since joining Saklan, we have seen a dramatic transformation in Levi and Willow into more confident and compassionate students. Saklan is a place where they feel safe, surrounded by a caring and supportive community. We know they can receive an outstanding academic education at other institutions, but we truly believe Saklan provides the right environment where they excel because they want to and not because they have to. Annual Giving Fund supports Saklan through hiring of the best educators, buying the best supplies and providing the safest environment for students. Supporting Saklan is a direct investment in our own children, and that is why we give.“

Joy and John Kim

Levi (8th) and Willow (3rd)

Join the Kim Family in supporting Saklan by making an AGF gift today!

#SaklanGiving

Winter Clothing Drive

Join the Hoot Owls 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 clothes, gently used clothes and new toiletries will be accepted through January 7th. If you would like to participate, please place your donation in a sealed bag and drop it off in the donation bin outside the Hoot Owl classroom. See below for more guidance.

#SaklanCompassion

Join the Student Council in Helping Struggling Families

The Student Council is hosting a food drive for the Monument Crisis Center. This organization serves families in East Contra Costa County. Since many families are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and need help, the student council decided that donated food would be the most practical. There will be large bins in the breezeway near the main office starting early next week and ending on Thursday, December 17th. The following food items are requested: peanut butter, tuna, canned food (including soup, stew, vegetables, etc.), dry pasta, and rice. If your family does not want to donate food but still wants to help out, please click here to make a monetary donation. Thank you for showing compassion to our local community!

#SaklanCompassion

Magazine Submissions Needed

Eighth graders Levi, Makenna, Reese, and Evy are working on creating the next edition of Saklan’s Literary Magazine. The theme for this edition is time! The eighth graders are looking for submissions of poetry, short stories, photographs, digital designs, and/or artwork connected to the theme, to be featured in the upcoming edition. Submissions should be placed into the large envelopes in each teacher’s classroom. All Saklan students are invited and encouraged to participate!

#SaklanCreative #SaklanLeadership

Why We Give

“We joined Saklan in 2007 when our oldest, Finn, started Kindergarten. Saklan has gone through many changes since then, but it has remained constant as a source of support for our family. It has helped shape our children–Finn (class of ’17), Evy (8th), and Lilah (5th)–into the people they are today. 

Finn is now a senior at Athenian and is doing virtual college interviews. I overheard him during a recent one talking about how his role in the middle school musical back in 8th grade–he was “The Man in the Chair” in The Drowsy Chaperone–was an experience that truly changed his life. To hear how he still considers playing that role as such a pivotal experience three and a half years later was a poignant reminder of what an impact Saklan had on him. 

He was never interested in theater, but Mrs. Chaffey encouraged him to take on increasingly challenging roles. Learning how to memorize pages of monologues and portray this character and dance on stage took a ton of courage and emotional vulnerability. The unwavering support and guidance he received made it possible for him to do something he never knew he could do. It not only helped him build confidence; it allowed him to learn to understand the life of a character’s emotions, as well his own. It gave him a new passion. 

Saklan also gave Finn an incredible academic foundation for high school. He is leaning towards continuing in science in college, but he is just as interested in the humanities and is still passionate about theater and poetry. We credit this wide range of interests to the inspiring teachers at Saklan. They encouraged him to dive into new things and supported him to strive to do his best even when he didn’t think he was good at something. 

Our girls–Evy in 8th and Lilah in 5th–have literally grown up at Saklan. Like Finn, they have also had many experiences since their preschool days where they were challenged and were able to shine, and they’ve grown tremendously academically and creatively. The enriching experiences outside of the classroom, along with the Saklan teachers’ support, have been transformative and inspired them to love to learn. 

We are grateful that Saklan has helped all three of them to become respectful, compassionate, and engaged students and people. They are aware of themselves, have the confidence to contribute, and want to understand the world.

We are not sure we are ready to have a child move onto college and another on to high school this next year, but we are confident that they are ready and have an incredible foundation. What the Saklan teachers and community have given our kids is hard to measure.  To quote Finn’s Saklan graduation speech, ‘Saklan will always be home.‘”

Lori and Eric Anders

Finn (Class of ’17), Evy (8th), and Lilah (5th)

#SaklanGiving #SaklanAlum