On Wednesday morning, our Middle School students spent time volunteering at the Alameda County Food Bank. This week’s task was bagging apples. They bagged 7,338 pounds of apples which will help give 6,115 meals. Thank you, Middle School students!
Category: Head’s Corner
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Parents,
While considered one of the gloomiest months in some parts of the world, February is really a fun month at Saklan. As the kick-off to our Fun Fridays in February program, today we had Hawaiian Day. This is a theme that resonates very well with the Saklan community since it is a very popular part of our 7th Grade program. In fact our students just came back from their week-long visit to Oahu where they were engaged in a multi-facetted study of Evolution and Adaptation, Hawaiian Culture, and the History of World War 2. Our focus on Hawaii was further enhanced with a talk by Captain Marnane, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Events scheduled for the rest of the month include Class Theme Day on Friday, February 16th and Pajama Day on Friday, February 23rd. Get ready for your children showing a lot of excitement for the next couple of Fridays, and don’t miss coming to Flag to be part of the action. Dress appropriately!
Last week the Moraga Rotary inaugurated the opening of the All-Access Playground Project in Moraga Commons. This two year-long project, with a goal to ensure that all children have access to playground structures, was supported by our students. Last year we made a donation of $782 raised through a series of bake sales. I encourage you to visit the playground and while there have a look at the dedication plaque.
Have a great weekend,
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Parents,
Many thanks to all the parents that came to our Town Hall this morning. My compliments to all the Board Members, PA Officers and faculty for the excellent presentations that were given. At the Town Hall, I announced that we would be starting a new order for this year’s edition of the very popular Saklan Hoodie. Please look for ordering information in the Friday folder and in this blog.
Next week, we will be sending out re-enrollment contracts. As we have previously communicated, and was discussed at the Town Hall this morning, tuition has gone up between 3.8-4.5%. This is in line with other local independent schools and still puts Saklan about 10% lower than the average for the East Bay. However, we have again built in an early enrollment discount, which effectively cancels out the increase. Parent referrals are still out biggest promotional tool, so please continue to spread the word about Saklan.
Have a great weekend!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Parents,
Next week we will have our annual Town Hall meeting. This will be an opportunity for our community to reflect on the results of the last year and hear about plans for the future. During this meeting we will be recognizing our faculty members who have arrived at 5, 10 and 15 years of service to the school. It will also be an opportunity to hear from our Board of Trustees and engage in a conversation on the direction of the school in the years ahead. The Town Hall will be held on Friday, January 26th at the Willow Spring church. The program starts at 9:00 am and will run about one hour.
On Wednesday, January 31st will have our Moving-Up Day for students in Pre-school and Lower School. With the re-enrollment season ahead of us, students will have a chance to meet their future teachers, see the next classroom and get a taste of what it will be like at the next grade level. At the end of January we will be sending out re-enrollment contracts. We have again built in an early enrollment discount, which effectively keeps the tuition at this year’s level. We are very eager to have all of our students back again next year, and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about our programs. Please share your experiences with your friends and neighbors who might be looking for an outstanding school with a supportive community. While we have been stepping up our marketing every year, your referrals are still out biggest promotional tool. So please continue to spread the word about Saklan.
Thank you to Kim Manning for running the day-long Uniform Boutique today. As I mentioned at Flag, all items are free which made it the ultimate shopping experience! Also remember that with the cold weather, we have decided to put no restrictions on outerwear. However, once in the classrooms, all students must adhere to the uniform code.
Have a great weekend!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Community,
Over the break we officially moved into the Winter season and cold weather, especially in the mornings, is a feature of our Moraga micro-climate. Coming from Berkeley every morning, I notice a significant temperature drop as I come down Moraga Way. As such I encourage parents to make sure your children are dressed warm for school. The flu season is also upon us and reports are that this year’s strain is a bad one. Please refrain from sending children to school if they have flu symptoms.
A question came up recently about the school’s uniform guidelines and outdoor wear. In the interest of keeping our students warm, we have decided that there would be no restrictions on outerwear. The goal is to stay healthy and keep our students coming to school to learn. However, once in the classrooms, all students must adhere to the uniform code. For those of you with children that have outgrown, consumed, or maybe lost items, our Parent Association’s uniform guru, Kim Manning, is offering a day-long Uniform Boutique next Friday, January 19 in front of the school. All items are free which makes it the best deal in town!
A very creative idea was given to me this morning by Debbie Budowski, mother of Max (Grade 7). We currently use cones to delineate the area where the bus lets off in the mornings. Sometimes parents do not park there even after the bus has left. So to let you know how things stand, if the cones are on the road it means the bus has not yet arrived. If the cones are on the sidewalk the bus has already left.
This coming Monday will be a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King. Our Grade 2 students have been studying MLK and at Flag this morning shared their own personal ‘I have a dream’ statements:
Max: I have a dream that everybody will get along and never ever fight.
Lilah: I have a dream that everybody can have a good doctor.
Jordan: I have a dream that everyone can go to a good school.
Emily: I have a dream that there will not be any pollution.
Mori: I have a dream that people won’t be mean to other people.
Kori: I have a dream that people will follow the law.
TJ: I have a dream that all people are treated equally.
Lilia: I have a dream that people will pick up trash.
Nikko: I have a dream that everybody has food to survive.
Hailey: I have a dream that people will not use guns.
Hana: I have a dream that everybody has friends.
Remember that Monday is a holiday.
Have a great long weekend!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Parents,
Happy New Year! I hope you have had a restful and enjoyable time with your family and friends. After two weeks of relaxation, it is great to be back at Saklan and start 2018 with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Our faculty and staff started the year with a professional development day on January 2nd. Our day was spent learning about and reviewing First Aid and CPR skills. Maintaining a safe and healthy environment is an important part of our strategic plan at Saklan, and having every teacher and staff member trained in dealing with accidents in a competent and efficient manner is critical to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.
This year we have designated the first Friday of every moth as Saklan Spirit Day. On Spirit Day we encourage all students to wear their Saklan t-shirts and sweatshirts and show their school spirit. This morning we had a very enjoyable Flag during which our Student Council led the entire student body in practicing our school cheer. The cheer was created for our participation in the Walnut Creek Twilight Parade and is probably the reason why this year Saklan won first place in the category of ‘Educational Institution.’ Here is how the cheers goes:
Well I don’t know but I’ve been told,
Saklan kids are good as gold!
When work gets tough, we don’t fold,
Cause we’ve got grit that makes us bold!
Gimme an s! (S)
Gimme an a! (A)
Gimme a k! (K)
Gimme an l! (L)
Gimme an a! (A)
Gimme an n! (N)
What does that spell? SAKLAN!
Have a great weekend and cheers!!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Community,
Today is the last day before our Winter Break and it’s hard to believe that the year has come to an end. The final act of 2017 has been the superlative rendition of ‘The Lion King KIDS’ by our Grades 3 to 5 students this morning. Thank you once again to Mrs. Chaffey, and all the teachers and staff that helped create this remarkable showing of student creativity and talent. Ending our year with such a showing of passion and enthusiasm is a fitting way to sum up the Saklan experience and underscore or mission of thinking creatively, acting compassionately and living courageously.
Right now the students are getting their bags ready to depart for the holiday break. I think you’ll agree, this has been a very successful year for Saklan. Our students have excelled in every way. From Pre-K to Grade 8, each student has tried their best and has moved a little closer to reaching their full potential. We are very proud of them all.
Our Saklan faculty and staff have also outdone themselves in their energy and commitment to making 2017 a year of bountiful learning and personal growth. Offering our students unforgettable experiences like today’s presentation of the Lion King or the recently completed Washington, D.C. trip are prime examples of this.
I’d like to thank each of you for your contribution to our community. It’s the people of Saklan that make it such a special place and I appreciate your support and positive energy. I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful break together and I wish you many blessings in the coming New Year.
Have a great holiday!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Today, our eighth graders left for Washington, D.C. for their annual trip to study the nation’s government and experience the many cultural and historic sights in the capital city. The students have been very excited about this trip, and I am happy that we are able to arrange all the details of this remarkable learning adventure to ensure that our students have a safe and positive experience. A big thank you to Mr. Prestianni and Ms. Parks, who have been running this trip for many years and give so much of their time and energy to make this happen for our students. This year we have added a third chaperone, Ashley Jennings, who will assist our fearless duo in making the Washington D.C. trip something our graduates will remember for a lifetime.
Overnight, multi-day field trips like this one are a part of what makes the Saklan academic program so rich and engaging. Allowing our students to have hands-on and real-life experiences is a way that we broaden their understanding of the topics they study. We believe that these experiences are part of the curriculum, and as such we build the cost of field trips right into the tuition. This is different from many other schools where overnight field trips are an additional expense. At Saklan everyone participates and field trips are part of the learning fabric. In January, 7th grade will spend a week in Hawaii; in March, our 5th graders will spend three days at the Marin Headlands; in April, our 4th graders will go to Coloma overnight to study the Gold Rush. Throughout the school, trips enhance the learning experience of our students. The teachers at Saklan are to be commended for the extra effort it takes to make it all possible.
For the past few months, we have been working on the production of a video clip about Saklan for our website. This video is now live and you can find it on our home page. There are a lot of great images of our students and faculty engaged in the many exciting activities that are part of the daily experience at Saklan. Many thanks to Emoke Veres, our Communications Manager, for organizing and coordinating this production. She was helped by Melissa Zippin, our Director of Admissions, and Toshie Baba, our Board of Trustees Co-chair. Also, thanks to the parents, faculty and students who are highlighted in the video.
Have a great weekend!
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Community,
The enrollment season for the 2018-19 school year has started and today we had our first Middle School Open House. Interest in our middle school program is high and we had 14 families in attendance to learn about our outstanding program and meet our teachers. According to data provided by Melissa Zippin, our Director of Admissions, new student inquiries are up 39% over last year and school tours have increased by 41%. All of the indicators are that Saklan enrollment for next year will be very healthy. Of course parent referrals count as our biggest promotional tool, so please continue to tell your friends and neighbors about Saklan. Tours are easy to organize and typically result in an eye-opening experience for prospective families.
At Flag today, I was very pleased to inform the Saklan community of the award that we won in this year’s edition of the Walnut Creek Twilight Parade. Saklan was awarded 1st place in the category of Educational Institution. On hand to receive the award was our parade organizor and Director of Marketing, Christine Kuckuk. In order to give some more background on this event I asked Christine the following questions:
How did Saklan get involved with the Twilight Parade?
A dedicated group of Saklan parents from Walnut Creek initially coordinated Saklan’s participation in the Twilight Parade. They felt it was a good way to reach Walnut Creek families and a lot of fun for our students.
Why do we continue to participate?
The Twilight Parade is a great community building event for Saklan families. It’s a unique opportunity not to watch, but actually participate in a parade. Family members can participate with their students and all participants receive a new Spirit Wear T-shirt to show off their Saklan pride. Our students love it!
What was different about this year and why do you think we won?
Thanks to our new cheer, we were loud and proud! Our Student Council Members will be teaching this to students at the Friday Flag Assemblies in 2018. Here it is:
Well I don’t know but I’ve been TOLD,
Saklan kids are good as GOLD!
When work gets tough, we don’t FOLD,
Cause we’ve got grit that makes us BOLD!
Gimme an S! (S)
Gimme an A! (A)
Gimme a K! (K)
Gimme an L! (L)
Gimme an A! (A)
Gimme an N! (N)
What’s that spell? SAKLAN!
As of today, we have two weeks of school left before the winter break and the end of 2017. These will be a busy time at Saklan with a couple of important events on the calendar. Next week, our 8th grade students will spend a week in Washington, D.C. with Mr. Prestianni, Ms. Parks and Miss Jennings for their yearly field trip to study US government. On Friday, December 15th our grades 3-5 students will put on the musical, “The Lion King KIDS” at the Willow Spring Church. This will start at 10:30AM and is open to the entire community. I highly recommend that you come out to see our very talented students, who will certainly send us off to the holidays with good cheer.
And finally, the 1st trimester report cards are going out in the mail today. Look for them in your mail box early next week.
Have a good weekend,
Peter
Head’s Corner
Dear Saklan Community,
This week, we had Moving Up Day for our fifth grade students. Fifth grade is a crucial year and getting ready for the move to middle school is an important goal of our program at Saklan. Our fifth graders spent a morning in the middle school getting to know our faculty and learning about what a middle school program looks like. They learned about some of the big changes and challenges of being a middle school student, like moving between classrooms, being in an advisory group, organizing their lockers, being more autonomous and responsible, having elective classes, and of course the week-long overnight trips. Our Middle School Dean, Miss Parks, lead the class in a lively discussion about what it’s like to be a middle school student which ended with lively Q&A using the snowball activity. Students write their burning questions on a piece of paper, crumple it up and then toss them around like snowballs. Each student then reads the question that they end up with.
Today was the day of Saklan’s Annual Fall Follies. This is a fantastic and fun event which brings out the talent, creativity and confidence that are characteristics of Saklan students. Many of our students are truly in their element when on stage. It is impressive how each and every student was willing to take risks with their performance and showed their inner courage. I commend the students on their excellent performances and the audience on being supportive and compassionate. Mr. Prestianni has done another outstanding job organizing the show, auditioning the performers and putting together the program. Hats off to Mr. P for putting together this stellar event for yet another year and providing our students with such an amazing learning opportunity.
Thanksgiving is on our doorsteps and this is naturally a time for gratitude. I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful community that is our school and to the creative, courageous and compassionate teachers, staff, parents and students that share and work towards our common goals. Please take a moment and think about what Saklan is doing for your children and, if you have not already done so, support our Annual Giving Fund.
Today is the last day of the first trimester and report cards for K – 8 students will be sent home on Friday, December 1st. Report cards are used to validate the growth and progress that each student has made on their educational journey. I encourage all parents to both celebrate the accomplishments that your children have made and reflect upon goals for the next trimester. This will also be a good time to plan to connect with teachers to discuss any concerns or questions that may have come up as a result of the report cards. All K – 8 reports will be mailed home.
Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday and thank you for being a wonderful and supportive community!!!
Peter
FRIDAY BLOG 
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