Category: Head’s Corner

Dear Saklan Community,

This morning, the rain let up and the sun came out just in time for us to hold our first Flag of March.  Presenting today, were our 3^rd Grade class who shared information about their Native Americans projects.  Next week’s Flag will be a special day for all math fans.  Don’t miss this annual celebration of pi, with a special pi reciting competition, quadratic equations poems and a presentation of certificates of merit to our MATHCOUNTS Team.  The Mathcounts team, coached by Mr. Zippin, participated in the regional chapter competition last weekend, and while we didn’t win any prizes, our students did a great job and are setting the stage for even better results in the future.

Today marks the end of our second trimester and report cards will be put in the mail next Friday.  You will soon receive an email today inviting you to sign up for our Parent-Teacher Conferences which will be held on March 22 & 23.  We will again be doing all of conference sign ups on line using Sign-Up Genius.  This is a great time to get an update on your child’s academic progress as we move towards the end of the year.

Two exciting dates are on the calendar for March.  Our annual concert at the Lesher Center is scheduled for March 15^th and Grandparents and Special Friends Day is on March 30th.  I look forward to big crowds on these important and fun events.

Have a great weekend!

Peter

Dear Saklan Parents,

Today at Flag our 2^nd Graders shared their plans to improve the country should they become President of the United States.  They have been studying George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in connection with the upcoming Presidents Day holiday.  In celebration of this, Saklan will be closed next Monday and Tuesday.  While you are relaxing at home and contemplating some of the achievements of these past American Presidents, you might consider some of the suggestions from our upcoming leaders.

If I were President I would….

• make sure everyone has a house. I will do this by getting teenagers to build more houses. TJ
• want to give all of the people some money. I would do that by getting my money from my piggy bank. Lilia
• make sure that everyone has good food. I would do it by making money off of teaching kids math and teaching kids to ride horses. Hana
• give poor people food to survive. I would do that by putting out a stand that sells iPads and cars. I would sell the iPads for $1000 and the cars for $2,239. Max
• make sure that women don’t have to be weaker because it is not true. Men and women should be equal. Lilah

Next week we have an all-school lockdown drill.  Being prepared in an emergency is something we take seriously and practice regularly at Saklan. Every month we do an earthquake, fire or lockdown drill. In the light of the recent shooting at a Florida school, and the increase in these tragic events happening nation-wide, it is imperative that the safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of our attention. To that end we have put in place a number of security procedures.

• We have recently changed our gate code. We will continue to do this with much greater frequency. Please do not share this code with others.
• We have upgraded our alarm system and added surveillance cameras.
• The school office is monitoring the main entrance and visitors are required to sign in.
• School staff are required to challenge any unfamiliar person they encounter on campus and to report unusual activity immediately.
• Faculty and staff are trained to lock down and secure the school in case of an internal or external threat with periodic lock-down drills.
• We increased the height of the back fence to the limit allowed by law.
• We have recently implemented a new feature through Renweb which will provide a more efficient and broader range of contact options to include both emails and text messages. More information on our safety procedures can be found in our Crisis and Preparedness Plan, which is found on Renweb.
• We will also be replacing the external door by the Admissions and Business Offices with one that is more secure.

You can also help in the following ways:

• Pre-K and Kindergarten parents please pick up your children via the external classroom door if you arrive at dismissal time. This will decrease the number of persons coming on campus. If you are picking up from extended day, please do come through the front gate.
• Unless we are hosting a school-wide event, sign in at the office when coming on campus during the school day.
• Make sure that your information on Renweb is up to date and all emergency contacts are included.
• Speak with your children about safety and ensure them that Saklan is a safe place and all the teachers and staff are working hard to make it so.

Have a great 4-day weekend!

Peter

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!

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 7^th 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 16^th and Pajama Day on Friday, February 23^rd. 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

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

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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

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

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