Category: Head’s Corner

The Power of Reflection

Over the past two years, it has become clear that making room in our lives for reflection is more important than ever. And yet, with everything that has been going on in our world, it seems harder and harder to make the time and space for this.  

Hence we have started a new initiative at Saklan to help teachers find ways to reflect on their life’s work and come back in the Fall refreshed and energized. Starting this year, teachers will be encouraged to apply for a grant through the Saklan Summer Reflection Fund. This fund will financially support teachers and staff to pursue professional development projects of personal interest off campus that also benefit their students and the school. In the past I have seen teachers take this in all sorts of directions: from Poetry Slam camps and meditation retreats to specialized conferences and historical explorations. One history teacher, for example, decided to follow the Lewis & Clark Trail, bringing the experience back to her classroom. Inspired teachers inspire students! 

You can support this initiative by contributing to the Auction Shindig Wine Raffle or by making a monetary donation to the fund on our auction website.  

The Saklan teachers and staff are excited about pursuing summer reflective opportunities. We look forward to sharing their experiences.

These past few weeks have been a huge challenge for all of us- from the absences, endless testing, tracking COVID-19 cases, and quarantine protocols, not to mention the Hunger Games-like atmosphere to procure an Antigen Rapid Test. It’s been a lot. 

But there is a second front that we have been battling since the start of the pandemic- the mental health of our students. I do not need to cite the numbers; we have all felt or seen it in one way or another. Its roots are in the loss of connection and engagement.

The way we have endured the ongoing stress of this pandemic is to double down on what we know is best for our students, our learning, and our community. While we have worked to keep everyone safe and healthy, we have not lost sight of the importance of a connected community and engaging curriculum. Students begin each morning with a Morning Meeting, Advisory, or Circle Time (depending on the grade level), enabling them to be present, engage, check-in, and feel seen and heard. This allows our community to stay connected with one another despite the chaos and uncertainty that has been surrounding us all. 

Not only is our hands-on curriculum and social emotional learning happening on campus, but we continue to plan for our spring field experiences, guest experts, and community events. Our 8th graders are preparing to go to Puerto Rico to build homes; the 4th graders are headed to Coloma to immerse themselves in the gold rush experience; the 5th graders will go to the Nature-Bridge Golden Gate Outdoor Program; we are working on rescheduling the 7th grade Hawaii experience; the all-school concert is being planned for April. Despite the limits the pandemic has imposed, there is still much to be hopeful and excited about.

We know how hard and exhausting these past 22 months have been. However, we will continue to prioritize a nurturing place of consistency and safety for your children. As always, thank you for your support, cooperation, and trust. Your partnership has made this all possible.

In gratitude,

David

Alumni Highlight: Levi Kim

This past week I was able to interview recent Saklan graduate, and current Athenian student, Levi Kim. What sparked my interest in hearing from Levi was his recent performance in The Nutcracker. The conversation was so rich I needed to break it into two blog posts. This week’s post we hear from Levi about his ballet experience.  In our next post we will talk about his transition from Saklan to Athenian. 

How long have you been interested in and practicing ballet?

I’ve been doing ballet since I was three years old. It was a very intense activity to grow up doing, with the many hours of rehearsal and shows, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Throughout the nearly twelve years I’ve danced, I’ve had many moments where I wanted to quit. While some people may see this as a bad thing, I try to focus on why I didn’t quit, instead of why I might have. I didn’t quit because I knew I would regret not continuing something that brought me so much joy and taught me so much about myself. Ballet may be very frustrating sometimes and can come off as a futile endeavor towards perfection, but it also brought me some of the greatest happiness of my life. While many people see ballet as boring and restrictive, I’ve tried to see it in the opposite way. I see ballet as a unique and beautiful way to convey stories through more abstract movements that allow people to create interpretations of beloved stories.

Can you talk a little about the role you had in The Nutcracker?

In this year’s Nutcracker, I played Drosselmeyer’s nephew/the prince. We started rehearsing the show back in October (though many people prepared for auditions months before then) and continued until the first week of December where we finally got to show all of our hard work off.

I understand it was a grueling schedule, can you share a little bit about it? 

I rehearsed my role for 2-6 hours every Sunday until one week before our show when we rehearsed every day from Friday to the Sunday of the next week. That week was one of the greatest tests of my physical and mental endurance of my life. Practicing a show over and over again until it was perfect, only to perform it six more times for an audience was exhausting. Between balancing schoolwork, warm-ups, and the actual shows, I had to carefully choose what I needed to prioritize and what I could sacrifice. This taught me where I needed to focus my energy and what I was willing to give up in order to deliver the best performance that I could. Despite how grueling the description of rehearsals sounds, it was an amazing experience. After almost two years of not being able to perform on a stage, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. I really enjoyed working with so many talented people and improving my own dancing with them.

What did you learn about yourself now that you have finished the production? 

Looking back at The Nutcracker after it’s all over, I realize that I’ve learned so many things about myself along the way. I’ve learned that I can make difficult decisions and move past them. I’ve learned that I can stay calm under high-stress situations. And I’ve learned that I’m capable of accomplishing what I put my mind to.

Thank you very much, Levi, for sharing your Nutcracker experience with me and the Saklan community.

#SaklanAlumni

The Irony of Fall Follies

Folly, noun –  Lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight, a foolish act or idea.  

It seems to me that our annual Fall Follies is misnamed, as it is the furthest thing from folly. As a matter of fact, the entire production was a definition of our mission to Think Creatively, Act Compassionately, and Live Courageously.

Creativity showed through many of the acts, from Panji singing Bruno Mars or the gymnastics routines, all the way to “How to Fold a Bandana.” 

Compassion was on display by the audience as students summoned their courage to perform. It was not just compassion, but there was an energy of encouragement, a palpable sense of “you can do this.” Backstage I was not only able to see students encourage and support their fellow performers but also look out into the audience – the faces of the audience were saying “you’ve got this.”

And the courage. Getting in front of 250 people, many of them peers along with some parents, is no small feat for a student. There were six acts from Kindergarten- from songs to poems to a ballet number. Cade from 3rd grade with his magic show had such comedic timing. Alicia, who just joined the school a few weeks ago, sang “Into the Light.” These were just a few of the students who demonstrated true courage.  

While we will likely not rename our Fall Follies, they are indeed the opposite.

#SaklanCreativity #SaklanCompassion #SaklanCourage

Last Wednesday, November 3rd, marked our First Annual Orange Envelope Day! Kicking off our Annual Giving Fund (AGF) with lots of enthusiasm, students and parents were able to drop their orange donation envelopes in the orange box and ring our cowbell to mark the occasion – it brought lots of joy and attention to drop off and pick up! Thank you for helping to make it historic. Orange Envelope Day yielded 37 gifts and participation from 24% of our families- Go Saklan!

It speaks volumes about our community that families are willing to contribute a meaningful gift to the AGF. Each gift supports our commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and being connected to every student. Moreover, it strengthens the bond of shared common values between all of us. Those values of belonging and connectedness are instrumental to who we are and what we do.

Asking for a financial gift from a community that already gives so much in the way of time, money and trust, takes a nuanced approach. While we focus on participation because it is an indicator of belonging, the truth of the matter is that we would fall short of our financial goal without the larger donations that are made. Our community is socioeconomically diverse, with some families who have more capacity to give monetarily than others. This is where the nuance comes in. Larger gifts bring us closer to moving the dial on experiences that strengthen your child’s love for learning. High participation is a vote of being connected to the community that values those experiences. We strive for both. We want Saklan to be your primary philanthropic cause and ask you to give to your fullest capacity. Whether your gift is $5 or $15,000, if it is meaningful to you, it is meaningful to us.

Thank you for believing in us to partner with you in your child’s educational journey. Thank you to those who have already shown their support for the AGF. We are more than halfway to our goals of raising $150,000 and reaching 100% participation, and I am confident that both will continue to rise.

In gratitude,

David

#SaklanGiving

Halloween Brought a Boon of Creativity!

I hope you were able to attend today’s special Halloween CLAS. From the visit of a Transformer (Preston) to the combination group outfit of Ketchup and Fries (featuring brothers Chase and Liam), there was tons of creativity on display. Thank you to all members of our community for supporting the students this morning. 

Thank you and Happy Halloween!

David

#SaklanCreative

“Be Curious, Not Judgemental”

Walt Whitman

This quote (recently made famous by Ted Lasso) replaces an old favorite of mine: “If you only believe 50% of what your children say about us, we will only believe 50% of what they say about you.” While the quote is tongue-in-cheek, it emphasizes that misunderstandings can occur between home and school when we only understand one perspective. But it is passive. It does not ask us to be curious and learn. When it comes to raising good people (the children we share), we need to be curious and suspend judgment.

Yesterday, as a faculty, we spent time talking about parent-teacher conferences. One of our conversation points was delving into the anxiety all participants (yes, even teachers) can feel during these meetings. As we prepare for conferences, it is essential to remember that we (parents and teachers) have the same goal in mind- to help young people grow to become fulfilled, self-actualized adults. This work is complicated and bumps in the road are inevitable, but our children benefit when we remain curious and work together. 

Please keep this in mind next week as you discuss your child’s progress at conferences. We are a team, and we look forward to sharing glows and grows with you.

In gratitude,

David

MAP Testing – Measures of Academic Progress

Over the next two weeks, if your student is in grades 2*- 8, they will spend a few hours taking the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. The MAP test is a “standardized” test in Language Arts, Reading, and Math, but is different from most other standardized tests.

The MAP test is computerized and adaptive; as students take the tests, the program feeds them either more challenging or more accessible questions, depending on their performance on earlier questions. In addition, the algorithm is designed to find a student’s strengths and challenges in the subject area. 

When we administered the test last spring, I recall 8th graders lamenting that it was the most challenging test they had ever taken, and they thought they must have failed. But, it turns out, those same students scored above the 90th percentile. The test was hard because it worked to stretch them, feeding them questions meant for 10th and 11th grade students.  

While the MAP test will benchmark students to other students across the country, that is not the emphasis. Instead, the test provides data for teachers, parents, and students alike that will help leverage strengths and fill gaps. Each teacher receives a report on their class and individual students to assess their competency in a subject area. In addition, parents receive a report on their child that offers suggestions for improvement and links to resources that will spur academic growth.

Compared to other standardized tests which would take a week or more of instructional time to complete, the MAP test is not timed and takes approximately 50-70 minutes (some students are done in 45 minutes, others take 80) per subject area to complete. Therefore it is less intrusive to our instructional day.

We look forward to sharing the information gathered from the MAP test as we move into the year and share your child’s results during conferences.

For more information on the MAP test, please click here. 

Warm regards,

David 

*This is the first year we are testing 2nd graders. They will only be taking the reading portion of the test – it will last between 45 and 75 minutes.  

Parents Make our School Go ‘Round

Dear Saklan Community,

I am feeling incredibly grateful for our parent community this week. Not only would we not have a school without you (as you choose to send your children to Saklan each day), but there are so many aspects of our school that are supported by your hard work.

Building community in a pandemic has been challenging, but I have seen many strong bonds form despite that. Some were made just by families simply walking to their cars after school. Even without our usual multitude of in-person events, our Parent Association (PA) and room parents found a way to bring the parents together, and I see and appreciate it.

We’ve had a fantastic start to this school year! And while there will always be challenges to work through, we know we can rely on the support and partnership of our parent community. 

Thank you for your trust in our teachers. Thank you for being curious about what your child comes home to share. Thank you for giving us feedback so we can communicate well and work together. Thank you for being an integral part of every single day at school. 

We are a team, and we appreciate your continued understanding of that commitment. 

In keeping with this teamwork, I would encourage you to attend the upcoming PA events. Much thought and planning go into creating opportunities for parents to connect. We know it does not work for all families, and work schedules may be inflexible, but if you do have the time, please join us for the following:

• October 15th: Parent Coffee after CLAS
• October 24th: Halloween Family Fun Fest 1 pm -3 pm (Moraga Commons)
• November 9th: Parent Ed Series: Does Your Family have the Sugar Blues? (virtual evening)
• November 12th: Parent Coffee after CLAS

In closing, thank you. Now that I am a parent at this school, I have a new lens on this experience. I am impressed with the things my daughter comes home and shares, and my family is benefitting directly from what this community can do together. 

In gratitude,

David