Category: Middle School

Artifact or Art Opinion

The 6th graders recently wrapped up their second milestone in their Project Based Learning unit, Artifact or Art Opinion. The driving question for the unit is, “Who do artifacts really belong to?”

During this unit, students explore arguments for and against the repatriation of Egyptian artifacts. They develop an understanding of museums, the history of archaeological practices, museum bias, perspective taking, and of course, dive into the content standards connected to ancient Egyptian civilization. This year, it has been great fun to add in mini lecture recordings and videos from the Egyptologist that Linda and Vickie traveled with over the summer, too! 

The unit kicked off in early October with an entry event highlighting a modern example of an artifact purchased by the Met that was, in fact, stolen! This helped the class to wonder how do museums end up with the artifacts they have in their collection? They then selected mystery Egyptian artifacts held at museums outside of Egypt to research. Through studying their artifacts, students began to build an understanding of what these artifacts are and why they are important. During their research, the 6th graders learned about ancient Egyptians and started sorting through some of the complexities of each artifact’s provenance. Students learned sometimes it is tricky to get to the bottom of how a museum acquired a particular artifact! 

Recently, the sixth graders met with two experts who helped them start to understand how museum and archaeological practices have changed over time. They visited a small museum in Berkeley at the Pacific School of Religion called the Badè Museum. There, the class met with archaeologist and Museum Director Dr. Aaron Brody to understand the unique history of the collection and their perspective on repatriation.

Sixth graders also zoomed in with archaeologist, Dr. Hannah Wellman, who shared a detailed timeline about changing archaeological practices, mummification, and the impact of context in a museum exhibit.

Students have been working on compiling all their research from the first two milestones into a research paper. After a first draft, teacher conferences, and initial revisions, they participated in a feedback routine called “Big Paper” with the help of David, Emily, and Kim. The 6th graders did a great job providing constructive feedback, glows, and questions to improve each other’s work.

In the final two milestones, students will learn how ancient and modern public art help individuals express their opinions and share their own answers to the driving question with the community. The sixth graders will showcase their work in this project at CLAS on November 22. We hope to see you there! 

#SaklanPBL

Gelatin Printing

Middle school artists are currently stretching their reflection skills through learning the artform of “gelli-printing.” Gelatin printing is a form of printmaking that uses a flexible, reusable surface to create layered, textured images. Although the process is quite simple when practiced, the many variables of printmaking, such as applying the appropriate amount of ink, rolling it smoothly without creating lines or drying out the ink, and holding and rubbing the print long enough (but not too long), can be challenging to master. To help with this process, students keep a daily log in which they set a goal and then reflect on and record their progress. Each time they set a goal, they review practices to help them achieve it during that class period. 

As part of the unit, students are experimenting with various materials and techniques. For example, students use stencils to mask out areas and found materials, such as leaves, fabric, and string, to create layered textures.

For their final product, students will write a process statement for a single print of their choice. Soon, they will continue the unit by learning a reductive form of printmaking: linoleum block printing. 

#SaklanCreative

Music Electives

As we shared in last week’s blog, middle school students move from a general music education program to an elective program. In addition to choir, students can also choose to participate in instrumental ensemble or music production class.

Instrumental Ensemble

Ensemble musicians start each Tuesday with sight-reading, sharpening their ability to interpret music on the spot. On Thursdays, they listen to and analyze diverse music examples to broaden their musical understanding. The Ensemble also meets every other Friday for small group sectionals, where students focus on specific parts of their repertoire and work on music production projects.

Currently, they are practicing three pieces: The Blue Rock, C-Jam Blues (which explores jazz improvisation), and Twist and Shout. Occasionally, they add variety by playing together with boom whackers and drums, making rehearsals fun and dynamic. This routine helps students build technical skills, collaboration, and creativity in their ensemble playing.

Music Production Class

We began the year in music production class with students becoming familiar with the Soundtrap software, an online platform that allows them to create and edit music collaboratively. With Soundtrap, students can record and mix tracks using a wide variety of built-in instruments, loops, and effects and import their own sounds. Soundtrap also has collaborative tools that allow multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously, much like a Google Doc for music production. It is an excellent starting point for beginners in music production.

Their first few projects include a 3-track composition, a project with a recording of their own voice or instrument, and a challenge of creating digital music to accompany a silent video. Through these hands-on experiences, they learn the technical aspects of music production, such as track layering, sound balancing, and editing effects, while developing their creative expression. In addition to these technical skills, students have been focusing on giving and receiving feedback productively and collaboratively. This process sharpens their musical abilities and fosters communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Middle School Student Musicians

In middle school, student musicians move from a general music education program to an elective program. While all students still partake in the music program, they have a choice in their class each of the three years. This year, middle school musicians chose between choir, ensemble, and production. In choir, students focus on developing as singers; in ensemble, the focus is on developing as instrumentalists. Production allows students to develop skills in digital music production. All middle school students will be represented in the All-School Concert in March and will participate in the Middle School Musical in the spring.

In Choir, middle school students have been diving into the world of musical theater by exploring a variety of lively numbers. They’ve worked on “Good Morning” and “Moses Supposes” from Singing in the Rain, allowing students to embody different characters while singing. Students have also practiced “Little Shop of Horrors” in three-part harmony, working on blending their voices and mastering timing in this upbeat, fun piece. Also, they’ve explored “Happiness” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and “Green Eggs and Ham” from Seussical, both challenging students with dynamic vocal ranges and expressive storytelling.

Mondays in Choir are “Music Theory Mondays,” where students practice reading rhythms and melodies, building their foundational skills in music notation. This structured focus on theory helps students become more confident in sight-reading and understanding the technical aspects of the music they perform. Through these activities, students develop their vocal technique and ability to engage with different characters and emotions.

Stay tuned to see what students have been learning in the ensemble and music production classes!

Democracy at Saklan

This year’s Student Council election reminded us all that democracy is alive and well here at Saklan. Nineteen Middle School students submitted their candidacies for six Student Council offices, and the race was on! Voting took place on October 4th at the end of a vigorous and exciting campaign. 

Earning a seat as a Student Council officer involves more than simply winning the popular vote. Each candidate had to submit a Letter of Intent, make a campaign poster, sit for an interview conducted by Jennifer Lettieri and Kim Parks, and share slogans and stickers with the Lower School students during lunch recess.

The culmination of their campaign was their speech at CLAS before balloting took place in grades 1 through 8. Candidates were awarded points for timeliness and quality when carrying out each of these tasks, and the candidates with the most points were the winners.

Lower School Student Council representatives were selected by their classmates and respective homeroom teachers in grades 1-5. 

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Student Council members!

Middle School Officers

  • President – Jack D
  • Vice President – Maya
  • Activities Co-Chairs – Aliya and Kai
  • Treasurer – Skyler
  • Publicity Co-Chair – Haley and Mae
  • Secretary – Corinne

Lower School Representatives

  • Grade 1 – Nico and Finn
  • Grade 2 – Isla and Maddie
  • Grade 3 – Leo, Miranda, William
  • Grade 4 – Leila and Adora
  • Grade 5 – Makena and Carson

#SaklanCourage #SaklanLeadership

Building Community With Ewe Music

Thursdays at The Saklan School sound different thanks to African Drumming classes. Learn more about the classes and instructor in the post below, written by guest blogger and Saklan African Drumming Teacher, Isaac Narell.

Alfred and Kobla Ladzekpo came to the United States in the 1960s to teach Ewe music. The Ladzekpos came from a village in the southern Volta region of Ghana called Anyako, an Ewe village. Ewe is one of over 20 languages spoken in Ghana. Ewe music is divided into styles. Each Style has songs (for singing), drum patterns and dance steps. The singing, drumming and dancing together form the musical style.

Alfred Ladzekpo taught at the California Institute of the Arts (Calarts) for over 40 years, and I was fortunate to study with him from 2002-2006. He became my mentor and my friend.

Alfred’s main goal with his students at Calarts was to show them how to be an effective musician in his style of music. Ewe music is an oral tradition. Musicians coming from different backgrounds begin a new process of learning through listening. Alfred reveled in every opportunity he had to lecture his students on the importance of listening. Despite the simplicity of the message, every student who embraced this concept came away from Alfred’s class as an improved musician.

As a young musician, my fascination with Ewe music was sparked by my admiration of its construction. Ewe music weaves a complex counterpoint through all of its elements that rival the greatest art forms of humanity. I was enamored with the sophistication of the drumming patterns and the ability of musicians to dialogue through musical language. The lead drummer directs the ensemble into new dance moves, drumming patterns, or songs, by playing a call on the drum. Everyone has to listen or they might miss the call!

This felt like a secret language and my friends and I were hooked. We took every opportunity to learn from Alfred and eventually, we were helping him teach his classes and performing in his professional ensemble at schools and community events. Later in life, I found another beautiful side to the art form.

The main function of music in Ewe culture is to promote community. People gather in social groups for musical performances. These groups perform at funerals and weddings and are the backbone of both religious and secular events. This is extremely valuable in our recent culture fueled by social media. People crave interaction and Ewe music is a world-class option for community building.

I teach Ewe music as a celebration of West African brilliance. Through honoring and respecting Ewe culture I have found that we can bring value to our school not only through the acute development of musicianship but through the strengthening of our community.

#SakalanCommunity #SaklanArts

Egypt + Humanities

Written by Guest Blogger & Saklan Project Curriculum Instructional Coach and 6th grade Humanities Teacher, Linda Lathrop

If you read the blog post from Saklan Science Specialist, Vickie Obenchain, on September 13th, or followed along with our adventures via Instagram, you know a bit about our 2 weeks exploring Egypt with the help of an excellent Egyptologist. The goal of our trip was to soak in as much information as possible and bring our experiences back to enrich classroom curriculum. 

Back at Saklan it was a pleasure watching the 8th graders apply knowledge from our hot air balloon trip over Luxor to their hot air balloon experiments in science. I know Vickie is looking forward to sharing all about camel adaptations with the 2nd graders during their animal adaptations PBL unit, and I even recently shared with 7th grade a presentation on the Library of Alexandria as part of their Community Spaces PBL unit too!

However, I can’t help but be most excited about how our trip informs the 6th grade humanities PBL unit: Artifact or Art Opinion. 

In this unit we explore the driving question, “Who does art really belong to?” To kick off our unit we imagine ourselves at the Met Gala of 2018. Believe it or not, a viral photo from that event helped uncover that the Met paid nearly $4 million dollars for a looted Egyptian artifact- the golden coffin of a high priest named Nedjemankh. 

In sixth grade over the next 7 weeks we will dive into researching specific Egyptian artifacts held outside of Egypt, explore the arguments for and against repatriation of artifacts, and learn directly from archaeologists and museum experts. In the end students will have developed arguments for how they believe the driving question is best answered- stay tuned! 

Thanks to our incredible summer experience in Egypt, this year students will get to expand upon the resources I have used in previous iterations of this PBL unit. I’ll be able to share my photos of ancient temples and tombs that speak directly to their classroom research, as well as video clips with mini lectures from our Egyptologist, to enrich the PBL experience. 

One additional highlight of the trip was visiting an after school program called the Funtasia Project in Luxor. A handful of these programs exist around the world and are designed to engage students in project work after school. This particular site in Luxor also collaborates with local schools and teachers to extend project learning into the academic day. We met with the leaders of the organization, as well as some students who took us on a bike tour through the neighborhood and later shared about the impact the program has had on their lives and educational experience. It was fascinating to learn that across an ocean and thousands of miles, there are students working to build their collaboration, communication, and complex thinking skills through project work, just like we are doing here at Saklan. 

It is hard to put into words all the ways witnessing these incredible historic sites has impacted what we can bring back to Saklan students. I remain humbled by the opportunity to attend this professional development trip and look forward to continued opportunities to weave our learning into Saklan units. 

Saklan Projects!

To learn more about project work at Saklan please join us for Saklan Projects! on Tuesday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. This virtual presentation is for current and prospective families! During the event you will hear more about how teachers design projects to address learning goals and maintain academic rigor while providing immersive, joyful learning experiences for your children. RSVP today to receive the event link!

#SaklanPBL

Catching Up with Coach Rob

Rob Hood, or Coach as the students call him, is Saklan’s Head of Sports and Wellness. He can often be seen sharing high-fives with students and staff as he walks through campus towards the sports court. Reflecting on the first few weeks of school, Rob shared his approach to fitness, health and wellness.

At the start of our first unit, Fitness & Health, the 6th–8th graders took charge of creating a vision board that explored what Physical Education means, as well as the key components of fitness, health, and wellness. Together, we brainstormed ideas, with students identifying how different aspects of well-being connect to each component. This collaborative effort allowed us to design a holistic vision of wellness. I later shared this learning with the lower school students.

Following our vision board activity, we approached some of the P.E. components with a week of fitness testing. Students had the option to participate in a few exercises to test strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility, assess their current fitness state, and set goals for the future. In addition to longer-term goals, I ask students to assess themselves daily to encourage more mindfulness and reflection related to their overall health and well-being. 

In my physical education classes, students are encouraged to be safe and respectful, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and resolve conflicts constructively, as shown in the community agreements below.

In our first few weeks, we’ve started exploring Physical Education as more than just playing games. It’s an approach to improving our health—physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially—while also helping students build essential life skills for healthy and happy lifestyles.

Got Sneakers?

Sixth-grade students will learn about human environmental impact and how they can help in science this year. As part of their learning, they will participate in service learning, an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service to provide learning opportunities that help tackle real-world problems in their community.

The sixth grade has partnered with GotSneakers, an organization that helps keep sneakers out of landfills by recycling or reusing them. Each pair donated can earn their class money, which they will use to help with species conservation. Examples of how they may use the funds include:

  • Donations to wildlife centers 
  • Symbolic species adoptions
  • Materials to build bird boxes

Please help the sixth graders by donating any size sneakers you no longer want.

Starting next week, a bin will be placed in the breezeway during the first week of every month. Please place your unwanted pair of sneakers in the box during that time. Any size and brand of sneakers are welcome. But, sneaker-style shoes only, please!

#SaklanServiceLearning

Small Efforts Make a Big Difference

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, the eighth-grade students volunteered at the Alameda County Food Bank, beginning their visit with an informative session about the facility’s operations. They learned how the food bank sources food to supply hundreds of partner organizations across the community. Unlike many food banks, this one does not directly serve individual families but instead allocates approximately $1.5 million annually to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, rice, and other nutritious foods for distribution.

The students participated in two hands-on activities at the food bank: assembling around 500 cardboard boxes and bagging apples for future distribution. With the food bank largely relying on volunteers, their contributions were especially impactful, reinforcing how even small efforts can make a big difference in supporting the community.

#SaklanCompassionate