Category: Specialists

Earth Day-April 22nd

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans for the protection of the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – 10% of the U.S. population at the time – took to the street, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

Earth Day is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event and it led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clear Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Normally, we make a whole day Earth Day at Saklan, but this year we thought we’d make it a week. Here are some ideas for your students to help celebrate this coming week:

Earth Week Activities You Can Do At Home

Save it Sunday – have your child make a sign to hang in the home or other shared space to remind people to save resources (turn off the lights, save water at the faucet)

Make it Monday – encourage your child’s engineering/artistic side, allow your student to create something that had been made from recycled materials (for example, turn a jar into a vase, create sunbutter and pine cone bird feeder, or artistically make a milk jug into an animal)

Earth day

Teach it Tuesday – have you or your students learn and then teach a friend or family member something about sustainability (for example, an idea about saving water or reducing waste)

Walk it Wednesday (Actual Earth Day) – take you and your children on a walk (even if it’s just in your backyard) and enjoy the wonders of our planet. Enjoy the beauty of your community, create a nature treasure hunt or even pick up trash in your community to help celebrate Earth Day.

Be Thankful Thursday – Even in uncertain times, the sun rises each day, our birds chirp, and we are blessed to have this amazing community. Encourage your students (and family members) to share what they are thankful for.

Farm it Friday – Spring has sprung and what better time to plant and plan for the future. Let your students put their hands in the dirt, plant some seeds or small plants, water them, and tend to their flower or vegetable filled future.

Set a new Habit Saturday – Encourage your students to make one environmental gesture a habit; maybe always using a reusable water bottle, never using a plastic straw again, riding their bike short distances instead of needing a ride, etc. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something! 

Here are some great picture books as well to get your students in the mood:

Want to hear from Scientists in the field?

National Geographic Explorer classroom lets you hear & chat with real scientists, sign up here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/explorer-classroom/sessions/#inthefield

Want a Family Movie Night? These are always a hit:

  • Our Planet
  • Disney’s Ocean
  • Wall-E
  • Planet Earth
  • Blue Planet

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Music With Mr. Isaac

Mr. Isaac has started working with students on Thursday afternoons. Our more flexible online learning schedule has created an opportunity to work with more students one-on-one. He is offering the middle schoolers individual instruction on their instruments. He has already started giving lessons to kids in the Orchestra. You can e-mail Mr. Isaac at inarell@saklan.org if you want to have a lesson and he will try to fit you in.

The Saklan after school music program on Thursdays has continued its normal schedule. 4th graders meet at 3:00 pm, the West African Drumming ensemble at 3:30 pm and individual lessons start after that. If you want to sign up for the after school music program, please email office@saklan.org.

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The Hokey Pokey

This week in PE, the students worked on their dance moves and learned the hokey pokey. Check out this instructional video created by Mr. Crabtree and start moving.

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The Act Of Art Making!

Art can change a person’s outlook and the way in which they experience the world. The act of making art has the power to heal, bring hope, create willpower, and spread positivity to one another. It is important to note that making art doesn’t start or stop in the “art room.” Right now is an absolute testament to that. Our studios as artists can be in the bedroom, backyard, or at the kitchen table. As this time is one that limits our capabilities with respect to resources, it also gives us a chance to appreciate the fundamental aspects of life, family, and community. Do consider making art with your kids to experience the emotions they have in the process. I am sure they will teach you a thing or two!

The little Saklan artists have been more than excited to share their artwork online. These videos are bringing BIG smiles to our Google Classrooms! Here are a few projects they have found joy in making and sharing this past week. Enjoy!

Kindergarten & 1st Grade – Make a Card for Someone Special

Wishing you could send a happy message and bring a smile to someone’s face right now? Students were asked to think of someone near or far that they miss. Using lines, shapes, and colors, kids created a one of a kind card for their special friend or family member. With parent help, they can send their card to that special person.

Sisters that do art together, thrive together! 1st grader Peyton and Owlet Logyn sharing what shapes and colors they used for their card.

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Eldana’s card to her friend Gabby
cameron art
Cameron’s card to his grandma

2nd Grade Picture Books

One thing that kids have stronger than most adults is their vast imagination and right now is a great time to exercise it! Students chose a subject they wanted to draw for their picture book. Each page was to have a drawing and a sentence telling a short story. In this project they are able to tell their own story right now, while illustrating those ideas in their own creative way.

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Kai sewing the spine of his book

Mabel reading her Book About Dogs

Willow reading her book Princess Panda

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Flower Dissection

On Tuesday, 7th graders had a virtual Science Lab with Miss O. The students did a flower dissection using a Stargazer Lily. They identified the different parts of the flower, learned their function, and how each part contributes to its reproduction. Check out the video above to learn more.

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#SaklanDistanceLearning

Week 2 of Distance Learning is a wrap. Here are some videos to brighten your day.

3rd graders sing Little Light of Mine during virtual Music class with Mrs. Chaffey.

The Kindergarten class is spreading love, hope and happiness with their virtual Beatles concert.

Carson (K) sings Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by The Beatles during virtual Music class.

2nd grade Art Class with Miss Natalie.

#SaklanDistanceLearning

Building For Hurricanes

The past three weeks, the 3rd graders made their way to the Science Lab to learn about our earth’s atmosphere, including how air reacts and moves, and how weather is created. After learning about air pressure, wind, clouds, precipitation, and types of weather, students had the challenge of trying to create a house that could withstand a weather pattern not experienced by most Saklan students.

This weather phenomena has quite an effect on the air pressure, wind, precipitation and clouds of the land masses it comes across; a hurricane. Each build had to be able to withstand wind, waves and precipitation. The goal was to make a waterproof house that would remain standing in the tray through the different elements.

Each design was quite different, but all successful in their own way!
#SaklanCreative

Recycled Weaving Project

Chilean born artist and educator, Indira Urrutia, visited the Art Room last week. Both the 4th and 5th grade have been introduced to weaving, but only using traditional materials like yarn or raffia. Miss Natalie thought it would be very interesting for the students to learn about the journey of an artist, how an artist is inspired, and how that translates to their own artwork. The process of weaving with thin wire has its form of challenges, but the Saklan artists persevered through those moments because they were so excited to weave! Lots of the students enjoyed working with a new material and process, not to mention some of the parent volunteers were just as excited! The 5th grade is to start an abstract wire sculpture project following this activity and the 4th grade will work with on a recycled weaving project.

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Middle School Ceramics

ms ceramics

Each color block of middle school students has been working with clay for the month of February. Learning to hand build with coils, slabs, and pinch pots is an essential part of understanding 3D artworks.

Green block has been working with the figure.  ArEach work of art has a story to tell.tists could take inspiration from Ancient Greek, African, and contemporary figurative sculpture. Next, Orange block has been working on  creative teapots. They are developing functional design while creating a one of a kind teapot. Artists made their own teacup set as well for when they test their designs. Finally, Blue Block has been working on animal sculptures. They chose an animal they love and/or want to learn more about to report on.

Figuring out how to make your artwork stand, function, keeping it hollow, and making your idea from start to finish, is a process of perseverance, problem-solving, and creativity. We are finishing up projects by glazing their artwork and firing for a second time in our kiln.

#SaklanCreative

6th Grade Ecology Unit

2020 comic

The sixth grade, as part of their Ecology Unit, have been looking at species interactions. They learned about:

  • Mutualism, where both species benefit
  • Commensalism, where one benefits and the other gets nothing
  • Neutralism, where neither species affects one another
  • Ammensalism, where one is harmed and the other gets nothing
  • Parasitism, where one species is harmed and the other benefits
  • Competition, where both species lose out

Parasitic

In order to fully understand, they had to portray these different relationships with a few partners by choosing a real example of that relationship found in nature. They then took pictures of the portrayal and then made a comic strip with them. They used their laptops to create these impressive comics! Come check out more of them in the science lab!

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