At Saklan, November is all about being dependable! This month, the family group activity included watching a video the eighth graders created to show students what it means to be dependable. After watching the video, kindergarten through seventh grade students brainstormed ways they can be dependable. Each student then wrote about one way they will work to be more dependable on a festive pumpkin, turkey, or leaf paper. The papers were all collected and used to create family group wreaths. Check out the wreaths below!
This week, first and second grade classes took the first field experiences of the school year to the Moraga Garden Farm. Field experiences are valuable learning opportunities typically central to education at Saklan. Since March, Saklan has postponed this time-proven ritual, but that did not hamper the kids’ enthusiasm and curiosity while off campus.
The farmers were busy winterizing the farm, and the children saw the community members hard at work. They discussed the many benefits of community farms, such as health and wellbeing, land conservation, shared knowledge, human connection, volunteerism, and being close to the food process. They learned about other types of community gardens worldwide, such as multigenerational allotment gardens in the UK/Europe, market gardens in developing nations, urban gardens and school gardens.
Most trips to the Farm happen during primary growing seasons of late spring and summer, but there was no shortage of exploration and investigation in the winterized version. Students got their hands dirty in the fertile soil while searching for evidence of decomposition and composting. They walked in large composting bins showcasing several stages of organic soil generation. Saklan students learned how organic farming methods can avoid chemicals ending up in the food. Fortunately, the field experience timing was perfect to see the cover crop that had just been planted – fava beans. Fava plants input nitrogen where summer vegetables have depleted the soil, as well as provide weed control, safe harbor for beneficial biodiversity, and reduction in rain erosion.
Lastly, a trip to the Moraga Garden Farm is not complete without a visit with the chickens. Students were extremely curiuos to see chickens during molting season, where old feathers are replaced by new feathers to prepare for winter. This experience was best summed up by a second-grader saying, “you can really see how chickens descended from dinosaurs and maybe aliens too!”
The eighth graders have been learning about the periodic table. From researching what all the symbols mean, to understanding what the atomic number and atomic mass tell us about each element, the students are quite knowledgable about the massive amount of information the periodic table has to offer.
As part of their periodic table study, each eighth graders picked one element they wanted to research and learn more about. The students then designed t-shirt to showcase their element of choice and the information they learned. The eighth graders then modeled their element t-shirts for their classmates. Click below to see our eighth graders showcasing their periodic table research, art and modeling talents!
After hearing the story I Voted, by Mark Shulman, and learning about the U.S. presidential election from Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out magazine, the Kindergarten students took part in their own election. With a voting booth, a ballot, a ballot box, and an “I Voted” sticker, the children decided which animal the president should have in the White House, a dog or a cat. With an overwhelming majority, the children voted for a cat! There were a few tears of disappointment, but overall the Kindergarteners were excited to be part of the election process.
The Hoot Owls practiced their early science and math skills by estimating how many seeds were inside a large pumpkin. Their guesses ranged from 4 to 100,000! After determining their estimates, the Hoot Owls needed to collect data, so it was time to start scooping out the insides of the pumpkin. While not all students participated in the messy job of getting the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin, all the Hoot Owls helped in the data collection by counting out at least 10 pumpkin seeds into muffin tins.
Once all the seeds were sorted by tens, the class worked together to count by tens all the way to 367! After all the seeds were counted, Ms. Traci roasted the pumpkin seeds, which the Hoot Owls enjoyed tasting during their Halloween celebration.
The first graders have been learning about outer space. They practiced their informational writing skills by creating pop-up books with facts about the planets. The students also created books filled with facts about the sun, moon and stars.
After learning about stars, the first graders had fun using their imaginations and creativity to create their own constellations. Examples of constellations they created include a unicorn, pyramid, sunset, and a mask. The first graders shared their constellations and practiced their public speaking skills by presenting the facts and stories behind their individual constellations to their classmates. Additionally, the first graders enjoyed learning a star song:
Star light, star bright.
Constellations, what a sight!
The song was a fun way to wrap up their outer space unit.
In Math class, the 6th graders learned about the Yuki base-8 counting system. As part of the unit, Mr. Zippin asked the students to invent a new counting system that is greater than base-10. The sixth graders were reminded to research historical counting systems for ideas and given the option to make up imaginary civilizations. Here are some examples of what they came up with- great work, 6th graders!
A big thank you to the Parent Association for buying every Saklan student a pumpkin for the Halloween holiday! Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade worked on decorating their pumpkins during art class. Ms. Natalie reminded the students of the dotted artwork of Yayoi Kusama, whose detailed painted pumpkins fit right in with the Halloween spirit. Even with a limited color palette, the students were able to paint unique creations!
Before getting to decorate their pumpkins, the Pre-K students first had to find them! The students went on a pumpkin hunt to find a pumpkin with their name on it. The students enjoyed scouring the early childhood playground in search of their pumpkins!
Once they found their pumpkins, the Pre-K students enjoyed expressing their creativity, by using sharpies to decorate them. They were very excited to get to take their pumpkins home and share them with their families.
This morning, the Saklan students were very excited to don their Halloween costumes and participate in our Costume Parade! The parade route took the students along the trail to the Holy Trinity parking lot, where parents were in their cars for the drive-in event. The students and teachers paraded through the parking lot, waving as parents cheered and took pictures from their cars, with Halloween music playing in the background. A few middle school students emceed the event and set up a laptop so that students at home could be part of the fun over Zoom.
Thank you to all the parents that joined us and cheered the students on. The students enjoyed waving to you and spotting their parents in the crowd! Additional thanks go to Makenna, Ryan and Levi for setting up the Zoom, providing commentary and cheering on the younger students.
On Tuesday, there was no school for middle school students as their teachers prepared for in-person learning, so nine of the eighth graders and some of their parents volunteered for an organization called Pledge to Humanity. Pledge to Humanity works to “inspire youth to become compassionate change makers,” by pairing young volunteers with organizations that improve the quality of life for others in need through both local and global initiatives.
Pledge to Humanity partnered the eighth graders with Kids Against Hunger. The student and parent volunteers met at the Kids Against Hunger warehouse in Pleasanton, where they spent 90 minutes making nutritionally dense meals for families all around the globe. The staff at Kids Against Hunger taught the volunteers how to make the meals, their nutritional content and their impact to the families that receive them.
A big thank you to Saklan parent, Heather Chaput, for organizing this wonderful volunteer opportunity. The students enjoyed the opportunity to act compassionately by helping to feed hungry families around the world.
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