The Hoot Owls had a very special visit from a real scientist, Sarah Shaffer of Sarah’s Science who is Carson’s grandmother! Carson picked out a super fun “experiment” for his grandmother to share with the class.
The Hoot Owls wired their own battery powered spinners! They connected all the wires by themselves and had a blast turning the spinners on and off. They watched as two colors blurred together to create a new color while the device was turned on. Carson also showed us how to make art by drawing on blank paper while it was spinning. Thanks, Carson for sharing your super smart grandmother with us!
They would tell you about motivated 6th grade students who adopted endangered species and ran campaigns to help save each animal.
They would brag about the creativity of each campaign and the excitement that was generated.
They would entertain you with stories about the passionate and committed work on the part of Ms. O.
They would excitedly share with you how they were expecting just loose change to be dropped in their openings but found themselves stuffed with dollar bills (sometimes tens and twenties).
They would smile as they told you about the look on a Kindergartners face when she gave equal amounts to each bucket, and her parent proudly looked on.
They would amaze you with the trust that was present, as money sat out on the table (literally) for days, and no one disturbed it.
They would lecture you that a culture built on creativity, compassion and courage is not easily built and is even harder to keep.
And lastly, they would remind you how lucky we are…..
The Hoot Owls visited Crab Cove in Alameda last week! Even though the tides were too high for tide pooling, there was still a ton to learn and see. First the naturalist, Suzy, showed the Hoot Owls an aerial map of the Bay Area pointing out Moraga. She talked about how fresh water mixes with salt water in the Bay. Next, they headed inside to view a life-sized diorama of the Bay above and below the water. They learned about many different sea creatures and sea birds. This was a nice time when the Hoot Owls could share many things they already knew about sea creatures with each other and the naturalist. Some friends even got to try on crab costumes!
The Hoot Owls learned how to tell the difference between a female and male crab. Next, they headed to the beach for some hands-on exploration. The naturalist pointed out many different types of seaweed including something called mermaid’s hair. The Hoot Owls also discovered some tiny sea snails called bubble snails. The highlight of the walk on the beach was finding a real crab shell! The children also helped clean up the beach by collecting any trash they came across. Last but not least, the Hoot Owls observed some exciting living sea creatures in the visitor center. Some favorites were the large crabs and small shark! The Hoot Owls loved exploring, getting dirty and helping the Earth!
Storytelling is a vital part of the human condition. It is how we know our history, and how we learn from that history; how we begin to connect with others, and how we start to create a world that could be. The first stories were not written, they were told and shown; chanted and sung. Theater takes us back to the very roots of our evolution as humans, and allows us to be a part of great stories that have shaped our world.
Saklan’s Middle School students have been exploring those concepts by creating a production of West Side Story-School Edition. They began with self-identification exercises, and then connected the mental portraits of themselves to the characters in the play. They auditioned and were assigned roles, and began the process of telling this beautiful story.
West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and takes place in New York City in the 1950’s. The themes of this show tie in with the 8th grade Humanities curriculum, and involve Immigration and race relations, as well as generational gap issues; themes that are incredibly relevant in our students world.
While creating the show, we have formed a relationship with the dance studio Joy In Motion and our Middle School students have been exploring storytelling through dance firsthand. We would like to invite you into our rehearsal process by viewing the video above. And then would like to invite you to share this story by clicking this link, which will allow you to purchase tickets.
Fifth grade students had an amazing experience during their three day two night outdoor experience. The goal of this experience is to broaden the student’s awareness of the natural world and their relationship to it through experiential learning. The students worked with a naturalist that created activities aligned with that focus.
The fifth graders participated in informative lessons, hikes and team building activities. They were able to learn about the many inhabitants that reside in the Marin Headlands and see them in their natural habitats. This included plant life, animal life, and previous human dwellers to this area.
The students also visited the Marine Mammal Center, which is an animal hospital dedicated to helping sick or injured animals. The students were able to make the connection of how water pollution affects the animals’ habitats and why it is so important to preserve the environment. It was truly an educational experience they will treasure.
Last week, the first and second grade classes were immersed in plants. Lots and lots of plants! The final stage of their garden project was to pull up the weeds and to turn the soil. Each group planted their chosen plants such as sedum, grandiflora, and pansies.
This project really stretched the children in areas such as collaboration, reasoning, persuasion, compromise, flexibility, and many more. Please stop by and appreciate the flowers they worked so hard to grow.
After all their hard work, the students walked to Loard’s Ice Cream and had some treats. They had a great time!
Last Monday the third graders went back in time to 1888 and experienced life as a pioneer child at the Tassajara OneRoomSchoolhouse. They came dressed in their finest pioneer clothes and brought their lunches in a basket or a kerchief tied to a stick.
They learned that the schoolhouse is over 130 years old and was built when Grover Cleveland was president. The students got to write on slate boards with chalk and also use a quill pen dipped in ink. Some fun recess activities included playing jump rope, walking on cans and walking on stilts. They also sang songs and played instruments popular in the 1800’s. The third graders had a great day and decided that school was fun in 1888!
Learning about the significance and lasting impression Keith Haring had in communities all around the world, the students found inspiration in his animated, whimsical, and political work. Working life size can be intimidating, so they started drawing outside using chalk. The students had no boundaries using the ground as their canvas and the energy was high and full of excitement!
Exercise two was moving the body to recreate the expressive poses Haring’s characters have. After striking many poses, the students helped trace each other to keep the drawing life size. They then stylized the hands and feet with Haring’s signature style and painted in the figure. This project will be showcased among others completed throughout the year at the Spring Arts Festival next Friday, May 3rd from 3-6PM.
The Owlets and their 6th grade buddies got together and did an Earth Day project. They worked together to create a mosaic Earth out of small pieces of paper. Then they had to come up with ideas to help keep the Earth clean and beautiful.
After they finished their projects, they got to play together on the turf. It was a lot of fun and the Owlets sure do love their big buddies!
Singing is such an important part of any school. It is a way to be loud when often we are told to be quiet, to join in with our peers and elders and those who look up to us. It is a quick way to become a community, a way to be silly, to celebrate, and to just live in the moment and create something beautiful that comes from the inside.
The pitches don’t have to be perfect, and not everyone will sound the same, but when we sing we enjoy the uniqueness of every person who joins in. At Saklan, we love to sing!
You must be logged in to post a comment.