Head’s Corner

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dear Saklan Community,

Over the break we officially moved into the Winter season and cold weather, especially in the mornings, is a feature of our Moraga micro-climate.  Coming from Berkeley every morning, I notice a significant temperature drop as I come down Moraga Way.  As such I encourage parents to make sure your children are dressed warm for school. The flu season is also upon us and reports are that this year’s strain is a bad one.  Please refrain from sending children to school if they have flu symptoms.

A question came up recently about the school’s uniform guidelines and outdoor wear.  In the interest of keeping our students warm, we have decided that there would be no restrictions on outerwear. The goal is to stay healthy and keep our students coming to school to learn. However, once in the classrooms, all students must adhere to the uniform code.   For those of you with children that have outgrown, consumed, or maybe lost items, our Parent Association’s uniform guru, Kim Manning, is offering a day-long Uniform Boutique next Friday, January 19 in front of the school. All items are free which makes it the best deal in town!

A very creative idea was given to me this morning by Debbie Budowski, mother of Max (Grade 7).  We currently use cones to delineate the area where the bus lets off in the mornings. Sometimes parents do not park there even after the bus has left.  So to let you know how things stand, if the cones are on the road it means the bus has not yet arrived.  If the cones are on the sidewalk the bus has already left.

This coming Monday will be a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King.  Our Grade 2 students have been studying MLK and at Flag this morning shared their own personal ‘I have a dream’ statements:

Max: I have a dream that everybody will get along and never ever fight.

Lilah:  I have a dream that everybody can have a good doctor.

Jordan: I have a dream that everyone can go to a good school.

Emily: I have a dream that there will not be any pollution.

Mori:  I have a dream that people won’t be mean to other people.

Kori: I have a dream that people will follow the law.

TJ: I have a dream that all people are treated equally.

Lilia: I have a dream that people will pick up trash.

Nikko: I have a dream that everybody has food to survive.

Hailey: I have a dream that people will not use guns.

Hana: I have a dream that everybody has friends.

Remember that Monday is a holiday.

Have a great long weekend!

Peter

Worm’s Eye View Snowman

Group

During our first week back from break, the third graders created Snowman pictures inspired by a book we read: “Snowmen at Night.” We made our pictures from the perspective of a “worm’s eye view” and used chalk pastels to add shading and dimension. Come by our classroom to check out their masterpieces!

Manipulatives in Math

In 7th grade pre-algebra on Wednesday morning, students had fun working with algebra tiles. This process of hands-on learning allowed them to visualize the abstract idea of a variable.  With more practice, they will discover the rules of working with variables and be able to solve increasingly difficult equations. See how fun math can be?

Reunion Recap

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Last Sunday, we hosted our ALL Saklan Alumni Reunion here on campus, bringing back alumni from the Class of 2017 to the Class of 2011 and in between.

Here’s what to know:

8 of our favorite Saklan teachers and staff greeted alumni.

54 alumni visited.

16 alumni parents joined us.

0 alumni had kids of there own.

43 alumni are in high school.

11 alumni are in college.

74 Top Dog hot dogs were eaten.

936 laughs were exchanged.

78 “Let’s do this again next year!” were joyously expressed!

Building Our Future Together

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Saklan families are asked to make a donation or pledge to the Annual Fund. These gifts ensure the continued health, success, and growth of our school.

While tuition establishes the foundation for building bright futures of our children, it does not cover the full cost of a Saklan education. A contribution to the Annual Fund benefits each and every student at Saklan, bridging “the gap” between the actual cost to educate each student and what families pay in tuition.

We encourage you to consider the impact your gift will make, to realize the value of your donation in providing an exceptional school experience for our students, and to make your gift a personally meaningful one while fully understanding the significance of our budget gap.

We have 10 more days of the active period of the Annual Giving Fund, which will end on January 22.

These are the ways you can support Saklan:

  • To donate online, please click HERE.
  • Giving by check? Please mail in or drop off at the office.
  • To pledge NOW and pay by May 15, 2018: Please email your commitment amount to development@saklan.org
  • Want to discuss your gift further? Please contact our Director of Development, Carol Goldman, at cgoldman@saklan.org

Thank you very much!

 

Summer@Saklan Pre-Registration

IMG_7222

In the last four years our Summer@Saklan Program, with a focus on learning, language and laughter, has grown by 165%.  Last year the sessions filled up very quickly and some Saklan School families were not able to get a spot. We anticipate that the demand for the program will be even greater this summer, and thus we have decided to offer you a pre-registration option so that you can lock in a place for your child before the registration opens to the public on January 16th.

The Summer@Saklan Program offers three 3-week long sessions with students divided into Mini-campers (ages 3-5) and Explorers (ages 6-11).   Costs for each session are: Mini-campers  $1100 ($800 half day), Explorers $1300 ($950 half-day).

To secure your spot before the registration opens, please fill in and return a pre-registration form together with a deposit of $100 per child by Friday, January 12th.  These forms are being sent home today with all students in PreK-Grade 5 and are also available at the school office and on Renweb.

The schedule and structure of the sessions is as follows:

Session/Dates                  Mini Campers            Explorers

S1/June 11- 29                   Spanish                         Spanish/Mandarin /Italian

S2/July 2-20                       Mandarin                      Spanish/Mandarin/French

S3/July 23-Aug.10             French                           Japanese/Italian/French

Yearbook Dedications

yearbook image

Would you like the opportunity to place special, personalized notes in Saklan’s yearbook? You may design your dedications digitally or they can be handwritten. Special pictures, drawings, and notes are all welcome. They just need to fit within the space purchased and follow the guidelines.

GUIDELINES:

  • Be sure to include who the dedication is to and from
  • If handwriting the dedication, please use BLACK INK only; a fine line marker works best
  • You can email, save on a flash drive, or if you are submitting a non-digital dedication, we will scan it for you. All submissions need to be given to Shay at the front office or via email at office@saklan.org
  • Please use high quality photos as much as possible
  • All files must be in JPEG, PNG, or TIF format at 300 dpi with a total file size of no more than 12 MB
  • Be creative and have fun!

DEADLINE:  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd   

Please submit your dedications to the school office with payment. All dedication submissions must be given to Shay or emailed to office@saklan.org.

Questions? Please contact Yette Prizeman  at yprizeman@saklan.org.

Dedication pricing :

$75.00 – Quarter (¼) page

$125.00 – Half (½) page

$250.00 – Full page (8 x 10.5)

THANK YOU!

 

 

Town Hall- Save the Date!

Please come join the Head of School, Board of Trustees, Faculty and Staff as they share relevant information about Saklan’s health and long-term goals at

SAKLAN’S ANNUAL TOWN HALL MEETING

Town Hall Meeting

Friday, January 26, 2018

9:00AM

Willow Spring Church

Head’s Corner

IMG_1167

Dear Saklan Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope you have had a restful and enjoyable time with your family and friends.   After two weeks of relaxation, it is great to be back at Saklan and start 2018 with renewed energy and enthusiasm.  Our faculty and staff started the year with a professional development day on January 2nd.  Our day was spent learning about and reviewing First Aid and CPR skills.  Maintaining a safe and healthy environment is an important part of our strategic plan at Saklan, and having every teacher and staff member trained in dealing with accidents in a competent and efficient manner is critical to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.

This year we have designated the first Friday of every moth as Saklan Spirit Day. On Spirit Day we encourage all students to wear their Saklan t-shirts and sweatshirts and show their school spirit. This morning we had a very enjoyable Flag during which our Student Council led the entire student body in practicing our school cheer.  The cheer was created for our participation in the Walnut Creek Twilight Parade and is probably the reason why this year Saklan won first place in the category of ‘Educational Institution.’  Here is how the cheers goes:

Well I don’t know but I’ve been told,

Saklan kids are good as gold!

When work gets tough, we don’t fold,

Cause we’ve got grit that makes us bold!

Gimme an s! (S)

Gimme an a! (A)

Gimme a k! (K)

Gimme an l! (L)

Gimme an a! (A)

Gimme an n! (N)

What does that spell?  SAKLAN!

Have a great weekend and cheers!!

Peter