David Hockney and Stuart Davis Inspired Art

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Using torn construction paper, the 7th and 8th grade assembles a David Hockney or a Stuart Davis painting. The project is tedious and requires a lot of patience.

As the students continue, they begin to see the benefit of the effort they have exercised in the project. Without using any paint, the project has a painterly expression thru the physical action of tearing and layering of the colored papers.

Endothermic And Exothermic Reactions

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This week the students in 8th grade were learning about endothermic and exothermic reactions; reactions that take in heat or give off heat.

To do this, the students worked with a few different chemicals which had instant and some unexpected reactions. From creating instant ice packs, to making colorful hot foam protruding sculptures, the students could quickly feel a reaction taking place.

Endangered Species Reports

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On Wednesday, the Third Graders presented their Endangered Species reports. To prepare for the presentation, they wrote a 7 page report about an endangered animal of their choice.

They created posters to help teach others how they can make a difference to keep these animals from going extinct. They worked very hard on their reports and they gave wonderful presentations!

Cielito Lindo

Third Grade Spanish has been practicing the popular song “Cielito Lindo” that they sang at Flag this morning. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

“Cielito lindo” is a popular Mexican song from a Spanish copla, popularized in 1882 by Mexican author Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1859–1957). It is roughly translated as “Lovely Sweet One.” Although the word cielo means “sky” or “heaven,” it is also a term of endearment comparable to sweetheart or honey. Cielito, the diminutive, can be translated as “sweetie;” lindo means “cute,” “lovely” or “pretty.” Sometimes the song is known by words from the refrain, “Canta y no llores” or simply the “Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay song.

Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish as well as in English and other languages. It is debated if the song talks about the Sierra Morena, a mountain range in the south region of Spain, or the similarly named Sierra Morones in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. It has become a non-official symbol of Mexico, especially in Mexican expatriate communities around the world, or for Mexicans attending international events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup.

It has been sung by a plethora of artists, such as Tito Guizar, Pedro Infante, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Eartha Kitt, and Ana Gabriel. It was part of the iconic Mexican movie “Los Tres Garcia.”

Kindergartners Visit Fire Station

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Kindergarten had lots of fun last Monday when they went to the Moraga Fire Station. They learnt all about what the firefighters do, how they train, and how they all live together.

Saklan’s Holiday Toy Drive

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The Saklan Student Council is sponsoring a Holiday Toy Drive to benefit children who live in the Iron Triangle in Richmond, California. These children range in ages of 5-15. We are asking that Saklan families donate unwrapped new toys between the dates of December 5-14, 2016. Please bring these unwrapped toys to your child’s classroom. After school on December 14, the Saklan Student Council will collect all toys from each classroom and wrap them.  Gina Baker, a Saklan parent and Board Trustee, will deliver the toys to the Iron Triangle Neighborhood Council. Since we do not want to collect too many toys for one age group, we are asking the following:

Owlets and Hoot Owls: Donate new unwrapped toys for children ages 4-5

Kindergarten-Fifth grade: Donate new unwrapped toys for children ages 6-11

Sixth-Eighth Grade: Donate new unwrapped toys for teens ages 12-15

Thank you in advance for being generous and helping to provide a wonderful holiday experience for a few children!

Building Our Future Together

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Thank you to so many of you who have donated or pledged to our Annual Giving Fund campaign so far. We have raised $50,000 to date! Together, our gifts support and build on the exceptional learning our students experience here at The Saklan School.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sending out more information about how you can support our students and teachers. Until then, if you’re thinking about your gift now, these are the ways in which you can let us know of your plans:

  • You may donate online at https://saklan.ejoinme.org/donate , mail in or drop off a check, give monthly, or make a stock transfer.
  • You can also pledge now and pay in full anytime before April 1, 2017.
  • If your company matches, let us know, so you can double the impact of your gift.
  • If you have questions or would like to speak confidentially about your gift, please contact Carol Goldman, Director of Development, at development@saklan.org

Your gifts are important and needed to help us reach our ultimate goal of $150,000. Thank you very much!

Head’s Corner

Dear Saklan Community,

Today I had the pleasure of watching Saklan’s Fall Follies. This is a fantastic and fun event, and like every year, I was astounded by the students’ performances. Their singing, acting and performing was remarkable for their age, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Many of our students are truly in their element when on stage. It is impressive how each and every student was willing to take risks with their performance and showed their inner courage. I commend the students on their excellent performances and the audience on being supportive and compassionate. Mr. Prestianni has done another outstanding job organizing the show, auditioning the performers, and putting together the program. Hats off to Mr. P for putting together this stellar event for yet another year and providing our students with such an amazing learning opportunity.

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Thanksgiving is on our doorsteps and this is naturally a time for gratitude. I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful community that is our school and to the creative, courageous, and compassionate teachers, staff, parents and students that share and work towards our common goals. Please take a moment and think about what Saklan is doing for your children and, if you have not already done so, support our Annual Giving Fund.

Today we officially launch our new website.  Emoke Veres, our Communications Manager, and a team of staff, teachers and parents, have been busy during the last few months designing and putting together the website. Many thanks for all of the wonderful work and creative ideas that have gone into making this an effective and attractive tool for showcasing our school.  Click on www.saklan.org and have a look around.

Today is the last day of the first trimester and report cards for K-8 students will be sent home on the Friday after we return from the Thanksgiving break. Report cards are used to validate the growth and progress that each student has made on their educational journey. I encourage all parents to both celebrate the accomplishments that your children have made and reflect upon goals for the next trimester. This will also be a good time to plan to connect with teachers, to discuss any concerns or questions that may have come up as a result of the report cards. All K-8 reports will be mailed home.

Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday, and thank you for being a wonderful and supportive community!!!

Peter