Second Graders Launch “Welcome to Saklan!”

Second graders have kicked off an exciting new Project Based Learning (PBL) unit called “Welcome to Saklan!” Over the coming weeks, students will work together to create a newcomer’s guide that highlights important places and people in the Saklan community. The finished guide will serve as a warm welcome for new students and families, helping them feel at home from the very beginning.

As part of the project, students are learning about maps—how they are used, the symbols they contain, and the language associated with giving directions. Each student will choose a special place on campus to feature, create an illustration of it, and write a short description for the guide. Together, these pieces will be combined into a collaborative map of the Saklan campus.

To spark their curiosity, the second graders explored a variety of maps. With notebooks in hand, they made observations and took notes about what they noticed. Next, they practiced using directional words to describe hidden objects, saying things like “between my desk and your desk” or “next to a bookshelf and under a clock.” Using a compass, they also discovered which sides of their classroom face north, south, east, and west.

The unit isn’t only about geography—it’s also about empathy. Students spent time discussing what it feels like to be new somewhere and brainstormed ways they can support others who are new to Saklan. Their thoughtful ideas and excitement show that this project will not only build academic skills but also strengthen their sense of community and compassion.

#SaklanPBL #SaklanSEL

Adventures in the Redwoods

Last Friday, Saklan’s sixth graders returned from an unforgettable week at Westminster Woods, an environmental education and character development program nestled within 200 acres of redwood forest in Sonoma County.

Over the course of five days, students immersed themselves in both the natural world and in experiences that challenged them to grow as individuals and as a community. They explored the delicate ecosystems around them—hiking through towering redwoods, scouring Dutch Bill Creek for signs of life, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the interconnection of nature.

Beyond the science and discovery, the trip was also about personal growth. Students tackled team-building challenges, discovered new strengths, and learned the power of relying on one another. The adventures at Westminster Woods encouraged perseverance, cooperation, and courage—skills that will support them throughout middle school and beyond.

The lessons learned during this trip will stay with students for years to come, serving as a foundation for continued growth, resilience, and a lasting connection to the natural world.

Raising Healthy Eaters Without the Stress

Join us at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 30, for a live ParentEd Talk with Jennifer Anderson, registered dietitian and founder of Kids Eat in Color. Jennifer will help you cut through the noise to find what works for your family. With her food-freedom approach — trusted by more than 2 million parents — you’ll discover feeding wins, practical tricks for every age, how to spot unreliable nutrition advice, and tools to help kids build healthy relationships with food and their bodies. 

Register here for the Zoom webinar using promo code SAKSCHL to attend for free (a $10 value). You’ll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere.

About Jennifer Anderson

Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN, is a registered dietitian, public health expert, and mom of two who’s on a mission to make mealtime less stressful for families. She’s the founder of Kids Eat in Color, a go-to resource with a social media following of over 2 million parents. 

With a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Jennifer brings professional expertise — plus a healthy dose of real-life experience — to the table. Before launching Kids Eat in Color, she ran youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in urban food deserts and consulted for the USDA’s SNAP-Ed program.

About ParentEd Talks

The Saklan School is excited to partner with ParentMap to offer our school community FREE access to ParentEd Talks for the 2025–2026 school year. This dynamic series of parent education webinars explores the most pressing issues parents face today, such as declining youth mental health, complexities of ADHD, and the hidden impacts of technology.

#SaklanParentEd

Hoot Owls Practice Kindness

The Hoot Owls have been exploring the many ways we can show kindness to one another. Their journey began with the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud, illustrated by David Messing. In the story, everyone carries an invisible bucket that fills when others show kindness and is dipped into when unkind things occur. After reading, the Pre-K students brainstormed ways to be bucket-fillers.

The class then built their own “bucket” to use every day. Whenever teachers notice an act of kindness—or a child shares that someone filled their bucket—they write a note and place it inside. Once the bucket is full, the class will celebrate by reading the notes together.

Another favorite kindness activity was making friendship bracelets. Each child chose a classmate and designed a bracelet just for them, sometimes incorporating favorite colors or even spelling out their friend’s name in beads.

These thoughtful lessons have carried over into daily life. During PE, for example, the Hoot Owls spontaneously began cheering for one another when it was their classmates’ turn to bat. The smiles on their faces showed just how much these conversations about kindness, belonging, and encouragement are already making a difference.

#SaklanSEL #SaklanBelonging

8th Graders Explore Gas Laws

The eighth-grade science journey is off to an exciting start! Students have been diving into matter and gas laws, using almost daily labs to see how scientific theory connects to the real world.

Their investigations have taken many creative forms: floating boats to explore Archimedes’ Principle and buoyancy, inflating Bernoulli balloons to watch low pressure create lift, and building hydraulic arms to understand Pascal’s Law in action. Using bell jars, they examined the effects of air pressure and Boyle’s Law, and to top it all off, they launched hot air balloons—bringing thermal expansion, Charles’ Law, and Bernoulli’s Principle to life before their eyes.

These engaging experiments have sparked genuine curiosity and inspired thoughtful discussion. As the students link hands-on experiences to scientific concepts they encounter in everyday life, they are laying the groundwork for a year (and life) filled with discovery, exploration, and enthusiasm for science.

#SaklanScience

Fourth Graders Embrace Struggle

Recently, the fourth-grade class has been exploring an important idea: struggle is part of learning. Together, they have been reflecting on the tools that help them persevere through challenges, grow comfortable making mistakes, and have an open mindset.

To launch this work, students were introduced to research studies showing that when learners engage with challenging problems, their brains form new neural pathways that actually make them smarter. In other words, mistakes are not setbacks—they are opportunities for growth. With this perspective, the fourth graders are approaching all areas of learning—math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and project-based units—with a spirit of risk-taking, resilience, and perseverance.

Building a Model of the Earth
One project where students put this mindset into practice was their Earth model study. They began by learning about the layers of the Earth, then moved on to studying the Earth’s surface and the seven continents. To accurately place the continents, they used the prime meridian and the equator as guides and practiced understanding how longitude and latitude form a coordinate system for locating places on Earth.

The process required many rounds of practice. Students free-drew the continents several times before transferring them onto their final models. While the task was challenging, it provided meaningful opportunities to practice perseverance and open mindset thinking in a real and tangible way. The final models reflect both effort and growth, and the class celebrated the learning journey just as much as the finished products.

As the year continues, the fourth graders will keep building not only their academic skills, but also their confidence, resilience, and ability to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.

#SaklanSEL

Fall Festival Fun

Get ready for an afternoon of family fun! The Saklan Parent Association is thrilled to welcome you to our annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 28th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Hacienda de las Flores.

This year, we’re bringing back all the fun you love, including face painting, fall crafts, and the always-entertaining whipped cream pie challenge. To make this year even better, we’re serving up a complete taco feast for everyone to enjoy. Plus, you can strike a pose in our photo booth and enjoy some great live music while you eat. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the start of fall with your friends and community.

#SaklanCommunity

Bunnies, Soup & Pet Food

Does your family purchase Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Progresso soups, or Blue Buffalo pet food? If so, you can turn those purchases (and more) into money for Saklan through the Box Tops for Education program. Box Tops for Education is a quick and easy way to support Saklan!

Wondering how it works? All you have to do is buy participating products and use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt. The app identifies the 350+ eligible products, and earnings are credited to your designated school. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your digital or email receipt with the Box Tops app.

Use this link to download the Box Tops app and get started scanning today!

A Redwood Play Area – Designed for Explorers

At Saklan, we know that play is more than just fun — it’s where children test their limits, use their imaginations, and connect with each other. This year, we’re taking a big step forward in making our campus play spaces as inspiring as the learning that happens here every day.

With the help of Bay Area landscape architect Ron Lutsko, we are transforming our redwood grove into a natural play area designed for creativity and adventure. While we are still in the early phases of the design process, below are some of the elements we are considering.

  • Tree platforms that give the feel of small “treehouses”
  • Raised plank walks that wind between the trees
  • Log steppers and climbing features to challenge balance and coordination
  • A chalkboard tucked into the grove for drawing, writing, or group games

The design makes use of the existing redwoods, while adding new ones to create a Redwood Grove.  The design intends to weave new and natural play elements into the beauty of the grove. Children will be able to climb, balance, imagine, and create — all while being surrounded by nature.

This project is only possible because of our community’s generosity. At our 70th Anniversary Auction, Saklan families and friends raised over $115,000 through the Fund-A-Need. That collective gift is helping us reimagine what play can look like at Saklan.

The design is still evolving, and we’ll continue to gather feedback as we move forward. Our plan is to break ground later this year and open the new play area in the spring. When it opens, it will be more than just a playground — it will be a space where children can take risks, solve problems, and dream big. A place that feels both adventurous and nurturing, where Saklan students can grow together under the trees.

#HeadsCorner

Sixth Graders Step Up for the Planet

This year, Saklan’s sixth-grade scientists are diving into the topic of human environmental impact—and more importantly, how they can help make a difference. As part of their learning, students will participate in service learning, an educational approach that combines classroom lessons with meaningful community service to address real-world problems.

To put their learning into action, the sixth graders have partnered with GotSneakers, an organization dedicated to keeping sneakers out of landfills by recycling or reusing them. Each pair of donated sneakers not only helps the environment but also earns the class funds that they will direct toward species conservation.

Students will decide how best to use the money they raise, with options including:

  • Donations to wildlife centers
  • Symbolic species adoptions

How You Can Help

Starting next week, a donation bin will be available in the breezeway during the last two weeks of every month. Simply drop your sneakers in the bin and know you’re helping both the planet and our students’ conservation efforts.

The sixth graders invite the entire Saklan community to get involved! Please consider donating any sneakers you no longer want—any size, any brand, all year long. Sneaker-style shoes only, please!

Together, we can help our sixth graders take meaningful steps toward a healthier planet!

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanServiceLearning