Celebrating Uniqueness in the Owlet Classroom

Over the past few weeks, the Owlets have been exploring themes of diversity, uniqueness, and the importance of celebrating what makes each of us special. Their learning journey began with The Colors of Us, a story that highlights the many different shades of skin tones. After reading, the class reflected on how each person is unique and how all of our colors are beautiful.

With this inspiration, the Owlets experimented with skin tone markers to find shades that matched their own. Using these, they created their first self-portraits of the year, carefully noticing the shapes of their features and expressing themselves with color and detail. Beyond being a creative activity, self-portraits encourage self-awareness, observation skills, and artistic expression. The class will return to self-portraits throughout the year, offering a wonderful opportunity to see how their drawings evolve as their skills and confidence grow.

In another activity with Ms. Linda, the children created All About Me handprint posters to display in the classroom. Each child chose a favorite color for their handprint and shared more about themselves by adding favorite games, toys, animals, and foods. Activities like these help children appreciate their individuality while also building community as they learn more about one another.

Victoria introduced the story A Handful of Buttons, a heartwarming book that celebrates the diversity of families. The Owlets discovered that families come in many shapes and sizes—some with just two people, others with many—and that each one is special in its own way. Afterward, the children designed their own “button families,” thoughtfully selecting buttons to represent the people who are important in their lives.

Through books, art, and hands-on activities, the Owlets are developing a deep appreciation for what makes each person unique—while also building a classroom culture rooted in belonging, empathy, and celebration.

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanBelonging

Exploring the Meaning of Democracy

To launch their mini-unit on the U.S. Constitution and government, Saklan’s 8th-grade students began with the question: What does “democracy” mean?

The class first brainstormed words and phrases they associate with democracy, identifying examples that reflect democratic principles as well as those that do not. From there, students read and discussed a series of quotes about democracy, using the perspectives of others to expand and refine their thinking.

The group then compared dictionary definitions of democracy, ultimately crafting their own collective definition. In doing so, they came to understand that democracy is both an idea and a form of government rooted in that idea.

Finally, each student created a sketch in response to the question: What image or symbol might we use to represent democracy? These drawings reflected their evolving understanding of democracy as both a guiding principle and a system of governance.

Simplifying Kids’ Nutrition Parent Ed Event

Feeding kids shouldn’t be this stressful. It’s hard enough getting a meal on the table, but today’s parenting landscape adds a flood of sensationalized nutrition advice — leaving you more overwhelmed and confused than ever.

Join ParentMap and The Saklan School on 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

Join Our Community of Experts

Project Based Learning at Saklan is intentionally designed not only to help students build content knowledge but also to encourage them to consider the authentic purpose behind what they are learning. As teachers plan and implement PBL units at Saklan, they consider how adults in the world beyond school use the content knowledge they seek to teach their students. 

To make those real-world connections clear, Saklan teachers regularly bring in guest experts—both in the classroom and out in the field.

At Saklan, an expert is anyone with specific content knowledge or experience that can support the student inquiry process. Sometimes, guest experts share their experiences with students; other times, they provide formative feedback on the projects students are creating. Last year, we engaged the help of  26 experts, and each year we look forward to adding new voices—like yours!

We’d love for you, a family member, or a friend to join us and enrich and deepen our project curriculum this year. Please complete the form below to join our Saklan expert resource list. As needs arise, teachers would love the opportunity to connect with you during projects where your experiences and knowledge can help support student inquiry and project based learning.

Guest Expert Volunteer Form

Have additional questions? Email Linda Lathrop, our Project Curriculum Instructional Coach at llathrop@saklan.org. 

  • Asian Art Museum Storyteller Docent and Saklan grandparent, Nancy Parker, sharing fairy tales with kindergarten as part of their fairytale PBL unit.
  • Biophilic design expert and Saklan parent, Lauren Owen, providing group feedback to first graders as part of their PBL unit on homes.
  • Author and artist, Marjorie Graham, and Steve Graham, Saklan grandparents, sharing the ancient interpretations of the mythology of Persephone and Demeter as part of a 6th-grade PBL unit on ancient Greece.
  • Hinduism guest speaker and Saklan parent, Manju Rajashekhar, sharing with 6th graders.
  • Japanese Buddhism guest speaker and Saklan parent, Toshi Baba sharing with 6th graders.

#SaklanPBL

My Journey to Ghana: Learning, Music, and Community

Written by Guest Blogger & Saklan Drumming Teacher, Isaac Narell

After years of teaching Ewe music, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana to deepen my understanding of the culture and traditions that inspire so much of my work with Saklan students.

The short film below chronicles my time in the village of Dzogadze, where I was hosted by the family of master musician Vodzi Torgboh. I had the privilege of studying under his cousin, Kofi, learning ancient drumming, dance, and song. The video offers a glimpse into my daily life—from intensive lessons and vibrant festivals to participating in meaningful community events. It’s a tribute to the people, music, and spirit of Dzogadze.

A special thanks to the Saklan Summer Reflection Fund for helping to make this trip possible.

The Saklan Summer Reflection Fund: Investing in Teachers, Enriching Students

In 2022, thanks to the generosity of our parent community, Saklan created the Summer Reflection Fund—a special resource that empowers teachers to design their own opportunities for professional and personal growth.

This fund (up to $2,500 per recipient) encourages faculty and staff to think outside the box and pursue experiences that deepen their teaching practice. Past recipients have attended the Annual Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City and traveled to Egypt to explore Ancient Egyptian history, art, engineering, the Sahara Desert environment, and the Nile ecosystem firsthand.

The impact of these experiences extends far beyond the summer—teachers bring new insights, inspiration, and creativity back into their classrooms, enriching the learning experience for Saklan students.

The Summer Reflection Fund is made possible through donations to the Annual Giving Fund and the Auction. We are deeply grateful to our donors for their generosity and belief in the importance of supporting our teachers.

#SaklanProfessionalDevelopment #SaklanAGF

Learning Buddies Kick Off a Year of Connection and Growth

This morning, campus was buzzing with excitement as we launched our Learning Buddy program for the year! Designed to encourage cross-grade friendships, foster responsibility and mentorship, and make learning engaging and fun, Learning Buddies are a treasured Saklan tradition.

During their first meeting, buddies took time to get to know one another before diving into some shared reading. Older students modeled strong reading behaviors—using expression, fluency, and confidence—while also listening attentively as their younger buddies proudly read aloud.

The joy was evident on both sides: older students embraced their roles as mentors, while younger students felt supported, inspired, and eager to spend more time with their new friends. By the end of the morning, many were already asking the same question: When do we get to meet with our buddies again?

We look forward to seeing these relationships blossom throughout the year as students learn, grow, and shine together.

#SaklanCommunity

Alumni Spotlight: Alessandro Prada

At Saklan, we love to see how our students and alumni take what they’ve learned here and apply it in creative, real-world ways. One shining example is Alessandro Prada, a 2022 Saklan grad, who turned his passion into a thriving small business.

Earlier this year, as a junior in high school, Alessandro launched ExWorks, a company built around his love of mountain biking and e-bikes. What started as tinkering with repairs and creating custom parts quickly grew into a business that now serves customers across the globe. His innovative bike accessory—something no one had created before—was first produced on a 3D printer. When orders skyrocketed, Alessandro expanded production, moving to durable metal versions manufactured abroad. Today, he continues to design and add new products while building out a professional website for his growing business.

Alessandro’s focus and dedication are particularly remarkable. Living with ADHD, he has found a space where his energy translates into laser-sharp concentration. Whether he’s riding, repairing, innovating, or engaging his many social media followers, his passion for biking fuels his drive to succeed.

Financial responsibility is another area where Alessandro shines. While many teens might be tempted to spend freely, he has carefully managed his income, showing maturity well beyond his years. As his family shared, “I guess Mr. Zippin’s math lessons sunk in!”

We are incredibly proud of Alessandro—not only for his entrepreneurial spirit but also for the responsibility and creativity he demonstrates daily. His journey is a reminder of how Saklan’s values of thinking creatively, acting compassionately, and living courageously continue to guide our students long after the school day ends.

Check out Alessandro’s business and his innovative products at www.exworks.us.

Alumni Update to Share?

Saklan loves staying connected with our alumni and celebrating their journeys! If you or a Saklan alum in your family have an update to share, we’d love to hear it! Keep us posted on your adventures, achievements, and milestones—we’re always proud to see where life takes our graduates!

#SaklanAlumni

The Joy of Discovery

In preparation for a year full of exciting science investigations, our middle school students kicked things off by revisiting the scientific method. The sixth graders put their skills to the test with a fun and flavorful experiment: Which bubble gum creates the biggest bubbles—Double Bubble or Hubba Bubba?

Students first crafted their hypotheses, then carefully set up their experiment. To ensure fairness, each group used the same amount of gum and selected one “designated bubble blower” to keep the bubble-blowing consistent. After measuring five bubbles and calculating the averages, the results were clear: most groups found Hubba Bubba produced bigger bubbles more consistently.

As budding scientists, the students didn’t stop at the data. They began theorizing why Hubba Bubba outperformed Double Bubble, pointing out that it was softer and easier to blow.

What began as a lighthearted experiment quickly sparked a wave of curiosity, with students already asking new questions and brainstorming their next hypotheses. It’s safe to say the scientific method—and the joy of discovery—is off to a great start in sixth grade!

Head’s Corner: Letting Curiosity Lead

This past Monday, I visited our Kindergarten classroom and found myself in the middle of something quietly profound. The students were working on their individual year-long learning quests — each one rooted in something they were deeply curious about. One child wanted to know how rats smell. Another wondered why cheetahs run so fast. A third was eager to learn how to be a teacher. These weren’t topics pulled from a textbook or assigned by a teacher — they were questions sparked by innate wonder.

What struck me as so “Saklanish” was how naturally the students took ownership of their learning. These quests weren’t for school — they were for themselves. Each student will pursue their question throughout the year, exploring, researching, creating, and sharing their discoveries with purpose and pride.

Neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang puts it simply: “Whatever you’re having emotion about is what you’re thinking about. And whatever you’re thinking about, you might be able to learn about.” Her research shows that when students are emotionally connected to a subject, their learning becomes deeper, more resilient, and more meaningful. She calls this transcendent thinking — the kind that helps students not only master content, but also connect it to who they are and who they’re becoming.

At Saklan, this is at the heart of what we do. Whether it’s a Kindergartener exploring animal senses or a Middle Schooler wrestling with global issues through literature and debate, we begin with the learner — their questions, their voice, and their agency.

As we kick off the school year, I invite all of us to hold space for the questions that come from our children’s hearts. Let’s listen when they ask how to make shoes, why koalas climb, or why the world is the way it is. These questions aren’t distractions from learning — they are the beginning of deep, meaningful learning. When we honor our students’ natural curiosity and support their journey to make sense of the world, we’re not just teaching them facts — we’re helping them become thoughtful, compassionate, and capable learners. And that, after all, is the real purpose of school.

Warmly,

David 

The inspiration for this blog was drawn from kindergartners and the podcast “The Hidden Brain: How Our Brains Work.“ 

Staff Spotlight: Hector

Meet Hector! Blending a mixture of passion, discovery and love for enrichment, Hector not only leads our enrichment program but shows our students how to unlock their potential. Hector really gives our students the opportunity to dream big and have confidence doing so. When he needs to recharge, he finds his peace hidden deep within redwood trees, grounding himself and regaining his power to take what’s next. 

How long have you been at Saklan and what’s a fun fact about you that most students wouldn’t know about?

I have been at Saklan for three years now and am excited to be starting my fourth. There are plenty of fun facts about me that most people probably don’t know, but if I had to choose one, I would say it’s that I used to really love dancing. I’m not sure if I was any good, but what I did know was how much I enjoyed being on stage, performing in front of friends, family, and teachers. I was really proud of it. When I was younger, my mom would often put on some music, and from the moment I’d hear it, I would jump right into dancing – completely lost in the rhythm. There are still some memorable songs that bring back those memories and excitement I felt. I don’t dance much anymore, but when I did, I loved salsa, bachata, and even a bit of pop dancing.

What’s something you could talk about or do for hours without getting bored? 

One thing people should know about me is this: once you get to know me, oh boy, I cannot stop talking. There are so many things I am passionate about and could go on forever about, such as math, but if I had to pick just one, it would be redwood trees. I absolutely love redwoods. I love looking at them, studying and admiring them, and constantly educating myself more about them. Visiting redwood groves are one of the few things that bring me peace, tranquility, and calmness. It’s my go to place when life gets hectic, and I need to recharge or simply zone out. These trees are tall, massive and ancient, thriving with unique ecosystems. They tell a story of history and walking among trees that have stood undisturbed for centuries is just so fascinating. I could go on forever, but I think that passion really highlights how my love for exploring and early childhood experiences shaped me. The passion I have for redwoods is the same passion I have for STEM, and it’s a big reason why I love doing enrichment. Through enrichment, I feel like I can allow kids the chance to further explore their passions, discover something new, or challenge themselves, all while having fun doing it. I saw the value of enrichment as a child and want to create those same meaningful experiences for the students at Saklan.

What role do you think enrichment classes played in your life, personally or academically?

Looking back, enrichment classes gave me the opportunity to explore passions that regular classes didn’t always leave room for. As a kid, enrichment was where I could try new things, be creative and discover what I truly loved. It gave me the desire to continuously want to learn, even as an adult. Enrichment classes showed me that learning could be joyful, creative and personal. With that being said, enrichment gave me confidence. It sparked curiosity and allowed me to be more creative in my craft, job and problem-solving skills. It showed me that learning doesn’t only happen by textbooks but rather through experiences. It’s why I encourage kids to be passionate and curious in my enrichment classes. I want them to gain confidence through these learning experiences.

What’s a memorable moment you’ve had during an enrichment class?

One memorable moment that stands out happened during one of my coding enrichment classes. We were working on code that turned out to be a little tricky, and several students needed extra help. While I was busy moving around the room trying to assist everyone, a couple of students who really loved coding stepped up in a way I’ll never forget. Instead of waiting for me, they just asked if they could teach their classmates how to write the code. With my hands full, I told them to go ahead. They were so excited to share what they had learned, guiding others step by step. What made it memorable was that they showed real initiative and leadership. They took ownership of the moment, supported their classmates and created this great atmosphere of teamwork and encouragement. Watching them step into that role so confidently reminded me that enrichment is not only about the fun things we do, but also about the growth, collaboration and joy that comes from learning together.

#SaklanWellRounded