Moon Festival

One of our second grade students shared his family’s tradition of celebrating Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival, with his classmates. He started his presentation by sharing background information on what Moon Festival is and how it is celebrated.

Moon Festival is a big holiday celebrated in East and Southeast Asia. It celebrates the harvest and it is a time to be thankful for what the year has given to you and your family. It is kind of like Thanksgiving.

Moon Festival is also when the monthly full moon is the biggest and brightest of the year.

During Moon Festival, people eat moon cakes and hang up lanterns. Buildings and streets light up with colorful lights. Families get together for big meals, then watch the bright floats in a parade together.

Kids do not have school for one week and parents do not have work!

Moon cakes are big and round like the moon. They bring good luck to you the whole whole year.

After learning about Moon Festival, the second graders were invited to try moon cakes. These were a big hit with the second graders, and David too!

#SaklanDiversity #SaklanStudentsasTeachers

Music Enrichment Classes

We are excited to offer music enrichment classes this fall! The classes, listed below, will begin on Thursday, September 30th and run through December 16th.

  • Music & Movement for Preschool & Pre-K on Thursdays from 2:30 – 2:50 p.m. Students will experience music through play, movement and singing games. Students will work towards development of perceiving and performing the steady beat in music, identifying and understanding musical form, and recognizing musical opposites such as fast and slow, loud and soft and high and low. In addition, the classes will emphasize the development of proper vocal technique and health. Students in this class will receive complimentary Extended Day care from 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. on days the class meets.

  • Beginning Choral Habits for K – 2nd Grade on Thursdays from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. The K-2 after school music course will be an opportunity for students to develop beginning choral habits and structure. Students will learn proper body alignment, breathing and vocal techniques and will work on developing beautiful blend with several unison choral arrangements. Later on in the year, students may work towards arrangements in canon and two-part harmony. Singing games will also be incorporated to allow for musical enjoyment and allow the students to engage the music with movement, imagination and creativity.

To sign your child up for one of the above classes, please click on the class name.

#SaklanWellRounded

Head’s Corner

Parents Make our School Go ‘Round

Dear Saklan Community,

I am feeling incredibly grateful for our parent community this week. Not only would we not have a school without you (as you choose to send your children to Saklan each day), but there are so many aspects of our school that are supported by your hard work.

Building community in a pandemic has been challenging, but I have seen many strong bonds form despite that. Some were made just by families simply walking to their cars after school. Even without our usual multitude of in-person events, our Parent Association (PA) and room parents found a way to bring the parents together, and I see and appreciate it.

We’ve had a fantastic start to this school year! And while there will always be challenges to work through, we know we can rely on the support and partnership of our parent community. 

Thank you for your trust in our teachers. Thank you for being curious about what your child comes home to share. Thank you for giving us feedback so we can communicate well and work together. Thank you for being an integral part of every single day at school. 

We are a team, and we appreciate your continued understanding of that commitment. 

In keeping with this teamwork, I would encourage you to attend the upcoming PA events. Much thought and planning go into creating opportunities for parents to connect. We know it does not work for all families, and work schedules may be inflexible, but if you do have the time, please join us for the following:

  • October 15th: Parent Coffee after CLAS
  • October 24th: Halloween Family Fun Fest 1 pm -3 pm (Moraga Commons)
  • November 9th: Parent Ed Series: Does Your Family have the Sugar Blues? (virtual evening)
  • November 12th: Parent Coffee after CLAS

In closing, thank you. Now that I am a parent at this school, I have a new lens on this experience. I am impressed with the things my daughter comes home and shares, and my family is benefitting directly from what this community can do together. 

In gratitude,

David

Kissing Hands

The Hoot Owls recently read the book, The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn. The story is about a little raccoon’s transition to school. His mother teaches him the secret of the kissing hand. She gives him a kiss on his paw and tells him to press the kiss to his cheek whenever he misses her. The Hoot Owls made their own kissing hands to give to their families so they aren’t missed so much while they are away at school.

#SaklanCompassionate

Reading a Map

During their map skills studies, the second graders have been learning about directions. The students came up with multiple mnemonic devices to help them remember north, east, south and west. A few overheard during lunch were:

Never eat shredded wheat.

Never eat Meredith’s shoes.

After learning about the directions on a map, the second graders learned the essential life skill of using a compass. As a class, the second grade traveled around the school using a compass to help them navigate. After learning to navigate with a compass, the second graders learned how to calculate distance on a map, how to use a map grid, and why both of these are useful skills.

#SaklanAcademic

Parachute Play

During P.E. classes with Mr. Crabtree, Saklan students have recently enjoyed parachute play. While the parachute is fun, it is also a great way for students of all ages to strengthen their muscles and to work on their social and emotional skills. Here are a few of the ways working together to use the parachute benefits our students:

  • Works the muscles in the arms, shoulders, and hands.
  • Allows for practice of basic loco-motor skills, such as running, leaping, skipping, and galloping.
  • Helps students learn to listen carefully and follow directions.
  • Encourages teamwork and cooperation.
  • Promotes communication.
  • Introduces physical activity as fun.

Students of all ages love playing with the parachute!

#SaklanWellRounded

Five Senses

The Owlet class has been learning all about the five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. The students learned that using your senses helps you learn about the world and be mindful and aware of things around you. The Owlets used all of their senses to experience a variety of fruits and vegetables, including celery, bell pepper, lemon, cabbage, and apples from Saklan’s apple tree! Some of the students tasted a new food they’d never had before!

After looking at, listening to, smelling, tasting, and feeling the produce, the Owlets then used the cut fruits and veggies as stamps on ink pads to make beautiful prints.

#SaklanAcademic

Science of Hydrology

Fifth grade kicked off the year discussing what scientists do and how they study and learn. The fifth grade scientists then practiced these skills by selecting seashells from Ms. Siacor’s beach bag to observe scientifically. As part of their observations, the students drew detailed diagrams of the sea shells, and developed inquiry questions about them. This was a great way to prepare for their first Earth science unit of the year, focusing on the Earth’s systems and hydrology.

Next, the fifth graders started learning about hydrology by looking at how much water is in the world. For this inquiry, the students divided world maps between them and added up how many squares of salt, frozen, and fresh water they found on each map.  They then created a bar graph of their results, using math skills to divide the totals of each type of water by 50, and using one sticker to represent each 50 squares. The students were astonished to discover that fresh, ‘scoopable’ water makes up only about 1% of planet Earth’s surface water!

#SaklanAcademic