A Nation of Immigrants

Following their studies of the Mayflower and the first immigrants to come to this land we call America, the second graders have been learning about what it means to be an immigrant. The students learned about why people came here and what it was like to come to America, often with little money, without parents and little knowledge of the language.


After reading Molly’s Pilgrim and taking inspiration from the story, the second graders created their own clothes pin dolls reflecting their family heritage. The students truly came to understand that America is a “nation of immigrants.” Look at all the countries our second graders and their families came from.

In America, we truly are a treasure trove of different cultures and different experiences. Building on this knowledge, the second graders dove deeper into their own family heritage by interviewing a grandparent. This enabled them to reflect on the differences in their lives today compared with life two generations ago, and to appreciate how life has changed.

Next week the second grade class will be reflecting on the names they have been given and the special meanings they have.

#SaklanDiversity #SaklanCompassion

Holiday Spirit Days

The holidays are quickly approaching and the Student Council wants to help the Saklan community get into a festive mood! It has been a very difficult year and dress-up days are a fun and easy way to lift our spirits. All students and teachers are invited to join the Student Council in dressing up on the following days:

  • Wednesday, December 16th: Ugly Holiday Sweater Day
  • Thursday, December 17th: Holiday Pajama Day (Regular PJs are okay too!)

Participation is optional. If you choose not to dress up, please wear free dress on Wednesday and your uniform on Thursday. Please note that students need to wear shoes both days (no slippers, please).

Happy Holidays, Saklan!

#SaklanFestive

Why We Give

“Since joining Saklan, we have seen a dramatic transformation in Levi and Willow into more confident and compassionate students. Saklan is a place where they feel safe, surrounded by a caring and supportive community. We know they can receive an outstanding academic education at other institutions, but we truly believe Saklan provides the right environment where they excel because they want to and not because they have to. Annual Giving Fund supports Saklan through hiring of the best educators, buying the best supplies and providing the safest environment for students. Supporting Saklan is a direct investment in our own children, and that is why we give.“

Joy and John Kim

Levi (8th) and Willow (3rd)

Join the Kim Family in supporting Saklan by making an AGF gift today!

#SaklanGiving

Hip Hop History

November was Hip Hop History Month so the Hoot Owls learned about the Father of Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc! The class read When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop, by Laban Carrick Hill.

Ms. Traci showed the Hoot Owls a record, and they got to listen to it on a record player. The students then watched some videos of B-Boys and B-Girls (the dancers who performed to DJ Kool Herc’s breakbeats), before trying out our own dance moves! They were definitely working on their gross motor skills and coordination with all their dancing. Most of the Hoot Owls also gave themselves an original hip hop name!

#SaklanCreative

Winter Clothing Drive

Join the Hoot Owls in participating in a winter clothing drive organized by the local non-profit, Hip Hop for Change. The drive benefits unsheltered families and individuals in our neighboring communities. New clothes, gently used clothes and new toiletries will be accepted through January 7th. If you would like to participate, please place your donation in a sealed bag and drop it off in the donation bin outside the Hoot Owl classroom. See below for more guidance.

#SaklanCompassion

Story Elements

The fifth graders recently finished their novel study of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This story is about four children who are transported into a fantastical land called Narnia. It is filled with rich characters and an exciting theme of good vs. evil. During the novel study, the students learned about the concept of story elements in literature. They created posters depicting the components: story setting, story characters, story problem, story solution and themes. Last Friday, the students presented their posters during Flag.

Awesome job, fifth graders!

#SaklanAcademic

California Explorers

In fourth grade, students focus on California history. After learning about many early California explorers, students chose one of their favorites to research in more detail. The fourth graders used books to research, as well as primary and secondary sources found on the Internet. Once students felt like they really “knew” their explorer, they designed and created a poster in which they wrote a “recruitment” advertisement for potential crew members. The posters combined many skills that the fourth graders have been practicing including persuasive writing, technology, art, mapping, public speaking, and design. When their posters were finished, students spoke to the class as if they were townspeople and they themselves were their chosen explorer. As their explorers, students tried to convince people to join their expedition, told them information about “themselves,” and warned them of the real-life dangers that they might encounter on their journey. Check out a few of their presentations below!

The students came away from the presentations laughing and smiling, discussing explorers, and with a greater understanding of the early days of their own state of California!

#SaklanAcademic

Join the Student Council in Helping Struggling Families

The Student Council is hosting a food drive for the Monument Crisis Center. This organization serves families in East Contra Costa County. Since many families are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and need help, the student council decided that donated food would be the most practical. There will be large bins in the breezeway near the main office starting early next week and ending on Thursday, December 17th. The following food items are requested: peanut butter, tuna, canned food (including soup, stew, vegetables, etc.), dry pasta, and rice. If your family does not want to donate food but still wants to help out, please click here to make a monetary donation. Thank you for showing compassion to our local community!

#SaklanCompassion

Magazine Submissions Needed

Eighth graders Levi, Makenna, Reese, and Evy are working on creating the next edition of Saklan’s Literary Magazine. The theme for this edition is time! The eighth graders are looking for submissions of poetry, short stories, photographs, digital designs, and/or artwork connected to the theme, to be featured in the upcoming edition. Submissions should be placed into the large envelopes in each teacher’s classroom. All Saklan students are invited and encouraged to participate!

#SaklanCreative #SaklanLeadership

Why We Give

“We joined Saklan in 2007 when our oldest, Finn, started Kindergarten. Saklan has gone through many changes since then, but it has remained constant as a source of support for our family. It has helped shape our children–Finn (class of ’17), Evy (8th), and Lilah (5th)–into the people they are today. 

Finn is now a senior at Athenian and is doing virtual college interviews. I overheard him during a recent one talking about how his role in the middle school musical back in 8th grade–he was “The Man in the Chair” in The Drowsy Chaperone–was an experience that truly changed his life. To hear how he still considers playing that role as such a pivotal experience three and a half years later was a poignant reminder of what an impact Saklan had on him. 

He was never interested in theater, but Mrs. Chaffey encouraged him to take on increasingly challenging roles. Learning how to memorize pages of monologues and portray this character and dance on stage took a ton of courage and emotional vulnerability. The unwavering support and guidance he received made it possible for him to do something he never knew he could do. It not only helped him build confidence; it allowed him to learn to understand the life of a character’s emotions, as well his own. It gave him a new passion. 

Saklan also gave Finn an incredible academic foundation for high school. He is leaning towards continuing in science in college, but he is just as interested in the humanities and is still passionate about theater and poetry. We credit this wide range of interests to the inspiring teachers at Saklan. They encouraged him to dive into new things and supported him to strive to do his best even when he didn’t think he was good at something. 

Our girls–Evy in 8th and Lilah in 5th–have literally grown up at Saklan. Like Finn, they have also had many experiences since their preschool days where they were challenged and were able to shine, and they’ve grown tremendously academically and creatively. The enriching experiences outside of the classroom, along with the Saklan teachers’ support, have been transformative and inspired them to love to learn. 

We are grateful that Saklan has helped all three of them to become respectful, compassionate, and engaged students and people. They are aware of themselves, have the confidence to contribute, and want to understand the world.

We are not sure we are ready to have a child move onto college and another on to high school this next year, but we are confident that they are ready and have an incredible foundation. What the Saklan teachers and community have given our kids is hard to measure.  To quote Finn’s Saklan graduation speech, ‘Saklan will always be home.‘”

Lori and Eric Anders

Finn (Class of ’17), Evy (8th), and Lilah (5th)

#SaklanGiving #SaklanAlum