education – Page 6 – FRIDAY BLOG

Middle School Student Musicians

In middle school, student musicians move from a general music education program to an elective program. While all students still partake in the music program, they have a choice in their class each of the three years. This year, middle school musicians chose between choir, ensemble, and production. In choir, students focus on developing as singers; in ensemble, the focus is on developing as instrumentalists. Production allows students to develop skills in digital music production. All middle school students will be represented in the All-School Concert in March and will participate in the Middle School Musical in the spring.

In Choir, middle school students have been diving into the world of musical theater by exploring a variety of lively numbers. They’ve worked on “Good Morning” and “Moses Supposes” from Singing in the Rain, allowing students to embody different characters while singing. Students have also practiced “Little Shop of Horrors” in three-part harmony, working on blending their voices and mastering timing in this upbeat, fun piece. Also, they’ve explored “Happiness” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and “Green Eggs and Ham” from Seussical, both challenging students with dynamic vocal ranges and expressive storytelling.

Mondays in Choir are “Music Theory Mondays,” where students practice reading rhythms and melodies, building their foundational skills in music notation. This structured focus on theory helps students become more confident in sight-reading and understanding the technical aspects of the music they perform. Through these activities, students develop their vocal technique and ability to engage with different characters and emotions.

Stay tuned to see what students have been learning in the ensemble and music production classes!

Head’s Corner: We Are “Really Doing It”

Last year, a Saklan Trustee and I had the privilege of attending the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Heads and Trustees Conference. This annual gathering brings together nearly 500 school leaders and trustees, all focused on learning, sharing ideas, and discussing the future of independent schools.

During one of the many breakout sessions, we found ourselves mingling with trustees and heads from other independent schools, exchanging experiences and posing questions to each other. Among all the conversations that day, one in particular stood out. As we discussed various educational models, the topic of Project Based Learning (PBL) came up. A fellow school leader, well-acquainted with the educational landscape of the Bay Area, turned to the group and said: “There are lots of schools in the Bay Area claiming to be PBL schools, but Saklan is the only one really doing it.”

This simple statement was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come. When we embarked on this journey to make PBL a cornerstone of Saklan’s approach, our goal wasn’t just to enhance academic rigor and engagement. We aimed to redefine what rigor and high engagement should look like in a modern school setting.

This week, we took another step in that journey by officially launching a video that showcases the incredible work we’ve been doing at Saklan. This is more than just a celebration of our accomplishments; it’s an invitation for others to see how we’re shaping the future of education—where students are deeply engaged, challenged, and, most importantly, truly prepared for the world ahead.

At Saklan, we’re not just talking about Project Based Learning. We’re living it. And we’re proud to say—we’re really doing it.

Warmly,

David

#HeadsCorner

Self-Regulating Kindergarteners

Kindergarten has been learning about self-regulation. While self-regulation is something that everyone is always working on and practicing, it helps to make our strategies and tools for self-regulation visible for others to better understand.

First, it’s important to make sure we all know what calm feels like so that in moments of upset or silliness, we can get ourselves back to calm. The class read a story about a very moody cow and compared how it feels in their bodies when they are mad versus when they are calm. Next, they read a story about a boy who had a horrible day and discussed things he could have done to feel better throughout the day. Then Riva introduced the “break chair” to the class, which is a tool that students can use to calm down after upset, overstimulation, anger, distraction, etc. She modeled how to use it, and then the class shared what they noticed. A student modeled for the class as well, and again the students shared what they noticed. Then came the kindergartners’ favorite part, sending Riva to take a break in the chair. But, Riva did the WRONG thing! Hilarity ensued, and even Riva couldn’t keep a straight face, as everyone was cracking up. Since introducing this self-regulation tool, Riva has been thrilled to see many students using the Break Chair throughout the day. It’s clearly a tool that works for them!

The self-regulation discussions and activities culminated in the class creating a list of “Ways to Cool Down,” which will hang in the Kindergarten classroom all year. Anytime someone needs help, they can check the list and try one of the many excellent strategies their peers came up with.

If you need help calming down, feel free to ask one of our resident self-regulation experts in the kindergarten room!

#SaklanSEL

Egypt + Humanities

Written by Guest Blogger & Saklan Project Curriculum Instructional Coach and 6th grade Humanities Teacher, Linda Lathrop

If you read the blog post from Saklan Science Specialist, Vickie Obenchain, on September 13th, or followed along with our adventures via Instagram, you know a bit about our 2 weeks exploring Egypt with the help of an excellent Egyptologist. The goal of our trip was to soak in as much information as possible and bring our experiences back to enrich classroom curriculum.

Back at Saklan it was a pleasure watching the 8th graders apply knowledge from our hot air balloon trip over Luxor to their hot air balloon experiments in science. I know Vickie is looking forward to sharing all about camel adaptations with the 2nd graders during their animal adaptations PBL unit, and I even recently shared with 7th grade a presentation on the Library of Alexandria as part of their Community Spaces PBL unit too!

However, I can’t help but be most excited about how our trip informs the 6th grade humanities PBL unit: Artifact or Art Opinion.

In this unit we explore the driving question, “Who does art really belong to?” To kick off our unit we imagine ourselves at the Met Gala of 2018. Believe it or not, a viral photo from that event helped uncover that the Met paid nearly $4 million dollars for a looted Egyptian artifact- the golden coffin of a high priest named Nedjemankh.

In sixth grade over the next 7 weeks we will dive into researching specific Egyptian artifacts held outside of Egypt, explore the arguments for and against repatriation of artifacts, and learn directly from archaeologists and museum experts. In the end students will have developed arguments for how they believe the driving question is best answered- stay tuned!

Thanks to our incredible summer experience in Egypt, this year students will get to expand upon the resources I have used in previous iterations of this PBL unit. I’ll be able to share my photos of ancient temples and tombs that speak directly to their classroom research, as well as video clips with mini lectures from our Egyptologist, to enrich the PBL experience.

One additional highlight of the trip was visiting an after school program called the Funtasia Project in Luxor. A handful of these programs exist around the world and are designed to engage students in project work after school. This particular site in Luxor also collaborates with local schools and teachers to extend project learning into the academic day. We met with the leaders of the organization, as well as some students who took us on a bike tour through the neighborhood and later shared about the impact the program has had on their lives and educational experience. It was fascinating to learn that across an ocean and thousands of miles, there are students working to build their collaboration, communication, and complex thinking skills through project work, just like we are doing here at Saklan.

It is hard to put into words all the ways witnessing these incredible historic sites has impacted what we can bring back to Saklan students. I remain humbled by the opportunity to attend this professional development trip and look forward to continued opportunities to weave our learning into Saklan units.

Saklan Projects!

To learn more about project work at Saklan please join us for Saklan Projects! on Tuesday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. This virtual presentation is for current and prospective families! During the event you will hear more about how teachers design projects to address learning goals and maintain academic rigor while providing immersive, joyful learning experiences for your children. RSVP today to receive the event link!

#SaklanPBL

Catching Up with Coach Rob

Rob Hood, or Coach as the students call him, is Saklan’s Head of Sports and Wellness. He can often be seen sharing high-fives with students and staff as he walks through campus towards the sports court. Reflecting on the first few weeks of school, Rob shared his approach to fitness, health and wellness.

At the start of our first unit, Fitness & Health, the 6th–8th graders took charge of creating a vision board that explored what Physical Education means, as well as the key components of fitness, health, and wellness. Together, we brainstormed ideas, with students identifying how different aspects of well-being connect to each component. This collaborative effort allowed us to design a holistic vision of wellness. I later shared this learning with the lower school students.

Following our vision board activity, we approached some of the P.E. components with a week of fitness testing. Students had the option to participate in a few exercises to test strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility, assess their current fitness state, and set goals for the future. In addition to longer-term goals, I ask students to assess themselves daily to encourage more mindfulness and reflection related to their overall health and well-being.

In my physical education classes, students are encouraged to be safe and respectful, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and resolve conflicts constructively, as shown in the community agreements below.

In our first few weeks, we’ve started exploring Physical Education as more than just playing games. It’s an approach to improving our health—physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially—while also helping students build essential life skills for healthy and happy lifestyles.