Tag: learning

Community, Curiosity, and Culminations: May at Saklan

May is a flurry of events and amidst all the special happenings, are PBL culminations! These student-driven showcases of learning are the perfect opportunity for family and friends to come together, and you’re invited! Owlet, Hoot Owl, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade families, do you know what’s coming? Read on for opportunities for all of us to come together in community to support our learners. 

Early Childhood Education

Our ECE students spend many weeks during a project unit building expertise on a topic of high interest. They learn from experts, head out into the field to get their questions answered, and represent what they have learned through a wide variety of methods: dictating stories, creating 3D models, drawing pictures, and much more! 

This semester, both ECE classes have been learning all about bugs! The ECE yard has been an exciting place as students buzz around finding, observing, and sharing critters they find on the yard. Come support our youngest learners and hear all they have learned about bugs on the morning of May 20th after drop off! 

Lower School and Middle School

In LS and MS, our students always begin with a driving question. This question drives the content learning for 5-10 weeks, depending on the product and content standards being covered. Each year the question may remain the same, but how the students answer it, interpret their research, and create a public product shifts. This helps keep the authenticity and student engagement high as teachers are also rigorously assessing content standards. 

After all their hard work, students welcome the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge with the support of the community. Save the dates below to see how our LS and MS have answered the following driving questions! 

GradeDriving QuestionCulmination Information
KHow can writing our own fairy tales help us spread magic and joy?Friday, May 16th after CLAS
1How do homes keep us safe?Friday, May 16th during CLAS with reception after
3How can we become eco-friendly entrepreneurs who create products people want?Friday, May 23rd after CLAS 
6How are we still connected to ancient Greek culture, language, and mythology today?Friday, May 23rd after CLAS

Doing a project is much different than Project Based Learning, and attending culminating events is a great way to support our learners and see strong Project Based Learning in action. We hope you can join us!

#SaklanPBL

Head’s Corner: How Life Imitates Project Work (and Vice Versa)

Pop Quiz! Which of the following statements applies to Project Work at Saklan?

 A. At the start of a Project, the end product is unknown
B. Project often takes unexpected twists and turns
C. Project is driven by prior experience and curiosity
D. All of the above

The answer, of course, is D—but you knew that already.

Now, go back and reread A, B, and C. This time, replace the word “Project” with “Life.”

That isn’t just a clever switch—it’s the reason project-based learning prepares students so well for life. Through project work, our students are practicing the very skills they’ll use every day: embracing uncertainty, exploring new ideas, and following their curiosity wherever it leads.

That’s what’s been on my mind lately, especially as we turn our attention to this year’s Fund-a-Need. What began as a straightforward plan to update some of our traditional play structures has grown into something much more meaningful, just like a good project.

The shift started with something small: a water spigot installed near the redwoods. That’s all it took. The kids flocked there, drawn by the natural beauty, the water, and the freedom to imagine. What emerged was an impromptu play zone, rich with storytelling, collaboration, and creativity.

Then came a visit from a landscape architect. And just like that, our focus shifted—from replacing monkey bars to reimagining our redwood grove as a nature-based play and exploration space, inspired by the children themselves.

This is what happens when we listen to kids, honor their play, and trust in the process. It’s life. It’s Project. It’s learning in motion.

This year’s Fund-a-Need will help bring this vision to life. With your support, we can transform our redwood grove into a place where imaginations continue to bloom.

Let’s build a space worthy of their creativity.

Staff Spotlight: Maggie

You may think that to know Maggie is to know her love of hippos– just check out how many of them her students have lovingly gifted her over the years next time you’re in the Hoot Owl classroom! But Maggie brings so much more to our ECE! Saklan is lucky to have such a dedicated, conscientious, and thoughtful Director of Early Childhood Education and lead teacher of our Pre-K Hoot Owl class. Take a moment to read about what she loves most about teaching our youngest learners.

The ECE students love to be outside, rain or shine. What do you think is the most important part of outdoor play for this age group?

Outdoor play isn’t just fun; it’s one of the most impactful parts of our students’ day. For young learners, the playground is more than just a place to run and climb—it’s where some of the most important learning happens. One of our primary goals in ECE is teaching social-emotional skills, and outdoor play is where these lessons come to life. It’s where children navigate real-life situations: negotiating over toys, practicing patience while waiting for a turn on the swing, or learning how to respond with empathy when someone gets hurt.

Outdoor play also builds confidence. We are lucky to have such a large playground, giving our students a lot of opportunities to build their gross motor skills. A favorite recent moment? One of our Owlets, who used to ask for only “medium big pushes” on the swing, now gleefully asks for “big pushes!” Moments like these show us how outdoor spaces empower children to take safe risks, try new things, and celebrate their own growth.

Whether it’s showing off a new trick on the Fire Truck or proudly calling a teacher to “come watch,” our students light up with joy and confidence as they take safe risks and master new skills on the playground. Seeing how proud of themselves the students are as they show you the amazing flip they just learned learned to do is one of my favorite parts of each day. Maintaining a safe, updated, and dynamic outdoor play space is essential to supporting these magical, everyday learning experiences.

Your newest project unit is on bugs! How does the ECE yard support learning outside of the walls of the classroom? 
In all my years of teaching early childhood, one thing has always been true—nothing captures a young child’s attention quite like a bug. They could be running in a race with each other, and the moment someone spots a bug, everything stops. Then, there will soon be a big crowd, with someone shouting “I can’t see” and trying to squeeze their way in for a closer look. With our current project on bugs, the playground has transformed into an outdoor science lab. It’s so cute watching them carefully use bug catchers and magnifying glasses to get a closer look. These moments are powerful, allowing the students to have hands-on learning experiences and explore their natural curiosity in real time.

A few years ago, we added a small raised garden with help from one of our ECE teachers and her dad. Since then, we’ve grown veggies to support various units and teach them where food comes from. We’ve seen that a garden space like this means they are more willing to try new foods when they have a hand in helping grow it. Recently, the Hoot Owls have been digging for worms and putting them in our garden bed because they learned that worms are helpful decomposers that our garden needs. The yard isn’t just a place to run and play—it’s a true extension of our classroom. It offers space to wonder, explore, experiment, and grow. Providing a dynamic outdoor environment is one of the best ways we can support their development.

What do you hope your students learn from you that you don’t explicitly teach? 

I really hope I impart my great love for hippos to my students. Just kidding! (mostly…) I hope my students learn to be able to laugh even when things get hard. I always like to joke around with my class whenever I get the opportunity. I like to joke around when I make mistakes, because I want them to learn not to be too hard on themselves. Life is about having fun and laughing with those around you. Nothing beats hearing the kids laugh because of silliness!

Each year around the mid-autumn festival you have made model mooncakes in the ECE. What are your favorite parts of bringing your traditions to the classroom and/or opening space for families and students to share theirs?

I love having families come in to share their family traditions. Even if people share the same culture, how they celebrate can be completely different. We have a wealth of experts right in our classroom to share about so many cultures and traditions, so why not take advantage?! 

When members of our community come in to share their knowledge or experiences, the classroom lights up with engagement. The students are very excited to learn from a real-life person they know! I also personally love learning about others’ traditions. Growing up, I didn’t experience that in my classroom, and if I did, it was very basic stuff. I would feel ashamed of my family’s traditions because I was different. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way. I want my class to feel love and pride for their heritage and traditions. What better way to develop that love and pride than to have their family and community members share, learn, and celebrate together?

Head’s Corner: Playgrounds that Inspire

The Evolution of Play Structures – This Year’s Fund-A-Need

As a child, my memory of play structures at school is pretty vivid. We can start with the color—predominantly metal gray. Much of the parts looked like they were taken from the hardware store plumbing aisle. During the winter, they were cold to the touch; in the heat of summer—untouchable. How many of you have a memory—seared into your bottom—of speeding down the shiny metal slide on a hot July day?

Most of all, though, they lacked space for imagination.

Play structures have undergone a significant transformation over the decades, reflecting our evolving understanding of child development. It wasn’t until the past 20 years or so that play structures moved from being prescriptive in how children were meant to use them to designs open to a child’s imagination—a place where children could direct their own experiences.

Well-designed equipment becomes a canvas for inventive play, changing its purpose to match the day’s adventure. These structures support not just physical development but also cognitive growth, social skills, and emotional resilience—all through the power of self-directed play.

This evolution reflects a broader shift in how we view childhood—moving from seeing children as passive recipients of instruction to recognizing them as active constructors of their own understanding. Today’s most innovative play structures (and educational approaches) reflect a deep respect for children’s capabilities.

Sound familiar? It should; students’ “meaning making” of what they learn is a foundational tenet of authentic Project-Based Learning.

This year’s Fund-a-Need is more than just playground equipment—it’s an investment in the kind of education we believe in. Your contribution will directly impact how our students play, learn, and grow every day at Saklan. When we give our children thoughtfully designed spaces to play, we give them the tools to become the innovative thinkers our world needs through the simple but profound act of play.

Join us in bringing this vision to life! Your support for this year’s Fund-a-Need will help create dynamic play spaces that foster creativity, collaboration, and exploration—just as we do in the classroom. Every contribution, big or small, makes a lasting impact on our students’ daily experiences. Let’s build playgrounds that inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. Donate today and be a part of shaping the future of play at Saklan!

Developing a Community of PBL Practitioners

Just like our students engage in productive struggle during Project Based Learning units, Saklan teachers improve our project curriculum through collaboration and reflection. Sometimes, this happens through informal conversations—while waiting at the copy machine or stopping by a colleague’s classroom during a prep period. At other times, our educators come together in more structured settings such as full faculty training sessions, tuning and reflection protocols for project units, and small-group Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Below are reflections from staff on how these collaborative practices support them in developing strong, impactful PBL units for Saklan students.

Reflection protocols at the end of a unit are a great way to consider how to make a PBL unit better with help from others. They give teachers a chance to step back to look again with objectivity, just like we ask our students to do. The surprising result for me is how excited and motivated I am by this style of reflection. This collaborative approach is really motivating because it is something I could not do on my own.

– Yette Prizeman, 2nd Grade Teacher

I love the tuning protocols because having other people’s ideas helps me improve my projects immensely. Even if I feel like I have a good handle on the driving question, learning goals, project path, and products, during the discussion, things always come up that I didn’t think of. It really proves that more minds in the room means better outcomes. The process also feels very supportive and validating.

– Riva Zippin, Kindergarten Teacher

Taking part in a Professional Learning Community practice this year has made me focus on how to make group work more equitable and how to have the students own their project time. It has given me more tools to help show the students skills to help them work on their own time management. Additionally, I have enjoyed working alongside my coworkers and learning from them. Being in such a small school, it’s hard to find time for these meaningful conversations, and the PLC format allowed time for this discussion. 

– Vickie Obenchain, Science Specialist

In the ECE we work closely together on our units but not usually with Lower School or Middle School staff as much. The PLC groups help paint a clearer picture of what is happening in other classrooms and share ideas.

– Erin DeMoss, ECE Teacher

Working in a cross-divisional PLC small group focused on rubrics allowed us to imagine ways we can align rubrics across grade levels. Each year, the students can focus more on the content and less on the format of a rubric, which increases student independence and self-monitoring of learning. A format to share resources and talk together as teachers about ways to improve our assessment is door-opening. Discussions with colleagues open a new realm of understanding the experiences, successes, and hurdles of different teachers across divisions.

– Lauren Haberly, Art Specialist

These reflections highlight how a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement not only strengthens our PBL curriculum but also builds a vibrant professional community—one where educators grow together to create meaningful, student-centered learning experiences.

#SaklanPBL

Staff Spotlight: Lisa

Connected to Saklan way back when it was named Carden School. Lover of the Matterhorn at Disneyland. Excited about innovative math instruction. Served as not only a teacher but also the Saklan PA President and Chair for the Board of Trustees. Can you guess who we are highlighting as this month’s Staff Spotlight? Our third-grade teacher, Lisa Rokas, has worn many hats here at Saklan. Read on to learn more about her decades-long journey at The Saklan School.

How did you first hear about the Saklan School?

I have a long history with Saklan. I grew up in Orinda and attended Miramonte High School. My brother, who is 6 years younger than me, attended Saklan (which was named Carden School at the time). Once I had my driver’s license I used to drive him to and from school. Fast forward to when my son was in kindergarten, I decided to look for alternatives to our local public school and my mom suggested I look at Saklan. My son joined in first grade back in 2004, and my daughter joined the following year in kindergarten. I have been connected to the school ever since.

What about the Saklan community has kept you so invested and engaged in different ways over the years? 

I have worn many hats here at Saklan. When my kids were students at Saklan I joined the Parent Association, where I held many roles, including auction chair and PA President. I started on the Board of Trustees as the Parent Association representative and eventually served as Board Chair for a number of years. I made lifelong friends with many of my fellow board members on both the board of trustees and parent association, as well as many strong friendships with Saklan faculty and staff. One memorable moment includes dressing up as pink cotton candy ladies for the end-of-year carnival. When my daughter graduated from Saklan in 2014, I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to a place where I had been so connected for so many years. I decided to go back to teaching, my first profession before having kids. I started teaching at Saklan in the fall of 2014 and have had the honor of teaching here ever since. Saklan is truly a part of my family and my home away from home.

What has been your favorite project based learning unit in your time here and why?

My favorite project based learning unit each year has been our third grade Saklan/ Bay Miwok Unit where we learn about the local indigenous peoples from the Moraga Valley. Our driving question is “How can we show respect to the people whose ancestral land our school is on?” I especially love this project because each year the third graders have found different ways to answer our driving question in meaningful ways; such as writing a land acknowledgement and creating murals and posters including traditional language and symbols representing Saklan culture. This year students researched indigenous plants we hope to plant on our campus. We have had the opportunity to work closely with Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, the cofounders of Cafe Ohlone who both have Ohlone heritage and who are focused on sustaining their traditional Ohlone culture. The most important lesson the students learn is that Saklan/Bay Miwok/ Ohlone people are still here and their culture and traditions are still being practiced and celebrated.

We know your love for Disneyland runs deep, what is your favorite season to visit the park and the snack and/or ride you look forward to most?

I do love Disneyland! It is one of my absolute favorite places! I enjoy visiting anytime of the year, but my favorite time to visit is during November or December when the holiday decorations are up. It is so festive! I especially love watching Fantasmic on the Rivers of America and also the fireworks from Main Street! My favorite ride ever since I was kid is still the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and my favorite snacks at Disneyland are definitely their fresh-popped buttery popcorn or churros from the snack carts. Thankfully, I have passed on my love of Disneyland to my kids so that they still enjoy going to the park with me.

Life as a Pioneer Child

The third graders recently took a journey back in time to 1888, stepping into the shoes of pioneer children at the historic Tassajara One-Room Schoolhouse. Dressed in their finest pioneer attire and carrying lunches in baskets or kerchiefs tied to sticks, they experienced a school day just as children did over 130 years ago—when Grover Cleveland was president and the U.S. had only 38 states!

During their visit, students read from McGuffey Readers (published in 1879), practiced math on slate boards with chalk, and even tried their hand at cursive writing using quill pens dipped in ink. It was a hands-on, immersive glimpse into the past that brought history to life in an engaging way! 

Recess was just as much fun as the school day itself! The third graders jumped rope, walked on cans and wooden stilts, and even sang songs while playing instruments popular in the 1800s. They also explored inventions and news articles from the time, gaining a deeper understanding of daily life in 1888. By the end of the day, they all agreed—school was definitely fun in the past!

#SaklanHandsOn #SaklanFieldExperience

Adventure in Space

The Hoot Owls have taken on a new inquiry topic: Space! Space is something that the class was very curious about, and just like any new inquiry, they started by asking questions. Amongst their many wonders, the Hoot Owls shared:

  • “How come there is no gravity in space?”
  • “Why is there an eclipse?” 
  • “What are the little red rovers on different planets?” 

The class read Moon! Earth’s Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty, in which they discovered that the moon has different phases. Next, to address one of the student’s questions, “Why is there a moon in space?” the class watched a video about the formation of the moon. The Hoot Owls then created moon representations to showcase what they learned about the moon phases. 

Since the Hoot Owls were very curious about gravity, the class watched a video that taught them that gravity is a strong force that pulls things toward the center. They learned that gravity is what keeps people on Earth and why things fall to the ground. 

Next, the class read Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty, which taught them that the sun is a dwarf star that gives us light. From Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty, the class learned that Earth started as a big flaming ball of hot molten lava, and then it cooled with long periods of rain until it formed land. The Hoot Owls also learned about the four parts that make up the Earth: the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. They were amazed to learn that the sun’s gravitational pull keeps the Earth orbiting around the sun.

To reflect on what they learned, the class made Earth representations by looking at a globe and water-coloring what they saw. They are also working to create a representation of the solar system in our classroom.

Moving Up Day Enthusiasm

On Thursday morning, all Saklan students participated in Moving Up Day. Preschool – 5th graders had the opportunity to move up to the classroom of their rising grade and spend time with the teacher, learning about what the next year holds and getting to know the teacher better. The 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students helped host 5th graders on the middle school side of campus and show them what a day in the life of a middle schooler is like. The students and teachers alike were buzzing with excitement!

This annual tradition allows the students to get a snapshot of what next year will hold. The teachers planned special activities that highlighted their grade level and enjoyed getting to know their rising students a little better. Morning meeting activities, awkward games, questions, book readings, optical illusions, classroom scavenger hunts, and enthusiasm for next year filled the classrooms! If you know a child who “moved up” on Thursday, please ask them all about it. They will likely have something enthusiastic to share!

Successful Community Spaces

As part of their Community Spaces Project Based Learning unit, 7th graders recently analyzed, brainstormed, collaborated and categorized to answer the focus question: What makes a community space successful and sustainable?

First, each student wrote a paper analyzing the successful and sustainable features of one space or structure in the Maya, Aztec/Mexica, or Inka civilizations. The spaces and structures they studied included the construction and urban design of Tenochtitlán, temples, marketplaces, ballcourts, observatories, homes, and palaces. 

Next, the class brainstormed successful features of the places they visited during field experiences: Moraga Commons, the Wellness Center at Los Perales Elementary School in Moraga, the Oakland Museum of California, and Temple Hill in Oakland. The students also learned about contemporary sustainable low-rise buildings designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, such as the National Stadium built for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

After they generated lists of the successful features of all of these spaces and structures, the students worked in small groups to place these features into categories. They used the below visual representation as a model. Next, the class narrowed down their successful space criteria into six categories. Working in groups, the class collaborated to create their own version of the diagram (click the arrows below to see their version).

To conclude the unit, the 7th graders applied the success criteria they developed to propose improvements to the existing Saklan School campus or a redesigned and rebuilt Saklan campus. The students presented their suggested improvements to members of the Saklan Board of Trustees and the administrative team on Thursday and Friday of this week.

To learn more about their campus improvement suggestions, please join us for CLAS next week, on Friday, January 31st, when the 7th graders will share an overview of their project with the community.

#SaklanPBL