Tag: teaching

Once Upon a Time in Kindergarten

Kindergarten students at Saklan have been immersed in a magical world of storytelling as their Project work has focused on fairy tale writing. The classroom has been filled with excitement as students bring imaginative characters and adventures to life. Dragons, evil magicians, brave princesses, talking animals, and mysterious villains have all found their way into their original stories.

While the final stories are full of creativity and humor, students are also learning an important lesson about the writing process: strong writing begins long before the final draft. Weeks earlier, students engaged in a carefully scaffolded planning process designed to build an understanding of story structure and organization.

Using a color-coded system, students mapped out their ideas across six parts of a narrative: introducing the main character, beginning the adventure, presenting the problem and villain, building to the “uh oh” moment, resolving the conflict, and concluding with a happily ever after. By focusing on just a few sections at a time, students were able to thoughtfully develop their stories and gain confidence in structuring their ideas.

Once their plans were complete, students eagerly began the writing process. Over the following weeks, the classroom buzzed with focused energy as young authors transformed their plans into full fairy tales. To support their work, students used a growing class word bank, along with table-specific word lists, to help with spelling and vocabulary. They also leaned on one another, asking questions, offering suggestions, and celebrating each other’s ideas along the way.

This collaborative and supportive environment helped students not only strengthen their writing skills but also develop confidence and independence. The process was both challenging and rewarding, resulting in stories that are as unique as the students themselves.

You are invited to experience these original fairy tales firsthand during the Kindergarten culmination on Friday, May 15, at 9:00 a.m. It promises to be a joyful celebration of creativity, growth, and storytelling!

#SaklanProjectWork

Cross-Divisional Project Collaboration

Beyond reading buddies, Saklan projects are intentionally designed for meaningful student collaboration that authentically supports academic growth. This spring, middle school is using their music production skills for kindergarten’s fairy tale recordings, 6th grade helped 1st graders organize their expository writing, and 4th graders helped our Pre-K Hoot Owls refine their Venn diagram skills! 

Kindergarten and Middle School Music Production

How can we write and share our own fairy tales to spread magic and joy? Through answering this driving question, Kindergarten students have learned the elements of fairy tales and deepened their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to write and record their own original fairy tale stories. 

In preparation for their readers-theater style culmination on May 15th, students recorded their stories, and middle school students are creating original backing tracks to support the narrative elements of the fairy tale. Sound mixing the Kindergarten stories gives our middle schoolers an authentic application of their digital music production skills.

6th Grade and 1st Grade Expository Writing

All year 6th graders have worked on expository writing in Humanities. Recently, while preparing to write artifact labels for their PBL unit culmination, the Museum of the Future, sixth graders reviewed structure and organization in expository writing. To practice this work, sixth graders analyzed 1st grade report writing drafts on extreme weather. They completed individual writing conferences to support improving the structure and organization of the first-grade reports. Not only did the first graders get to work with the big kids in a middle school classroom, but the sixth graders had the opportunity to grapple with the deeper cognitive task of teaching and explaining elements of writing to a younger child. This work improved the content of the first-grade reports and solidified the sixth grader’s understanding of writing structures and organization, while building community across divisions.

Hoot Owl and 4th Grade Venn Diagrams

Venn diagrams are a useful tool for many grade levels to demonstrate understanding of academic content. This spring, our Pre-K class has been learning all about oceans while their 4th-grade reading buddies have been working on a PBL unit about the California Gold Rush. Both classes planned to use Venn diagrams as a learning tool, and teachers needed an opportunity for some one-on-one teaching and practice. It was natural for these classes to connect and engage in some cross-divisional content learning! 

With fourth graders guiding the learning, the buddies made Venn diagrams all about each other! They chatted and recorded what they had in common and what was different about each other. As they got to know each other better by completing the diagram, both classes also deepened their understanding of how to use a Venn diagram. When each class returned to their own project work, they employed the same learning tool at different developmental levels with different content.  

If you want to see final products and culminating events, stay tuned for the next week at Saklan emails for updates on ways to come see and celebrate our students’ spring project work!

#SaklanProjectWork

Safe at Home

First graders at Saklan are deepening their understanding of homes and safety through meaningful, real-world connections as part of their Homes Project Based Learning unit.

One area of interest for the students has been wildfires: how they start, how they impact homes, and what people can do to stay safe. To bring this learning to life, students welcomed guest expert (and Saklan parent) Firefighter Mason, who shared valuable safety tips and prevention strategies. He explained how firefighters work to protect the community and what families can do to reduce risk at home. This visit helped students better understand the critical role firefighters play and made the learning both relevant and memorable.

A highlight of the visit was Mason’s demonstration of his firefighter gear. Students watched with awe as he suited up, describing each piece, from his heavy boots to his helmet and fire-resistant clothing. They were especially surprised to learn how much the gear weighs and how it helps keep firefighters safe while they do their important work.

The learning continued with another special guest, Saklan’s Science Teacher, Ms. O. As part of the unit, students explored how to protect themselves and their homes during extreme weather conditions. Before her visit, students generated thoughtful questions, which Ms. O answered in engaging and accessible ways.

Through videos and images, students were introduced to a range of natural events, including tornadoes, earthquakes, strong winds, and hurricanes. These visuals helped bring complex concepts to life and sparked meaningful discussions about how such events can affect homes and communities.

Ms. O also guided students in thinking about how to prepare for different weather conditions, whether staying cool during extreme heat, keeping warm in cold temperatures, or making safe choices during emergencies. These lessons helped students see how science connects directly to their everyday lives.

Through these expert visits, first graders are not only learning about homes, but they are also developing the knowledge and awareness needed to stay safe and care for their communities.

#SaklanProjectWork

Head’s Corner: 24 Acceptances, 1 Waitlist, and a Class Ready for What Comes Next

There are some years when the numbers tell a strong story on their own. This is one of those years. Saklan’s 8th-grade class submitted 25 applications to local independent high schools and earned 24 acceptances, along with 1 waitlist.

That is an outstanding result, and one we are proud to celebrate.

Our students received offers from an excellent group of schools, including Athenian, College Prep, Head-Royce, Bentley, Carondelet, De La Salle, and St. Mary’s. But as strong as those outcomes are, what matters most to me is what they reflect.

They reflect years of growth—students who are deeply known by their teachers and supported along the way. They reflect young people who have learned to think critically, speak with confidence, navigate challenges, and contribute meaningfully to a community. Most importantly, they reflect students who are not only academically prepared but ready to step into their next chapter with confidence, character, and curiosity.

At Saklan, we work hard to do both: challenge students and know them deeply. We want them to leave here with strong skills, certainly, but also with the confidence that comes from being seen, supported, and stretched over time.

Saklan alum Levi Kim, now at Brown, spoke at our auction about the impact Saklan had on him. He talked about the adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, and creativity he developed here — and how those qualities have mattered well beyond middle school. That is what we hope for our students. Yes, a Saklan education helps open doors. But more importantly, it helps students walk through those doors ready to thrive.

That is what makes these admissions results so meaningful.

I am proud of this class and of the way they represented themselves throughout the process. They showed who they are, and these results reflect that. We are excited to see where their journeys lead next.

Warmly,

David

Family Groups Focus on Accountability

On Tuesday, Saklan students gathered in their Family Groups to explore an important character trait: accountability. The session began with a fun and engaging warm-up, as students shared their favorite superheroes/real-life heroes and discussed what makes them admirable. This conversation helped set the stage for thinking about the qualities that make someone responsible and trustworthy.

Students were then introduced to the concept of accountability and what it looks like in everyday life. Together, they discussed examples such as doing their part in group work, making good choices, and taking care of themselves, others, and their belongings.

To bring the concept to life, students watched a short video about the “Accountable Ninja.” Afterward, they reflected on how the character initially avoided responsibility and what changes he made to become more accountable. These conversations encouraged students to think critically about their own actions and choices.

Next, students put their learning into action by creating “superhero bursts,” each one highlighting a personal goal to be more accountable. Whether it was completing homework on time, helping others, or owning up to mistakes, each student contributed a thoughtful commitment to their shared group poster.

The lesson continued with a lively group challenge: keeping two balloons in the air without letting them touch the ground, all while following specific rules. The activity required teamwork, communication, and individual responsibility. As students worked together toward a common goal, they experienced firsthand how accountability plays a role in group success.

#SaklanSEL

Making Sense of Fractions

Fractions have taken center stage in the fifth-grade classroom, with the students focusing on understanding why fraction operations work. Rather than jumping straight to procedures, students have used visual models, discussion, and hands-on exploration to build a strong conceptual foundation—one that allows them to reason through problems, explain their thinking, and apply their learning in new situations.

One particularly memorable example came from the class’s daily fruit demonstrations. When students worked through fraction problems using numbers alone, answers sometimes varied. But when fruit appeared on the cutting board, and students could see fractional pieces in relation to a whole, their thinking quickly aligned. Concepts that once felt abstract suddenly became clear, and earlier mistakes turned into meaningful learning moments.

Students also tackled a real-world-inspired challenge from Mateo of BRAD Co., who needed help organizing 24 quests across game levels. Through modeling and discussion, students discovered that the expression 24 ÷ 2 can represent two valid interpretations: 12 quests in each of two levels, or 12 levels with two quests each. By the end, students demonstrated that both solutions were correct, supporting their reasoning through clear and thoughtful representations.

In another activity, students evaluated mathematical claims, determining whether statements were always true, sometimes true, or never true. They backed up their conclusions with examples, diagrams, and models, strengthening their ability to generalize relationships between factors and products when working with fractions.

This kind of reasoning: making claims, defending them with evidence, and revising thinking through discussion, builds the mathematical communication and problem-solving skills that prepare students well for middle school mathematics and beyond.

Head’s Corner: Investing in the Human Qualities That Matter Most

At this year’s auction, our Fund-a-Need is about something that feels especially important right now.

The world our children are growing up in is changing quickly. A lot of attention is paid to what students need to know to keep up. That matters, of course. But I would argue that more importantly is who they are becoming.

Are they learning to work with others?
Can they solve problems?
Can they listen across differences?
Can they stick with something hard?
Can they stay grounded in themselves while also growing in empathy for people whose lives may look very different from their own?

Those are not nice to haves in the work of education. They are central to it.

At Saklan, we believe those qualities are built through experience. They grow when children are well-known by their teachers. They grow when students are given meaningful opportunities to collaborate, create, persist, and solve real problems together. They grow when a school makes space for belonging, challenge, reflection, and joy.

At Saklan, that kind of growth starts early and deepens over time.

It looks like our youngest students noticing that some trees on the playground have already dropped their leaves while others are still holding on, and turning that simple observation into a real investigation—sorting leaves, sketching them in observation notebooks, learning their parts, and filling a Wonder Wall with questions.

It looks like kindergartners exploring the stories behind their names—interviewing their families, learning about one another. In the process, they begin to navigate friendship, identity, and belonging while practicing the problem-solving skills that help communities thrive.

And it looks like 8th graders in Puerto Rico, working side by side to help rebuild, listening to the stories of people whose lives were changed by Hurricane Maria, and coming to understand that service, resilience, and empathy are not just ideas we talk about at school—they are things you live.

These are very different experiences, but they are connected by the same purpose. In each case, students are learning habits that matter deeply: how to notice, how to wonder, how to solve problems, how to connect, and how to contribute.

That kind of learning takes intention, skill, and care. It takes talented teachers. It takes intentional programs. It takes time, trust, and experiences that invite students to lean in fully.

That is why this year’s Fund-a-Need matters.

Your support helps make possible the relationships that allow children to feel known and valued. It creates the kinds of projects and experiences that spark curiosity, challenge students to think deeply, and give them meaningful opportunities to solve problems together. And it strengthens the environments where students build confidence, empathy, and resilience over time.

Join me in supporting this work.

By making a Fund-a-Need donation, you are investing in more than a single program. You are investing in the daily work of helping children become thoughtful, capable, compassionate people who can contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

That is work worth supporting, and I am deeply grateful to be part of a community that understands its value.

Warmly,
David

Perseverance in Action

Last Friday, Saklan’s February Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) focus on perseverance came to life in a memorable way for students in third, fourth, and fifth grade.

Students gathered in mixed-grade groups of five for a silent puzzle challenge that quickly proved to be about much more than fitting shapes together. Each student began with three puzzle pieces, and together their group needed to complete five square puzzles. There was just one twist: students had to trade pieces without speaking. While they were allowed to offer a piece if they noticed someone needed it, they could not ask for one themselves.

At first, the rules prompted puzzled looks and raised eyebrows. One student even asked, “Wait… we can’t talk at all?” before the challenge began. Soon, however, the pavilion filled with intense focus, expressive gestures, and quiet determination. Without words, students leaned in, carefully studied one another’s progress, and began noticing—really noticing—what their teammates needed.

Gradually, the groups found their rhythm. Students passed pieces across the table, pointed gently to openings, and patiently waited for the right moment to help a teammate. When the final squares clicked into place, the groups celebrated in their own silent way, pumping their arms and grinning with pride.

The activity was more than a puzzle-solving exercise. It was a powerful opportunity for cross-age collaboration and social-emotional growth. Students practiced perseverance as they worked through frustration and uncertainty. They also strengthened empathy and social awareness by learning to observe others closely and respond thoughtfully.

During reflection afterward, many students shared how challenging it was to wait patiently and trust their teammates. Teachers helped connect the experience to friendship and community, encouraging students to look beyond their own needs and pay attention to those around them.

It was a meaningful reminder that perseverance often involves patience, teamwork, and the willingness to support others.

#SaklanSEL #SaklanCommunity

Head’s Corner: Whitewaters

How do we prepare children for a world we can’t fully predict?

Our students are growing up in what can best be described as a climate of whitewaters — a period of rapid change marked by social fragmentation, global uncertainty, and accelerating artificial intelligence. The world they will inherit will demand more than information. It will require judgment, empathy, adaptability, and wisdom.

Last month, at the CAIS Trustee/Heads Conference, I heard Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, speak directly to this challenge. He reframed what many see as societal crises as something else entirely: learning challenges. As he spoke, I found myself thinking — this is the work we are already doing at Saklan.

Preparing students for the future requires cultivating the human capacities that technology cannot replicate — imagination, empathy, ethical reasoning, and sound judgment.

It also means addressing what some describe as an “empathy gap.” Too often, we care most deeply about problems only when they affect us personally. Schools can help close that gap by teaching students how to listen across differences, collaborate meaningfully, and build authentic relationships. 

At Saklan, this belief shapes daily practice. Relationships are not separate from rigor; they make rigor possible. Curiosity is not enrichment; it is the engine of deep learning. Intrinsic motivation fuels risk-taking, persistence, and lasting confidence — the kind that grows not from ease but from learning to navigate challenges. 

Hearing Dr. Noguera did not feel like a call to change direction. It felt like an affirmation of what we do at Saklan. The work of cultivating curious, compassionate, and capable learners is not peripheral to education — it is essential.

Helping students learn how to navigate these whitewaters with wisdom, grit, and empathy may be the most important work we do.

Warmly, 

David

If you would like to view Dr. Noguera’s full speech, click here.

Fifth Grade Leads Redwood Grove Restoration Project

The culmination of fifth grade’s Redwood Grove Project Based Learning unit was a powerful example of student leadership in action. After weeks of studying forest ecosystems and soil health, students led a shared effort to show their beloved redwood grove some love, restoring natural forest-like conditions to support the trees’ long-term health.

The culmination began with a purposeful walk to Outdoor Supply Hardware, where garden staff offered just the expert advice students needed. Rather than “feeding” the trees, they learned that the grove required a return to natural conditions. Mulch would help retain moisture and encourage the healthy decomposition of fallen leaves, needles, and twigs. With this knowledge, students selected shredded redwood mulch, leaf scoops, and rakes, tools that will allow fallen leaf litter to be returned to the grove year-round.

Back on campus, students worked collaboratively and followed their team contracts to prepare for service day. They drafted a formal purchase request, created hearts and ribbons with messages of appreciation, designed and hung posters, unloaded supplies, and set up tables and chairs. Every detail was thoughtfully planned and entirely student-led.

On the morning of the restoration, they were ready. Students shared their research, explained their decisions for the grove, and confidently guided family members through the work they had prepared: loosening compacted sand, carefully spreading mulch, and protecting exposed roots in one section of the grove.

As the first section wrapped up, students received a surprise gift: Dawn Redwood seeds. If successfully grown, one may eventually stand in the new redwood playground, becoming a living learning legacy for future students.

The work didn’t stop there. During recess, fifth graders invited younger students to help restore the next section of the grove, modeling leadership and stewardship. Even steady rain at lunchtime could not dampen their momentum. Paths were raked, clear “go” and “no-go” zones were established, and by the end of the day, the transformation of the grove was visible.

This project was more than a lesson in ecology. It was a lesson in agency. When students are trusted to lead meaningful work, motivation and engagement flourish.

#SaklanPBL