Have you found a new planet, Matthew?

Flash: Annual San Francisco Opera Saklan production next Wednesday, the 26th, at 1:30 PM—All Parents Invited.

Flash: School is Dismissed at Noon Next Thursday, the 27th, and is closed on Friday the 28th for Faculty Training—Extended Day is open.

Flash: Save the Date for Annual Open House Sunday Nov. 13 2:00-4:00 pm

Flash: Hot Lunch menus for November and December are now available online! Click here for more information on new improvements you can expect to see in our hot lunch program...

Opera—The Pirates of Penzance

Every fall Saklan students prepare diligently and then perform on stage here at the church next door joined by professional performers from the San Francisco Opera Company in an hour long show which is truly marvelous. Everyone enjoys this terrific production and inspiring music. Parents are very much welcome to attend this great show which will occur next Wednesday at 1:30.

Save the speaker date(s):

November 10th, 8:40am, Church across the street from school, child care available
Katie Fahrner, Practicing Clinical Child Psychologist at CPMC at the Child Development Center and the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. Katie also teaches and trains psychology interns working with children. She will be speaking on "Enhancing the Social and Emotional Development of your child".

Wednesday, November 16th 7-9pm, Church next door to school, child care available
Kid Power :Skills to help parents be better able to teach children to stay safe and act wisely with strangers, bullies, and people they know. Focus is on the positive, practicing skills to prevent problems. Parents can use the skills to help children deal with specific situations.

Picture Galleries

First Grade - Field Trip to Lawrence Hall of Science

First Grade - Constellation Project

Middle School Dance

Eighth Grade - Cultural Geography

Preschool - Transportation Day

School Calendar

Yes, we are taking a noon dismissal Thursday and a day Friday for what we deem will be very important and valuable professional development, and then another noon dismissal on Monday the 31^st for Halloween. We do know that October has been a bit too busy with these shortened days. A combination of events came together this month to result in this high frequency, a combination about which we apologize and which will not repeat itself in future years. A noon dismissal is more than half a day—it provides 3.25 hours of school time out of a day that has 5.5 hours of instruction—it is a 60% day in terms of time in class. And because core curriculum is concentrated in morning hours, and because student brains best learn new material in the morning, the impact indeed is that a noon dismissal is truly a 70% (or more) day of learning. Nonetheless, we like full days, and it is our intent to spread out noon dismissals more widely.

We also have decided, in this context, to modify one November day, Wednesday the 9^th, to become a full day, rather than a noon dismissal as scheduled. Adjust your calendars accordingly. Thank you for your support.

From the Annual Giving Committee

All school families should have received our 2005-06 Annual Giving appeal card, featuring the fabulous photographs by Saklan mom Kathy Franklin depicting PreKindergartener Sara Carrasco, Third Grader Ally Fromson Ho, and Seventh Grader Cole Markeley. Annual Giving plays a critical element in our school financing—it ensures we can continue to offer our small classes and terrific enriching education, and your donation helps us balance our budget with your tax deductible dollars. We hope that you can consider it carefully and make your pledge by the end of 2005. Thank you!

Early Childhood Program (PS and PK Literacy Project)

Click here to read the October Preschool - Pre-K Monthly Division Letter

Click here to check out the Recemmended Book List (The list was compiled from parents' recommendations)

Halloween Unicef Collecting

We do have available in the school office, should you wish to pick them up, Unicef Trick or Treat boxes for families who wish their children to add this element to Halloween trick or treating. In this tragic year of tsunamis, hurricanes, and earthquakes, this kind of effort seems especially important. Ask for them at the desk—we will collect them back afterwards to forward the money to Unicef.

School Directory

For your needs in communicating with fellow families, we direct you to the school’s online website family directory. Unlike the printed version, we are able to correct mistakes and make necessary updates to the online calendar, making it a much better resource for your needs. Unfortunately, the printed directory mailed home in July had one mistake in it (Sorry Beaubelle family!) and nearly half a dozen families have moved or joined since then, making it truly outdated. Consult the online version please by clicking from the homepage on the Community—School Directory button.

Halloween

Please send your child to school in a non-violent, non-gory costume as we have a wide range of ages on campus and do not wish to frighten our children.

On Monday, October 31st, Saklan Valley students and families may want to enter our campus cautiously as they may find a many creative costumes worn by our children and teachers throughout our school. The Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten will begin their parade at 9:00 a.m. walking around the little yard, then weaving in and out of each of the Elementary and Middle school classrooms. Parents are invited and encouraged to come and take pictures, and even join us parading if you like.

Lower School children grades 1-5, will arrive in costume. After morning recess, teachers will walk the children over to Moraga Royale and Aegis Senior centers on Country Club Drive , then return to school for a tour of campus, followed by their class parties.

Middle School students may come to school in costume as well and are planning special festivities for our Saklan student body. This will be a free dress day for all students.

Students will enjoy a noon dismissal in order to rest up and prepare for their evening activities. Extended Day will remain open until 4:00 that afternoon.

Open House

Please make your plans to come to the Annual Fall Open House, Sunday, November 13, from 2:00-4:00 PM . Classrooms will be festooned with student work, and teachers will welcome you and share with you their materials and curriculum. The middle school will host a special presentation featuring students and teachers from 2:30 to 3:30. This is a great time, the best, to visit the years upcoming for your child and learn more about what is in store for him or her in the next few grade levels. It is also a great time to bring your friends or neighbors and provide them the chance to see the school up close and personal. Please join us.

Extended Day News

The second session of Fall Enrichment classes is about to begin! New registration forms are available in the Extended Day foyer. We are offering gymnastics, science, dance, chess, basketball, and Kid’s Kuisine. Most classes begin in two weeks. However, if you are interested in our Happy Feet dance class, our registration deadline is Monday. You may turn in all forms and payments to either the main office or the Extended Day office.

Don’t forget to sign up for extended care for October 27, 28, or 31. The sign up sheets are posted by the time clock in the Extended Day foyer. Signing up early helps us plan and staff the days accordingly. We appreciate your cooperation!

We have added two new features to the Extended Day time clock - personal messages and access to your balance. If you have a message, after pushing the button to sign your child in or out the text "you have 1 message" will appear on the screen. To retrieve the message, push the lighted oval button on the right next to the text. Your message will be displayed. You cannot complete the sign out until you have read your message. After reading your message, press "finish" to complete signing in/out. To see your most recent balance (thru the 15th or 31st of the month), before pushing finish push the lighted options button next to the finish button. If you have a positive balance, you need to purchase a block of time. If your balance is negative, you still have paid hours remaining. Press “finish” to exit. If you have any questions, please see Kim or Mary. Thanks.