A general who knows how to sing! - 2005 Opera - Pirates of Penzance

Flash: Halloween is Monday- Read Below for More information, and join us for a Halloween Flag Monday Morning

Flash: International Day is Thursday November 10

Flash: November 10 PA meeting postponed to Thursday December 1

Flash: Open House is Sunday November 13

Open House: Click here for the official (pdf) invitation.

We very warmly welcome all families to join us on an autumnal afternoon next month to visit our classrooms, say hello to our teachers, view student work, and learn more about Saklan’s PS-8 curriculum. Classrooms will be open for two hours, 2:00-4:00, and there will be a special presentation by middle school teachers and students from 2:30 to 3:30.

This is also a very nice way to introduce the school to your friends and neighbors. Feel free to bring them yourself, or if you would like, we would be delighted to mail them our own invitation to the event—just let us know their name and address, and it will be in the mail!

Picture Galleries

Opera 2005 - Pirates of Penzance

Third Grade Geography

Third Grade - Analyzing Winn Dixie

Third Grade - Mount Diablo Field Trip

Second Grade Reading to Kindergarten and Pre-K

Fifth Grade - Autobiographies

International Day is Thursday November 10!

Our annual International education Day, or I-Day as we call it, is fast approaching on Thursday, November 10. This year we are partnering with the UC Berkeley Center on Inter American Studies, and thus our theme is Latin America. Presenters will join us to offer workshops to our first through eighth grades; they hail from Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

Separately, Pre-School, Pre-K, and K are organizing their own events that day, and you can expect communications from those teachers about their event.

First through Eighth Grade I-Day annually culminates in an International Feast, for which school parents have been extraordinarily generous and supportive in providing trays of themed food. Room Parents will be following up to coordinate this, but the assignments of countries are below, with websites for recipes.

1st and 2nd: Chile

3rd: Mexico

4th: Brazil

5th: Colombia

Middle School: Peru

Click here for Recipe Information

Parent Association News

Due to the scheduling of International Day, a date required in order for the school to partner with UC Berkeley’s Center, we will have to reschedule our November PA meeting to Thursday December 1^st at 8:30 AM in the church across the street. This meeting will feature a presentation by Saklan parent and child psychologist Katie Fahrner on the topic “Enhancing the Social and Emotional Development of Your Child.” We hope you can join us.

The PA also announces that the November monthly “Coffee after Flag” will occur Friday the 11^th of November.

Microwave Usage

Unfortunately, we do not have the resources of staffing or space to provide K-8 students the convenience of microwaves for heating lunches at school. Families wishing to provide their children warm lunches may purchase a hot lunch though our caterer or use a good old fashioned thermos to keep soups, pastas, or the like warm until lunchtime. Thank you.

Annual Giving: Matching Companies

Our great appreciation goes to the dozen families who so promptly responded to our Annual Giving appeal already this month. Our committee will be meeting soon to note-write and mail a second round of cards next Friday, but if you want to pre-empt their efforts to repeat, get your pledges in soon! Please know that you can make your pledges now and not fulfill them in cash until you are ready to do at whatever time this school year.

Please remember that many corporations to match their employees’ donations to nonprofit charitable organizations. Check with your employer-- the following is a list of local companies our research leads us to believe may do match donations:

Federated - Macy's----------KPMG-----------------------Wells Fargo

US Trust-----------------------Sun Microsystems---------The Gap

Chevron-----------------------Merrill Lynch-----------------Yum Brands Restaurants

General Electric--------------PG&E-------------------------T Mobile

Bearing Point-----------------Citigroup---------------------Smith Barney

Pixar----------------------------Chiron------------------------Citigroup

Extended Day News

We are currently taken registration forms for the new sessions of enrichment classes. Please don’t delay in signing up because most classes start as early as next week. We are offering gymnastics, dance, science, chess, basketball, and Kid’s Kuisine. All forms are located in the Extended Day Foyer.

Extended day is open 12-4 p.m. on Halloween. Sign ups are being taken in the Extended Day foyer. We appreciate advance notice so we can plan our day accordingly!

Finally, the lost and found bin in the Extended Day foyer is overflowing with clothes. If your child is missing something, please come by before we donate the clothes to charity.

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.

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.