FRiday Note - september-11-2009

From The Head of School

Dear Saklan Community:

Back to School Night was a great success. Attendance was up; the excitement and energy were palpable. Great start to the school year.

This week I received information from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (JHCTY) Program. Students who earned standardized test scores (in our case, the ERB’s) above the 95 percentile have qualified for their program. Parents of qualifying students will receive a letter later this month outlining the selection criteria, application information, and program details. JHCTY is a nationally recognized and acclaimed enrichment program for gifted and talented students.

The Parent Association will hold their first meeting next Friday after Flag. Traditionally, this first meeting is a forum for the Head of School to address the parents regarding the upcoming year. Last year, I spoke about priorities for and paradigm shifts during my first year as Head. This year I will present ideas about my vision for the school; a presentation I gave the Board of Trustees last June at their annual retreat. I expect and hope for questions and comments as the ideas presented and discussed will serve as a significant part of the school’s discussion around marketing and branding. The Board of Trustees is committed to a coherent, long-term marketing strategy. As the process unfolds, parents will be asked to participate; to offer their insights, opinions, and feedback. We are just starting the process; I will keep you abreast of our progress.

Please allow me to close by thanking you once again for your participation in the Parent Survey last year. As you review the summary of the survey results, you will notice that we are in the process of addressing the concerns you identified. Your candid comments allow us to critically review and thoughtfully revise our operational and practical procedures.

Enjoy your long weekend-

David Hague
Head of School

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Parent Association Updates

Dear Saklan Parents,

We have some important updates pertaining to our Parent Association. First, we would like to welcome to our Board, Nicole “Nikki” Mills, as our Parent Education Coordinator. Nikki has a son in the Pre-K and a son in 1st Grade. Please look for all of her Speaker Updates.

Our first Parent Association Meeting is scheduled for next Friday, September 18, after Flag, and will be located at the church next door. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting! Dave Hague will be speaking about his “Vision for Saklan” and the new Green Committee with Vicky Obenchain will be updating us about their goals.

Also, we have made a few changes to our PA Calendar. Please check it out online or on one of our PA News Boards!

Finally, the PA Board is currently arranging our Book Fairs for December. This year we are doing it slightly different and instead of having it at one large bookstore, we will be having several fairs in smaller, local bookstores. One possible local bookstore is Lafayette Book Store. We are looking for a parent who either knows the owner or frequents the bookstore to assist us in arranging a Book Fair at their establishment in December. If you can assist, please contact Hillary Conlon at hcinteriors@yahoo.com.

See you around Saklan!

Your PA Board

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FALL ENRICHMENT CLASSES

Thank you for returning your registration forms for the Fall Enrichment Classes. All classes do require a minimum number of students in order for them to begin. The following classes are confirmed to begin next week:

ECE CLASSES:

• Art with Miss Amy will begin Wednesday, September 16th, 2:15-3:00
• Yoga with Miss Amy will begin Thursday, September 17th, 2:15-3:00
• Cooking with Miss Melissa will begin Friday, September 18th, 2:15-3:00
  

LOWER SCHOOL and MIDDLE SCHOOL:

• Animal Science with Miss Obenchain will begin Tuesday, September 15th, 3:30-4:30
• Yoga with Miss Amy will begin Thursday, September 17th, 3:30-4:30

If your child is in an ECE class, please remember to check that they will be staying for an Enrichment Class that morning when you sign them in. If they are to go directly to Extended after the class, please check yes for Extended as well.

CLASSES NOT YET FULL:

We are still looking for a few more students to sign up for the following classes before we can confirm their start date next week:

ECE CLASSES:

• Spanish with Maestra Lori, Monday afternoons, 2:15-3:00 (needs 5 more students)
• Mandarin with Miss Tao, Monday & Friday afternoons, 2:15-3:00 (needs 3more students)
• FIT Ballet, Tuesday afternoons, 2:15-3:00 (needs 3 more students)
  

LOWER SCHOOL and MIDDLE SCHOOL:

• Mandarin with Miss Tao, 1st - 4th, Monday & Friday afternoons,
  3:30-4:30 (needs 5 students)
• Art with Ms. Brooks, 1st - 4th, Tuesday afternoons, 3:30-4:30
• Adventures, 1st - 5th, Wednesday afternoons, 3:30-4:30 (needs 2 more students)
• Dramatic Puppeteering, 1st - 5th, Thursday afternoons, 3:30-4:40
  (needs 3 more students)
• Art with Ms. Brooks, 5th-8th, Thursday afternoons, 3:30-4:30

If you are interested in any of the classes that we need more students for, please send an email to everes@saklan.org ASAP. For those students who have already signed up for a class that is not full yet, please wait to receive a confirmation from us that the class will begin next week. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email.

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DR. RENWEB - RECENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS with ANSWERS!

We hope that you are discovering that RenWeb is a great resource for you and your family. To help you become more acquainted with the system, we will be sharing recently asked questions and tips with you so that you become a more proficient RenWeb user. If you have a question that you’d like answered, please email the RenWeb Dr.,at abica@saklan.org.

Q? Where can I find an email list for teachers?

Answer: RenWeb. We encourage you to go directly into RenWeb to access teacher emails and phone numbers. It’s simple to do. Log into your account. Once you are in, look at the column on the left under the heading School Information. Click on the Directory tab. A School Directory will pop up with 2 tabs, one for Family and one for School Staff. Click on School Staff and you will see an alphabetical listing of all staff and teachers. If you click on a specific name, a box will pop up with that person’s information. Each name is hyperlinked so that you can start an email.

Q? Where can I find an email list for my child’s class?

Answer: RenWeb. Log into your account and look at the column on the left under the heading School Information. Click on the Directory tab. A School Directory will pop up with 2 tabs, one for Family and one for School Staff. It will open up each time on the Family tab. You can use the Search function by typing in a student’s name and then click the Submit button. You will be taken directly to their information. You can also use the filter functions and search by grade level. If you select your child’s grade and click the Submit button, you will see the entire class. You can also print your class directory to keep at home. The directory lists student name, grade, parent’s names, home phone numbers and addresses. If you click a specific name, a box will pop up with the family details and you can look at more information for each parent which will include cell phones, work phone numbers and emails. If a parent has opted to not show specific information in the directory, it will be blank.

--
Debbie Parish
Director of Admissions & Marketing

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SAKLAN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM

The Instrumental Music Program offered by Susan Bridges will begin school instruction on Monday, September 14th. For those interested in home instruction, lessons in your home will begin on Monday, September 28th. Registration forms are available in the main office or click here to download the registration form.

If you would like more information about this program, please contact

Susan Bridges at 925-648-0524 / susanbridges@att.net

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