Academics - Middle School
The main goal of our Middle School is to prepare students for the academic and personal challenges of high school. Our objective is to help students meet the highest academic standards with their confidence, self-discipline and self-esteem firmly in place.
General Presentation |
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Core Curriculum |
Program Highlights |
Introduction and Philosophy
Realizating that Middle School is a unique time of change, we emphasize social/emotional growth through personal relationships, academic excellence through critical thinking, and commitment to community through leadership and extra-curricular opportunities.
Overview
Our graduates tell us how well prepared they feel for high school; one area where they report being especially strong as compared to their peers is in their writing. At Saklan, through intensive efforts, students learn and master the skills of writing which success in high school requires. Our teachers in the middle school carefully vary their pedagogical strategies, using such techniques as leading seminar-style discussions; lecturing/note-taking; or assigning and supervising collaborative, internet-based, or independent study projects for their students, all of which serve to provide students with the foundation they need for success in their future studies. Each of our middle school students is issued a laptop computer which they bring to each class, enabling them to do internet-based research, to write papers, or collaborate on projects using shared documents while at school, always under the careful supervision of our faculty.
Study Skills are a very important part of the students' learning experiences in middle school. Every year we provide all middle school students a "Student Guide to Excellence" with a series of specially prepared materials geared to provide the critical information they need to have to learn how to learn at this age. The sixth grade has a special study skills component within their humanities class, discussing ways to be a successful student, covering such topics as note-taking, homework and materials organization, and test preparation. These topics are reinforced throughout the three grades within the students' advisory groups and in each individual class. Our faculty teach students not always to study more, but to study smarter. Students also receive daily planners as a tool for recording homework and tracking assignments nightly, which the teachers and advisors check regularly.
Our academic program is designed to inspire enthusiasm for learning both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to the core subjects, our teachers teach their passions - from Shakespeare to French culture to Multiple Intelligences to Ecology - to inspire the students in those subject areas and encourage students to pursue their own passions. We do not limit our learning to the textbook or the classroom. Throughout the year, each of our classes goes on field trips to Bay Area museums and theatres to reinforce their studies in the arts, literature, and history. Further, our middle school classes each leave the immediate area and explore the broader world. Study of the natural world is stimulated by a sixth grade trip to Yosemite, French language and French-Canadian culture are studied first-hand with a seventh grade trip to Quebec City, and the study of American history is brought to life by an eighth grade trip to Washington DC.
At Saklan, our academic program is intensive in order to prepare students for high school, to learn broadly and deeply, and to inspire enthusiasm and passion for learning. However, we are proud to not have an extremely accelerated, competitive, or pressurized process as some other schools do. Students are challenged academically, but not pushed beyond their limits; they are not assigned schoolwork a year or two ahead of what is developmentally appropriate in order to drive them ahead in some grueling race toward a narrowly defined version of academic achievement. Our teachers are sensitive to helping students achieve the skills and knowledge that are suited to them at their age and grade level. Teachers communicate frequently with each other, with the students, and with the parents to ensure that homework loads and tests are coordinated as best they can and, where appropriate, students with individual needs can have those needs accommodated.
Mathematics
Our math curriculum connects mental math and logical reasoning skills to mathematical concepts and applications. Curriculum standards are set for each grade level to align and surpass state and national standards. The curriculum developmentally spirals. Integral parts of the program include manipulative, cooperative learning, problem solving and real-life applications.
Sixth Grade: Using custom-written materials designed especially for the students at Saklan, students review prior concepts then expand them into operations with fractions, proportions, percents, and operations with integers. The course also begins the transition into algebra by taking the mathematical procedures that students are familiar with and using them with algebraic terms and methodologies. In addition, topics in geometry and statistics are explored.
Seventh Grade: Seventh graders begin to focus on algebraic reasoning, setting up equations to solve word problems, and methods to solve basic one and two step equations. The terminology of Algebra is used to help students discriminate between different skills and processes.
Eighth Grade: Eighth grade students complete the curriculum defined by the UCSMP Algebra I curriculum using materials derived from a community college algebra book adapted for the Saklan students. Topics addressed range from linear functions, geometric shapes, quadratic functions, polynomials, factoring, algebraic fractions, and graphing.
Language Arts
The Language Arts curriculum is focused on developing mature communication skills, critical and creative thinking, and respect for a wide range of literary voices. The classes are founded on four basic principles:
1) Reading. In addition to teacher-directed texts, often tied to Humanities, students are required to read independently at least one book per month from a variety of genres;
2) Fundamentals. Students will hone their ability to communicate clearly and creatively via rigorous grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and proofreading/revision exercises taught as self-contained units and within the context of their own writing;
3) Creative and “free” writing. Students will have opportunities for self-reflection and personal expression through a number of outlets, including journals, stories, poems, songs, speeches, etc.;
4) Expository writing. Students will learn to analyze texts, identify themes, and present persuasive arguments from multiple perspectives with supporting details. Both oral and written communications that promote respect for oneself and others are emphasized.
Sixth Grade: The sixth grade course emphasizes grammar within the context of reading and writing. Students master the different parts of speech and the role of words in sentences. Sixth graders learn the principles of paragraph construction and how to craft a basic five paragraph essay. Students learn about different writing genres by completing creative, expressive, autobiographical, and expository writing activities. Sixth graders also read a series of short stories and newspaper articles which they analyze for style, structure, content, and new vocabulary.
Seventh Grade: More emphasis is placed on critical thinking, theme identification, and writing structure. Students work with the teacher to identify personal writing guidelines (based on the common errors in their papers) which they then apply to all of their writing through a step-by-step revision process. Students are taught various methods for brainstorming, outlining, and note taking. Seventh graders use the Latin-based workbook Classical Roots to expand their vocabulary and work to incorporate these words into their writing.
Eighth Grade: Students continue to write using an iterative draft process working with the teacher to identify a set of individual personal writing guidelines. A greater emphasis is placed on writing from multiple perspectives. Vocabulary acquisition through the Classical Roots series continues. Eighth graders write persuasive, analytical papers, readings of multi layered texts, including Animal Farm and Kafka’s Metamorphosis, which are tied to the Humanities course.
Humanities
In the elementary grades, an integrated approach is used to connect the Humanities (or Social Studies) course work with all the other academic areas being taught. In the middle school, Humanities is a more distinct class that uses a multimedia approach to bring history, geography, and cultural studies to life. Analysis of film, music, literature, photographs, painting, artifacts, and primary source documents are used along with textbooks and contemporary media. The program seeks to develop a respect and understanding of human history and world cultures, while helping students come to their own conclusions about their rights and responsibilities in the 21st century.
Sixth Grade: Social Studies is a combined exploration of the history, geography, and literature of specific time periods. Students learn the overarching trends from the dawn of human history through the fall of the Roman Empire. Regional emphasis includes the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome. Students hone their critical thinking skills as they gather and analyze evidence while searching for alternative perspectives. This course also explores how the above-mentioned timeless themes relate to contemporary issues.
Seventh Grade: The course is designed to help students understand the overarching trends in world history that occurred between 300 C.E. and 1700 C.E. They explore the role of government, spiritual life, and cultural identity to analyze the progress of different civilizations. Regional emphasis include the Middle East, the Sub-Saharan Africa, medieval societies of Japan and Europe, the Americas, and the Renaissance. Significant attention will be placed on the development of Islam, the growth of Christianity, and the interaction between the two.
Eighth Grade: The course looks at United States history as a continuum, from the founding fathers to the latest news, through the lens of “Democracy in Action” (i.e., the interconnections of democracy, freedom, capitalism, and consumerism across the social, cultural, economic, and political spectra). The following are the primary points of inquiry:
- What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States?
- What is the American Dream?
- What is United States culture?
After an introductory project on our nation’s cultural geography, the “Democracy in Action” framework is examined within the context of four in-depth units on constitutional rights, race, gender, and class. A key component of the curriculum is a week-long, investigative field trip to Washington, D.C. A multiple-perspective approach is used throughout the year to ensure a balanced understanding.
Science
Hands-on discovery and experimentation encourage students to develop skills in observation, description, and investigation. Students learn to collect, organize, and interpret data from their environment using the scientific method.
Sixth Grade: Sixth grade focuses on the principals of geology and environmental systems and uses the text Science (McGraw-Hill). Classes are a mixture of exploratory activities, collaborative activities, long-term research, lectures, and in-depth labs. Weekly labs expand upon and reinforce the information covered in class.
Seventh Grade: The program is designed to give students a systematic introduction to the processes and categories of life, and uses the text Life Science (McGraw-Hill). Students learn to hone their observational skills by recognizing specific traits in organisms and by using these traits as criteria for classification and inference. They expand their lab skills through work with compound microscopes, slides, stains, and dissection. Students improve their understanding of the scientific process through independently designed experiments that isolate experimental and control conditions.
Eighth Grade: This course focuses on introducing students to the principals of chemistry and physics. During the first half of the year students master the fundamental principals of matter including atoms, molecules, the periodic table, and molecular interactions including displacement, acid-base, and combustion. The second half of the year focuses on the principals of basic physics including motion, force, and momentum-acceleration. The second half is designed, when possible, to complement mathematical progress which the students are making in Algebra I.
Foreign Languages
Our philosophy is that if children can experience the sounds, gestures, and feeling of a foreign language, they will develop not only an ear for Spanish, but also for learning other foreign languages and for language acquisition in general. Middle School Spanish classes meet four times a week.
Sixth Grade: Classes are designed to give the students an opportunity to use the language in an experiential context. New material is presented inductively, and students are then given the chance to use the newly-learned concepts through teacher-student interactions as well as cooperative practice, in pairs and small groups. Students new to Saklan begin with introductory Spanish which introduces students to the basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural traits of the Spanish-speaking world. Continuing students address more complex grammatical concepts while strengthening their vocabulary.
Seventh Grade: Spanish classes are designed to give the students an opportunity to use the language in an experiential context. Through multi-modal approaches, students learn to communicate in various contexts such as greetings and meeting people, time and weather, family, friends, and relationships.
Eighth Grade: French classes are designed to give the students an opportunity to use the language in an experiential context. As vocabulary and grammatical structures become increasingly complex, students learn to navigate their way through real-life situations including money and shopping, school and education, restaurants and museums, and family life. Most students are prepared with the background necessary to be successful in high school French courses.
Music
Saklan seeks to develop lifelong musical abilities and connections between music and other facets of life, including other arts, humanities, science, and math. These classes develop skill and understanding in the basic elements of music via experiences in varied performance, such as singing, movement, and drama and creative group and individual projects, such as building instruments, writing songs, and written reflections.
Students meet twice a week for music training. Saklan’s Middle School music program stresses lifelong musical abilities and the connections between music and other facets of life, including history, and literature. Students will develop the following skills:
Performance: Students perform both individually and in group ensemble, including voice and instrumental performance, as well as theatre. Much work goes into preparing for the Annual Winter Concert in a professional theater.
Composition: Students learn about composition through an exposure to musical notation, including understanding how to notate rhythm, melody, and harmony. Students are also encouraged to add creative ideas about how the music could be developed to be more playable by them.
Instrumentation: Students continue to use Orff mallet instruments and non-pitched percussion instruments. Voices and singing are developed, especially as students become leaders at the all-school sing-along every Friday morning. Students are also encouraged to play whatever instruments they are learning in lessons (e.g., piano, guitar, flute, clarinet, etc.).
Music Appreciation: Students will experience and learn to appreciate a wide variety of musical traditions, including everything from Western Classical music to world, modern, and popular music. Music history, elements of music, as well as the science and math of sound are explored through group projects, discussions, and performances.
Physical Education
Physical Education offers fun and appropriate programs that teach physical skills while developing health, fitness and sportsmanship. Students are taught how to develop healthy habits that will help them throughout their lives. It is our mission to educate the whole child by integrating kinetic, cognitive, and social abilities.
Middle Schoolers participate in three periods of physical education each week. These carefully-planned classes teach our students important physical skills while developing fitness and sportsmanship. The middle school physical education curriculum is designed to reinforce and complement the skills taught in the after school sports program.
Coordination: Students learn to develop better balance, and to improve all forms of coordination.
Fitness: Physical education classes encourage students to develop physical fitness, cardiovascular fitness, and stamina.
Sportsmanship: Games and activities are designed so that students learn to encourage one another and celebrate individual and team gains. Positive effort is always placed before victory.
Field Trips
Saklan believes that children learn in more depth and breadth when the real world and the classroom are connected, when they see and experience the things they are studying. Field trips expose children to people from varying backgrounds who are passionate about what they do. This, in turn, helps them understand that learning is not limited to the classroom or a certain time of life - it can happen anywhere, anytime. We enjoy taking advantage of the diverse resources available to us in the culturally rich Bay Area, as well as taking each class on a week-long trip outside of the immediate area.
Typical field trips include:
Sixth Grade:
- Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California – Humanities
- De Young Museum – Ancient Culture Study
- California Academy of Sciences - Biome Studies
- Contra Costa County Wastewater Treatment Plant - Watershed Studies
- EBMUD Restoration Project - Watershed Studies
- Multiple Trips to Local Creek – Water Quality Testing
- Cal Performances at Zellerbach Auditorium – Youth Performance Series
- RISE Elementary School – Reading Buddy Program
- Yosemite – Yosemite Institute
Seventh Grade:
- Lawrence Hall of Science - Invertebrate Studies
- Contemporary Jewish Museum - Humanities
- Museum of the African Diaspora - Humanities
- Cal Performances at Zellerbach Auditorium – Youth Performance Series
- RISE Elementary School – Reading Buddy Program
- Hawaii – Science based trip (Week-Long Trip)
Eighth Grade:
- Cal Performances at Zellerbach Auditorium – Youth Performance Series
- RISE Elementary School – Reading Buddy Program
- Lawrence Hall of Science – Liquid Nitrogen and Matter Studies
- Great America - Physics Day!
- Caritas Creek - Character and Leadership Development
- Washington DC – American Studies (Week-Long Trip)
High School Admissions Preparation
Saklan Valley School provides assistance and careful preparation for the important and, at times, daunting project of high school admissions. The first trimester of eighth grade Leadership class is dedicated to the admissions process and includes a thorough preview of the process, application and essay support, deadline and testing information, and interview preparation. As per parents’ requests, Saklan will send transcripts and recommendations to the requisite schools. Many of the area independent schools send representatives in the fall to discuss their schools with our eighth graders. We also have information and counsel families on the registration process at area public schools.
Saklan cannot guarantee a student’s admission into an individual school; however, we are knowledgeable about a wide range of high school opportunities. We can ensure that a thoughtful and thorough high school search toward finding the best possible fit of student and school is provided to all.
In the past five years, one or more Saklan students have been admitted to the following high schools:.
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Advisory
A special feature of the Middle School is our Advisory Program. When in sixth grade students begin moving throughout the day to different classrooms, they lose the comfort of a home base classroom and teacher. The Advisory program seeks to restore that, providing each student a teacher who is their point person for academic and socio-emotional growth, an advocate and resource throughout their middle school years. The advisory groups commence each year at our Middle School Fall "Advance", a retreat over the first three days of school, where the students engage in a series of team-building activities and set goals for the year to come. Throughout the school year, advisory groups meet twice a week, in a comfortable and secure homeroom environment, and enjoy both one-on-one student-advisor conversations and also group-wide shared time for consideration of important student issues and concerns. Students form a special bond with their advisor and a strong sense of group identity with their fellow advisory members. The advisor serves as the key contact for parents concerning their student's needs and progress. Advisors use the Advisory meeting times to promote social and emotional growth through activities and discussion, for teaching conflict resolution, and for developing character by examining questions of justice and equity in the school community and beyond.
Leadership Education
The eighth grade, Saklan's graduating class, has a number of special privileges and expectations. Eighth grade co-presidents lead the Student Council, and eighth grade students speak at our weekly assemblies, and head our monthly mixed grade family groups. In order to prepare them for these opportunities, eighth grade students participate in a weekly leadership class. This class addresses practical issues such as preparing high school admissions packets along with theoretical topics such as identifying the students' leadership style and strengths. Public speaking is emphasized throughout the year, and the Leadership course culminates with a speech given by each student at the annual graduation dinner.
After-School Sports Program
All middle school students are invited to participate in Saklan’s after-school sports program available at no charge. The Saklan SUNS compete with other local independent schools in soccer (fall), basketball (winter), and volleyball (spring). Everyone who wishes to participate may play; practices are three days per week. These teams offer an excellent opportunity for students to compete against other schools in a low pressure, values-oriented atmosphere.
Social and Recreational Activities
Promoting and supporting a healthy, structured social opportunities for our middle school students is a high priority of our program. We aim to stage at least once a month some sort of evening or weekend voluntary social experience for students to be able to interact and share good times in a supervised environment. We look to provide a wide variety of such activities in order to ensure something for everyone. Among the things we do are school dances, typically in conjunction with other East Bay schools; evening outings such as skating, bowling, or rock climbing; an end of the year party day; and weekend trips camping or skiing. (These social and recreational activities are not included in the tuition, and usually have a moderate fee attached for expenses-- financial aid may be available for students who qualify).
Communication and Partnership with Families
The Saklan Valley Middle School prides itself on its parent communications and being a family- friendly environment. Twice a year, parent teacher conferences are held to apprise families of student progress and to build teamwork for that purpose; student attendance is strongly encouraged at these conferences. Each trimester our comprehensive report cards provide both letter grades and detailed comments; mid-trimester progress is reported in writing as well. Our faculty has a commitment to communicate with parents by phone, email, or in person if a student's average falls below 80% in any class. Teachers are also available for special conferences and telephone communications upon request. Parents are invited and welcome to join us for some of our special middle school events, such as local class field trips, after-school activities, and the ski trip.
