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The Saklan School. Pre-K Through 8. think. act. live
Dear K-8 Saklan Families,

All of us have been flooded with overwhelming amounts of information this year, and we apologize for adding to that deluge. There will be quite a bit of critical information coming from us over the next couple of weeks and we ask that you take the time to read and digest it all.
We have been hard at work preparing for a successful start of the school year. Because  social-emotional connections and a sense of community are critical to learning, it is our goal to see all of your children’s faces in person at some point before we begin online instruction.

As we mentioned two weeks ago, we will be hosting small groups of students on campus next week. Attached is a schedule for campus visits. Preschool/Pre-K and Kindergarten visits will be done through Sign up Genius; all other students will be meeting in their grade level groups on campus. You will notice that the start/end times are staggered (as well as school entry points)  to allow groups to come on or off campus without crossing paths.

The goals of these sessions are multifold, but the primary reason is connectivity. We know that cognitive development is enhanced by strong emotional engagement. If we have to teach remotely (hopefully for only a short time) we want to have as strong of a connection with students as possible. We also would use this time to set students up for remote learning success and distribute materials. These sessions are not mandatory and we respect each family’s personal decision. That said, we are hopeful that as many students as possible can join us.

While we know that some of you are hesitant to send your child in person, we hope you know that we are taking these visits very seriously. All parents will be asked to fill out an online Daily Health Screening for their child before coming on campus (video tutorial here). Our parking lot will be closed to allow ample space for students and parents to wait, physically distanced, before their in-person screening. This second screening will involve a temperature check, acknowledgment that you have filled out the online form, and a general wellness check. 

When you arrive with your child (next week and any other time they come to campus), we ask that you wait with them (masked, distanced) until your child has been screened for school entry. Please do not drop them off! Once your child has entered campus, you can leave and come back for pick up an hour later. Your child will be led off campus by his/her teacher at the end of the scheduled time. The children will wait (physically distanced) in the parking lot until we see a parent to release them to. During the entire visit, your child will be masked and practicing physical distancing.

Considering it will take a few minutes for check-ins, we ask that you try to arrive about 10 minutes before your child’s scheduled time. Unfortunately, no parents will be allowed to enter on campus during these visits. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. It is our goal to minimize exposure of any kind between and among our community members.

Your child will go home with materials to help them get started with distance learning. Please refer to the information below for dates, times and Zoom links to help you organize the coming weeks. After the school visits, teachers will be opening Zoom meetings for parents to clarify expectations, answer questions, and start solidifying relationships. Every Zoom will be recorded in case families can’t make it or have multiple meetings at the same time. 

As you hopefully read in last week's update, Saklan has been given permission by the CCOE Superintendent, Lynn Mackey, to hold short in person sessions with students on a weekly basis. We are working hard to schedule weekly, 60 minute, small group meetings where students can come on campus to continue with the work of building connections. It is still a work in progress as scheduling is always complicated, but we will share that when it is confirmed. This is not obligatory, but we hope that those that can will take advantage of some face to face time together.

The first few days of school are always joyous and we hope to capture that spirit during next week’s visits. We look forward to finally seeing kids’ faces here and connecting - that is one of the main reasons we do what we do, and the first few days of school are always the most joyous celebrations of why we are in this field of education. We are grateful to hopefully get a glimmer of that next week.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Warm regards,
David

1678 School Street, Moraga, CA 94556
925-376-7900 | www.saklan.org




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