Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
On the morning of Dec. 12, lower school students welcomed the holiday season by gathering for a beloved annual outing – the Lower School Skating Social. The event was held at Downtown Ice, a seasonal outdoor rink across the street from San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez. After the skate party ended, many families wandered over to the plaza to enjoy the festive Christmas in the Park exhibits and decorated Christmas trees, and to get a quick bite to eat at one of the food stalls. Among the displays was the Little Harker School House, where students were able to see what an old-time schoolhouse was like. There was also a tree decorated by Harker’s grade 2 Girl Scout troop. A great time was had by all!
The holidays will be a little brighter for a many underprivileged local families, thanks to the lower school’s annual toy drive. A grade 4 community service project, the effort began on Dec. 7 and ended on Dec.17. This year’s donations, totaling over 400 items, will be going to St. Justin’s Community Ministry and Sacred Heart Community Services.
“St. Justin’s Community Ministry is currently serving thousands of families and individuals each month at its location in Santa Clara, providing food, clothing and the basic essentials families need to survive. Each Christmas season, St. Justin’s, in conjunction with Sacred Heart Community Services, provides deserving families the opportunity to ‘shop’ and select the perfect toys for their children and family,” explained Ken Allen, lower school dean of students.
A group of students assisted Harker faculty in the counting and loading of the toys, as well as with their ultimate delivery to St. Justin’s. There they had the unique opportunity to meet with the director of the outreach program.
Although the effort was primarily a fourth grade service project, all lower school families were invited to participate. Children were asked to bring new, unwrapped toys to school, which were then deposited inside the fence located in the gymnasium lobby until they were delivered.
“We are grateful for your continued and generous support of the service projects on our campus!” said Allen in a letter to lower school parents thanking them for their donations.
Earlier this month, Jason Kwok, grade 7, competed with the Santa Clara Swim Club at the 2015 Short Course Junior Olympic Championships.
Kwok’s relay teams did very well, ranking No. 1 for the 400 freestyle relay short course yards, No. 2 for the 200 freestyle relay short course yards and No. 3 for the 200 medley relay short course yards in the USA Swimming national age group rankings. As an individual, Kwok was ranked No. 8 in the 100 breaststroke short course yards.
Singing at Carnegie Hall
Shayla He, grade 4, sang at Carnegie Hall this past weekend! She entered the American Fine Art Festival (AFAF) Golden Voices of America 2015 International Vocal Competition and was awarded third place in both the classical category and musical theater category in the 9 to 10-year-old group, performing four songs. Her performance earned her a spot in the AFAF-organized Winner’s Concert at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on Dec. 13 with singers ages 9 to 20-plus from all over the world. Huge congrats to Shayla!
In early November, 126 grade 5 students (accompanied by 10 Harker faculty members) headed off for the annual three-day class trip to the Marin Headlands.
“Scientific study of various ecosystems and an 8-mile round trip hike that resulted in amazing views were among the highlights of the trip,” recalled Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, noting that the contingent spent two nights in a former army barracks at Fort Cronkhite.
“The fifth graders enjoyed breakfasts and dinners together in the dining hall and lunch out on the trails. On our last night, students and teachers participated in campfire skits and singing to culminate the experience. Some of the students were able to see a sea lion being released back into the ocean after a two-month stay at the Marine Mammal Center due to an injury caused by a net,” added Giammona.
The Marin Headlands has been called one of the most unique areas in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Along with its historical attractions, the area also boasts varied hiking trails, a dog-friendly beach, and astonishing views of the coast and San Francisco.
In early December the lower school’s entire grade 3 class enjoyed a very special visit from Harker alumnus John Owens ‘85, who last year made the news when he was appointed to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor in room 110, the third graders, who will soon be studying about the government at the local, state and federal levels, were enthralled by Judge Owen’s informative and entertaining talk about serving on the nation’s largest appeals court, which shapes federal law from districts in California and eight other Western states.
But long before he became a judge, Owens got his start at Harker in 1979, when he transferred from an East Bay public school as a grade 3 student himself. Many of the students at his talk were surprised to learn that his own third grade teacher was none other than Sarah Leonard, the lower school’s primary division head, who began her career at Harker as a lower school teacher.
“To this day I have vivid memories of John as one of my own former students. He is a role model in regards to what can happen when a strong work ethic and a determined, can-do attitude are at play,” recalled Leonard.
Owens noted how lucky they were to be attending the lower school. He then gave them a behind-the-scenes look at being a judge – a job he explained he is able to keep for life, should he so choose.
After his talk, he allowed plenty of time for questions and answers. Students asked such questions as, “What if the government picks a bad jury?” (answer: there might be a new trial) and “What if someone found innocent is actually guilty?” (answer: they cannot be tried again). The kids also had many questions about lie detectors.
“It was awesome! I learned a lot about being a judge and the government and how everything works,” said student Sohum Arora.
His mom, Shubhangi Kapatkar, said she was grateful to Harker for giving the third graders the opportunity to receive a visit from Judge Owens. “Sohum was so excited to tell me all about it, he just kept talking about him until he went to sleep. He seemed to be really pumped up seeing a real judge in his real life. … He never usually tells me about what happens in school, so this was a special day for him.”
Indeed, life for Owens, a former lawyer, has changed significantly ever since President Barack Obama nominated him to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Drawing a map of the states for the students on the whiteboard, Owens explained that judges on the 9th Circuit review the decisions of federal trial courts in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and certain islands in the Pacific.
Owens has served as a law clerk for Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to that Owens was a federal prosecutor and served as chief of the criminal division in the San Diego U.S. attorney’s office. At the age of 19, he worked in the publicity department of the Golden State Warriors basketball team. He and his wife, Marjorie, have two daughters and live in San Diego.
While working with Ginsberg in 1998, Owens helped set up a visit to the Supreme Court for a group of grade 8 Harker students who were in Washington, D.C., on their class trip. “Justice Ginsburg addressed the students in the courtroom, and answered their questions. I was very proud of my fellow Harker Eagles that day,” he recalled.
Of his time at Harker, he stressed that the school remains “the most significant professional and personal influence on me.” Harker, he said, provided him with the study skills necessary to succeed in school, and more important, the ethics and values to succeed in life. Owens started out as a Harker student in 1979, graduated from grade 8 in 1985, and worked as a summer camp counselor/coach at the school from 1985 until 1991. Today, he remains active with the school as a member of Harker’s distinguished board of fellows.
When asked to offer parting words of wisdom to the students, Owens stressed how important it is to be kind to others and that reaching goals takes really hard work. “So,” he advised, “work hard at whatever it is you want to do.”
“It was heartwarming to see the connection he was able to make with the children. Almost effortlessly, he was able to establish and maintain a lively but meaningful rapport with them. With the perfect mix of knowledge, humor and crowd management skills, he left the children with a memorable experience that I hope they carry with them for a long time to come,” noted Leonard.
Last weekend, grade 5 student Rahul Mulpuri and his team won the Project Award at the First Lego League (FLL) Northern California qualifying tournament held at Intel headquarters. The award recognizes innovative solutions, research and presentation skills. His team was one of 16 that participated in the tournament. His teammates hailed from Pinewood, Khan Lab and Stratford. “It was an amazing collaboration between these kids from different schools working together towards a common goal with great team spirit,” said Rohini Malpuri, Rahul’s mother.
Lorenzo Martinelli, grade 5, was recently named Pacific Swimming’s 2015 Outstanding Short Course Swimmer in the age 10 and under category. Pacific Swimming comprises 120 swim clubs and 16,000 swimmers, making it the third largest of USA Swimming’s 59 regional associations. Martinelli was selected from among thousands of male swimmers in his age group.
“I am so excited to receive this award! Swimming is my passion and I love to win. It is fun to be recognized for winning!” he said.
Martinelli was honored at the 2015 PacSwim Awards banquet, which took place on Oct. 10 at the Embassy Suites Milpitas-Silicon Valley. Attending swimmers, their families and coaches enjoyed dinner, awards and a special visit from three-time Olympic swimming champion Natalie Coughlin.
Hearty congratulations to Natasha Rajaram, grade 4, who in mid-October won the “Little Mo” National Tennis Championship for girls age 9! The “Little Mo” tournaments are fun and provide good competition for tennis players age 8-12. Rajaram worked her way through sectionals and regionals to qualify for the championship, held in Austin, Texas. She also was one of just a few girls to be nominated for the sportsmanship award, although she did not win it.
“There are usually about four or five girls nominated for the award,” said Carol Weyman, a spokesperson for the event. “Just to be nominated is a great honor.”
Last month, lower school art teacher Jaja Hsuan’s students were busy with a variety of fascinating projects. In early October, her kindergarten students studied the works of Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and created pieces that displayed dots contained in concentric circles, using different emotions to guide their color choices. Weeks later, to celebrate Halloween, they expanded on their learning about colors and emotion to create a series of expressive, and frequently funny, pumpkin faces using paint and construction paper.
Hsuan’s grade 3 students spent much of October putting ideas in sketchbooks, which they later used to create landscapes inspired by visions of Africa. They then created animals for their scenes by tracing their shapes and reverse-rubbing them onto watercolor paper. Environmental elements such as trees and clouds were also added. Finally, the students painted in the backgrounds using a variety of colors. The resulting artwork was displayed in the lower school’s front office and gym lobby.
Grade 2 students recently had a great time painting and hand delivering some 100 colorful pumpkins to residents living near the lower school campus. They created the festive pumpkins on Oct. 23, then delivered them to the school’s immediate neighbors the following week.
The annual outreach and community service project is an expression of gratitude to the residents for being such good neighbors.
The painting took place in the lower school’s art room. The delivery entailed walking around the school’s neighborhood, leaving pumpkins and handwritten cards on porches or into the hands of the appreciative residents if they were home.
A spooktacular time was had by all at this year’s lower school Halloween parade, which featured superheroes, ghosts, goblins, witches, fairy princesses and more! To the delight of onlookers, each grade level circled the parade’s pathway a couple of times.
Several hundred parents attended the 18th annual event, which was held on the afternoon of Oct. 30 and sponsored by Harker’s BEST staff. There were chairs set up, as well as plenty of standing room, along the route. Students could opt to wear their costumes to school or bring them along to put on before the parade, but most wore their costumes all day.
This is always an exciting day for the students, staff and parents– last year the parade had to be moved indoors due to rain, but this year the sun shone brightly as students in grades K-5 showed off their Halloween finest.