The fall sports season was a huge success, with more than 300 participants in grades 4-8.
We are very appreciative of all the parental support we received this season. So many parents stepped up to provide snacks and support for the coaches. We also appreciate the hard work and dedication of our athletes.
Here are the final West Bay Athletic League standings and award winners for the lower and middle school fall sports teams.
Varsity A (grade 8) flag football: Finished in fifth place in the WBAL at 2-4, 5-6 overall. Team awards went to Naveen Mirapuri (MVP), Jeffrey Liu (Eagle) and Vedanth Sundaram (Coaches).
Varsity B (grade 7) flag football: Finished in third place in the WBAL at 4-1-1, 7-3-1 overall. Team awards went to Srinath Somasundaram (MVP), Marcus Anderson (Eagle) and Nikhil Gargeya (Coaches).
Junior varsity A (grade 6) flag football: Finished in second place in the WBAL at 5-2, 6-2 overall. Team awards went to Eric Bollar (MVP), Anquan Boldin Jr. (Eagle) and Richard Amarillas (Coaches).
Junior varsity B (grade 5) flag football: Finished in second place in the WBAL at 4-2. Team awards went to Rohan Gorti (MVP), Frederick Hoch (Eagle) and Drake Piscione (Coaches).
Intramural (grade 4) flag football: Team awards went to Om Tandon and Jack Ledford (Eagle) and Jerry Li and Enzo Lucketti (Coaches).
Varsity A (grades 7 and 8) softball: Finished in third place in the WBAL at 3-1-1, 4-2-1 overall. Team awards went to Alaina Valdez, grade 7 (MVP); Hunter Hernandez, grade 7 (Eagle); and Alex Baeckler, grade 7 (Coaches).
Junior varsity A (grades 4-6) softball: Finished in first place in the WBAL at 4-1-1. Team awards went to Brooklyn Cicero, grade 6 (MVP); Annalyn Bean, grade 5 (Eagle); and Maya Kelly, grade 4 (Coaches).
Intramural (grade 4) softball: Team awards went to Cecilia Yang, Maria Chrysafis and Claire Bauschlicher (Coaches).
MS cross country: Team awards went to Courtni Thompson, grade 7 (top runner); Mihir Sharma, grade 8, Anna Weirich, grade 7, and Kevin Chen, grade 8 (MVP); Arya Maheshwari, grade 7, Grant Miner, grade 8, and Anna Gert, grade 8 (Eagle); and Raj Patel, grade 6, Minali Kapadia, grade 6, and Annabelle Ju, grade 8 (Coaches).
First place finishers were:
Courtni Thompson (Harker meet, Rolling Hills meet, JD Morgan Park meet)
Arya Maheshwari (Harker meet)
Grade 6 boys team (WBAL final meet)
Grade 7 boys team (Harker meet)
Grade 8 boys team (Harker meet)
Grade 8 girls team (Harker meet)
MS swimming: Team awards went to Allison Jia, grade 8 (MVP); Nina Gee, grade 7 (Eagle); and Elizabeth Fields, grade 7, and Rishab Parthasarathy, grade 6 (Coaches).
LS swimming: Team awards went to Alexis Nishimura, grade 5 (MVP); Rani Patel, grade 4 (Eagle) and Linette Hoffman, grade 5 (Coaches).
First place finishers at the Castilleja meet were:
William Zhao, grade 6, 100 IM
Rhys Edwards, grade 7, 100 IM and 50 fly
Leland Rossi, grade 7, 50 free and 200 free
Alyssa Huang, grade 8, 50 fly and 50 breast
Kurtis Tong, grade 5, 25 back
Arjun Akkiraju, grade 8, 50 back
Brittany Shou, grade 6, 100 free
Anish Pai, grade 6, 200 free
Avery Young, grade 7, 50 breast
Grade 6 boys, 100 free relay
Grade 7 boys, 100 free relay
Grade 6 boys, medley relay
Grade 7 boys, medley relay
Grade 8 boys, medley relay
Grade 8 girls, medley relay
First place finishers at the WBAL finals meet were:
For many years, educator-storyteller Jim Cogan has made special appearances as a guest speaker at the lower school, enthralling audiences with his engaging tales of courage and compassion. In early October, he returned to campus to share his stories during two assemblies.
Students in grades K-3 heard Cogan speak during his first morning appearance, which was immediately followed by a talk for grades 4-5. Both groups were delighted by his folktales.
Cogan is nationally recognized for his ability to combine storytelling with history and literacy education. He has worked with the National Storytelling Congress, the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the National Park Service and a variety of educational organizations.
Over the summer, grade 4 student Nathan Liu’s basketball team, Spartans, won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) South Regional Championship. More than 100 teams competed at the event, held in Santa Cruz. The Spartans went on to win the 2015 AAU Summer Tournament Champion in San Carlos. Prior to that, Liu was voted by his National Junior Basketball League (NJB) teammates and coaches to be the NJB West San Jose All-Star candidate.
“Winning or losing is not the key point, the most important is to stay in the game and keep playing!” said Liu.
Over Labor Day weekend, grade 9 chess enthusiast Shaunak Maruvada took second place in the expert section (U2200) at the CalChess State Championship. Facing formidable competition, Maruvada was undefeated in his section and finished in second place, missing two games to celebrate his birthday on Sept. 7.
In mid-August, Nathan Liu, grade 4, and Tiffany Zhao, grade 9, traveled to Germany to play piano at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival.
During a public concert held in the town hall, Liu and Zhao had the opportunity to play a duet (a Brahms waltz), in addition to doing solo performances. Liu had the distinction of being the youngest music player invited to the festival.
While in Germany, both Liu and Zhao learned from many of the world’s top musicians, and spent time at a historic music school located in a medieval castle.
“I learned how to cooperate with other musicians, as well as train my ear to listen to other people and play accordingly. My piano teacher asked me play a duet with Nathan there. It was also a great experience to mentor a younger musician,” Zhao said.
“It was a great experience,” said Liu. “One of the cool things is I made some good friends. I was really glad that Tiffany was there, so she could accompany me. I was amazed that everybody in the town was very into music and the posters of the festival were everywhere. I learned a lot from the more experienced musicians. Overall, it was an unforgettable two weeks!” he added.
Once again Harker’s English Language Institute (ELI) attracted an increasing number of students from all over the world seeking top-level English instruction. Held during the summer on both the lower and upper school campuses, the program was open to international students in the elementary division (ages 6-11) and secondary division (ages 12-16).
Many of the ELI participants signed up for the program in preparation for admission to American boarding schools and English-speaking schools worldwide. Small classes, a nurturing environment and experienced teachers helped foreign students develop speaking, reading and writing skills to ensure their readiness. This year ELI included a brand new offering for students who are very intent on staying in the United States and attending school by further supporting them with additional services such as standardized testing, multi-level diagnostic assessments and academic consultations.
A unique aspect of ELI is that students had opportunities to interact with Harker’s regular summer program participants. This allowed them to make new friends and practice their English with native speakers.
Eight-year-old Ivy Zhao, from China, said she previously had attended Harker’s Camp+, but this was her first time participating in the ELI program. “I liked making new friends as well as seeing old ones that I had made before at Camp+,” she recalled.
Lucas Jia, a 9-year-old first-time ELI participant, also from China, said he enjoyed Harker so much that he wished he could attend the school year-round. “Here is very fun!” he said, noting that hanging out with his friends at the lower school pool was one of his favorite activities. He also enjoyed recess time on the playground, making friendship bracelets and playing games in the gym.
“We had a very motivated and excited group of young learners,” enthused longtime ELI lower school instructor Karen Glovka, who this summer taught students in grades 3-5. (During the regular school year, Glovka teaches Spanish to Harker students in grades 4-5.)
“They worked hard to use English as much as possible, and they loved the many activities offered to them. Our teachers were also motivated and excited, working with academic levels from kindergarten through fourth grade. The T.A.s were equally incredible, providing classroom academic support and working alongside camp staff during enrichment activities. I think we could call ELI ‘extreme, limitless, instruction’ (in English, of course!),” she reported.
New to the program last year was a weeklong “Very Interesting Places” (VIP) tour. This option, available to all ELI students, proved so successful that it was offered again this year at the conclusion of ELI’s regular five-week academic session. According to ELI director Anthony Wood, the VIP tour was born from widespread interest from ELI participants in having more excursions to enhance their American social and cultural experiences.
During the VIP trip, students followed a specialized course of study to continue developing reading, writing and speaking competency while visiting university campuses, Silicon Valley businesses, places of interest and treasured landmarks. The tour was capped off with an overnight trip to the scenic California coast.
ELI initially began as a year-round boarding school program and evolved into the current summer program, which launched in 2004. For the past few summers, ELI has steadily grown in attendance, especially in the primary division.
International students come to Harker accompanied by a parent or local guardian and stay in nearby apartments or with area family and friends. Each ELI session is kicked off by a welcome orientation, and at the end of each session students participate in a touching closing ceremony.
“We keep growing and enjoying each summer!” said Glovka.
For students who attended this year’s Summer Camp+, the summer was filled with engaging morning lessons and fun afternoon seafaring adventures. Themed “Camp on the 7 Seas,” the program provided educational and activity packed sessions for students in grades K-5. The very popular program, held on the lower school campus, attracts nearly 800 campers each summer.
Camp+ students in grades 1-5 have several morning program options, including the traditional academic offerings Core Focus and Learning Opportunities in Literature (LOL). Campers in grades 2-5 also had the option of art or music. An artist’s studio was led by Harker’s lower school art instructor Gerry-louise Robinson, while orchestra, rock band and songwriting workshops were led by Louis Hoffman, lower school music teacher.
New this year were extended teaching blocks during the academic portion of the day, explained Patricia Lai Burrows, who served as a Camp+ principal alongside Diann Chung. “This year’s schedule allowed for deeper and more meaningful learning,” recalled Lai Burrows.
Following the morning session, many campers stayed on for a partial or full-day activity program, which included a wide range of group and individual activities such as arts and crafts, dance, water play, wall climbing, archery and field sports.
Among those participating in the afternoon program was first-time Camp+ participant Kaleb Goldin. The rising grade 3 Harker student stood on the lower school field, waiting in line for his turn to participate in the rock wall climbing activity.
“I’m looking forward to it!” he said, as a camp counselor helped him prepare for his climb. After he had finished, he gave the thumbs up sign, declaring “That was great!”
The afternoon sessions included a variety of activities for campers of all ages, who were grouped according to their grades: kindergarteners attended kindercamp, first graders were called “owls,” second and third graders were” condors,” while fourth and fifth graders were “eagles.” Afternoon activities also were divided by themes, such as Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Artic, Bon Voyage, Pacific, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic.
The groups enjoyed many fun outings. For example, the kindercampers enjoyed parfaits at a neighborhood park; the owls went on a field trip to the Children’s Discovery Museum; the condors went bowling and to the Oakland Zoo; and the eagles spent an afternoon at Laser Quest and had a sleepover in the gym. Campers of all ages had a blast celebrating camp mascot Ray’s Deep Sea Birthday Party and a salt water pool carnival!
The Summer Camp+ program traditionally kicks off and ends with Color Clash, a fun event held in the lower school’s gymnasium. Groups of campers on yellow, red, green and blue teams participate in an array of silly games cheered on by captains (aka camp counselors) wearing color-coordinated outfits that run the gamut from superheroes to hula skirts and fun hats.
At the end of each session, there was an informative showcase for parents. The “Super Summer Showcase” allowed parents to spend some time exploring their child’s classroom and learn more about the exciting activities in the afternoon program. As part of the showcase, art work from students enrolled in the artist’s studio was on display.
The exhibit had a playful feel, with a colorful array of chalk pastels of flowers, sunsets and snails. The children also made windmills and American flags, among other seasonal artwork – reflective of both summer fun and another great year at Camp+!
The Harker School has offered extensive summer programs for more than 50 years. The Summer Camp+ program is nationally accredited by the American Camping Association.
In May, five Harker students were honored by the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators’ 26th Annual Student Recognition Program. Held at the Morris Dailey Auditorium at San Jose State University, the awards recognition ceremony was called “Emphasizing Education, Affirming Our Future.”
In total, 336 talented and achieving students in grades 5, 6, 8 and 12 were recognized during the program. The Harker students cited for awards were Kai Due, grade 5, for student athlete; Brooklyn Cicero, grade 5, for fine arts/talent; Wynter Chaverst, grade 8 for academics/improved GPA; Jackson Williams, grade 8, for student athlete; and Christian Williams, grade 12, for academics/improved GPA.
The annual event is dedicated to the pursuit of cultural and educational excellence. It aims to encourage student achievement, affirm pride among African-American students, and recognize the support of family and community in their lives.
Each year, a highlight of the grade 4 curriculum is the annual spring sojourn to the Coloma Outdoor Discovery School (CODS) to learn about the California Gold Rush. This year, the fourth graders spent several adventurous days experiencing what it was like to be a gold miner.
Located on the northern fork of the American River, Coloma is where gold was first discovered in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush. Today, Coloma is a designated national historic landmark district and tourist attraction best known for its ghost town and Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.
“Harker has been sending fourth graders to CODS for over 20 years,” said Kristin Giammona, elementary school head.
Highlights of the trip included an opportunity to view the site where James Marshall first discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill. “The students were in groups of 15 and had a naturalist assigned to each group. The naturalist taught them about the Gold Rush and its environmental impact,” recalled Giammona.
While on the trip, students took a 3-mile round-trip hike up to Monroe Ridge; along the walk, students studied native animals and plants, and sang songs. The students ate their meals outdoors and took turns doing kitchen cleanup. They slept in cabins and enjoyed evening entertainment, including a lively hoedown (a campfire with songs and skits).
One evening, a Native American guest speaker educated students about Native American culture. Among the many things they learned is that the name Coloma comes from the natives’ name for the surrounding valley, Cullumah, meaning “beautiful.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Middle and Upper School Students Orchestrate Pitch Perfect Concert
By Jared Scott Tesler
The Grade 6 Orchestra and Grades 7-8 Orchestra, conducted by David Hart, and The Harker School Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Florio, joined forces once again for their annual spring concert, held at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater. Amid a symphony of classical arrangements composed by Brahms, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and others, more easily recognizable numbers included the theme songs from “James Bond” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Senior violinist Helen Wu, who recently earned a spot on the National Youth Orchestra for the second year in a row, performed the Allegro from Samuel Barber’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.”
The event featured numerous members of the Class of 2015, in the final ensemble performance of their Harker performing arts careers: violinists Thyne Boonmark, Eugene Gil (assistant concertmaster), Vivian Jou, Leeza Kuo, Briana Liang, Sahana Rangarajan (co-principal), Sophia Shatas and Helen Wu (concertmaster); violists Lekha Chirala (co-assistant principal), Austin Lai (principal) and Patrick Lin; cellists Matthew Huang (principal), Julia Wang and Madelyn Wang; bassists Jackelyn Shen and Kelly Wang (assistant principal); oboists Jason Jeong (co-principal) and Allison Kiang (assistant principal); clarinetists Harry Xu and Eric Yu (principal second); clarinetist and percussionist Angeline Pan; bassoonists Rahul Balakrishnan (assistant principal) and Kailas Vodrahalli (principal); horn player Vishal Vaidya (principal); and tubist Madhavan Nair (principal). Congratulations on a job well done!
Kindergartners Take Aesop’s ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ to the Stage
By Jared Scott Tesler
This spring, the Bucknall Gym was alive with the sound of music – and laughter. In their stage acting debut, Harker kindergartners from each homeroom unleashed their inner animals during six performances of “A Race to the Finish,” a witty and whimsical mini-musical based on Aesop’s most popular fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” proving once and for all that “slow and steady wins the race.” Some multitalented actors also did a bit of dancing!
Along with the slow-moving tortoise and foolishly overconfident hare, the all-animal cast of characters ran the gamut of individual strengths and sizes: bear, beaver, blue jay, bobcat, bunny, cardinal, chipmunk, coyote, deer, duck, elk, fox, mare, moose, mountain lion, owl (portrayed by kindergarten teacher Michelle Anderson), porcupine, raccoon, squirrel, turkey and woodchuck. K-3 music teacher Carena Montany served as director, with stage crew duties carried out by members of technical director Danny Dunn’s grade 5 Technical Theater class.
Harker Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Dance Jamz
By Jared Scott Tesler
Inspired choreography, dazzling costumes, dynamic dance styles and eclectic music took center stage at Dance Jamz 2015, now in its 10th year. The annual middle school dance show, held in mid-March at the Blackford Theater and directed by lower school performing arts lead teacher Gail Palmer, featured 150 boys and girls in grades 6, 7 and 8, who danced their way into the hearts of family, friends and Harker community members.
Set to music from yesterday’s and today’s top talent, including Paula Abdul, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Maroon 5, Britney Spears and Stevie Ray Vaughan, 18 action-packed dance routines provided something for everyone, captivating the audience of children, teens, adults and seniors. Capping off the show, the entire cast performed to house and dance-pop group Deee-Lite’s best-known single, “Groove Is in the Heart,” which opens with a fitting lyric: “We’re going to dance and have some fun.” Mission accomplished!
Evening of Jazz Gets Toes Tapping
By Jared Scott Tesler
Middle and upper school jazz musicians specializing in a wide array of brass, percussion, string and woodwind instruments, conducted by David Hart and Christopher Florio, congregated in late March at the Blackford Theater for “An Evening of Jazz.” Rounding out the production staff were production manager Brian Larsen and technical director Paul Vallerga.
The students’ love of all things jazz was heard loud and clear as they paid tribute to many late, great composers, musicians and pianists – Jimmy Forrest (“Night Train”), George Gershwin (“Cuban Overture”), Antônio Carlos Jobim (“Chega de Saudade”/“No More Blues”), Charles Mingus (“Better Get It in Your Soul”), Ástor Piazzolla (“Libertango”), Horace Silver (various) and Fred Sturm (various). A good time was had by all at this year’s toe-tapping, finger-snapping concert, which spotlighted the following graduating seniors: saxophonists Alan Guo, Rishabh Jain and Daniela Lee; trombonists Juhi Gupta, Nikhil Singh and Kevin Zhang; drummer Gillian Wallin; and cellist and vocalist Julia Wang.
Cellists Thrive at Harker
By Jared Scott Tesler
Brava to cellist Angeline Kiang, grade 5, on her first-place finish in this year’s United States International Music Competition! Kiang’s talent, diligence and appreciation of cross-cultural music earned her a cash prize, a trophy, a certificate of recognition and a possible radio show interview.
As a cellist in the lower school orchestra, Kiang has received guidance and support from Louis Hoffman, who oversees the after-school instrumental program. “She has been a wonderful student, inspired her fellow musicians, been an active part of our program and a true example of a student who both loves to play and is willing to put in the hard work and time it takes to achieve excellence on a musical instrument,” Hoffman said. “I’m incredibly honored and blessed to have been one of her teachers.”
The middle school boasts its own star cellist, Rachel Broweleit, grade 7. Broweleit’s interest in orchestral music began to surface at The Harker School at the age of 6. Broweleit joined the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO), an award-winning youth orchestra for regional string musicians of high school age and younger. Now in her second year as co-principal cellist in PACO’s Sinfonia ensemble, she is also part of California Music Preparatory Academy’s chamber music program.
At just 13 years of age, Broweleit already has won several major international competitions, including first place at both the American Fine Arts Festival and the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, and was named the grand-prize winner at this year’s United States Open Music Competition.
Broweleit says her early success is due in large part to her educational experience and the dedicated, caring faculty. “Dr. [David] Hart [middle school orchestra director] has been a great encouragement, providing a really exciting atmosphere and creating opportunities for me and my classmates to explore our interests in music,” she said.
Read full stories on both these talented cellists at news.harker.org. Just search for their last names or use these shortlinks: http://news.harker. org/?p=26002 (Kiang) and https://staging.news.harker.org/?p=25890 (Broweleit).
Musical Adaptation of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ Entertains, Teaches Acceptance
By Jared Scott Tesler
Ugly duckling or majestic swan? Come to find out, beauty – and ugliness – is in the eye of the beholder.
Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen’s literary fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling” recently underwent a book-to-musical makeover at the Blackford Theater. Under the direction of performing arts teacher Monica Colletti, Harker’s seventh and eighth graders presented composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe’s “Honk! Jr.,” a musical adaptation of the classic children’s story created for younger audiences.
The plot and musical numbers served as more than just entertainment – they imparted many important life lessons such as self-discovery, tolerance and acceptance. Perfect timing, as our middle school students begin to unlock their full potential and form friendships that will last a lifetime.
Conservatory Class of 2015 Gives Stunning Final Performance at Certificate Program Graduation
By Catherine Snider
For a small group of students in the Class of 2015, Harker’s commencement exercises were their second graduation in as many days. Twenty-nine Harker Conservatory certificate students changed their status from candidates to graduates at the 14th annual Senior Showcase on May 22, held at the beautiful Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater in San Jose.
These artists completed a four-year guided course through the upper school performing arts department – the Conservatory – mentored by teachers in all the disciplines, with particular emphasis in one: vocal music, instrumental music, dance, theater, musical theater or technical theater. Senior Showcase is a culmination of those years of study, with the seniors providing guests in the packed theater with snapshots from their accumulated portfolios.
The evening ended with the formal presentation of their certificates by the performing arts faculty and a final group bow, greeted with a well-deserved standing ovation by the many friends, family members, teachers and administrators who supported them on their journey through the program.
Eclectic Lower School Spring Concert Delights Audiences of All Ages
By Jared Scott Tesler
This year’s lower school spring concert featured a jam-packed program of performances by the Bucknall Choir, Lower School Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, First Year Violin Group, First Year Cello Group, Preparatory String Ensemble, Guitar Group and String Ensemble. Audience members were doubly entertained by grade 5 soloists Samuel Boucher (alto saxophone) and United States International Music Competition first-place winner Angeline Kiang (cello). See page 21 for more on Harker cellists.
Time-honored tunes, ranging from popular nursery rhymes and lullabies to classical pieces by Bach, Liszt, Pachelbel and Sibelius, filled the theater. Even the Grammy Award- and Academy Award-nominated song “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie” was tossed in for good measure. With so many genres of music, the concert offered something for everyone to enjoy!
Classic Fairy Tale Characters Venture ‘Into the Woods’ in Spring Musical
By Zach Jones
A who’s-who of iconic fairy tale characters got much more than they wished for at this year’s Harker Conservatory spring musical, a raucous production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Into the Woods,” which played at the Blackford Theater April 16-17 and will travel to Scotland in August to play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Noted for its thematic and musical depth, “Into the Woods” intertwines the stories of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and other popular fairy tale characters who all have wishes they want fulfilled. At the center of the story are a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child but are stymied by a curse put upon the baker’s house by a witch. The through-sung musical, directed by Laura Lang-Ree, featured inspired performances from its cast, who brought out the surprising complexity of characters known mostly for their simple and moralistic stories.
‘Into the Woods’ Honored with Nominations
The Rita Moreno California High School Musical Honors results are in and although we didn’t win, the finalists in all categories were awesome and had a great adjudication experience and final performance on stage. “The entire cast really killed it during their performance,” noted show director Laura Lang-Ree. “Rita Moreno, for whom the competition is named, gave out the awards and took pictures with leading actor and actress finalists – including our kids, Jeton [Gutierrez-Bujari ’15] and Madi [Lang-Ree ’15].”
Harker had finalists in the following categories:
Best Show
Outstanding Lead Actor: Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari, grade 12 (Baker)
Outstanding Lead Actress: Madi Lang-Ree, grade 12 (Baker’s Wife)
Outstanding Supporting Actress: Helen Woodruff, grade 11 (Rapunzel)
Kudos were given by organizers for the number of schools that were adjudicated from San Luis Obispo to Marin and they also noted how just being there as a finalist was a victory. “Very fun and a great learning experience,” Lang-Ree added. “Our students got to see a lot performing at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, met tons of people and collaborated like crazy!”
Diversity Takes the Lead at Annual Upper School Chorus Concert
By Jared Scott Tesler
In late April, Harker’s upper school performing arts department presented “In Concert: Pastiche,” featuring the vocal stylings of introductory choir Bel Canto, intermediate chamber ensemble Camerata, women’s chamber ensemble Cantilena, show choir Downbeat and men’s contemporary a cappella ensemble Guys’ Gig. Well-known songs like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen, “Imagine” by John Lennon and “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)” by Billy Joel wove their way between songs in other languages, including German, Hindi, Latin and Spanish.
Student conductors, a trio of sopranos, a trumpeter, pianists and many members of the Class of 2015 accompanied the vocal groups. It all came together beautifully (the name of the concert, Pastiche, is defined as eclecticism in art) thanks to the vision, hard work, determination and dedication of each and every performer and seasoned directors Laura Lang-Ree, Susan Nace and Jennifer Sandusky.
Lower School’s ‘Dancing at Disneyland’ Delights the Young and Young at Heart
By Jared Scott Tesler
Gail Palmer, lower school performing arts lead teacher, dubbed this year’s lower school dance concert “The Happiest Dance Show on Earth” – and anyone in attendance at “Dancing at Disneyland” would be hard-pressed to disagree! For some audience members, the enchanted evening in late May provided a monumental trip down memory lane; for others, it was every bit as magical as a visit to their all-time favorite theme park.
Under the direction of Palmer, with assistance provided by Kimberly Teodoro and Jessalyn Espiritu, the concert featured 250 students in grades 1-5 dancing around a wonderland of fanciful props, sets and slides. Each performance was cleverly assigned the name of a popular Disneyland attraction, parade, ride, shop or show, with 11 of 29 lively numbers choreographed by Palmer herself, including the opening and closing routines set to the Academy Award-winning song “When You Wish Upon a Star” from the animated musical fantasy film “Pinocchio” and “Happy” by singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony Marks End of Middle School Years
Every year, the grade 8 promotion ceremony heralds the eighth graders’ exciting transition to high school. Held in the middle school gym on June 5, the ceremony poignantly marked the end of the students’ middle school years.
Parents and students were shepherded into the gym, accompanied by the music of the Grade 6 Orchestra, under the direction of Dave Hart. Cindy Ellis, middle school head, welcomed the students and congratulated them on reaching this important milestone and beginning a new stage in their academic lives. A celebration slideshow, put together by Taylor Vaughan, Claire Newman and Elise Mayer, all grade 8, delighted both students and parents alike. Patricia Burrows, middle school English teacher and Class of 2019 advisory dean, then gave a moving farewell address to the soon-to-be upper school students, encouraging them to welcome the many opportunities that await them over the next four years. Next up was a beautiful performance of the song “Stand Together” by Harmonics and Vivace, the middle school vocal groups directed by Monica Colletti and Jennah Somers, and Hart, respectively.
A welcome address to the Class of 2019 was delivered by rising senior Michael Zhao, who will be next year’s upper school ASB president. Following that, the eighth graders received their promotion certificates from Chris Nikoloff, head of school, along with Ellis, who made some warm closing remarks.
The ceremony concluded, as in years past, with the singing of “The Harker School Song,” followed by a recessional and well-attended reception in the amphitheater. Ellis also had created a small gift – a dragonfly pendant attached to a note explaining how the insect’s metamorphosis is a symbol for the students’ tremendous transformation during middle school. Along with the token, a personal note of appreciation to each family was distributed as the parents exited the ceremony.
Grade 5 Students Bid Fond Farewell to Lower School During Touching Promotion Ceremony
Grade 5 students received a warm send-off at a touching promotion ceremony held in the late afternoon on June 4 in the lower school gymnasium.
Members of the Class of 2022 officially ended their time as lower school students during the ceremony, which opened with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by class president Uma Misha. Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, then greeted the students, parents and faculty in attendance. She congratulated the students on reaching this important next step in their academic careers.
The grade 4-6 dance group Dance Fusion, led by Gail Palmer, delighted the audience with a performance to the song “Take on Me.” Following that, a slideshow recapping the entire school year was shown and then the excited students walked up to receive their promotion certificates.
Kellie Binney-Smart, lower school choral music teacher, led the newly promoted students in the songs “When I Close My Eyes” and the “The Harker School Song,” after which incoming middle school ASB president and rising grade 8 student Avi Gulati gave a speech welcoming the newest middle schoolers. Kate Shanahan, grade 5 English teacher, then offered a heartwarming send-off to the class.
Giammona closed the ceremony with a final farewell. The students and their guests then enjoyed a reception featuring a “Class of ’22” cake and other treats.