This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In early May, Grandparents’ Day was held at both the lower school and, for the second year in a row, at Harker Preschool.
On this charming day, grandparents and “grandfriends” toured the campuses and participated in activities with the special children in their lives. A long-standing tradition at Harker, the day gives students on both the lower school and preschool campuses the opportunity to welcome grandparents or adoptive grandparents-for-the-day to the school for an educational and memorable visit in their honor.
On the preschool campus, the captivating morning of exploration and play for students and their honored guests allowed teachers and specialists to provide a glimpse of all the incredible happenings at Harker Preschool. There were a variety of displays and interactive activities from the preschool’s talented staff, including the art, music and movement and STEM specialists.
At the lower school campus, the event was marked by a fun “Wild West” motif. During the day, students and their special guests were treated to an array of theme-related activities. They also had the opportunity to learn more about the lower school, as well as visit its annual book fair.
“At both the preschool and lower school, a special and wonderful day was had by all!” reported Teré Aceves, director of preschool-5 volunteer programs and event fundraising.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Art at Harker was in full bloom this past spring, during an array of creative and colorful exhibits held across all four campuses. Enjoy this look back at the varied and impressive artistic talents of students, who happily shared their “labors of love” with the Harker community.
Harker Preschool Holds Second Annual Art Show
For the second year in a row, Harker Preschool held its very own art show on the Union Avenue campus. The “Second Annual Year-End Art Showcase” featured works from every student on campus, which they had made in the art studio throughout the school year.
The captivating exhibit, which ran from May 1 to June 1, included works in the following categories: canvas paintings, self-portraits, ceramics, natural material collage, watercolor paintings, mixed media drawings and more. The exhibit was also a highlight of Grandparents’ Day at the preschool, held in May.
“It was a cumulative display of preschool artistry!” enthused Alexandria Kerekez, Harker Preschool’s art specialist.
Preschoolers of all ages are regularly invited into the art studio to paint, work with clay, hone their pencil skills and learn to observe the world around them while working in a variety of media, according to Kerekez. The school’s outdoor art area allows for further creative expression, where everyday things such as the sun, water and leaves can become part of a project.
Throughout the year, Harker Preschool holds art exhibits. A unique show held in the winter was the “Amazing Rainbow Gallery Show,” in which Kerekez curated a unique display on the exploration and investigation of rainbows. It demonstrated how the preschool curriculum often emerges from the interests of the children – in this case when children observed rainbows in the sky.
Contributions to the show included multimedia artwork from the students, as well as documentation of their work in the STEM and music and movement specialty classes. A fun highlight of the project was when the preschoolers made a rainbow on the ground with roller skates in the outdoor art studio.
When asked about their favorite art project of the year, many of the 4- and 5-year-olds responded that it was “The Canvas Project.” That project, which was included in the spring art show, consisted of a collection of canvas paintings crafted by the eldest preschoolers. The representational work consisted of drafting an image of “a wish” and then translating it into an acrylic painting.
Lower School Art Show Celebrates Artistic Flair of K-5 Students
The lower school art show is a much-anticipated, beloved annual tradition. This year’s exhibition began with an opening reception in the gym’s foyer on the morning of April 27 and ran until May 21.
Sponsored by the lower school art department and after-school art program, the show featured academic and after-school work from K-5 artists. The exhibition was shown in the main office, gym areas (including the lobby, kitchen, by the bleachers, stairwell and balcony), as well as the art rooms.
Exhibiting students once again demonstrated an impressive range of artistic abilities. Art- work on display included monochromatic pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, collages and ceramics. Parents, faculty members and students alike enjoyed the display, which featured works arranged both by theme and grade level.
According to Gerry-louise Robinson, lower school art teacher, this year’s show surpassed expectations. Reminiscing about the exhibit, she recalled: “The color, variety and detail in each and every piece on display would put a smile even on the harshest art critic’s face! Sunflowers, fanciful hens and rock guitars welcomed visitors into the gym lobby, while perfectly poised mannequins and cubist faces quietly watched students enjoy P.E. in the gym itself. Beware the eerie dark trees that followed you up the stairwell, guiding you through fall to winter and onto spring with pumpkins, penguins and printing. Finally, summer appeared with beautiful ceramic balloons and detailed insects. As only a snap- shot of artwork, every grade from kindergarten to fifth helped to transform the lower school into a visual festival of creativity both in flat work and 3-D.”
Hanging on a wall at the top of the stairs above the gym was a fun exhibit called “Ceramic Hot Air Balloons” made by kindergartners. The display featured hot air balloons made of clay, which appeared to be effortlessly floating amid the clouds. Another interesting ceramic display featured an array of colorful cat sculptures created by kindergartners and first graders in the after-school art program. The adorable animals were inspired by the artwork of popular artist Laurel Burch.
“It was cool because you could see your work and everybody else’s and show your friends,” observed Anoushka Khatri, grade 5.
“It was very nice because you could see everyone’s diversity which showed off through their art!” added Anya Warrier, also grade 5.
Grade 6-8 Students Display Works at Both Middle and Upper School Campuses
The middle school’s annual “Spring Exhibition” went on display in April in the up- per school’s main lobby gallery. Featuring selected art from students in all the middle school grades, the show also displayed culminating works from graduating grade 8 Art II students, which were on view in the adjacent college counseling gallery.
The gallery shows held a joint opening reception on April 10. The main gallery exhibition ran through April 22, while the show in the college counseling office ran through May 1. The two shows then moved to the Blackford campus for the May 6 opening of the combined end-of-the-year exhibit in the multipurpose room.
Sponsored by Harker’s middle school visual arts program, the middle school art shows included colorful paintings, sketches, ceramics, figurines and wire sculptures.
This year, Elizabeth Saltos, middle school visual arts teacher, also hosted a just-for-fun, school- wide “Jackson Pollock” cake eating party during the lunch period on May 15. Pollock was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting.
“I have a video of Pollock working, and we study his role in developing non-objective art. The kids always want to throw paint like he did, so we throw frosting instead,” explained Saltos.
Students who attended the cake party had a blast eating cake and checking out the art on display in the multipurpose room. Saltos said she felt particularly nostalgic about the graduating grade 8 students, whom she will miss teaching next year as they head off to high school. “These students worked with me for three years and really developed their skills,” observed Saltos.
Grade 8 exhibiting artist Anika Rajamani was one such student. Rajamani had taken Saltos’ elective sculpture course as a way to try something new. Standing in front of a Grecian urn she had created,
Rajamani explained that she had always taken illustration art courses before. “This is the first sculpture piece I have ever made,” she said, proudly. “All the vessels on display here were made using the coil technique.”
Meanwhile, her friend and fellow grade 8 student Ria Gupta had created a ceramic fountain that was on exhibit. The fountains were the culminating project of the advanced ceramics course, whereby each student designed a working tabletop water fountain, with no limits to creativity in terms of design. Both slab and wool techniques were utilized in these impressive works.
“After creating the fountain sculpture, we drilled holes and filled it with a water pump,” said Gupta. In the background came the soothing sounds of running water emanating from the prominently displayed fountains.
Upper School Art Show Transformed to ‘Artstravaganza le Deuxième!’
For many years the upper school art show has featured student works from projects created in its rich arts program. This year the event took on an exciting new twist as the upper school’s art and English departments joined forces to host the “Artstravaganza le Deuxième” during a long lunch in the Nichols Hall atrium on April 29.
The well-attended reception began with the sound of The Harker School Jazz Band performing outside the hall at the beginning of lunch. The show also celebrated the recipients of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the release of the Harker Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM) 2014-15 publication.
A reading in the auditorium featured the Scholastic winners and HELM contributors, as well as awards presented to selected winners for their works of art. Sarisha Kurup, grade 10, a Scholastic regional gold and silver award winner for writing, read an excerpt from one of her short stories.
Fine arts teacher Pilar Agüero-Esparza noted that the Scholastic winners’ reading was a welcome addition to the event. She also said the show was going for a more formal feel this year and noted that it showcased a variety of literary and visual pieces, ranging from poems and short stories to photography, sculptures and drawings.
Sophomore Alexa Gross was a guest speaker. She discussed her thoughts on having her visual pieces included in the exhibit, calling it a “great experience” to be able to showcase her artwork.
After the formal reading and discussion, students proceeded to explore the works on display in the atrium. Among the highlights were photography juxtaposed with narratives, an assortment of wire and wood sculptures, ceramic objects, and numerous illustrations, including still-life and self-portraits.
In February, the AP Studio Art (APSA) exhibit featured a collection of artworks from the largest group of APSA students ever, also in the Nichols atrium. In that show, the artworks of 23 students represented the approximate halfway point of their work on their concentration portfolio for the APSA exam in April.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Junior Varsity B1 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Ellie Pereira, finished 5-1, tying with Sacred Heart for first place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Tara Ozdemir (MVP), Alivia Li (Eagle) and Thresiamma Vazhaeparambil (Coaches).
Junior Varsity B2 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Therese Wunnenberg, finished 3-3, taking fourth place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Melody Yazdi (MVP), Imogene Leneham (Eagle) and Emily Tan (Coaches).
Intramural (grade 4) girls volleyball, coached by Vanessa Rios and Christina Mendoza, enjoyed a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Rachel Ning (MVP), Allison Zhu (Eagle) and Katelyn Abellera (Coaches).
Junior Varsity B (grades 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Richard Amarillas and Jon Cvitanich, finished 1-3 in league and 2-3 overall, taking fourth place in the WBAL. Team awards went to Richie Amarillas (MVP), Jack Hayashi (Eagle) and Arvin Nidadavolu (Coaches), all grade 5.
Intramural (grade 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Jim McGovern, Tobias Wade and Kristian Tiopo, finished a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Matthew Chen (Eagle), and Andrew Reed and Ethan Huang (Coaches).
Lower school track (grades 4 and 5), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 4 boys relay (Rohan Gorti, Andrew Fu, Lorenzo Martinelli and Rigo Gonzales) and the 100, 200 and 400 (Gonzales). Team awards went to Gonzales (MVP), Daniel Fields, grade 5 and Sasvath Ramachandran, grade 5 (Eagle), and Pranav Mullappalli, grade 4 and Nageena Singh, grade 5 (Coaches).
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
It’s official: The first group of Harker Preschool students to go on to attend kindergarten at the lower school are now rising grade 1 students. The young trailblazers now join the ranks of “big kids” on the Bucknall campus, paving the way for a new batch of preschoolers to matriculate to kindergarten come the start of the school year.
With kindergarten successfully behind them, the students have reached an important milestone by completing their initial year at the lower school.
“We were so proud to send our first group of preschoolers off to kindergarten. It has been so much fun to stop by and see them thriving in their K classrooms this year. I look forward to watching them grow for the next 12 years! In fact, I hope to be invited to tell fun stories of their preschool years at their high school graduation!” enthused Andrea Hart, director of Harker Preschool.
Going to kindergarten is an important life event that can leave preschoolers and their families feeling excited, as well as a bit worried, according to The National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest organization for early childhood educators.
To help ease the transition, Harker Preschool prides itself on its rich program, which prepares students to enter a kindergarten classroom. Classes utilize curriculum materials that align with those used in kindergarten, and their schedules follow many of the routines they can expect in a Harker kindergarten class.
Learning goals are achieved through teacher- directed experiences designed to expose children to school-age learning situations and expectations in a developmentally appropriate manner, explained Hart. And for the youngest kindergarten-eligible students (many of whom might require a bit more guidance) Harker Preschool offers a special transitional kindergarten program.
All of the preschool classrooms practice and develop important school-age social and emotional skills, including listening, following directions, waiting and sharing. Highly trained teachers are facilitators, observers and instructors for students. Teachers guide children through the enriching environment they have established by supporting, challenging and encouraging them to be sure they are thinking creatively and critically as they explore and learn.
Michelle Anderson, who teaches kindergarten at Harker, said having an on- campus preschool is extremely exciting for her kindergarten team. “We love the fact that we can articulate with the current preschool teachers about ways we can bridge the gap and make it a successful transition for each child who decides to continue on at Harker. The former preschool students made new friends and loved kindergarten, and now they are more than ready to enter first grade in the fall,” she said.
Former Harker Preschool student and recent kindergarten grad Spencer Mo said he enjoyed kindergarten at Harker because he could play Legos with his new best friends. “At Harker kindergarten, I learned how to be confident. I learned how to be nice to others and show respect,” he said.
When asked for his thoughts during the school year, Mo’s classmate Rishi Kutty said he liked being at the lower school for kindergarten because, “I play more outside games like soccer. I also like my language arts class where I can write stories.”
Other students said they enjoyed the wider variety of classes in kindergarten, like being able to take computers, P.E. and math lab. Former Harker Preschool student and recent kindergarten graduate Lauren Rossi said that what she loved best about kindergarten was science.
“In preschool we got to watch tadpoles turn into frogs. … In kindergarten we watched caterpillars turn into butterflies,” she recalled.
And, like those science class caterpillars that grew into butterflies, the former preschoolers (turned kindergartners, turned rising grade 1 students) are enjoying learning to spread their own wings as part of the Harker community.
Gail Palmer, lower school performing arts lead teacher, dubbed this year’s lower school dance concert, “Dancing at Disneyland,” “The Happiest Dance Show on Earth” – and anyone in attendance 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.
“Mickey and Minnie Mouse greeted the audience upon arrival as Disney music played in the Bucknall Theater. Once the show began, they were transported on a journey to the original theme park that Walt Disney opened in 1955,” Palmer said.
Under the direction of Palmer, with assistance provided by Kimberly Teodoro and Jessalyn Espiritu, the concert featured 250 students in grades 1 through 5 dancing around a wonderland of fanciful props, sets and slides.
“The children performed with energy, enthusiasm and smiles that would have made Walt Disney proud,” Palmer noted. “A true Bucknall community event, 23 faculty and staff dancers were in three different routines. They rocked the stage as Disney tourist; Matterhorn Bobsled enthusiast, complete with the Abominable Snowman along for the ride; and some Grim Grinning Ghosts were found dancingly haunting the stage.”
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.
Palmer said Disneyland is a special place and the theme made for a very special dance concert. The eight themed lands at Disneyland came to life through the dance routines, music, costumes, slides, props and set design. Mickey Mouse even high-kicked his way across the stage, making a featured appearance in the routine “Mickey” that paid homage to the mouse himself.
Palmer said it takes many people to create a show of this magnitude. She credits the choreographers, including Teodoro and Espiritu, as well as technical director Danny Dunn and the production staff for their inspired work.
Whether a princess or a pirate, a mouse or a Jedi Knight, there was something for everyone at the Harker stage otherwise known as the Magic Kingdom. The audience left the performance feeling that it truly was “The Happiest Dance Show on Earth.”
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 of $300, a trophy, a certificate of recognition and a possible radio show interview.
Hosted by the Chinese Music Teachers’ Association of Northern California, the annual event features gifted young musicians – ages 22 and under – on the piano, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, marimba and traditional Chinese musical instruments. The winners’ recital and awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 7 in Stanford University Department of Music’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Having played the cello since the age of 5, 10-year-old Kiang now studies under San Francisco Conservatory of Music faculty member Amos Yang, who serves as assistant principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony. She was previously named a finalist at Berkeley’s 59th Annual Junior Bach Festival and came in second place in the Pacific Musical Society’s 2015 competition for instrumentalists, pianists and vocalists, where she performed Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme.”
Kiang soon will be charming the audience at a far more familiar venue, performing at the upcoming fifth grade promotion ceremony in the Bucknall Gymnasium.
As a cellist in the lower school orchestra, Kiang has received nurturing, guidance and support from Louis Hoffman, director of the after-school instrumental program, who in turn has benefited greatly from working with the virtuosic youngster.
“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.”
Sam Boucher, grade 5, and his hockey team, the Santa Clara Blackhawks, wrapped up a six-week “Summerhawks” program, which culminated in a Memorial Day Shootout in Anaheim hosted by the Junior Ducks. Boucher missed the first two games due to illness, but came back to help his PeeWee (12U) team secure second place with a 3-1 record, only losing to the undefeated California Golden Bears of Burbank. The Blackhawks faced the Bears again in the championship game, this time beating them 3-1 to take the title. A banner for the team will be hoisted at their home ice in Fremont. Boucher was also catcher for the Harker JVB baseball team this spring. Go Sam!
Varsity-A Boys volleyball beat Jordan this afternoon in the ADAL Championship at Blackford Gym, finishing in first place, the most recent triumph for middle and lower school athletes!
Varsity-A tennis defeated Hillview 7-2 in the WBAL championship match this week. The team went undefeated for the fourth year in a row in the WBAL with a 5-0 record, and then won both their semifinal match vs. Sacred Heart 7-2 and their championship match vs. Hillview 7-2 to take the league title.
Varsity-B (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Sarah Prudencio, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL South.
Junior Varsity-A (grade 6) girls volleyball, coached by Vonda Reid, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL Gold Division.
Junior Varsity-B1 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Ellie Pereira, finished 5-1, tying with Sacred Heart for first place in the WBAL.
Varsity-A (grade 7 and 8) boys volleyball, coached by Pete Anderson, went 10-0 in league and 11-0 overall, taking first place and the tournament championship in the ADAL.
Co-ed water polo (grades 6-8), coached by Ted Ujifusa and Peter Blume, went 4-0 at the WBAL championships.
Lower school track (grades 4 and 5), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 4 boys relay (Rohan Gorti, Andrew Fu, Lorenzo Martinelli and Rigo Gonzales) and first in the the 100, 200 and 400 (Rigo Gonzales).
Middle school track (grades 6-8), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 8 girls relay (Alex Janssen, Sara Min, Alycia Cary and Julia Amick) and the 400 and 800 (Julia Amick) and the long jump (Alex Janssen).
Kindergartners had a blast showing off their homemade hats during the annual Spring Hat Parade, held on the afternoon of April 16.
“It’s that time of year again!” enthused kindergarten teacher Katie Florio, who reported that the youngsters paraded around campus visiting classrooms and displaying their fabulous creations. Students wound their way through the lower school campus, stopping in various classrooms to model their unique and colorful headwear to the delight of onlookers.
After the parade there was an egg hunt (with eggs hidden on the kindergarten playground), followed by festive homeroom parties.
Registration is off to a great start for Harker’s Summer Camp+, an annual program for students in grades K-5 held on the lower school campus. Camp+ offers a well-rounded summer experience by providing morning learning sessions followed by a wide variety of afternoon activities.
This year the theme of Camp+ is “Camp on the 7 Seas.” Campers will be jumping on board an on-site sailing ship with the camp mascot “Ray” for a summer full of exciting seafaring adventures and special events. Last summer, the increasingly popular program filled up at record speed, attracting some 774 campers.
Camp+ students in grades 1-5 have traditionally had the option of enrolling in one of two academic morning programs: Core Focus or Learning Opportunities in Literature (LOL). Core Focus is a more traditional learning environment with language arts, math and academic electives for each grade level. LOL features academic courses designed around literary subject matter. Both Core Focus and LOL feature the same afternoon options, including arts and crafts, dance, water play, wall climbing, archery and array of field sports.
New this year, campers in grades 2-5 may choose an art and music program for the morning session, which will include an artist’s studio and an orchestra, a rock band and songwriting workshops. These programs provide additional options for students who have an interest in or talent for art and/or music. See below for further details about this exciting new offering.
Artist Studio
During the four-week session, campers will have the option to choose Artist Studio instead of the morning Core Focus program. Artists will spend their camp mornings involved in activities and lessons designed to stimulate and enhance their creativity and knowledge of art. Campers will learn about art history and famous artists, in addition to practicing and exploring a variety of art mediums and techniques in depth. Art exploration also strengthens skills that are important to academic achievement and success: confidence, problem solving, perseverance, focus, collaboration and accountability. The class also will take field trips to galleries and museums. Artist Studio may be chosen as a morning-only class or combined with the Camp+ activity program to create a partial or full-day schedule.
Summer Music
During two-week sessions, campers have the option to choose a music class instead of the morning LOL program or the Camp+ activity program. Musically inclined students may create their own combinations for maximum learning and musical fun.
Orchestra Workshop
These two-week workshops offer instrumental students entering grades 2-5 the opportunity to explore music, through exposure to music theory and composition, improvisation, ear training and singing, ensembles and full orchestral playing. Participants must have at least six months of experience playing the violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn and trombone. A performance, recording and printed score will be given to each student at the conclusion of each session.
Rock Band Workshop
Who doesn’t want to join a band? This two-week workshop offers instrumental students with at least six months of experience playing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and voice a cool opportunity to explore music, through exposure to music theory, composition, improvisation, ear training and singing while creating their own band! A performance, recording and printed score will be given to each student at the conclusion of each session.
Songwriters Studio
A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition (chords) or melody to songs or both. Students in this class will learn melody writing, lyric writing, popular song forms, basic music production and more. There’s no need to know music theory or notation or even to play a musical instrument … just sign up and start writing!
For more information about Camp+, including schedules and pricing, visit http://summer.harker.org. The Harker School has offered extensive summer programs for more than 50 years. The Summer Camp+ program is accredited nationally by the American Camping Association.