The California Mathcounts team, including Harker’s Rajiv Movva, grade 8, won the championship at the Mathcounts National Competition held in Orlando, Fla., in early May. The team of four took the title over 55 other teams representing all states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. State Department. Maryland and Virginia took second and third place, respectively. California team member Swapnil Garg of Cupertino Middle School was the individual Mathcounts champion. He will receive a $20,000 college scholarship.
Each student on the California team will receive a $2,000 college scholarship and a beautiful trophy. The team members also got a VIP tour of the Magic Kingdom and were grand marshals at the 3 p.m. parade on Saturday, May 10.
“Rajiv has been a terrific mathlete and deserves all the accolades,” said Vandana Kadam, middle school mathematics department chair, who accompanied the team as assistant coach and did much of the heavy lifting preparing the team. The official coach was based in Southern California, while all four team members were in Northern California. “Working with four students from four different schools was a challenge, but their weekly practices at Harker helped with the bonding,” noted Kadam, who has been official coach of past California Mathcounts teams. She coached the California team that won the national Mathcounts championship in 2011.
China has taken on a new relevance for 20 middle school students, who in early April spent an action-packed week touring and meeting with their buddies at the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), Harker’s sister school in Shanghai.
The group, comprising six seventh graders and 14 eighth graders, visited many of China’s landmarks and historic sites. Originally based around the grade 8 computer science class’ global issues forum, the annual China trip last year expanded to incorporate the grade 7 historical component of learning about ancient China.
Grade 8 student Nikhil Dharmaraj said his favorite part of the trip was the cultural exchange. “My father has been to Shanghai many times, but after one week of staying there, I knew much more about it than him,” he said. “This trip was different from just traveling. I actually got the opportunity to immerse myself in China.”
Kevin Williamson, upper school dean of students, headed this year’s trip. Accompanying him were middle school faculty member chaperones Scott Kley Contini, assistant director of instructional technology; Margaret Huntley, math teacher; Andy Keller, history teacher; and Andrea Milius, who teaches world studies. Keller, who was already in China serving as an exchange teacher at WFLMS, joined the group in Beijing.
Upon their arrival in China, the students were warmly welcomed at the Pudong International Airport by their pals from WFLMS, Williamson recalled. From there, they hopped on a bus for the short drive into the city to meet their host families. Then, they experienced a full day of school, “WFLMS style,” he said.
The students participated in classes including traditional music, calligraphy, the art of mask-making, and learning how to add and subtract on an abacus. “A few of the boys joined a pick-up basketball game with some of the WFLMS students in the afternoon that many of us watched,” said Williamson.
The students’ time at WFLMS ended with a touching farewell party and dinner. Then the Harker contingent departed for the next phase of the trip: Beijing. Their first adventure in Beijing consisted of a rickshaw tour of the Hutong (ancient alleyways that once covered the city).
The tour of Beijing also included a moving visit to Tiananmen Square, site of the 1989 protests and ensuing military action. From there the group headed to the Forbidden City, where they were guided through several of its 980 palatial buildings. Then, during a visit to Summer Palace, China’s largest imperial garden, the students were treated to a tai chi lesson by a local instructor.
Later, during a trip to the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao, the group rode boats through the canal and enjoyed an afternoon of sightseeing. Many students said the bridges and canals reminded them of Venice. Come afternoon, they returned to Shanghai for dumplings followed by a show at the World Circus featuring Chinese acrobats.
Another highlight of the trip was a visit to the Great Wall of China. After taking a ski lift to the top of the mountain, the group entered the wall. Students took many photos of the renowned structure and were thrilled to enjoy a fun toboggan ride back down the mountain.
From their educational time at WFLMS to their many sightseeing adventures, the middle school trip to China left students and chaperones with plenty to reminisce on – and share with friends and family back home.
“I haven’t traveled with friends internationally a lot, so this trip was one to remember. I made bonds with both Harker and WFLMS students. These memories will last me a lifetime,” said Dharmaraj.
Despite a valiant effort, faculty and staff members, ultimately, did not have what it took to beat the grade 8 varsity boys and girls volleyball teams during this year’s staff versus student game, held in early April. The students emerged victorious with a score of 48-33.
Amid a cheering crowd of spectators, the grade 8 girls then grade 8 boys played spectacularly – crushing all hope of a faculty free-dress day. Thanks to their win, the entire middle school student body enjoyed a free-dress day on May 1, while faculty and staff wore the required middle school uniform.
“It was a sad day in Mudville for the teachers and staff, but a happy day in the middle school for students!” said Cindy Ellis, middle school division head. “Congratulations to the Harker varsity volleyball teams. And thanks to great half-time entertainment from High Voltage and Show Stoppers.”
In February, sixth graders read to their hearts’ content during a read-a-thon in the library. The event was part of an effort to keep sixth graders entertained while grade 7-8 students attended an assembly.
“While the older students watched the upper school dance show, grade 6 students rotated in half-hour shifts through several different activities, one of which was a read-a-thon in the library,” explained Bernie Morrissey, middle school librarian, who organized the successful event.
“The read-a-thon was nothing complicated: just coming to the library, choosing a book and doing some sustained silent reading. Students enjoyed it very much, and some probably would have read for the entire 90-minute period if we had let them. The other activities were arts and crafts in a classroom, and athletic contests in the gym,” he recalled.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Middle school English teacher Mark Gelineau recently made his debut as a fiction author in “High Adventure History,” a collection of historical fiction stories told with classic pulp aplomb. Gelineau’s story, “The Hanged Man: The 13 Coils,” takes readers to medieval Wales, weaving a thrilling tale of murder and revenge that fuses historical detail with supernatural fantasy. It is available in paperback and on mobile devices via Amazon.com.
It’s not easy being a new parent. So discovered grade 8 students who, after spending a week caring for five-pound flour sack “babies,” better understood the demands of having a newborn.
For a week in early February, as part of their health education curriculum, eighth graders were responsible for the well-being of their babies at all times, taking them to and from school, bringing them to classes and arranging for childcare when needed.
Ensuring the safety of their sack babies enabled the students to earn points for both science and health education. However, they lost points due to any abuse or neglect of their babies.
The project, while fun, was taken seriously, complete with day care centers set up for “parents” participating in after-school activities. Students also took turns serving as babysitters for each other.
“The purpose of the project was to give the students an idea of what it is like to have a baby and be responsible for it while at school for an entire week,” said Harker P.E. specialist Chrissy Chang, who annually spearheads the middle school project.
Harker’s Middle School Spring Art Exhibit went on display in the upper school’s main lobby gallery after an opening reception on April 3. The show, which will run until April 23, also spilled over to the Nichols Hall atrium.
Sponsored by Harker’s middle school visual arts program, the exhibit features select works from the 2013-14 school year, including colorful paintings, sketches, ceramics, figurines and wire sculptures.
This year’s exhibit included an impressive array of ceramics, such as tea pots, plates, boxes and figurines. Students in grades 7-8 showcased clay and glass works called “African Granary Doors.” Whimsical wire sculpture figures with accessories such as umbrellas, golf sticks and building blocks also filled the shelves. Grade 6 ceramics students displayed work done during the fall semester titled “Art Shoes,” which took the form of dinosaurs, rabbits, dragons and more. And, adorning the walls, were drawings of bikes, colorful landscapes, and assorted fruits and vegetables.
Encased in a glass display were several sculptures that won regional Scholastic Art Awards earlier this year. Eight Harker middle school students won the prestigious awards for their outstanding artwork. Two received the coveted gold and silver key awards, while six others were lauded with honorable mentions. All of the winners’ work was featured in the exhibit. (To read another HNO story about the art award winners: http://skylark.harker.org/hno/backups/eight-middle-school-students-win-scholastic-art-awards/).
Meanwhile, a series of drawings called “Renaissance Self-Portraits” was on display in Nichols Hall. For this project, second-year middle school art students were asked to do a self-portrait of what they will look like at age 50, and at the same time put themselves in the time of the renaissance. To accomplish this feat, they studied Rembrandt’s self-portraits and followed that period and style as closely as possible.
“Scrolling through photos of Renaissance poses and portraits, I found a picture of a man with flowing, curly hair very interesting. Incorporating my cheerful countenance into the body of a royal ancient figure was extremely difficult, but weeks of sketching self-portraits eventually paid off to help accomplish this piece,” recalled art student Darren Gu, grade 8.
Classmate Kaitlin Hsu, also grade 8, said that for her Renaissance portrait she chose to draw herself as a young maiden who “probably lived the life of a servant.” Drawing this portrait, she noted, was fun and interesting since the clothing, accessories, and style at the time were very unique and distinct. “Using various materials to finish this portrait was fun,” she added.
Also in the atrium were drawings from first-year art students, including illustrations of Audubon birds and sketches of rocking chairs. The drawings were done in the Italian artistic style of chiaroscuro, which utilizes strong contrasts between light and dark (similar effects in cinema and photography also are called chiaroscuro).
The middle school art show is unique in that it hosts its opening reception at the upper school. After the exhibit’s run there, it will be relocated to the middle school multipurpose room where it will join the middle school’s end-of-the-year exhibit.
Each spring, each of Harker’s campuses hold art shows, giving students age-appropriate venues in which to display the special works they have completed throughout the year.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In mid-January, San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater played host to the annual middle and upper school Winter Concert, which featured the talents of a wide selection of musicians from Harker’s various music programs.
Middle and upper school music teacher David Hart directed all but two of the evening’s groups, leading performances by the Grade 6 Orchestra, Grade 7-8 Orchestra, Middle School Jazz Band and, now in its second year, The Harker School Lab Band. The grade 6 winds group kicked things off with the up-tempo “I’m Walkin’” by Fats Domino, followed by Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” The grade 6 strings group then performed three pieces, including a rendition of the “Spring” section of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” which included solos by Jun Lin, Ahn My Tran and Gabriel Chai. Winds and strings then joined forces to perform Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and the iconic “Star Wars” theme by John Williams. Soon after, the evening audience was treated to a special appearance by the middle school chamber group, which performed a haunting version of the traditional favorite “Scarborough Fair.”
The show then shifted gears to feature the Middle School Jazz Band, which performed selections by Horace Silver, Billy Strayhorn, Oliver Nelson and Joe Henderson before the Grade 7-8 Orchestra performed pieces by Johannes Brahms and Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, finishing their set with the theme from the film “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
The Harker School Lab Band was the last of the groups directed by Hart. Their set included Thelonius Monk’s “I Mean You” and “Manteca” by the great Dizzy Gillespie. Upper school music teacher Chris Florio took over to direct The Harker School Jazz Band, leading them through four songs, including Dan Gailey’s “The Cheese That Time Forgot” and the swing classic “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” by Count Basie.
Capping off the night was The Harker School Orchestra, also directed by Florio. It began with Franz von Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant Overture” before moving on to a grand performance of excerpts from “Fiddler on the Roof.” Concluding the show was an exciting rendition of Stravinsky’s “Scherzo a la Russe.”
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
By Debbie Cohen and Zach Jones
Even Democrats and Republicans agree on the crucial need for American students to become computer literate. To help meet that need, Harker, which already promotes computer science (C.S.) education in all grades, has been systematically upgrading its C.S. program at the middle school.
A new required programming class for grade 7 and an advanced programming elective were added at the start of the school year. Harker also beefed up various elements of the C.S. program for the middle school’s entire student body (grades 6-8).
The expanded C.S. program aims to provide students with a foundation to become well-rounded programmers in the future, according to Abigail Joseph, middle school computer science teacher.
“Courses at each grade level provide students with not only foundational programming concepts, but also curriculum that develop students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and design abilities,” she said.
“We are definitely seeing an upswing in interest in computer science,” reported Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs.
Since Eric Nelson became the chair of the upper school computer science department in 2010, that program has matured significantly, now offering a number of pathways to students interested in entering the field as a career.
Nelson said his desire to create a comprehensive and effective C.S. program stretches back more than two decades, when he found himself unsatisfied with the level of competency he saw in many of his co-workers. “At that time I remember swearing if I was ever, ever in a position where I could teach students computer science, I would make sure I didn’t have people like this walking into my office,” he said. He began taking copious notes. When the time finally came for him to develop a curriculum, “I already had the framework, and so that’s what we ended up with.”
Upper school students fulfill their C.S. requirements in the Digital Worlds class, which covers basic concepts, how computers work and algorithmic thinking. Those who are interesting in furthering their C.S. education can take either an introductory or advanced programming class. Depending on their choice of class, students may then enter one of two Advanced Placement classes, one for introductory students and another for those who have completed advanced programming. Both AP classes lead into more advanced topics.
The program is also designed to allow teachers freedom to move students into different areas of the program as necessary. “If a kid says they’re interested in computer science, the first thing I ask is, well what have you done?” Nelson said. If their experience is limited they are directed to either of the starting programming classes. Those students who demonstrate a certain level of experience become eligible to take a challenge exam to determine whether they can skip the programming courses entirely.
“It’s not an exam on Java or any other language,” Nelson said. Instead, it tests the student’s ability to think algorithmically and their understanding of key concepts. “How they approach a problem will tell us that.”
Although the program has not yet reached K-3 in earnest, students do begin learning key concepts related to computer science, such as algorithmic thinking, problem solving and logical reasoning, as early as kindergarten. This year, kindergartners also will begin playing a board game that introduces some programming concepts. In the coming years, actual teaching of computer science will be slowly integrated into the lower grades.
Currently, grade 2 students are learning computer science concepts by working with robots that can be programmed by placing cards in a certain order. Next year, grade 3 students will use Pro-Bots that will be programmed manually to execute more complex instructions. Grade 4 students learn to program simple games, and grade 5 students go deeper into programming while also learning binary code and searching and sorting algorithms. “We do all of that with very little use of the technology,” said Lisa Diffenderfer, K-8 computer science chair. “We learn binary sort with a deck of playing cards. We learn some searching algorithms by playing ‘Battleship’-type games.”
As with the upper school, understanding computer science on a conceptual level is important to the lower and middle school computer science programs. “We really stress the underlying principles and fundamentals of programming and not one specific language,” said Diffenderfer. “We don’t want to teach one language because we don’t know what the language of the future is going to be.
It used to be C++ and now it’s Java. Who knows what it’s going to be 10 years from now?”
In fact, C.S. curriculum is so sorely lacking in many other schools that both President Barack Obama and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-VA, have united to support the recent launch of the “Hour of Code,” a massive publicity campaign to promote scholastic computer science education.
Due to the global effort, more than 33,000 schools in 166 countries dedicated time to computer science education as part of Code.org’s initiative, which was timed to coincide with Computer Science Education Week in December. The Hour of Code was part of Code.org’s broader campaign to encourage computer science education in more classrooms.
“The impact of the Hour of Code to change communities and propel computer science education to a new level of awareness globally is tremendous,” affirmed Joseph.
The Bureau of Labor estimates that more than 140,000 computer science jobs are added to the American economy every year, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations. Yet, according to the National Science Foundation, just 40,000 college students are graduating with computer science degrees.
“When part of a high-quality academic program, computer science classes add an element that helps all students navigate our complex, technologically driven world. It also gives our graduates an edge over those who are not taught these increasingly essential skills,” Dan Hudkins, Harker’s K-12 director of instructional technology, was quoted as saying in an article that originally appeared in the summer 2013 issue of Independent School Magazine, and also was printed in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
The desire to lead is what unites 13 graduates of KidLead, Harker’s successful after-school offering for lower and middle school students.
Ready and armed with the tools to take on leadership positions, many KidLead graduates are now role models for their peers. From community outreach to student government, performing arts, sports and team academics, there are many opportunities for young leaders to use their talents. Several years ago, to help foster leadership development early in students’ academic careers, Harker became one of the firstschools nationwide to implement KidLead, an executive-caliber, globally recognized leadership training program designed especially for preteens.
“We believe this unique program is consistent with the values and ideals fostered at Harker. It is not simply a leadership education program; it attemptsto focus on developing leaders who have already demonstrated aptitude in this area and expands upon it,” explained Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs.
Lawson was instrumental in bringing KidLead to Harker, first to the middle school and more recently to the lower school. Now, he is thrilled that the enrichment program has turned out more than a dozen graduates. Run by the lower and middle school’s BEST departments, KidLead – a nonprofit organization based in Monterey – has created an age-appropriate leadership skill curriculum for 10- to 13-year-olds called “LeadNow” that Harker is using. The after-school program is separately run on the lower- and middle school campuses during a series of eight 90-minute sessions. In the fall quarter there were eight students enrolled in the lower school program and 10 in the middle school offering.
Shafieen Ibrahim, a grade 7 student and KidLead graduate, put his leadership skills to use last year by establishing his dream club, the Blackford Computer Game Development Club. After getting the green light from Cindy Ellis, middle school head, and assistance from some of his teachers, Ibrahim launched his club, which has since grown and branched out into two different groups, one for boys and another for girls.
“In the club, I was given teacher privileges to teach my peers Scratch, a program to develop computer games. The club now includes both video games and board games. We will be moving onto teaching app development soon. I had [used] Scratch for many years, and I thought that it was very interesting and fun,” explained Ibrahim. He said he enrolled in the KidLead program while in grade 5 and that it took him a little over a year to complete all the requirements to graduate. “I always wanted to be a leader … to be able to work with a team well, develop leadership capabilities, and grow out of my shell,” he added.
“We couldn’t be happier and prouder and I’m so thankful for having Shafieen complete the KidLead program. It has helped him tremendously!” enthused his mother, Zeba Ibrahim. This past fall, another KidLead graduate, grade 8 student Aliesa Bahri, took it upon herself to organize a commemorative event on the middle school campus celebrating the International Day of the Girl Child, which raises awareness about the issues girls face both in the United States and internationally. She urged eighth graders to show their support for the cause by dressing in blue, and asked that sixth and seventh graders wear some type of blue accessory.
“I wanted to raise awareness about girls’ rights … and I chose the color blue since it is typically associated with boys and goes against the ‘pink is for girls’ stereotype,” recalled Bahri.
Bahri used the campus lunch hour on the Day of the Girl to hold a special video presentation for grade 7 and 8 students about the plight of girls in Pakistan, where just over half of all girls make it to a primary school classroom, and only 12 percent make it to secondary school.
“I found out about KidLead from a flier that arrived in my take-home folder one year. The program intrigued me, as I knew that one day I hoped to be a leader in my community. What I did not know was how to be one. KidLead gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone in a safe environment and be a leader in different group situations,” said Bahri.
KidLead founder Dr. Alan Nelson said he is impressed with both the students and staff involved with the program at Harker. Nelson, who has given well-attended talks to Harker parents about how to foster leadership skills in their children, called Harker “the flagship school” for being an early adopter of the program.
Weekly KidLead program sessions are led by certified instructors and “koaches” (all Harker teachers and staff members) who assist students in activities designed to improve qualities that are grouped into four color-coded modules. Each module has four sections stressing a value, an attitude, a relationship and a decision – such as ethics, honor, communication and power.
Harker’s current list of certified trainers and “koaches” are: Lawson; Keith Hirota, middle school social studies instructor; Patricia Lai Burrows, middle school English teacher; Jennifer Walrod, director of global education; Eric Kallbrier, club/ programs coordinator; Gerry-louise Robinson, lower school art instructor; Arabelle Chow, middle school English teacher; Cathy Hsieh, lower school science teacher; Eric Leonard, lower school language arts teacher; and Ken Allen, lower school dean of students. At the lower school, Robinson said the Bucknall effort had several graduates last year, as well as a returning student this year.
Alexander Young graduated from KidLead at the lower school in grade 5. Now a seventh grader, he praised it as an amazing experience. “It gave me the opportunity to interact with fellow classmates and teachers to learn about important leadership skills; these often proved useful when working with others both in and out of the classroom. Topics such as responsibility, commitment, optimism and communication were discussed and practiced so that I could use them in everyday life. I found that I could strategize and coordinate to make tasks smooth and straightforward. Overall, KidLead is a course that I would definitely recommend,” he said.
Current KidLead participants can already be found flexing their leadership muscles. In fact, several of them were among the group of grade 7 students who earlier this year held an assembly to mark the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “The motto of KidLead is, ‘If you want to change the world, focus on leaders. If you want to change leaders, focus on them when they’re young,’” said Robinson.
Chow said she decided to become a KidLead “koach” because she wanted to help students grow leadership skills. “It’s exciting to see the students participate in the activities and learn, not just from the trainer, but from one another as well. Their enthusiasm and genuine desire to learn is what brings me back each quarter,” she enthused.
Kallbrier agreed: “After many years of working with young Harker students, I noticed that we have a very high volume of motivated young leaders who hunger to grow and develop their abilities. KidLead has been the perfect place for these students to learn, practice and discuss practical aspects of leadership … while having fun!”
All KidLead graduates walk away upon successful completion of the program with a T-shirt, book for parents, class materials, and an eagerness to roll up their sleeves and get to work on becoming future leaders – starting today. “According to Harvard, the average age of a first, formal leadership training is 42. So Harker students in this program are getting a 30-year head start!” said KidLead’s Nelson.