Grade 2 chess enthusiast Vyom Vidyarthi has been very busy the past few months. On Feb. 8, he took first place out of 84 competitors in his age group at the 2015 CalNorth Youth Chess Championship, winning all five of his matches. In November, he was ranked No. 66 among the top 100 chess players in the country in the Age 7 and Under category. He ranked at No. 94 in the same category in September.
In November, Bhavya Srinivasan, grade 2, received a letter from the White House after writing to President Barack Obama to express her concerns about smoking. The letter, which included a signed photo of the Obama family, thanked Bhavya for writing and told her about some of the recent initiatives to improve and maintain the health of America’s youth.
Harker was a big winner in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with students collecting more than 30 Regional Gold Key awards.
These works are under consideration for national medals. National medal winners are invited to attend a special event in New York City and also have the opportunity to have their works exhibited and published nationally.
This year’s Regional Gold Key winners, and the categories in which they won, are:
Kaity Gee, grade 11, four awards for her entries in Personal Essay/Memoir, Poetry and Flash Fiction
Shannon Hong, grade 11, three awards for her entries in Photography and Personal Essay/Memoir
Jeffrey Hsu, grade 12, one award for his entry in Design
Doreene Kang, grade 11, one award for her entry in Drawing and Illustration
Kevin Ke, grade 11, two awards for his entries in Drawing and Illustration
Johnathon Keller, grade 11, two awards for his entries in Photography
Safia Khouja, grade 12, one award for her entry in Photography
Sarisha Kurup, grade 10, two awards for her entries in Short Story and Flash Fiction
Suzy Lou, grade 12, two awards for her entries in Poetry
Maya Nandakumar, grade 12, two awards for her entries in Flash Fiction and Personal Essay/Memoir
Sahana Narayanan, grade 11, one award for her entry in Poetry
Archana Podury, grade 12, two awards for her entries in Drawing and Illustration
Andrew Rule, grade 10, two awards for his entries in Short Story
Ravuri Sindhu, grade 12, one award for her entry in Journalism
Meilan Steimle, grade 10, one award for her entry in Digital Art
Catherine Wang, grade 8, one award for her entry in Drawing and Illustration
Kelly Wang, grade 12, three awards for her entries in Digital Art and Drawing and Illustration
Madelyn Wang, grade 12, one award for her entry in Photography
Jessica Yang, grade 12, two awards for her entries in Digital Art
In addition, many students earned Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions for their submissions.
Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions in Writing were awarded to:
Tiara Bhatacharya, grade 12, Silver Key in Poetry, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Arushee Bhoja, grade 8, Silver Key in Science Fiction/Fantasy, Honorable Mention in Flash Fiction
Hannah Bollar, grade 12, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Gwyneth Chen, grade 9, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Kaity Gee, grade 11, Silver Key in Flash Fiction, four Honorable Mentions for entries in Critical Essay, Poetry and Journalism
Alexa Gross, grade 10, Honorable Mention in Personal Essay/Memoir
Shannon Hong, grade 11, Silver Key in Poetry, Honorable Mention in Critical Essay
Vineet Kosaraju, grade 11, Honorable Mention in Poetry
Sarisha Kurup, grade 10, Silver Key in Short Story
Shay Lari-Hosain, grade 11, even Honorable Mentions for entries in Journalism, Personal Essay/Memoir and Poetry
Lauren Liu, grade 10, Honorable Mention in Science Fiction/Fantasy
Suzy Lou, grade 12, two Silver Keys for entries in Poetry and Critical Essay, Honorable Mention in Poetry
Sophia Luo, grade 11, Silver Key in Personal Essay/Memoir, three Honorable Mentions for entries in Humor and Poetry
Ethan Ma, grade 12, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Maya Nandakumar, grade 12, three Silver Keys for entries in Personal Essay/Memoir and Poetry, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Critical Essay and Short Story
Sahana Narayanan, grade 11, Silver Key in Personal Essay/Memoir
Evani Radiya-Dixit, grade 10, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Sindhu Ravuri, grade 12, Silver Key in Journalism
Sophia Shatas, grade 12, Silver Key in Poetry, Honorable Mention in Personal Essay/Memoir
Elisabeth Siegel, grade 11, two Silver Keys for entries in Poetry and Critical Essay, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Poetry
Meilan Steimle, grade 10, Silver Key in Short Story, Honorable Mention in Flash Fiction
Mariam Sulakian, grade 12, Silver Key in Personal Essay/Memoir
Alice Wu, grade 11, Honorable Mention in Personal Essay/Memoir
Menghua Wu, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Poetry
Daphne Yang, grade 11, Silver Key in Poetry
Tiffany Zhu, Grade 10, Silver Key in Short Story
Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions in Visual Arts were awarded to:
Avni Barman, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Painting
Hannah Bollar, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Drawing
Eric Cheung, grade 12, three Silver Keys for entries in Architecture
Emma Doherty, grade 11, Silver Key in Photography
Alexa Gross, grade 10, three Silver Keys and one Honorable Mention for entries in Photography and Drawing
Vance Hirota, grade 7, Honorable Mention
Matthew Ho, grade 12, Silver Key in Drawing
Jeffrey Hsu, grade 12, two Silver Keys and one Honorable Mention for entries in Painting and Drawing
Ramzi Jahshan, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Digital Art
Doreene Kang, grade 11, three Honorable Mentions for entries in Drawing
Kevin Ke, grade 11, four Honorable Mentions for entries in Drawing and Printmaking
Shay Lari-Hosain, grade 11, two Silver Keys and one Honorable Mention for entries in Photography
Cindy Liu, grade 12, two Silver Keys and three Honorable Mentions for entries in Photgraphy and Drawing
Cheryl Liu, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Drawing
Sophia Luo, grade 11, Honorable Mention in Drawing
Archana Podury, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Drawing
Neha Sunil, grade 12, Silver Key and Honorable Mention for entries in Photography
Kelly Wang, grade 12, Silver Key and Honorable Mention for entries in Drawing and Art Portfolio
Madelyn Wang, grade 12, three Honorable Mentions for entries in Photography
Menghua Wu, grade 12, two Honorable Mentions for entries in Drawing and Printmaking
Kevina Xiao, grade 11, Honorable Mention in Drawing
Jessica Yang, grade 12, Honorable Mention in Digital Art
Middle and upper school music groups gave their first concert of the new year on Jan. 16 at the 2015 Winter Concert at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Theater. The grade 6 jazz band got things off to a rollicking start with its version of the traditional spiritual “Down by the Riverside,” followed by Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island.”
Middle school music teacher Dave Hart then directed the grade 6 orchestra in its performance of Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” and Johann Strauss’ “Radetzky March.”
Next up was a series of performances by the middle school chamber groups. The first group – comprising violinists Nilisha Baid, Shalini Rohra and Aditi Vinod; violists Annamma Vazhaeparambil and Mariamma Vazhaeparambil; bassist Anika Fuloria; and trumpeter Arohee Bhoja, all grade 6 – performed their own arrangement of Green Day’s “21 Guns.” The next performers, grade 8 violin duo Constance Horng and Noah Lincke, performed Bach’s “Intervention No. 2.” A special ensemble of Harker private instructors – violinist Pierre Dazin, cellist Natachia Li and bassist Josh Thurston-Milgrom – treated the audience to Thurston-Milgrom’s arrangement of the popular song “Let It Go,” from the film “Frozen.”
The concert then made another excursion to jazz territory with the Middle School Jazz Band’s performances of “Sugar Plum” by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, “Orange Sherbert” by Sammy Nestico and “Chameleon/Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock.
The Grades 7-8 Orchestra was the final middle school group to appear, performing selections from the Harry Potter films and variations on themes by Joseph Haydn and Niccolo Paganini.
Chris Florio directed the first upper school group of the evening, the Lab Band, as it played a selection of jazz pieces, including Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” and “Bernie’s Tune” by Bernie Miller, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
More jazz followed, with The Harker School Jazz Band playing selections such as the Chick Corea classic “Spain,” the Stevie Wonder hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and Bill Liston’s “Sitka Shuffle.”
After the intermission, the members of The Harker School Orchestra took their places on stage and began with the second movement of Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphony No. 1.” In one of the evening’s highlights, the orchestra performed entirety of Dvořák’s famous “Symphony No. 9” (popularly known as the “New World Symphony”), before ending with “Overture to La Forza del Destino” by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Harker Concert Series brought back one of its heavy hitters on Jan. 28, and for good reason. Playing to a sold-out audience, the Taylor Eigsti Trio proved again why they deserve to be a big draw in the modern jazz landscape.
This band is comfortable. Bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland were still twisting knobs and turning pages as Eigsti began setting the mood for the show opener, “Speaking Song,” with deep chords and flitting notes. Soon the song had begun in earnest as Raghavan and Harland settled into an infectious, unassuming groove while Eigsti’s plaintive melodies rose to the fore, punctuated by his famous improvisations, eliciting vocal approval from Harland. Comfortable.
Eigsti shifted gears to give his bandmates room to shine, as Raghavan drifted into an airy bass solo, with effective note choice, catching fire as Harland picked up steam for an effortlessly musical drum solo.
Dave Brubeck is often mentioned in the same breath as Eigsti, the jazz legend having been a mentor to the young, promising pianist. Eigsti’s taste for texture served him well in the opening of Brubeck’s “Strange Meadlowlark,” sprinkling scale runs atop a layer of chords before casually strolling into a more subdued version of Brubeck’s often-overlooked 4/4 swing. Despite the slower pace, Eigsti nevertheless made commendable use of the many opportunities to execute his trademark stylistic flourishes. Proving that his imagination extends beyond the keyboard, he put an exclamation point at the end with a mild slam of the key cover.
Following “Meadowlark” and the afternoon-walk-after-heavy-rainfall quality of the trio’s version of Leonard Bernstein’s “Some Other Time,” the Eigsti original “Play With Me” felt like a splash of ice cold water. Eigsti’s solo intro had him traversing the length of the keyboard with playful flurries, not unlike a rambunctious child chasing a butterfly around the front lawn. A few hits on the hi-hat by Harland signaled that it was go time, propelling the song into its decidedly danceable tempo. A stunning Eric Harland drum solo brought the song to its emotional apex before winding down for the intermission.
During the intermission, attendees commented on the concert and the accompanying spread in the Nichols Hall atrium.
“We’ve had a great time because we arrived in time for some wine and hors d’oeuvres and then we went into the auditorium, which is lovely,” said Anna Ranieri. “We’re really enjoying the program, the wonderful ensemble, and I had seen Taylor Eigsti play when he was a really young kid so it’s fun to see how he’s grown up when he’s playing with other people.”
“I think it’s an excellent venue,” said Judy Busch, who had seen Eigsti’s previous Harker Concert Series performances. “It’s just small enough to be intimate and yet the sound and everything is exceptional.”
Eigsti kept the between-song banter to a minimum in the second set, kicking things off with a pair of standards, one of which transitioned from a marvelous Raghavan bass solo to an irresistible groove, heralded by Harland’s rattling snare.
For the final two pieces, Eigsti invited his longtime friend Dave Hart, Harker middle school music teacher, to sit in on trumpet. Performing as a duet on “Body and Soul,” Eigsti and Hart beautifully captured the hope and heartache of the jazz classic, with Hart showing that his neither his improvisational chops nor his interplay with Eigsti have waned since the two began pursuing different careers.
The band got back together for the closing number, a rendition of “Caravan” that riffed on Duke Ellington’s standard with time changes, wild syncopation and rhythms slightly reminiscent of Latin jazz. After a dazzling intro from Eigsti, they careened into the mix as Hart more than capably took the lead, showing no sign of being overwhelmed by the act he had to follow. Meanwhile, Eigsti continue to show his gift for finding beauty in nearly any sound, flirting with atonality and what others might even call noise.
As the end approached, Harland was due. Taking the cue from Eigsti, the Grammy-nominated drummer launched into the final solo of the evening, which included an extended drumroll that showcased Harland’s astonishing endurance and control.
Registration for Harker’s 2015 summer programs is now open, giving K-grade 5, middle school and high school students a huge variety of summertime opportunities for academics, sports and just plain fun!
For students in K-grade 5, Harker’s Summer Camp+ offers a comprehensive program of morning academics and afternoon activities. Core Focus for grades 1-5 presents a variety of classes in math and language arts. For grade 1-5 students interested in the literary arts, Learning Opportunities in Literature (LOL) is a unique experience built around a central theme. Camp+’s youngest participants can enjoy a unique learning experience at KinderCamp, which includes language and math instruction in specially designed classrooms, followed by age-appropriate afternoon activities. New this year is an art and music program for grades 2-5, which will include an artist’s studio and an orchestra, a rock band and songwriting workshops.
Students in grades 6-12 will find a wealth of options at Harker’s Summer Institute, whether they are looking to get a head start on the school year or simply enhance their learning experiences outside the usual curriculum. Middle and high school students will have access to several for-credit courses in subjects such as algebra, geometry and economics. For-credit elective courses in programming and advanced programming are available to students in grades 9-12. Students interested in enhancing their knowledge of a specific subject will find opportunities in math, science, writing and more through the Summer Institute’s enrichment courses.
Harker’s world-renowned English Language Institute (ELI) brings top-level English instruction to international students every year. ELI is tailored to many skill levels and is designed to offer a nurturing environment to students looking to improve their language skills or prepare for admission to American boarding schools and English-speaking international schools. Small class sizes and experienced teachers help students develop speaking, reading and writing skills to ensure their readiness.
For student athletes, Harker’s sports camps are a great way to learn a new sport, prepare for an upcoming season or simply have fun on the field or in the gym. Harker’s experienced coaches will conduct camps for basketball, soccer, volleyball, water polo, wrestling and TRX training in a fun and positive environment. This year, The Harker School will also host a weeklong San Francisco Giants Baseball Camp at the middle school campus.
Finally, the Harker Swim School helps participants fully enjoy one of summer’s quintessential activities. Available to swimmers of virtually every age and skill level, the swim school teaches everything from basic strokes to advanced competitive swimming techniques, all at the beautiful Singh Aquatic Center on Harker’s upper school campus.
For more information about Harker’s summer programs, including schedules and pricing, visit http://summer.harker.org.
This article was first printed in the Summer 2014 Harker Quarterly
The San José City Council honored The Harker School at the Dec. 9, 2014 council meeting for “dedication to environmental stewardship and successful implementation of the wet/dry collection program.” Chris Nikoloff, head of school, along with the teachers who spearheaded the new wet/dry initiative – Katherine Schafer, Diana Moss, Gerry-louise Robinson, Enni Chen and Margaret Huntley – accepted the recognition on behalf of the school. The real payoff is that, thanks to the entire school’s efforts, Republic Services reports that Harker’s diversion of waste from landfill has gone from 15 percent to 70 percent. To read more about Harker’s wet/dry program see Harker Quarterly, Summer 2014, page 16.
The varsity boys are 5-1-1 overall after an undefeated week in which they triumphed over Crystal Springs and ECP. Junior Omar Hamade leads the team in goals so far with 10 in seven games, while senior Alan Guo leads the team in assists. The future is also bright for the junior varsity squad, which has five wins in seven games. The girls, meanwhile, lost to both Menlo and Sacred Heart last week. The teams play Friday in their annual Kicks Against Cancer games. The boys will host Priory, while the girls will play Notre Dame.
Wrestling
While the wrestlers lost as a team to Santa Clara last week, 36-30, they did earn five victories by pin. Their next competition is Thursday at Blackford, where they will play Milpitas at 4:30pm.
Basketball
Eighteen points from sophomore Jordan Thompson and 9 points from freshman Elizabeth Beamish weren’t enough for the girls to defeat a tough Mercy-Burlingame team. They will look to rebound against Priory on Friday. The boys are also in the midst of a tough stretch, losing to both Sacred Heart Prep and Pinewood last week to fall to 8-6 overall. They will hit the road to take on Priory on Friday as well.
A memorial for Pam Gelineau, longtime and much-beloved employee, will be held Jan. 24 at 3:30 p.m. at the lower school campus. There will be a tribute to Pam, followed by refreshments. A collection of books also will be donated to the San Jose Family Shelter in her honor. Contributions are welcome; just bring the books to the memorial. Please contact Nicole Hall, nicole.hall@harker.org, for more details and see https://staging.news.harker.org/in-memoriam-harker-quarterly-winter-2014/
San Jose Mercury News – Dec. 17, 2014: In the paper’s Around the Valley section, Harker is highlighted in the School Scene for its recent commendation from the city of San Jose for its successful “Wet/Dry” waste program.
Springboard Exchange – Dec. 16, 2014: Upper school art teacher Pilar Agüero-Esparza is the subject of an in-depth profile that covers her work as an artist, her career in education and her recent activities.
San Jose Mercury News – Dec. 11, 2014: Sophomore basketball player Jordan Thompson, who scored 16 points in Harker’s win over Robert Louis Stevenson in the Pescadero Hoop Dreams tournament, appears in the Varsity Extra Highlight Reel.
San Jose Mercury News – Nov. 27, 2014: Volleyball player Shreya Dixit, grade 12, is recognized in the Varsity Extra Highlight Reel for her 10 kills and 13 digs in the CCS Division IV Final against Notre Dame-Belmont.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Milwaukee Symphony concertmaster Frank Almond gave audiences a rare chance to see and hear one of the world’s most famous musical instruments at the first concert of the 2014-15 Harker Concert Series season. The centuries-old Lipinski Stradivarius, which briefly went missing earlier this year after Almond was attacked following a performance, has a long and storied history, one that figured into the evening’s repertoire.
Rather than start with the music, Almond opted first to address the crowd on the history of the Lipinski and its connection to two of the pieces he would be playing. Giuseppe Tartini’s Violin Sonata in G minor, commonly known as “The Devil’s Trill,” was a fitting choice as the first piece of the evening, he explained, as Tartini was the Lipinski’s first known owner.
When it came time for the sonata’s third movement, Almond proved more than up to the task of traversing it. Among the more impressive and moving displays of the evening was an unaccompanied section consisting almost entirely of treacherously difficult double stop trills, handled so well that any thoughts of the virtuosity involved all but vanished.
Impressive though it was, it seemed almost like a warmup for Almond’s rendition of J.S. Bach’s legendary Chaconne from Partita in D minor. A marvel of sheer creativity, the chaconne begins with a simple four-measure theme that is taken through dozens of variations, resulting in a piece that for centuries has been hailed for its emotional and structural depth. Bach’s vision was served well by Almond’s masterful hands, which beautifully manipulated the Lipinski to illustrate the uniqueness of each variation and how they combine into a brilliant whole.
Harker parent Prashant Fuloria (Anika, grade 6; Varun, grade 3) enjoyed the performance of the Bach piece in particular and said that the concert’s atmosphere was a good environment for many age groups. “It’s not too formal. Kids can go around and be kids and listen to some great music,” he said.
“It is breathtaking,” attendee Lynn Mitchell said of Almond’s performance. “I particularly enjoy the Röntgen piece.” She also enjoyed the “inviting” atmosphere of the venue, and said the food was “delicious.”
The final piece for the evening was Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A Major, which was chosen, Almond said, because “it’s fun to play.” Pianist Jeffrey Sykes set the tone with a soft bedding of chords before being joined by the violin, whose vulnerable melodies were gorgeously rendered as they swayed rhythmically with the piano, the two trading melancholic lines. An urgent, almost sinister assemblage of piano notes opened the next movement before bursting into a dazzling run. Almond expertly utilized the Lipinski’s warm lower registers to introduce the frantic, flowing melody, which both contrasted and played off of the panicked piano underneath. The slow and repentant third movement was beautifully anchored by Sykes’ emotive subtleties, punctuated by anguished outbursts. As if to make up for the anxiety and despair of the previous two movements, the sonata shifted into an uplifting and determined mood, bringing back the theme from the first movement for a rollicking finish.