Every year, Harker employees who have been with the school for five years are recognized for their service to the community by receiving commemorative pins. Every subsequent five years, a diamond is set into the pin to signify the employees’ continued dedication.
A total of 27 employees received new pins this year. They are: Miriam Allersma, Michelle Anderson, Raelynn Baldwin, Samantha Brailey, Joe Connolly, Linda Felice, Ray Fowler, Sabina Grogan, Sabrina Gutierrez, Katherine Hammond, Andrew Irvine, Butch Keller, Jane Keller, Karl Kuehn, Greg Lawson, Joseph Lejander, Danae McLaughlin, Luis Mayorga-Perez, Andrea Milius, Bernard Morrissey, Matt Ortiz, Erin Redfern, Ramon Rivera, Chris Spenner, Nancy Tomlitz, Jennifer Walrod and Pauline Warren.
Employees honored for 10 years of service were: Pilar Aguero-Esparza, Manuel Amaya, Monica Colletti, Roberto Fernandez, Anita Gilbert, Manuel Gomez, Derek Kameda, Kumi Matsui, Alexandra Rosenboom, Ruth Meyer, Antonio Mora Perez, Susan Nace, Lori Philipp, Jose Flores Ramirez, Ignacio Rojas, Vince Salinas and Jose Serrano.
Employees honored for 15 years of service were: Giresh Ghooray, Steven Hewitt, Juan Jimenez, Cyrus Merrill, Marianne Rager, Vonda Reid, Efren Parra Rivera and Janet Rohrer.
Kristin Giammona was recognized for 20 years of service and Lisa Hackwood for 25 years.
JR Del Alto, Sarah Leonard, Lisa Machuca, Nan Nielsen and Joe Rosenthal all received recognition for 30 years of service, and Cindy Ellis and Gene Sanchez were honored for their 35 years with Harker.
Santaclarabroncos.com – June 11, 2012: Volleyball star Tanya Schmidt ’08 is featured in a story about receiving an award at the NCAA’s West Coast Conference awards dinner, which included a brief chat with the president of the NCAA.
The New York Times – May 27, 2012: Former Harker teacher Priscilla Chan is featured in an article about her recent marriage to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. She was also profiled by CNN.com.
San Jose Mercury News – May 2, 2012: Rising senior and softball player Alison Rugar is mentioned in the Highlight Reel section of Varsity Extra for her 13-strikeout performance in Harker’s win over Mercy-Burlingame, in which she also scored a home run, and for her 16 strikeouts against Menlo.
Microsoft JobsBlog – May 10, 2012:Sean Turner ’06, who interned at Microsoft Silicon Valley and now works there as an engineer, is profiled in the company’s JobsBlog.
Duke Magazine – March-April 2012: An article in the university’s magazine about admissions mentions and cites information provided by Harker college counselor Martin Walsh.
Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area – March 27, 2012:Recent graduate Max Maynard is featured in a story about his perseverance as a track athlete despite experiencing kidney problems, which required two surgeries. Track coach Brian Dougall and rising junior Claudia Tischler are also interviewed.
Indiawest – April 2, 2012:Recent graduates Prag Batra and Govinda Dasu, both Intel semifinalists, are featured in an article about their website, War of Word, which allows visitors to draft, debate and vote on political resolutions on a multitude of issues.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Circle Celebration Honors School Donors The Head of School’s Circle Celebration on May 4 brought together hundreds of donors and members of the Parent Development Council (PDC) to honor their generosity and thank them for their part in helping the school achieve its goals.
The audience was treated to special performances by three of Harker’s top performing arts groups: the upper school show choir Downbeat, High Voltage, the middle school all-male dance group and Showstoppers, the middle school girls dance group.
Giving Back: Harker Faculty and Staff Reach Record Level of Participation in Annual Giving Campaign Early this school year, the administration challenged Harker employees to beat the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) average of 94 percent faculty/staff participation in school annual giving campaigns. Harker stepped up with 99 percent participation.
The stage was set last year, when Harker parents Samir and Sundari Mitra (Shivani, grade 11) established the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities, which matches gifts for the annual campaign up to a total of $100,000.
“I heard about this initiative,” said Jonathan Brusco, grade 7 social studies teacher.
Brusco then urged others to contribute to annual giving, and was asked to join the newly created Faculty Development Council, a group working to increase faculty participation in the annual giving process. As a result of the record setting faculty/staff drive, many parents were also inspired to make a gift or pledge to the annual campaign.
“We are grateful to the many faculty and staff who participated in annual giving this year. Their contributions benefit and impact every student, parent and teacher here at Harker!” said Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement.
For more information about annual giving opportunities at Harker, contact Melinda Gonzales, director of development, at melindag@harker.org.
Volunteer Workshop Informs, Rallies Parents Present and future Harker volunteers were treated to an informative and entertaining workshop May 10, hosted by volunteer directors Teré Aceves (K-8) and Sue Prutton (upper school). The event, meant to educate interested parents on the large variety of volunteer opportunities at Harker, also served as a conversation starter, with experienced parents relating the necessary skills, time commitment and nature of each available opportunity.
“The event went extremely well,” said Prutton. “This year we brought in Dr. CK Andrade, associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco to talk about volunteering – its benefits and how to get the most out of the experience without getting overloaded. She was both insightful and very amusing, sharing several anecdotes from her own experiences.”
Parents at the workshop learned of new programs and opportunities, and particularly appreciated hearing from fellow expert volunteer parents, who talked about their experiences and were enthusiastic about the fun they had in their various tasks.
According to Prutton, participation in the Harker volunteer community is more important than necessarily being the most active volunteer. “We have volunteers who work on multiple programs in leadership roles each year and those who can only give an hour, but we’re appreciative of all our volunteers no matter how much or how little time they can give.” To Prutton, it’s all about the passion: “Each year a majority of our families volunteer some time to a program they and their students are passionate about and that’s what matters most to Teré and me.”
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Harker has an excellent reputation in the local art community and beyond for providing students with exceptional visual arts offerings. In the lower and middle schools, students learn drawing, printmaking, painting, woodworking, carving, ceramics and art history. In the upper school, fine art students can choose Study of Visual Arts as their mandatory yearlong arts survey course and select from a variety of drawing vehicles, as well as stone carving, bronze casting, ceramics and architecture.
Art at Harker is widely celebrated through exhibitions spanning all three campuses; enjoy this year-end reflection of the work these talented artists produced.
Spotlight on Our Budding Young Artists
The lower school’s art exhibit, featuring works from K-5 students, went on display at the Bucknall campus in May. Exhibiting youngsters demonstrated an impressive range of abilities with their artwork, which included sculptures, drawings and architectural designs.
Pieces created by kindergartners in the Tuesday and Thursday after-school art classes were often inspired by book themes. Highlights included drawings of owls shown against blue backgrounds, sporting white feathers, from the beloved children’s book “Owl Babies,” written by Martin Waddell. Meanwhile, watercolor paintings of fish were motivated by the illustrations of Marcus Pfister’s book “The Rainbow Fish.”
Sculptures made by both kindergartners and first graders included lifelike depictions of tasty treats, including yogurt parfaits, cupcakes, truffles, cakes and fruit. Sculptures by students in grades 3 and 5 adorned the lobby outside the school’s gym, while inside – and winding their way upstairs – were brightly colored pictures from students in grades 1 and 2.
Located by the top-floor classrooms was an array of impressive masks by grade 5 artists including those of cats, pigs, people, owls, rabbits, sharks and even a deer complete with twigs for antlers. Also upstairs were architectural drawings from grade 4 students which depicted buildings familiar to students’ lives, such as Starbucks, Best Buy, the Santa Clara County Library, Target, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Intel.
Art student Andrew Lee, grade 3, was proud of his pastel oil drawing filled with beautiful butterflies. He said his picture was done in the after-school art program, which he just started this year and calls “really fun.” Standing by his side, his friend Aniket Kriplani, also grade 3, said he enjoys doing art at Harker because “you are free to do what you want, as long as you follow certain specific directions.”
Middle School Art Students Showcase Unique Styles
The middle school exhibit kicked off with an opening reception held in the main office lobby of the upper school campus in April before moving over to the middle school campus, where it ran until May 15. Artists showcased colorful paintings and ceramics, from figurines to wire sculptures and mobiles.
On display from sixth graders were assorted plates and bowls with tempting fake food such as pie, French fries, vegetables and fruit. One particularly cheery plate radiated with painted-on yellow smiley faces. Grade 7-8 ceramics included a section of sea animals titled “Formed by the Sea.” These grades also had a table at the show containing glass fusion and casting, comprising sculptures illuminated by lights revealing the intricacy of the work.
Meanwhile, eye-catching drawings themed around metamorphosis included that of an apple in various stages of being eaten (from full, to half bitten, to down to the core) and another depicting a girl whose features morphed into those of a tiger. Natalie Simonian, grade 8, had four pieces in the middle school art show, in which there were more than 75 students represented. Simonian also had artwork from the Harker exhibit selected for display in the nearby Saratoga Rotary Art Show at West Valley College.
“My first art class was the mandatory one in kindergarten,” Simonian said. “At that time, art and I were completely unrelated. My drawings of people looked more like an uncoordinated mess of squares, circles and triangles. But by the end of six years’ worth of mandatory art classes, I could draw and I developed a love for art,” she recalled, noting that in grade 6, she took an elective art course and has never looked back.
Upper School Show Exhibits Professional- Level Work
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but Harker’s top artistic talent went the extra mile by showcasing written statements alongside original artwork at this year’s AP Studio Art Exhibition in March.
Featuring unique works in various media, the exhibition was held during a long lunch in the light-filled Nichols Hall atrium. The professionally-styled show was open to both students and faculty who strolled the hall admiring projects ranging from photography to sculptures and drawings.
AP Studio Art is a high-level class for talented artists, mostly seniors, interested in both 3-D art, taught by Jaap Bongers, and 2-D art, taught by Pilar Agüero-Esparza.
Commenting on the work of his students, Bongers, who is also chair of the art department, said he had been fortunate to follow many of the exhibitors’ evolving styles over the course of several years, having had them in various previous art courses.
Many of the students enjoying the annual show were not artists themselves. However, after attending, they said they had a new appreciation for the artistic friends they’d come out to support.“Some of my friends do art; I’ll probably take it next year,” said Eric Swenson, grade 11, who especially enjoyed reading the artists’ personal statements and seeing what inspired them.
Each of the student artists chose a theme that recurred throughout their works and wrote statements explaining their inspiration for the exhibition. These artist statements were prominently displayed next to their pieces.
In a statement about her cat sketches, artist Iris Xia, grade 11, wrote that her concentration involved the objectification of feelings. By illustrating cats placed into typical household tools and later luxury items, she said she sought to demonstrate how degrading people could be when they exploit innocent animals for their own benefits. Meanwhile, senior Karen Wang’s whimsical, colorful paintings focused on the idea of freedom and escape. “What is freedom and how do I communicate my perception of it?” she questioned in her artist statement.
One thing that all of the exhibiting artists seemed to agree on was the joy they personally took in having the freedom to create their own themes, rather than following a more standard project based on a class assignment.
Explaining that process, exhibiting artist Tariq Jahshan, grade 12, stood in front of his 3-D sculpture display and allowed that most of his ideas start out as a very basic abstract form. Then he “just kind of goes with it” until it becomes more conscious. “At that point, what’s going to come out takes over and I’ll then follow that.”
Following on the successful heels of the AP Studio Art exhibit was the upper school’s regular annual art exhibition held in May, also at the Nichols Hall atrium. That show featured juried art selections and DJ music sponsored by the Spirit Club.
This year’s exhibition juror was Teresa Cunniff, adjunct professor in the fine art department of San Jose State University, and a San Francisco-based mixed media installation artist and graphic designer.
There was an impressive array of advanced ceramics and sculptures on display at this, the upper school’s final art exhibit of the year, including a bust of Superman, a number of female torsos (including that of a pregnant woman) and a Colgate toothpaste tube. Meanwhile, at a table nearby were the completed assignments of architecture students who had been charged with the daunting task of “creating a new possibility for mankind.”
Also on hand was a thought-provoking “What Matters” series of charcoal drawings depicting such controversial topics as technology, the societal concept of beauty, and hopes and worries for our global future. There were other drawings without such powerful messages, but which could be equally appreciated for their simple beauty, such as a drawing showing white sugar cubes dropping down into a mug filled with dark coffee, realistic and tempting enough to make both coffee, and art lovers, return for a second look.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Chris Nikoloff, head of school, announced in May that The Harker School has received a six-year term of accreditation from the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This is the highest accreditation term and “a vote of confidence that we as an institution can monitor our own growth and chart our own path into the future,” said Nikoloff. Receiving the highest term of accreditation is the result of our community’s hard work and dedication to deliver excellence to students in all areas. Nikoloff noted the accreditation is “an expression of trust from our member associations that we will continue to seek improvement, growth and sustainability around the mission of wholly and healthily educating our children.” Thanks and congratulations to our whole community!
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Now in its second year, the Harker Eagle Buddies program continues to be a success, fostering friendships between upper and lower school students that Eagle Buddies coordinators hope will last beyond the Class of 2013’s graduation. Last year’s Eagle Buddies, now in grades 4 and 11, bonded during a number of fun activities during the fall and spring semesters.
“The kids had a really good time with it,” said upper school history teacher and Eagle Buddies coordinator Carol Zink. “Both the big kids and the little kids look forward to these things.”
Simar Mangat, grade 11, said his experience with Eagle Buddies so far has been “fantastic. Our lower school friends are always energetic and excited to play. Visiting allows us to reminisce about the good old days in lower school and escape the often stressful life.”
In November, grade 4 kids met up with their friends in the Class of 2013 at the lower school to put together boxes of utensils and candy that were donated to children in need at Scott Lane Elementary.
When the juniors visited again in mid-March, they dropped in on an assembly and played a game with their buddies in which groups of eight had to pose as various shapes or structures, such as a circle or a bridge. Afterward, they chatted over lunch.
In April the grade 4 buddies headed to the upper school to participate in a day of fun with a group of professional clowns hired by Jeff Draper, upper school performing arts teacher. In addition to watching the clowns perform entertaining and hilarious antics such as walking on stilts, spinning plates and balancing precariously on stacks of chairs, the students donned clown makeup, and learned scarf juggling and how to balance feathers on their fingertips and noses.
“It was fun because even though we were on the upper school campus, we all became 10-year-olds for a couple of hours,” said Tiphaine Delepine, grade 11. “It was fun to go to my college counseling meeting with a butterfly painted on my face and to see classmates walking all over campus with other crazy face-paint designs.”
The success of last year’s inaugural Eagle Buddies activities meant that students new to the program enjoyed the same fun. There was an initial meet-up and field day at the lower school in October, a special visit by grade 10 buddies to the Pajama Day assembly at the lower school, with students from both grades wearing pajamas for the occasion and a special visit to the upper school by the grade 3 buddies, who participated in the spring spirit rally’s scream-off, where they were recorded screaming at 101.3 decibels.
Sofia Fernandez, grade 3 student and the daughter of upper school math teacher Jeanette Fernandez, said the rally was her favorite Eagle Buddies event this year. “I enjoyed yelling and cheering for the 10th graders and running on the field chasing the advisors – my mom – during the skit.”
Bryan Zhang, also grade 3, agreed, “because you have the chance to watch the performance with your buddies and play with them at the upper school campus.”
For next year, the Eagle Buddies coordinators plan an added element, offering coaching to any grade 10 students who may not have a lot of experience with young children, hopefully thus increasing their enjoyment of the program even more. “So many of our students are the only child in their families or are the younger child themselves and don’t have a lot of experience with 8-yearolds,” Zink said. A special graduation ceremony for next year’s seniors and fifth graders (who will respectively be spending their final years at the upper and lower schools) is also planned.
“Eagle Buddies is a way to make Harker smaller and closer as a group while simultaneously giving the young students people to look up to,” said Delepine. “I wish there had been a program like Eagle Buddies when I was at the lower school!”
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Upper School This spring was a season of ups and downs for Harker sports, as teams pitted themselves against worthy opponents from across the state. School records were broken in the pool and on the field, as students shattered previous shot put and 500-yard freestyle numbers. Lower and middle school athletes continued to impress with their enthusiasm and dedication, as well as their stellar results, with many teams coming away undefeated or nearly so. Overall, it was another exciting season for Harker athletes. Go Eagles!
Baseball
Harker sluggers finished a difficult year with a 9-17 record, 2-8 in league. “Three tough extra-inning losses hurt the Eagles’ chances in league play,” said head coach C.J. Cali. Highlights of the season included a monster 18-0 thumping against North Valley Baptist, as well as an exciting extra-innings 5-4 win in the season opener against King’s Academy. To cement the bond between campuses, the upper and middle school teams took a group trip to an A’s-Angels game in May, where they enjoyed the fun from a luxury suite.
Lacrosse
Harker cradlers had a historic season this spring, posting their first winning season since the program began. Coach Andrew Irvine had his first year as head coach, building off the foundation of Dawn Clark’s four years as head coach, with Jason Berry, also a varsity girls soccer coach, assisting. “We beat out league rival Mercy Burlingame for the first time in several years,” said Irvine. “We are looking forward to the development of the lacrosse program in the coming years as it is the fastest growing
sport in America.”
Volleyball
Congratulations to the boys volleyball team on their tough-fought season. “Harker arguably competes in the strongest league in the state,” said head coach Dan Molin. “[Their league] features three other teams ranked in the state’s top 25.” The boys were 14-18 overall and 4-8 in league.
Golf
Harker linksmen finished 7-3 this spring, with a strong third place in their league. “I think we had a great season and competed very well against Menlo (who won the league) and split with Sacred Heart (who finished second and won the league championship tournament),” said cohead coach Phil Hall.
Swimming
Harker’s aquatic athletes posted admirable results in the CCS championships this spring, which included more than 100 schools stretching from San Francisco to King City. Nevertheless, Harker had many top 10 finishes, including second and third places, respectively, in girls 100-meter backstroke and boys 100-meter freestyle. Overall, the girls tied for 16th place, and the boys came in tied for ninth. Great work!
Softball
Harker’s lady sluggers finished the season 11-10-2 and 7-5 in league, placing fourth. Two players made first team All League. In a heartbreaking last game, the team missed the CCS playoffs by one home run, abdicating to Castilleja 1-0. “We are losing two seniors this year,” says head coach Raul Rios, “but are getting most players back. The girls know how close we were to getting [into the playoffs], so next year they will try even harder. I think we are going to be better and stronger next year.”
Tennis
The Harker racquet men showed not only a winning season this spring, but made it to the CCS championships for the ninth straight year! Though the boys got off to a slow start losing three of their first six matches, they then took off and won nine of their next 11, including one stretch with seven straight wins! They finished the season with an overall record of 11-7 and finished third in the WBAL.
Track and Field
“A small band of talented, hardworking athletes is a powerful force,” said coach Brian Dougall, and indeed he was right, as Harker track and field athletes posted impressive results at the WBAL varsity finals on May 12 in Daly City, even though they had one of the smaller squads in the league. Harker posted first-place results in the men’s 100, 200 and 3,200 meters, as well as the women’s 200 meters. Other top five finishes included men’s shot put and discus, and the women’s 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. Said Dougall, “We had a young team this year and they will be back next year. So, watch out.”
Lower and Middle School Girls Volleyball
Big congratulations to the VA girls volleyball squad, who went undefeated all season, ending 8-0. “It was an amazing season with effort from every kid,” said coach Alisa Vinkour. “This is a very talented group of kids.”
The VB girls team posted impressive results this season, ending their league with a three-way tie for first place, with a win-loss record of 6-1. Coach Diana Melendez said the team had a positive attitude and a strong team spirit. “They were a fun group to work with and an eager-to-learn bunch, which made their learning process much more fun. They were dedicated and committed; considering the many activities Harker kids have, I was very pleased when almost all girls would attend practices and games.”
The VB2 girls team had a strong season, going 5-2 and placing third in their league.
The girls on the JVB1 team had a wonderful season, going 5-1 and finishing the season co-champions! “The girls played their hearts out, and I was very proud of all of them,” said coach Michelle Hopkins.
The grade 4 intramural team had an amazing time and built a strong foundation of skills to use in future years. “I am very proud of the progress the girls made from the first day of practice until the final practice,” said coach Patrick Hightower. “This team began the season as young girls who had never seen or touched a volleyball. They have progressed by making controlled passes and sets. By the end of the season, they were able to serve and receive a serve.” Good work, girls – we look forward to seeing you shine in future seasons!
Boys Volleyball
What a season it was for the boys varsity A team, who finished the season 10-1 and placed first in the ADAL (Art David Athletic League). “This is a tremendous accomplishment and a tribute to the volleyball talent here at Harker,” said coach Pete Anderson. “The team meshed and worked hard throughout the year.” This was the varsity A team’s first season in a boys volleyball league after many years playing as an independent.
Baseball
The JVA boys had a difficult season, going 0-5-1, with a tie in their last game against Menlo. “We continued to get better and better as the season went on,” said coach Matt Arensberg.
With only 11 players on the roster, the grade 5 JVB sluggers fought hard and ended the season 0-3 in league play. Coach Walid Fahmy said, “I am really looking forward to seeing the boys improve and get better next year as they move on to Blackford. Coach [Joe] Mentillo and I are very proud of each and every boy who came out for baseball and made this a memorable season.”
The grade 4 intramural team was superlative in their enthusiasm this year. “The boys’ passion for the game and their love of practicing and playing while challenging each other to improve was remarkable to witness on a daily basis,” said coach Jim McGovern. “Their dedication to working on fielding, hitting and base running was evident early on to Coach Wade and me, and the entire team improved their skills throughout the season.”
Tennis
A hearty congratulations to the varsity A girls tennis squad, who competed for the first time ever and pulled off a winning record of 4-1. “The girls performed to their best every match,” said coach Silvana Dukic. “Such enthusiasm, spirit and love for the game … I’m so proud of them! It was a pleasure to coach them.”
Water Polo
Kudos go to the middle school water polo squad, who finished fourth in their league.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Two long-term plans clasped hands this spring when Harker became top bidder on a desirable property near Union Avenue and Highway 85 in San Jose and decided to open a preschool there, initially. The purchase process, though not completed, is in full swing and the full transition will take several years.
“While we prepare to transition from Blackford,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school, “Harker will open a preschool on Union. Not only will this accomplish some strategic objectives for the school, it will make productive use of the Union campus,” he said, noting that a preschool summer program is slated to open in June 2013, with the annual program to follow in September. The preschool will serve ages 3 through (young) 5-year-olds and aims to open to 48 students, with the capacity to grow up to 120 students.
For the next several months, Harker is doing its due diligence on the Union campus reviewing needed permits, traffic issues, environmental questions and the title. If all goes well, the administration could close on the property around the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013.
The Preschool
Harker had been studying the preschool market for about two years — long before the Union property arrived on the scene — most recently during its recent accreditation process. Previously, the school ran a very successful junior kindergarten, but closed that program (as well as the school’s boarding program) to make space for the upper school. According to Nikoloff, many independent K-12 schools have a preschool, and the Harker administration continually hears from kindergarten families about the limited availability of quality preschool programs. A preschool would effectively allow Harker to provide another important enrollment window in the primary grades, extend its mission to an additional age group, and respond to a growing need for a quality preschool in Silicon Valley, especially with the state of California rolling back the eligibility age for kindergarten. The
preschool plan took on new impetus as the Union acquisition plan matured.
Union Avenue – The Third Campus
Ever since opening the upper school in 1998, Harker has planned to own three campuses. Currently Harker owns the upper Saratoga and lower Bucknall campuses, but holds a lease on the middle school Blackford campus until 2025. However, the Blackford lease has long been viewed as a stop-gap measure.
“Our long-term plan is to locate the middle school on the Bucknall campus and move the lower school to the Union campus. Bucknall’s facilities – such as the fields, pool and gym – meet middle school and high school specifications, while the Union campus facilities are much more appropriate for K-5 students,” said Nikoloff, adding that there are four key needs to address before transitioning from the Blackford campus lease into its final Harker-owned campuses plan.
The four key needs prior to completing the middle- and lower school transitions are building a gym and theater complex on the Saratoga campus to replace the gym and theater on the Blackford campus; creating a permanent solution for field use; making improvements on the Union campus in preparation for its K-5 use; and relocating some operations at Blackford.
And, while the preschool would initially operate on the Union property, it would later be transitioned to leased or purchased land when the time comes to move the K-5 programs to Union. Kelly Espinosa, Harker’s summer school director, has been charged with administering the preschool. A veteran Harker employee, Espinosa holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from San Jose State, and has many years’ experience directing Harker’s summer school, after-school recreation programs, and the Harker Family & Alumni Picnic.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
During their graduation ceremony at the scenic Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Harker’s Class of 2012 sat poised, attentively listening to speeches, ready and eager to take on life after high school, when they were then challenged to turn back the clock and view the world through the eyes of a baby.
“If you see like a baby, you just might see yourself as the miracle you are,” advised Chris Nikoloff, head of school. He delivered his yearly farewell speech to the students after welcoming members of the board of trustees, the administration, faculty and staff, family, friends, alumni and the “true guests of honor” — the graduating Class of 2012.
Speaking of the inspiration for his address — the newest addition to his own family, baby Andreas — and here noting that this was the first graduation speech he’d written on an iPad, Nikoloff turned serious as he advised students to continually walk through life with a sense of wonder. He quoted Albert Einstein who wrote, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Prior to Nikoloff’s address, the graduation ceremony had gotten underway on a beautiful spring morning to the melodious sounds of the Harker Chamber Orchestra, led by Chris Florio. As the graduating class proceeded into the amphitheater, taking their front row seats, the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the air. Once the graduates were seated, Susan Nace led the 2012 Graduation Chorus in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Butch Keller, upper school head, warmly addressed the seniors and their proud families, congratulating students on reaching this important milestone in their educational careers, then introduced this year’s valedictorian, Ramya Rangan.
In her speech, Rangan encouraged her fellow grads to, above all else, pursue their passions and find what makes them happy. Following the speech, the chorus, directed by Catherine Snider and accompanied by Rangan, sang “Leave No Song Unsung.”
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Vandi V. Tompkins, research technologist, mobility and robotic systems, for NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory. Tompkins provided a wonderful role model of someone actively pursuing her dreams. In her captivating address, she passionately discussed her past work in flight operations for the Mars exploration rovers and the development of NASA’s science laboratory flight mission.
After the keynote speech, graduate and outgoing National Honor Society president Nicole Dalal passed the Lamp of Knowledge to rising senior and new NHS president Emily Wang. When it came time to receive their diplomas, one by one seniors were greeted by Keller, Nikoloff and this year’s class dean, Matthew Harley, upper school biology teacher.
Finally, with diplomas in hand, the students turned their attention to Nikoloff and Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, for their closing remarks. All watched as doves were released and the ceremony came to a close.
Graduates then moved their tassels as a symbol of their graduation. Soon after, they flung their caps in the air, watching, with a newborn’s sense of wonder, as the hats went high into the sky.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Library Director Contributes Chapter to Book Susan Smith, Harker’s library director, has contributed a chapter to a new book being published in the spring. The book, called “Growing Schools – Librarians as Professional Developers,” presents examples of school librarians leading professional learning in numerous contexts and for diverse learning goals with remarkable success.
“This is the story of Harker’s information literacy program which originated under [former library director] Enid Davis in 2006,” says Smith. “The chapter is a chronicle of how we built administrative and faculty support for teaching a scope and sequence of skills essential for 21st-century learning.” Originally a single team of teachers, librarians and administrators, the Information Literacy Committee has since grown to three campusbased committees, and the program has been integrated into upper school departmental initiatives.
The program allows Harker’s library director and site-based librarians to gain administrative support as they create a whole-school initiative that positions information literacy as essential learning for students of all ages. A faculty team then designs and implements a process to incorporate these information literacy skills into disciplinary content classroom by classroom.
“The librarians’ understanding of curricula, instructional design expertise and information systems knowledge uniquely positions them as faculty professional developers,” says Smith. “Harker’s K-12 approach is exceptional and our success remarkable.”
Harker Teacher Appointed to Gavilan College Board of Trustees The Gavilan College School Board has appointed Harker teacher Jonathan Brusco to its board of trustees. After the tragic death of one of its members left an open seat, the board solicited applications from the community. When Brusco heard of the opening, he realized his areas of expertise were perfectly suited for the position.
Brusco, who teaches grade 7 social studies, is credentialed to teach both elementary and high school students. Before Harker, Brusco taught in the philosophy department at San Jose State University. “I have an understanding of what students are capable of at a younger age and also a general idea of how prepared students are when they start at a four-year university,” said Brusco. “I think my educational background really played a part in the board selecting me, but I think they also appreciate the fact that I came from Harker.”
Brusco believes bringing the perspective of a private educational institution, unencumbered by the same regulations, laws and budgets of the state, may have been attractive to the board. “In addition, Harker is a multicampus school, as is Gavilan College, and both schools are expanding to new campuses in the future,” says Brusco.
Teaching at both San Jose State and Harker showed Brusco the acute disparity in college preparedness among students. “Working at Harker has really opened my eyes to the true potential of younger students,” said Brusco. “I know that all our students enter four-year universities well-prepared for what lies ahead, but having taught at San Jose State, I can’t say that this is the case for every new college student.” As a board member, Brusco says he wants to focus on making sure community college students have access to coursework that will best prepare and equip them for moving on to a four-year university. Brusco’s term lasts until November of this year, whereupon he will run for reelection.
Teacher Appreciation Events Afford Students and Parents Welcome Opportunities to Express Gratitude All year, Harker teachers go above and beyond their duty to help create a community not only of learners, but kind, well-rounded individuals as well.
Their hard work was recognized and rewarded this spring, honored by both students and parents during a series of schoolwide annual teacher appreciation events held in May.
Each campus hosted its own appreciation events, with the teachers treated to delicious meals expertly prepared and served by both parents and students. The lower and middle school breakfasts and luncheons were organized by grade level coordinators, while the upper school event, a breakfast, was entirely arranged by the students themselves.
At the upper school, outgoing student council officers whipped up and served a hot, hearty breakfast for the Saratoga campus teachers, who enjoyed their meal in the Edge before school officially started for the day.
“As the year winds to a close, all of the students are reminded of how much we owe you for teaching us, mentoring us and inspiring us to learn and push ourselves,” Revanth Kosaraju, grade 12 and outgoing associated student body president, said, noting that the breakfast was just a token of student appreciation.
Meanwhile, middle school teachers began their day with an equally delicious breakfast served in the multipurpose room, followed by a moving presentation to thank them for their dedication. In the afternoon, middle school parents continued the festivities by hosting an elegant luncheon for teachers.
Lower school teachers had their special breakfast served by parents in the faculty lounge. Later, they joined parents for an outdoor lunch held on the school’s front field. Parents thanked teachers for “another year of unconditional dedication to students.” Attendees enjoyed the glorious weather, wide variety of entrees and desserts, and easy conversation.
According to Teré Aceves, one of Harker’s directors of volunteer programming, “The appreciation breakfasts and lunches are a welcome opportunity for parents to express their gratitude for the yearlong efforts of teachers who provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for their children.”
Lower School Welcomes New Dean Kendricks (Ken) Allen will be the dean of Harker’s lower school beginning next year. Allen joins Harker after 12 years teaching and coaching at the Fort Worth Country Day School (FWCDS). Allen earned a B.S. in exercise and sport science from Colorado State University and holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Christian University.
At FWCDS, Allen actively pursued a passion for developing lifetime fitness skills in young children. In addition to teaching K-5 physical education, Allen spent seven years as the head track and field coach for the 60- to 80-member upper school team and oversaw the development of the middle school program for both boys and girls. He also spent 12 years as an assistant varsity football coach at the upper school and was head coach for middle school football. He has been an assistant coach in girls basketball, a middle school academic advisor and has served on the school’s Diversity Committee and Tech Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, and certified as a United States Track and Field Association Level I coach.
Allen arrives on campus July 30, following his wedding to his fiancée, Jenna. “The Harker School is regarded as the finest independent school in the Bay Area; I’m humbled and honored to be part of the faculty and staff,” said Allen. “I’m looking forward to working on the Bucknall campus and building on the successful foundation that they have established. My fiancée and I look forward to being a part of the Harker community.”