Reprinted from the Harker QuarterlyMarch 2010 issue
The unwary might be fooled by the tranquil spaces that are the Harker libraries – but make no mistake: momentous changes are underfoot schoolwide.
Harker library director Enid Davis has kept the department atop the morphing information world all along, but the addition of several features have resulted in a watershed year for all library users, including the construction of a new library on the upper school campus.
The new building will come in at 3,803 square feet – an 89 percent increase over the previous library space – with a comfortable reading area, a separate classroom equipped with eBeam technology, expanded study tables with lighting and outlets, a print/scan/copy center, increased shelving, enhanced wireless connectivity and a security system to keep it all safe.
With the opening of the new upper school library, all three campuses will enjoy wireless learning spaces with ceiling mounted projector systems. Other changes this year include:
• streamlining of the library’s Web site design featuring customized resources matched to age and curricula at each division;
• the addition of a proxy server, enabling single user login for all 80-plus subscription databases around the clock;
• the addition of Questia, an electronic library containing nearly 30,000 full textbooks with robust tools for personalized note-taking;
• significant growth of Harker’s eBook collection, including supplementary resources for class projects which necessitate simultaneous use;
• online catalogue makeover to increase user access including the ability to add book reviews, and the addition of cover art to books’ listings; and
• expanded use of NoodleBib, an online tool that allows students to collect, organize and synthesize research in personalized accounts, across grade levels and disciplines.
Connecting users with information is the primary job of Harker’s librarians – a job that’s become both easier and more difficult in a Web 2.0 world. Easier because information abounds; more difficult because, well, information abounds, and sifting through the chaff to find value can be an overwhelming task for children, teens and adults alike.
“Our Internet age has made the information explosion possible,” explains middle school librarian Bernie Morrissey. “Libraries have become more important than ever. In many cases, a librarian can provide the magnet that makes the perfect needle jump out of its haystack.”
Dramatic change can be disconcerting, but Davis’ creation of the Information Literacy committees four years ago has made Harker’s transitions nearly seamless. The committees, which meet regularly on each campus, allow teachers to voice information concerns and share successes with library professionals and instructional technologists, thus serving as a crucible for innovation to address concerns and replicate successes.
As a result, Harker teachers have been taking greater advantage of professional librarians at all levels to help their students navigate through the information deluge. Teacher librarian collaboration projects have increased significantly, making Harker’s information professionals regular fixtures in kindergarten and Gr. 1 classrooms, in addition to the regularly scheduled library instruction K-Gr. 4.
“The most important contribution we can make is to teach faculty and students how to access, evaluate and synthesize all the information pouring over our heads from an infinite digital sky,” said Davis
Staying in front of technology and the changes it causes in educational philosophy can be challenging, but Harker librarians have developed a reputation as leaders in their field. This fall Davis was invited to speak at the BayNet Librarian Conference, and librarians Kathy Clark, Lauri Vaughan, Smith and Morrissey all presented at the Harker Teacher Tech Institute last June.
In January, Vaughan and Smith were keynote speakers at a regional conference of independent school librarians. This month Smith will present with Donna Gilbert, upper school history department chair, on their collaborative efforts at the California Association of Independent Schools conference at Campbell Hall in North Hollywood.
“The role of school libraries has expanded,” said Smith. “They are important places for students to gather for collaboration and learning, but they also represent portals, both physical and virtual, to new resources, tools and technologies. The tools and technologies will change, but libraries as intellectual hubs of schools and communities – as learning commons – will outlive us all!”
Bay Area Parent – June 2010: Recent upper school graduate Colby Rapson and kindergartner Ravi Lal appear on the cover of this month’s issue, now available on newsstands throughout the area.
California Coast Parent, Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Edition – Summer 2010: Harker is featured in an extensive story on the school and its various programs.
San Jose Mercury News – June 6, 2010: Auto insurance company Progressive took out a full-page ad in this edition of the newspaper to congratulate Harker on being named a finalist in the DASH+ competition.
San Jose Mercury News– May 21, 2010: Alumnus Jason Martin ’07 was mentioned in an article about the San Jose State baseball team. At the time the story appeared, Martin had a .375 batting average, a team best and a remarkable feat considering he broke his hand last fall.
San Jose Mercury News – May 19, 2010: The following graduates were mentioned for making commitments to play sports at the following colleges: Greg Plauck (Santa Clara University baseball), Cole Davis (Stanford swimming), Arthi Padmanabhan (Pomona-Pitzer tennis), Amy Rorabaugh (Lake Forest College volleyball), Colby Rapson (UC Berkeley crew), Ryan Cali (University of Redlands basketball), Michael Clifford (UC Davis volleyball), Kelly Chen (Claremont-McKenna tennis) and Vivian Wong (Carnegie-Mellon swimming).
Jennifer Hayashi, Gr. 3, and her girlfriends enjoyed an afternoon out with lower school teacher Kelle Sloan. Hayashi was the winner of Sloan’s “Pedicure and Picnic” package, offered at the 2009 Harker Family & Alumni Picnic last October.
The girls enjoyed pedicures at Lavande Nail Spa in Santana Row and a wonderful lunch at The Counter. “I hope we win next year; that was the best day I had all year!” said Hayashi.
On May 1, Harker students joined the community as family and friends strutted down Santana Heights’ rooftop terrace during Santana Row’s second annual Poolside Soiree Fashion Show. Produced by Red Haute & Co.’s Beverly Zeiss, who also produces Harker’s fashion show, this year’s event featured Hannah Prutton, Gr. 10, Noel Witcosky, Gr. 10 and Carissa Nelson, Gr. 2, wearing some of the latest designs offered by retailers on the Row. Nelson wore a bridesmaid dress in the wedding gown segment, and Prutton and Witcosky opened up segments as sign girls.
Two instrumental groups from the lower school, one of which included members from Gr. 6, won silver awards at the Heritage Music Festival. The event took place this past weekend at Foothill Community College.
Heritage festivals are held around the country for various skill levels. At this one, Harker entered non-high school-aged groups for the first time. Louis Hoffman, lower school music director, was pleased with the results. “They did so well,” he said.
Awards were given by three judges based on a standard rather than in competition with other groups, meaning each group had to meet certain expectations, Hoffman explained. Of the approximately 20 groups at the competition, Harker was the only one with elementary school students. The rest featured high schoolers, as well as one junior high group, which made the awards that much more difficult to earn.
About 25 students from Gr. 2-6 were in the jazz ensemble and about 27 from Gr. 2-5 were in the orchestra. Following their performances, a judge spoke to the groups, giving critiques and compliments in a sort of mini clinic, Hoffman said. Each student received a pin to commemorate the results and the school received two plaques to display on campus.
Hoffmann gave credit to Laura Lang-Ree, chair of the performing arts department, and to Chris Florio, upper school orchestra director, for their efforts in building the lower and middle school programs.
“The students’ behavior was so good,” said Hoffman. “They acted wonderfully. I was so proud of them.”
Students from all three campuses joined together March 18 for “United Voices: An Evening with LS, MS and US Choirs.” The groups sang hymns and international melodies in Harker’s first choral music concert spanning all grade levels.
Vivace, directed by Jennifer Cowgill, kicked off the show with Thomas Morley’s “Sing We and Chant It.” Then came Cantilena, Bel Canto and the Bucknall Choir singing selections that included Franz Schubert’s “Der Tanz,” J.S. Bach’s “Wir eilen mit schwachen” and “Que Llueva,” a Spanish folk song.
The intimate concert served as preparation for Vivace, which headed to Los Angeles to compete in a choral festival.
Students, faculty and Harker family members arrived en masse at the Blackford campus on April 26 for the fourth annual Harker Cancer Walk. This year’s event was another success, bringing in $5,500 in one day alone, with donations still being received at Harker News Online press time. The well-attended outing once again raised funds for Camp Okizu, a program that provides fun activities and quality care for young cancer patients. Children at Camp Okizu enjoy outdoor pastimes such as swimming, boating, archery and a ropes course, in addition to social events such as a dance and a barbecue dinner. The money raised at the Cancer Walk will be used to purchase equipment to allow Camp Okizu to provide these services to the children.
Tables sold bracelets, water bottles and baked goods to the attendees, who enjoyed walking, talking, meeting and greeting in the refreshing spring weather.
In the week leading up to the Cancer Walk, special posters were made to be displayed during the event, and people also made flags containing slogans honoring cancer survivors and those who passed away from the illness. These flags were then placed along the walk as the event took place.
“The weather was perfect. The baked goods, divine! T-shirts, bracelets and water bottles made everyone true fashion icons!” said Cindy Ellis, middle school division head, who organized the event with middle school computer science teacher Michael Schmidt. Schmidt began organizing the Cancer Walk in 2007 following the passing of his mother due to cancer in 2006.
Donations are still being accepted at this time. Checks or cash can be brought to the Blackford campus front office. Checks can be made out to either Camp Okizu or Harker.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2010 Harker Quarterly.
“If you build it…” The oft-quoted line from the movie “Field of Dreams” has been echoing in the halls of The Harker School the last few years. Nichols Hall, which opened to great celebration in the fall of 2008, has proven to be a spectacular home for science classes, competitive research students, music concerts and lecture series. Davis Field and the Singh Aquatic Center have taken the sports department to new levels of athletic achievement. And the buzz continues. Next on the plan: a performing and visual arts center (PVAC).
Harker’s six-phase capital improvements plan is currently completing phase 3, which was the building of the two new sports venues and Nichols Hall. (Previous phases improved the Bucknall campus and built Shah Hall.) Phase 4 is the long-anticipated PVAC, which will transform the 16-acre Saratoga campus yet again.
The groundwork for this next phase began in the fall of 2008 with a series of Head of School Gatherings, casual socials at the homes of Harker parents. At those events, Chris Nikoloff led discussions with interested parents about the future of the school, not only sharing information but gathering feedback about what parents wanted most for their campuses.
In 2009 focus groups were convened to discuss the master site plan in more detail, focusing on the gym and student union (phases 5 and 6). A third focus group narrowed the view on the PVAC. Families, students, alumni, faculty and administrators were invited to complete an online survey, which asked for very detailed opinions about the current performing arts and visual arts facilities, as well as the respondents’ wishes for the future. This information was crucial to the administration and architectural team, and “uncovered all sorts of valuable ideas and highlighted several issues that [David Takamoto, our architect,] has been able to address so that once completed everything works very well from parking, to campus flow to beauty,” said Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, of the survey.
Head of School Gatherings continued in the fall of 2009, when Nikoloff presented parents with a draft of the master site plan, incorporating all the ideas culled from families, alumni and employees from the past year. The next step will be spearheaded by former head of school and current trustee Diana Nichols, who will host a series of meetings in the spring of 2010 to get further input on the developing project and unveil the conceptual design of the master site plan.
All of these gatherings and drawings are leading up to the submission by Takamoto of a conceptual design to the San Jose City Planning Commission. Currently Harker is zoned for residential occupancy; the administration wants to convert that zoning to planned development use, which would maximize the use of buildings on campus and greatly minimize the red tape involved as permits are sought for each new building. Another major benefit of the rezoning is that campus buildings will be permitted to reach 50 feet instead of the current 35, allowing for three-story buildings and a theater with room to install a fly system for moving props and scenery vertically on and off stage.
Other designated areas within the building will include a third floor dedicated to visual arts, allowing for natural lighting and separate rooms for stone carving, painting and ceramics; two theaters – a black box and a full-size space with orchestra pit; costume, prop and set building spaces; music and art classrooms and libraries; practice rooms; gallery space; and dressing rooms and lounge areas.
The visual and performing art staff is understandably excited about the project. Laura Lang-Ree, K-Gr. 12 performing arts chair, points out that, “We are the only high school in a 40-mile radius that does not have a theater. Our lack of facilities is dramatic when contrasted with the level of education we provide and the sheer interest in the program and volume of children that we educate. Both students and teachers deal with this subpar facility issue daily.”
Visual arts chair Jaap Bongers concurs: “Our current space does not allow our students to develop their artistic talents to their fullest extent, partly because they can’t spread out and are working in storage and drying areas. The new building will give us separate spaces for storing completed works, works in progress and active studio space. And a separate gallery will mean we can adequately highlight student and faculty art.
” Mike Bassoni, Harker’s facility manager, who has overseen each of the large construction efforts on all of Harker’s campuses, speaks for many families and teachers who are eager for a space that can match the talents of our students: “The new center will greatly enhance an already well-recognized Harker program. With new, state-of-the- art facilities, the possibilities only become that much greater. We know our programs are great, but a contemporary facility will serve as a picture frame to display that level of perfection for many, many people in the community to enjoy.” Rosenthal wants parents of all grades to “ensure that the legacy of excellence passes to the next generation of Harker students,” and that we “invest in programs that make a difference in the world.”
A small group of parents and faculty are already contributing to the $30-35 million that will be needed to build the PVAC. The architectural and rezoning fees are being paid for by the very generous contributions of a group of current and alumni parents whom Rosenthal calls “seed investors.” These kind donors will be recognized and thanked at this year’s Head of School Reception on April 30.
So will they come “if you build it?” Perhaps a project of this size needs a better tagline than one from a Hollywood film. Virginia Woolf once said that all that women needed to write fiction was money and a room of their own. Artists, too, need financial support and their own space to play, create, dream and exhibit. That space will be coming soon for all to enjoy!
Upper school music teacher Susan Nace is a Grammy winner! Nace, who directs Cantilena and advises Guys’ Gig, is part of the Grammy-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus. The group was given the Best Choral Performance award for their live recording of “Symphony of a Thousand,” part of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major.
Produced under the direction of San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and choral director Ragnar Bohlin, the recording was made during live performances in Davies Symphony Hall in November 2008. Nace will receive a certificate and a pin to wear during performances, and will have an official photo taken with the Grammy statue after it arrives in May. The recording, including the “Adagio” from Symphony No.10, has also won Best Classical Album and Best Engineered Classical Album awards.
Prior to the nomination, Nace was hopeful. “We certainly hoped for a nomination because the concerts were magical,” she said. “After the nominations, I ordered the competition’s recordings. After listening to them, I thought they didn’t have a chance (in my humble opinion),” she added. After winning, the chorus “had a little celebration after rehearsal the following night,” said Nace. “The big celebration will be at the Symphony’s end-of-the-year party in May,” she said. A short video with behind the scenes footage and insights from the recording can be viewed at the San Francisco Symphony website under “A Universe of Sound: Recording Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.”
Enid Davis, who has been Harker’s library director for 17 years, has decided to step down from her current position. Over the years Davis has been responsible for founding many library-related committees and programs including a campus favorite – the lower school Ogre Awards. These awards celebrate learning about folktales via an Academy Awards-like ceremony in which students perform a segment of a fairy tale for their peers.
“During Enid’s directorship at Harker, she created many initiatives that moved our efforts in a forward-thinking manner,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs. Davis stated that her proudest achievement is that she “has created a first-class library department that has grown from one librarian on one campus to five librarians, five clerks and an archivist on three campuses.” Davis will continue to work at the lower school as a part-time librarian for the 2010-11 school year. In this role she will be able to focus on her first love, teaching library classes and encouraging students to develop a love for stories and storytelling. Sue Smith, currently upper school librarian, will be taking Davis’ place as library director and Lauri Vaughan will assume Smith’s role as campus librarian beginning next fall.
Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement, was one of several individuals and organizations honored by the Silicon Valley chapter of the American Fundraising Professionals at this year’s annual National Philanthropy Day awards luncheon in late November. Held at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara and attended by over 500 guests who represented dozens of Bay Area nonprofits and corporations, Rosenthal was named the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser for 2009.
“Congratulations to Joe for all of his dedication to and hard work on behalf of the school and the children. This is a tremendous honor to him and the school community,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school, after Rosenthal’s selection for this award was announced in June. Sharon Svensson, president of Essex and Drake Fund Raising Council, which recommended Rosenthal for the award, said, “The National Philanthropy Day selection panel was very impressed by Joe. They specifically said they were very impressed by the quality of the nomination and the length and breadth of Joe’s accomplishments.”
Rosenthal recognized his advancement team, who were all in attendance, for their outstanding work for Harker. Also in attendance were many members of Harker’s board of trustees, Nikoloff and many of Harker’s key donors.
Harker’s Board Welcomes New Members, Jennifer Gargano and Marie Clifford Harker has two new members on its board of trustees. A hearty welcome to Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, and Marie Clifford, Harker’s former and longtime business manager. Gargano began at Harker in 1999 and assumed the assistant head role in 2004. Her positions have included middle school head, community service director, Junior Engineering and Technical Society team coach and Honor Council chair; she is now National Honor Society (NHS) advisor. Prior to joining Harker, she taught middle and upper school math in the Chicago area, where she was born and raised.
While in grade school, Gargano enjoyed observing her classmates to see how they learned, and, thus motivated, went on to earn a degree in elementary education with a minor in mathematics followed by a master’s degree in secondary math education.
Gargano considers herself lucky to have landed at Harker. “It is a unique place where the students are incredibly nice and kind to one another and faculty and staff are dedicated above and beyond to the students and the institution,” she said. Outside of Harker, Gargano stays in shape running and volunteering, tutoring at a local charter school with NHS members, serving at her church and volunteering at food banks and other nonprofit organizations.
Marie Clifford joins The Harker School Board of Trustees after serving as the school’s business manager from 1989 until her retirement in 2008. Clifford spent 20 years at Polaroid Corporation, retiring as senior quality control manager for worldwide camera manufacturing. Then-president and head of school Howard and Diana Nichols drew her to the school to help lay out the financial and other business systems. “It was an exciting time,” said Clifford. “I helped through the years when there was explosive growth at Harker. Enrollment went from roughly 800 students to over 1,700 students.” Clifford holds a B.S. degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Northeastern University, and her experience with managing large projects was of immense value to the school.
Clifford has strong ties to the school still, as she has two grandchildren, Michael Clifford, Gr. 12 and his sister Keri, Gr. 9, at Harker. “It is wonderful to continue a close relationship with the school, faculty and administration,” she said. Aside from her interest in Harker, Clifford is active in a number of environmental areas and stays active with yoga and showing her pug dogs. “I hope that my years of experience managing Harker assets will be useful, as the Board takes on the challenge of keeping Harker one of the best independent schools in the country.”