This past spring, Harker received an endorsement from the Global Education Benchmark Group, a nonprofit organization that “researches and establishes best practices in the field of global education and supports member schools to prepare students to thrive in increasingly interconnected world systems,” according to its website. Endorsements are awarded to GEBG member schools that exemplify the high standards established by the organization.
GEBG representatives visited Harker last winter and met with administrators, students, parents, department chairs, teachers and other people in the Harker community who were involved with the Global Education program. The committee’s report commended many aspects of the program, including the level of support from school administration, the availability of professional development opportunities (such as the Vegesna Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Program) and the school’s capacity for creating global citizens who are knowledgeable and empathetic.
“Over the past many years, I’ve observed students and teachers embark on life-changing international experiences, participate in hands-on global projects that enhanced their classroom experiences and met talented educators from across the world,” said Global Education director Jennifer Walrod. “I’m thrilled that we received this endorsement and look forward to our continued growth as I work towards implementing all the committee’s constructive feedback.”
The girls golf team continued its amazing start to the 2019 season with a great week. First, the Eagles took second place at the Helen Lengfeld Memorial Tournament with Natalie Vo, grade 11, tying for first place shooting a 5-under-par 66; and Claire Chen, grade 9, continues to impress as she finished fourth shooting a 2-under-par 69. Later in the week, the girls defeated Mercy Burlingame 208-273 with Tina Xu, grade 10, and Olivia Guo, grade 11, tying for first, each shooting 39. Finally, the Eagles took care of Notre Dame San Jose 177-235, shooting the lowest team score in school history, led by Chen who shot a 32. This week, the girls face off with Sacred Heart Prep on Monday.
Girls Water Polo
The girls water polo team improved to 9-1 on the season as it defeated Lynbrook 11-2 and Wilcox 15-1 last week. This week, the Eagles travel to Cupertino on Tuesday and Fremont on Thursday.
Cross Country
Four members of the cross country team competed at the Capitol Cross Country Challenge over the weekend, with all athletes setting personal bests. Anna Weirich, grade 11, placed fifth in her varsity 5K race; Rigo Gonzales, grade 9, placed second in the frosh/soph 2 mile race, with Alex Hu, grade 10, finishing just 21 seconds behind him in seventh place; and Ritika Rajamani, grade 10, finished eighth in the girls frosh/soph 2 mile race. The cross country team heads to Half Moon Bay on Saturday for the Artichoke Invitational.
Boys Water Polo
Last week, the boys water polo team took care of Lynbrook 11-8 before falling to Saratoga 10-12 and dropping all four matches at the Pete Cutino Invitational Tournament. The 6-7 Eagles travel to Cupertino on Tuesday and Fremont on Thursday.
Girls Volleyball
It was an up and down week for the girls volleyball team as it defeated league rival Menlo in a grueling five-game set before falling to Notre Dame Belmont 0-3 and then going 3-2 in the Notre Dame Belmont Tournament. The Eagles defeated Taft, Turlock and Tracy, and were defeated by Bishop O’Dowd and Bishop Manague. This week, the girls travel to Notre Dame San Jose on Tuesday and Mercy San Francisco on Thursday.
Girls Tennis
The girls tennis team picked up two big wins last week as it defeated Mitty 6-1 and Castilleja 6-1. The undefeated Eagles host Crystal Springs Uplands on Tuesday and travel to Menlo on Thursday.
Football
Eagle football is back in action on Homecoming night on Oct. 12 against St. Vincent De Paul.
The girls water polo team started the week with a 10-9 win over Santa Clara and a 16-3 win over Monta Vista before taking fifth place overall and earning the Silver Division Championship at the Watsonville Tournament over the weekend. The girls defeated San Benito 16-2, lost to Turlock 5-15, defeated Mercy Burlingame 16-2 and finished with an 11-5 win over Lynbrook. The 7-1 Eagles travel to Lynbrook on Tuesday and host Wilcox on Thursday.
Girls Golf
The girls golf team dominated Castilleja last week with a 191-243 win; Katelyn Vo, grade 12, and Olivia Guo, grade 11, each shot a 37 to share medalist honors. This week, the Eagles travel to San Mateo to compete in the Helen Lengfeld Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, before facing off with Mercy Burlingame on Tuesday and Notre Dame San Jose on Wednesday.
Cross Country
The cross country team competed at the De La Salle Nike Invitational over the weekend, with Anna Weirich, grade 11, leading the way, finishing third in the girls varsity 3-mile race and Rigo Gonzales, grade 9, finishing 11th in the boys JV 2-mile race. This weekend the Eagles compete at the Capitol Cross Country Challenge.
Football
The football team fell to St Francis Watsonville 7-35 on Friday night to bring its season record to 1-2-1. The Eagles have a few weeks off before hosting St. Vincent De Paul on Homecoming night.
Girls Tennis
After a few weeks off, the girls tennis team hosts Mitty for its 2019 home opener on Monday and then travels to Castilleja on Thursday.
Boys Water Polo
Last week, the boys water polo team defeated Santa Clara 8-7 and Monta Vista 7-5 to go to 5-2 on the year. The Eagles travel to Lynbrook on Tuesday and host Saratoga on Thursday.
Girls Volleyball
The girls volleyball team’s six-game winning streak was snapped last week as Sacred Heart Prep took down the Eagles 3-0. This week, the girls look to bounce back as they host Menlo on Tuesday, travel to Notre Dame Belmont on Thursday and compete in the Notre Dame Belmont Tournament on Saturday.
Deven Parikh, grade 11, joined his mother, Dev Parikh, ACS vice president of Go to Market for Oracle, at a communication debate workshop at Oracle in late July to help sixth grade girls learn the basics of speech and debate. Parikh has been in the Harker speech and debate program for five years, and expressed a desire to teach others the skills he has gained in the program.
At the workshop, Deven Parikh presented a 20-minute lecture on public speaking. “Prior to the actual workshop, I spent ample time communicating with a representative from Apple to obtain donated Apple iPads,” he said. “Many of the children we would be working with did not have electronics at home, so by providing them with iPads, they were able to research a topic to debate. At the end of the workshop, they were able to keep the iPads.”
Parikh helped both sides prepare their arguments for a debate on the U.S. policy on immigration. “During the actual debate, I was the moderator and provided tips at the end to help them improve their public speaking and research skills,” he added.
“It was great helping out the other children who are not as lucky as we are. Going to Harker, everyone has an iPhone, AirPods and an updated MacBook, yet others are not as lucky as we are. It felt great to help the community,” he finished.
The boys water polo team opened its season with two big league wins last week. The Eagles took care of Milpitas 18-6 and Fremont 19-4. This week the boys travel to Santa Clara on Tuesday before hosting Monta Vista on Thursday.
Girls Water Polo
The girls water polo team kicked off its season with two league wins as they shut out Milpitas 20-0 and Fremont 7-0. The Eagles travel to Santa Clara on Tuesday and host Monta Vista on Thursday.
Girls Volleyball
It was another good week for the girls varsity volleyball team as it defeated Mercy SF 3-0 before traveling to Carmel and taking a grueling five set win from the Padres. The Eagles are on a six game winning streak and look to keep up the momentum as they travel to Sacred Heart Prep on Thursday.
Football
The Eagle football team played to a 15-15 tie with Lowell on Friday. The 1-1-1 Eagles host St. Francis Watsonville on Friday at Davis Field.
Cross Country
The cross country team will race again on Oct. 5 at the Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay.
Girls Golf
The girls golf team had the week off and resumes play this Wednesday at Palo Alto Hills Country Club as it takes on Castilleja.
Girls Tennis
Girls tennis is back in action on Sept. 23 when the team hosts Homestead High at the Blackford courts.
Yesterday, representatives from 65 upper school student clubs and organizations gathered at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center for the annual Club Fair. Students perused the tables set up by the clubs, whose members and officers provided information and answered questions. The wide range of interests on offer included languages, community service, robotics, activism and academic disciplines, such as math and science.
In addition to offering students a huge variety of club options, it also gave newer and smaller clubs the opportunity to grow their membership. The Harker Esports Club, in its first year, is working on raising funds and recruiting players to participate in competitions for games such as “Overwatch” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
“We participate in the High School Esports League,” said Anish Pai, grade 10. “This is our first year, but we’re trying to play league matches.”
Other clubs catered more specific interests, such as the Friendship Bracelet Club. “We’re going to teach people how to make friendship bracelets and then give them to children in need,” said club member Emily Cheng, grade 12, who added that the club also will provide students a space to relax and be creative by devising new designs.
Amid the growing number of music-oriented clubs is the Contemporary Hip Hop Club, which is geared toward fans of up-and-coming innovators as well as aspiring hip-hop artists. “We’re interested in the new wave of hip-hop and discussing, listening to and making our own music, and just having a space to hang out, eat snacks and have some fun,” said club member Nathaniel Melisso, grade 12.
Yesterday, representatives from 65 upper school student clubs and organizations gathered at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center for the annual Club Fair. Students perused the tables set up by the clubs, whose members and officers provided information and answered questions. The wide range of interests on offer included languages, community service, robotics, activism and academic disciplines, such as math and science.
In addition to offering students a huge variety of club options, it also gave newer and smaller clubs the opportunity to grow their membership. The Harker Esports Club, in its first year, is working on raising funds and recruiting players to participate in competitions for games such as “Overwatch” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
“We participate in the High School Esports League,” said Anish Pai, grade 10. “This is our first year, but we’re trying to play league matches.”
Other clubs catered more specific interests, such as the Friendship Bracelet Club. “We’re going to teach people how to make friendship bracelets and then give them to children in need,” said club member Emily Cheng, grade 12, who added that the club also will provide students a space to relax and be creative by devising new designs.
Amid the growing number of music-oriented clubs is the Contemporary Hip Hop Club, which is geared toward fans of up-and-coming innovators as well as aspiring hip-hop artists. “We’re interested in the new wave of hip-hop and discussing, listening to and making our own music, and just having a space to hang out, eat snacks and have some fun,” said club member Nathaniel Melisso, grade 12.
Yesterday, representatives from 65 upper school student clubs and organizations gathered at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center for the annual Club Fair. Students perused the tables set up by the clubs, whose members and officers provided information and answered questions. The wide range of interests on offer included languages, community service, robotics, activism and academic disciplines, such as math and science.
In addition to offering students a huge variety of club options, it also gave newer and smaller clubs the opportunity to grow their membership. The Harker Esports Club, in its first year, is working on raising funds and recruiting players to participate in competitions for games such as “Overwatch” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
“We participate in the High School Esports League,” said Anish Pai, grade 10. “This is our first year, but we’re trying to play league matches.”
Other clubs catered more specific interests, such as the Friendship Bracelet Club. “We’re going to teach people how to make friendship bracelets and then give them to children in need,” said club member Emily Cheng, grade 12, who added that the club also will provide students a space to relax and be creative by devising new designs.
Amid the growing number of music-oriented clubs is the Contemporary Hip Hop Club, which is geared toward fans of up-and-coming innovators as well as aspiring hip-hop artists. “We’re interested in the new wave of hip-hop and discussing, listening to and making our own music, and just having a space to hang out, eat snacks and have some fun,” said club member Nathaniel Melisso, grade 12.
Loren Powers, Harker’s new head football and strength and conditioning coach, introduced the Volt app to the Harker campus, bringing about a new way to get into and stay in shape. He wants all students at Harker to take health and fitness to the next level, and this technology will help.
“Volt will plan your workout and, using performance training AI, will adapt and evolve each workout in real time based on your feedback,” said Powers. The app effectively becomes each user’s personal trainer, keeping track of workout dates, what machines or lifts should be utilized at what weights, and so forth, thus taking the guesswork out of workouts.
“I always want to do workouts, but I don’t know what to do,” stated Leisha Devisetti, grade 9, “so Volt gives me the exercises that I should be doing.”
Research shows that workouts are more effective when part of a long-term, structured plan, the Volt website notes. Powers hopes the whole Harker community will benefit from the program, not just athletes.
“At the moment Volt is for Harker student athletes,” said Powers. “However, it could be utilized for physical education and health and wellness sessions.”
The Volt system is popular with students working hard to attain personal fitness goals or train for their sports. “I really like it,” said Jack Connors, grade 12. “It keeps you diligent with your work and on the same track over time, so you’re not skipping a workout or doing the wrong weight when lifting.” The popularity is evident as the weight room quickly fills up as school ends.
Although the app has only been in use at Harker for a few months, Powers said, “We have already seen huge strides in body control and strength gains in the individuals who have been the most consistent with their routine.” Only time will tell how effective this program will be for our student athletes, but the excitement around the app and Coach Powers has created quite a buzz in the weight room. “A lot of people are encouraged with Coach Powers’ motivation and confidence in us,” exclaimed Connors. “That energy is really important to the weight room.”
With over a million users across America, including big-time collegiate athletic programs, including Michigan State University, Clemson University and USC, Volt is the No. 1 AI workout app in the Apple App Store. By joining these powerhouses, the Eagles are showing WBAL and CCS teams – and beyond – that Harker is ready to compete with the best. Go Eagles!
On Monday morning, the upper school hosted a special assembly featuring cultural commentator Jay Smooth, who runs the popular video blog Ill Doctrine and also founded Underground Railroad, the longest-running hip-hop radio program in New York City.
Smooth referenced the history of hip-hop as an example of how communities can make each other better. Just as rappers, DJs, dancers and other members of New York’s hip-hop communities challenged one another to become better artists and people, so too should other communities make sure that its members are conscious of their own privileges of race, gender, class or ability, and show a willingness to receive criticism. “We need to change how we receive these critiques,” he said, “by fundamentally changing how we think about what being racist is, or sexist or ableist.”
Many people, Smooth said, have treated racism like having their tonsils removed, when it is “more like the plaque that builds up on your teeth every day,” something that must be addressed diligently throughout one’s life. “We are all naturally susceptible to implicit bias,” he said, “and we are all a part of systems we can contribute to, without being conscious of it.”
When being criticized by someone, Smooth advised to “listen with humility, and consider that they’re speaking from an experience we’ve never had.”