This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly. Access the full issue, with live links, at Harker’s issuu.com page: http://issuu.com/theharkerschool/docs/harker_quarterly_winter_2015.
In fall 2009, upper school English teacher Pauline Paskali rented a van with the intention of driving to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland with four of her students. Paskali reached out to fellow English faculty member Jason Berry to see if he would go along. “’Of course!’ he said,” recalled Paskali.
Berry ended up driving all the way to Ashland and back. The students came back raving about their time at OSF, Paskali said. The following year, more than 20 students signed up. The most recent trip included 27, which is right around where Paskali would like to keep it.
“At the time, I was teaching Shakespeare,” she said, explaining the impetus for the trip. “And of course every time you teach Shakespeare, having the kids read and act out the lines makes it come alive for them, and helps them to understand what’s going on.”
Paskali thought it would be good for the students to see what Shakespeare’s words would be like when interpreted by professional actors in a professional setting: “I don’t know how much exposure some of our kids have to plays, so I think it gives them an opportunity to connect.”
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1935, but its beginnings go back to the Chautauqua adult education movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first Chautauqua building in Ashland went up in 1893, and was later renovated to seat 1,500. It thrived for the next several years, attracting performers and speakers such as composer John Philip Sousa and politician William Jennings Bryan, according to the OSF website.
The Chautauqua building was replaced by a domed structure in 1917. It was torn down in 1933, about a decade after the Chautauqua movement fell into decline. Noting the similarities between the Chautauqua’s remaining walls and those of Elizabethan theaters, local teacher Angus L. Bowmer proposed holding a three-day festival at the site of the old Chautauqua building to coincide with Ashland’s Fourth of July festivities. The Oregon Shakespearean Festival gave its first show, a production of “Twelfth Night,” on July 2, 1935.
OSF now puts on 11 plays in its three theaters during its season, which runs from February to November. Although the works of Shakespeare are its namesake, the company has expanded to include works of other classic and contemporary playwrights. This most recent season featured the play “Sweat,” written by Lynn Nottage, whom OSF commissioned as part of its American Revolutions series of plays about decisive moments in American history.
“I can easily say that ‘Sweat’ is the best play I have ever seen,” senior Alex Henshall gushed. “Its profoundness and intelligent handling of its subject matter and the questions it raises affected me deeply.”
Kayvon Solaimanpour, grade 11, had a similar reaction. He described “Sweat” as “an amazing play about the struggles in an industrial town, jumping back and forth between 2000 and 2008. It left me thinking for a couple hours after having seen the play.”
In addition to contemporary plays, the students also enjoyed seeing Shakespeare come to life on stage.
“Before this journey, I knew little about Shakespeare and wasn’t super interested in his works,” Henshall said. “I had very seldom seen or read any of his works, mostly because I noticed a very real language barrier that hampered my enjoyment of his plays.”
Henshall, who has gone on the weekend trip for four years, saw rsthand how much can change when Shakespeare’s words move from the page to the stage.
“The performances and the ways in which the directors envision their productions of Shakespeare’s timeless plays always entertain me,” Henshall said. “I love asking myself, ‘I wonder what setting the director of ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ will use? What will the costumes be like? Will there be a modern interpretation or a classical flair?’”
“The ways in which the plays are presented affects the way in which you engage with them,” Paskali said.
In Paskali’s experience, the sojourn has a lasting effect on attending students. She recalled a moment when, days after the 2009 trip, Melinda Wang ’10 peeked into Paskali’s classroom and exclaimed, “I’m thinking in Shakespeare!”
After their first visit to OSF, students and alumni often return on their own. “People love story, they love performance,” said Paskali, “and they love that it comes alive to them and it speaks to them in a way that maybe a play on the page doesn’t.”
“Because I have an interest in literature, this trip [has allowed] me to experience it with a new perspective and has definitely made me more interested in reading, writing and enjoying literature,” said sophomore Stephanie Swanson, who this year went on her second Harker OSF trip.
An avid reader of Shakespeare, Swanson said she also enjoyed the opportunity to see OSF’s other offerings. “Seeing all of the plays, from ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ to ‘Guys and Dolls,’ getting to meet and understand some of the actors through discussions and workshops, and bonding with all of your fellow Shakespeare aficionados are just a few of the incredible opportunities offered on this trip, despite its short length,” she said.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival also offers an impressive array of educational programs, many of them run by OSF actors, who teach students critical elements of drama through hands-on activities. In an exercise meant to illustrate a concept from the archetypal narrative of “the hero’s journey,” students covered their eyes and allowed their fellow students to be their eyes and ears while walking around the room.
On a previous visit, students acted out a line from the “The Tempest” using movements and sounds, “trying to understand the play through those lenses,” Paskali recalled.
Incidentally, the journey to OSF can also make for a fun road trip. “The bus rides are as fun as you make it. I sat with a bunch of my friends and we played games, told stories and even tried to do a little homework,” said Solaimanpour. “To me, this goes to show that even if you are doing something you love, it is always better to do that same thing with your friends.”
Senior Dakota McNealy’s stellar golf career at Harker will come to an end this spring, but his future looks bright! McNealy recently signed on to play collegiate golf at Stanford, joining his brother Maverick McNealy ’13.
“I could not pass up the chance to get to be around so many outstanding people and play with my brother for a year on a great golf team,” said McNealy when asked why he chose Stanford. “Obviously playing with Maverick is going to be an awesome experience, but I’m also excited to focus solely on golf and academics.”
In an interview with Palo Alto Online, Stanford head coach Conrad Ray said, “We are excited to welcome Dakota McNealy to the Stanford family. He is amazing in the classroom, first and foremost, but also a tremendous athlete.” And it takes a tremendous athlete to play for the Stanford golf team, as it is currently ranked fifth in the nation.
Even though Dakota is excited about his future at Stanford, he is focused on finishing strong at Harker. “Playing for Harker has been a blast and I’m excited to see how far we can go this year,” he said.
Linked below are two of the many press notices on Dakota’s signing. Good luck this year and beyond, Dakota!
Harker Preschool is proud to announce the release of its first musical album, “The Songs We Sing,” which was recorded in-house at the end of the 2014-15 school year. With the debut CD – featuring songs performed by the preschool students and their teachers – the children enjoyed learning what it is like to become a recording artist.
Andrea Hart, preschool director, and Kelly Espinosa, director of summer and preschool programs, got the ball rolling for the project, according to Mara Beckerman, Harker Preschool’s music and movement specialist. The two asked Beckerman if she would be interested in recording some of the songs she had taught the students in her specialty classes.
“’Of course,’ was my reply!” recalled Beckerman, who for the past 25 years has worked with children of all ages in both private and public schools. The music and movement class is one of several beloved specialty classes offered at Harker Preschool. Each week, preschoolers of all ages attend the interactive sessions.
Beckerman included the voices of students from all of the preschool’s cottages on the CD. “I wanted to include all the children in some way. I also wanted to have ‘classic’ children’s songs (such as, ‘The Wheels on the Bus’); songs that every Harker preschooler learns (‘Come On In,’ ‘Friends 1-2-3’ and ‘Flowers & Grasses,’ which was sung in STEM class); songs that individual classes had worked on (‘Polar Bear,’ ‘Sarasponda’ and ‘I Am A Pizza’); and finally songs that the children had a particular love of (‘Guong Xi,’ ‘Hey Dum Diddley Dum’ and ‘If I Could Write One Song’),” explained Beckerman.
The last two pieces added to the recording were the song, “Rainbow Round Me,” and a story, “Stone Soup,” that she had done with the students and had previously recorded on her own personal CDs. Once the songs were selected, Beckerman contacted Richard Karst of Prema Music Studio, a recording engineer with whom she had previously worked.
“We were very lucky that Richard had the ability to bring his studio to us. We found a quiet room at the back of the campus that we turned into the recording studio,” Beckerman said, noting how impressed she was with the children’s ability to wait for the signal to record, listen to the intro of the song, use their singing voices, and remain very quiet after they finished singing while waiting for the signal that it was done.
The recording sessions happened over two days. The students came in with their teachers and were introduced to Karst, who Beckerman said wore a special hat that “all the children really liked and continued to comment about afterwards.” Each class had the opportunity to do several takes of their songs.
“Their favorite mode of transportation to and from the recording room was by galloping to another song they had learned, ‘Horsey Horsey.’ Perhaps that song will appear on a future CD!” said Beckerman, adding that a few days after the students had recorded their songs, a parent reported that her son had immediately gone home, found a variety of boxes and created his own recording studio to use with his younger brother.
Beckerman’s father, artist Howard Beckerman, designed the cover artwork for the CD. He is a well-known animator who took great pleasure in creating a colorful and lively picture of the children enthusiastically singing alongside their teacher.
The CD is available for $20 and can be downloaded directly to a computer. Also included in the download are cover art and liner notes, which can be printed and trimmed to fit a CD case. Current parents interested in purchasing a copy can visit the parent portal to place an order. Over the holidays, some parents chose to purchase the CD to share as gifts with family and friends.
To read another Harker News story about the music and movement class: https://staging.news.harker.org/harker-preschoolers-are-on-the-move-in-fun-music-and-movement-specialty-class/.
A project by seniors Jonathan Ma and Sadhika Malladi, titled “Systematic Analysis of Sex-Linked Molecular Alterations and Therapies in Cancer,” was recently published by Nature Scientific Reports. Nature, one of the world’s top science publications, uses its Scientific Reports website to publish original research to a wide audience. Every manuscript submitted to Scientific Reports is peer reviewed before being published and hosted on Nature.com, which is viewed by more than 8 million unique visitors per month.
In December the lower school hosted a festive and fun holiday cookie decorating event for parents. Coffee and a light breakfast was served. Parents had been asked to bring in gently used children’s clothing for donation to the lower school’s dress drive, to help make the holidays more special for kids in need in the community. The middle and upper schools held their cookie decorating events together at the upper school campus, with both parents and students invited to attend. An unexpected side benefit of the activity was that it proved to be a great stress reliever for the high school students, who were able to relax in between taking their finals. In fact, it was so effective that talks are already in the works to bring it back next year during finals!
This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly. Access the full issue, with live links, at Harker’s issuu.com page: http://issuu.com/theharkerschool/docs/harker_quarterly_winter_2015.
The students at Harker Preschool have long had a sweet spot for bees. But now they are buzzing with excitement over becoming the first local preschool to receive a grant from the Planet Bee Foundation’s “Humble Honey Bee Project,” which awarded them a daylong workshop.
Held on the Union campus in the fall, the hands-on presentation was part of a larger effort sponsored by Whole Foods Market stores throughout Northern California, which partnered with Planet Bee to bring educational workshops to schools and nonprofits.
“Change the world, one bee at a time” is the motto of Planet Bee, a self-described “trailblazing nonprofit with a mighty green mission.” The foundation brought its unique program to the preschool, thanks to the grant awarded to Harker’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialist, Robyn Stone.
“Our preschool students are wild about bees! Over the summer I submitted an application to the Planet Bee Foundation for Harker Preschool to participate in the program, and we were selected as a participating school!” recalled Stone, who is also a science/math instructor for the University of California, Santa Cruz Extension.
On Oct. 13, the entire preschool was treated to the bee presentation, which took place in the outdoor amphitheater with fun activities spilling over to the adjacent grassy field. The program included a variety of games as well as an observation of a live beehive (encased in Plexiglas).
Each session focused on honeybee biology. “When children have a deeper understanding of how bees help pollinate the plants that make our food, they may become strong stewards of the environment as they grow up,” Stone explained.
“I really liked learning all about bees and how honey is made!” enthused Heidi Singh, a 3-year-old student in the preschool’s Acorn Cottage. She and her pals were busy as bees during the presentation, taking in all the activities, becoming increasingly engaged in what they later learned was called melittology (the study of honeybees).
Planet Bee Foundation offers on-site, hands-on workshops to schools, nonprofits, local communities, backyard beekeepers and corporations. It also conducts fundraising benefits and offers an Adopt-A-Hive Program.
“These programs are created for deep experiential learning that leaves students inspired. Our Bee Basics curriculum is in line with the Common Core Standards and focuses on the honey bee, pollination, colony collapse disorder, and providing tools for students to help make a difference,” said Debra Tomaszewski, the foundation’s co-founder and executive director.
Tomaszewski is a former public school teacher, college professor and curriculum writer. Her husband, William Tomaszewski, is the foundation’s co-founder and head beekeeper. He’s kept hives personally for more than 15 years.
“Harker Preschool is our youngest audience ever!” enthused Kayla Friedrichsen, program director for the Planet Bee Foundation. She reported that all of the foundation’s lessons consist of an age-appropriate presentation, observation hive for an up-close look at live bees, beekeeping equipment for handling and trying on, honeycomb and wax for students to inspect, and magnified insect boxes or microscopes to check out bees.
The organization is currently slated to visit 86 schools over the next two years. More than 800 students have already participated in the program so far this year. Friedrichsen shared how impressed she was at the interest the students at Harker Preschool took in learning about bees.
She taught the children that a third of every bite they take is made possible by bees and that bees – especially honeybees – are vital pollinators in bringing food to our plates. “But colony collapse disorder and other environmental factors are causing honeybee populations to plummet at an alarming rate; their numbers have declined by the billions since 2006.”
In addition to the Planet Bee visit, the students were delighted to welcome another “bee visit,” this time from Harker Preschool parent and amateur beekeeper Darryl Walker (father of 3-year-old Abby, also in Acorn Cottage).
“He extended our learning by visiting classes with his beekeeping gear (suit, mask and smoker) to talk about how he collects honey from his backyard hive. He also donated a huge jar of his honey to the STEM lab for all the children to taste!” said Stone.
Stone noted that bee study is not just con ned to special visits but is a natural part of the students’ school day, thanks to a native species garden that attracts honeybees (as well as a variety of wild indigenous bees, hummingbirds and local insects).
“By working with the facilities groundskeepers, we’ve eliminated the need for using pesticides to control weeds in our school gardens. We just pull them while we’re outside at play. Being playful and curious go hand-in-hand, making science concepts accessible to young children,” said Stone.
Prior to the preschool’s opening in 2013, Stone and Mike Bassoni, Harker’s facility manager, had discussed pulling out the plants in the garden in front of the STEM lab and replacing them with native perennials. After clearing the garden bed, parent volunteers helped with the planting and the children got in on the action by assisting with sowing seeds.
Last spring, the students observed at least ve different types of wild bees along with myriad butter ies in the garden. “The children walk through the wild owers, they make careful observations, they notice the relationship between ower and animal. And they pretend to be bees, butterflies and hummingbirds,” shared Stone.
In addition to attracting native pollinators and providing food for them, the STEM lab’s native garden uses very little water. And, because it attracts insects, the garden also has become home to native birds that feed on the insects. Stone installed a bird watching station out tted with binoculars so the children are able to observe them.
Stone became so inspired by her work on honeybees with the preschool classes that she recently published an article called “Bee Curious” in the summer 2015 issue of Green Teacher, a journal offering perspectives on the role of education in creating a sustainable future. She and her STEM pupils were also featured in a Harker video called “The Buzz on Bees: A Preschool STEM Lesson on Honeybees.”
Bassoni reported that he became intrigued with assisting Stone in developing the learning garden once he understood her true passion for providing a firsthand outdoor experience to her students. “Her world of bees, pollen, hummingbirds and caterpillars is extremely important. If we can create one small corner of the urban planet that promotes the wellness of our little pollinators, then we have achieved our goal,” he said.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly. Access the full issue, including class notes, at Harker’s issuu.com page: http://issuu.com/theharkerschool/docs/harker_quarterly_winter_2015.
A brief hiatus in San Jose afforded Stephanie Guo ’09 precious time to pause for reflection, after spending nearly a year working as a human rights advocate in the Philippines, helping to combat child sex trafficking and global slavery.
In mid-September, the alumna and class agent returned to the U.S. from Manila, where she had been volunteering with International Justice Mission (IJM), the largest international human rights organization of its kind. She was preparing to head abroad again, to start a new life as a graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Still battling jet lag, she made room in her hectic schedule for a visit to Harker’s upper school. On a beautiful fall day, over a long lunch at the Edge’s French patio, she chatted with Harker Quarterly, reflecting back on her work in IJM’s Manila field office.
“I had the privilege of working in the National Communications, Mobilization and Advocacy Department as the government relations and advocacy intern,” said Guo, explaining that IJM is based in Washington, D.C., with field offices all over the world.
“IJM is dedicated to proving that justice for the poor is possible. In my office, our casework was focused on child sex trafficking, a global slavery epidemic fueled by poverty and exploitation. Manila is one of three offices in the Philippines dedicated to this work, and is also one of IJM’s oldest offices, and has accomplished so much in the past 14 years,” she reported.
Guo’s position normally requires a one-year commitment, although she had to leave the internship a couple months short due to her prior graduate school commitment. During her time with IJM, she had a variety of responsibilities. Many of her projects included advocacy work and facilitating government partnerships to improve post-rescue victim recovery and legal processes.
The overall mission of IJM, said Guo, is to combat everyday violence, an injustice that ensures that the poor stay
poor. This violence looks different in various contexts, she explained. “For the poor widow in Africa, this could manifest in land grabbing. For the impoverished father in India, this could look like bonded labor,” she said.
In response to the massive problem of global poverty, and motivated by the biblical call to love the poor, IJM has staffed its eld offices with interdisciplinary teams of lawyers, social workers, law enforcement professionals and community mobilizers, all experts in their respective fields and passionate about the cause. The ultimate goal is to leave the communities they serve with a trans- formed justice system, better equipped to do their own advocacy work.
Guo said that she had friends who had worked with IJM in the past and knew it was something she wanted to pursue in between finishing college and going on to graduate school. She was one of the youngest interns in her office.
One of her most memorable experiences was accompanying rescued girls saved from traffickers to shelters, assisting as they were set up with private social workers. “Having other girls present who had previously been rescued and successfully completed our program there to help out was really a game changer in getting these young girls to open up,” she recalled.
After graduate school, Guo hopes that her career will include working toward securing basic human rights. She credits Harker’s emphasis on global education and outreach for opening the door to her present interest in advocacy work.
“Harker was one of the first venues through which I began to realize my passion for seeking global justice and I would be thrilled if more students would consider pursuing careers in this field,” she said.
The Harker wrestling team dropped its league opener to Los Altos last Thursday, but Davis Howard, grade 11, and Anthony Contreras, grade 10, each picked up wins. Over the weekend, the Harker wrestlers traveled to Cupertino High for the Bianchini Memorial Tournament. Diego Figueroa, grade 11, and Kobe Howard, grade 9, placed third and fourth, respectively, in the JV tournament, while Davis Howard placed fourth in the varsity tournament. They travel to Saratoga High this Thursday for another league matchup.
On the middle school level, Dezi Johnsen, grade 6, placed second in the 12 and under division at the California Republic Tournament, which is one of the top tournaments in the state. Johnsen wrestles for Harker during the late winter season and for Bay Area Dawgz Wrestling Club during the off season.
Girls Soccer
The girls soccer team lost to Pinewood 3-1 and Crystal Springs Uplands 6-1 last week. Lyndsey Mitchell, grade 11, scored the lone goal for the Eagles vs. Crystal Springs. The girls team looks to pick up its first win of the season on Tuesday as it hosts Sacred Heart Prep at 3:30 p.m. on Davis Field.
Boys Soccer
Winning its third game in a row, the boys soccer team has been on fire as of late. Last Wednesday the boys team defeated Sacred heart Prep 2-1, getting two goals from Jared Anderson, grade 9. The team travels to Crystal Springs Uplands today at 3:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball team dropped two tough league games this past week. In a 73-54 loss to King’s Academy, Rohan Desikan, grade 12, led the Eagles with 17 points, while Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, added a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Later in the week the Eagles fell to Sacred heart Prep 72-46. Roy Yuan, grade 9, led Harker with 17 points. The Eagles host Pinewood on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Blackford.
Girls Basketball
Coming off back-to-back losses, the girls basketball team rebounded as it defeated King’s Academy 52-37 last Friday. Jordan Thompson, grade 11, once again led all scorers with 23 points. (Jordan also got some love from CalHiSports.com this week: http://www.calhisports.com/2016/01/07/state-stat-stars-of-the-week-110/). Joelle Anderson, grade 11, added 20 points of her own in the win. The 10-3 Eagles host Mercy Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Blackford.
On Wednesday the boys soccer team traveled to Sacred Heart Prep and defeated the Gators 2-1 behind two goals from Jared Anderson, grade 9. This was the first time in at least 10 years that Harker has defeated its league rival on its campus! Congratulations boys and good luck at Crystal Springs Uplands next week.
Commissioner’s Cup
Within the WBAL, there is a little-known competition known as the Commissioner’s Cup, in which a point value is given for all varsity results and tallied up throughout the year. For the first time ever, after the fall season, the Harker girls are in first place. Great job cross country, tennis, volleyball, golf and water polo for giving the Eagles a great start toward the Commissioner’s Cup!
Each fall, middle school students embark on various weeklong class trips, opening up a world of learning outside the classroom. The annual adventures are a highlight for middle schoolers. This year, grade 6 students visited the Santa Cruz Mountains; grade 7 toured national parks around the Southwest; and grade 8 sojourned to Washington, D.C.
Grade 6 Students Bond at Mt. Cross
The Santa Cruz Mountains set the scene for grade 6 students to actively bond during their class trip to Mt. Cross. A camping and retreat site located in the redwood forest, Mt. Cross provided plenty of opportunities for kayaking, bird watching, completing a ropes course, swimming, and enjoying the area’s gorgeous weather and scenic beauty.
A highlight of the trip was a visit to Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 28 such reserves established nationwide as field laboratories for scientific research and estuarine education. Following the reserve visit was an excursion to nearby Moss Landing, a quaint, historic fishing village known for its shopping, fresh seafood, fine art studios, and bird and whale watching.
“The skies were blue, the temperatures warm … and the excitement palpable!” recalled Cindy Ellis, middle school division head, of the trip.
Grade 7 Students Enjoy Southwestern Adventures
Grade 7 students were amazed by the Southwest’s scenic and historic national parks. In Arizona they enjoyed a jeep tour of Sedona, famous for its red rock formations and wildlife. In the Grand Canyon’s south rim, students participated in an organized trust walk (listening to directions while walking with eyes closed) as they headed toward the rim of the canyon.
They also toured Monument Valley, known to many as “the eighth wonder of the world.” Monument Valley has been a significant place for centuries, and houses ruins that some believe belong to the mysterious Anasazi people who disappeared from the area hundreds of years ago. Another highlight was traveling to Zion National Park to hike the Emerald Pools, Whistling Rock and several other well-known trails.
“It was a week of learning, adventure and fun!” recalled Alana Butler, middle school dean, adding that it was also “amazing to see everyone come together as a community.”
Grade 8 Students Take in Historic Nation’s Capital
History came alive for grade 8 students visiting the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. Accompanied by Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, the group’s tour began with a visit to the Jamestown Settlement, the first permanent English settlement in North America, and Colonial Williamsburg, an interpretation of a colonial American city.
“Specialized guides showed us what it was like to live in Jamestown in the early 1600s. We were able to see how settlers prepared their food, how they made their clothes and the types of living quarters they had. The guides were impressed with our students’ knowledge of Jamestown,” reported Gargano.
On a more somber note, the group visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Iwo Jima U.S. Marine Corps Memorial and Arlington Cemetery.
During a visit to Ford’s Theatre, students learned about what occurred on the day of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and were able to view the balcony where he was shot. The trip concluded with visits to the Capitol building, and tours of the House of Representatives, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court.