While their fellow students may have been hitting the slopes or sleeping in over the break, Harker’s winter athletes were busy competing and playing very well!
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball team stayed busy over the last two weeks as they went 5-2 over that span to improve their season record to 9-3. After victories over Watsonville (66-38), Kirby Prep (80-51) and Greenfield (60-30), the Eagles won their first two games in the Del Mar Dons Holiday Tournament (66-36 over Del Mar and 50-37 over San Mateo), before falling 50-42 in the championship game to Del Campo. Harker then lost a close game to Santa Clara 40-35 on New Year’s Eve. Jordan Thompson, grade 11, could not be stopped as she averaged 29 points a game during the last seven games, including a 41-point performance in the Eagles’ win over Kirby Prep. The girls team will visit the King’s Academy on Friday for its first league game.
Boys Basketball
After a tight 56-50 loss to Monta Vista on Dec. 19, the boys basketball team won three straight games over the winter break. In the loss to the Matadors, Roy Yuan, grade 9, put up 15 points, followed by a 23-point performance in a 79-50 win over More. Yuan stayed hot as he scored 26 points in a 78-41 win over Greenfield, and finished off the break with 15 points to lead Harker past Redwood Christian 65-32. Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, also had an impressive break, averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Eagles’ four games. The boys team is now 8-2 on the season and will travel to the King’s Academy Tuesday to open league play.
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team has been playing some great soccer over the last few weeks. On the last day of school before the winter break, the Eagles played to a 3-3 tie at Lynbrook High School. They followed that up with a 2-1 win over Cupertino this past Saturday, and on Monday the Eagles hosted Valley Christian and came away with a huge 3-0 win. The boys team travels to Sacred Heart on Wednesday to open up league play.
Girls Soccer
Just before break, the girls soccer team played to a 1-1 tie against Redwood Christian. The girls team will host Pinewood today at 3:30 p.m. and travel to Crystal Springs Uplands on Thursday.
Wrestling
Come support the Harker Wrestling team this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on the Blackford campus as it opens league action against Los Altos High School.
Students in grades 2 and 3 celebrated the giving spirit of the holidays at the annual Grades 2-3 Holiday Show, held Dec. 17 at the Bucknall Theater. Directed by lower school music teacher Carena Montany, the show featured students singing a variety of holiday-themed songs, including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Feliz Navidad” and “O Chanukah, O Chanukah.” Several numbers included special solo performances or instrumentation, such as the maraca and claves played respectively by second graders Sophia Schafer-Wharton and Jackson Powell on “Feliz Navidad.” The upbeat “Gettin’ in the Mood (For Christmas)” featured exciting choreography by Kimberly Teodoro.
Pianist Peggy Lao and violinist Toni Woodruff very capably provided the accompaniment during the show, while technical director Danny Dunn and her crew of grade 5 technical theater students again rose to the task of making sure the show was a success. The impressive backdrop by scenic designer Whitney Pintello provided the ideal atmosphere for a holiday-themed production.
On Dec. 15, just days before the winter break, the grade 1 homeroom students of teachers Imelda Kusuma, Cindy Proctor, Larissa Weaver and Rita Stone gathered on the stage at the Bucknall Theater for the annual grade 1 holiday show, directed by Carena Montany. The students sang seasonal favorites, including “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as well as newer songs, including “Spin a Little Dreidl” and “A Million Little Snowflakes,” the song for which the show was named.
Accompaniment was provided by violinist Toni Woodruff and pianist Peggy Lao. Credit also goes to technical director Danny Dunn and her grade 5 technical theater class for keeping the show running smoothly, and to scenic designer Whitney Pintello and choreographer Gail Palmer.
In early November the middle school participated in its first Wellness Day of the school year, featuring a special bell schedule to allow time for yoga and meditation activities. Prior to the event, students and faculty had been instructed to wear comfortable clothes and bring a water bottle, yoga mat and towel to school that day. Wellness activities occur across all four campuses to help students keep stress down and practice healthy activities.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
Whenever Logan Bhamidipaty, grade 9, has some spare time, he puts it to good use by volunteering at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, the largest food bank in the country. He has racked up well over 270 hours of community service at the food bank and raised $2,500 for the organization during September’s Hunger Action Month, a nationwide campaign to promote hunger awareness.
According to representatives at the food bank, the Bay Area has one of the highest national statistics of residents facing hunger. To help raise funds for the food bank, Bhamidipaty undertook such activities as pet sitting, recycling, and asking friends and family members for donations.
“Even after coming to the food bank for over a year and a half, I am still amazed that one box of food or even one pound of rice can feed a family. Facts like these really motivated me to come back. By the end of the day, even if I only made a small difference, I still know that I made someone’s day a little better,” said Bhamidipaty.
In November, local television reporter Spencer Christian interviewed Bhamidipaty about his contribution as part of a “Give Where You Live: ABC-7 Thanksgiving Food Drive” campaign to support Bay Area food banks. ABC-7 reported that Bhamidipaty’s donation resulted in 7,500 meals for residents in San Francisco and Marin counties.
Paul Ash, executive director of the SF-Marin Food Bank, called Bhamidipaty an outstanding volunteer and a wonderful example of how a young person’s determination can make a big difference in the world.
“His donations of time and money have helped thousands of families receive the food they need. There are opportunities all around us to give back, and Logan’s actions are a great example of that. The food bank believes that together we can end hunger, and Logan embodies that spirit,” noted Ash.
On the morning of Dec. 12, lower school students welcomed the holiday season by gathering for a beloved annual outing – the Lower School Skating Social. The event was held at Downtown Ice, a seasonal outdoor rink across the street from San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez. After the skate party ended, many families wandered over to the plaza to enjoy the festive Christmas in the Park exhibits and decorated Christmas trees, and to get a quick bite to eat at one of the food stalls. Among the displays was the Little Harker School House, where students were able to see what an old-time schoolhouse was like. There was also a tree decorated by Harker’s grade 2 Girl Scout troop. A great time was had by all!
In early December, middle school families were treated to a special after-school teen panel discussion on social media and the digital age with a representative from Common Sense Media.
Harker hosted the panel, which was held in the campus’ multipurpose room, for a handful of independent schools in the South Bay, explained Scott Kley Contini, the middle school’s director of learning, innovation and design.
“This panel took the form of a live discussion of social media and teen use with a representative from Common Sense Media and the seventh and eighth grade students from the participating schools,” recalled Kley Contini. He noted that parents of students from the participating schools, as well as Harker’s entire middle school faculty, were also invited to attend.
“This was a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the real digital lives of our students,” said Kley Contini.