This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony Marks End of Middle School Years
Every year, the grade 8 promotion ceremony heralds the eighth graders’ exciting transition to high school. Held in the middle school gym on June 5, the ceremony poignantly marked the end of the students’ middle school years.
Parents and students were shepherded into the gym, accompanied by the music of the Grade 6 Orchestra, under the direction of Dave Hart. Cindy Ellis, middle school head, welcomed the students and congratulated them on reaching this important milestone and beginning a new stage in their academic lives. A celebration slideshow, put together by Taylor Vaughan, Claire Newman and Elise Mayer, all grade 8, delighted both students and parents alike. Patricia Burrows, middle school English teacher and Class of 2019 advisory dean, then gave a moving farewell address to the soon-to-be upper school students, encouraging them to welcome the many opportunities that await them over the next four years. Next up was a beautiful performance of the song “Stand Together” by Harmonics and Vivace, the middle school vocal groups directed by Monica Colletti and Jennah Somers, and Hart, respectively.
A welcome address to the Class of 2019 was delivered by rising senior Michael Zhao, who will be next year’s upper school ASB president. Following that, the eighth graders received their promotion certificates from Chris Nikoloff, head of school, along with Ellis, who made some warm closing remarks.
The ceremony concluded, as in years past, with the singing of “The Harker School Song,” followed by a recessional and well-attended reception in the amphitheater. Ellis also had created a small gift – a dragonfly pendant attached to a note explaining how the insect’s metamorphosis is a symbol for the students’ tremendous transformation during middle school. Along with the token, a personal note of appreciation to each family was distributed as the parents exited the ceremony.
Grade 5 Students Bid Fond Farewell to Lower School During Touching Promotion Ceremony
Grade 5 students received a warm send-off at a touching promotion ceremony held in the late afternoon on June 4 in the lower school gymnasium.
Members of the Class of 2022 officially ended their time as lower school students during the ceremony, which opened with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by class president Uma Misha. Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, then greeted the students, parents and faculty in attendance. She congratulated the students on reaching this important next step in their academic careers.
The grade 4-6 dance group Dance Fusion, led by Gail Palmer, delighted the audience with a performance to the song “Take on Me.” Following that, a slideshow recapping the entire school year was shown and then the excited students walked up to receive their promotion certificates.
Kellie Binney-Smart, lower school choral music teacher, led the newly promoted students in the songs “When I Close My Eyes” and the “The Harker School Song,” after which incoming middle school ASB president and rising grade 8 student Avi Gulati gave a speech welcoming the newest middle schoolers. Kate Shanahan, grade 5 English teacher, then offered a heartwarming send-off to the class.
Giammona closed the ceremony with a final farewell. The students and their guests then enjoyed a reception featuring a “Class of ’22” cake and other treats.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Generous endowments to Harker have made a significant impact in 30 students’ lives over the last five years and, starting this fall, faculty members also will benefit from a Harker family’s generosity.
Harker has two student endowments: the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund, established in 2009, and the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities, established in 2011.
As the funds have matured, more students have been granted funds for research; this past year a record nine seniors were selected as beneficiaries. Now, a new endowment established by Raju and Balu Vegesna (Ramanand and Srivani, both grade 7) allows teachers to apply for special opportunities to expand their professional skills and knowledge.
The inaugural recipients of the Raju & Balu Vegesna Foundation for Teacher Excellence are Ruth Meyer (upper school humanities/history), Susan Nace (upper school performing arts) and Roxana Pianko (upper school humanities/history).
The 2015-16 student scholars, all rising seniors, are:
John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund: Zarek Drozda, Shannon Hong, Jasmine Liu, Sadhika Malladi and Sahana Narayanan.
Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities: Kaitlyn Gee, Kavya Ramakrishnan, Elisabeth Siegel and Natalie Simonian.
The 2014-15 Near/Mitra scholar papers are on file in the Harker library archive: http://library.harker.org/upperlibrary/nearmitra.
A summary of the 2014-15 papers can be found at Harker News: http://news. harker.org/?p=25923; search on “Endowment” at news.harker.org to find summaries of previous papers.
2014-15 John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund Scholars and Paper Titles
Ayush Midha – “Blackout: The Case for Black Power in 1960s Liberation Politics”
Apoorva Rangan – “The Tet Offensive and the MACV’s Information Defensive: An Analysis of Limitations to Watchdog Journalism in the Vietnam War (1964-68)”
Felix Wu – “Straight Outta Compton: Hip- Hop and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots”
Karnika Pombra – “The United Fruition: A Historical Analysis of the Motives for the 1954 U.S.-Backed Guatemalan Coup”
Vedant Thyagaraj – “Increasing the Efficiency of United States Healthcare: Addressing Adverse Selection in the Health Insurance Market Through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”
2014-15 Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities Scholars and Paper Titles
Aadyot Bhatnagar – “Using Antimalarial and Insecticide Resistance to Contextualize the Future of Malaria Control in Tanzania”
Maya Nandakumar – “The Enchantment of the Habit”
Agata Sorotokin – “The Truth Beyond Words: A Muisco-Historical Analysis of Selections from Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shotakovich’s Compositions Under the Stalinist Regime”
Stanley Xie – “Understanding Gender Differences in Depression: The Evolution in Our Understanding for Rumination and Co-Rumination in the Midst of the Social Media Revolution”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In early May, Grandparents’ Day was held at both the lower school and, for the second year in a row, at Harker Preschool.
On this charming day, grandparents and “grandfriends” toured the campuses and participated in activities with the special children in their lives. A long-standing tradition at Harker, the day gives students on both the lower school and preschool campuses the opportunity to welcome grandparents or adoptive grandparents-for-the-day to the school for an educational and memorable visit in their honor.
On the preschool campus, the captivating morning of exploration and play for students and their honored guests allowed teachers and specialists to provide a glimpse of all the incredible happenings at Harker Preschool. There were a variety of displays and interactive activities from the preschool’s talented staff, including the art, music and movement and STEM specialists.
At the lower school campus, the event was marked by a fun “Wild West” motif. During the day, students and their special guests were treated to an array of theme-related activities. They also had the opportunity to learn more about the lower school, as well as visit its annual book fair.
“At both the preschool and lower school, a special and wonderful day was had by all!” reported Teré Aceves, director of preschool-5 volunteer programs and event fundraising.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
As a parting gesture, this year’s graduating class dedicated its senior gift toward helping to finance an extension to the Shah patio area. Through class fundraising and their senior donations, the students rallied together to raise more than $6,500 for the project.
“Every year the graduating class leaves behind a senior gift. The idea of this year’s gift is to enable Shah patio to serve as an expanded recreation setting for seniors, as well as allow students travelling to Shah by way of Davis Field to take a shorter route,” explained Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement.
At the beginning of this school year, the senior class lost access to the Sledge, a former senior-only lounge that was converted into the faculty dining room and a meeting space for students in the DECA program. The new patio will allow Shah Hall to serve as an informal gathering spot for future seniors.
Plans are in the works to have an on- site patio with tables and an awning to provide shade, surrounded by planter boxes. There is also discussion of including benches with motivational phrases that reflect Harker values, like “kindness, patience and respect.”
Last year, the senior class gift went toward honoring beloved former faculty member Jason Berry by creating an orchard in his memory. The Berry Orchard is now located in the space between Dobbins and Nichols halls.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
It was easy to understand the “Sky’s the Limit” theme of this year’s Night on the Town gala, held May 9 on the top of a hill with spectacular views of the mid-Peninsula, at the home of Susan and Scott McNealy (Scout, grade 8; Colt, grade 10; Dakota, grade 11; Maverick ’13).
The 300 attendees moved through- out the home visiting areas including the champagne patio, “view of the valley” swing spot, theater, casino and silent auction table. Guests enjoyed dinner under a beautiful sunset, and performances by several of Harker’s dance, show choir and instrumental ensembles.
Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, capped the dinner portion of the evening with the announcement that an additional $7 million had been pledged to the new gym and theater buildings from an anonymous donor who had al- ready pledged $3 million during the initial Rothschild Challenge phase of the campaign. (Look for full coverage on the new gym and theater buildings in the advancement section on pg. 43.)
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Art at Harker was in full bloom this past spring, during an array of creative and colorful exhibits held across all four campuses. Enjoy this look back at the varied and impressive artistic talents of students, who happily shared their “labors of love” with the Harker community.
Harker Preschool Holds Second Annual Art Show
For the second year in a row, Harker Preschool held its very own art show on the Union Avenue campus. The “Second Annual Year-End Art Showcase” featured works from every student on campus, which they had made in the art studio throughout the school year.
The captivating exhibit, which ran from May 1 to June 1, included works in the following categories: canvas paintings, self-portraits, ceramics, natural material collage, watercolor paintings, mixed media drawings and more. The exhibit was also a highlight of Grandparents’ Day at the preschool, held in May.
“It was a cumulative display of preschool artistry!” enthused Alexandria Kerekez, Harker Preschool’s art specialist.
Preschoolers of all ages are regularly invited into the art studio to paint, work with clay, hone their pencil skills and learn to observe the world around them while working in a variety of media, according to Kerekez. The school’s outdoor art area allows for further creative expression, where everyday things such as the sun, water and leaves can become part of a project.
Throughout the year, Harker Preschool holds art exhibits. A unique show held in the winter was the “Amazing Rainbow Gallery Show,” in which Kerekez curated a unique display on the exploration and investigation of rainbows. It demonstrated how the preschool curriculum often emerges from the interests of the children – in this case when children observed rainbows in the sky.
Contributions to the show included multimedia artwork from the students, as well as documentation of their work in the STEM and music and movement specialty classes. A fun highlight of the project was when the preschoolers made a rainbow on the ground with roller skates in the outdoor art studio.
When asked about their favorite art project of the year, many of the 4- and 5-year-olds responded that it was “The Canvas Project.” That project, which was included in the spring art show, consisted of a collection of canvas paintings crafted by the eldest preschoolers. The representational work consisted of drafting an image of “a wish” and then translating it into an acrylic painting.
Lower School Art Show Celebrates Artistic Flair of K-5 Students
The lower school art show is a much-anticipated, beloved annual tradition. This year’s exhibition began with an opening reception in the gym’s foyer on the morning of April 27 and ran until May 21.
Sponsored by the lower school art department and after-school art program, the show featured academic and after-school work from K-5 artists. The exhibition was shown in the main office, gym areas (including the lobby, kitchen, by the bleachers, stairwell and balcony), as well as the art rooms.
Exhibiting students once again demonstrated an impressive range of artistic abilities. Art- work on display included monochromatic pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, collages and ceramics. Parents, faculty members and students alike enjoyed the display, which featured works arranged both by theme and grade level.
According to Gerry-louise Robinson, lower school art teacher, this year’s show surpassed expectations. Reminiscing about the exhibit, she recalled: “The color, variety and detail in each and every piece on display would put a smile even on the harshest art critic’s face! Sunflowers, fanciful hens and rock guitars welcomed visitors into the gym lobby, while perfectly poised mannequins and cubist faces quietly watched students enjoy P.E. in the gym itself. Beware the eerie dark trees that followed you up the stairwell, guiding you through fall to winter and onto spring with pumpkins, penguins and printing. Finally, summer appeared with beautiful ceramic balloons and detailed insects. As only a snap- shot of artwork, every grade from kindergarten to fifth helped to transform the lower school into a visual festival of creativity both in flat work and 3-D.”
Hanging on a wall at the top of the stairs above the gym was a fun exhibit called “Ceramic Hot Air Balloons” made by kindergartners. The display featured hot air balloons made of clay, which appeared to be effortlessly floating amid the clouds. Another interesting ceramic display featured an array of colorful cat sculptures created by kindergartners and first graders in the after-school art program. The adorable animals were inspired by the artwork of popular artist Laurel Burch.
“It was cool because you could see your work and everybody else’s and show your friends,” observed Anoushka Khatri, grade 5.
“It was very nice because you could see everyone’s diversity which showed off through their art!” added Anya Warrier, also grade 5.
Grade 6-8 Students Display Works at Both Middle and Upper School Campuses
The middle school’s annual “Spring Exhibition” went on display in April in the up- per school’s main lobby gallery. Featuring selected art from students in all the middle school grades, the show also displayed culminating works from graduating grade 8 Art II students, which were on view in the adjacent college counseling gallery.
The gallery shows held a joint opening reception on April 10. The main gallery exhibition ran through April 22, while the show in the college counseling office ran through May 1. The two shows then moved to the Blackford campus for the May 6 opening of the combined end-of-the-year exhibit in the multipurpose room.
Sponsored by Harker’s middle school visual arts program, the middle school art shows included colorful paintings, sketches, ceramics, figurines and wire sculptures.
This year, Elizabeth Saltos, middle school visual arts teacher, also hosted a just-for-fun, school- wide “Jackson Pollock” cake eating party during the lunch period on May 15. Pollock was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting.
“I have a video of Pollock working, and we study his role in developing non-objective art. The kids always want to throw paint like he did, so we throw frosting instead,” explained Saltos.
Students who attended the cake party had a blast eating cake and checking out the art on display in the multipurpose room. Saltos said she felt particularly nostalgic about the graduating grade 8 students, whom she will miss teaching next year as they head off to high school. “These students worked with me for three years and really developed their skills,” observed Saltos.
Grade 8 exhibiting artist Anika Rajamani was one such student. Rajamani had taken Saltos’ elective sculpture course as a way to try something new. Standing in front of a Grecian urn she had created,
Rajamani explained that she had always taken illustration art courses before. “This is the first sculpture piece I have ever made,” she said, proudly. “All the vessels on display here were made using the coil technique.”
Meanwhile, her friend and fellow grade 8 student Ria Gupta had created a ceramic fountain that was on exhibit. The fountains were the culminating project of the advanced ceramics course, whereby each student designed a working tabletop water fountain, with no limits to creativity in terms of design. Both slab and wool techniques were utilized in these impressive works.
“After creating the fountain sculpture, we drilled holes and filled it with a water pump,” said Gupta. In the background came the soothing sounds of running water emanating from the prominently displayed fountains.
Upper School Art Show Transformed to ‘Artstravaganza le Deuxième!’
For many years the upper school art show has featured student works from projects created in its rich arts program. This year the event took on an exciting new twist as the upper school’s art and English departments joined forces to host the “Artstravaganza le Deuxième” during a long lunch in the Nichols Hall atrium on April 29.
The well-attended reception began with the sound of The Harker School Jazz Band performing outside the hall at the beginning of lunch. The show also celebrated the recipients of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the release of the Harker Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM) 2014-15 publication.
A reading in the auditorium featured the Scholastic winners and HELM contributors, as well as awards presented to selected winners for their works of art. Sarisha Kurup, grade 10, a Scholastic regional gold and silver award winner for writing, read an excerpt from one of her short stories.
Fine arts teacher Pilar Agüero-Esparza noted that the Scholastic winners’ reading was a welcome addition to the event. She also said the show was going for a more formal feel this year and noted that it showcased a variety of literary and visual pieces, ranging from poems and short stories to photography, sculptures and drawings.
Sophomore Alexa Gross was a guest speaker. She discussed her thoughts on having her visual pieces included in the exhibit, calling it a “great experience” to be able to showcase her artwork.
After the formal reading and discussion, students proceeded to explore the works on display in the atrium. Among the highlights were photography juxtaposed with narratives, an assortment of wire and wood sculptures, ceramic objects, and numerous illustrations, including still-life and self-portraits.
In February, the AP Studio Art (APSA) exhibit featured a collection of artworks from the largest group of APSA students ever, also in the Nichols atrium. In that show, the artworks of 23 students represented the approximate halfway point of their work on their concentration portfolio for the APSA exam in April.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Near the end of the school year, 24 grade 8 students took to the stage to celebrate the exciting culmination of their work with the middle school’s new optional Discovery X program. During the student showcase, held on the evening of May 20 at the upper school’s Nichols Hall auditorium, the eighth graders shared with fellow participants and their families their experiences as the program’s inaugural members.
The students had been working all year on independent research projects, with support from faculty advisors and outside mentors, many of who were also present at the event.
At the beginning of the evening, students spent time informally mingling with parents and answering questions about their Discovery X endeavors, discussing both the joys and tribulations. Following that, as the program officially got underway, they presented some of the projects they had created.
While the projects they worked on varied greatly, the students all had one thing in common: enormous amounts of enthusiasm for their creations. The endeavors included bicycle building, animation, playwriting, playing the flute, choreography, modern dance, developing an app, podcasting, discovering meditation, pastry artistry, horse photography, developing a board game and sculpting.
Discovery X participant Mathew Mammen chose woodworking, which has always been a passion of his, as his project. “I have always loved working with my hands, and I wanted to use Discovery X to dive further into it. My goals were to become a more knowledgeable and overall better woodworker,” said Mammen. He was mentored by Gary Hinrich, from Harker’s tech department, who is a master woodworker.
“The first thing we made was a chest, where he taught me the basics of woodworking, how to be safe around power tools, and how to go about designing a project. Now we’re working on a wooden sphere that I managed to primarily design myself. In the future, I would like to keep working with Gary, and maybe I could start a woodshop in my family’s garage. I am very grateful for Discovery X,” said Mammen.
Another participant, Devanshi Mehta, recalled that her Discovery X project was to form a Bollywood dance team. “Discovery X gave me the platform to share my ideas and progress with a group, and that motivated me to go further. My mentors checked up on me occasionally, just so that I could stay on track (and I’m very thankful for that). We were able to hold a Bollywood dance workshop at the middle school,” she said.
Discovery X is intended to give student participants the opportunity to more fully explore areas they are passionate about. “It is a journey of learning where they choose their own topic of interest, find a mentor to support their learning, and hopefully gain a better understanding about the topic – and, more important, themselves,” explained middle school art instructor Elizabeth Saltos, who served as one of Discovery X’s 12 faculty advisors.
Moreover, explained Saltos, one of the main goals of the program was to give students practice and enjoyment in the process of learning how to contact and gain knowledge from professionals in their fields of interest.
Discovery X mentors are professionals in various fields, who enjoy passing on their knowledge and expertise to inspire the next generation of innovators, designers, etc. Mentors worked with the students regularly with the support of a Harker faculty facilitator as needed. A few of the student mentors were Harker parents, but the majority were not.
For example, renowned physicist Dr. Leonard Susskind of Stanford University was a Discovery X mentor.
“Why did we name the program Discovery X? Because X is the big question mark! Discovery X is an opportunity to study, create, devise, explore and discover something of personal interest with a widening circle of adults who are committed to the students’ success beyond the classroom,” said middle school English teacher Patricia Burrows, who was instrumental in helping to implement the program.
Burrows, who also served as faculty mentor for the pro- gram, added that while Discovery X requires a meaningful personal commitment and investment on the part of the student, it is not extrinsically rewarded or driven. And, while the process was aided by Harker faculty facilitators and expert (non-Harker) mentors, there were no grades or credits given upon the program’s completion. Moreover, all meetings with the facilitators and mentors took place during the students’ personal time, either at lunch or before and after school.
“We wanted the students to know that we value their passions …. It was not about the outcome but the process,” recalled Burrows, noting that Discovery X is now slated to become an annual opt-in program for the middle school’s eighth graders.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
For the ninth year in a row, young cancer patients attending Camp Okizu will benefit from the annual Harker Cancer Walk.
On March 24, students, parents, family members, faculty and staff from Harker’s four campuses united at the middle school field for the walk, which has become a beloved annual tradition.
Cindy Ellis, middle school head, was thrilled to report that “between the baked goods, smoothies, shirts and donations, we raised over $10,000!”
Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for children with cancer to enjoy regular summer camp activities and social events.
The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means “unity.” Camp Okizu is free of charge to all attendees, but it costs $700 to $1,000 to provide a weeklong camp experience for one child. Therefore, the camp relies on donations, making fundraising efforts such as the Harker Cancer Walk incredibly important.
“There’s always a moment at each Cancer Walk when I stop and look around at everything that’s going on. People are smiling, laughing and talking. There’s hustle and bustle in front of various tables. And even though the event can be a reminder of something sad, it also can be a reminder of those wonderful days gone by,” recalled Michael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher and department chair, who had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his own mother due to cancer.
Today, he said, he no longer views the Cancer Walk as just a tribute to his mother “as much as I think of it as a tribute to the people and relationships I’ve experienced at Harker. Thank you all for sharing that with me.”
Prior to the walk, students engaged in activities to learn about different forms of cancer and cancer prevention strategies. In a further show of support for the fundraising effort, many teachers displayed door decorations with themes designed to promote cancer awareness.
For more information about Camp Okizu: http://www.okizu.org/about.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Junior Varsity B1 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Ellie Pereira, finished 5-1, tying with Sacred Heart for first place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Tara Ozdemir (MVP), Alivia Li (Eagle) and Thresiamma Vazhaeparambil (Coaches).
Junior Varsity B2 (grade 5) girls volleyball, coached by Therese Wunnenberg, finished 3-3, taking fourth place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Melody Yazdi (MVP), Imogene Leneham (Eagle) and Emily Tan (Coaches).
Intramural (grade 4) girls volleyball, coached by Vanessa Rios and Christina Mendoza, enjoyed a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Rachel Ning (MVP), Allison Zhu (Eagle) and Katelyn Abellera (Coaches).
Junior Varsity B (grades 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Richard Amarillas and Jon Cvitanich, finished 1-3 in league and 2-3 overall, taking fourth place in the WBAL. Team awards went to Richie Amarillas (MVP), Jack Hayashi (Eagle) and Arvin Nidadavolu (Coaches), all grade 5.
Intramural (grade 4 and 5) baseball, coached by Jim McGovern, Tobias Wade and Kristian Tiopo, finished a great season of learning fundamental skills and intramural games. Team awards went to Matthew Chen (Eagle), and Andrew Reed and Ethan Huang (Coaches).
Lower school track (grades 4 and 5), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 4 boys relay (Rohan Gorti, Andrew Fu, Lorenzo Martinelli and Rigo Gonzales) and the 100, 200 and 400 (Gonzales). Team awards went to Gonzales (MVP), Daniel Fields, grade 5 and Sasvath Ramachandran, grade 5 (Eagle), and Pranav Mullappalli, grade 4 and Nageena Singh, grade 5 (Coaches).
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Varsity A (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Stephanie Coleman and Diana Melendez, finished the season 5-1, taking second place in the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Gold Division. The team awards went to Allison Cartee, grade 8 (MVP), Srija Gadiraju, grade 8 (Eagle) and Lauren Beede, grade 7 (Coaches).
Varsity B (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Sarah Prudencio, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL South. The team awards went to Allison Jia, grade 7 (MVP), Lilly Anderson, grade 8 (Eagle) and Laura Wu, grade 8 (Coaches).
Varsity B2 (grades 7 and 8) girls volleyball, coached by Mandy Schroeder, finished 6-1, taking second place in the WBAL South. The team awards went to Cindy Wang, grade 8 (MVP), Rashmi Iyer, grade 7 (Eagle) and Mina Stojanovic, grade 7 (Coaches).
Junior Varsity A (grade 6) girls volleyball, coached by Vonda Reid, finished undefeated at 7-0, taking first place in the WBAL Gold Division. The team awards went to Julia Yusupov (MVP), Michelle Ning (Eagle) and Vidya Jeyendran (Coaches).
Junior Varsity B6 (grade 6) girls volleyball, coached by Tina Mai, finished 3-3, taking third place in the WBAL. The team awards went to Katerina Fenner (MVP), Annamma Vazhaeparambil (Eagle) and Aria Wong (Coaches).
Varsity A (grade 7 and 8) baseball, coached by Dan Pringle, Matt Arensberg and Tim Hopkins, finished 2-4, taking fifth place in the WBAL. Team awards went to Logan Frank, grade 8 (MVP), Andrew Skrobak, grade 8 (Eagle), and Jared Anderson and Jack Dawson (Coaches), both grade 8.
Junior Varsity A (grades 6 and 7) baseball, coached by Jeff Paull, Matt Haberli and Joe Newman, finished 4-1 in league and 6-2 overall, taking second place in the WBAL. Team awards went to AJ Escobar (MVP), Luke Wancewicz (Eagle) and Ricky Wardenburg (Coaches), all grade 6.
Varsity A (grades 7 and 8) boys volleyball, coached by Pete Anderson, went 10-0 in league and 11-0 overall, taking first place and the tournament championship in the ADAL. Team awards went to Chris Gong (MVP), Charlie Molin (Eagle) and Zachary Wong (Coaches), all grade 8.
Junior Varsity A (grades 6 and 7) boys volleyball, coached by Diana Melendez and Kurt Schwartz, went 4-4, taking fourth place in the Art David Athletic League (ADAL). Team awards went to Utkarsh Priyam (MVP), Andrew Lee (Eagle) and Anish Kilaru (Coaches), all grade 6.
Coed water polo (grades 6-8), coached by Ted Ujifusa and Peter Blume, went 4-0 at the WBAL championships. Team awards went to Bobby Bloomquist, grade 8 (MVP), Matthew Hajjar, grade 8 (Eagle), and Leah Anderson, grade 6 and Rohan Sonecha, grade 7 (Coaches).
Middle school track (grades 6-8), coached by Allison Burzio, Margaret Huntley, Kelcie Lai and Karriem Stinson, took first place at the WBAL track meet in the 4 X 100 grade 8 girls relay (Alex Janssen, Sara Min, Alycia Cary and Julia Amick) the 400 and 800 (Amick) and the long jump (Janssen). Team awards went to Amick (MVP), Anton Novikov and Arya Mahesh- wari (Eagle), both grade 6, and Rosh Roy and Elizabeth Fields (Coaches), both grade 6.
Varsity A tennis (grades 6-8), coached by JP Fruttero and John Fruttero, went undefeated at 7-0 in the WBAL and took first place in the WBAL and in the WBAL tournament. They finished 4-4 in the Mid-Peninsula Tennis Patrons Junior Tennis League (MTP) and will be competing in the MTP tournament next week. Team awards went to Joshua Valluru, grade 7 and Neil Ramaswamy, grade 8 (MVP), Gina Partridge, grade 7 and Anjay Saklecha, grade 8 (Eagle), and Jack Hansen and Simar Bajaj, both grade 7 (Coaches).
Middle school golf (grades 6-8), coached by Ie-Chen Cheng, finished in second place at the spring WBAL golf tournament at Crystal Springs Golf Course. Par was a 36. Competitors were: Alexander King, grade 7 (41), Aditya Tadimeti, grade 6 (42), Jaimin Bhagat, grade 7 (45), Ronit Gagneja, grade 7 (45), Abhinav Joshi, grade 8 (46), Katelyn Vo, grade 7 (52), Natalie Vo, grade 6 (54) and Elvin Chen, grade 6 (56).