UPDATE: A memorial for Sylvia Harp will be held this Sunday, Aug. 10, in San Jose on the quad of Harker’s Saratoga campus. There will be bagels and mingling at 10 a.m.; memorial at 10:30 a.m.; and pizza and ice cream (Mrs. Harp’s favorites) and more mingling from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
It was with deep sadness that Chris Nikoloff, head of school, announced the passing of cherished former faculty member Sylvia Harp, who died of liver cancer on March 29. Harp was a well-respected grade 8 English teacher who began teaching at Harker in 1986 and went on to become chair of the middle school’s English department before her retirement in 2003. “Her passion for her subject inspired and motivated students to excel, and many have cited her influence as defining and shaping their lifelong love and mastery of English,” recalled Nikoloff.
Born in New York City in the summer of 1939, Harp graduated from New Paltz Teacher’s College with a degree in education. She continued to tutor Harker students in English after her retirement from the school.
In the Harker community, former students, alumni and colleagues took to posting fond recollections of Harp on Facebook shortly after her passing. Middle school English teacher Mark Gelineau said, “I had the incredible fortune to not only be her student but also to start my career at Harker as an English teacher under her as department chair. Much of what I am now as a teacher and a writer, I attribute to her. She was a grand lady.”
“Sylvia Harp was a complex and intelligent woman. She treasured the power of words and feared all things math; one might have thought our friendship would have been impossible. Fortunately for me, a math teacher, Sylvia was able to set aside her sentiments about math and we shared a deep and very rich friendship,” noted Cindy Ellis, middle school head.
In April, Harp’s family held a memorial for her in Maryland. Plans are being made for a memorial in San Jose this summer at Harker, with the date to be determined. Those who would like to share memories and condolences for the family, or receive notice regarding the celebration event, are encouraged to email Nicole Hall at nicole.hall@harker.org.
After consecutive successful summers, Harker’s summer water polo camp returned, adding another session due to high demand. “Last year a lot of the parents asked us to do two sessions, so this year we answered,” said water polo coach and camp co-director Allie Lamb, a 15-year veteran of the sport, who ran the camp with coach Ted Ujifusa, head coach of the Harker boys water polo team.
The weeklong camp, which ran June 16-20 and July 14-18, was designed for students in grades 4-8 new to the sport, emphasizing fundamental skills such as eggbeater kicking (or “eggbeatering”), passing and shooting. “We really concentrate on teaching the fundamentals of the game and a lot of these kids have never played water polo before,” Lamb said. “Water polo’s a pretty tough sport if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Among the most important skills taught at the camp is eggbeater kicking, an essential skill for new and experienced players. Lamb compared the technique to when players in other sports rest on the field. “Eggbeatering is our resting, so if you’re not able to do that to the point where you’re able to keep your head above water, well, now you’re resting underwater,” she said.
The most popular part of the water polo camp is scrimmaging, or the informal pickup games. “The playing of the game is something that they really enjoy,” Lamb said.
Samantha Yanovsky, a rising grade 8 Harker student, said the camp was helpful to her because it provided a way for her to learn the sport, which has a history in her family. “My sister, brother and cousins all did water polo, so I wanted to do water polo, too,” she said. “It’s a difficult sport but it’s fun.”
Harker’s summer sports camps kicked off in late June with basketball camp, which ran June 23-27 at the middle school campus. Focused on the fundamentals of the sport, the camp was open to students in grades 4-8 and was led by veteran basketball coach and camp director John “Sarge” Siers.
A longtime friend of upper school division head and varsity basketball coach Butch Keller, Siers has been teaching at summer basketball camps since 1985. His coaching philosophy is that first, he says, “[Campers] must have fun. When they have fun, they are open to part two: they must be taught.”
Campers participate in a series of drills designed to teach them fundamental basketball skills such as dribbling, ball handling, passing and shooting. Developing these skills, Sarge said, increases the enjoyment of the game. “The better their skills the more fun they will have,” he said. “We teach them what they need to be a complete player no matter what level they choose to play at.”
Sarge’s hope is that by the end of the camp, the students will have gained a new appreciation for the sport and more confidence in their abilities. “My goal is that they have fallen in love with a game I have dedicated my life to,” he said. “I want them to understand how to set goals, how to play basketball and how to believe in themselves.”
The summer coed volleyball camp, among Harker’s most popular summer offerings, gave students of many skill levels the chance to hone their skills under the instruction of top-level instructors. Fun was the top priority at the camp, which grouped students by age and skill level and included warm-ups, drills, volleyball-themed games and team play.
“We’ve had many returning campers, which is a sign we’re doing something right. That’s always very encouraging,” said Harker’s upper school athletic director and boys volleyball coach Dan Molin. A veteran coach of more than 20 years at the collegiate, high school and club levels, Molin co-directed the camp with Theresa “Smitty” Smith, who has worked at Harker for 22 years and was the 2007 Mercury News CCS Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Each day started with a dynamic warm-up session of stretches and ball-control exercises. Following a half-hour of team play, the campers moved to drill stations that emphasized various volleyball skills, including passing, setting, hitting and serving.
“Every year I come here I gain a little more experience,” said Ryan Sun, who will start grade 8 at BASIS in the fall. He added that “playing volleyball and probably the hitting” were his favorite parts of the camp.
Several Harker volleyball players also volunteered at the camp, acting as assistants and mentors to the campers. “I really like the sport. I also like working with kids and helping them get better,” said Harker student Taylor Iantosca, who enters grade 10 in the fall. “I like just being around people, and then doing something that I love on top of that. So it’s fun.”
With World Cup fever in full effect, Harker’s summer soccer camp provided players of many skill levels with the opportunity to learn about one of the world’s most popular sports in a fun and supportive environment. The camp was directed by Harker soccer coach Shaun Tsakiris, who worked with coaches from San Jose’s De Anza Force soccer club to offer campers an enjoyable and comprehensive learning experience.
“The themes are the same. We always want to make sure we make it entertaining and challenging for kids,” said Tsakiris, who competed in four NCAA tournaments and received the MVP award from UCLA in 2000.
Campers started each day with a half hour of agility, strength and balance training. Instructors made an effort to incorporate a soccer ball into exercises as much as possible. Students then broke off into groups, with one going to the middle school campus for futsal (indoor soccer) while others worked on soccer skills at Davis Field, rotating through stations for shooting, passing and receiving and dribbling. Students also practiced one-on-one situations and participated in game play.
Fun activities such as soccer tennis – in which two players square off on either side of a net – and group games at the end of the camp day kept the camp fresh.
Joshua Pynadath, who in the fall will be a seventh grader at the American School of Madrid in Spain, has participated with De Anza Force before and said the camp was a good way to brush up on his skills and see his friends and coaches. “The competition I think is good and the drills we do are really fun,” he said. “The last day is probably the best because we get to play everyone in a big sort of tournament.”
“It’s really fun,” said Patrick Geleziunas, who will soon start grade 8 at Ralston Middle School. “I’m learning new stuff and [meeting] new players, and it’s fun playing with them.”
The second year of Harker’s summer wrestling camp expanded on last summer’s successes and brought together a team of qualified coaches, as well as special guest Anthony Robles, the 2011 NCAA National Champion in the 125-pound weight class.
Among the staff at this year’s camp was legendary local wrestling coach Jay Lawson. A De Anza Hall of Fame inductee and longtime supporter of Harker’s wrestling program, Lawson brought decades of experience to help camp attendees perform at their very best. “Jay has been a mentor of mine since I was in my early 20s. When we first got into the league that Harker is in, he was one of the guys that took me under his wing,” said Harker wrestling coach Karriem Stinson, who co-directed the camp. “He was always positive. He always gave me encouragement and told me, ‘You’re building a great program there, keep going.’”
Each day started with a dynamic warm-up routine that incorporates gymnastics maneuvers such as rolls, flips and hand stands. Students would then practice techniques with the camp coaching staff, work on situational wrestling and play games before breaking for lunch. Each coach at the camp taught something new to the campers each day.
“Each coach [has] an opportunity to show what made us successful as wrestlers and even as coaches,” Lawson said. “And what [campers] have to do is to pick and choose what’s going to work for them.”
For wrestling enthusiast Solin Piearcy, a rising junior at Cupertino High School, the variety of new techniques shown at the camp was one of its biggest pluses. “I love how they bring in a lot of different coaches with different techniques and backgrounds,” she said. “We can pick and choose and learn a variety and put some in our arsenal and make it our own style.”
Leigh High School rising senior Ryan Cummings enjoyed the high quality of instruction provided by the staff. “All the staff are nice and it’s a good program,” he said. “I like the atmosphere that the coaches bring to the room. It makes you want to be there.”
The final two days of the camp were highlighted by visits from Anthony Robles, who spoke to the campers and offered instruction and advice on their techniques. Robles got involved with the camp when Stinson contacted him six months earlier. “The wrestling community, we’re very tight-knit,” he said. “So here I am now, just having fun and trying to give back to the sport that’s given me a lot.”
Since winning the NCAA Championship in 2011, Robles, born with only one leg, has focused on his career as a motivational speaker, though he devotes as much time as possible to the sport he loves. “Wrestling is still my number one passion, and I love being around the sport,” he said.
Robles’ motivation to pass on his knowledge comes from the inspiration he received from his coaches early in his wrestling career. “I remember getting started in the sport, my coach showing me moves or people showing me moves that just clicked, that became part of my style,” he recalled. “And so I just love seeing that on these kids’ faces. I show them some of my favorite moves and see it click for them.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
This fall, two festive happenings – the Harker Harvest Festival and Homecoming game – brought many alumni back to campus, where they enjoyed seeing old friends and catching up with the Harker community.
On Sept. 27, Harker’s Homecoming game was held on Davis Field, where alumni were warmly welcomed home during a familyfriendly tailgate party held in an end zone. A number of alumni turned out for the party, where they enjoyed dinner, mingled with faculty and staff, and watched the Eagles play.
Then on Oct. 13, alumni came out in recordbreaking numbers for the Harker Harvest Festival, the school’s 63rd annual Family & Alumni Picnic. More than 200 alumni attended the daylong event, held at the middle school. During the picnic there was a special area reserved just for alumni, with a delicious barbecue. This year alumni also were invited to volunteer at the picnic, and many signed up to work shifts at various booths.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
On Nov. 27, the alumni office sponsored two basketball games in which the varsity and junior varsity boys teams challenged alumni and faculty, respectively. Held in the early evening at the middle school campus, the faculty began the games by shooting a technical foul (which they had gained to make up for all the students’ missing homework) and proceeded to beat the junior varsity team. Then, varsity and alumni tipped off at 7 p.m. in front of a crowd of spectators, with varsity emerging victorious.
Although the exciting games were held over break, 14 alumni who were in town got in on the action while nearly 100 spectators cheered from the stands. A good time was had by all at the inaugural event. To mark the occasion, complimentary T-shirts were handed out and alumni sold snacks to benefit the school’s endowment fund.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Each year “grade 13” parents gather to help the alumni office assemble college care packages for current college freshmen. This year, 28 parents united to send an array of interesting items to the Class of 2013.
Among the products included in this year’s packages were friendly notes and well wishes from advisors, teachers and the class dean, as well as sweet and salty snacks. The packages were designed to give the former students a boost of encouragement just before their finals began, and help them finish out their first semesters away on a bright note.
Also in the packages were custom-designed Goldfish crackers with the message, “You’re always a part of our school,” custom alumni M&Ms and a bookmark printed with the “Top 10 things to do in your college library,” courtesy of Harker’s librarians.
According to MaryEllis Deacon, director of alumni relations, Class of 2013 agents Nikhil Panu, Nicholas Chuang and Kathir Sundaraj were instrumental in helping to get the care packages to the alumni’s university mailboxes.
“We wanted to congratulate the students on completing their first few months of college and let them know that we are thinking of them and wishing them the best while they are away. The care packages were assembled with love,” Deacon said, adding that she hopes the packages help send the message to alumni that they are free to come back and visit the Harker campus at any time. “We would love to see them and hear how they are doing!”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Fundraiser Lets Dancers Shine
Grade 6 students Aarzu Gupta and Radhika Jain took first place for one of their dances in the Bollywood category at a fundraising competition held at Chabot College in Hayward. The competition was sponsored by the Charitable Care Foundation (CCF).
Founded in October 1991, the CCF aims to help needy people become healthy, productive and self-reliant. Their efforts and resources are focused on local and international needs, particularly in the Bay Area and India.
The girls regularly attend a Bollywood dance class together in San Jose.
Canned Food Drive Helps Ease Hunger
The middle school’s annual canned food drive took place in mid- November. The drive was hosted by Harker’s advisories in conjunction with the Second Harvest Food Bank. Many canned and non-perishable food items were collected in containers, which were located in classrooms throughout the campus.
Last year, almost 50 million Americans lived in homes without enough food to eat. Harker is proud to have collected 2,632 pounds of food in this year’s drive.
DECA Chapter and Red Cross Club Sponsor Event
In early November, Harker’s DECA chapter and Red Cross Club hosted a lunchtime community service event in front of Nichols Hall. Students placed granola bars, batteries, Band-Aids, hand sanitizers and toothbrushes into kits that may be sent to disaster victims overseas. They also made cards for Veterans Day.
The event was run in accordance with the community-oriented pillar of the national DECA organization. Creating disaster kits for those who can’t afford them illustrated “the type of community involvement crucial to building a foundation for community-oriented entrepreneurs,” according to California DECA’s press release.
Hot Chocolate Sale to Aid Typhoon Haiyan Victims
The week after Thanksgiving break, the lower school’s student council sponsored a hot chocolate sale to raise money for relief efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
The funds raised by the hot chocolate sale were then combined with funds collected by the middle school for donation to Habitat for Humanity, which will help typhoon victims rebuild their homes. Faculty and staff also pitched in by donating money to offset the cost of supplies. The hot chocolate was sold for $1 a cup.
Colorful Painted Pumpkins Delivered to Neighbors
In a show of neighborly good will, this past fall grade 2 students painted and hand delivered pumpkins to residents living near the lower school campus.
The annual outreach and community service project took place in late October, just in time for Halloween.
After decorating the pumpkins and allowing them to dry, the students walked around the neighborhood leaving them on porches, along with cards.
“This was their annual service project to say ‘thank you’ to the local residents for being such good neighbors,” reported art teacher Gerry-louise Robinson, who facilitated the painting portion of the activity. Students painted in her room during their health education classes (one class at a time) with members of the BEST staff on hand to assist in the effort.
For student Kabir Ramzan, the biggest challenge was to “make the pumpkins really colorful.” Working in small groups, he and his classmates succeeded by painting in various hues of blue, green, yellow and red. They also gave each pumpkin its own special smile.
“It was action-packed and nonstop. … Utilizing the art room helped to make the event more meaningful and fun!” said Robinson, adding that the students really embraced drawing faces on the pumpkins; the facial expressions and details made each one a unique gift.
“It was marvelous how the children carefully chose colors and applied them,” she added. “The pumpkins all lined up ready to be delivered looked very charming indeed.”
“This is a really good project. I think it’s something the neighbors will like!” enthused student Aeliya Grover.
Club Plans Coastal Cleanup
In the fall, grades 4 and 5 held their first Spirit/Service Club meeting of the year, playing fun activities in advance of the Harker Harvest Festival.
“Our first club meeting was great. We had over a dozen fourth and fifth graders sign up. Fun was had by all!” reported Mel Robinson, a grade 5 P.E. teacher who helps coordinate the club.
In addition to playing spirited games, the Spirit/Service Club implements important outreach activities. For example, the club aids California coastal cleanup efforts and has a Green Committee charged with decreasing food waste in the lunchroom.
Students Donate to Emergency Shelter
Prior to her retirement, former middle school history teacher Pat White passed along her advisory project, which involves collecting toiletries for women and children at a local emergency shelter. Middle school math instructor Leah Moll took over the project, which benefits the Georgia Travis Center in San Jose.
“This year my seventh grade advisory, along with Kathy Pazirandeh’s advisory, have made and donated 85 personal kits to the center,” reported Moll.
The shelter is sponsored by the Inn-Vision Shelter Network, one of the leading shelter/housing and supportive service providers in Northern California. It aids more than 20,000 homeless men, women and children each year.
Middle School Holiday Drive Helps Fulfill Wish Lists
In an effort to serve people in need during the holiday season, Harker’s middle school community took on a project to help fulfill the “wish lists” of people living in low-income neighborhoods. After obtaining the names and wishes of individuals from an organization called Family Giving Tree, middle school families, faculty and staff set to work on fulfilling as many wishes as possible. Nearly 500 holiday wishes were granted to children, the elderly and physically disabled individuals in need, with gifts averaging about $20-$30.
Gift of Song, Carriage Rides and Wreath to Local Communities When the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce put out a call for wreaths to help decorate Blaney Plaza for the holiday season, the Awasthi family (Shivani, grade 9; Mohan, grade 6; and parents Anupam and Aarti) generously offered to create and donate one on behalf of Harker. The beautiful wreath, illuminated by LED lights, was clearly a labor of love.
And in a show of support for the Los Gatos community, Harker also helped sponsor carriage rides in the downtown area. For more than 30 years, the stately horse-drawn carriages, which meander through downtown, have attracted thousands of residents and visitors during the holiday season.
The upper school’s show choir, Downbeat, added to the cheer by caroling one night in downtown Los Gatos.
Upper School Holiday Volunteering at Harvest Food Bank
Kerry Enzensperger, the upper school’s director of community service and activities, reported that her advisory volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank the first night of Thanksgiving break. “We did a food sort at the Cypress Center in San Jose. Along with other volunteers we sorted carrots into boxes that weighed 25 pounds. By the end of our shift we had sorted 770 boxes of carrots equaling nine tons! We had a great time working together,” she said.