This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
During their graduation ceremony at the scenic Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Harker’s Class of 2012 sat poised, attentively listening to speeches, ready and eager to take on life after high school, when they were then challenged to turn back the clock and view the world through the eyes of a baby.
“If you see like a baby, you just might see yourself as the miracle you are,” advised Chris Nikoloff, head of school. He delivered his yearly farewell speech to the students after welcoming members of the board of trustees, the administration, faculty and staff, family, friends, alumni and the “true guests of honor” — the graduating Class of 2012.
Speaking of the inspiration for his address — the newest addition to his own family, baby Andreas — and here noting that this was the first graduation speech he’d written on an iPad, Nikoloff turned serious as he advised students to continually walk through life with a sense of wonder. He quoted Albert Einstein who wrote, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Prior to Nikoloff’s address, the graduation ceremony had gotten underway on a beautiful spring morning to the melodious sounds of the Harker Chamber Orchestra, led by Chris Florio. As the graduating class proceeded into the amphitheater, taking their front row seats, the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the air. Once the graduates were seated, Susan Nace led the 2012 Graduation Chorus in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Butch Keller, upper school head, warmly addressed the seniors and their proud families, congratulating students on reaching this important milestone in their educational careers, then introduced this year’s valedictorian, Ramya Rangan.
In her speech, Rangan encouraged her fellow grads to, above all else, pursue their passions and find what makes them happy. Following the speech, the chorus, directed by Catherine Snider and accompanied by Rangan, sang “Leave No Song Unsung.”
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Vandi V. Tompkins, research technologist, mobility and robotic systems, for NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory. Tompkins provided a wonderful role model of someone actively pursuing her dreams. In her captivating address, she passionately discussed her past work in flight operations for the Mars exploration rovers and the development of NASA’s science laboratory flight mission.
After the keynote speech, graduate and outgoing National Honor Society president Nicole Dalal passed the Lamp of Knowledge to rising senior and new NHS president Emily Wang. When it came time to receive their diplomas, one by one seniors were greeted by Keller, Nikoloff and this year’s class dean, Matthew Harley, upper school biology teacher.
Finally, with diplomas in hand, the students turned their attention to Nikoloff and Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, for their closing remarks. All watched as doves were released and the ceremony came to a close.
Graduates then moved their tassels as a symbol of their graduation. Soon after, they flung their caps in the air, watching, with a newborn’s sense of wonder, as the hats went high into the sky.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Library Director Contributes Chapter to Book Susan Smith, Harker’s library director, has contributed a chapter to a new book being published in the spring. The book, called “Growing Schools – Librarians as Professional Developers,” presents examples of school librarians leading professional learning in numerous contexts and for diverse learning goals with remarkable success.
“This is the story of Harker’s information literacy program which originated under [former library director] Enid Davis in 2006,” says Smith. “The chapter is a chronicle of how we built administrative and faculty support for teaching a scope and sequence of skills essential for 21st-century learning.” Originally a single team of teachers, librarians and administrators, the Information Literacy Committee has since grown to three campusbased committees, and the program has been integrated into upper school departmental initiatives.
The program allows Harker’s library director and site-based librarians to gain administrative support as they create a whole-school initiative that positions information literacy as essential learning for students of all ages. A faculty team then designs and implements a process to incorporate these information literacy skills into disciplinary content classroom by classroom.
“The librarians’ understanding of curricula, instructional design expertise and information systems knowledge uniquely positions them as faculty professional developers,” says Smith. “Harker’s K-12 approach is exceptional and our success remarkable.”
Harker Teacher Appointed to Gavilan College Board of Trustees The Gavilan College School Board has appointed Harker teacher Jonathan Brusco to its board of trustees. After the tragic death of one of its members left an open seat, the board solicited applications from the community. When Brusco heard of the opening, he realized his areas of expertise were perfectly suited for the position.
Brusco, who teaches grade 7 social studies, is credentialed to teach both elementary and high school students. Before Harker, Brusco taught in the philosophy department at San Jose State University. “I have an understanding of what students are capable of at a younger age and also a general idea of how prepared students are when they start at a four-year university,” said Brusco. “I think my educational background really played a part in the board selecting me, but I think they also appreciate the fact that I came from Harker.”
Brusco believes bringing the perspective of a private educational institution, unencumbered by the same regulations, laws and budgets of the state, may have been attractive to the board. “In addition, Harker is a multicampus school, as is Gavilan College, and both schools are expanding to new campuses in the future,” says Brusco.
Teaching at both San Jose State and Harker showed Brusco the acute disparity in college preparedness among students. “Working at Harker has really opened my eyes to the true potential of younger students,” said Brusco. “I know that all our students enter four-year universities well-prepared for what lies ahead, but having taught at San Jose State, I can’t say that this is the case for every new college student.” As a board member, Brusco says he wants to focus on making sure community college students have access to coursework that will best prepare and equip them for moving on to a four-year university. Brusco’s term lasts until November of this year, whereupon he will run for reelection.
Teacher Appreciation Events Afford Students and Parents Welcome Opportunities to Express Gratitude All year, Harker teachers go above and beyond their duty to help create a community not only of learners, but kind, well-rounded individuals as well.
Their hard work was recognized and rewarded this spring, honored by both students and parents during a series of schoolwide annual teacher appreciation events held in May.
Each campus hosted its own appreciation events, with the teachers treated to delicious meals expertly prepared and served by both parents and students. The lower and middle school breakfasts and luncheons were organized by grade level coordinators, while the upper school event, a breakfast, was entirely arranged by the students themselves.
At the upper school, outgoing student council officers whipped up and served a hot, hearty breakfast for the Saratoga campus teachers, who enjoyed their meal in the Edge before school officially started for the day.
“As the year winds to a close, all of the students are reminded of how much we owe you for teaching us, mentoring us and inspiring us to learn and push ourselves,” Revanth Kosaraju, grade 12 and outgoing associated student body president, said, noting that the breakfast was just a token of student appreciation.
Meanwhile, middle school teachers began their day with an equally delicious breakfast served in the multipurpose room, followed by a moving presentation to thank them for their dedication. In the afternoon, middle school parents continued the festivities by hosting an elegant luncheon for teachers.
Lower school teachers had their special breakfast served by parents in the faculty lounge. Later, they joined parents for an outdoor lunch held on the school’s front field. Parents thanked teachers for “another year of unconditional dedication to students.” Attendees enjoyed the glorious weather, wide variety of entrees and desserts, and easy conversation.
According to Teré Aceves, one of Harker’s directors of volunteer programming, “The appreciation breakfasts and lunches are a welcome opportunity for parents to express their gratitude for the yearlong efforts of teachers who provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for their children.”
Lower School Welcomes New Dean Kendricks (Ken) Allen will be the dean of Harker’s lower school beginning next year. Allen joins Harker after 12 years teaching and coaching at the Fort Worth Country Day School (FWCDS). Allen earned a B.S. in exercise and sport science from Colorado State University and holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Christian University.
At FWCDS, Allen actively pursued a passion for developing lifetime fitness skills in young children. In addition to teaching K-5 physical education, Allen spent seven years as the head track and field coach for the 60- to 80-member upper school team and oversaw the development of the middle school program for both boys and girls. He also spent 12 years as an assistant varsity football coach at the upper school and was head coach for middle school football. He has been an assistant coach in girls basketball, a middle school academic advisor and has served on the school’s Diversity Committee and Tech Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, and certified as a United States Track and Field Association Level I coach.
Allen arrives on campus July 30, following his wedding to his fiancée, Jenna. “The Harker School is regarded as the finest independent school in the Bay Area; I’m humbled and honored to be part of the faculty and staff,” said Allen. “I’m looking forward to working on the Bucknall campus and building on the successful foundation that they have established. My fiancée and I look forward to being a part of the Harker community.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
Good morning. I would like to welcome members of the board of trustees, the administration, faculty and staff, family, friends, alumni, and the true guests of honor, the graduating Class of 2012. As head of school, I currently hold the privilege of making a few remarks of farewell at graduation. The seniors who paid attention in British Literature will recognize this talk as a “valediction.” In an attempt to “forbid mourning,” I will continue the tradition of confining my remarks to one page of single-spaced, size-12 font.
This is the first graduation address I have ever written on an iPad. That is completely irrelevant to my talk, except that I have pictures of the newest addition to our family, Andreas, on my iPad and also my iPhone. I would show you pictures of Andreas on my iPhone but I cannot get it out of my robe.
The main advantage to writing on an iPad, besides the manipulations it offers to stay within my word count, is that while writing I can take breaks and look at pictures of Andreas, although I almost never do. In fact, I am not confident that my wife and I look at him very much in real life either. Oh, we watch him plenty to make sure he doesn’t eat a golf ball or something like that. But do we see him in the same way he sees us? Which brings me to my advice for you today – “to see like a baby.” I would offer the advice to sleep like a baby, which is only two letters away from seeing like a baby, but my wife and I have been reminded recently that babies do not sleep very well at all. Actually, you should aim to sleep like a toddler, not a baby. Toddlers crash within minutes of hitting the bed and can sleep through a Led Zeppelin concert. But to really see what is around you I advise you to see like a baby.
Albert Einstein wrote, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” If Einstein said this, then it must be true. One of the reasons Einstein made such great discoveries was his ability to see freshly, to see phenomena around him as if for the first time. I think it is very easy to slip into looking at life as if it were not a miracle. To the poet Walt Whitman even a blade of grass was a miracle. He wrote, “I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.” He famously misspelled loaf, without the help of the iPad’s spell check, by adding an extra e, but he saw the spear of grass as if it were a miracle. Perhaps it is.
Babies see everything as a miracle. I know that we might say hey, they are new to the world, so yes, everything is amazing to them, including their own fists. But what if they are seeing things the way they are supposed to be seen? What if we, with our overwhelming conviction that most things are ordinary, are the ones who are not truly seeing?
Have you ever noticed how babies look at something? Once their eyes are operational, which takes a while, they truly see. That is why they lose themselves looking at a light fixture, or a fold in a curtain, or a brightly colored, plastic ring. That is why they love faces and peek-a-boo. I have seen Andreas watch his brothers with complete abandon. Of course they almost always were doing something naughty. But when is the last time you looked at a loved one as if he or she were a wonder?
Now this might seem like romantic and impractical advice. But I would argue that truly seeing things as they are is supremely practical. It is critical in research, for example, and for problem solving of any kind. Truly seeing will help you with your relationships at work and with your loved ones. Plus when you see everything as a miracle, like a baby, it is difficult to become bored. A jelly bean can become the center of the universe. Maybe it is.
The big problem, of course, is that babies do not know that they are seeing everything as a miracle – they just see – and most adults do not know that they have lost this ability, or if they do, they do not know how to get it back. The trick is to see like a baby but not try to do it. That is what Yoda meant when he said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Or the great Zen saying, “In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.” That is why most of the great saints and spiritual leaders of the world admired children. Children at their best are devoid of self-consciousness, like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. But you cannot try not to try either, because that is still trying. “Above all, don’t wobble.”
Mr. Butch Keller, Harker’s upper school head, puts inspirational quotes on the bottom of his emails. He recently had another quote from Einstein in which the great scientist asks, “When was the last time you did anything for the first time?” I don’t believe Einstein just means bungee jumping or feats of that nature. I think he means seeing things as the miracles they are, like a baby. If you see like a baby, you just might see yourself as the miracle you are. Thank you.
The San Jose Stage Top Honors awards ceremony honored the best in Bay Area high school theater on June 4, and the Harker Conservatory’s cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone” walked away with with the award for best chorus.
The cast and staff was nominated in 11 categories, including best actor and actress, chorus, director, musical director and best show, earning the right to perform at the awards ceremony. “We performed the big song and dance number from the show,” said director Laura Lang-Ree. “The kids were fabulous, tons of energy … the audience loved them.” Newly graduated seniors Noel Witcosky and Tristan Killeen also performed as part of a best actor/actress nominee montage.
The best chorus award, which Harker also took home last year for “Pippin,” is the award the directing staff most appreciates winning. “It reflects the hard work, talent, dedication and commitment of the entire cast,” said Lang-Ree. “It’s ‘easy’ to feature a fabulous lead, but when you can take the entire ensemble of 43 and elevate them to that same level of joy and storytelling, that’s another story. We are all so proud of the team.”
This is the fourth year that Harker’s musical theater program has won this award, which was actually originated for Harker after the judging staff wanted to acknowledge the cast’s work in “Oklahoma!” in 2002.
This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
More than 400 attendees experienced the 2012 Harker Research Symposium on April 28, which featured some of the most fascinating speakers and presentations in the symposium’s six-year history.
Legendary entrepreneur Vinod Khosla was this year’s morning keynote speaker. “We were very fortunate that someone of Mr. Khosla’s stature would take time from a busy schedule and from a beautiful Saturday to come and share his thoughts with our students,” said Anita Chetty, science department chair and symposium coordinator. “I think that what he had to say certainly got us all thinking about the present as well as the future.”
Giving a joint presentation were John West and Atul Butte. West, a Harker parent and CEO of genome analysis company Personalis, was joined by Butte via video conference from Boston. Butte is chief of the division of systems medicine and associate professor of pediatrics, medicine and by courtesy, computer science at Stanford University. The two scientists discussed the collaborative project between a team of Stanford scientists led by Butte and West’s former company, Illumina, to sequence the West family’s DNA. This in turn led to an effort to develop software that would make genome sequencing accessible to more people.
This year’s alumni presentation was given by Jacob Bongers ’07, son of Jaap Bongers, art department chair, and a 2011 graduate from the University of Southern California. Bongers discussed his passion for archaeology and his related fieldwork and research, which led him to being published in the Journal of Archaeological Science while still an undergraduate. “Archaeology has been a passion of mine since I was a kid and since I have a tremendous amount of experience performing fieldwork and conducting research within the scope of archaeology, I felt like I had a lot to offer to anyone interested in learning about this fascinating field of study,” Bongers said. “I also wanted to talk about a field of study that, at Harker, may not get as much press as engineering, biology or medical research.”
Attendance remained high for the duration of the event, and the top caliber of this year’s student presentations kept visitors interested. “Every classroom was standing room only,” Chetty said.
One presenter at this year’s symposium, Alex Najibi, grade 12, said attending last year’s symposium provided the spark for his own interest in research. “I’ve always been interested in science and research, but when I went to the symposium last year, not as a presenter, I was really amazed by how many projects the other students were doing,” he said.
Although he was not sure at first that many people would find his presentation on particle physics engaging or accessible
enough, he quickly discovered that his audience found the topic quite compelling. “Particle physics isn’t really the most accessible topic, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly nearly everyone understood what I was discussing,” Najibi said.
Because of the expected high attendance, the symposium this year was arranged to create better foot traffic, and a tent was set up between Nichols Hall and Dobbins Hall to display the many impressive poster presentations by upper school students. The Dobbins Hall gallery was set aside for middle school student poster presentations.
Exhibitors occupied the atrium in Nichols Hall, demonstrating many scientific and technological advancementsand offering a peek into the kinds of careers that are open to students interested in scientific research. This year’s exhibitors were Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, The Triple Helix, East Bay Cardiovascular and Thoracic Associates, Lumoback, Symmetricom, Twin Creeks Technologies, Nvidia, Autodesk, Ericsson, Hunter Laboratories and Rector Porsche Audi.
“The industry piece is very important because it allows our students to see the connection between research and career, research and the economy of our valley,” Chetty said. “The exhibitors were so excited about their companies and their products and their research and development. That enthusiasm was really infectious.”
In addition to the student clubs such as WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the Chemistry Club, who were instrumental in organizing this year’s event, Chetty was also thankful for the various departments that came together to make sure the Harker Research Symposium had another successful year.
“The symposium recognizes what our teachers and our students do throughout the year, and it’s a celebration of that work,” she said. “But the actual event also brings together the other departments that make our school run: facilities, technology, Office of Communication, the kitchen, security, all of those departments come together to run this huge event.”
Next year’s symposium, scheduled for April 13, is already in the planning stages, and will feature Nobel Prize-winning biologist Dr. David Baltimore as a keynote speaker.
On March 7, some of Harker’s middle school and upper school students competed in the Synopsys Championship, a regional competition that showcases achievements in math and science. Harker has been competing in the Synopsys Championship for years in both the junior (grades 6-8) and senior (grades 9-12) categories. The competition draws hundreds of students from all types of schools, and awards and prizes are given in many areas.
In the competition, students work both independently and in teams to answer questions in many areas, including computer science, environmental science, medicine and health, chemistry and biology.
Chris Spenner, an upper school physics and science teacher, said that, “Harker students arrive at Synopsys along a variety of avenues: the research class, the Open Lab program, the Harker-arranged summer internships, and direct mentorship by Harker faculty. A few students pursue research independently of Harker programs.” To qualify, “students completed an application form which was reviewed for procedural safety, ethics and minimum quality standards by Synopsys volunteers. The fair is open to all projects in the sciences and engineering,” Spenner said.
The middle school students performed admirably at the fair. Anika Mohindra, grade 8, won the second award in the botany category, while Sneha Bhetanabhotla, grade 7, took home the first award in the physics category as well as second place for grades 6-8 for the Vacuum Coaters Society. Kristin Ko, grade 8, won the second place award for grades 6-8 for the American Society of Civil Engineers. Rishabh Chandra, grade 8, and Jonathan Ma, grade 8, took first award for the physics category, for their joint project. Both Avi Khemani, grade 7, and Manan Shah, also grade 7, brought home an honorable mention for the environmental sciences category for their project. Michael Zhao, grade 8, took the second award for his project in biochemistry/microbiology. Finally for the middle school, Venkat Sankar, grade 7, took home the first award in the botany category.
The upper school students also performed very well, with 27 students earning awards. Sriram Somosundaram, grade 9, took the first award for the biochemistry/microbiology category, as well as winning first place for the Inez M. Lechner award. Prag Batra, grade 12, took home an honorable mention in the med-immune category as well as a grade 12 individual project award. Stephanie Chen and Kristine Lin took home the second award in the chemistry category for their joint project, while Paulomi Bhattacharya and Eesha Khare, both grade 11, took home awards for outstanding sustainability as well as an honorable mention in the chemistry category for their project. Vikas Bhetanabhotla, grade 10, took home the first award in the physics category. Lucy Cheng, grade 12, took home the first award in the Earth/space sciences category, while Emily Chu, grade 11, and Payal Modi, also grade 11, took home the second award in the environmental sciences category. Another successful joint project was developed by Christopher Fu and Matthew Huang, grade 10 and grade 9 respectively, and it took home an honorable mention award in the physics category. Anika Gupta, grade 10, won the first award in the environmental sciences category. Another upper school student, Rishabh Jain, grade 9, received a second award in the computers/mathematics category. Saachi Jain, grade 10, also took home an award – the first award in the chemistry category.
Revanth Kosaraju, grade 12, took home two awards: an honorable mention in med-immune as well as a first award for biochemistry/microbiology. Neil Movva, grade 9, received first place for the Inez M. Lechner Award. Suchita Nety, grade 11, also placed, and was awarded the second award in the chemistry category. Anika Ridiya-Dixit, grade 11, received a prestigious award – a certificate of achievement from the United States Army for her project in the areas of medicine/health. Upper school student Tara Rezvani, grade 11, took home the first award in the behavioral/social areas. Vikram Sundar, grade 10, won the second award in the bioinformatics category. Vedant Thayagaraj, grade 9, was awarded second in the medicine/health/gerontology category. Sarina Vij, grade 11, also took home an award as a finalist in the Synopsys Outreach Foundation prize. Also at the fair, Albert Wu, grade 12, was awarded first in the bioinformatics category. Finally for the upper school, Stanley Xie, grade 9, took home an honorable mention in the medicine/health/gerontology category, while Samyukta Yagati, also grade 9, was awarded first in the computers/mathematics category.
This story was originally published in the spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly.
The Harker community breathed a collective sigh of relief on Feb. 1, the date that marked the completion of more than a year of intense self-reflection and evaluation as part of the school’s reaccreditation process for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). Harker was awarded the maximum full six-year accreditation in 2006, and the present process for hopefully a further six-year nod was a schoolwide, all-hands-on-deck project.
Each accreditation cycle, CAIS-WASC supplies a template report which Harker is obliged to fill out, covering our philosophy, governing body, finances, fundraising, administration, faculty, staff, students, community, K-12 program, library, plant, health and safety, and an action plan; each of these divisions comprises a chapter in the more than 300-page document that the school prepares for a visiting accreditation team. The team was provided this report in late November, allowing them to prepare for an intensive, three-day visit Jan. 29- Feb. 1, during which they tried to delve as deeply as possible into the life of the school by visiting all three campuses, meeting people and absorbing as much of the culture as they could. The visit culminated in an all-school meeting at the middle school campus on Feb. 1, when the committee head, Larry Dougherty, head of school at The Buckley School in Southern California, addressed the faculty and staff to offer his team’s commendations and recommendations.
On all California schools’ accreditation teams, one member visits on behalf of WASC, while the others represent CAIS; the team then submits a joint recommendation to CAIS and WASC for the appropriate tenure of accreditation, with six years with no follow-up visit being the maximum amount awarded. Harker’s accreditation team was particularly appropriate for observing Harker; all from independent California schools, the group comprised four heads of school/principals, an assistant head of school, a director, an admissions director, a technology director, an academic dean and a director of instructional advancement.
The dynamic group dove into their responsibilities and could be spotted in classrooms and lunch areas, chatting with students and faculty throughout their visit. Their schedule, overseen by Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, included meetings with every academic department K-12; meetings with subsets of the committees who worked on each chapter of the report; school meetings at the middle and upper schools; and student council meetings, breakfasts and even fire drills at all three campuses. Many students and teachers found themselves being pulled aside for friendly chats, and the final day of the visit allowed committee members time to ask any last questions of the administration or other staff.
On the final day of the visit, Dougherty addressed the entire community to officially conclude their visit. While a detailed report of the committee’s findings will be sent to Harker in the spring, Dougherty did verbally commend the faculty, staff, students, administration, board of trustees, finance, business office and support staff for their excellent work. Perhaps even more gratifying, however, was that the CAIS-WASC team’s recommendations for development and improvement supported ones that the school has already identified for improvement, and in fact had been included in the self-study as places for growth.
After getting through the nitty-gritty, Dougherty said that he had some “warm fuzzies” to deliver, pointing out two special people who have so much to do with Harker’s success. The first was Gargano, whose comprehensive plan and hospitality for the CAIS-WASC team’s visit was truly exceptional. The other was Diana Nichols, and by extension her late husband, Howard Nichols, Harker’s longtime leaders and the founders of the upper school. Diana Nichols, who was present, is currently the chair of the board of trustees. Dougherty commended them on establishing and preserving the school’s family atmosphere and for choosing a successor (Chris Nikoloff) with such care and success.
His next comment, “As a committee, we’ve been Harkerized,” drew a warm laugh from the assembled group. After joking that he gained two pounds from the excellent food, Dougherty said he and his team are leaving inspired. He mentioned that all the people his team met were “on a journey” of continual learning, unwilling to settle and compromise, but rather continually seeking personal and professional growth. The children they spoke to had two main reactions when asked about their classes: they cited their teachers’ love and passion for learning and teaching, and the intense care the faculty feels for their students as individuals.
Pointing out that accreditation is a “mutual growth process,” Dougherty concluded that he and his team would be bringing wonderful ideas home to their schools, saying, “You really have set a standard that all schools should aspire to.”
Chris Nikoloff sent a congratulatory message to the Harker community when the visit was concluded, thanking the faculty and staff for their hard work in preparing the report and meeting with the committee: “Places like Harker do not spring up overnight, and take the concerted effort of talented, kind and caring people like you to continue its journey in excellence. While the structure of an organization may take different shapes over time, the core values, reflected in the people around us, are timeless.”
This story was originally published in the spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly.
It’s that time of year again, when spring fever hits and busy families begin planning ahead for the summer. And, thanks to an array of new sports camps and expanded programming, students and parents alike can rest assured knowing that when school’s out, summer fun will definitely be in!
With summer fast approaching, veteran program director Kelly Espinosa briefed the Harker Quarterly about the many options to choose from. “Harker has always had tennis, soccer, swimming and sports performance camps,” said Espinosa. “But new this year are football, basketball, volleyball, water polo and aquatics discovery camps.”
Moreover, she added, many of the existing programs have been upgraded. “We have everything a camp consumer could want,” enthused Espinosa. Yet, while Harker designed its summer camp offerings with its student body in mind, they are also appreciated by the general public. In fact, said Espinosa, some campers go on to become Harker students.
Long known for its academic success, Harker’s new sports programs are further building its reputation as a great place for athletics as well. Run by mature educators who are not only highly skilled coaches but role models, the program navigates the delicate balance between having fun and working hard, encouraging campers to improve skills and develop teamwork.
Summer Camp+ K-6
For children in K-6, Summer Camp+ offers a full day of morning academics and afternoon activities. Located on Harker’s lower school campus, parents choose sessions by their preferred format, with full-day, partial-day and morning-only options.
This year music workshops have been expanded and are open to instrumental students entering grades 2-6, with at least one year of experience playing violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, guitar, piano or percussion. These two-week workshops offer exposure to music theory and composition, improvisation, ear training, singing, ensembles and full orchestral playing. A concert will be performed at the end of each session, and a recording and printed score given to each student.
Summer Camp+ really keeps children hopping, learning and playing together, from morning to afternoon. And parents appreciate the flexible scheduling possibilities.
Summer Institute 6-12
Harker’s Summer Institute gives students in grades 6-12 the chance to earn credits, learn new skills and follow their passions. Harker students aren’t the only ones with these options – students from other schools are welcome to attend most of the classes. New this year are art classes, including portfolio preparation in drawing, 2-D and 3-D.
Middle school and upper school activities programs will also be offered and will include access to the libraries, the pools and prepared lunch. The middle school activities program will feature planned group events like piñata-making, checkers tournaments and an Iron Chef competition.
The wide range of choices and flexible program allow each student to design a schedule around his or her own academic needs and personal interests, giving everyone just the right mix of summer activity and fun. Participants taking a morning sports camp have the option to enroll separately in the afternoon activity program as well.
English Language Institute
Each year, more than 100 international students, from elementary school students to high school teens, participate in Harker’s renowned English Language Institute (ELI). They come with the goal of improving their English speaking and writing skills but leave with a breathtaking exposure to cultural adventures as well.
It may be an old cliché, but when it comes to educating these foreign students, the world really is their classroom. At ELI, weekly field trips provide international students exposure to local points of interest, typical of American summer adventures. The trips are then incorporated into the curriculum and students further use their travel experiences to create written and oral projects for presentation.
Dive into Fun at Aquatic Discovery Camps
Separate from Harker’s regular swim school, aquatics discovery is an exciting new program for boys and girls who love the water and want to explore a variety of aquatic activities – with an emphasis on fun!
Coach Ron Usher will help campers improve their water skills and fitness, developing basic safety precautions. They will be introduced to a wide array of aquatic activities, including competitive swimming, splashball, lifesaving, snorkeling and daily aquatic games and activities.
Shoot for the Hoop at Basketball Camp
Harker’s summer basketball program is an ideal opportunity for boys in grades 5-8 and girls in grades 5-9 to develop their skills on the court in a fun, nurturing atmosphere. Students will work on fundamental defense and offense, shooting, rebounding, ball handling and more from Harker’s experienced coaches. Team strategy, fitness and endurance will also be incorporated for a well-rounded program that emphasizes teamwork and individual growth as well as basketball skills.
Boys coach Butch Keller, who serves as Harker’s upper school head, has been coaching basketball for 25 years, winning 19 conference or league championships in addition to numerous awards and achieving an overall record of 511-137. Most recently, he led the boys to a historic break into the upper brackets of CCS playoffs. Coaching the girls will be Alfredo Alves, who last year led the Harker girls varsity team to 20 wins and the first playoff win in Harker girls basketball history.
Get in the Game at Football Camp
Harker’s Junior Eagle coed football summer camp is a great way for students in grades 4-8 to improve as players and team members. Campers will be placed in groups based on age and skill level, and the camp will comprise two sessions per day. The first session will help students improve their skills by participating in speed and agility drills as well as offensive and defensive drills. Students will have the choice of focusing on one team position or learning a variety of them. In the second session, teams of students will play a minimum of five games each day, and a championship team will be declared by the end of the week. Students must have enrolled in the first session to be eligible for the second session.
Ron Forbes, Harker’s sports performance coordinator, will serve as head coach during the program. In a career spanning 15 years, which has included stints at Stanford University and the University of Florida, Forbes has coached Olympians, professional athletes and national champions in a wide variety of sports.
Fun and Learning at Water Polo Camp
Harker’s beginners’ water polo program has all the fun of pool play while campers learn this great sport! Open to those in grades 4-8 looking to learn more about the sport, the coed program will teach crucial skills necessary to compete, such as water and dry land conditioning, treading water, passing and shooting. To be eligible for the program, students must be able to swim 25 yards.
Ted Ujifusa, who directs the program, has been coaching water polo for nearly 40 years, and is the only coach in CCS history to lead two different public high schools to championships. He will be working with Allie Lamb, a 15-year water polo veteran, and swim coach Ron Usher, who has worked with every level from beginners to national champions.
Kickin’ It at Soccer Camp
Harker’s coed Elite Soccer Camp summer program offers students in grades 5-12 a variety of opportunities to improve their skills in a professional environment with individual instruction tailored to each student’s needs. The program will feature a challenging curriculum with daily activities such as Futsal, psycho- motor training, large-goal games and full- and half-court games. Students will also receive visits and listen to talks by professional and college-level players.
The program will be held at Harker’s upper school campus on Davis Field and led by Harker varsity soccer coach Shaun Tsakiris, a veteran of four NCAA tournaments, member of the 1997 U.S. National Team and winner of UCLA’s MVP Award in 2000. He later joined the United Soccer Leagues’ Professional Division and played for the Rochester Rhinos from 2002-06.
Sports Performance Camp Sharpens Skills
The Sports Conditioning program, which used to be called the Eagle Iron, invites students in grades 6-12 to learn how to improve upon all of the fundamental components of sports performance from Forbes, one of the nation’s most successful sports performance specialists. Athletes will be grouped by age, size and skill level.
“Conditioning helps players perform more effectively and avoid injury. Learning to prepare and care for one’s body is a very important part of becoming a successful athlete,” said program director Espinosa, adding that the key to achieving one’s true potential as an athlete, regardless of the sport or skill level, is becoming educated in the fundamental components of sports performance.
Learn from the Pros at Tennis Camp
Harker’s summer Tennis Camp is a great opportunity for tennis enthusiasts in grades 2-8 in fall 2012 to improve their knowledge and skills. For competitive tennis players in grades 2-12, the Harker Oakwood Tennis Training System (HOTTS) will have team practices and interclub matches, in addition to instruction on advanced techniques, strategy, footwork and sports psychology. Both programs will incorporate physical training, on-court instruction, technique and practice with both instructors and ball machines.
The program will again be directed by Harker tennis coach Craig Pasqua, certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association. He also directs Standing Tall Tennis, a nonprofit organization that specializes in aiding at-risk youths on Indian reservations through tennis instruction.
Harker has been offering outstanding summer programs for more than 50 years. For more information about Harker’s summer programs, visit summer.harker.org.
This story was originally published in the spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly.
Throughout its long history The Harker School has proactively adapted to changing environments to meet the needs of its growing student population. Now, with breaking news that Harker was the top bidder on a desirable, available campus property, the school finds itself at yet another turning point.
For years Harker, the largest K-12 independent school in California, has leased its middle school campus on Blackford Ave. And, while this has worked well, Harker’s forward-thinking administration has long dreamed of owning all three of its campuses. With the current bid accepted and pending final county approval, that vision of building permanency and security seems poised to become a reality.
Chris Nikoloff, head of school, reviewed the plans for acquiring the ideally suited campus property located near Union Ave. and Highway 280 at a recent benefactor’s luncheon.
“We found an available campus structure that is exactly the right fit … so there is a strong sense that we should move on it,” Nikoloff said during the luncheon, after thanking attendees for coming out and partnering with Harker.
He then introduced some Harker science students, who came to the meeting to echo his gratitude to the school’s funders. The students also shared updates on their impressive research projects, with topics ranging from autism studies and embedding enzymes, to lab work towards fighting HIV infections and cancer.
“When I was in high school my biggest concern was why wouldn’t my teacher let me play Ping-Pong at recess,” joked Nikoloff, after congratulating the students on their accomplishments, which illus- trate how far the upper campus has come since its creation in 1998.
Nikoloff used the metaphor of “putting toothpaste back in the tube,” when comparing the option of having to move the middle school back to the upper school campus after the current Blackford lease runs out. “In other words, it is not a viable option,” he said, explaining the school has grown too much and that it would lead to serious problems of overcrowding.
Speaking on behalf of the administration and board members who have been diligently working to secure a suitable property, he added, “We are bullish on the Union property. It just doesn’t happen every day that you find something in the exact area you are looking for, with the exact features.”
The subsequent decision to put in a bid on the building was the result of an exhaustive community-wide effort to secure Harker’s future direction.
Alice Siegel (Elisabeth, grade 8; Kathryn, grade 12), who attended the benefactor luncheon, said that she trusts the school administra- tion to take the lead in moving forward with the bid. A parent of a Harker “lifer,” Siegel said she has watched the school, along with her children, successfully grow and change over the years.
Calling the new campus acquisition process part of the school’s cornerstone campaign, Joe Rosenthal, executive director of ad- vancement, elaborated that purchasing a third campus was one of four previously set strategic financial priorities, including ongoing program excellence, building out a master site plan and increasing endowment and reserves.
“Even when the bubble burst during the economic recession, givers to the advancement campaign pulled through, with continued enthusiasm for the expansion project,” said Rosenthal, noting that additional funds were raised through the capital campaign, which may enable Harker to purchase the new building outright.
“While excellent programs are always at the heart of the school, those programs are enhanced by the facilities and infrastructure that support them,” said Rosenthal.
If the county approves, and the bid does, indeed, move full steam ahead, the purchase and sale would likely close by the end of the summer. And that, said Nikoloff, would be a “major milestone” for Harker’s future.
This story was originally published in the spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly.
Throughout its long history The Harker School has proactively adapted to changing environments to meet the needs of its growing student population. Now, with breaking news that Harker was the top bidder on a desirable, available campus property, the school finds itself at yet another turning point.
For years Harker, the largest K-12 independent school in California, has leased its middle school campus on Blackford Ave. And, while this has worked well, Harker’s forward-thinking administration has long dreamed of owning all three of its campuses. With the current bid accepted and pending final county approval, that vision of building permanency and security seems poised to become a reality.
Chris Nikoloff, head of school, reviewed the plans for acquiring the ideally suited campus property located near Union Ave. and Highway 280 at a recent benefactor’s luncheon.
“We found an available campus structure that is exactly the right fit … so there is a strong sense that we should move on it,” Nikoloff said during the luncheon, after thanking attendees for coming out and partnering with Harker.
He then introduced some Harker science students, who came to the meeting to echo his gratitude to the school’s funders. The students also shared updates on their impressive research projects, with topics ranging from autism studies and embedding enzymes, to lab work towards fighting HIV infections and cancer.
“When I was in high school my biggest concern was why wouldn’t my teacher let me play Ping-Pong at recess,” joked Nikoloff, after congratulating the students on their accomplishments, which illus- trate how far the upper campus has come since its creation in 1998.
Nikoloff used the metaphor of “putting toothpaste back in the tube,” when comparing the option of having to move the middle school back to the upper school campus after the current Blackford lease runs out. “In other words, it is not a viable option,” he said, explaining the school has grown too much and that it would lead to serious problems of overcrowding.
Speaking on behalf of the administration and board members who have been diligently working to secure a suitable property, he added, “We are bullish on the Union property. It just doesn’t happen every day that you find something in the exact area you are looking for, with the exact features.”
The subsequent decision to put in a bid on the building was the result of an exhaustive community-wide effort to secure Harker’s future direction.
Alice Siegel (Elisabeth, grade 8; Kathryn, grade 12), who attended the benefactor luncheon, said that she trusts the school administra- tion to take the lead in moving forward with the bid. A parent of a Harker “lifer,” Siegel said she has watched the school, along with her children, successfully grow and change over the years.
Calling the new campus acquisition process part of the school’s cornerstone campaign, Joe Rosenthal, executive director of ad- vancement, elaborated that purchasing a third campus was one of four previously set strategic financial priorities, including ongoing program excellence, building out a master site plan and increasing endowment and reserves.
“Even when the bubble burst during the economic recession, givers to the advancement campaign pulled through, with continued enthusiasm for the expansion project,” said Rosenthal, noting that additional funds were raised through the capital campaign, which may enable Harker to purchase the new building outright.
“While excellent programs are always at the heart of the school, those programs are enhanced by the facilities and infrastructure that support them,” said Rosenthal.
If the county approves, and the bid does, indeed, move full steam ahead, the purchase and sale would likely close by the end of the summer. And that, said Nikoloff, would be a “major milestone” for Harker’s future.