Before The Harker School there was Harker Academy. And before Harker Academy, there was Mother Butler, the school that preceded Harker on this site.
On the site of the present upper school, Mother Butler Memorial High School educated high school-aged girls through the 1950s, ‘60s and until 1972, when they vacated and Harker moved in. Founded and operated by the order Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Mother Butler began much the same way Harker’s upper school did – with a few teachers and a freshmen class. One principal, two teachers and a class of about 70, to be exact. Those two teachers, Mother Benedict and Mother Lawrence, were among a small group of former Mother Butler educators who visited campus on April 26.
No longer teachers, the nuns use their given names now, Sister Eileen Tuohy and Sister Laura Siebert. They, Sister Theresa Cunningham and Sister Gabriel McCauley came up from Southern California for a reunion of that first class of freshmen – the class of 1963 – an impressive 50 or so of whom attended the reunion. Proximity to their old stomping grounds prompted a visit to Harker. They were joined by Philomena Lynch, who lived at Mother Butler while she taught at nearby St. Martin’s and Queen of Apostles schools. Lynch still lives locally and taught at Palo Alto Military Academy and The Harker School for 26 years (she was Miss Killarney to her students then), thus linking the schools together in more than just location.
Walking through the Office of Communication sparked many memories for the teachers, who lived in that very hallway while they taught at the school. A trip into the Bistro Café, which used to be their chapel, invited a wonderful piece of trivia. The two electrical outlets over the kitchen doorway held the lights to the confessional, one to signal vacancy on the priest’s side, and one for the penitent’s. Sister Eileen also pointed out that highway 280 didn’t exist, and the entrance to the school was on Moorpark Ave., allowing the girls to pick fruit from the orchards that surrounded the campus.
School archivist Terry Walsh produced three albums of Mother Butler photos, which she presented to the group. The sisters recollected wearing full habits at the school until Vatican II relaxed their dress code, and Sister Eileen most fondly remembered the song contest held annually, when the students wrote and performed songs for judges.
Harker shares more than just the site in Mother Butler’s history. The school had a proud academic tradition, and Sister Eileen commented that their classes gave their students “a great foundation” for college. Lynch concurred, saying they left “so well prepared” for further study. The sisters themselves all hold advanced degrees from various schools, including USC and Loyola Marymount, making it no surprise that their pupils were so well taught.
Sister Eileen was struck by how befitting it was to celebrate their reunion the week of the 70th anniversary of Mother Butler’s death. Those who met the teachers on their visit were likewise struck that even though the schools do not directly share a history, a shared love of learning and intellectual values has been taking place on these grounds for decades.
For one week in late February, Gr. 8 students found themselves playing the role of parent, as they were required to carry and attend to flour sacks for the duration of the week. All of the five-pound flour sacks were required to wear real clothes at all times and could not wear beanies, which often make breathing difficult for babies.
The object of the week-long activity, which is a part of the students’ sex education curriculum, was to give eighth graders some insight into the enormous responsibility required to be a parent. It also had some academic implications, since students received points for the project in their science classes.
Some measures were implemented during the week to make sure that students could still enjoy school activities and be responsible parents at the same time. Students were allowed to babysit up to three children if one of their classmates wanted to play on the blacktop, and a special “day care” program was set up for students who had after-school obligations to meet, such as performing arts or athletics.
Bridging the gap between cultures, visual arts teacher Elizabeth Saltos recently went to one of Harker’s sister schools, Shanghai World Foreign Language Middle School SWFLMS), for two weeks to teach and tour the country.
In a reflection written on WFLMS’ website, she said the school was impressive: “It’s no wonder this school is a sister school to Harker. The programs seem parallel in academic quality rigor.”
Outside of classes, Saltos toured the water town Zhujiajiao, visited museums with fellow teachers and attended a tomb sweeping festival, which is a traditional Chinese holiday where families honor ancestors. She was enamored by the architecture and appreciated the downtime she spent in the gardens and parks sketching.
Reprinted from the Harker Quarterly March 2010 issue
We’ve got a great lineup of offerings this summer to keep your children energized, challenged and engaged! Many of our own Harker teachers will be joining the staff at that time and we are so excited to have them. In addition to being a fantastic way for your children to explore new interests or spend more time in a chosen area, summer also is an opportunity for teachers to branch out, teach different subjects or grade levels, or have fun with a favorite subject. Our teachers love to have learning adventures right along with our students.
Harker’s K-Gr. 8 Camp: Our Most Popular Program! At the heart of this camp are top-quality morning academics – which focus on math, science and language arts – paired with a full and varied afternoon recreational program. “This year we have added new curriculum materials to make language arts and math classes more challenging,” said Kelly Espinosa, Harker’s veteran summer programs director since 1978. “Diann Chung and Patricia Burrows have been working with the school-year division heads to make sure summer materials are appropriate for all levels.”
Four-Week Program: Morning Academics, Afternoon Recreation Gr. 1-4 students receive morning instruction in math and language arts, then choose two two-week electives. Elective offerings change annually and vary by grade level. This year’s options include Ready, Set, Write; Readers’ Theater; Comic Creators; Kitchen Chemistry; and Just Dance. For those in Gr. 5-8, the four-week sessions allow campers a chance to explore academic topics in depth, such as Zap It, an “electrifying engineering” class taught by Kristen (Nielsen) Morgensen ’93; Periscope Algebra, taught by Eileen Schick, Gr. 1-5 math department chair and Gr. 4 math teacher; Periscope Pre-Algebra, taught by Diane Plauck, Gr. 4-5 math teacher; and Forensic Science, taught by Ben Morgensen, middle school science teacher.
In KinderCamp, our youngest campers have a separate classroom and play area to help them with the transition to a classroom setting. Incoming Harker kindergartners have the opportunity to get comfortable in the school and learn to love Harker, which makes a tremendous difference when they start school in the fall. Harker kindergarten teachers Grace Wallace, Gerry-louise Robinson and Michelle Anderson will all be working with KinderCampers during the summer. Espinosa is excited that KinderCampers have this opportunity. “We are really lucky to have all three of these teachers!” she exclaimed.
Two-Week Program: Project-Based and Thematic
For those needing a shorter option, the two-week sessions are structured differently from the four-week sessions. Campers in Gr. 1-4 will explore the Big Blue Marble of planet Earth, learning about people, places and interesting things from around the world. Different sessions will focus on different continents. Kathleen Ferretti, Gr. 3 math and language arts teacher and Gr. 2-3 department chair, teaches the two-week sessions to Gr. 3 and 4 students each summer. Ferretti enjoys the field trips, the environment and the fun of teaching summer camps because “it gives me a chance to branch out and do some exciting learning-based activities.”
Kim Sandoval, Gr. 2 teacher, will be instructing Gr. 1 and 2 students during sessions A and B, and Sejal Mehta, Gr. 1 teacher, will be overseeing session C. Gr. 5-8 campers have project-based classes for their two-week sessions and can choose from courses such as debate, rocket science, Web design, robotics and filmmaking. Classes include hands-on activities, group projects, field trips and special guests. Michael Schmidt, a middle school computer science teacher teaching the Lego Robotics course, said, “It’s probably the most fun a kid could have with a computer, some Legos and an eagerness to solve problems.” Another exciting class offered this summer is Science To Go, an outdoor ed class led by Pete Anderson, middle school P.E. coach; Jim McGovern, lower school P.E. coach; and Ben Morgensen. McGovern has taught summer camp for many years. He loves “seeing students let loose and have a lot of fun during their summer!”
Many campers – and parents – love Harker’s summer programs, and come back year after year. Carol Whitman, whose daughter Alyssa, Gr. 3, attends camp, said they’re both fans. “Alyssa is very comfortable at Harker and enjoys the teachers and summer coaches. I like the balance between academics and having fun. Harker has succeeded in balancing academics with play.” She added, “Alyssa was happy every morning when I dropped her off at camp and when I picked her up in the afternoon. She enjoyed the challenge of math, and creating a diary for language arts. Most of all, she really enjoyed seeing her new camp friends every day!” Claude Cartee, parent of Allison, Gr. 3, said he and his wife enrolled their daughter in both four-week programs last year, but took her out for a few days for a quick trip to Disneyland. “She complained that she would rather be at Harker than at Disneyland,” he recalled with a laugh. The K-Gr. 8 Harker Summer Camp is held on the Bucknall campus. All staff members undergo rigorous training, and the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Summer @ Harker: Additional Offerings
In addition to our longstanding and renowned K-Gr. 8 Harker Summer Camp, Harker offers a variety of other quality programs. Read on!
English Language Institute
The English Language Institute (ELI) offers intensive programs for international students ages 6 to 16 interested in improving their English and writing skills. Harker has earned a worldwide reputation for this program; in fact, annual receptions are hosted in Asian cities including Kyoto, Seoul, Taipei and Shanghai. Our students also get involved in this program each year. Those who speak the native language of any of the ELI students can help in the advanced classroom by engaging international students in academic discussions about their writing and language projects. These Harker students are great role models to our international visitors and provide a real-life peek into teenage life in the United States. Karen Glovka, lower school Spanish teacher, has been working with Harker’s ELI program since 2005. “It’s such a joy to watch the kids begin to understand and communicate!” Glovka said.
Summer Institute Designed for middle and upper school students, Summer Institute, held at the upper school campus, offers both credit and non-credit courses for those who wish to complete a required class or spend some extra time on a favorite subject. Courses include art, math, science, expository writing, driver’s education and more. The Harker Forensics Institute offers courses in Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Student Congressional Debate and Individual Events.
Swim School: Instruction and Camps The Harker Swim School offers all levels of private, semi-private and group lessons for ages 3 to adult at Harker’s beautiful new Singh Aquatic Center on the upper school campus. Also offered this summer are a variety of aquatic camps: Aquatic Fitness Camp (Gr. 4-8); Water Polo Camp (Gr. 6-12), taught by Harker’s water polo coach Ted Ujifusa (who will also provide swim instruction during the K-Gr. 8 camp); and Competitive Swim Camp (ages 11-18), led by Harker swim coach Bart Wells. “These programs are a great way for Harker kids to get additional instruction and build relationships with varsity coaches here at Harker,” added Espinosa.
Soccer: Harker Soccer Clinic and Just4Kicks Harker Summer Soccer Clinics offer players two options to learn techniques, improve skills and have fun while learning from some of the best coaches in the Bay Area. The Harker Summer Soccer Clinic, for students ages 10-16, is led by varsity soccer coach Shaun Tsakiris. Players are grouped based on a combination of age, playing ability and gender with a different age-appropriate skill targeted each day. They also receive individual player evaluations. This camp offers kids a great chance to work out with and learn from our own varsity coach. Plus, surprise visits by professional athletes and prominent players will also be a part of each week. Coach Tsakiris has appeared in four consecutive NCAA tournaments, won a national championship in 1997 and earned UCLA’s MVP award in 2000. He played professionally for the Rochester Rhinos in the USL from 2002-06 and currently works with top club programs.
The Just4Kicks half- or full-day programs are for players ages 5-12 who are grouped by grade: K-Gr. 1, Gr. 2-3 and Gr. 4-6. Instruction and activities are based on age and ability level, and players who stay until 4 p.m. will enjoy additional soccer-related activities as well as a swim period each day. Coach Tom Vischer, Just4Kicks founder, has been coaching youth soccer players, ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 18, for the past 15 years. He has also been a coach or trainer at the select club level with numerous teams.
Tennis: Camps and Instruction Harker partners with Oakwood Tennis Center to provide quality facilities for our tennis programs. Oakwood Tennis Center is on Saratoga Avenue just minutes from our Saratoga campus, and is equipped with five beautiful and well-maintained courts.
Run by Craig Pasqua, Harker varsity tennis coach and director of Harker tennis programs, Harker’s Summer Tennis Camp is open to kids ages 6-18. The camp provides quality instruction from professional coaches for all skill levels in two programs. Both include on-court technique instruction with a ball machine, video self-analysis with the instructor and tactical strategy. Tennis Camp for students ages 7-14 is designed for players wishing to improve their tennis knowledge and skill base. The Harker Oakwood Tennis Training System, for ages 6-18, offers four- to seven-week sessions for competitive tennis players who want to combine team practice with weekly interclub matches. Players under 19 desiring to compete will learn advanced technical strokes, footwork and sports psychology.
Harker has been providing quality summer programs for more than 50 years, and our programs – and facilities – have grown and evolved over the years to meet the needs of our families and the greater community. We’re proud of the reputation we’ve earned for highly qualified and well-trained staff; outstanding programming; and a very safe and nurturing environment for all. Plan to spend your summer @ Harker! For more details and to register, visit http:// summer.harker.org or click on the summer ad on the Harker home page. You can also e-mail summerinfo@harker.org or call 408.553.0537.
In mid-April, Harker wrestlers Jason Mendel and Chris McCallaCreary, both Gr. 11, competed in the California USA Wrestling State Championship. Both boys completed the first day of the tournament with records of 2-1 and advanced to the second day, where they both scored falls. McCallaCreary, wrestling in the 160-pound weight class, then lost a close match and finished 10th in state. Mendel, wrestling at 112, advanced to the third-place match, performing well and finishing fourth. The top three wrestlers in the tournament made it to the California National Team, so Mendel just missed the cut-off. Congratulations to both wrestlers!
Swimming
Our swim teams competed in the prestigious Section Challenge Meet on April 24, with both boys and girls teams placing fifth overall. The boys were the third best CCS team in the meet, placing behind Bellarmine and Sacred Heart Prep, while the girls were the third best CCS team as well, behind Palo Alto and Mitty.
Track and Field
Harker had a great showing April 21 at their third track and field league meet. The girls placed first in this league contest, with Tiffany Kyi, Gr. 12, taking first in the long jump and Sonya Chalaka, Gr. 10, placing third. Ragini Bhattacharya, Gr. 9, placed first in the 1,600 and the 3,200, with Adrienne Mendel, Gr. 9, coming in second in the 3,200. Tanya Rai, Gr. 11, placed fourth in the 400, while Isabelle Connell, Gr. 9, took first in the 800 and second in the 200. The boys placed third overall. In the shot put Thomas Enzminger, Gr. 12, took first and Michael Chen, Gr. 9, placed third. In the 3,200 Aadithya Prakash, Gr. 12, placed first, Tyler Yeats, Gr. 9, came in second and Richard Fan, Gr. 9, earned third place. Johnny Yet, Gr. 10, placed fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 200. Sumit Minocha, Gr. 9, took first in the 400 and third in the 100.
Volleyball
The boys continue to play at a high level, scoring an important league victory over Homestead on April 23 to improve to 7-1 in league. Jacob Chappell, Gr. 11, had 11 kills in the win. The team also placed fourth in the Los Gatos Tournament on April 24. Unfortunately, they lost in three games April 26 to Bellarmine, which is state-ranked #2 and section #1.
Baseball
Baseball defeated Pinewood on Friday 16-6 to improve to 2-2 in league play. Patrick Smith, Gr. 12, went four-for-four at the plate with two RBIs and a home run. Kevin Cali, Gr. 9, and Amir Mortizavi , Gr. 11, pitched well for the team.
Tennis
Harker’s tennis seniors shone as the varsity completed its regular season with a 6-1 victory over Crystal Springs on April 22. With the win, Harker finished second in the WBAL and looks forward to its seventh consecutive bid to the CCS Tournament. Akum Gill, Gr. 12, won at #4 singles in one of the most dramatic matches of the season, winning 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5) in the third set tie-breaker. Number 3 singles player Ashish Mittal, Gr. 12, played a similarly exciting match, but came up short, losing 4-6, 6-3, 1-6. Number 1 doubles team and seniors Sanjeev Datta and Samir Datta won in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. In other matches, #1 singles Derrick Tzeng, Gr. 10, totally dominated with 6-0, 6-0. Number 2 Adarsh Ranganathan, Gr. 11, won 6-4, 6-4 and #2 doubles Nikhil Narayen, Gr. 10, and Nikhil Parthasarathy, Gr. 11, won easily, 6-1, 6-3. Harker finished the regular season with a 14-3 record and a 10-2 record in the WBAL, finishing second to Menlo.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse lost to Notre Dame 11-4 April 23. Goals were scored by Michelle Douglas, Gr. 9, Sammi Walker, Gr. 10, and Elaine Song, Gr. 12.
Dazzling the Gr. 5 students with his cool Martian moves, Rudy the Rover made a guest appearance on the Bucknall campus March 26 in celebration of National Engineers Week.
Math teacher Pat Walsh invited IBM engineers Diane Reese and Eric Butler ’81 to teach his students ways to apply their math practically. Reese, a mother of two Harker graduates, and Butler challenged the students with simple programming, manipulating the different paths Rudy, a Lego Mindstorms robot, could take to reach his target.
By also pulling numbers and word problems off the desk and highlighting the potential for practical applications, the two engineers gave the students a peek into an engineer’s life in research.
Students from all three campuses joined together March 18 for “United Voices: An Evening with LS, MS and US Choirs.” The groups sang hymns and international melodies in Harker’s first choral music concert spanning all grade levels.
Vivace, directed by Jennifer Cowgill, kicked off the show with Thomas Morley’s “Sing We and Chant It.” Then came Cantilena, Bel Canto and the Bucknall Choir singing selections that included Franz Schubert’s “Der Tanz,” J.S. Bach’s “Wir eilen mit schwachen” and “Que Llueva,” a Spanish folk song.
The intimate concert served as preparation for Vivace, which headed to Los Angeles to compete in a choral festival.
Latin Week events were popping up all over the upper school campus the week of April 19-23. Sponsored by the Junior Classical League (JCL), the events ranged from the sale of gummy kabobs to mosaic puzzle-making competitions and advisory trivia. Mid-week, students were invited to dress up in togas to celebrate and gain spirit points for their class. The week culminated with Dr. Caroline Winterer of Stanford University speaking on ancient Rome’s influence on the United States.
The Harker upper school Junior Classical League (JCL) earned a first-place trophy in its division at the California Junior Classical League Convention. In the last 11 years, Harker upper school JCL students have won first place eight times and second place three times. The convention was held at Woodbridge High School in Irvine. Under the guidance of Harker JCL president Sohini Khan and vice president Alex Han, both Gr. 12, Harker students kept up a loud and enthusiastic set of cheers and routines. Students wore togas and T-shirts designed by April Luo, Gr. 11.
On the dais were upper and middle school sponsors John Hawley, upper school Latin teacher, and Lisa Masoni, middle school Latin teacher, who are members of the adult board of the CJCL, national certamen chair and treasurer respectively. They were joined on the podium by Brandon Araki, Gr. 12, who serves as the webmaster for the CJCL.
Many upper school students placed high in JCL competition this year. Top placers in ancient geography were Araki, who achieved first place at the high school advanced level and Richard Fan, Gr. 9, who took first at high school level three. Performing well in Latin vocabulary were Araki with another first place spot at high school advanced, Pranav Sharma, Gr. 9, earning first place at high school level 3 and Ashvin Swaminathan, Gr. 9, who took second at high school level three.
Harker had several top finishes in the certamen team category, including Araki, Khan, Jessica Lin and Phillip Oung, both Gr. 10, taking first place athigh school advanced, Sharma winning first place at high school level three and Fan, Swaminathan and Jonathan Cho, Gr. 9, earning second place at high school level three.
In Latin derivatives, Shannon Su, Gr. 9, took first place at high school level three, Han made his way to second place at the high school advanced level, Luo took third, also in advanced, and Monisha Dilip, Gr. 12, took fourth at high school advanced.
Christophe Pellissier, Gr. 10, took first place in mottoes at the high school advanced level, with Han taking second. Other top finishers in mottoes were Anjali Menon, Gr. 12, who placed third at high school advanced, and Laura Pedrotti, Gr. 9, taking third at high school level three.
Pellissier, Han and Menon also took the top three spots, respectively, in abbreviations and quotations. Pedrotti took third place in this category at high school level three.
In the sight reading Latin competitions, Menon placed first in the prose subcategory at the high school advanced level. Meanwhile, Lin, made it to third in poetry at the high school advanced level. Swaminathan and Su reached first and third in sight reading prose, respectively, at high school level three.
Swaminathan also took second in advanced grammar, while Khan placed fourth. Michael Cheng, Gr. 9, placed fourth in grammar at high school level three.
In other categories, Eric Zhang, Gr. 9, took fourth place in Roman history, Lin placed first in Roman daily life, Menon earned first place in dramatic interpretation and Fan won first place in mythology.
Additionally, Swaminathan garnered first place in individual academic and individual combined events in third year Latin. Lin was elected 2010-11 recording secretary for the CJCL, and Ramakrishnan Menon was appointed CJCL webmaster for next year. Khan was awarded a CJCL Scholarship of $1,500 toward Latin education in college.
Next year’s CJCL convention will be at Miramonte High School in Orinda, near Berkeley.
Last month, Japanese teacher Keiko Irino’s Japanese 2 class experienced a dose of Japanese culture on a field trip to Saratoga’s Hakone Tea Garden. After enjoying the spring blossoms over o-bento, traditional boxed lunch, the students purified themselves in a ritualistic washing of hands and rinsing of the mouth called tsukubai before entering the tea room.
The students sat seiza style on the tatami mat and watched as the teishu – host – served Japanese sweets and omatcha, tea typically served during a tea ceremony. A few students said the tea was a little bitter, but the sweets were very delicious.
Afterward, the host showed the students the tools used in the tea ceremony and her assistant talked about the history of the tea ceremony. “It was such a beautiful day, and we all had a very pleasant afternoon,” Irino said.