This year’s Gr. 4 and Gr. 5 Gallon Creation contest resulted in more creative entries from young science enthusiasts. The contest, which began last year, challenges students to create “gallon guys” and “gallon gals” (in addition to some “gallon animals,” including a dog, sea turtle, bird and lion) using divisions of a gallon (such as four quarts, eight pints and so on) to create the body and limbs. Winners were separated into two categories, one for creativity and one for functionality, or how well the creation showed the relationship between the measurements.
Winners for creativity were Emma Brezoczky, Kate Chow and Amy Dunphy, all Gr. 4. Functionality category winners were fifth graders Lavinia Ding and Alexis Gauba and Stephanie Swanson, Gr. 4.
[Update] Derek Kameda has now been selected as a Certified College Board Consultant. Following specialized training and mentoring, he will help train Advanced Placement (AP) Coordinators and will review and help revise AP coordinator policies and best practices. Kameda said his participation would also help improve Harker’s AP test administration and increase our visibility in the AP community.
In spring 2009, Harker was one of 400 schools worldwide that helped pilot potential Advanced Placement (AP) exam questions. Harker’s students and teachers “provided an invaluable service to the AP program,” says Rose Marie M. Alberic of the Educational Testing Service. The pilot program is part of an on-going effort of the College Board to keep AP exams current and valid.
Alberic continued, “It is only through the participation of teachers and students in AP classrooms that these types of analyses are possible, thus helping to ensure the validity and reliability of future exams.” Harker students previewed questions for the AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP World History, AP French Language and AP Spanish Literature tests. Derek Kameda, Harker’s upper school registrar, coordinated Harker’s participation and has just been notified he will be one of 14 people on the steering committee for the AP annual conference in Washington, D.C., in 2010.
The Harker School ran an informational article in the Bay Area regional edition of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual private schools and colleges edition.
The life and contributions of John Near, 31-year veteran teacher and coach, were celebrated with tears and laughter by a crowd of nearly 500 on Oct. 10 in Nichols Hall on the Saratoga campus.
The moving tribute brought Near’s family, friends, fellow teachers, alumni, students and parents together to share anecdotes, reminisce, and, ultimately, celebrate a life well-lived and the impact Near had on all those around him.
From a stage featuring Near’s classroom and coaching memorabilia, including his roll top desk and sports jerseys, Head of School Chris Nikoloff spoke movingly of Near’s contribution to Harker’s development over the past three decades; Diana Nichols, former head of school and current Harker trustee and consultant, told how Near grew with the school, ever improving his teaching methods to challenge his students, and how he contributed immeasurably to the development of the school – and thus thousands of students – in many areas, from the classroom to faculty meetings to basketball teams.
Three alumnae, Jessica Liu ’04; VyVy Trinh ’07 and Casey Near ’06, Near’s daughter and a senior at Scripps College, read excerpts from Near’s legendary baccalaureate speeches, relaying philosophies he shared with graduates. Steve Tedesco, a lifelong friend, took the stage to talk about Near’s life prior to and outside of Harker, and was joined by two other friends he’d had since elementary school, Craig Pettengill and Mark DiFiore.
The audience was treated to a photo slide show set to music (“Secret of Life” and “Shower the People,” both by James Taylor and favorites of Near’s), spanning his life and showing the very human side of this most respected educator and mentor. The slide show illustrated his many roles: teacher; coach; husband of Pam Dickinson, director of Harker’s Office of Communication; father; son; brother; and friend.
Jim Near, John’s father, wrapped up the formal program. Over the years, John had repeatedly said how his father was the only man he respected more than former head of school Howard Nichols, who passed away in December 2008. His dad’s strength of character, passed from father to son, was apparent as he talked about his son growing up, in maturity, ill and in his final weeks, and how his son had come to accept the inevitable with the same strength he demonstrated throughout his life. His parents have established the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund in his honor.
Microphones were opened up and teachers, alumni, students, parents and friends shared their special John Near memories and moments. Many involved the famous “Mr. Near look,” and each told how behind the look they found a caring, passionate teacher. An alumnus, inspired to become a history teacher, told how he also adopted Near’s approach to a wayward student, “We can do this the hard way, or my way”; a phrase as effective in his own classroom as it had been when he was on the receiving end in Near’s classroom many years ago.
Refreshments were served in front of Nichols Hall afterward, and guests mingled and reconnected, just as Near had requested. His favorite snack foods were served, such as popcorn, apples and brownies, which he was known to bake each week for his advisory group.
The printed program included some of Near’s favorite quotes, and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s especially captured the day:
“What is success? To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden path, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded.”
From the dozens of anecdotes and memories – whether they were courtside, in the classroom or with friends and families – it was clear that Near’s life and impact is a legacy that will continue to inspire his thousands of students, scores of peers and friends, and his own loving family.
At Near’s request, donations can be made to any one of the following: The John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund (Harker School Advancement Office; 3800 Blackford Ave; SJ 95117; checks to The Harker School, memo line “John Near Endowment Fund”); Hospice of the Valley; CaringBridge; Silicon Valley Wellness Center. To order a DVD of the memorial, email communication@harker.org.
[Updated] Renowned concert pianists Nina Schumann and Luis Magalhaes visited Harker Oct. 9 to conduct a master class and perform. The versatile South African duo, currently on a world tour, spent time with Harker piano students in the two-hour master class, and followed with an evening concert attended by about 130 people. Both events were in the Nichols Hall auditorium; see the slideshow below for photos of the master class.
The visit was arranged by Chris Florio, orchestra director, who noted the pianists were a hit with the students and that the duo enjoyed their visit to Harker. “Piano is very popular at Harker,” said Florio, “and this (was) a great opportunity to bring in international talent to meet our talent. This is another one of those events that you hardly ever find at a high school; it is much more of a college or university type of event.”
The 59th annual Harker Family and Alumni Picnic, themed Picnic in the Pines this year, drew a sunny-day crowd thick with children. For this great big family festival, the Blackford campus became an alluring array of games, specially-themed activities and entertainment for all.
Brian and Eileen Richardson (Ian, Gr. 8; Shannon, Gr. 6) were the big winners in this year’s raffle, taking home the top prize of $10,000. Other prizes included a getaway to Las Vegas, Sony digital camera and a Trek 21-speed mountain bike. Every visitor had her or his quota of food, prizes and fun, from tykes who couldn’t get enough train rides to students trying booth games to those bargain hunting at the silent auction.
Food followed the theme, with the Weenie Roast Café, Switchback Sweets and the Critter Canteen. Games ranged from Bullwinkle Baggo to Big Bug Bowling to the Games Guru. There were plenty of activities besides games, too, including Camp Crafts and Forest Fortunetellers.
Teacher packages were spectacular and popular, ranging from riding the Steam Train at Roaring Camp with Gr. 1 teachers Mary Holaday and Rita Stone, to building designing set pieces or lighting arrays for the stage with Danny Dunn, lower school technical director in the performing arts department. Along with outings were sleep-overs, movie nights and sundry other eye-catching activities that bring classmates together after hours.
Entertainment included the “Wild Wilderness” Jazz Band, California Critters, a live animal show, “Three Pigs” by Puppet Art Theater, and of course the main show at 11 a.m. which featured Chris Nikoloff, Greg Lawson, Jennifer Gargano and students from Gr. 4-12 performing arts ensembles.
By the time the sun swung over the tree tops, Picnic in the Pines had brought the Harker community together once more to celebrate the end of summer, the return to school and the joy of working together to make the picnic a success!
Beginning as a program for freshmen, the Harker Health and Wellness program has been greatly expanded for the 2009-10 school year to cover all four US classes. Sept. 2 was the first of five assembly days to be held throughout the year. On these assembly days, each class attends an assembly on a different topic related to physical, mental and academic well-being, such as study skills, college counseling, nutrition and fitness. Senior assemblies will feature guest alumni speakers to discuss life after high school, particularly college life and time management.
Following the assemblies, students are encouraged to speak with their advisors about the topics discussed. Health and Wellness assemblies will be held Nov. 8, Jan. 6, Feb. 24 and April 14. Dates are subject to change.
On Oct. 2 lower school students and faculty attended a special assembly on bullying. Soren Bennick Productions presented their internationally-recognized presentation in two separate assemblies, one for K-Gr. 3 and the other for Gr. 4-5. In each assembly, the two presenters took on the role of actors who demonstrated different types of bullying. They then discussed how to deal with each situation. For K-Gr. 3, physical and exclusionary bullying were discussed; for the older grades, cyber-bullying was also addressed. For both groups, a final component was that of the role of the bystander, who can perform one of three roles – cheering on the bully, watching or ignoring the situation. Student volunteers took part in this section, which made the assembly not only interactive but enjoyable for the students. In concluding the assembly, a final student volunteer took the stage, donned a superhero mask, cape and gloves, and, looking in a “power of one” box, which contained a mirror, the student revealed that the power to stop bullying lies within each student, who can report bullying so it will be stopped.
All faculty and students then took the Power of One Anti-Bullying Oath, pledging to use their power to prevent bullying at Harker. Each student and teacher on campus will be signing a poster containing the oath over the next week, and the posters will be displayed on campus. Although Harker has always focused on being a safe place for students, this assembly reminded all students of the importance of keeping the campus that way, further emphasizing that bullying is not just limited to physical actions.
October 9 marked the inaugural Howard Nichols Cookie Day, held to remember the late former head of school and visionary’s birthday (Oct. 10) and celebrate his inspirational values that continue to drive the spirit and growth of The Harker School.
All three campuses celebrated by having trays of cookies located in various places around school. Nichols, who was known for his sweet tooth, regularly kept a full jar of cookies and other confections in his office that were a hit with visitors.
“Howard brought out the best in all of us through his devotion to excellence, kindness, integrity and a touch of sweetness that flowed from the always-popular cookie jar he kept in his office,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school.
Halfway through their seasons, all US sports teams are working hard, with some teams earning unprecedented success.
Boys Water Polo Boys varsity water polo won in dramatic fashion on Oct. 1 at the Singh Aquatic Center by defeating Saratoga High School 9-8. Stefan Schwartz, Gr. 12, scored the go-ahead goal with five seconds remaining in the game! Although the team is 2-1 in tournament play, the league record is currently 1-3, with the Oct. 6 game results not available at press time.
Girls Water Polo Thirty girls are playing water polo this year, necessitating the addition of a J.V. team. J.V. is 1-2 in league play. Cynthia Shwe, Gr.11, leads the J.V. team with 10 goals, all scored with her left hand. She is right-handed but is recovering from a wrist injury, so watch out when she is fully healed! Other leading scorers are freshmen Sonia Sidhu with five, Joy Li with four, and Rachel Yanovsky and Catherine Manea each with 1. Goalies Sierra Lincoln, Gr. 9 and Daniela Lapidous, Gr. 10, are working hard in the cage and have made many saves. Varsity coach Kandace Lopez reports, “These two are fierce!” She added, “Good things are sure to come from this group of girls as they show much improvement after each game they play.”
The varsity team is 2-2 in league play with the two losses being hard-fought and very close. Leading scorers are seniors Tina Ma and Sarah Jane Estrada with 31 and 10, respectively; Keri Clifford, Gr. 9, with seven; Kelsey Chung, Gr. 12 and Miranda Gorman, Gr. 11, with four each; Andrea Lincoln, Gr. 12, with two, and Amy Johnson, Gr. 9, Niva Bigler, Gr. 11 and Simy Bhagat, Gr. 10 with one apiece. Ma received recognition in the Mercury News for her high score total. Melanie Herscher, Gr. 12, the starting goalie, has also scored on the other team’s goal in the last seconds of the quarter. The competition is intense and the girls are relentless, so come on down to the home games and cheer on these girls.
Tennis The girls varsity tennis team is working hard toward their goal of winning the league championship. Currently, they have a 7-0 overall record and are 2-0 in WBAL play. The team is lead by captain Arthi Padmanabhan, co-captains Kelly Chen and Brittany Chu, all Gr. 12. Vivian Huang, Gr. 12, also provides excellent leadership for the young team. Sophomores Jaya Chandra, Aranshi Kumar and Tanya Piskun join freshmen Jenny Chen, Daria Karakoulka and Chau Nguyen to provide a solid lineup. Coach Craig Pasqua expects the girls to be tested in October with matches against last year’s NorCal champion, Mitty, as well as against CCS powerhouses Sacred Heart, Menlo and Homestead. Pasqua comments, “The team works very hard together and is working to improve their competitive spirit.”
Rachel Gast, the J.V. girls tennis coach, reports that the team has a league record of 3-0-1, putting the team second in league behind Sacred Heart Prep. Gast states that captains Kaavya Cherukuri, Gr. 11, Supraja Swamy, Gr. 11 and Priyanka Sharma, Gr. 10, are very talented and that the team is enjoying the winning season as they become great tennis players and competitors. Gast praised juniors Lydia Demissachew, Swetha Repakula, Frankie Nagle, Swamy and Cherukuri. Both our number one singles player, Ishika Peravali, Gr. 10, and number two singles player, Nagle, are undefeated in league. Some freshmen to watch for this year are Emily Wang, Maya Sathaye, Anika Radiya-Dixit, Akarsha Gulukota,Marissa Moser and Isha Patnaik.
Cheer This year’s varsity cheer squad has had a great season so far. Through summer and early fall practices, the team has added impressive tumbling moves and tosses to their routines. Coach Chris King credits the team’s dedication and the new folding cheer flooring with allowing these athletes to safely practice and learn the new skills that have already wowed audiences at football games.
The squad is made up of captains Amanda King, Gr. 11 and Saira Ahuja, Gr. 10; choreographer John Ammatuna, Gr. 11, and cheerleaders Sammi Werthen, Gr. 12, Alice Loofbourrow, Gr.11, Jessica Lin, Gr. 10 and Amy Wardenburg,Gr. 9.
Cross Country Although illness gave the cross country team a rough start this season, the varsity girls finished fifth at the first meet, with Kelsey Hilbrich, Gr. 12, placing fifth overall with a time of 20:15. J.V. boys finished ninth and varsity boys finished tenth at that meet. At the Saratoga Invitational on Sept. 22, the girls were only able to field four runners due to illness, but they all had outstanding runs. The boys, while still facing sicknesses and recovering, were able to pull eighth place.
On Sept. 26 the varsity teams competed at the Stanford Invitational, where the girls took 14th out of 27 teams and the boys pulled off a 24th place out of 32. Both the lead girl and boy had incredible times on this course; Hilbrich ran a 19:49 placing 14th and Aadithya Prakash, Gr. 12, pushed out a 17:02.
The team performed extremely well at their first league meet. Hilbrich dominated the girls race as she crossed the finish line first, completing the 2.8 mile course with a time of 18:16. She was followed closely by three up-and-coming freshmen runners, Ragini Bhattacharya, Isabelle Connell and Adrienne Mendel, with April Luo and Anne West, both Gr. 11, followed in by Sara Teplitsky, Gr. 12. The girls team placed third overall. The boys varsity placed second as a team with Prakash leading the race until the end, when he placed third, and Stefan Eckhardt, Gr. 12, taking fourth, followed by Adam Perelman, Gr. 12, Proteek Biswas, Gr. 10, Charles Levine, Gr. 10, Tyler (Robert) Yeats, Gr. 9 and Arjun Mody, Gr. 12. The J.V. girls placed second and J.V. boys fourth.
The team is looking strong and is proving to show much talent and potential. While it is the middle of the season, this is just the beginning of the league meets, and Harker is proving to be a force within the league. October will provide the team an opportunity to display their talents, with much potential for a strong finish at the end of the season. The next two league meets are at Shoreline, on Thurs., Oct. 15 and Fri., Nov. 6. Come out and support our cross country Eagles!
Football The Harker Eagles football program has made history already this season with a 4-0 record with wins against San Jose High (21-7), Yerba Buena (17-0), James Lick (14-7) and California School for the Deaf (19-6). Their 3-0 start was even mentioned in the Mercury News!
The boys faced their toughest competition so far when the J.V. and varsity squads traveled to James Lick HS on Sept. 25. The J.V. team lost a hard-fought contest 20-6, and things didn’t go well early in the game for the varsity team. The Comets drove the ball deep into Harker territory in the first quarter, then scored to take a 7-0 lead. This was the first time the Eagles had trailed another team this season.
The momentum shifted to Harker when defensive back Gautam Krishnamurthi, Gr. 11, stripped the ball from a James Lick receiver and sprinted 30 yards to the end zone. The kick by Jose Costa, Gr. 12, was then blocked by the Comets, and the quarter ended with Harker trailing James Lick 7-6. In the second quarter, Harker took control on offense and capped a scoring drive with a 21-yard pass from Rishi Bhatia,Gr. 11, to Kevin Fu, Gr. 12, for a touchdown. Bhatia passed to Fu again to make the score Harker 14, James Lick 7.
Lick threatened late in the fourth quarter, downing two successive punts on the Eagles’ one-yard line. The Eagles offensive line, seniors Mark Roh, Stephen Wang, Patrick Campbell, and juniors Justin Shamlou and Jerry Shteynberg successfully blocked the Comets’ attempts to push Harker into its own end zone. In the closing minutes, the offensive line took control by opening holes for quarterback Cole Davis, Gr. 12, who rushed for two key first downs to preserve the 14-7 win. This is the first time in school history that the Harker varsity football team has started a season with four consecutive wins. Head coach Karriem Stinson dedicated the game to Harker history teacher John Near, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer.
The remainder of the Eagles’ league schedule is loaded with very tough competition. Fortunately, many of those games will be at home on Davis Field, so come on out and join us!
Golf Girls golf shot their best scores of the season against Sacred Heart Prep on Sept. 30, but couldn’t overcome a very talented Prep squad as they lost 185-159. They are now 2-2 overall, 2-2 WBAL.
Earlier victories include a 201-220 victory over Notre Dame San Jose where Sonya Huang, Gr. 12, picked up her first medal of the season with a 46. In that match-up, scores between each seeded player were closely contested, until Patricia Huang, Gr. 9, defeated her opponent by 15 strokes with a career best 47. Rounding out the team scores were Karen Wang, Gr. 10, with 49, Katie Marcus Reker, Gr. 10, scoring 59, Katie Liang, Gr. 11, with 60 and Jessica Son, Gr, 9, with 61. Coach Ie-Chen Cheng is stressing the importance of putting to the girls, and the efforts are helping, as the girls are showing steady improvement.
In an earlier loss against Menlo 169-200, Sonya Huang paced the Eagles with a 41. Coach Cheng was proud of the girls’ efforts, stating that the Menlo score was “probably one of their best scores in history.” She added, “Menlo’s 169 would be hard to beat for any top high school teams. With that said, I am very proud of the way all the girls fought. We were off today, but we didn’t give up, and that’s what’s important. Even when Menlo were bombing their drives, the girls did not let that intimidate us.”
The team opened the season with a 210-240 victory over Mercy Burlingame. Despite the high heat, narrow fairways and playing short-handed, the win called for a complete team effort. Sonya Huang paced the Eagles with a 47, followed by Wang with 51, Marcus Reker with 55 and Patricia Huang with 57.
Volleyball The varsity team is off to a 5-6 start heading into league play. After graduating five seniors last year, the team is very young and eager to get back to CCS. This year there are just two seniors, Danielle Buis and Tiffany Kyi. According to assistant coach Michael Leonard, the girls continue to improve and create team chemistry each day. They look to build on their current success so far as they enter WBAL league play.
The J.V. girls volleyball players have improved tremendously so far this season, returning four sophomores while adding seven freshmen. Four girls are playing positions they’ve never played before and the team continues to build chemistry. According to coach Pete Yee, the team has a solid sideout game, plays defense well and serves tough. The team was 2-4 in preseason play, and finished 17th out of 31 teams at the Milpitas/Independence J.V. tournament, taking the red championship. The girls took 10th out of 16 teams at the Los Gatos J.V. tournament, placing second in the silver bracket.