This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In response to a growing need, Harker has improved its bus and transportation system over the past couple of years in both the extent of its services and number of vehicles. The school now has a fleet of eight full-size school buses – three of them provided in the last year by annual giving – and has round-trip routes servicing the Fremont area and the Peninsula, as well as a home-to-school route from the Silver Creek area of San Jose.
Additionally, intercampus shuttles now operate every morning and afternoon, with morning shuttles traveling between the preschool, middle and upper school campuses, and afternoon shuttles reaching all four Harker campuses.
About 100 students now use these services, an increase of about 20 from 2013. Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs, credits the growing popularity of the service to both word-of-mouth and the stellar drivers. “I attribute the increase in ridership to our own drivers,” he said. “Since they very often run the same routes, the families and the students on those routes become very familiar with them and grow attached to them and appreciate the fact that they’re good, level-headed folks who are patient, safety-conscious and excellent drivers.”
Bus service also offers a level of convenience and cost-effectiveness not found in available alternatives, “particularly in some places where people up the Peninsula who work in the city can’t drive this direction,” Lawson added.
Harker parent Kalpana Jain noted her children, Alisha, grade 4, and Rishi, grade 6, have been riding the Peninsula bus since the service began in the 2012-13 school year and said it has improved the family’s commute dramatically. “We have found the bus service very convenient and the kids enjoy going to school with their friends,” she said. “We would rate it among the top few very important perks of attending Harker.”
Jain’s children have found it to be so enjoyable, in fact, that they opt to take the bus even when their mom is heading to school. “Kids love riding the bus to school,” she said. “The bus driver is awesome! There are days when I have to be at school in the morning, and the kids insist on taking the bus while I drive solo to campus!”
“[The bus service] saves me from driving up and down the Peninsula in crazy traffic,“ said Pip Sanders, parent of Zoe, grade 7, and Jenna, grade 10. She added that the bus line played an important factor in her family’s decision to have their kids attend Harker. “Other private schools on the Peninsula offered buses; when I heard that Harker did too, that changed the equation.”
“Traffic on the way to or from school isn’t bad, because I’m against rush hour,” said Jenna Sanders, “but on the way to picking me up, or the way back from dropping me off, my mom could spend more than double the time it takes to get us where we are supposed to be.”
Jenna has witnessed firsthand the significant growth in the number of riders. When her sister first began using the bus service from Harker to home, “it was usually just her and sometimes one other person. Now we have had as many as 15 kids on the way from Harker up to Los Altos.”
The expansion of the bus services began in late 2013. “When we decided to take on all the home-to-school routes, we knew we couldn’t do it with the existing fleet,” Lawson said. “It just wasn’t as reliable as we needed it to be.” Hence the decision to run more home-to-school lines was met with the purchase of more, newer vehicles.
Another key change was the acquisition of the Fremont line, which previously had been run by a charter company. This made it possible to more easily change routes as needed and reduced the amount of oversight needed to manage Harker’s buses as well as those of the charter company, explained Heather Armada, a longtime Harker bus driver who last year was named Harker’s transportation director.
Improvements to the buses themselves came later, to help drivers adjust to changing conditions. “We’ve just added two-way radios so that we can communicate with the drivers,” Armada said. “It’s easier to contact the drivers on a moment’s notice with these two- way radios.”
“In the morning particularly there are a lot of moving parts that we have to interconnect between the buses coming in from the outside that interconnect with the intercampus shuttle,” Lawson said, “and there are decisions that can be made on the fly – if one bus is going to miss the connection – to change things around a little bit.”
In addition to the bus lines, Armada also oversees the thorough maintenance of Harker’s bus eet and its sprinter vans and SUVs that transport Harker’s athletic teams to and from events. Coaches who drive these vehicles are approved to drive in accordance with safety standards.
Her role also requires her to plan out bus routes that can be changed as necessary to suit the needs of Harker families and also get students to and from school on time, which can be complicated, “like a jigsaw puzzle,” she said.
As with a puzzle, piecing together the edges of the route first makes the most sense. After that, it’s a matter of finding which pieces of the route to place between the edges. “It’s just a matter of finding out your location, the most people you can provide for and then your times, and how they all link up together,” she said.
The increased ridership and pleasant feedback indicate the hard work is paying off. The cost savings, which resulted from eliminating the chartered bus lines, certainly don’t hurt, either.
“We’re not as popular as we used to be with the charter companies,” Lawson said, “but we’re way more popular with our parents, that’s for sure.”
A blustery early autumn evening set the stage for Harker’s 2015 Homecoming celebration, and the football team turned it into a great night with a 23-13 hard-fought win. This year’s Homecoming saw people from across the Harker community gather at the upper school campus to cheer on the Harker Eagles football squad as it faced off against Santa Cruz at Davis Field. In addition to the game, Homecoming offered a chance for Harker community members – be they students, parents, alumni, faculty or staff – to enjoy a fun evening of socializing and reminiscing.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the whole community to get together,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs. “From preschool to the high school, everyone can come together as one community, to support our students in the game, but also in the various ways that they’re participating, whether it’s musically or through cheer or selling pizza.”
Attendees began arriving in droves as early as two hours before the 7 p.m. kickoff, enjoying a variety of foods from Ms. Carley’s Café and a delicious array prepared by the Harker kitchens – the staff had been at work since 7 a.m. preparing for the big event – alongside pizza and candy sold by Harker students. Lower, middle and upper school campuses had tables filled with confections and chips for parents and students to snack on, while Harker Alumni had a special area with white linen and great food, which enjoyed a steady stream of visitors. “It’s really exciting, and everyone’s having fun,” said Elizabeth Yang, grade 9, who was selling candy to raise funds for her class.
Prior to the game, the early arrivals enjoyed special performances by Harker’s junior cheerleaders and the time-honored Eaglets Fly-By. Just before the game, several of Harker’s vocal groups, directed by lower school performing arts teacher Carena Montany, sang “The Harker School Song” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The Harker School Orchestra supplied its usual accompaniment and the varsity cheerleaders maintained a steady blast of cheerful encouragement from the sidelines.
The first half of the game was hotly contested, with Santa Cruz reaching the endzone early, followed by a strong answer from Harker, which scored a safety and a touchdown to take a 9-6 lead at halftime.
During the halftime, Harker’s cheer squad and varsity dancers gave energetic, crowd-pleasing performances. Shortly after, this year’s homecoming court took the field, with seniors Edward Sheu and Stephanie Huang named the 2015 Homecoming King and Queen.
In the second half, both teams pushed hard. Santa Cruz took back the lead to make it 13-9. Push literally came to shove in the fourth quarter as each team pushed their luck on fourth-down situations trying to hang on to the ball to get a drive going. Finally, with 10:40 remaining in the game, Harker marched up the field and added 7 to make it 16-13. For the next eight minutes the crowd was on the edge of their seats knowing if Santa Cruz found the right gap the score would reverse, again.
Indeed, the ball changed hands several times, but neither team was able to capitalize until very late in the fourth quarter when Harker put paid to the match with a great run to make it 23-13 with less than two minutes left. Harker D was fired up and bottled up Santa Cruz, nailing the lid on the win. Great night out with a big, lively crowd! Check Facebook and Instagram for photos and video clips from the game, and search on #harkerhomecoming in both sites for a gallery of photos and clips. (Feel free to hashtag your own homecoming photos to add to the gallery!) This story will be updated with a photo gallery as well on Monday. Huge congrats to the football team including coaching, training and other support staff for a great, well-fought game! Go Eagles!
We are saddened to announce that James “Jim” Near, father of longtime history teacher John Near, passed away Oct. 12 in Maui, Hawaii. He was 87 years old.
Jim and his wife, Patricia, established The Harker School’s first endowment, the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund, in 2009, to honor their son’s teaching career after he passed away in September of that year. Many students and families have since made memorial contributions to the endowment, increasing both the scope and breadth of the research that students honored as Near Scholars have been able to explore each year with their grants from the endowment. Recent research topics have included the impact of the feminist and civil rights movements on the disability rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s, and an in-depth review of news coverage on the Vietnam War and the resulting tension between news media and the federal government.
Jim Near’s generosity and vision will support our students and their teacher mentors in perpetuity, as they explore their interest in history research at The Harker School. The Endowment also funds the continued development of the John Near Resource Center in Shah Hall on the Saratoga campus.
Jim is survived by his granddaughter, Casey Near ’06, and daughter-in-law, Pam Dickinson, Harker’s Office of Communication director, as well as his wife, three sons and daughter. Contributions can be made in Jim’s honor to the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund by emailing Allison Vaughan at allison.vaughan@harker.org.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
This year, enough donations were collected at the upper school’s annual blood drive to save up to 81 lives, according to Sabrina Sidhu, grade 11, who serves as president of Harker’s Red Cross Club, which organized the recent drive.
“By the end of the day, we had collected 27 units of blood, which went to the American Red Cross,” she said. “I’m glad that so many people were interested in donating. Unfortunately, a large portion of potential donors were turned away because their hemoglobin levels were not high enough. Regardless, I was really happy with the way that everything came together. It was heartwarming to see how excited all of the donors were to have the chance to help out someone in need.”
Harker students, faculty and staff united to give blood, which was distributed to local hospitals within the required 72 hours. According to Red Cross statistics, every donated unit can save up to three lives. Every two seconds, a patient relies on blood and platelet donors for help.
The Red Cross is the largest single supplier of blood in the United States, collecting and processing more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and distributing it to some 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
This year, enough donations were collected at the upper school’s annual blood drive to save up to 81 lives, according to Sabrina Sidhu, grade 11, who serves as president of Harker’s Red Cross Club, which organized the recent drive.
“By the end of the day, we had collected 27 units of blood, which went to the American Red Cross,” she said. “I’m glad that so many people were interested in donating. Unfortunately, a large portion of potential donors were turned away because their hemoglobin levels were not high enough. Regardless, I was really happy with the way that everything came together. It was heartwarming to see how excited all of the donors were to have the chance to help out someone in need.”
Harker students, faculty and staff united to give blood, which was distributed to local hospitals within the required 72 hours. According to Red Cross statistics, every donated unit can save up to three lives. Every two seconds, a patient relies on blood and platelet donors for help.
The Red Cross is the largest single supplier of blood in the United States, collecting and processing more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and distributing it to some 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
This year, enough donations were collected at the upper school’s annual blood drive to save up to 81 lives, according to Sabrina Sidhu, grade 11, who serves as president of Harker’s Red Cross Club, which organized the recent drive.
“By the end of the day, we had collected 27 units of blood, which went to the American Red Cross,” she said. “I’m glad that so many people were interested in donating. Unfortunately, a large portion of potential donors were turned away because their hemoglobin levels were not high enough. Regardless, I was really happy with the way that everything came together. It was heartwarming to see how excited all of the donors were to have the chance to help out someone in need.”
Harker students, faculty and staff united to give blood, which was distributed to local hospitals within the required 72 hours. According to Red Cross statistics, every donated unit can save up to three lives. Every two seconds, a patient relies on blood and platelet donors for help.
The Red Cross is the largest single supplier of blood in the United States, collecting and processing more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and distributing it to some 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In mid-May, grade 9-11 parents hosted current senior parents at the traditional Senior Moms and Dads Luncheon.
The potluck lunch in the upper school’s gym was made possible by Harker’s upper school parent planning committee.
One of the most heartwarming moments at the luncheon is when senior parents are invited to share some thoughts about their time as part of the Harker community with fellow parents.
The day was marked by meaningful speeches, elegantly set tables, beautiful photo collages and delicious food.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Students from Harker’s Class of 2010 up through its most recent graduates returned to campus for Home for the Holidays. The informal, intimate gathering was held on the upper school campus on an afternoon in early January.
The annual event is timed to welcome college-age alumni, who are back in town for their winter breaks, back to campus for a reunion with each another, faculty and staff. Participants at this year’s gathering, held in the festively decorated Nichols Hall atrium, enjoyed refreshments and catching up with one another.
Sonia Sidhu ’13 said she enjoyed coming to the Home for the Holidays event and reuniting with her Harker community. “The people here are wonderful!” she said.
MaryEllis Deacon, director of alumni relations, said alumni are always welcome back on campus, any time of the year. “They will always be a part of the Harker community,” noted Deacon.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
During its annual luncheon in November, the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Silicon Valley chapter recognized Harker Board of Trustees member Dr. Jeffery Lee and his wife, Susan Lew Lee, for their fundraising efforts and service to the local community. The Lees are parents of Jeffrey ’92 and Kathryn ’04.
Lee is an Honorary Council member for Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). He and his wife have worked tirelessly collecting much-needed toiletries and other daily necessities for abused women and children staying at AACI’s shelter.
Michele Lew, AACI president and CEO, was quoted in her organization’s recent newsletter as saying, “I’m honored to know Jeff and Susan and thrilled that they were given this recognition. They are a model couple when it comes to giving back to the community.”
Grandparents and “grand-friends” visited the lower school in mid-May for a charming NASA-themed day where guests toured the Blackford campus, met with teachers and participated in activities with students.
Held annually, Grandparents’ Day is coordinated by a committee of dedicated parent volunteers and is always a highlight of the school year. During the event, students welcomed grandparents, special adult friends or adoptive grandparents-for-the-day for a memorable afternoon held in their honor.
This year’s event, “Blast Off!: An Aerospace Adventure,” featured space station activities at various booths. Students in the primary grades made faces of the moon out of Oreo cookies and learned about gravity force. Older kids in grades 4-5 explored the phases of the moon, learned about space and participated in a “create your own tornado” activity.
Guests also enjoyed performances by students, refreshments, a visit to the lower school’s art show, a fun photo booth, a telescope set up to view the flares of the sun and seeing the students’ classrooms. Another special highlight was the school’s coinciding annual book fair in the Bucknall library, where some visitors chose to dedicate a book especially for their grandchild or special young friend.
“We are delighted that every year the number of attendees increases … over 400 grandparents or special friends came to the event,” said Teré Aceves, director of Harker’s lower school volunteer events program. “The theme was my favorite so far; NASA provided us with age-appropriate activities that everyone enjoyed,” she added.
Aceves noted that this year, for the first time, activity stations were kept open after the event for those students who were not able to invite a guest. She also voiced her appreciation to all the volunteers, faculty and staff who helped make this event such a huge success.
At the end of the day, grandparents and grand-friends were given Harker tote bags to commemorate their visit. Meanwhile, all the lower school students received popsicles, capping off a very sweet day!