Each year, a number of Harker teachers apply for and are awarded grants to further their teaching skills thanks to the Raju and Bala Vegesna Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Program at Harker. The program, launched in 2015, has sent a score of educators to seminars, study abroad programs and other educational opportunities. Grants are awarded to individuals and to groups, and are used for entry fees and travel expenses.
“The generosity of Raju and Bala Vegesna in allowing our teachers to pursue an opportunity they are passionate about and then share it with their students in the classroom creates an opportunity to impact student learning in a transformational way,” said Kim Lobe, director of advancement. “We are incredibly grateful to Raju and Bala for their commitment to teaching excellence at The Harker School.”
“The Raju and Bala Vegesna Foundation Teacher Excellence Program allows our faculty to ‘dream big’ and take their ideas about how the academic experience for the students can be further enhanced, and make those ideas a reality,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs.
“The foundation reflects, for me, many of the best elements of Harker,” she continued. “It allows our teachers to continue to grow and stretch, modeling the lifelong learning that is such an important part of our mission. It also reflects how much our faculty truly care about our students as people; teachers take their summers and much of their personal time to enhance the learning experiences because they feel an immense responsibility to leverage the students’ impact through intellectual pursuits and experiences, which is facilitated by this program.”
Gargano added that Harker prides itself in having teachers who are experts in their subjects, noting as an example, teacher Charles Shuttleworth’s project on the Beat Generation. “He took the grant seriously and sought out to be and accomplished the task of being a true Kerouac scholar and someone who is seen, from the wider community, as a Kerouac expert.”
The Projects
Rebecca Williams
Rebecca Williams, middle school English teacher, attended the Mariposa Foundation Volunteer Institute in the Dominican Republic to educate and empower girls to create sustainable solutions to end generational poverty. She traveled to Cabarate in the Dominican Republic to teach a course on the Holocaust at the Mariposa Foundation, and supported Princeton Fellows there, as the organization used the curriculum she created.
“I spent my time working with girls, volunteering at the center and meeting with the founder,” said Williams. “I wanted to work with the Mariposa Foundation because I knew they were doing great work empowering young women despite some of the community norms and values. In the Dominican Republic, most women have children by the age of 18, and they are often objectified. Strong, smart, powerful women certainly is not the norm, yet at this center, they were creating exactly that.
“I wanted to learn how this center is able to empower the girls with a message that was different than what they received at home. I believe that at Harker, we often are messaging our students with a perspective that is not always shared with the family. We message balance and well-roundedness when, often, the families’ top priority is academic achievement.”
Williams was heartened by the advances in building empowerment that she saw in her group. “The message was everywhere: what they read, what they were taught and in the art around the building,” said Williams. “They even had a #iamnotyourmamacita campaign. There was purpose and commitment to teaching these girls that they were in charge of themselves.”
Aside from the payoff for women in the program, Williams has brought that empowerment to her classroom. “At the middle school, we have launched the #beyondmygrades campaign,” she said. “We are planning activities in advisory, we are hosting a LID day to showcase student work done beyond the classroom, we are hosting a talent show. Most important, as a school we are branding this hashtag and actively working to create programing around it. We have formed a committee of seven people: an administrator, two counselors and four teachers.
“Students are … excited to celebrate,” Williams added. “They recognize that the message from school is different than home. It is our goal to loop parents in on this process as well. Working with the Princeton Fellows was a wonderful reminder of the power of young, educated people. I am inspired to continue working with Harker students as I know that they are the future.”
The Character Group
Kate Shanahan, Heather Russell, Andi Bo and Mike Delfino, all lower school teachers, along with Mary Holaday, lower school dean of students, used Vegesna grants to attend the 2018 National Forum on Character in Washington, D.C.
They attended various seminars and classes and were inspired to introduce a number of initiatives to the lower school community.
Knowing strong character has been at the core of Harker’s history and mission, “the team was reminded how influential and effective teachers can be when living out and purposefully communicating character,” noted Russell. “After attending a pivotal session at the conference, the team guided the lower school staff in the ‘I Stand’ staff experience where they worked to identify qualities faculty members each bring to the community and the importance of teachers leading students by example.”
Following various team-building exercises, Shanahan, Russell, Bo and Holaday introduced Character Connections. Weekly emails sent to staff reinforce a character focus, highlighting and celebrating positive character examples inside and outside of Harker, and offer discussion questions to engage the whole campus in a shared focus for the week. “The weekly reminders give the lower school community a sense of unity in purpose, a common language for focusing on character, and build enthusiasm by honoring the many efforts students and teachers are doing to show character in action” Russell noted.
Also, the group joined The Great Kindness Challenge, a weeklong nationwide effort to promote kinder communities. Efforts on the lower school campus included compliment cards, daily challenges to show respect and kindness, and activities prepared and shared with staff to use in classrooms.
“The regular focus on and application of Harker’s tenets have brought a sense of community and positivity at the lower school,” said Russell. “Several staff members commented, noting Harker does not only preach it, but we emphasize it and teach it throughout the day in all subjects and grade levels.” Another told her, “I would like to thank the character education team for all that you have been doing for this program. It’s been very helpful to me not only as a teacher but also on a personal level. I feel the entire Harker community can only continue to benefit from this program as it develops.”
Future efforts from this grant may include applying as a National School of Character. Following guidelines and principles recommended, the team surveyed staff regarding the effectiveness and improvement of the character program. “A Character Committee composed of caring teachers and staff was formed, and the committee will help define Harker’s lower school character curriculum scope and sequence, as well as implement new ideas to encourage positive character,” said Russell. “Currently, efforts are focused on the lower school program by introducing initiatives, sending out the weekly character connections, and refining the character curriculum. Future efforts may involve collaboration across campuses to reinforce the importance of the character education continuum. By giving character center stage, it has communicated a powerful message of how critical social-emotional skills are for a Harker students’ early years and beyond.”
Ann Smitherman
Ann Smitherman, lower school English teacher, attended the Teachers’ College Reading and Writing Institute (TCRWP) in New York for two weeks.
Smitherman noted the impetus that drove her to apply for the grant. “I teach P1 (‘core’) students in grades four and five,” she said. “These are our students whose academic development most closely matches their physical development. I’m interested in meeting these students exactly where they are intellectually, while also accelerating their learning in reading and writing – knowing that growth in these two areas will help them grow in all academic areas.
“I’ve been on a quest the last few years to find an approach that will help me help my students to develop these core strengths. I found out about the TCRWP while at a conference with one of their staff development experts. It sounded like exactly what I was looking for: research-tested lessons that were presented in a sequence proven to enhance long-term adoption of skills. But the cost of the summer classes and two weeks in New York City were going to exhaust my professional development budget for years to come. Thank goodness for the generosity of the Vegesna Foundation!
“My time at TCRWP reinforced my belief that research matters when designing an approach for student learning. It also reminded me that reading and writing are not mysterious gifts that you’re either born with or not. Reading and writing are acquirable skills, and all students can become deep, reflective and insightful readers of complicated texts and creators of thoughtful, meaningful, readable writing.”
Smitherman brought her new skills right into the classroom. “This fall I used the TCRWP approach in a narrative writing unit with my fourth and fifth grade students,” she said. “They were enthusiastic and responsive to the approach, writing more than they ever had before, and creating interesting personal narratives and complex realistic fiction pieces. Just as important as the work they created, students began to recognize the techniques we were using in class were also used by ‘real’ writers in the texts we were reading. They really could write like Natalie Babbitt and Katherine Paterson! I’ve also honed my conferencing skills, making my one-on-one coaching of students more effective and efficient.”
The ultimate result? “Students fell in love with writing, checking the daily agenda on the board and cheering when ‘writing workshop’ appeared,” Smitherman noted. “They also continue to use skills taught in the fall, both in reading and in writing. Perhaps the most important transference I’ve seen is that students are planning their work before they begin writing. This is tremendous growth for our students at this developmental stage.”
The program was an eye-opener for her own learning, as well. “While I think I’ve grown a great deal as a teacher since trying the TCRWP approach – more efficient, more direct, more succinct in lessons – what I’ve really learned is how much more I need to learn,” she noted. “It’s both daunting and inspiring!”
Other teachers have joined with her to use the methods espoused in the program. “I’m so happy to be continuing that learning process with some colleagues who have agreed to continue to pilot this approach with me this year: Larissa Weaver, Heather Russell, Mariel Nicolary, Eric Leonard and Katie Molin,” said Smitherman. “They are such a smart and inspiring group who are wholly committed to their students.”
Smriti Koodanjeri
Smriti Koodanjeri, upper school chemistry teacher, attended the Academic Life Coaching Program over a six-month period, after which she was certified as an associate life coach.
“The program involved weekly two-hour classes with a master coach via Zoom, submission of coaching recordings every six weeks, meeting with coach for the critiquing of the recording, a midterm and a final exam,” Koodanjeri said. “All this took 24 weeks and I received a certificate in the mail stating I am an associate life coach.”
Having finished life coaching 1.0, Koodanjeri is now working on 2.0, which also will run for six months. When she completes that program, she will be a certified professional academic life coach.
When asked what motivated her to become a life coach, Koodanjeri said, “to enhance my teaching ability and understand the student motivation. If I am successful in guiding the student both in class and overall as a whole student, I would consider myself a better teacher. So, to be a better teacher was my motivation.”
The most interesting thing she learned was, “there is a lot more to learn about teaching and interacting with young adults.” And that goaded her to work out a program to help students.
“I am designing activities which help student learn better and be more organized,” she noted. “I frequently encourage students to plan better and make goals (these emails go out at least twice a year). I run time management workshops on B- and D-schedule days at the upper school from 1-1:30 p.m., open to all upper school students. I work with counselors and the academic dean helping and guiding students who seem to need the service. Counselors and academic deans are kept in the loop with all the students with which I am working.” Reactions by both students and their parents has been positive, “particularly parents of the students,” she added.
The entire experience helped her grow as a teacher. “I learned to view each child as a bundle of possibilities,” Koodanjeri said. “I learned the difference between an open- and close-ended question, I learned that all of us can grow and improve by taking specific steps in the right direction. Learning is lifelong and we should continue to want to seek knowledge. Because of this course not only are my students are getting a better experience but so am I!”
Charles Shuttleworth
With his grant, upper school English teacher Charles Shuttleworth has delved further into the world of the Beat Generation, including primary research and interacting with influential Beat figures. He has constructed a special learning plan, titled the “Jack Kerouac Experience,” that is enriching his students’ understanding and appreciation of Beat literature and Kerouac’s writing in particular. As a bonus, Shuttleworth has become immersed in the work of Beat poets and may end up editing a new volume of unknown works by Kerouac, so students get to hear about that process.
Shuttleworth’s class, “Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation,” grew from his belief, “that Jack Kerouac is the American writer who has had the most influence on literature and culture since World War II,” he said. “I applied for the grant to deepen my knowledge of his prolific output, and in particular his experience as a fire lookout in Washington State, which was pivotal in his life and career.”
Shuttleworth first taught a course on Kerouac and the Beat Generation in 1994 at the Horace Mann School in New York, which Kerouac attended. “That year there was also a major conference on Kerouac at NYU, and I researched and wrote a paper on Kerouac’s Horace Mann experience, interviewing more than 30 of Kerouac’s former classmates,” Shuttleworth said. “I then presented my findings at the conference, gaining all of my students free admission to the three-day event featuring nearly all the Beat writers still alive then: Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, Hunter Thompson, Ed Sanders, etc. My work was used as a source in Steve Turner’s book on Kerouac, titled ‘Angelheaded Hipster.'” When he changed jobs, Shuttleworth was unable to continue his elective course until he came to Harker. “Teaching such electives was a major factor in my decision to come here,” he said.
Following the Vegesna grant, Shuttleworth made a number of trips to New York City to conduct research within the New York Public Library’s Berg Collection, which houses the vast majority of Jack Kerouac’s draft manuscripts, journals, correspondence, etc., he said. “I also climbed Desolation Peak in the North Cascades National Park, where Kerouac served as a fire lookout in the summer of 1956, an experience which constitutes the climax of his novel ‘The Dharma Bums’ and part 1 of his novel ‘Desolation Angels,’” he added. And I traveled as an invited speaker to Lowell, Mass., to attend the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, where I participated in a roundtable discussion of Kerouac’s life and work.”
Shuttleworth noted he uncovered a number of important unpublished documents that shed new light on Kerouac, and particularly on his experience on Desolation Peak. “Virtually all the biographies skim over this experience, stating that during his 63 days alone on the mountaintop, he was merely bored while performing his duties as a lookout,” said Shuttleworth.
“In fact, Kerouac wrote in excess of 90,000 words, keeping a fascinating journal of his day-to-day thoughts as well as writing several substantive manuscripts, all of which are virtually unknown even to scholars; and one in particular that I unearthed from the archives (it wasn’t properly identified and very likely never had been read by anyone) constitutes a major find,” he noted. “I’ve written two essays detailing my findings, and throughout the past year, I’ve been in close contact with Jim Sampas, the executor of Jack Kerouac’s literary estate. Jim has applauded my work, and the likely result is a book which he has called on me to edit consisting of all the writing Kerouac produced that summer. He’s also planning to produce a documentary film on the subject and has called on me to be a scholarly interviewee.”
Shuttleworth did some wonderful research and brought the process right into his classroom. “My experience allowed me to share my findings with my students, which included photographs of handwritten documents, transcriptions I made of unpublished material – unfinished novels, journal entries, etc., and also photos of photos, [such as] the Kerouac family photographs that are part of the Berg Collection’s archives,” he noted. “Most notably we read in class an unpublished manuscript that I transcribed entitled ‘The Long Night of Life’ that served as an excellent introduction to Kerouac’s writing.”
In addition, the class took a field trip to San Francisco and toured City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum. “Students heard both from Jerry Cimino, the museum’s founder, and Dennis McNally, who spoke with them for a full 90 minutes,” said Shuttleworth. “McNally is the author of ‘Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation and America,’ an excellent biography that puts Kerouac’s life and work in a historical context. My course begins with the reading of that book, so students were able to meet the author, and it was really great.”
“Another major outcome benefiting the school next year is the connection I made with David Amram, a legendary musician and composer who worked with Kerouac and has collaborated with musical luminaries ranging from Leonard Bernstein, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. As a result, Mr. Amram is scheduled to spend a week next year at Harker as an artist-in-residence, culminating in an event as part of the Harker Speaker Series where Harker students will perform some of his musical compositions.
Further, in late-breaking news, an article Shuttleworth has written based on his Vegesna research, titled “Imaginary Reasons of Dust,” will be published in the next issue of Beat Scene magazine, coming out in late May, he said. “The article reveals a little-known rift in the friendship between Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg – significant because their artistic relationship was central and so pivotal to the Beat movement,” Shuttleworth added. “The article’s title is a phrase from Kerouac in a letter to Ginsberg, apologizing for his frequent flare-ups and vowing eternal brotherhood on a day when the mercurial Kerouac was in a better mood.”
As for Shuttleworth’s overall experience with the grant, “The experience has been the richest and most gratifying in my intellectual life,” he said. “I’ve been reading and studying Kerouac in particular for more than 30 years, but through this experience my knowledge has reached new heights. I think my students gain a lot by having a teacher with such a high level of expertise and seeing my passion for the subject.”
A special faculty retreat was held on Feb. 9 to promote sustainability principles and practices among Harker faculty. The event – organized by Harker’s Sustainability Committee – featured talks and activities related to Harker’s future plans to reduce waste and emissions, and actions that can be taken by the entire community to help Harker realize its sustainability goals via the curriculum and more effective use of school resources as well as personal habits. Attendees also had their choice of a variety of morning activities, including yoga, meditation and a vintage clothing swap.
In an effort to make the retreat a “zero waste” event, all decorations were made from recycled or recyclable materials. Spider plants were placed in biodegradable pots, and the attendees’ name tags were printed on recycled paper, each containing wildflower seeds for planting after the event. Attendees all brought their own receptacles for water, coffee or other drinks, and arrived by bicycle, carpooling or taking public transportation. Food for the event was also locally sourced and organic, with options such as the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger that mimics the taste and texture of meat.
A morning keynote was delivered by historian and author Jeff Biggers, who wrote about how his family’s homestead was lost to strip-mining in 2014’s “Reckoning at Eagle Creek.” Now leading the Climate Narrative Project, a multidisciplinary approach to finding climate change solutions, Biggers gave a multimedia presentation titled “Ecopolis,” which offered a future of vision Harker and San Jose as regenerative places and how they might appear with enacted sustainability policies. Upper school music teacher and trumpeter Dave Hart, along with drummer Jason Lewis and pianist Malcolm Campbell, provided musical accompaniment during the presentation.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Marla Holt
From 1893 to 2002, Harker’s boarding program was integral to its commitment to academic excellence and personal character development. From eating family-style meals and watching TV in the rec room to Bear Valley skiing trips and getting ready for school dances, the shared experiences of Harker boarders had the power to transform young lives.
“We learned from each other – through mistakes, drama, triumphs, laughter and tears,” said Wendy Tsai ’04, one of Harker’s last boarders from 2000 to 2002. Ji-won (Choi) Song ’96, who boarded in 1994-95, agreed, noting that “we built strong friendships and learned to be independent at an early age.”
Harker welcomed boarders from its earliest days as Manzanita Hall and Miss Harker’s School for Girls, when college preparatory students lived under the same roof as teachers and administrators. Handbooks from both schools referred to the boarding program as home, with students expected to “observe the ordinary courtesies of a private home” and to have the “advantage of being members of a family.” Rooms were comfortably furnished and each school was governed by a “spirit which brings about obedience to authority and an honest effort to do what is right without compulsion.”
Like Harker itself, the boarding program underwent several changes during its 109-year history. Manzanita Hall became the Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA) in 1919 and boarded cadets in grades 1-9. Miss Harker’s dropped its boarding program in the mid-1950s when it became the Harker Day School. In 1972, PAMA and the Harker Day School merged and moved to San Jose to become the Harker Academy, which offered a boys only boarding program until 1974. At that time, the boarding program became coeducational and phased out kindergarten through grade 5 boarding while continuing to offer boarding for students in grades 6-8.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Harker housed roughly 100 to 120 boarders annually, many of whom were local students with parents who traveled frequently for business. The number of international student boarders gradually increased from about 20 percent to more than 80 percent, resulting in a greater emphasis on supporting ESL learners and a need for comprehensive weekend programming.
Harker’s last boarding students were admitted in 1998-99, the same academic year that the upper school was launched on the Saratoga campus. Only four boarders remained in the program when it closed on June 6, 2002, to accommodate Harker’s expanding upper school program.
All told, the boarding program served about 1,377 school-year boarders and 2,100 summer boarders. The students’ daily needs – from meals to academics to social and recreational activities to health care and haircuts – were met by caring, dedicated and capable staff members who acted in loco parentis. Many of the staff were coaches, teachers and bus drivers by day who lived in the dorms at night.
Joe Rosenthal, who was boarding director from 1991 to 2002 (later executive director of advancement and now executive director of strategic initiatives), noted that boarders learned the skills of independence and self-reliance, as well as appreciation of the importance of kindness in themselves and others.
“I have the greatest respect for the boarding students,” Rosenthal said in a 2002 survey of former house parents and dorm directors conducted at the closing of the boarding program. “I am a much better person because of what I have seen these children do – the expressions of friendship and kindnesses they’ve shown to each other.
Only if one lived it would one be able to know how meaningful and important the boarders have been to each other.” To celebrate the history of this beloved home for many students, we looked back at daily life for Harker boarders, particularly those who lived on the Saratoga campus.
WE ARE FAMILY A genuine sense of family developed among the students and staff members in Harker’s boarding program, said William Jarvis ’97, who boarded from 1995 to 1997. “Harker felt more like a family than a school,” he said. “There was a strong sense of inclusivity despite the wide range of ages, interests and diverse nationalities that were represented in students all living together in close quarters.”
As in most families, the boarding program had high expectations for its students – illustrated by a clear system of behavioral rules and regulations, which served to foster a kind, respectful and positive environment.
“I treasured the trust that parents placed in our program and staff,” said Pam Dickinson, Harker’s weekend program director from 1989 to 2001, when she became the director of the Office of Communication. “It was an honor, privilege and duty to take care of their children as if they were our own (and they felt like they were). We nurtured, cared for, loved and disciplined the children as needed to help them grow into responsible, kind and considerate adults.”
Both the boarding program’s structure – including supervised study time and organized recreational active ties – and the independence-building freedom of living apart from their nuclear families helped boarders develop resiliency and the ability to make good choices.
“The social skills and self-sufficiency that I developed in the Harker boarding program have continued to be invaluable in my adult life,” Jarvis said. “The interactions and conversations I had with my peers and program staff taught me a lot about life that I would not have learned in a purely academic environment.”
JUST LIKE HOME Day-to-day life in the boarding program reflected that of private family homes. Boarders were expected to contribute to the dorm’s upkeep by tidying their rooms and cleaning the common areas. White-glove inspections – especially when Howard Nichols, Harker’s president from 1973 to 2005, was expected to visit the dormitories – were conducted by house parents, with students competing for the Cleanest Room and Best Decorated Room awards given out at the annual Boarding Banquet.
Some boarders were better at cleaning than others, recalled Katherine Lo, weekday girls’ house parent. “My most lasting memory was the day that I was finally able to see the floor of Debora Yim’s [’04] room!”
But life as a Harker boarder wasn’t all work and no play. The rec room was a popular hangout spot for playing foosball, air hockey and Ping-Pong. Watching TV was allowed only after homework was done and not past 8 p.m. on school nights. Marta Marraccini ’84, the last boarder to live at Harker from kindergarten through eighth grade, recalled a memorable viewing of the last episode of M.A.S.H. “There wasn’t one dry eye,” she said.
Other popular activities included playing basketball and capture the flag, pool parties, movie marathons, Thursday night barbecues, nighttime sports in the gym, talent shows and special events like Monte Carlo night. Over the years, Maj. Donald Nichols’ dogs – Ajax, Babo, Klute and Dutch – were unofficial school mascots and provided love and attention to the boarders during the 23 years Nichols worked at Harker.
“Dutch, a 140-pound mastiff, had the run of the dorms and campus. At night, he slept in any room he wanted where the door was not firmly latched,” recalled Dan Gelineau in the 2002 survey of boarding staff. Gelineau went on to be assistant head of school for nonacademic affairs before he retired in 2002. He passed away in 2015.
While boarding students were expected to study and read on their own as part of their academic endeavors, staff members also regularly read stories aloud. Jeff Haugaard, boarding program director from 1976 to 1981, hosted Uncle Haugaard’s story hour in the rec room. While the older kids were in study hall, he’d read stories to the younger kids – in pajamas and robes – before bed. Later that night, he’d read the same stories over the intercom to the sixth through ninth graders as they prepared for bed. “I enjoyed hearing them say ‘Goodnight, Unc,’ as they closed their doors,” Haugaard said in the 2002 survey.
Cindy Ellis, house parent, later middle school division head, who retired in 2018, recalls that reading once helped calm students after an earthquake. “I had them buddy up in the bunk beds so that all 18 girls were in just four rooms,” she said. “I sat in the hallway and read to them until they were finally able to sleep.”
House parents nursed boarders and patched up cuts and bruises. Terry Walsh, house p rent, later assistant librarian and archivist, who retired in 2014, recalls keeping a small supply of chicken noodle soup and saltines on hand for emergencies. “I offered burnt toast and weak tea to anyone I thought was faking it,” she said.
“The staff cared passionately about our whole well-being, from getting a decent haircut to having enough time to play video games and experience nature,” said Toku Chen ’92, who boarded in 1991-92. Jarvis agreed, noting that the staff created a “comfortable social environment where you could simply be a goofy kid and feel free to express yourself.”
Students boarded at Harker for five or seven days a week. Weekends were more casual and often included excursions to Santa Cruz, Pier 39, Roaring Camp and Great America, and activities like hiking, camping, bowling, shopping and skating.
Harker’s weekend program made the school unique, Song said. “The staff did an amazing job creating a fun and nurturing program – the trips to San Francisco, malls, dinners, dance parties. I don t know how they did it, and always with so much energy!”
On Sunday mornings, many students worked at the Harker Café, an imitation Hard Rock Café at which students learned the life skills of cooking and serving food. Outfitted in T-shirts and aprons, they took orders and made eggs, bacon and fried rice for their friends (and occasionally teachers).
Many boarders have fond memories of holiday celebrations, including making Halloween costumes (that were later used in skits and plays), baking Christmas cookies and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Terry and Pat Walsh’s home. Cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree for the dining room was particularly fun.
“One year there was a huge beehive in the tree,” Marraccini recalled. “You never saw Jeff [Haugaard] move so fast. The kids were running and screaming. Later we found an even better tree, cut it down and went back to the dorm like warriors after the battle.”
The night before break, everyone gathered in the rec room to drink eggnog and listen to Howard Nichols read “The Night Before Christmas” while a video fir played on the TV and Gelineau played the accordion. The house parents made sure each child had a gift to open.
“In most families, there are a limited number of adults to whom a child can turn for advice and guidance,” Dickinson said. “Our boarding students had their pick of thoughtful, caring adults in their lives.”
A boarding program based only on principles, philosophy, values and budgets is not likely to be successful. Though Harker certainly had all of those things, it also understood that a boarding program had to be about family.
“Children watch, observe, learn, feel, emulate and absorb the character and values of the adults,” Chen said. “The boarding program represented a remarkable team that shared and exhibited the same values, passion and care for others. The program went far to take care of every kid – one by one. Whenever I think about the Harker boarding life and all the great people I was with, it leaves a lifelong smile in me.”
Contributing researcher: Cindy Ellis.
Marla Holt is a freelance writer based in Minnesota.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Karen Glovka teaches Spanish at the lower school, but her classroom isn’t the only place she utilizes her language skills. She teaches Spanish-speaking children through her church, and often helps Hispanic immigrant families understand the ins and outs of public school. She also teaches in Harker’s ELI program each summer. And to aid her Harker students with oral comprehension, she wrote a series of stories featuring her 16-year-old cat, Chiquita. Read on to learn more about this caring and fun teacher.
What are two things you like to do when you have a block of free time?
Reading and watching Turner Classic Movies – always with a good cup of coffee for both.
Why do you do what you do?
I’m from inner-city San Francisco. Many of my school friends could not read, even in middle school while I was consuming novels. A teacher encouraged me to help others with their schoolwork. As they made progress, I was very excited to watch them learn. It’s why I am a teacher.
What is the biggest risk you have taken in your life?
In 1985 I went to teach with a church group in Cali, Colombia. It wasn’t a safe place, but I had seven fulfilling years there.
What gives you a reason to smile?
Kid logic and funny stories. I have a rather quirky, “Far Side” kind of humor.
Where in the world are you the happiest?
Most Thursday nights I’m at choir practice. Music makes me very happy!
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
I was diagnosed with a severe hip problem at an early age. The first doctors said I would never walk. Thanks to skilled surgeons and continued improvement in treatment, I walk, and I am very grateful.
Face Time: Karen Glovka
Karen Glovka teaches Spanish at the lower school, but her classroom isn’t the only place she utilizes her language skills. She teaches Spanish-speaking children through her church, and often helps Hispanic immigrant families understand the ins and outs of public school. She also teaches in Harker’s ELI program each summer. And to aid her Harker students with oral comprehension, she wrote a series of stories featuring her 16-year-old cat, Chiquita. Read on to learn more about this caring and fun teacher.
What are two things you like to do when you have a block of free time?
Reading and watching Turner Classic Movies – always with a good cup of coffee for both.
Why do you do what you do?
I’m from inner-city San Francisco. Many of my school friends could not read, even in middle school while I was consuming novels. A teacher encouraged me to help others with their schoolwork. As they made progress, I was very excited to watch them learn. It’s why I am a teacher.
What is the biggest risk you have taken in your life?
In 1985 I went to teach with a church group in Cali, Colombia. It wasn’t a safe place, but I had seven fulfilling years there.
What gives you a reason to smile?
Kid logic and funny stories. I have a rather quirky, “Far Side” kind of humor.
Where in the world are you the happiest?
Most Thursday nights I’m at choir practice. Music makes me very happy!
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
I was diagnosed with a severe hip problem at an early age. The first doctors said I would never walk. Thanks to skilled surgeons and continued improvement in treatment, I walk, and I am very grateful.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Lauri Vaughan begins her new job as library director in January, so it’s no surprise that books come up a lot when discussing her favorite things. Though she wishes everyone in the world had free access to books of all kinds, and says if she’s not neck-deep in a book for a while, she knows her life is out of balance and needs attention, she also finds time to volunteer with Second Harvest Food Bank each week. At Harker, she runs the ReCreate Reading program and is on the Sustainability Committee. Oh, and she really loves her puppy, Aiko!
Why do you do what you do?
I love information. Not just books and certainly not just fiction. I love the power of information. I love searching for it and finding it. And, it’s more accessible than most people think.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Celebrate the successes of others, large and small. It’s an indelible form of kindness that is so easy, is never disingenuous and always makes your life richer.
What gives you a reason to smile?
I am so often delighted with the questions, comments and actions of Harker kids! Often, it’s the little things they do that make me smile: ask a great question, come up with a remarkable idea, wear a brilliant costume, etc.
What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?
I have an identical twin sister, which for the first half of my life, everyone knew because we lived together. [Now] even my closest friends don’t really know me as a sister of a twin. We are very close.
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Hands down, raising my son. It’s still not over, but I think he’s a pretty wonderful person and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically, emotionally, intellectually. But the biggest payoff, too.
Brag about something.
If there were a world series of napping, I’d win.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of Harker Magazine.
Words by Jennifer Maragoni
Just 13 years ago, Kathy Peng ’05 was a student in Anita Chetty’s Human Anatomy and Physiology class. Now they are colleagues. Peng, middle school science department chair, is one of more than a dozen Harker graduates who work at the school. In the past there have been a handful of fulltime and many more part-time alumni who have returned to campus to teach, coach or freelance.
“I still remember her class vividly,” said Peng of Chetty, upper school science department chair. “I am honored to be able to continue learning from her and now be her colleague.”
Now in her fifth year of teaching at Harker, Peng initially pursued a career in neuroscience – contributing to research on epilepsy, sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression – before realizing her calling was in the classroom, not a research lab. She enrolled in the Stanford Teacher Education Program and said she is “grateful to have found such a rewarding profession.” Peng knew she wanted to work with middle schoolers, and her friends and family encouraged her to apply for an opening at Harker.
In addition to being the department chair, she currently teaches eighth grade biology and mentors students in the science research program. She says being a Harker graduate gives her a unique connection with students and families. “They know that I bring to my job an additional layer of understanding of what it means to be educated at Harker,” she explained.
Peng had a deep love of learning as a student and brings a refreshing approach to teaching, Chetty said. Working together is “a chance to come full circle,” she added. “What a compliment it is to our school that alumni would choose to build their careers in service to Harker,” Chetty continued. “Our faculty are known for caring deeply about their students and striving to give so much of themselves to our students. Our alumni well understand what good teaching and learning looks like because they saw it in their teachers. They already bring with them firsthand experience of being the recipient of dedication to one’s craft and a lifelong love of learning.”
Although Harker has grown since Peng was a student, she says the “culture of excellence” has remained consistent – and that is largely what drew her back. “Harker has such an amazing student body and faculty and staff,” Peng said. “I am surrounded by excellence, and that is inspiring.”
Other alumni-turned-employees echo that sentiment. “There are so many amazing things about working at Harker,” said upper school economics teacher Sam Lepler ’96, who joined the faculty in 2010. “The students are top of the list. They are funny, diligent, intelligent and just all-around fun people to be around. … My colleagues are brilliant, kind, professional and hard-working. I am honored to be part of a highly talented faculty team. “Of course, the lunches are amazing too,” Lepler added with a grin.
Lepler currently teaches AP Economics and Advanced Topics in Economics: Game Theory, and oversees Oeconomia, the extracurricular arm of Harker economics. In addition to being a Harker alumnus and teacher, he is also a Harker parent (Maya, kindergarten). “I am thrilled to complete the circuit and share my alum status with my own family,” he said.
The journey back
Different paths have led alumni back to Harker, but all agree there is something special about working at their alma mater. They fondly remember attending Harker as students and are grateful for the opportunity to return as employees.
“I love the sense of community that Harker embraces, and many of my favorite memories come from this wonderful place. … There is such a feeling of nostalgia,” beamed Grace Wallace ’95, who teaches first grade and is the department chair for grades 1 and 2.
She attended Harker from kindergarten through eighth grade. (Harker did not have an upper school at that time.) Wallace’s path back to Harker was fairly direct. While in high school, she was a summer camp counselor, and during college, she served as a summer aide and worked on the BEST staff. In August 2005, just a few months after graduating from college, she joined the Harker faculty, where she since has taught kindergarten through third grade. “I have not worked anywhere else,” she said. “I love this place!”
While it was the California sunshine that lured human resources manager Marissa Lucketti ’90 back to the area after college, it was her fond memories of Harker and the school’s stellar reputation that prompted her to apply for a job.
“If you were a San Jose native, you knew that Harker Academy (as I knew it) was synonymous with excellence,” said Lucketti, who joined the staff in 2000. “Who wouldn’t want to work somewhere that had (and still has) a reputation for excellence?”
Although Lucketti only attended Harker for first through third grade, she said she has always felt very connected to Harker and is grateful to work at the place that provided such wonderful childhood memories. Her brother, Matt Ortiz ’88, also works at Harker, as a shipping and receiving associate.
Keri Clifford ’13, who joined the faculty this year as a second grade teacher, can’t remember a time when Harker wasn’t a part of her life. Her parents met while working at Harker, and her grandmother (the sister of Diana Nichols) was head of the finance office and now serves on the board of trustees.
Since high school, Clifford has worked at Harker’s summer program, and during college she was the assistant coach for the girls water polo team. She is also the first official “lifer” on the faculty, having attended Harker from junior kindergarten through grade 12.
“Harker has always been a part of my family,” she said, adding that she is grateful to work alongside “amazing, passionate teachers who are always trying to innovate and improve their teaching. I am also constantly inspired by our Harker students, who arrive every day ready to learn.”
Lepler’s path back to Harker was more circuitous. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in economics and minored in Japanese and Spanish. He taught in English in rural Japan for two years before returning to the Bay Area to earn his teaching credential.
A chance meeting with former Harker economics teacher Pete Itokazu at a professional development conference led him back to Harker, he explained. “I was teaching at Santa Clara High School and really establishing myself there,” he said. “[Pete and I] bonded for a week and he convinced me to just come for an interview at Harker.” The rest is history.
Lepler calls it an honor and a privilege to give back to the school that gave him so much, explaining that he enrolled at Harker in middle school, after experiencing significant bullying at his previous school. “Harker’s welcoming environment full of kind students and caring teachers literally turned my life around,” he said. “I will be grateful to Harker for the rest of my life.”
Middle school history teacher Karan Lodha ’04 says the supportive Harker community was a huge factor in his decision to pursue teaching and join the Harker faculty. He is excited to help his students learn and grow, much like his teachers did for him. After graduating from college in 2008, Lodha held a variety of jobs in the technology industry, but he was looking for a way to contribute more to society. He had often thought about teaching and, while exploring this possibility, he reached out to several of his former Harker teachers, who arranged for him to shadow several teachers on campus. One thing led to another and Lodha landed a long-term sub position at the middle school during the 2016-17 school year. Last year, he was hired as a full-time teacher at the middle school, where he has taught both math and history.
“I’ve been fortunate to teach multiple subjects at the middle school. However, what I’ve learned through that experience is that much of what we do as teachers of this age group is model how to be kind, thoughtful and productive human beings – that is, demonstrate how to develop the skills and personality traits that will help our students become forces for good no matter what they go on to do,” he said. “The curriculum and the content can be rich and rewarding, but the true joy of the teaching profession comes from watching these young adults mature and become unique individuals as the year goes on.”
Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, said it is that mindset that makes Harker alumni such effective teachers. “I have been a particular advocate of hiring alumni and working with the alumni office to better notify our alumni of teaching positions,” Gargano said, explaining that while all employees must have strong qualifications, alumni have “inherent benefits.”
“They come in with a strong work ethic, are well-rounded, and understand Harker’s high standards for teaching and engagement,” she said. “Moreover, they understand the school culture and the importance we place on teachers working closely with students to be their best selves, not only academically but also social-emotionally and with regards to character.”
Green lights ahead
A key part of Harker’s mission is to instill a love of learning in its students. So, it’s no wonder that alumni employees seize opportunities to continue to learn and grow – a mindset strongly supported by the administration. “If you can dream it, and the students want it, it can happen,” said Lepler, explaining that Harker readily gives its faculty the “green light” to explore their passions. “[This] makes pushing yourself professionally and intellectually incredibly rewarding.”
Wallace agrees, adding that as an alumna, “The best part is that I know the resources available to me and I want to provide the same quality of education to my students that I received when I attended.”
Since joining the faculty, Lodha said he has taken valuable professional development courses and workshops. However, he adds, “the greatest resource for me has been my colleagues at Harker. I couldn’t even begin to list the tens of individuals who have welcomed me into their classrooms, provided me with lesson plans, offered a suggestion on a particular technique, or just been kind and supportive when I needed it most,” he said. “For many, teaching can be a lonely profession, with hours and hours spent with your face buried in stacks of paper. However, at Harker, I truly feel like I’m part of a teaching community, which makes the experience incredibly fulfilling.”
Unique challenges
One of the unique challenges alumni face when returning to their alma mater is getting used to working alongside their former teachers and addressing them by their first names.
“Do I call them by their first name or do I address them in the manner in which the students do?” wondered Wallace when she first began teaching at Harker.
Recent graduate Molly Wancewicz ’17, a sophomore at Rice University in Houston and Harker’s youngest alumni employee, said adjusting to this new dynamic was a bit challenging.
“It was an awkward transition from a position of student to that of an employee,” said Wancewicz, who was hired on as an assistant coach for Harker’s speech and debate team just after graduation. “Even simple things, like calling former teachers by their first names, felt odd.”
But Wancewicz didn’t let a little awkwardness deter her from pursuing a job at Harker. When her schedule allows, she flies to tournaments where she meets up with the team and provides on-site coaching. She also does research remotely, and when she returns home to San Jose in the summer, she does administrative work on campus and helps coach the middle school debate team.
Wancewicz now coaches students who were once her classmates, an “interesting dynamic” that she said allows her to be more effective as a coach.
“Debate can be stressful and emotionally taxing, so debate coaching often involves encouragement and being understanding of the unique anxieties that emerge at debate tournaments,” she explained. “Being close in age to students and having experienced many of the same things allows me to do this more successfully.”
Lodha says that while it took some time to get used to thinking of his former teachers as colleagues, it is “incredibly fulfilling” to work alongside them. He currently works with his former advisor, middle school division head Evan Barth, and former basketball coach, Jeremiah Brewer, among others.
“Working with these dedicated individuals to help make our students’ lives better – I couldn’t ask for a better experience!” he said.
Clifford agrees. “They are so welcoming and they continue to mentor me and share their years of wisdom,” she said. “Plus, the kids love learning that we shared some of the same teachers – like Cindy Proctor, who was actually my first grade teacher!”
The more things change …
While many of Harker’s attributes and traditions have remained constant over the years, some things about the school have changed dramatically – most notably, its size.
“It’s much bigger now in terms of student body and also the number of campuses,” marveled Peng, who was a member of the fourth class to graduate from the upper school.
Both Wallace and Lucketti also noted that the uniforms have changed. “The girls uniform are a lot cuter now,” Lucketti quipped. When Lucketti, Lepler and Wallace attended Harker in the 1980s and 90s, it was a K-8 school with only one campus. Since then, the upper school was added, the boarding program was closed, three additional campuses were acquired and numerous buildings and amenities have sprung up – including Davis Field, the Singh Aquatic Center and, most recently, the Rothschild Performing Arts Center and the new athletic center.
“Nichols Hall sits on the field that I used to play Ultimate Frisbee on,” Lepler reminisced. “The school is a whole lot bigger and more comprehensive, so in many ways it’s completely different. … But the caring, kind and intellectually stimulating culture has not changed a bit.”
Jennifer Maragoni is a freelance writer and editor based in Folsom
There are currently nine teachers, four full-time staff and one division head who attended Harker. The teachers: Keri Clifford ‘13, Mark Gelineau ‘90, Sam Lepler ‘96, Eric Leonard ‘94, Karan Lodha ‘04, Kristin Morgensen ‘93, Kathy Peng ‘05, Elise Robichaud ‘84 and Grace Wallace ‘95. T e staff: Danielle Holquin ‘95, Marissa Lucketti ‘90, Matt Ortiz ‘88 and Troy Townzen ‘08. And the division head: Kristin Giammona ‘81.
Late last month, middle school math teacher and department chair Vandana Kadam received the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished Teaching in Middle School and High School. The Mathematical Association of America presents this award to teachers who foster student interest in mathematics by competing in the yearly American Mathematics Competitions.
Candidates are nominated based on recommendation letters from colleagues, and selected for the award based on criteria such as improving AMC scores, increased student participation and increased numbers of students invited to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and the USA Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO). Congrats to Ms. Kadam on this well-earned recognition!
Harker’s business and entrepreneurship teachers traveled to Chicago for the INCubatoredu National Summit in July. Michael Acheatel and Juston Glass joined more than 125 other teachers from across the country at the event, designed to help teachers establish incubator curriculum in their respective schools. “Michael, who leads Harker’s incubator program, and I, along with a couple other teammate teachers from other states, were one of two teams out of 16 selected to present in front of the group,” said Glass. “We had to essentially go through the curriculum that our students would follow, and then the top presentations got to ‘pitch’ their idea (a personal financial scorecard and services product called ‘Nudge’).”
Glass noted, “It was a great experience, especially for Harker to be recognized as the top pitch of the conference by the judges in our first year attending! At the culminating event, the teachers heard pitches from the top five student companies who were competing for $20,000 in seed funding. Now that we are a part of the program, we hope to bring a student team of our own next year.”
Harker tried out an incubator program last summer and it was so successful, it has been converted into a regular curriculum class starting in fall 2018. Read more about last year’s program here.
“We are super excited to bring this program to our students and what experiences it will bring them as they journey with the program at Harker,” said Glass.
Harker Preschool’s Mara Beckerman, music and movement teacher, had a chance to revisit her roots this month in an interview with Call Me Adam, an entertainment website that does celebrity interviews.
Beckerman was the original Charlotte in the 1982 off-Broadway musical “Charlotte Sweet.” Feinstein’s/54 Below and the Second Act Series is celebrating the musical with a one-time show, “Charlotte Sweet in Concert,” on Feb. 27. The show, which will feature Beckerman as “The Narrator” and a new cast, will be held at Feinstein’s/54 Below, which bills itself as Broadway’s supper club and says it provides an “unforgettable New York nightlife experience, combining performances by Broadway’s best with world class dining in an elegant setting.”
Two Harker Preschool teachers recently attended the California Kindergarten Association’s conference in Santa Clara. The annual gathering brings together pre-K, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten and grade 1 teachers from across the state to share best practices and innovative strategies for engaging young children. The theme this year was STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, art and math).
Mara Beckerman, preschool music and movement specialist, and Robyn Stone, preschool STEM specialist, both spoke at the conference.
More than a score of teachers attended Stone’s workshop, titled “Mathematize This!” Attendees posted many positive reviews, including, “This has been the most valuable workshop so far. It was an ‘aha’ workshop! Awesome presenter, I learned so much.” Another reviewer said, “Great ideas to use in the classroom. Showing activities we can use. Great ideas I can’t wait to use.”
Beckerman held a workshop called “Using Music and Movement to Educate the Whole Child.” Her workshop focused on giving teachers ways to incorporate creative movement into their classrooms, and how to use songs, rhymes and books to inspire such experiences. About 60 attended, Beckerman noted. Attendees who evaluated her online posted many kind remarks, including “So much useful information regarding child development and how it correlates/grows by using music and movement. Loved doing the exercises!” and “This was my favorite class of the conference. Can’t wait to use her ideas in my classroom.”