The lower school library department’s 19th Annual Ogre Awards had a science fiction spin this year, with the very existence of humanity being threatened by alien beings from the Dewey Decimal System.
On the afternoon of March 19, the Bucknall gym became the futuristic setting for “The BKN Millennium Eagle,” the alien starship commanded by Captain Clark (aka lower school librarian Kathy Clark).
The plot? The aliens planned to demolish Earth to make way for a new intergalactic superhighway. But first, Clark and her crew (aka fellow librarian Katrina Nye, along with the grade 2 homeroom teachers) decide to research earthlings and assess if they might be worth saving. (To conduct their findings, they used the “super 3” research techniques taught in the lower school library.)
“The heart of any civilization lives in the stories they pass down to their children. So now it is up to the characters from our folk and fairy tales to make the case for all humanity. They will teach our alien visitors about our hopes and fears, morals and values, strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps we are not so different from our alien brothers and sisters after all! Can our stories save humanity or will the aliens close the book on Earth?” asks the program for the Ogre Awards (informally known as “The Ogres”), summing up the show’s clever premise.
Performed by grade 2 students (otherwise known as the Ogre Academy), the awards show was dedicated to the characters of 21 classic folk and fairy tales, as well as the storytellers who created them. The beloved production was created by former library director Enid Davis. Since her retirement three years ago, the library department has proudly carried on the tradition of producing The Ogres with Danny Dunn, technical director of the Bucknall Theater. Dunn now serves as both the show’s writer and director.
“This year is an homage to science fiction – our own modern fairy tales,” explained Dunn, adding that The Ogres are also an important part of the library curriculum. “The kids are bringing the folk and fairy tales they learned to life!” she enthused.
In addition to her role as the alien captain of the research vessel, mistress of ceremonies Clark was in charge of The Ogre’s educational aspect, telling the stories to the students, leading them in discussions and assisting them in voting on their favorites. Her son, Daniel Clark ’10, served as stage manager (and formerly played the role of Anansi the spider in his grade 2 Ogres many years ago).
The second graders enthusiastically portrayed the show’s cast of characters and creatures from the folklore of cultures around the world, including enchanted royalty, witches, fools, tricksters, heroines, villains and siblings.
All but one of The Ogre Awards are bestowed upon fairytale characters. A special Ogre Award is given each year to a member of the Harker community who provides exceptional service or support to the Harker libraries. This year that honor went to the lower school facilities department. Maintenance director Dan Rohrer accepted the 2015 Special Ogre Award for Lifetime Achievement on behalf of his team, many of whom joined him onstage. Another highlight of the Ogre Awards was the much-anticipated Best Folk or Fairy Tale Award, which this year went to the Spanish tale “The Water of Life.”
Production for the show was made possible by The Harker Federation of Planets, along with a dedicated team of faculty, staff and parent volunteers.
Concluding the show, Sarah Leonard, primary school head, made a surprise guest appearance as the Grand Arch Chancellor of Intergalactic Transportation, whose job it was to make the final determination on the fate of the earth. Thankfully, it was determined that the wish for a happy ending is universal, and the earth was saved … ensuring that humankind, as well as The Ogres, will go on!
Making traditional dumplings in the home of her host teacher was just one of many special activities that have marked Harker debate instructor Carol Green’s experience in China, where she is currently serving as an exchange teacher with the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS).
Green, Harker’s middle and upper school communication studies department chair, departed for China on March 17 and will return to San Jose on April 6. In addition to serving as a visiting teacher, she is chaperoning Harker’s middle school students, now on their annual trip to WFLMS, Harker’s sister school in China.
Reached for comment via email, Green reported that she is “very excited to be the exchange teacher for Harker to the WFLMS.” During her time abroad, Green has been observing the Chinese school’s humanities classes and guest teaching.
“I am teaching lessons on public speaking as well as debate. Debate as an academic activity is growing in popularity in China and I have enjoyed meeting with the debate club at WFLMS,” she said, adding that she had the opportunity to teach a lesson about argument mapping.
“I have also enjoyed meeting local and international teachers and learning about the life of a teacher here in Shanghai. The school has a wonderful peer-observation program that allows teachers to connect and share feedback and lessons with each other… every teacher is encouraged to watch their peers and to welcome their peers into their classrooms,” Green elaborated.
“The students are also very lovely. Many of the older students have told me about their exchanges with Harker and have asked me to pass along warm wishes to their peers back in San Jose!” she added.
Established in 1996, WFLMS is located in the southwest part of the Xuhui District in Shanghai, an area regarded as an important educational location. For many years, Harker has had both a student and teacher exchange program with WFLMS as part of its ongoing effort to build progressive academic and cultural relationships that prepare students to become global citizens.
Shortly after their arrival at the San Francisco International Airport, 23 students from the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS) in Shanghai, China, were welcomed by their Harker middle school buddies.
This year, Harker students enthusiastically greeted their WFLMS buddies at the airport, adding to the excitement of their Jan. 26 arrival. They then spent the day together at the California Academy of Sciences before returning to Harker. After the school day ended, the Harker students took their pals to their respective homestays to live with their families until their departure on Feb. 2.
“The kids had a fantastic time! As we gathered to say our goodbyes, several families told me that they were really going to miss their guests. Our students asked me several times how soon we will be leaving for our visit to China,” recalled Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s director of global education.
Harker student Jai Bahri, grade 7, said that having his buddy stay with him was a wonderful experience. “I learned a lot about my buddy and in such a short amount of time, we got to know each other extraordinarily well.”
Arjun Kilaru, grade 8, said, “The best memory [was] when I took him to a burger joint. He had a half-pound burger with a lot on it and he ate it all for his first time!”
Harker’s relationship with the school in the People’s Republic of China began in 2003 and is the first of its kind. The visiting students were accompanied by several chaperones (all teachers at WFLMS). They were welcomed to Harker and officially introduced during a meeting at the middle school.
Harker students and their WFLMS buddies had been corresponding since the fall. On March 25, a contingent of Harker students headed to China as part of the annual reciprocal exchange program, which is a highlight of the middle school experience for many grade 7 and 8 students.
While here, the exchange students enjoyed going on a number of field trips, including touring the campus at Stanford University and visiting the Tech Museum in San Jose. They also observed and attended several middle school classes, including history, art, drama and dance.
Other fun activities included a scavenger hunt on the middle school campus, making Native American dream catchers and doing a Chinese paper cutting activity with students at the lower school. The WFLMS students’ visit ended with a viewing of the upper school dance show followed by a fun farewell party.
Ten members of the new-last-year Technology Student Association (TSA) club traveled to Bakersfield for the TSA State Conference and came home with plenty to talk about!
At the conference, students competed in a variety of individual and team events, all incorporating future technology. The competitive event topics range from essay writing to architecture and fashion design to teaching. This year, despite being the smallest group attending – one school brought 60 students – Harker students were awarded five first-place medals, two second-place medals and two third-place medals. Some students competed in more than one event.
In the end, every student came home with at least one medal, and club president, Sophia Luo, grade 11, earned multiple first place awards. In addition, Karen Qi, grade 11, was elected as a state officer.
This is especially impressive because until now, the founding California TSA school (Diamond Bar High School near Los Angeles) had held all state positions. “All in all, a remarkable achievement,” said advisor and upper school math teacher Tony Silk. “Last year we cracked open the TSA door; this year, we have it wide open.”
Based on their achievements, all 10 students qualified for the National TSA Conference, which takes place this summer in Dallas. If you see any of these students, be sure to congratulate them! Participants were Eric Cheung, Craig Neubieser, Eric Wang, all grade 12; Cynthia Hao, Kevin Ke, Sophia Luo, Karen Qi, Belinda Yan, all grade 11; Adrian Chu, Randy Zhao, both grade 9.
In early March, the upper school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club hosted a week of fun activities in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (as well as queer and questioning) communities.
The week kicked off with a GSA video presentation, shown at the upper school’s regular Monday school meeting. The video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLkc9Eho0Vk) showcased an interview with four of the upper school’s gay and lesbian teachers: Donna Gilbert, history and social science department chair; Karl Kuehn, dance director; Jeffrey Draper, performing arts teacher; and Abel Olivas, Spanish teacher and modern and classical languages department chair.
The next day, the GSA held a fundraiser during extra help periods and after school, selling rainbow bracelets and Hobee’s famous blueberry coffee cake, donated by the gay owner of the popular local restaurant chain. Proceeds were directed toward a local youth support group called “Outlet.” Founded in 1997, Outlet (http://www.acs-teens.org/what-we-do/outlet/) empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth, and builds safe and accepting communities through support, education and advocacy.
“The community was generous and supportive, and because of that, we’ll be able to make a nice donation to Outlet to support the great work they do,” said Olivas, who serves as an advisor to the GSA, one of more than 30 clubs started by Harker’s upper school students.
On Wednesday, GSA members asked the Harker community to pick up a free rainbow sticker in front of Manzanita Hall during the long lunch and to wear it for the remainder of the day to show their support for the cause, and particularly for Harker’s own LGBT students and faculty. At noon on the same day, GSA sponsored a salsa lesson in the dance room, inviting participants to bring a dance partner of either gender.
All of the events were consistent with the GSA’s mission to raise awareness about the LGBT community and promote acceptance of a group that adds to the rich diversity of both Harker and the larger society, Olivas explained.
Kuehn, who also advises the GSA, said he was very pleased with GSA week. “I’ve received numerous compliments regarding the video shown at the school meeting, and had a great time selling baked goods and bracelets after school. It has been an honor to work with students so committed to giving back to the community. When I was in high school, we did not have a GSA club, so getting involved and interacting with students, while promoting awareness and education, has been very rewarding,” he said.
Harker student Jenny Bourke, grade 11, is one the group’s eight members. “I feel that the success with which we sold our cake and bracelets was the highlight of the week. We raised $450!” she enthused.
“I am very grateful to work in an environment that celebrates diversity and honors the full interests and education of our students,” added Kuehn.
The final concert of The Harker Concert Series’ fifth season, featuring the Afiara Quartet, was a special one. Returning to Nichols Hall auditorium after their first performance in 2012, the Canada-based group of elite players arrived with some special guests and surprises in store for the sizable crowd.
Afiara are an animated group of performers, an asset they employed throughout the flowing peaks and valleys of Anton Webern’s “Langsamer Satz,” moving in time with its contours and varying intensities, their expressiveness evoking Webern’s striking imagery. It proved equally effective as they frolicked through the opening movement of Haydn’s “String Quartet No. 37,” its darting melodies conjuring a bucolic atmosphere. The entire quartet took flight in the brisk final movement, effortlessly navigating the wilderness of complex harmonies.
This concert was part of a four-day residency during which the members of Afiara worked with Harker students, visiting the lower and middle school campuses in addition to preparing the students of the Harker String Quartet for a special sit-in performance. Joined by seniors Helen Wu and Eugene Gil on violin, Matthew Huang on cello and Austin Lai on viola, Afiara and company launched into the first movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Octet in E-Flat Major.” The students’ presence was immediate from the opening notes, the ensemble’s sound full, robust and locked in, especially during the more frenzied sections of the piece.
“We all had a lot of fun,” Wu said during the intermission. “It was one of those performances that was really energizing. I think their abilities definitely bolstered us up and I definitely think we improved as a quartet because of their being here.”
“One thing we immediately realized is that playing with them is so much fun,” Huang added. “We never really had that kind of experience, playing with a professional quartet. And they really did bring out the spirit in the music for us.”
Mendelssohn made another appearance on the evening’s program as Afiara came back from the break, sliding into the delicate harmonies of his “String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor,” which gave way to a significant tonal and rhythmic shift, as violinist Valerie Li picked up and ran with the Adagio’s tortured melody. A more subdued second movement followed as Afiara’s bodily movement slowed to match the mood and pace. The somewhat light-hearted Intermezzo, featuring some of the evening’s most enjoyable playing, was countered by the fury of the Presto movement, performed with both passion and mastery.
The extended standing ovation that followed was rewarded with an encore, an unexpected but fascinating rendition of “The Enemy Guns” by indie folk rockers DeVotchKa. The song, which recalled Romani folk music and Ennio Morricone, was well-suited to the quartet’s talents, in particular the latent whistling skills of violinist Timothy Kantor.
On Friday, March 6, students and staff at the lower school had a blast jumping rope and shooting hoops during Jump Rope for Heart, an annual effort to raise money for the American Heart Association.
The event, which raised $6,300, took place throughout the day in the Bucknall gym, as well as on the grades 4-5 blacktop for those who wished to participate in Hoops for Heart instead of – or in addition to – jumping. Staff and students of all grades got in on the action, showing of their double dutch rope moves or hoop skills in support of a worthy cause.
“Holding this event not only engages students in physical activity while empowering them to improve their own health and help others with heart-health issues, but it also raises awareness of heart disease and stroke,” said Jim McGovern, who works in the lower school’s PE department and helped organize the event.
Among the day’s fun happenings were all kinds of jumping rope (short ropes, long roping, Chinese jump ropes), shooting baskets, and playing lightning and other basketball games. At the conclusion of each period, T-shirts, jump ropes and other gifts were raffled off to about a half dozen students. Participants also signed their names on a special heart table to show their support for those afflicted with heart disease.
Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s director of global education, can hardly believe a decade has gone by since the upper school launched its exchange program with students from the Collège de Gambach in Fribourg, Switzerland.
“The first one occurred in the school year 2004-05!” enthused Walrod.
Mid-February heralded the beginning of this year’s program, with the arrival of 11 Swiss exchange students and their two chaperones.
“New friendships formed quickly between the grades 10 and 11 Harker students and the Swiss buddies they hosted,” recalled Walrod.
The Collège de Gambach is a secondary school under the authority of Switzerland’s department of public education and cultural affairs. The school is located near an important economic and cultural border between German and French Switzerland.
While visiting, the Swiss students lived with their Harker hosts and their families, allowing them to become fully immersed in American life. They enjoyed observing various classes, as well as sightseeing in the Bay Area and beyond.
After going on a tour of the upper school with their Harker pals, the exchange students observed and participated in classes such as dance, debate, art, chemistry, drama, poetry and American history. They also made Native American dream catchers with Keith Hirota, middle school social studies teacher and K-8 department chair. Another highlight for the Swiss students was taking an American cuisine cooking class at Cucina Bambini, a local hands-on cooking school.
Grade 11 Harker student and program participant Daphne Yang said it was the little things – like hanging out at the mall and talking over coffee at Starbucks – that she remembers most fondly about time spent with her Swiss buddy.
“The Swiss visit was really a learning experience,” Yang said. “I got to interact with people from a different background and culture than I am used to, and I had fun picking up bits and pieces of their lifestyles as they were immersed in mine. It made me realize how much I enjoy learning not only other languages, but also the culture that comes with it. … With all the fun we’ve had, I can’t wait to visit Switzerland in the summer to learn more!”
One thing that really interested Yang was that the Swiss buddies had never seen a school bus before. She found it “very cute” that they were awed by the yellowness of the vehicle and took pictures and selfies in front of it.
At the end of their special time together, Harker students and their new Swiss buddies said their goodbyes over a farewell party in the campus bistro. Come June, they will be reunited, this time in Switzerland. The upcoming adventure will afford the Harker contingent the opportunity to immerse themselves in Swiss culture, brush up on their language skills and explore the country’s vast natural beauty.
Ken Barber, an upper school substitute teacher who assisted Walrod during the Swiss visit, said the best thing about watching the interactions between the Harker and Swiss students was the development of close relationships. “Their interactions seemed to be warm and genuine,” he recalled.
Diana Moss, upper school Spanish teacher and Class of 2015 dean, “loved hosting the Swiss chaperones, Cyril and Ole. They were enthusiastic about experiencing every aspect of American culture, including vinyl records, old cars, motorcycles and country music. They were particularly excited to see my husband’s ‘man space’ garage packed full of tools and choice gadgets, saying it was exactly the image they had of a typical American home. We engaged in long and lively discussions about culture, language and schools, and our home felt very quiet after they’d left. I know we’ve established a friendship that will endure – exactly the goal of a cultural exchange!” said Moss.
Feb. 23, 2015 Glenn Reddy, grade 12, and Logan Drazovich, grade 11, are in Indianapolis to make a presentation to the CEO and executive management team of Finish Line Inc. They were accompanied by Juston Glass, director of Harker’s business and entrepreneurship program. Reddy and Drazovich are one of three finalist teams nationwide competing as part of the DECA Finish Line Challenge. The students will advise the executives on how the company can best utilize and improve upon their omni-channel retailing strategy and company branding. Here’s an article describing the event and the video Reddy and Drazovich submitted as part of the competition. Go DECA Eagles! http://www.decadirect.org/January-2015/DECA-Announces-Finalists-in-2014-2015-Finish-Line-Challenge/
Middle and upper school music groups gave their first concert of the new year on Jan. 16 at the 2015 Winter Concert at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Theater. The grade 6 jazz band got things off to a rollicking start with its version of the traditional spiritual “Down by the Riverside,” followed by Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island.”
Middle school music teacher Dave Hart then directed the grade 6 orchestra in its performance of Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” and Johann Strauss’ “Radetzky March.”
Next up was a series of performances by the middle school chamber groups. The first group – comprising violinists Nilisha Baid, Shalini Rohra and Aditi Vinod; violists Annamma Vazhaeparambil and Mariamma Vazhaeparambil; bassist Anika Fuloria; and trumpeter Arohee Bhoja, all grade 6 – performed their own arrangement of Green Day’s “21 Guns.” The next performers, grade 8 violin duo Constance Horng and Noah Lincke, performed Bach’s “Intervention No. 2.” A special ensemble of Harker private instructors – violinist Pierre Dazin, cellist Natachia Li and bassist Josh Thurston-Milgrom – treated the audience to Thurston-Milgrom’s arrangement of the popular song “Let It Go,” from the film “Frozen.”
The concert then made another excursion to jazz territory with the Middle School Jazz Band’s performances of “Sugar Plum” by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, “Orange Sherbert” by Sammy Nestico and “Chameleon/Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock.
The Grades 7-8 Orchestra was the final middle school group to appear, performing selections from the Harry Potter films and variations on themes by Joseph Haydn and Niccolo Paganini.
Chris Florio directed the first upper school group of the evening, the Lab Band, as it played a selection of jazz pieces, including Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” and “Bernie’s Tune” by Bernie Miller, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
More jazz followed, with The Harker School Jazz Band playing selections such as the Chick Corea classic “Spain,” the Stevie Wonder hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and Bill Liston’s “Sitka Shuffle.”
After the intermission, the members of The Harker School Orchestra took their places on stage and began with the second movement of Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphony No. 1.” In one of the evening’s highlights, the orchestra performed entirety of Dvořák’s famous “Symphony No. 9” (popularly known as the “New World Symphony”), before ending with “Overture to La Forza del Destino” by Giuseppe Verdi.