The first Eagle Buddies event of the year took place on Oct. 8, with the Class of 2015 and their grade 5 buddies meeting at Rosenthal Field at the upper school campus for pizza and conversation. Some seniors gave their lower school buddies a tour of the campus, while others made toys for animals at the Humane Society.
“I think it’s definitely really fun and it’s a great bonding experience with the elementary school kids,” said Agata Sorotokin, grade 12. “I was at the Harker elementary school too, so in a way I kind of go back in time, which is great.”
Sorotokin’s grade 5 buddy Esha Gohil enjoys seeing what upper school life is like. “I really enjoy listening to their stories about high school,” she said.
Meanwhile, students in grades 10 and 11 headed to the lower school to meet up with their buddies in grades 3 and 4, respectively.
Established during the 2010-11 school year, the purpose of the Eagle Buddies program is to help students at the lower and upper schools bond through letters and activities. The program starts when students in grades 3 and 10 are matched up. They maintain contact and meet periodically until the grade 10 students graduate and the third graders arrive at the middle school.
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond gave audiences a rare chance to see and hear one of the world’s most famous musical instruments at the first concert of the 2014-15 Harker Concert Series season. The centuries-old Lipinski Stradivarius, which briefly went missing earlier this year after Almond was attacked following a performance, has a long and storied history, one that figured into the evening’s repertoire.
Rather than start with the music straight away, Almond opted to address the crowd on the history of the Lipinski and its connection to two of the pieces he would be playing. Giuseppe Tartini’s Violin Sonata in G minor, commonly known as “The Devil’s Trill,” was a fitting choice as the first piece of the evening, he explained, as Tartini was the Lipinski’s first known owner.
That the sonata has a reputation for being technically challenging might not have been obvious from its somber, almost weepy first movement, as Almond brought out the warmth of the Lipinski before launching into the stately and quick second movement. Jeffrey Sykes’ precise (but not robotic) piano accompaniment may have been easy to miss amidst the note flurries and wide intervals, but it nevertheless provided the ideal backing for Tartini’s most widely known work.
When it came time for the sonata’s third movement, Almond proved more than up to the task of traversing it. Among the more impressive and moving displays of the evening was an unaccompanied section consisting almost entirely of treacherously difficult double stop trills, handled so well that any thoughts of the virtuosity involved all but vanished.
Impressive though it was, it seemed almost like a warmup for Almond’s rendition of Bach’s legendary Chaconne from Partita in D minor. A marvel of sheer creativity, the chaconne begins with a simple four-measure theme that is taken through dozens of variations, resulting in a piece that for centuries has been hailed for its emotional and structural depth. Bach’s vision was served well by Almond’s masterful hands, which beautifully manipulated the Lipinski to illustrate the uniqueness of each variation and how they combine into a brilliant whole.
The Röntgen family, Almond told the audience in his introductory talk, purchased the Lipinski Stradivarius after Karol Lipinski’s death. One of the sons, Julius, went on to become composer and pianist of some renown, with a close association to Johannes Brahms. The bittersweet first movement of his Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano feature Almond’s delicate playing floating atop Sykes’ dancing piano melodies, evoking a pastoral serenity. The frolicking second movement, with its playful call-and-response staccato lines, continued in this vein before making way for the contemplative third movement, which wavered between the solemn and triumphant, building momentum for a thundering emotional climax of crashing chords and piercing high notes, which the Lipinski sang beautifully.
Harker parent Prashant Fuloria (Anika, grade 6; Varun, grade 3) enjoyed the performance of the Bach piece in particular and said that the concert’s atmosphere was a good environment for many age groups. “It’s not too formal. Kids can go around and be kids and listen to some great music,” he said.
“It is breathtaking,” attendee Lynn Mitchell said of Almond’s performance. “I particularly enjoy the Röntgen piece.” She also enjoyed the “inviting” atmosphere of the venue, and said the food was “delicious.”
The ostensible final piece for the evening was Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A Major, which was chosen, Almond said, because “it’s fun to play.” Sykes set the tone with a soft bedding of chords before being joined by the violin, whose vulnerable melodies were gorgeously rendered as they swayed rhythmically with the backing piano, the two trading melancholic lines. An urgent, almost sinister assemblage of piano notes opened the next movement before bursting into a dazzling run. Almond expertly utilized the Lipinski’s warm lower registers to introduce the frantic, flowing melody, which both contrasted and played off of the panicked piano underneath. The slow and repentant third movement was beautifully anchored by Sykes’ emotive subtleties, punctuated by anguished outbursts. As if to make up for the anxiety and despair of the previous two movements, the sonata shifted into an uplifting and determined mood, bringing back the theme from the first movement for a rollicking finish.
Shortly after showing their immense appreciation for Almond’s performance, the audience was treated to an encore performance of one of Clara Schumann’s Romances, a double rarity in that Schumann’s pieces are not widely performed, much less on a legendary 300-year-old instrument. Almond and Sykes’ rendering of the piece by the legendary pianist and gifted (but unfortunately unprolific) composer was as lovely as one could have expected, its reflective melodies providing a fitting sendoff for the evening.
The 2014 Siemens Competition Math : Science : Technology semifinalists were just announced and 408 national semifinalists and 97 regional finalists were named. This year 13 students from The Harker School were among the 60 California semifinalists, representing 22 percent of the statewide total. In addition, four of those students were among the 15 named regional finalists, representing 27 percent of the regional total. More Harker students were named in both categories than any other school in California. Congratulations to the students and faculty for this outstanding achievement.
Harker’s regional finalists and their projects are:
Jason Chu, grade 12: “Studying the Nature of Dwarf Elliptical Nuclei and Globular Clusters”
Vineet Kosaraju, grade 11: “Designing Tertiary Structures with RNA Motifs in Order to Optimize 3-Dimensional RNA Folds in a Massive Open Laboratory”
Jonathan Ma and Sadhika Malladi, both grade 11: “Systematic Rational Identification of Sex-Linked Molecular Alterations and Therapies in Cancer”
These four students have each earned a $1,000 scholarship and will move on to the regional competition, held next month at the California Institute of Technology, for a chance to appear at the national finals in Washington, D.C., in December, where students will compete for up to $100,000 in scholarship prizes.
This year’s other semifinalists are:
Andrew Jin, grade 12 (“A Machine Learning Framework to Identify Selected Variants in Regions of Recent Adaptation”)
Nitya Mani, grade 12 (“Characterizing the n-Division Points of Genus-0 Curves through Straightedge and Compass Constructions”)
Neil Movva, grade 12 (“How Do Teeth Grow? Characterizing the Morphogenesis of the Periodontal Ligament through Complementary Biomechanical and Histological Analysis”)
Roshni Pankhaniya, grade 12 (“Analyzing first-Trimester MicroRNA as a Marker for Assessing Adverse Pregnancy Risk”)
Ankita Pannu, grade 12 (“Mining Online Cancer Support Groups: Improving Healthcare through Social Data”)
Nikash Shankar, grade 12 (“A Potential Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease: Encapsulation of Curcumin within Polymeric PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles Protects Neuro2A Cells from Beta-Amyloid Induced Cytotoxicity and Improves Bioavailability”)
Alice Wu, grade 11 (“Kinematic Anomalies in the Rotation Curves of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies”)
Rishabh Chandra, grade 11, and Venkat Sankar, grade 10 (“Managing the Impact of Infrastructure Projects on Endangered Species: A Stochastic Simulation Approach Based on Population Viability Analysis”)
It was with tremendous gratitude that Chris Nikoloff, head of school, announced on Oct. 13 the exciting news that the Harker community contributed just over $10 million in gifts and pledges, meeting the deadline for the historic Rothschild matching gift challenge.
The entire Harker community is enormously grateful to Harker parents Jeff and Marieke Rothschild, who matched $10 million in gifts, essentially doubling every contribution made between April 21 and Oct. 12. The $30 million capital campaign rose from just under $5 million on April 21 to just over $25 million on Oct. 12. This intensive, six-month challenge inspired many in the Harker community to act.
The challenge was met with outright gifts to the capital campaign combined with funds from a second matching gift fund established by Harker’s Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows. Trustees and fellows, who already contribute their time and unmatchable expertise, were key to preserving the much-needed annual support of our programs while inspiring the community to contribute to the events center.
There currently remains approximately $1.3 million in the trustees and fellows gift fund to be matched, and while the capital giving challenge has been met, families and alumni who have not yet had a chance to participate in the campaign can still have their annual giving gifts matched to double the impact of their contributions.
“The entire Harker community is especially indebted to Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, and his advancement team, whose commitment to the children was evident in their work,” said Nikoloff in an email following the school’s annual Harvest Festival, where several hundred donations were logged in just a few short hours, putting the fund over its goal.
The girls tennis and golf teams both have .600 records or better, while two cross country runners ran their best runs ever at Woodward Park, and the football team plays under the lights this Friday! Here are all the results from the world of Harker sports last week:
Cross Country
At the prestigious Clovis Cross Country Invitational in Fresno on Saturday, both senior Corey Gonzales and sophomore Niki Iyer ran outstanding races to beat their previous best times at Woodward Park. The team will run in the secpnd league meet this Thursday at Baylands Park.
Golf
The girls lost a heartbreaker to Menlo last week, falling to their rival by a single stroke in a neck-and-neck 209-208 battle. They bounced back the next day, however, to crush Mercy-Burlingame by over 40 strokes, 221-264. Their record now stands at 4-2-1 overall. The team faces Sacred Heart on Friday.
Tennis
The girls are now the proud owners of an 11-3 record after a 2-1 week in which they beat Crystal Springs and Gunderson while dropping a match to rival Sacred Heart Prep. They’ll look to improve their record as they take on Castilleja and Menlo this week.
Volleyball
Junior Doreene Kang had 11 kills as the girls beat Castilleja last week to bring their record to 5-7. They hit the road this week for two tough matches against Mercy-SF and Sacred Heart Prep.
Water Polo
Both the boys and girls varsity teams lost to Lynbrook last week, while the junior varsity boys pulled out a 9-8 victory. The teams play at home today against Fremont.
Football
The Eagles are now 1-4 on the season after losing to San Lorenzo Valley on Saturday. Freshman Nate Kelly was a threat as a wide receiver and a running back, pulling down two passes for 27 yards in the first half and running for 26 yards on five carries in the second. Senior quarterback Keanu Forbes completed four passes out of 13 attempts for 48 yards in the first half, and sophomore running back Will Park ran for 45 yards on six carries. The team will play under the lights this Friday at Davis Field when they host CSD!
Don’t forget, Harker now has a Twitter feed just for athletics. Check out the updates at @harkerathletics!
On Oct. 12, the entire Harker community united at the middle school campus for the Harvest Festival, held each year to draw together families, faculty, staff and alumni in a fun setting. As in past years, attendees played carnival games, enjoyed a variety of foods, watched performances by Harker students, renewed past friendships and made new friends. This year’s festival was capped by great news about the events center fundraising effort, which exceeded the $20 million goal and raised $25.4 million.
Festivalgoers had no shortage of activities to choose from. Some headed to the field for time-honored classics such as the sack race, while others enjoyed a round of laser tag, which featured an improved arena with more obstacles.
The silent auction was also as popular as ever, with a wide array of prizes, from wine tasting trips to boogie boarding lessons to premium seating at a 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium. This year’s raffle was improved to offer entrants more opportunities to win prizes by having students sell tickets at every school event leading up to the festival, including Homecoming. Prizes included gift cards to local businesses and eateries, fashion accessories and free dress days.
“It exceeds our expectations,” said Harker parent Lloyd Bakan (Cooper, preschool), who was attending his first Harvest Festival. “I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly is a great atmosphere and fun for all the kids and parents.”
Harker students, meanwhile, were excited to see their friends and enjoy the atmosphere. “You get to have a lot of fun and you get to see all your friends and play a lot of games,” said Alaina Valdez, grade 6.
“I’ve been coming here for 10-plus years and each year I have more and more fun,” said senior Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari. “I love the different booths and seeing all my friends. I think having your friends here is definitely a plus.”
Many alumni gathered at the alumni barbecue luncheon, where graduates reunited to catch up and share memories of their years at Harker.
The middle school campus’ outdoor amphitheater was the center of attention for much of the day as performing arts groups from the lower, middle and upper schools – including the upper school show choir Downbeat, middle school dance groups Showstoppers and High Voltage, and the lower and middle school jazz bands – kept audiences entertained.
One of the biggest attractions this year was Witch’s Flight, a 300-foot long zipline ride that enticed thrill-seekers throughout the day. Riders hollered with delight as they flew across the air 30 feet above the festivities.
Elsewhere, attendees partook in the many food choices available. Food trucks served diverse items such as tacos, Korean barbecue and grilled cheese sandwiches, in addition to the selection of grilled foods, pizza and Indian cuisine.
Capping off the fun and excitement was the announcement about the $25.4 million raised for the events center with the generous help of the Rothschild matching gift challenge. The announcement was made with the assistance of Harker’s MathCounts team, who guided the audience through the somewhat complex nature of the fundraising process. Naturally, the announcement was met with much applause, gratitude and excitement from those in attendance!
The Eagles trounced Ribet Academy 51-6 en route to a big Homecoming win, with touchdowns by seven different Eagles: senior Keanu Forbes, junior Johnathon Keller, and freshmen Tyerinn Pollard, Anthony Contreras, Nate Kelly, Angel Cervantes and Dominic Cea. Senior Alyssa Amick put the exclamation mark on three touchdowns with extra point kicks. The team travels to San Lorenzo Valley on Saturday. Watch the video of the Harker Homecoming Experience!
Water Polo
Harker’s only upper school home contests in any sport this week are the water polo games the Eagles will host at the Singh Aquatic Center Thursday. The boys will be coming off of a 2-2 result at the Sobrato Tournament, in which they defeated both Lincoln and Sobrato. Meanwhile, the girls have had a tough season so far, with a 4-10 overall record and 1-5 league record despite never falling by more than three goals. Root for both on Thursday!
Tennis
The girls dropped their match to state powerhouse Menlo last week, 6-1, with freshman Lizzie Schick earning the sole victory for the Eagles. The team will have plenty of opportunities the rebound this week, with three matches on the schedule.
Cross Country
The Eagles competed in the first WBAL cross country meet of the year last week, with senior Corey Gonzales leading the boys to a sixth-place finish and sophomore Niki Iyer leading the girls to a seventh-place finish. Gonzales and Iyer each finished second in the course, a hill-heavy stretch across 2.8 miles.
Volleyball
The girls varsity squad is now 4-7 after beating Notre Dame-San Jose last week. This Thursday, the team will head to Castilleja for a crucial league match.
Golf
The girls lost to a tough Castilleja squad last week but bounced back to defeat Mercy-Burlingame, giving the Eagles a 3-1-1 record.
Master storyteller Jim Cogan has been a beloved guest speaker at the lower school for many years. He returned in early October to entertain students at the Bucknall campus with his heartwarming tales of quiet courage and compassion.
Cogan enthralled the audience of students and faculty with two stories. The first, a Nez Perce (Native American) fable called “One Day, One Night” offered a lesson in dealing with a bully by standing up for yourself, cooperating with friends and learning that inclusiveness gets everyone working together. The second fable, “Anansi and His Children,” about the well-known storybook character “Anansi the Spider,” focused on cooperation. Anansi is among the most important characters in West African and Caribbean folklore.
A former actor, teacher/administrator, journalist and author, Cogan used material from his new assembly programming, which encourages youngsters to stop bullying by uniting against it.
Excitement was in the air on Sept. 30 as kindergarten parents – representing Harker’s biggest community of new families – gathered for their first Back-to-School Night. The well-attended event got underway with teachers of special subjects and various support services hosting tables on the kindergarten patio. Parents enjoyed visiting the tables and mingling on the patio before moving to their child’s homeroom. Presentations from the language arts and math teachers rounded out the evening. Parents left the event armed with useful information about the exciting year ahead!
In mid-September the lower school library announced the exciting formation of a new “maker space” after-school drop-in program for students in grades 4 and 5. The program, inspired by the educational maker movement, is now up and running.
Throughout the country, parents, students and educators have eagerly embraced the growing maker movement, with its do-it-yourself (DIY) mantra evident at schools, clubs, museums and libraries Now, the lower school will have a maker space – a physical location where people come together to create – of its very own.
On Sept. 26, the Bucknall library welcomed 23 students to its inaugural maker space activity, where participants had a blast creating “Brush Bots.” The mechanical toys are powered by a simple circuit with a pager motor that vibrates and moves the bot across surfaces, such as tables and floors.
The students built and designed the tiny robots from toothbrush heads, batteries, wire and adhesive. They were provided the basic components and a pile of miscellaneous materials to enhance and modify their bot. Students also could design habitats; small boxes that contained their motorized brush bot. The result, recalled the lower school librarians, was a dynamic and open-ended exploration of the principles of motion and energy.
Fourth graders Matthew Chen and Brandon Wang took their brush bots to the next level by designing them to do battle in an arena. In the course of their experiment, the pair discovered they needed to expand their bots’ habitat and were overheard making plans to incorporate paper towel tubes and use a table rather than a box.
Fifth grade English teacher Ann Smitherman observed that the “flexibility that these kids are showing when they’re trying to decide what to do and why things work like this is really important.”
Look for expanded coverage of the lower school’s new maker space program in the upcoming winter issue of Harker Quarterly magazine!