This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
Violinist Jessica Lee and pianist Reiko Uchida teamed up for a crowd-pleasing night Feb: 19 at this season’s second Harker Concert Series performance, which featured the works of composers from a variety of eras.
As the first piece of the evening began, Lee stood still with her instrument at her side while Uchida marched through the solemn opening chords. A slow uplift gave way to a weepy melody, accentuated by Lee’s superb vibrato and interpretive clarity. Their interplay soon drifted into a jaunt of arpeggios, tempo changes and volume swells. Lee’s and Uchida’s mastery of tone and technique served them well through these challenging sections, maintaining astonishing accuracy without losing the emotional impact. This was most apparent just past the midway point of the piece, with Lee’s melodies sweeping across the tapestry created by Uchida’s colorful piano work.
Sergei Prokofiev’s “Five Melodies” – “beautiful little jewels,” as Lee called them – began with a plaintive melody and chords that were written in sunny California but sounded more akin to a rainy day. Lee’s animated, dramatic interpretation lent a kind of imagery to Prokofiev’s melodies. The busy second movement brought to mind a busy city street, perhaps the kind the composer encountered while in 1920s Los Angeles. Speaking of busy, the frantic and anguished third movement called back to a Prokofiev quote Lee cited just before the piece began: “I am as ecstatic about California as it is about me.”
Lee prefaced her performance of Leoš Janácek’s “Sonata for violin and Piano” with a personal anecdote about her visit to the composer’s home in the Czech countryside. The piece, she said, contained “explosive fragments,” a result of Janácek’s interest in speech patterns, the various in ections of which found their way into this particular piece. Certainly, the piece often played out like a heated conversation between various parties, shifting moods, coming in ts and starts. It was unconventional material, rhythmically challenging and thematically complex, but Lee and Uchida were up to the task. The transition from the anxiety-fraught first movement to the more organized, daydream-like Balada: con moto was no trouble at all.
The pleasant, strong melodies of Beethoven’s “Sonata for violin and Piano in Major” welcomed the audience back from the intermission, Lee and Uchida going back and forth with delightful flurries and strolling melodies before drifting into the thoughtful and reflective Adagio. Though Lee’s violin was center stage, Uchida shined in the space provided with her steady rhythms and playful interpretation.
Ever the entertainer, Lee elected to close the evening with Pablo de Sarasate’s “Introduction and Tarantella,” displaying not only the technical ability of both musicians, but also their air for theatrics, sending a very appreciative crowd smiling into the drizzly evening. But not before stopping in the atrium for an autographed CD.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
Harker DECA Excels at State Conference
Almost 90 students traveled to San Diego in early March to compete with more than 2,000 other California DECA members at the State Career Development Conference. Harker garnered six first place wins, a pair of second place wins, a quartet of third place wins and more than a dozen additional top 10 awards.
During the four days there, students competed, attended workshops, took protégé exams and went to Belmont Park for a little fun and relaxation.
A highlight of the trip was Harker’s chapter advisor, Juston Glass, passing on his 2015 Advisor of the Year award to the 2016 recipient.
Two days were dedicated to written events and role-play competitions. At the mini awards, 36 Harker students were recognized for achievements in their respective competitions.
At the grand awards ceremony on the final day of the conference, Harker DECA earned an astounding 26 top 10 wins. Additionally, 15 teams qualified for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), which will be held in Nashville, Tenn., in April.
Overall, this conference was a huge success for Harker DECA, not only in terms of competitions, but also in terms of experience. Students had a lot of fun in the SoCal sun and achieved competitive excellence. Harker DECA proved once again to be a top competitor in the most competitive state in the nation. DECA members are looking forward to ICDC!
DECA Astounds with Record-Breaking Wins at Annual Conference
Harker DECA chapter members garnered 19 top three wins at the 2016 Silicon Valley Career Development Conference in early January and 42 teams received mini awards. In addition to the excellent competitive results, three members were elected to the Silicon Valley District Action Team for the 2016-17 year: Alisa Su, grade 10, as vice president of public relations; Erin Liu, grade 9, as vice president of fashion; and Haley Tran, grade 11, as executive vice president.
Students were jazzed by the results and support they received from fellow students.
“The energy when a Harker DECA member won was unprecedented, and all the other students in the room were shocked by the amount of energy our chapter brought,” noted Vanessa Tyagi, grade 10, director of communications for Harker DECA.
“The support for each competitor was unbelievable,” added Alexander Mo, grade 11, director of written events. “I really think that Harker DECA impressed schools not only with our competitive results, but also our bond as a chapter.”
Changes within the chapter have improved results. “We’ve had the best competitive results this year since the inception of the business and entrepreneurship department,” said Sophia Luo, grade 12, Harker DECA CEO. “Thanks to our newly formed officer mentorship program, many of our members worked one-on-one with experienced officers and achieved competitive excellence. I’m so proud of everyone, mentors and mentees alike.”
Winning gave participants a huge charge. “The feeling when I heard my name being called up on to the stage was amazing,” noted Ashna Chandra, grade 10, Harker DECA director of membership. “All the late nights and hard work were definitely worth it. Just thinking about being on stage and receiving the trophy gives me chills, it was such a surreal experience.”
Not all the successes were from beating competitors; some came from just participating. “I had a really good time at SVCDC this year,” said Shaan Gagneja, grade 10. “I was a finalist in both events that I competed in, and an overall finalist in my written event. I got to meet new people and expand my social network. This conference was an overall success for Harker DECA, and I can’t wait for the rest of the competitive season.”
DECA Out and About on Campuses
DECA is keeping busy back on campus, too. Starting early in the school year, the chapter sponsored an Idea Challenge on the middle school campus to bring DECA to middle schoolers. Middle school teams were assigned an item – in this case, a cardboard box – from which to create a product. Each team then had to promote the product via a video.
In late February, Glass and Logan Drazovich, grade 12, DECA vice president of public relations, went to the middle school campus to announce the winners of the Idea Challenge. Each team was judged on innovation, the value of their new idea, sustainability of the product and the effectiveness of their teamwork and communication.
Later in February, the DECA public relations team went to the middle school to meet with the members of the Stock Market Club. Drazovich led a discussion on the basics of the stock market, and gave the members valuable advice on how to play The Stock Market Game, an online simulation of the global capital markets. The middle school Stock Market Club members were enthusiastic and eager to learn new tips and tricks on how to further their “investments.”
DECA also connected with the upper school student body at an informal “lunch and learn” gathering hosted by Sanil Rajput, grade 12, DECA director of finance. Rajput talked about the basics of insurance: how it works, the different types of insurance, and why it’s essential. “I believe the lunch and learn went flawlessly,” said Rajput. “Students came in ready to learn and excited and asked many questions throughout. Overall, it was a great experience for everyone.”
The chapter also hosted a showing and discussion of Shark Tank, the popular reality show that encourages entrepreneurship. Alisa Su noted, “It was not only fun to watch the show in a classroom setting, but the discussion was insightful and invigorating. Who knew you could learn so much about business from a TV show!?”
Finally, DECA pitched top government officials in our area to promote programs like DECA. As part of its public policy- makers outreach, the group contacted Gov. Jerry Brown, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. In emails to each, DECA addressed the importance of career technical education programs in high school, hoping to engage the leaders in a dialogue.
For the full list of winners and additional details for each conference, go to news. harker.org and search “DECA.”
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
Each fall upper school students flock to the gymnasium for the Harker Club Fair to see the huge offering of clubs catering to a wide variety of interests. Although they are not part of Harker’s academic programs, student clubs offer a wealth of opportunities for personal growth.
“Joining a club will give you some life skills that you may not be able to get in other areas,” said clubs coordinator Eric Kallbrier, “like working as a group outside of an academic setting, being organized and developing leadership skills. Clubs give you an opportunity to find out more about your personal interests and your personal strengths. I think it’s really important, especially for high schoolers as they develop into adult citizens, to better understand how they can use their talents and interests to serve themselves, each other and their greater community.”
Tutoring Club
One club dedicated to helping students reach their academic potential is the Tutoring Club, which currently boasts 121 student tutors and assists students in every subject and from all grade levels at Harker. It is unique in its operation, as it forgoes club meetings and functions primarily via email. “Mostly, student tutors meet individually with their tutees and discuss the material the student is struggling with,” said Sanjana Marcé, grade 11, who serves as a club officer along with seniors Sohil Patel and Shivali Minocha. “As officers of the organization, we coordinate the pairing of students with available and capable peer tutors.”
Marcé says tutoring is rewarding because it benefits both the tutors and the students they support. “Through one-on-one tutoring, you develop a personal interaction with your peers,” she said, “and see yourself directly involved in helping students learn and understand difficult concepts. The club gives student tutors a chance to go beyond simply absorbing material in class, instead giving the opportunity to teach and educate their peers.”
Anime Club
Other clubs are designed to help students further their interest in fun activities or explore new ones. Sophomores Wendy Wang and Aadi Ghildiyal organized the Harker Anime Club, now in its second year, to give students who love Japanese animation a place to meet and make new friends. “I talked to Aadi, and then we decided the basic direction of the club,” said Wang, who serves as club president. “Then we found [upper school Japanese teacher] Ms. [Keiko] Irino, and told her about the reason we are creating the club, and what we are going to do.” Irino signed on as advisor and the club was founded with 10 members. It has since grown to 40. “I think I need to know more people at Harker who love anime, who love this kind of culture,” Wang said.
The club meets monthly in Irino’s classroom. At the first meeting of the year, members vote on which anime series they will watch together. Most of the members discovered the club at the Harker Club Fair, and anyone with an interest in Japanese animation is welcome to join. “Our club is just for fun,” Wang said. “For me, I want to make the club into a space for students to relax, to make more friends, to follow their interests.”
Archery Club
Other clubs focus on outdoor activities. One such club is Harker’s Archery Club, which meets twice a week. It was founded last year by students who thought the sport, which is part of the Olympics, was interesting for various reasons. “I started participating in archery for the reason a lot of people tell you not to start archery: I’m really into fantasy and adventure books,” said club treasurer Gwyneth Chen, grade 10, “and I thought characters like Legolas in ‘Lord of the Rings’ and Will in ‘Ranger’s Apprentice’ were cool and exciting.” She began archery in earnest during a lower school Harker summer program and has since become “more appreciative of the elegance and fun in the sport itself,” she added.
The club’s ve members meet on Saturdays to shoot at a range in San Jose that is managed by the Black Mountain Bowmen Archery Club. All the basic equipment is provided by the club, as is instruction for beginning shooters. No prior experience with archery is necessary to be a member of the club, although members must sign a health waiver before they are allowed to attend the weekend meetings. The club also meets during the week on the upper school campus to go over safety practices and gear usage as well as work on physical conditioning.
Although the club is small, its members find it a great way to “to get outside, take a break from work, and exercise a few muscles you may not have known you had,” said Chen, who noted that “the club atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed.”
JSA
For students interested in politics and current events, Harker’s Junior State of America chapter has long been a primary destination. “The goal of the JSA is to facilitate political discussion,” said club president Kedar Gupta, grade 11. “We achieve this through club events and meetings mainly, which consist largely of open-ended discussions about current events.”
As 2016 is an election year, JSA has been particularly active in the past few months, hosting Pizza and Politics events, where students can watch the presidential debates while discussing the policies and campaigns of the candidates. The club also travels to three conventions each year, at which they convene with representatives from more than 30 Northern California schools. “These are awesome events for meeting new people who share an interest in politics,” said Gupta. In fact, attending a convention in Sacramento is what prompted Gupta to become a member. “I really enjoyed that weekend and all the lively discussions, so I continued to attend JSA events,” he said.
Although JSA is geared toward students interested in politics, Gupta says it allows students to participate in discussions even if they are not sure of their level of interest. “JSA is friendly toward all members, since it allows them to engage in politics without being too hardcore,” he said. “Debates at conventions are always pretty funny, which is definitely helpful for those who aren’t too familiar with the issues at hand.”
WiSTEM
Another large club at Harker is WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The club, which has existed for more than a decade, has been an instrumental part of Harker’s science program, due to its involvement with the Harker Research Symposium and its efforts to attract guest lecturers, organize women-led activities and encourage women to be mentors to girls interested in STEM.
Current president Anika Mohindra, grade 12, has been involved with WiSTEM since her freshman year. When asked why she joined the club, she said, “I primarily loved being around so many girls as interested in STEM as I was, especially since I had previously been to math camps where the gender ratio was hugely skewed.”
WiSTEM members deeply value their role in advancing the involvement of women in STEM fields, and in addition to their on-campus efforts, also devote considerable time to community outreach. Each semester, the STEM Buddies program sends WiSTEM members on visits to the preschool, where they engage and guide the preschool students with age- appropriate science experiments.
“Each visit has a different scientific theme,” Mohindra said. “For example, during the chemistry-focused day, WiSTEM members and upper school chemistry teachers put on a chemistry magic show and ran activity stations such as color mixing.”
During WiSTEM’s club week, members raise money for organizations that benefit various causes related to the club’s mission. This year, they raised more than $2,000 for WISER, which will go toward health care and education for young girls in Kenya. “Our donations will provide a safe place for 25 girls to live (including furniture and mosquito nets) and will provide school supplies for 25 girls for a year,” said Mohindra.
Every year, the club devotes a huge amount of time to the Harker Research Symposium, including tasks such as taking inventory, preparing badges and finalizing the schedule. “We also work with all the students giving talks and make sure they have properly prepared and rehearsed their presentations,” said Mohindra. “Of course, we are in charge of publicizing the event on campus and encouraging students to participate and attend.”
And More!
Other clubs include the Red Cross Club, which sponsors a blood drive every year, the Programming Club, which organizes the annual Harker Programming Invitational, and the Philosophy Club, which recently organized the Harker Philosophy Conference.
Students who wish to start a club must first fill out a club starter form, which every student receives at the beginning of the year. To complete the form, the club founders must have a faculty advisor, a committed group of initial members and a mission statement.
Recently, Kallbrier has been devising more ways for students to find and join clubs that interest them. He is currently working on an online list of clubs that contains each club’s contact information and mission statement. Once finished, students will be able to find this list on the Harker website’s student portal. “That’s what I’m most excited about right now,” said Kallbrier.
For now, students can attend the Harker Club Fair, which typically takes place in September. “We have all the clubs go to the gym, they have booths set up, and they get to talk to other students about what their club does,“ said Kallbrier, “and those students can then figure out if that’s a good match for them and sign up on the spot.”
Students can also find a club by looking at the club board in the upper school’s main building, which lists every club and their advisors. Some clubs, such as WiSTEM, also have club weeks during which they stage special events and encourage students to join. “That’s a great time for clubs to promote what they stand for and what they do as an organization,” Kallbrier said.
He added the clubs present an opportunity for students to “better develop themselves and gain an understanding of who they are before they move off into college. Because you never know what you might experience at one of these clubs that can change your future.”
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
Harker’s summer programs will once again be a popular destination for kids looking to enrich their learning, acquire new skills or just have fun. Here’s a look at what’s in store!
HARKER PRESCHOOL SUMMER
For our youngest learners, Harker Preschool’s summer program features art, music and movement, and STEM activities. The preschool’s beautiful 8-acre campus and caring teachers provide the ideal environment for learning and fun, which will include classroom activities, outdoor play in the preschool’s expansive lawn, garden and farm areas, and special events. Children will experience guided play that teaches complex concepts in a nurturing environment.
To be eligible for this program, children must be 3 years old by Dec. 1, 2016, and under 6 before August 2016. The preschool program is offered in two sessions: a four-week session will be held June 20-July 15 and a three-week session will be held July 18-Aug. 5. Parents may sign up for full days (8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) or half days (8:30 a.m.-noon).
For more information, visit the Harker Summer website at http://summer.harker.org.
SUMMER CAMP PLUS
Harker’s Summer Camp Plus, for students in kindergarten through grade 5, combines great learning experiences with great fun. With four exciting morning academics options, students will have more opportunities for fun summer learning than ever before. The four-week program’s Core Focus, for grades 1-5, offers morning sessions in math, writing, coding and more. The brand new two-week Pick Your Passion option gives students the opportunity to take an intensive course in a subject of their choice, such as math, language arts, music and art.
Also new to Summer Camp Plus is Out ‘n’ About, for K-5, which will take students outdoors for activities focusing on character and collaboration. Kids will spend one fun-filled week learning important life lessons both on campus and in the local community.
In the afternoon, campers will have their choice of a vast array of activities, including sports, crafts and games. Following lunch, campers can enjoy group activities such as archery, basketball, wall climbing, dance, music and much more. From 3:30-5 p.m., campers will have a special-interest time to explore activities that interest them. Field trips to Bay Area landmarks are also in store for afternoon campers.
Younger students will have a blast at Harker’s KinderCamp, specially designed and staffed to prepare children to enter kindergarten. Morning sessions include learning opportunities in language arts and math, with an emphasis on hands-on concepts and technology-based instruction methods. Campers will receive individual attention and instruction will be customized to meet each student’s needs.
Please visit the Harker Summer website at http://summer.harker.org for more information, including scheduling and pricing.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER INSTITUTE: ALL-NEW PROGRAM!
Middle school students in grades 6-8 will enjoy an all-new selection of academic opportunities at this year’s Summer Institute. These two-week sessions allow students to create their own schedules to maximize their learning. Available courses include Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, iOS App Design, Python Programming, Creative Writing and more. These courses feature the small class sizes, dedicated faculty and staff, and great facilities that have made Harker one of the nation’s top private schools.
The Summer Institute’s afternoon program gives students a chance to meet with friends, learn new skills and explore new interests. Students will separate into groups and participate in fun, friendly competition led by Harker’s well-trained summer staff.
Included in the afternoon program are sports such as basketball, volleyball and water polo, all taught in a positive environment with caring, highly experienced coaches. These afternoon activities are designed to develop sport-specific skills and teamwork in a fun and supportive setting.
Other course topics include music production, poetry and cooking. Afternoon courses can be taken by themselves or as an addition to the morning academic courses, making the summer experience highly customizable.
The special one-week Out ‘n’ About program treats students to a week of team-building, leadership and community service. Participants will create teams and engage in numerous activities designed to strengthen team bonds, build confidence and forge lasting friendships. Teams will devise and execute service projects, play games and practice newfound skills in real-life situations.
UPPER SCHOOL SUMMER INSTITUTE
Harker’s upper school Summer Institute is an ideal destination for Bay Area high school students looking for a comprehensive summer education experience. Those who wish to gain school credit for the upcoming academic year may select from many for-credit courses, including algebra, programming and biology. Students who wish to explore new interests or expand their knowledge of a subject have the option of taking one of several enrichment courses, including Creative Writers Workshop, Pre-Calculus Boost, Climate Change and Driver’s Education.
These rigorous courses are taught by Harker’s dedicated and well-qualified teachers. Students will enjoy small class sizes and top-notch facilities. Those who wish to enroll in the upper school Summer Institute must be entering grades 9-12 in fall 2016.
For more information about the upper school Summer Institute, including schedules and pricing, visit the Harker Summer website at http://summer.harker.org.
HARKER SUMMER SWIM SCHOOL
Swimming is one of summer’s quintessential activities, and the Harker Summer Swim School is a great way for enthusiasts of all levels to learn new skills and re ne their current abilities in a positive, non-competitive environment. The swim school accommodates 10 different skill levels, from beginners to advanced swimmers. Half-hour lessons are given daily and are developed to meet each swimmer’s goals. Swimmers ages 5-18 may participate in group or private lessons, while those ages 3-4 must take private lessons.
The Harker Swim School is conducted at the beautiful Singh Aquatic Center on the upper school campus, which contains a 75-by-112.5-foot pool and 13 lanes.
Swimmers in grades 2-8 interested in learning key aspects of competitive swimming have the option of signing up for the junior swim team, where they will build technique, endurance and other skills suitable for competition.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
Harker’s summer English Language Institute (ELI) has gained a worldwide reputation as a top program for international students looking to improve their English skills as they prepare for American boarding schools or English- speaking international schools. This ve- week intensive session is available to all levels of English pro ciency. Students are placed in classes according to their individual needs.
For younger students, the elementary program provides an age-appropriate learning environment for beginning, intermediate and advanced students. Students will spend their days at Harker’s lower school campus, building their speaking, listening and writing skills with access to campus facilities such as the library, computer labs and playgrounds. Classes with native speakers are available to advanced students in order to help them build more advanced skills and con dence.
Students ages 12-16 are placed in the secondary program, which contains beginner/intermediate preparation and advanced preparation courses. Students in the beginner/intermediate course work in small groups using a curriculum designed to meet individual needs, with homework assigned to help them build on concepts taught in the classroom.
Advanced preparation students will focus on writing, comprehension and oral presentation. Students will take a test to determine their placement into the advanced preparation level. Classes will take place in the mornings from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with homework time and teacher assistance available from 3:30-5 p.m. Students also will work with native-speaking conversation partners, with whom they will converse about their writing projects. Advanced preparation also includes special instruction to prepare students for American high schools, emphasizing preparation for the SSAT and TOEFL tests, essay writing, vocabulary and speaking fluency.
Secondary students also have the option of adding English to High School (E2H) instruction, which includes individualized resources, personal counseling and performance tracking.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
On a recent visit to the preschool campus, Harker Quarterly caught up with an enthusiastic group of 4-year-olds during recess, who shared what they are most passionate about at school. When asked to name their favorite part of the school day, students cited everything from climbing high on the monkey bars to having yummy snack time to playing superheroes with friends. Enjoy this special feature highlighting how preschoolers say they love to spend the day!
“I have fun playing with Rescue Bots and making fire trucks out of clay.” – Connor Todasco
“I mostly like to play super fighter with my friends. I also like to make pizzas out of playdough.” – Caden Walker
“I love using the easel in art class and climbing way up on the monkey bars!” – Maya Akunuri
“My favorite thing is playing and eating yummy snacks. And doing something fun.” – Kabir Bhatia
“I like everything!” – Daniela Bonomi
“Monkey bars!” – Elsa Wick
“The best thing about school is playing with friends. Oh, and climbing up trees and sliding back down.” – Pasha Heidari
“When I’m outside I like to ride the bikes. Inside, I like to build things. That’s what I like to do at home, too.” – Colin Campbell
“I like to play with building blocks and make stuff. I especially like to build houses.” – Aaron Lau
“I like to make things in art. I like to make anything!” – Navya Maddipudi
“Art is really fun. You can make a lot of stuff for your mom.” – Sophie Shen
“Science projects are really fun to make. In science class we learned all about rainbows.” – Tvisha Singh
“I can’t wait to go outside and play on the monkey bars!” – Julie Hu
“Making a big fire station out of building blocks is really fun.” – Liam Halback
Last month, a dozen upper school students attended the 2016 California Junior Classical League State Convention. Students had a lot of fun and won an impressive array of awards! Harker’s upper school was named the top overall high school for our division, and won first place for our digital scrapbook, third place for our club T-shirt and first place in competitive certamen.
Students won awards in 33 individual categories. Special congratulations to delegate Venkat Sankar, grade 11, for winning the top delegate award in all three categories (academics, art and combined), the top score of all delegates in all levels on two academic tests (classical art and ancient geography), individual awards in eight individual competitions and first place as part of a competitive certamen team. Here is the complete list of awards for upper school students:
Venkat Sankar, grade 11:
Top Delegate – Academic
Top Delegate – Arts
Top Delegate – Combined
Latin Sight Reading – Prose, first place
Latin Sight Reading – Poetry, first place
Ancient Geography, first place (scored highest score of all delegates in all levels of competition)
Classical Art, first place (scored highest score of all delegates in all levels of competition)
Maps: first place
Dramatic Interpretation – Poetry, second place
Daily Life, second place
Modern Myth, second place
Competitive Certamen (team), first place
Andrew Semenza, grade 10:
Dramatic Interpretation – Poetry, first place
Competitive Certamen (team), first place
Grammar, second place
Essay, second place
Latin Sight Reading – Prose, third place
Latin Sight Reading – Poetry, third place
Derivatives, third place
Elisabeth Siegel, grade 12:
Academic Pentathlon, first place (scored highest score of all delegates in all levels of competition)
Mythology, first place
Competitive Certamen (team), first place
Allison Wang, grade 12:
Mottoes, Abbreviations & Quotes, first place (tie; tied highest score of all delegates in all levels of competition)
Competitive Certamen (team), first place
Mythology, second place
Latin Sight Reading – Prose, third place
Dramatic Interpretation – Poetry, third place (tie)
This article originally appeared in the spring 2016 Harker Quarterly.
More than 300 attendees came together for the recent Night on the Town gala, held Feb. 26 at the United Club at Levi’s Stadium, site of this year’s Super Bowl. The theme “One Team, One Dream” set the stage for a memorable night filled with delicious food, fun casino games, dancing and more.
Harker’s athletics programs were a major focus of the celebration, which raises money for the endowment fund. Throughout the evening, photos of Harker alumni who currently play sports at the collegiate level were shown on dozens of screens around the room. Sponsors were honored by having their names displayed on the room’s screens and on the stadium ribbon board.
“We had quite a Night on the Town, and our students were the winners! In this fitting setting, we showcased our student athletes and the importance of providing our athletes and performing artists with quality facilities so they can thrive,” said Chris Nikoloff, head of school.
“Harker is like our village and the school looks after not only our children, but also us parents. Our children have access not only to the best academia and superior facilities for study but also are able to pursue their interests in sports, arts, etc.,” said Aarti Awasthi (Mohan, grade 8; Shivani, grade 11).
One of the highlights of the event was an entertaining “chalk talk” video in which Nikoloff played the straight man to chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine’s upbeat, motivational sports coach. Nikoloff stood at a podium delivering a diplomatic, salesman-like speech extolling the virtues of the new buildings, which Irvine translated into an invigorating pep talk.
This year’s silent auction had attendees bidding for prizes such as concert tickets, jewelry, a cruise, Disneyland passes and VIP packages to Harker events including the Harvest Festival and upper school graduation ceremony. Attendees also saw an exhilarating performance by the Harker cheerleaders and captured their memories of the night at the photo opportunity area.
“I think education is the silver bullet. Harker offers a top-notch, inspiring education. It benefit the school and our community to be able to offer this education to children and young adults regardless of economic means. Sponsorship money goes directly into the endowment for this purpose and others,” said Lesley Matheson (Lauren Rossi, grade 1; Lachlan Rossi, grade 4; Leland Rossi, grade 7).
“Thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers and families who contributed to making this Night on the Town a great success. I am grateful for all the bene ts that result from our strong culture and tradition of philanthropy. One Team, One Dream!” said Nikoloff.
In mid-March, 14 Harker students attended the fourth annual Technology Student Association State Conference in Bakersfield, taking top spots in several categories. Individual top placers included Sophia Luo, grade 12, who took first place in career preparation, and sophomore Adrian Chu, who placed first in extemporaneous speech. In promotional graphics, Kaitlin Hsu, grade 10, placed second. Sumer Kohli, grade 10, took second place in essays on technology, and freshman Alexander Young finished second in extemporaneous speech. Derek Yen, grade 10, took third in essays on technology.
In team competition, the team of seniors Cynthia Hao and Belinda Yan and sophomore Sharon Yan placed first in fashion design. Kohli, along with Alexander Young and Kaushik Shivakumar, both grade 9, landed in first place in technology bowl, while Gary Tsai, Neil Bai, Kevin Xu and Aadith Srinivasan, all grade 10, took second place in architectural revolution.
The Technology Student Association, chartered in 1978, is a national organization that fosters opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for middle and high school students. The organization boasts 230,000 student members nationwide, according to its website.
In March, a group of 11 Harker teachers traveled to Palm Springs for the annual conference of Computer Using Educators, a nonprofit organization that explores ways in which technology can be used to enhance learning experiences.
The teachers who attended the conference had different topics they wanted to explore. For instance, some of the lower school teachers enjoyed hearing about HyperDocs, a concept in which a Google doc is connected to other teaching materials using hyperlinks. HyperDocs also can be used to showcase multimedia presentations. “These teachers expressed a desire to begin using this method immediately upon their return to school,” said Diane Main, upper school director of learning, innovation and design.
Teachers also were interested in “student-driven creation of learning experiences,” Main said. To this end, lower school math teacher Eileen Schick investigated how 3-D printing could enhance student math projects and already has begun integrating 3-D printing into her lessons.
One emerging technology caught the attention of upper school Spanish teacher Richard Bailey, who looked into how virtual reality could be used in language classes. “He has already begun pursuing more opportunities to learn about these and has been integrating exciting [virtual reality/augmented reality] experiences in his Spanish classes,” Main reported.
Main said the reaction to the conference was “largely positive.” The teachers enjoyed the opportunity to share their experiences with each other. “It’s easy to tell how enthusiastic teachers are about sharing their learning,” Main said, “as evidenced by their applications for LID Grants this coming summer.”
On March 5, Harker hosted the annual Teach Through Technology event, organized by Silicon Valley Computer Using Educators. Teachers from throughout Silicon Valley headed to the upper school campus event to learn new ways to employ technology in their classrooms.
Workshops topics included creating maker spaces, game-based learning, and student privacy and online security.