The global education department kicked off the new school year with a visit from Jin Yanfen, a teacher with a specialty in English as a Second Language from the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS) in Shanghai, China.
Jin (who goes by the name Fendy) was the first exchange teacher this school year to visit from WFLMS, Harker’s Chinese sister school. Established in 1996, WFLMS is located in the southwest part of the Xuhui District in Shanghai, an area regarded as an important educational location.
During her recent schoolwide visit, Jin observed and taught classes in both world history and Mandarin at the middle school. She also taught a Mandarin class at the upper school and read a book about Chinese writing to kindergartners at the lower school.
Voicing her support of Harker’s global education program, Jin, who had never been to Harker before, expressed how welcome she had been made to feel upon her arrival at Harker and her belief that “two minds are always better than one.”
She elaborated that when students are able to have an ongoing exchange, they have more options and ways to face problems. “When we talk with each other, both schools develop more quickly.”
Harker’s teacher exchange program is an example of its ongoing effort to build progressive academic and cultural partnerships between institutions around the world, providing meaningful experiences for students at all grade levels and preparing them to be true global citizens.
“We (WFLMS and Harker) have known each other for a long time. Our students enjoy the chance to communicate with an English-speaking friend; we especially want to know about America,” said Jin.
During her time at Harker, Jin was diligent about introducing information about Chinese culture and its traditional festivals, food and Confucianism so that students could more readily understand it. She also informed both Harker teachers and students alike about how China’s educational system operates.
“Our students – at all campuses – really benefit from these exchanges. They always approach me, asking questions about our guests and wanting to find out more about them,” reported Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s director of global education.
Middle school Spanish students have recently returned from Costa Rica for this summer’s Spanish language immersion trip, accompanied by Spanish teachers Julie Pinzás and Susan Moling, who sent email dispatches from the trip that can be read below.
July 29:
What an exciting day we had today! We drove about an hour and a half through the lush Costa Rican countryside to San Luis. There we spent the morning and early afternoon on a canopy tour that featured ziplining across the canopy of the rainforest through a series of 12 platforms. Midway through we went on a “Tarzan” swing and ended our tour using the “Superman” harness in which you lay face down as you ride across a breathtaking canyon for nearly a mile. As you sail along this canyon, a rustling river and waterfalls could be seen amidst the lush forest. It was a definite highlight of the trip so far!
Afterward we returned to the casitas to freshen up and rest a bit before dinner. We enjoyed more of the amazing local cuisine for dinner and then a surprise birthday cake for rising eighth grader Tanvi Singh, who is turning 13 today.
Tomorrow the children will start their clases de español at the ACCE language school.
-Susan Moling
July 30:
Yesterday morning we had our orientation at the ACCE Language School. After a warm reception, the kids all took their diagnostic tests and were placed in small groups of three to four students per teacher. As usual, they impressed the director and their Costa Rican teachers with their Spanish! During the week, students normally begin their classes at 1:30 p.m. and have two breaks before finishing their lessons at 5 p.m. They are provided with a fresh snack and drink such as small sandwiches, cheese empanadas, yucca frita and plátano frito during the first longer break. Following dinner, we had a movie night where the kids enjoyed watching Man of Steel (Hombre de Hierro) while eating palomitas (popcorn). It is such a pleasure to see how the kids have bonded as a group, playing games in their free time with each other.
Today, we set off for the nearby town of Sarchí. The town is very historic because it lies along the old Pan American highway, which connects Central and South America. Sarchí is also renowned for its colorfully painted oxcart wheels and beautifully hand-carved wood furniture and crafts. We went to the Eloy Alfaro factory, which was founded in 1920, to learn about how the wheels are made during a tour of the factory.
Then the students had a painting class where everyone got to learn the basic skills of wheel painting from a local artist, Don William. Students all got a small, white wheel to work with and everyone followed the steps toward creating a beautifully painted miniature oxcart wheel. After the painting class, everyone did some shopping in the extensive gift shop followed by a delicious buffet-style lunch on the second floor of the factory.
-Julie Pinzás
August 1:
Although yesterday morning started off with a bit of rain, it cleared up just in time for our guide, Minor, to treat us to a tour of Grecia. Our first stop was the local post office. Interestingly enough, there are no street signs in Costa Rica. Therefore addresses are more descriptive. The school’s, for example, is “50 metros al oeste de la estación de Bomberos en Grecia centro; segunda planta de Restaurante Galería.” (50 meters East of Grecia’s Downtown Fire Station; second floor of the Galería Restaurant). Our next stop was a local indoor market. Students were able sample passion fruit and other indigenous fruits. The last stop of our tour was Costa Rica’s version of Jamba Juice, Cosechas Grecia. Here students were able to sample a yummy fruit smoothie.
Part of our group then walked to the polideportivo (sports center) where they were able to enjoy some playtime in the pool. The other half of the group went to a local woman’s home where they participated in a cooking class and enjoyed a wonderful, home-cooked luncheon. Everyone helped Sra. Lavinia prepare a sumptuous arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), a traditional Costa Rican dish which features several local vegetables, special seasonings and chicken. This dish was served with fried bananas (plátanos maduros) and a refreshing cas-pineapple smoothie.
Last night, after school, we visited a private K-12 school, Centro Educativo Nuevo Milenio, where our entire group had a chance to participate in the high school’s English Day Talent Show a la “America’s Got Talent.” They all did a fantastic job and impressed our hosts with their talent and level of confidence!
Today in the morning the same two groups from yesterday switched and enjoyed the cooking class/pool activities. Then after school today, we headed off to a local indoor soccer pitch to play with Minor’s son, Christopher, and some of his classmates. Everyone got into the game and had a lot of fun playing an exciting match of soccer non-stop for an hour. To top it off, students enjoyed dinner at a local soda. A soda is a family-run restaurant, similar to a small North American diner. Sodas are a great place to find quick home cooking, usually the stick-to-your-ribs variety – think rice and beans, hamburgers and fries.
-Julie Pinzás
August 2:
In the morning we awoke early to head off an immigrant neighborhood known as La Carpio, just outside of the capital city, San José, and about an hour’s drive away. This area, home to some 34,000 people, is made up of mainly immigrants from the neighboring country of Nicaragua who escaped to Costa Rica for a better life following the civil war there. As a result, most of the inhabitants of La Carpio are extremely poor. One organization, the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, founded by an American expatriate, Gail Nystrom, has accomplished much in nearly every facet of life for these people for some 30 years. One of them is the creation of an affordable day-care for working parents, the Guadería la Libertad.
This year, the organization is focusing on the one of the poorest sections of La Carpio. Our students thoroughly enjoyed painting the outside of the metal and concrete housing structures, bringing a bit of color, pride and sense of ownership to the inhabitants. We then trekked down to the bottom of the river to deliver invitations and hang posters for a health fair the following day. Afterwards, we went back to the Fundación Humanitaria for a simple lunch before heading back to ACCE for their Spanish classes. That evening we went to a local mall just outside of Grecia to have dinner and enjoy some window-shopping.
-Susan Moling
August 3:
Yesterday we got off to an early start for Manuel National Park, about three hours north of Grecia. We took a newly paved highway that supposedly cut the drive down by an hour. On the way we stopped and walked across a bridge to observe Central American crocodiles that live along the Tarcoles River. We were lucky enough to see three pairs of bright scarlet macaws in flight as we walked along the seismic suspension bridge.
Our next stop was the beautiful Rainmaker Park, which is a lush rainforest where we went on a 90-minute hike – this year with a downpour of rain, thanks to mother nature. They got a true sense of why it is called a rainforest! We observed many species of flora and fauna native to the rainforest. Our guide pointed out some green poison dart frogs, centipedes and different plant species, just to name a few. We walked across a system of suspension bridges spanning a total of 250 meters above the forest canopy. Six bridges extend over platforms attached to massive hardwood trees which allow visitors to explore the rainforest from a bird´s eye perspective, such as rushing waterfalls below. We ended our tour with a delicious lunch of arroz con pollo, black beans and rice. We drove on for about another hour, and then settled into our hotel which is located just outside the famed Manuel Antonio Park we will be exploring tomorrow. The kids spent the afternoon frolicking in the beach.
-Susan Moling
August 4:
Costa Rica blessed us with perfect weather today despite forecasts of a possible storm and rain all weekend for our visit to one of the country’s smallest but most spectacular national parks, Manuel Antonio. Once we entered the park, we enjoyed an easy hike through the rain forest as our guide pointed out many fascinating insects, plants and animals. Nothing compares to seeing two- and three-toed sloths and capuchin monkeys amongst the trees in person in their natural habitat.
After the brief hike, we arrived at the long-awaited beach, which looked like it was from a movie set with majestic palm trees surrounding a turquoise bay. Needless to say, the kids were in the water within minutes, enjoying themselves tremendously. After a few hours of satisfying play in the water and on the sand, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and spent the afternoon in the pool.
We enjoyed another of many scrumptious meals for dinner. The kids have definitely adapted to Costa Rican cuisine and all agree that they love the food! It was definitely a memorable weekend excursion for all.
-Julie Pinzás
August 6:
Yesterday, after our drive home from Manuel Antonio, we stopped at la Casona de Maiz, a typical Costa Rica Restaurant, for lunch. Students then dropped off their luggage at the casitas and went to afternoon classes. That evening they had fun watching “Megamente” (Megamind) in Spanish with Spanish subtitles.
This morning we went again to the organization Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, the immigrant neighborhood La Carpio, just outside of the capital city, San José (La Carpio, history). Today the students visited a special preschool created by this organization to prepare immigrant children for entering kindergarten in the Costa Rican school system.
Our students spent their time helping the 25 or so children, whose ages ranged from 4 to 5 years old, with their lessons. They read to the kids, helped them color, sang songs and played with them. We noticed how our group used their Spanish to communicate with the children and how sad the little ones were when we left. Warm hugs were exchanged all around. Their director complimented us on how well our students interacted with hers. She said we were her best group yet!
-Julie Pinzás
August 9:
Sadly we are sending you our last report from picturesque Costa Rica!
Yesterday we had another leisurely breakfast at 8:30 a.m. We then headed off to a dance studio to learn some typical Latin dances. The whole class was taught in Spanish! Our instructor, Carlos, taught us how to do the bachata, cumbia, salsa and merengue. He was impressed on how enthusiastic our students were and their level of understanding and dancing skills. Everyone had a lot of fun!
In the evening our group played another indoor soccer match with local Costa Rican youth. Needless to say, it was an even more exciting match for they scored lots of goals!
Today we set off for downtown Grecia for the “cazapistas” (scavenger hunt). This activity was developed by one of our wonderful local contacts here, Amy Paschal. Students were divided up into groups of three to four and then had to follow the steps on their individualized scavenger hunts in both Spanish and English. The design of the activity was really ingenious – some of the tasks involved students having to find out information from local townspeople; and for others they had to ask someone to take a photo of their group in front of a particular landmark. Everyone did a great job completing their cazapistas.
Tonight we had a lovely farewell barbecue party in the “Rancho” at the casitas where we have enjoyed these past two glorious weeks here in Costa Rica. There was a sumptuous vegetable and rice dish, barbecued meats, black beans and homemade salsa and chips. After eating, some of the teachers from the school presented each student with a beautiful group photo as a memento of their time here.
Everyone is sad to leave tomorrow but eager to get home and tell you all about their amazing experiences. ¡Pura vida!
The hot, late-afternoon sun could not deter a group of lower school English Language Institute (ELI) students from heading outdoors for recess, where they located a shady spot by the play structure and happily constructed a tower out of wooden blocks.
Although the group spoke several different languages, they expertly communicated in the silent yet universally-understood language of childhood play. Few words were spoken, but concentration ran high as the group stacked block upon block.
Once satisfied with their work, they took time out to talk (with interpretive help from a counselor) to Harker News Online about their experience in the school’s growing ELI program for elementary school-aged children held at the Blackford campus.
Nine-year-old ELI student Helen Kozak shared that going on a recent field trip to the beach at Santa Cruz reminded her of being back home in Ukraine, where she lives near the sea. “I like the ocean very much,” she said in remarkably good English, adding, “I swim all day long.”
In addition to swimming, her favorite things about ELI so far have been archery, circus arts and computer lab. “I like it all,” said Kozak, who has been to the United States several times but never before in the ELI program.
“My favorite thing about ELI is recess … which we are in right now!” enthused 11-year-old Aaron Guo of China. The first-time ELI participant added that his second favorite activity is basketball. He also liked all the “fun outings” to places like the Golden Gate Bridge and tide pools at the ocean.
Each summer the lower and upper school campuses are filled with excited students like Kozak and Guo, who come from abroad to improve their English speaking and writing abilities. And this year the lower school has a greater number of attendees than in previous years; in the lower school alone there are children from China, Korea, Japan, Ukraine and Turkey.
According to Anthony Wood, ELI director, the program saw a notable increase in enrollment at the beginner level, with more foreign students over at the Blackford campus than ever before, requiring a total of four classes. Older students (middle- and high school-aged) attend ELI on the Saratoga campus.
In addition to The Harker School’s rich global educational programming offered throughout the school year, summer at Harker brings with it its own special international flavor, as students meet and interact with peers from all over the world.
ELI initially began as a year-round boarding school, which closed in 2001. Its current summer program evolved and has been around since 2004. There are more than 60 students enrolled for the secondary division over the course of this summer, and at least 55 enrolled in the primary division.
Many ELI students and their families learn about the institute via the recommendation of American friends or relatives familiar with the program. But long before Harker launched the successful ELI program, the school had already earned a worldwide reputation for being among the finest in the United States, which further explains why ELI annually attracts students from diverse Asian and European countries.
The ELI program runs for an eight-week intensive session and is always kicked off with a welcome reception for ELI participants and their guardians. Students ages 6-16 are bound for American boarding schools, universities or internationally-based primarily English-speaking schools. They come to Harker to prepare for and increase their chances of admission to their next educational institution.
For the younger ELI students, formal class instruction is combined with enrichment programs, such as swimming and playing games. Often ELI students are able to join in activities with children attending the regular on-site summer camp, allowing them to have fun while improving language skills.
Karen Glovka, ELI primary program teacher, said the program for younger students teaches English in the context of what children like to do. True beginners, who know no English, learn greetings, colors, shapes, numbers, the alphabet (names of letters and sounds) and school and family vocabulary. Students with more developed skills work on reading, writing and computer skills.
“We strive to keep the learning fun,” explained Glovka, who for the past 10 years has also taught Spanish during the regular school year at Harker’s lower school.
The most advanced ELI students, usually middle and high school-aged, stay at the Saratoga campus and work on special projects tailored to their needs, including SAT preparation. They are assisted by mentors (called buddies or conversation partners) who are Harker juniors, seniors or recent graduates.
These older ELI students receive visits from admissions directors from some of the finest boarding schools worldwide, who come to Harker personally to meet with them and give presentations about what their schools have to offer.
Joe Rosenthal, Harker’s executive director of advancement and the former director of Harker’s elementary boarding program, is also a frequent guest lecturer to the ELI program on the topic of studying in the United States. This past spring Rosenthal organized a series of receptions in Asia on behalf of ELI, which provided a chance for the school to reconnect with several alumni now residing there.
At the end of their time at Harker, ELI students, upon full completion of either a three- or seven-week course, are eligible to receive a certificate (handed out during an official closing ceremony) and recommendation from their teachers.
On field trip days ELI students of all ages can be seen sporting green program T-shirts as they head out for cultural adventures to such diverse attractions as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Exploratorium, Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz Natural Bridges State Park and the Tech Museum.
Some ELI participants and their guardians opt to live with friends and relatives in the area. Others choose to stay at The Marriott Residence Inn, which made housing available for ELI students this year.
ELI participants at both the lower and upper schools may come with the primary goal of being able to travel, speak and learn in the States, yet they often leave with something they might not have anticipated: wonderful memories and strong ties to their new Harker community!
This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Nineteen enthusiastic grade 7 and 8 students participated in the annual middle school trip to China, where they spent time with their buddies at the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS) in Shanghai.
Adding to the excitement of this year’s visit to Harker’s sister school in China, which ran from March 27 to April 7, was the addition of the grade 7 students, who joined the trip for the first time.
Originally based around the grade 8 computer science class’ global issues forum, the China trip this year also incorporated the grade 7 historical component of learning about ancient China. According to Harker’s global education department, including seventh graders on the trip proved to be such a success that it will be the norm going forward.
To be able to go on the China exchange trip was a dream come true for grade 7 student Raveena Panja, who said that in Shanghai, spending time with her WFLMS buddy Jasmine taught her a lot about Chinese family values.
“My favorite memory with Jasmine was when she took me to an outdoor night market. It was so pretty with all the night lights, and everyone I met was so sweet and welcoming. Beijing was also very beautiful, for it holds the historical and traditional side of China. The Great Wall was breathtaking! Traveling to China exposed me to a new culture, allowed me to make lifelong friends halfway across the world and made me realize I am a part of a bigger global community which is filled with wonderful people, regardless of where they are from,” recalled Panja.
Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs, headed this year’s trip, and was accompanied by three faculty chaperones. In addition, middle school computer science teacher Abigail Joseph preceded the group to spend some rewarding time working as an exchange teacher at WFLMS.
“I most enjoyed watching the students engage in round-table discussions with their buddies on various topics affecting youth, from homework loads and family rituals to United States-China relations. They were very interested in learning about and sharing with one another,” observed Joseph. “As a teacher it was really wonderful to see two different communities collide and sit down at the table to have real dialogues about personal matters. This made me know the future of dialogue and deliberation is in good hands,” she said.
Upon their arrival in China, the students were warmly welcomed at the Pudong International Airport by their pals from WFLMS. From there, they hopped on a bus for the short drive into the city to meet their host families.
“The variety of experiences that were extended by their host families gave them all a marvelous glimpse into life in Shanghai, and these were augmented by our further travels. The students also had a chance to make regional arts comparisons, attending both the Shanghai acrobats show and the Beijing ‘Legend of Kung Fu’ spectacle,” Lawson reported.
During their time at WFLMS, the Harker students enjoyed attending classes with their Chinese friends and taking part in special activities such as making dumplings and creating culturally-based art projects. In fact, Harker and WFLMS students grew so close that as their time together came to a close, there were numerous touching goodbyes, speeches, performances and heartfelt promises to stay in touch.
After spending time at WFLMS, the Harker contingent departed for the next phase of the trip, Beijing. Their first adventure in Beijing was a rickshaw tour of the Hutong, or ancient alleyways that once covered the city.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Great Wall of China. Taking a ski lift to the top of the mountain, they entered onto the wall. Many photos were taken of the renowned structure, and the students were thrilled to take a toboggan ride back down the side of the mountain.
Back in Beijing the students visited Tiananmen Square, site of the 1989 protests and ensuing military action. Then they headed to the Forbidden City, where they were guided through several of its 980 palatial buildings.
After lunch, they went to Silk Street Market, a famous shopping center, where they had fun haggling with its many vendors. From there, they enjoyed a final outing to the Summer Palace, China’s largest imperial garden, where they rode a dragon boat to the palace’s pavilion.
The grade 7 and 8 students arrived back home in early April, feeling bonded and eager to share their trip experiences with friends, family and fellow middle-schoolers. And this year, the good news for grade 7 students is that they will have a chance to repeat the wonderful experience of the China trip all over again in grade 8!
This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
In late March and early April, students Neeraj Baid, Neel Bhoopalam and Simar Mangat, all grade 12, traveled to India with Chris Nikoloff, head of school, and Jennifer Walrod, global education director, to learn about entrepreneurship there and see the cultural and natural wonders the country has to offer.
Eager to learn about India’s business and technology culture, the group visited a number of important spots throughout the country. One such spot was Gurgaon, where they met with the founder of India’s largest accelerator – a firm that supports entrepreneurial enterprises – and learned about how the dominance of the mobile phone in India will have a profound effect on how business develops in the country.
They also visited the data center of SiFy, one of the biggest Internet service providers in India, and T-Labs, an accelerator designed to assist the ventures of entrepreneurs in the Internet and mobile data fields. There they met a 16-year-old prodigy who is an entrepreneur and examined the business plans of several startups.
Not ones to let a trip to such a culturally-rich country go to waste, the Harker contingent also visited many of India’s spectacular sights, including Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens, the Agra Fort and, of course, the Taj Mahal, to name a few. They even met the maharaja of Jodhpur, who was gracious enough to give the students an audience with Indian royalty.
Toward the end of the trip, the students visited The International School Bangalore (TISB) to participate in the Idea Challenge Competition, which they ended up winning, and tour the school campus, visiting classrooms and observing the life of TISB students.
The students kept an online journal of their adventures in India, which can be found at http://indiatrip.harker.org.
This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
In May, 27 grade 6 students spent a week in Japan for the annual trip to Harker’s sister school, during which they explored the country and its rich culture in addition to visiting with their friends from Tamagawa Gakuen in Tokyo.
After arriving in Japan on May 9, the group checked into the Oiso Prince Hotel in Kanagawa, famous for its wonderful view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Activities for their first full day included a visit to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shinto shrine, the Hasedera Temple and the Great Buddha of Kamakura, followed by a trek to the island of Enoshima for shopping and play time.
The next day, the students had plenty of fun meeting their buddies and enjoying the welcome party that awaited them at the school. “Let’s just say we had no problem with your children waking up early and getting to breakfast by 7 o’clock because they were so excited for their homestays,” said elementary school head and trip chaperone Kristin Giammona in an email to parents during the trip.
Harker students were treated to a special performance by Tamagawa’s orchestra and taiko drumming groups. After the performances, the Harker students presented speeches to their Tamagawa friends, who were very appreciative.
On their last day at Tamagawa, they attended an assembly at the lower school campus, where they enjoyed another student vocal performance and sat in on two class sessions. Then they returned to the middle school for a potluck and field games. “It was great fun with the sun shining and a light breeze to keep us cool,” Giammona said. The students and parents said their tearful goodbyes at the farewell assembly, where the Harker students received special gifts before leaving to enjoy the rest of their journey.
On their final full day in Japan, the students headed to Itsukushima Island, famous for its torii gate situated in the water at Itsukushima Shrine. At a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the students hung 1,000 origami cranes in the hopes of being granted a wish, as is promised by an ancient Japanese legend. A bit of fun at the Iwatayama Monkey Park concluded this year’s sojourn.
This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
In April, lower school social studies teacher Heidi Gough’s grade 3 students participated in an exchange of art projects with grade 4 students at St. Stephen’s College in Australia. “The purpose of our exchange with the fourth graders at St. Stephen’s was for the students on both ends to see the similarities in curriculum, but the differences in what that brings to the table,” Gough said.
The St. Stephen’s students sent drawings of Australian native wildlife with accompanying handwritten paragraphs providing information on the animals drawn. In return, the Harker students created and sent back collages featuring various California Native American tribes, such as the Mojave and Chumash; each collage depicted a typical day in the lives of the people of each tribe.
This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
In March, Harker grade 1-2 students participated in a mascot exchange with the Bayan Gardens School in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Harker students received a stuffed camel from Bayan Gardens, whose students received stuffed eagles in return. Students from both schools then sent back photos and videos of the mascots as they went on adventures with the students.
In April, Lela Tuhtan’s grade 4 language arts students received their own gift from Bayan Gardens: a series of essays written by Bayan Gardens students about artists whose work they had researched, along with a picture of one of their own works that they drew to accompany their essays. The Harker students later returned the favor by sending similar projects to their friends in Saudi Arabia.
Nineteen enthusiastic grade 7 and 8 students recently returned from the annual middle school trip to China, where they spent time with their buddies at the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS) in Shanghai.
Adding to the excitement of this year’s visit to Harker’s sister school in China, which ran from March 27 to April 7, was the addition of the seventh grade student participants, who joined the trip for the first time.
Originally based around the grade 8 computer science class’ global issues forum, the China trip will now also incorporate the grade 7 historical component of learning about ancient China. According to Harker’s global education department, including seventh graders on the trip proved to be such a success that it will be the norm going forward.
To be able to go on the China exchange trip was a dream come true for grade 7 student Raveena Panja, who said that in Shanghai, spending time with her buddy Jasmine (who attends WFLMS) taught her a lot about Chinese family values.
“My favorite memory with Jasmine was when she took me to an outdoor night market – it was so pretty with all the night lights and everyone I met was so sweet and welcoming. Beijing was also very beautiful, for it holds the historical and traditional side of China. The Great Wall was breathtaking! Traveling to China exposed me to a new culture, allowed me to make lifelong friends halfway across the world and made me realize I am a part of a bigger global community which is filled with wonderful people, regardless of where they are from,” recalled Panja.
Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs, who headed this year’s trip, said that the Harker group of student participants was accompanied by four faculty member chaperones. One of the chaperones, middle school computer science teacher Abigail Joseph, had preceded the group to spend some rewarding time working as an exchange teacher at WFLMS.
“I most enjoyed watching the students engage in round-table discussions with their buddies on various topics affecting youth from homework loads and family rituals to United States-China relations. They were very interested in learning about and sharing with one another. As a teacher it was really wonderful to see two different communities collide and sit down at the table to have real dialogues about personal matters. This made me know the future of dialogue and deliberation is in good hands,” observed Joseph.
Upon their arrival in China, the students were warmly welcomed at the Pudong International Airport by their pals from WFLMS. From there, they hopped on a bus for the short drive into the city to meet their host families.
“The variety of experiences they were extended by their host families gave them all a marvelous glimpse into life in Shanghai, and these were augmented by our further travels. The students also had a chance to make regional arts comparisons, attending both the Shanghai acrobats show and the Beijing ‘Legend of Kung Fu’ spectacle. As usual, a highlight for them was the trip to the Great Wall of China,” Lawson reported.
During their time at WFLMS, the Harker students enjoyed attending classes with their Chinese friends and taking part in special activities such as making dumplings and creating culturally-based art projects. In fact, Harker and WFLMS students grew so close that as their time together came to a close, there were numerous touching goodbyes, speeches, performances and heartfelt promises to stay in touch.
After spending time at WFLMS, the Harker contingent prepared to depart for the next phase of the trip: Beijing. Their first adventure in Beijing consisted of a rickshaw tour of the Hutong, or ancient alleyways that once covered the city.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Great Wall of China. Taking a ski lift to the top of the mountain, they entered onto the wall. Many photos were taken of the renowned structure, and the students were thrilled to take a toboggan ride back down the side of the mountain.
The group returned to Beijing the next day and visited Tiananmen Square, site of the 1989 protests and ensuing military action. They then headed to the Forbidden City, where they were guided through several of its 980 palatial buildings.
After enjoying lunch, they went to Silk Street Market, a famous shopping center, where they had fun haggling with its many vendors. From there, they enjoyed a final outing to the Summer Palace, China’s largest imperial garden, where they rode a dragon boat to the palace’s pavilion.
The grade 7 and 8 students arrived back home in early April, feeling bonded and eager to share their trip experiences with friends, family and fellow middle-schoolers. And this year, the good news for grade 7 students is that they will have a chance to repeat the wonderful experience of the China trip all over again in grade 8!
This article was originally published in the spring 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Upper school students and faculty alike gave a warm welcome to visiting exchange teacher Michiko Takahashi, who is a music instructor at Tamagawa Gakuen, Harker’s sister school in Tokyo, Japan.
During her Jan. 5-18 visit, Takahashi taught Japanese music and observed classes in the upper school’s performing arts department.
Although Takahashi does not speak English, she was made to feel at home at Harker, thanks to the efforts of several Japanese-speaking faculty members who offered to serve as interpreters, joining her for meals and serving as friendly faces around campus.
And, from the moment Susan Nace, upper school music teacher, picked Takahashi up from the San Francisco airport, it was a whirlwind of activity. After a weekend of sightseeing, Takahashi studied the upper school’s music and acting programs, had lunch with the administration, spent time teaching Japanese classes, visited with the college counseling department, and attended a farewell party with performing arts teachers.