Kudos to the Harker Quiz Bowl Team, which won first place at the 2015 Bellarmine Middle School Invitational on May 24. The event was organized by National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT).
Earlier in the year, the team had advanced to NAQT’s Middle School National Championship Tournament, held in Dallas on May 9. There, the team competed with 128 teams from all over the country, advancing to the elimination round and finishing 29th in the nation.
The Harker team comprised grade 8 students Nishka Ayyar and Jack Dawson, and grade 7 students Kyle Li, Arun Sundaresan and Jin Tuan.
For the ninth year in a row, young cancer patients attending Camp Okizu will benefit from the annual Harker Cancer Walk.
On March 24, students, parents, family members, faculty and staff from Harker’s four campuses united at the middle school field for the walk, which has become a beloved annual tradition.
Cindy Ellis, middle school head, was thrilled to report that “between the baked goods, smoothies, shirts and donations, we raised over $10,000!”
Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for children with cancer to enjoy regular summer camp activities and social events.
The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means “unity.” Camp Okizu is free of charge to all attendees, but it costs $700 to $1,000 to provide a week-long camp experience for one child. Therefore, the camp relies on donations, making fundraising efforts such as the Harker Cancer Walk incredibly important.
“There’s always a moment at each Cancer Walk when I stop and look around at everything that’s going on. People are smiling, laughing and talking. There’s hustle and bustle in front of various tables. And even though the event can be a reminder of something sad, it also can be a reminder of those wonderful days gone by,” recalled Michael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher and department chair, who had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his own mother due to cancer.
Today, he said, he no longer views the Cancer Walk as just a tribute to his mother “as much as I think of it as a tribute to the people and relationships I’ve experienced at Harker. Thank you all for sharing that with me.”
Prior to walk, students engaged in activities to learn about different forms of cancer and cancer prevention strategies. In a further show of support for the fundraising effort, many teachers displayed door decorations with themes designed to promote cancer awareness.
Harker’s middle school students won numerous awards for their scores on The National Latin Exam, which was taken this year by more than 153,000 Latin students from the United States and 20 other countries.
The exam is sponsored by the U.S.-based American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. The test covers general knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, mythology, Roman culture, derivatives, and translation abilities.
The National Latin Exam prides itself on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in his or her study of the Latin language and culture. The exam is a 40-question, multiple-choice test with a 45-minute time limit.
According to middle school Latin teacher Lisa Masoni, Harker students earned the following awards, which they will be receiving at a special ceremony in May:
The Introduction to Latin Exam (all grade 6 unless noted):
Achievement: Roberto Salgado, Shalini Rohra, Saloni Shah, Sriya Prathuri (7), Angela Cai, John Lynch, Maria Vazhaeparambil, Betsy Tian
Outstanding Achievement: Sidra Xu, Jason Lin, Akshay Manglik, Blake Richmond, Linus Zheng, Anna Vazhaeparambil
Perfect Paper: Arohee Bhoja, Jeffrey Fung (7)
The Latin 1 Exam (all grade 7 unless noted):
Cum Laude: Anvi Banga, Kashov Sharma, Jedd Hui
Magna Cum Laude: Henry Wiese, Rachel Abellera
Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal): Fiona Wiesner, Mahika Halepete, Vedanth Sundaram, Matthew Jin, Catherine Zhao, Zachary Wong (8), Angele Yang, Lauren Fu, Cynthia Chen, Katelyn Chen
Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal): Jasmine Wiese, Kyle Li, Kalyan Narayanan, Jatin Kohli, Angela Chen, Ashley Duraiswamy, Andrew Cheplyansky, Montek Kalsi, Jai Bahri, Allison Jia, Jack Hansen, Alyssa Huang, Jin Tuan, Eileen Li, Avi Gulati
Perfect Paper: George Wehner (6)
The Latin 2 Exam (all grade 8):
Cum Laude: Ashwin Reddy, Sophia Angus
Magna Cum Laude: Sahana Narayan
Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal): Ally Wang, Timmy Chang, Tiffany Zhao, Heidi Zhang, Ayush Pancholy, Taylor Lam, Jacob Kim, Sara Min, Nicole Selvaggio, Nikhil Dharmaraj, Allison Cartee, Tiffany Wong
Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal): Bobby Bloomquist, Alexander Young, Kaushik Shivakumar
Perfect Paper: Mathew Mammen, Akshay Ravoor, Clarissa Wang
Ancient and modern China formed an intriguing focus of study for 21 middle school students during their recent visit to the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), Harker’s sister school in Shanghai.
At the end of March, 16 seventh graders and five eighth graders united for an action-packed week with their WFLMS buddies, who had earlier in the school year spent time at Harker as part of an annual reciprocal student exchange program.
Journeying to China is a much-anticipated adventure and highlight of the middle school experience for many grade 7 and 8 students. While there, the Harker contingent visited numerous landmarks and historic sites.
Originally based around the grade 8 computer science class’ global issues forum, the annual China trip expanded two years ago to incorporate the grade 7 historical component of learning about ancient China.
Keith Hirota, grade 6 ancient civilizations teacher, headed this year’s trip. Carol Green, Harker’s middle and upper school communication studies department chair, who was already in China serving as an exchange teacher at WFLMS, joined the group as a chaperone.
After a smooth flight, the students were warmly welcomed at Pudong International Airport by their pals from WFLMS, Hirota recalled. From there, they hopped on a WFLMS bus for the short drive into the city to meet their host families.
The next morning, when the group arrived on the school’s campus, a large electronic sign read, “We warmly welcome the teachers and students from The Harker School.”
“The students were greeted by WFLMS computer teacher Jack Sheng (who speaks fluent English with an Aussie accent), who sent them around campus on a fun orientation/scavenger hunt,” shared Hirota.
After that, the Harker students participated in a dance class, followed by a class on the history, culture and food of China. The students also attended a class on Chinese geography that highlighted the Shanghai area. At the conclusion of the lesson, they headed to the auditorium, where they shared information about their American culture with the WFLMS student body.
“They each did a great job talking about Harker clubs, after-school activities, spirit events and houses, speech and debate, special classes and electives, middle school sports, lunch and snacks, American holidays, famous American points of interest, video gaming and social media,” Hirota observed.
The Harker students then hopped on a bus and headed for Zhujiajiao. The word Zhujiajiao means “Zhu Family Settlement.” It is one of six ancient water villages on the outskirts of Shanghai. With a population of 60,000, it features 36 stone bridges and thousands of ancient buildings along the riverbanks. After a boat ride through the canal, the students were given time to explore and bargain hunt throughout the hundreds of food and novelty shops in the area.
“We had a 12-course family style lunch with a scenic view overlooking the canal and shops. After lunch, students were given more time to explore and shop. We drove back to Shanghai and had an early dinner at Da Niang Dumplings. Before heading off to ‘Era’ (the Shanghai Circus), the students had some time to buy desert and snacks at a few local shops. After a brief drive through the city, we arrived at the circus venue and our students were met by their WFLMS buddies. The circus was simply amazing and the highlight of the day!” reported Hirota.
The students’ subsequent time at WFLMS included learning a form of ancient Kung Fu called Wushu and how to play Chinese instruments called the erhu and pipa. They also had fun making Chinese opera masks to take home.
Another highlight for the Harker students was taking a rickshaw tour of Beijing, which included a moving visit to Tiananmen Square, site of the 1989 protests and ensuing military action. From there the group headed to the Forbidden City, where they were guided through several of its 980 palatial buildings. Then came a memorable visit to the Great Wall of China. After taking a ski lift to the top of the mountain, the group entered the wall. Students took many photos of the renowned structure and enjoyed a toboggan ride back down the mountain.
The students’ time at WFLMS ended with a farewell ceremony and dinner. “The ceremony was bittersweet as we watched several students from both schools give touching speeches and performances,” recalled Hirota, noting that Harker students and their WFLMS buddies had been faithfully corresponding since the fall.
Reflecting on the trip, grade 7 student Jatin Kohli said he really enjoyed the homestay with his buddy and the time they spent walking along the Huangpu River and the Bund, a famous waterfront area. “I wish our buddies could have joined us on our trip north to Beijing. The trip felt too short and I wish I had more time,” he said.
Grade 8 student Julia Amick added, “My favorite part of the homestay was getting to tour around Shanghai with my buddy and her parents and trying new and exotic foods like stinky tofu!”
Making traditional dumplings in the home of her host teacher was just one of many special activities that have marked Harker debate instructor Carol Green’s experience in China, where she is currently serving as an exchange teacher with the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS).
Green, Harker’s middle and upper school communication studies department chair, departed for China on March 17 and will return to San Jose on April 6. In addition to serving as a visiting teacher, she is chaperoning Harker’s middle school students, now on their annual trip to WFLMS, Harker’s sister school in China.
Reached for comment via email, Green reported that she is “very excited to be the exchange teacher for Harker to the WFLMS.” During her time abroad, Green has been observing the Chinese school’s humanities classes and guest teaching.
“I am teaching lessons on public speaking as well as debate. Debate as an academic activity is growing in popularity in China and I have enjoyed meeting with the debate club at WFLMS,” she said, adding that she had the opportunity to teach a lesson about argument mapping.
“I have also enjoyed meeting local and international teachers and learning about the life of a teacher here in Shanghai. The school has a wonderful peer-observation program that allows teachers to connect and share feedback and lessons with each other… every teacher is encouraged to watch their peers and to welcome their peers into their classrooms,” Green elaborated.
“The students are also very lovely. Many of the older students have told me about their exchanges with Harker and have asked me to pass along warm wishes to their peers back in San Jose!” she added.
Established in 1996, WFLMS is located in the southwest part of the Xuhui District in Shanghai, an area regarded as an important educational location. For many years, Harker has had both a student and teacher exchange program with WFLMS as part of its ongoing effort to build progressive academic and cultural relationships that prepare students to become global citizens.
Shortly after their arrival at the San Francisco International Airport, 23 students from the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS) in Shanghai, China, were welcomed by their Harker middle school buddies.
This year, Harker students enthusiastically greeted their WFLMS buddies at the airport, adding to the excitement of their Jan. 26 arrival. They then spent the day together at the California Academy of Sciences before returning to Harker. After the school day ended, the Harker students took their pals to their respective homestays to live with their families until their departure on Feb. 2.
“The kids had a fantastic time! As we gathered to say our goodbyes, several families told me that they were really going to miss their guests. Our students asked me several times how soon we will be leaving for our visit to China,” recalled Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s director of global education.
Harker student Jai Bahri, grade 7, said that having his buddy stay with him was a wonderful experience. “I learned a lot about my buddy and in such a short amount of time, we got to know each other extraordinarily well.”
Arjun Kilaru, grade 8, said, “The best memory [was] when I took him to a burger joint. He had a half-pound burger with a lot on it and he ate it all for his first time!”
Harker’s relationship with the school in the People’s Republic of China began in 2003 and is the first of its kind. The visiting students were accompanied by several chaperones (all teachers at WFLMS). They were welcomed to Harker and officially introduced during a meeting at the middle school.
Harker students and their WFLMS buddies had been corresponding since the fall. On March 25, a contingent of Harker students headed to China as part of the annual reciprocal exchange program, which is a highlight of the middle school experience for many grade 7 and 8 students.
While here, the exchange students enjoyed going on a number of field trips, including touring the campus at Stanford University and visiting the Tech Museum in San Jose. They also observed and attended several middle school classes, including history, art, drama and dance.
Other fun activities included a scavenger hunt on the middle school campus, making Native American dream catchers and doing a Chinese paper cutting activity with students at the lower school. The WFLMS students’ visit ended with a viewing of the upper school dance show followed by a fun farewell party.
Computer science students in grades 6 and 8 put their design skills to use, creating their first actual product of the semester for a recent class assignment called the “Name Card Project.”
“The Name Card Project products were accomplished by my students covering the ‘design thinking process’ concept. The students enjoyed working and creating, going through all the steps (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) of the process. They are very proud of their products,” reported middle school computer science teacher Sharmila Misra.
The lesson was based on the “design thinking process” used by Stanford Graduate School. The project’s objective was to teach students to empathize with user (customer) requirements by creating a business card to their satisfaction, Misra explained. But, unlike a typical business card that could easily be lost or misplaced, the goal was to create one that would persuade the customer to save it for future use.
During the process, students gathered requirements as to what their user (who were their student partners) would like to know about them. They then made sketches of their ideas, took feedback and created the final product. They made sure their partner was satisfied with the end result before delivering it.
The cards reflected each creator’s personality traits, hobbies and passions, including gymnastics, traveling, math, music and science. They showed their creativity using various methods of communication to portray things like their favorite vacation spots, food, sports and pets.
“I truly enjoyed creating a note card that represented who I am, because I rarely get a chance to harness my imagination and let it propel me in the right direction … in a safe and efficient environment,” said grade 8 computer science student Matthew Hajjar.
Classmate Aryana Far, grade 8, added “getting to interpret our creative abilities into an assignment was pretty fun. I loved that … all of the posters were unique and illustrated aspects of my classmates that I had not seen before.”
“I am very proud of my students’ creativity. I believe these are the best business cards I’ve ever seen,” said Misra. “They speak so eloquently of the [people] they represent. My room looks so alive with them!”
Each fall, grade 7 students enjoy a fun-filled Southwestern adventure on the middle school’s annual national parks trip.
This school year was no exception. From viewing the unique red rock formations in Utah and Arizona to experiencing the incredible hiking trails of the Grand Canyon, the students learned firsthand about the American Southwest.
The first stop on the trip was Montzuma Castle National Monument, located 50 miles south of Flagstaff, Ariz., reported Lana Morrison, middle school dean of students. While there, students and chaperones listened to a Navajo presentation before heading to nearby Sedona for some hiking.
The next day’s adventure began with a visit to Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim, where students participated in an organized trust walk (listening to directions while walking with eyes closed). “Students were blindfolded while they walked from the parking lot to the rim,” Morrison recalled. “With one hand on the backpack in front of them and the other on a rope, Harker chaperones provided step-by-step and turn-by-turn directions. Upon arriving at the rim, Harker chaperones counted to three for students to take off their blindfolds and see the Grand Canyon together as a group. I noticed many of the foreign tourists watching us seemed more amazed by this activity than the majestic Grand Canyon!”
Another trip highlight was a tour of Monument Valley, known to many as “the eighth wonder of the world.” Monument Valley, located in Southeast Utah, has been a significant place for centuries, and houses ruins that some believe to belong to the mysterious Anasazi people who disappeared from the area hundreds of years ago. The area is also notable for the fact that it is not a national park, but rather a Navajo park.
Monument Valley became an icon in the late 1930s, thanks to valley resident Henry Goulding (owner and founder of Goulding’s Lodge), Morrison explained. Goulding heard about a new Western movie being made in Hollywood and decided that the valley should be the location. Acclaimed film director John Ford agreed, and the film “Stagecoach,” starring John Wayne, showed the majesty of Monument Valley to the world. The iconic buttes and open sky continued to be emblematic of the American Southwest, and can been seen in movies such as “Forrest Gump,” “Cars,” “The Lone Ranger” and “A Million Ways to Die in the West.”
After leaving Monument Valley, the contingent drove to nearby Moonlight Springs Ranch, which is owned by the Holiday family. Members of the Holiday family taught the group about “The Navajo Way,” as part of a special program for Harker students.
“During our stay, we learned how to make delicious tasting fry bread and created sand paintings. Members of the Holiday family also sang traditional Navajo songs and danced with some of our students and chaperones. At the end of the ceremony, the eldest member of the family chanted a blessing for the rest of our trip and travel back to San Jose,” recalled Morrison.
On the final day of the trip, the seventh graders spent time in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, where students and chaperones alike marveled at the world-famous Hoodoos (pillars of rock formed by erosion).
The trip ended with the now close-knit group traveling to Zion National Park before packing up for their return flight back home. The grade 7 visit to the national parks of the Southwest was one of several weeklong middle school class trips held during the fall. Grade 6 went to the Santa Cruz Mountains and grade 8 traveled to Washington, D.C.
The much-anticipated Jan. 16 arrival of grade 10 students to the lower school campus signaled the start of two beloved annual Harker happenings: the schoolwide Pajama Day Assembly and grade 3 Eagle Buddies get-together.
The sophomore students participated in the assembly as part of the Eagle Buddies program. Held in the gym, the event celebrated a grade 3 service project in which students collected items to donate to the Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new sleepwear and books to kids waiting to be adopted.
For the past eight years, to make life a bit better for children living in local shelters, the lower school has donated countless pairs of pajamas and boxes of books to the program. While the final numbers for this year’s drive are still being tallied, last year’s drive collected 2,000 pairs of pajamas and 2,400 books, according to representatives of the Pajama Program’s local chapter.
Although the drive was primarily a grade 3 effort, all elementary school families were invited to participate by dropping off items in the gym’s lobby. Prior to the assembly, Ken Allen, lower school dean of students, urged parents to encourage their children to bring a pair of never worn pajamas or a new book to donate to the program, noting that each “small donation will go a long way for someone that is less fortunate.”
The assembly occurred on a special dress pajama day, when all the students and faculty were encouraged to wear their favorite jammies to school. The program got underway with Butch Keller, upper school head, reading from the book “The Most Magnificent Thing” by award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires. Students enjoyed hearing to story, and seemed equally enthralled with seeing Keller donned in a comfy robe and slippers, seated in a rocking chair on the stage.
“Raise your hand if you brought a book for your Eagle Buddy to read,” said Keller, after he finished the story. A bunch of eager hands went up. Shortly after, the third grade students had the opportunity to read with their upper school Eagle Buddies, who had also been encouraged to bring items to donate to the Pajama Program.
Wearing a colorful assortment of robes, pajamas, slippers and snuggly knit hats, the grade 3 students and their big buddies then headed outdoors for a pizza lunch, socializing and field games.
“I have a little sister at home, so I am used to being around younger kids. However, it is always the same group of younger kids – her friends – so I really liked getting to know a totally new group of lower school students through this program,” said grade 10 Eagle Buddy Kshithija Mulam.
Her grade 3 pal, Alisha Jain, said “I like hanging out with my buddies. I really liked doing the relay races together. That was a lot of fun.”
Jain’s other buddy, sophomore Vienna Wang, observed that “being an Eagle Buddy is a great stress reliever. You get to act like a kid again!”
Keller created the Eagle Buddies program to help bridge the upper and lower school campus divide. The buddies stay together for three years, until the sophomores graduate and the third graders matriculate into middle school.
Another Eagle Buddies activity is slated for Jan. 29, when the juniors will host their fourth grade friends for “clown day” at the upper school. After eating lunch in the gym together, the students will watch a performance by professional clowns and even get to try a few clown tricks themselves.
Harker’s grade 8 students, who traveled to Washington, D.C., on their class trip in October, are still speaking fondly of their whirlwind adventure exploring the nation’s capital.
Accompanied on the trip by Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, the journey began with a visit to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, and Colonial Williamsburg, an interpretation of a colonial American city. The students were also able to participate in an interactive African-American dance and music program held in a slave quarter in Colonial Williamsburg.
“Specialized guides showed us what it was like to live in Jamestown in the early 1600s. One guide asked why certain posts had Roman numerals on them, and after one of our students responded, she (the guide) indicated this was the first time in her six years of doing these tours that someone answered that question correctly,” recalled Gargano.
The following day the contingent headed to Pamplin Historical Park, one of America’s best-preserved battlefields. The students first went to the Civil War Museum on the park grounds where they learned about the lives of soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Students also participated in military drills and visited the park’s recreated military encampment, experiencing elements of a common soldier’s life.
From there they visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Another highlight was a visit to the Newseum, where Gargano recalled that the students particularly enjoyed the FBI exhibit and a video about 9/11.
The students then met for dinner at the Capitol Hill Club, one of the most popular locations in Washington for lawmakers, government officials and other political figures to socialize and gather. Each year, during this evening, a former Harker student working in D.C. joins up with the group as a guest speaker.
“Eighth grader Alycia Cary introduced our speaker for this year, Stephanie Benedict ’08. Stephanie is currently an associate for Albright Stonebridge Group, a premier strategic advisory and commercial diplomacy firm. One of the many individuals she works with is Madeleine Albright, the first woman to have become the United States Secretary of State,” said Gargano.
The following day turned more solemn as the class visited the Iwo Jima U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Ford’s Theatre and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Toward the end of the trip, students visited the Capitol building, learning about the branches of the government and touring the House of Representatives, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. In keeping with annual tradition, the group took a photo in front of the Capitol.
New this year, the grade 8 students also had the exciting opportunity to visit the Washington Monument, the world’s tallest stone structure (at 555 feet), built to commemorate George Washington. “We took an elevator to get to the observation deck where we had an amazing view of the nation’s capital. This was the first trip where we obtained tickets to go to the top of the monument,” said Gargano.
By the end of the trip the students had fully bonded as a group, returning home eager to share highlights of their trip with friends and family. The grade 8 visit to Washington, D.C., was one of several weeklong middle school class trips held during the fall. Grade 6 went to the Santa Cruz Mountains and grade 7 toured national parks around the Southwest.