The ongoing school closure, which began last week as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has dramatically changed the day-to-day lives of Harker students and faculty, but the community is still finding ways to continue both instruction and socializing by switching to platforms such as Zoom. Yesterday, the advisory of Office of Communication Director Pam Dickinson and Performing Arts Chair Laura Lang-Ree met via Zoom, and The Harker School Jazz Band decided to try taking its practice online. Upper School Admission Director Jennifer Hargreaves’ advisory posed for a photo during its Zoom meeting, and juniors Nilisha Baid, Anoushka Buch, Ruya Ozveren and Sabrina Takemoto took the opportunity for an online hangout during today’s lunch.
Business and entrepreneurship teacher Juston Glass’ students studied demographics for a marketing project and did a case study on how to market Apple products to previous generations. “The teams had great ideas utilizing the marketing mix strategy, also known as the four P’s: product, place, price and promotion,” Glass said. “And we are enjoying being able to remote learn and collaborate despite the circumstances.” During some extra break time in upper school science teacher Chris Spenner’s class on research on methods, the students were treated to an impromptu jazz performance by sophomore saxophonist Aaron Tran. “It was a poignant moment of community and support in strange times,” said Spenner, who was understandably “too entranced by the performance” to capture it in a video.
Senior Ellie Lang-Ree was recently named a finalist in the Steve Silver Foundation and Beach Blanket Babylon “Scholarship for the Arts” competition. This annual contest for Bay Area high school students awards winners in three categories – acting, dancing and singing – with a $15,000 scholarship to put toward their college education. Lang-Ree, a finalist in the singing category, will perform on June 3 at San Francisco’s Club Fugazi for a panel of judges, which includes Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, actor Will Durst and opera composer Jake Heggie. Congratulations and best of luck!
Throngs of Harker community members headed to the upper school campus on the clear autumn night of Nov. 5 for the 2016 Homecoming celebration, during which the Harker Eagles faced off against the Stellar Prep Thunder. Although Stellar won 42-7, the crowd had a great time as Harker pushed for every yard and, for just the third time in the program’s history, the football team qualified for and will compete in the NCS playoffs. The team travels Friday to Moreau Catholic in Hayward for a first round matchup at 7 p.m.
Prior to the game, attendees enjoyed food from Ms. Carly’s Café, prepared by the Harker kitchen staff, as well as pizza and sodas sold by grade 9 students to raise funds for class events. Students and parents circulated between the tailgating and recreation area near Manzanita Hall, and the food court and Davis Field on the other side of the new theater and gym construction site. A gelato truck also was on hand, serving tasty treats for the duration of the event.
As in years past, a small cluster of bounce houses were set up on the upper school campus, this year in the quad, keeping the younger folks in attendance entertained. “The food and the bouncy houses!” exclaimed Meona Khetrapal, grade 8, when asked what she enjoyed about Homecoming. “You’re never too old!”
Visiting alumni reunited with old friends and teachers at the special alumni area, a yearly tradition. “It’s an opportunity to visit with students and their families in other kinds of circumstances,” said Dan Hudkins, director of information technology service and support. “I love running into the alumni and hearing how their lives are going. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Prior to the game, lower and middle school cheerleaders treated the crowd to an upbeat dance routine, just before grade 2 Harker Eaglets took the field for one Homecoming’s most cherished traditions, the Eaglets Fly-By. The Chris Florio-led Harker Pep Band, positioned in the bleachers at Davis Field, provided music throughout the evening. Onlookers also enjoyed a tug-of-war between the freshmen and sophomores, to determine the third-place winner in this year’s spirit competition. The 10th graders ended up victorious.
Just before kickoff, the Harker Choir, consisting of lower, middle and upper school vocal groups, offered spirited renditions of “The Harker School Song” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The anticipation built to a fever pitch as the Harker Eagles marched along the Gauntlet of Spirit toward Davis Field. As they appeared, the crowd roared its encouragement. The game started off with a bang when Harker scored the first touchdown, but Stellar bent to its task, taking the lead, 14-7, at the half.
Halftime brought more excitement with energetic performances by the Harker cheer squad and varsity dance troupe. The juniors and seniors also faced off in another tug-of-war for the spirit championship, with the juniors winning after a tense contest.
This year’s Homecoming court then took the field, joined by Head of School Chris Nikoloff, who thanked the community for the net that recently went up behind Davis Field’s eastern goal post, preventing “all those Eagles field goals” from going into the construction area. Seniors Ryan Vaughan and Kailee Gifford, who was also place-kicking for the Eagles, were then named as Homecoming king and queen.
The second half was tough, with Stellar scoring on some fine plays and Harker fighting valiantly to stop them. The core crowd remained to the end, cheering every effort by Harker. The weather was great, with just a nip in the air by the end of the game, and it was clear the crowd enjoyed the atmosphere and community at yet another great Harker Homecoming! Go Eagles!
On Oct. 10, all four Harker campuses celebrated the birthday of Howard Nichols, the longtime Harker president who was crucial to Harker’s identity as a school dedicated to growth in character as well as academics.
Nichols, who became head of school in 1973, served the Harker community with his wife, Diana (who has served on Harker’s Board of Trustees for more than 30 years). As president, Howard helped shape Harker into a school that prized character as much as academics. His vision for the school lives on in many key areas, including the Honor Code, the expansive performing arts department and the broad array of programs.
In 1992, when Harker Academy was renamed The Harker School, Howard was named president while Diana assumed duties as head of school. Together, they led a massive effort to add an upper school, which opened in 1998.
Howard and Diana retired in 2005, and just three short years later, Howard passed away from cancer.
Every year, the school celebrates Howard’s birthday by serving fresh chocolate chip cookies to students, faculty and staff. This custom is a nod to Howard’s practice of keeping a jar of cookies in his office, signaling to all who passed by that his door was open to anyone who felt like dropping in for a chat.
The morning upper school meetings were marked by touching tributes from Spanish teacher Diana Moss and upper school science chair Anita Chetty. Moss recalled being astounded by Howard’s ability to personally honor the people who helped run the school, when at a special event he recognized by name every member of the faculty and staff and thanked them for their service. Chetty remarked that Howard’s birthday is a chance to remember and learn from his leadership style, based not on authority, but on “kindness, compassion and generosity.”
Upper school students had a blast at the Aug. 28 spirit kickoff, in which students from each class competed for points in a number of activities, including a fierce dodgeball competition and a fun-filled race on exercise balls.
Earlier this semester, upper school students began building structures using Keva planks in an ongoing contest comprising various challenges. “We thought this might be a fun way for kids to do something creative and de-stress in the library,” said upper school librarian Lauri Vaughan. “The planks are out for anyone to use pretty much all the time.”
In the first challenge, students were tasked with extending a structure as far as possible past the edge of a table with no underlying support. Winners Tiffany Zhu, grade 11, Connie Miao, grade 11, and Vivek Bharadwaj, grade 12, devised a structure that stretched 18 inches past the table’s edge.
Most recently, students were challenged to build the tallest structure possible using only 50 blocks. Two teams tied with a winning height of 63 inches: seniors Evan Lohn and Divya Periyakoil and seniors Vivek Bharadwaj and Naman Jindal.
Lower school BEST celebrated Courage Week last week. Students explored what courage means and looks like in day-to-day life.
“Our students have challenged themselves to make new friends by sitting at different tables during lunch,” said Brielle Rizzotti, assistant director of BEST for grades 3-5. “They’ve read and told their own stories about courage. They have stretched their palettes by trying new foods at the salad bar. They’ve carried out courageous acts all week and were recognized by our staff. Some notable moments included when our first, second and third grade students courageously took the ‘stage’ to participate in a comedy open mic, while our fourth and fifth graders shared their talents and danced to the ‘Whip/Nae Nae.’ The students have learned so much and we’re really proud of their participation, enthusiasm and, of course, their courage!”
There was plenty of Halloween spirit in the air at the lower school gym on Oct. 31, where even a rainy afternoon couldn’t stop K-5 students from parading around in an array of clever costumes.
This year, the 17th annual Bucknall Halloween Parade was moved indoors, but the rain didn’t keep away the usual cast of characters, including superheroes, ghosts, goblins, witches and fairy princesses. To the delight of parents and other onlookers, each grade level had the opportunity to showcase their characters as a group.
The event was sponsored by Harker’s BEST staff. Students could opt to wear their costume to school or bring it with them to put on before the parade, but most wore their costumes all day.
“Rain didn’t keep us from having a Halloween parade. We were able to make this less-than-ideal parade weather a huge success!” recalled Kim Cali, director of the lower school’s BEST program.
Musician Nimesh “Nimo” Patel gave an inspiring talk to Harker students in early October about his journey from Wall Street to success as a rap artist in South Asia to his work with students in the slums of India. The visit was organized by math teacher Bradley Stoll, a longtime fan of Nimo’s music and work. Harker Aquila has the full story.
The first Eagle Buddies event of the year took place on Oct. 8, with the Class of 2015 and their grade 5 buddies meeting at Rosenthal Field at the upper school campus for pizza and conversation. Some seniors gave their lower school buddies a tour of the campus, while others made toys for animals at the Humane Society.
“I think it’s definitely really fun and it’s a great bonding experience with the elementary school kids,” said Agata Sorotokin, grade 12. “I was at the Harker elementary school too, so in a way I kind of go back in time, which is great.”
Sorotokin’s grade 5 buddy Esha Gohil enjoys seeing what upper school life is like. “I really enjoy listening to their stories about high school,” she said.
Meanwhile, students in grades 10 and 11 headed to the lower school to meet up with their buddies in grades 3 and 4, respectively.
Established during the 2010-11 school year, the purpose of the Eagle Buddies program is to help students at the lower and upper schools bond through letters and activities. The program starts when students in grades 3 and 10 are matched up. They maintain contact and meet periodically until the grade 10 students graduate and the third graders arrive at the middle school.