NOVEMBER 2001 (VOL. 8, NO. 2)
A
M O N T H L Y
N E W S L E T T E R
BUCKNALL CAMPUS
F R O M
student
Check out the latest features on the new…
PARENT HOME PAGE. Go to www.harker.org and click on the word PARENTS at the top of the page. Old and new features to this site are: • Download-able files of these newsletters • E-mail directory of all Harker faculty • Parent Q & A if you need an answer fast • School calendars, schedules and menus • Parent event updates and registrations • Emergency information Safety and security have always been a high priority for Harker, and we continue to evaluate our procedures in light of current world events. We will be posting more detailed information on our Emergency Plans link on the PARENT HOME PAGE this month. Also, for the safety of our families, we will be instituting password protected entry to certain links on the site in the near future. We will keep you posted.
T H E
H A R K E R
S C H O O L
outreach ■ In addition to meeting individual needs as they arose, the US Counseling Dept. moderated a discussion group surrounding the events of September 11th for both students and faculty in October.
The Harker community continues to find ways to help those affected by the events of Sept. 11th and to respond to the current world events. Coming together to share time, energy and resources in offering assistance to those in need is a productive way for our children to cope with feelings of sadness, anger and helplessness. It helps all of us “grown-ups,” too. Here’s a report of just some of the school-wide activities to date:
collected on both campuses.
■ The entire Bucknall campus is sponsoring a t-shirt design contest, with the theme “Harker Cares.” A winning design will be selected from the Primary and Elementary divisions and made into t-shirts, which will be available for sale in early November and can be worn on Wednesdays as a uniform option. All of the designs submitted will be laminated and displayed at the Bucknall campus.
Grandparent’s Day, Friday, Nov. 16
■ The US Key Club members participated in a candy sale to raise funds and are now in the process of a holiday writing compaign to send cards and candy canes to those fighting oversees.
event
news
This time-honored Harker tradition, orchestrated almost entirely by parent volunteers, is for our Bucknall students to invite their grandparents, extended family members, or other important adults in their lives to see their beautiful school.
■ The 5th grade spirit representatives sold Halloween Candygrams to raise funds. Jason Oncay, spirit coordinator and 5th grade faculty member, said, “We're selling them at about 30 an hour!” ■ Now more than ever it’s important for our students to have a sense of pride and patriotism. Many of our classrooms have continued to incorporate the “Pledge of Allegiance” into their daily schedule over the years, and the administration has asked all K8 homerooms to join this tradition of reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” in the morning routine. (Who knows? There might be a few patriotic songs ringing out in the mornings, as well!) ■ Harker is supporting President Bush’s request for each school child across America to donate one dollar to help the children of Afghanistan. Donations are being
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Parents, please support the spirit of this event by not attending—this is for grandparents or other family members or friends important to your child. Children who do not have guests visiting them on Grandparents’ Day are guaranteed an equally fun afternoon, thanks to the Rec.
Dept. who will have some wonder ful activities planned, including art, movies, playground games, crafts, etc. Once guests have registered in the gym and received their name tags and special gifts, the activities of the day will include refreshments and browsing at the Book Fair, student performances, a visit to their child’s homeroom and a tour by your student of the campus. Invitations have been mailed on behalf of the children to their special guests, and we look for ward to a great turnout this year. Check the web site for more details.
The 2nd Grade Social on Sept. 30th—a hot, fun day organized by parent, Michelle Maxey and photographed by parent Kim Pellisier. Over 100 attended! Other parentorganized events held recently were the Kindergarten Wheel-Away on Oct. 13th organized by parent Presley Troyer, and the 4th Grade Fun Day, organized by the 4th Grade room parents.
In The
classroom ■ K-6 students participated in the various activities during national “CHARACTER COUNTS! Week” the third week in October. Harker has joined thousands of schools, organizations and businesses in participating in this national program over the past 5 years, which acknowledge the ethical values that bind us, and teaches them rigorously to the young.
International Program ■ A new international program started this September 2001. Our 6th grade students began studying with a school in Jaipur, India. Students study the same topics (environmental studies) as our 6th graders study with Tamagawa. The Neerja Modi School has grades kindergarten through sixth grade, and then will add a seventh and eighth grade as their students progress, thus readying them to study population growth with our 8th graders in a couple of years. If you have questions about the program, or would like to help, contact Beverly Whitaker, International Programs Director . at beverlyw@harker.org ■ The brand new Bucknall Portable Dance Bars are here and being used by Dance Teacher Wendy Hayes in her Ballet Class on Tuesday nights from 5:10-6:10 pm. These bars were purchased from the Capital Budget for the Performing Arts Dept. - Primary/Elementary Division. Thank you, parents!
■ In Danny Dunn’s Gr. 6 Technical Theatre Elective, students have been working on props and even created an edible alphabet. From a chocolate chip “R” to a quesadilla “H,” from a fruit leather “I” to a gingerbread “D,” the best part was when they actually got to eat their words! They have also been creating Monster Costumes and working with special effects makeup just in time for Halloween. ■ The Gr. 2 Homeroom Teachers announced that all 2nd grade students will be celebrating Diwali, the Indian “Festival of Light,” with traditional art activities, music,
■ The 5th/6th grade held a big Spirit Event in October. 6th graders brought their mascots (more on that later!), 5th graders came dressed in their colors and there were games
Gr. 2 field trip to The Intel Museum to learn about microchips (and a few of the students tried on the “bunny suit,” a uniform that must be worn in the microchip labs!)
and competitions, including three heats of a game called “Race for the Sun” which taught students a little about ecology and was a precursor for a game that 6th graders play in Yosemite. The Homeroom winners of that day's competition were: 1st place Ms. Shanahan, 2nd place Mrs. Fossum, 3rd place Mrs. Wernersbach, and 4th place Mr. Walsh. For more details and fun facts about spirit activities, go to Mr. Jason Oncay’s Spirit Page on the Harker web site.
A Decade of Friendship
dance, food and costumes. Parents are welcome to attend this multicultural event, which will take place on Mon., Nov. 12th from 23:30 pm in the 2nd grade Homeroom Classrooms. ■ The Marin Headlands Trip is December 5-7, 2001. This annual field trip promises once again to be a rewarding and enriching experience for our 5th graders. Parents, it has recently come to our attention that the group insurance policy for optional accident coverage included in your original materials only applies if ALL parents select to participate in the program. Unfortunately, we don't meet the provisions of these terms, so if you selected this alternative coverage it will not be implemented and the $3.00 charge will be voided. If you have not returned the forms for the trip, please get them in as soon as you can. You may e-mail your questions to Christina Vail, Elementary Division Director at christyv@harker. org. ■ Ready, Set, Research!, an extracurricular activity for students in 3rd8th grades sponsored by the Harker School libraries, has begun on both campuses, reported Enid Davis, Library Director. Students can earn certificates, pins, medals and even an engraved plaque for joining this activity. Children can go to the library or the web site where the program is explained and the Round 1 questions are posted. Go to the library link on the Harker Web Site or directly to http://faculty.harker.org/adm/ Library/RSRHome.htm
The Sanders family visiting with their partner family, the Tsutsui's, at the Tamagawa videoconference on Oct. 15th. Translating is Harker teacher Yukiko Konishi. The partnership between The Harker School and The Tamagawa Gakuen of Japan began in the early 1990s and has been an enriching, international experience for our children, our families and our faculty. Our kindergarten students hold videoconferences with the Tamagawa children and take turns practicing the other’s language by singing Japanese and English songs. In Grade 2, ar t projects are exchanged between campuses where they are displayed for students and staff. Our 6th graders study environmental issues along with 6th graders at Tamagawa. Our 8th graders study the problems our world is facing from population growth, and also explore the topics of the global economy, developing countries, women’s roles in developed and developing countries, and the importance of education throughout the world.
Using our email and videoconferencing capabilities, students are able to keep in regular contact though, in some cases, half a world away. Starting last year, Harker and Tamagawa began a teacher exchange program. A teacher from Tamagawa comes to our campus to teach for two weeks, and an instructor from Harker goes to Tamagawa to teach for two weeks. These exchanges have been very successful and more are planned. This spring a number of Tamagawa students will come to Harker to continue their collaboration on the environment and get to know the Harker School. In May, Harker sends a similar number of 6th grade students to Tamagawa to learn about the school and Japan, and to visit historic and famous sites, such as Kyoto and Hiroshima in May of each year. This year’s visitors from Tamagawa will be arriving March 16th.
briefs
SPORTS The 8th grade flag football team defeated Hillbrook in its season opener last month 26-6. Nikhil Kumar's 3TD catches, Naushad Godrej’s 2 interceptions and strong defense were keys to victory. Harker then went on to dominate Carden in a 44-12 win. Their record is now 3-0. The A2 and B2 girls volleyball teams were also victorious in
St. Victors hosted their 2nd annual outdoor volleyball grass tournament Oct. 13th with ten teams from all over the area participating in each grade level. The 8th graders came in 4th and have a current record of 5-4, and our 7th graders came in second and have an overall record of 7-4. Our 6th graders came in second and have an overall season record of 7-3, and our 5th graders came in first place in their division! Congratulations to all our lower and middle school teams for their hard work under the hot sun! Team pictures for volleyball are Nov. 6th: C1- 3:45; C2 - 4:00; D - 4:15; 4th - 4:30.
beating Carden last month. Both teams continue to work hard and improve. Keep it up!
art
Team pictures for football and swimming are Nov 13th: C - 3:45; D - 4:00; Gr. 4 - 4:15; Swimming 4:30pm. Sports Brief Reporter: PE Teacher and Coach, Mary Kay Olks
gallery
news
you need
Security and Transportation Manager Bob Keefer noted there will be no inter-campus shuttles on Fri., Nov. 9th and Mon., Nov. 12th, due to Parent/Teacher conferences. There will be no school on Mon., Nov. 9th for grades K-6, and no school on Mon., Nov. 12th for grades 7-12. In our quest to make mornings run more smoothly, we have supervision at the lockers beginning at 7:30 am. We hope these arrange-
■ Kim Coulter, Director of Recreation for the Bucknall campus repor ts that the red, white and blue bracelet-making project was a wonderful success in the Bucknall Recreation Program, thanks to the enthusiasm of the staff and the students. Over 40 of our 4th-6th grade students made approximately 75 bracelets from glass beads donated by a local artist that were sold at Nordstrom, Draeger’s and other local stores with proceeds going to the Red Cross. “Coach Zak, Miss Rebecca, Miss Lana, Miss Emilie, and Miss Diana were especially instrumental in this project,” Ms. Coulter added, “and some of them participated in a bracelet-making evening of their own to contribute to the cause.”
Sophie Newman
Sabina Sood
Sabrina Paseman
Donors should not have donated blood in the last 56 days or gone to India or Mexico within the last year. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact our Head Nurse, Debra Nott at debran@harker.org. ■ A crisis like this is also an oppor tunity to examine, discuss and re-dedicate ourselves to values we hold dear. Recently, Head of School Diana Nichols asked the teachers in Grades K-8 to have their students write a brief statement of what they liked about Harker. “Their responses provide a model for what is important in a community,” Ms.Nichols commented. “And though varied, their answers give us hope for the future and a belief that love and respect for differences can be taught.” She shared some of these responses at the recent Mother’s Dinner, and we will share a few relevant submissions here: “...in Harker, we are taught that everyone is equal no matter what the race. I like that because I feel we should all treat others equally, for literally they are the same as us.” —Alyssa Donovan. Gr. 5
Alicia Lee
Pauline Phan
Harker has instituted a more formal check-in policy for guests at both campuses, effective immediately. In the interest of safety for your children, we appreciate your understanding and compliance with these new procedures.
Student Outreach, cont.
Cosmo Sung Jyoti Nayaranswami
ments will help ever yone have a less hectic star t to the day! If you have questions, contact Christy Vail, Elementar y Division Head at Christinav@harker.org or (408) 871-4605.
■ US student Shalini Lal has instigated a school-wide blood drive through the Stanford Blood Center. With the help of the Key Club and the National Honor Society, this blood drive is open to all students at or above the age of 17, and all staff and all parents (grades K-12). The blood drive will be held Fri., Nov. 2nd from 12-5pm in the Dining Room of the Saratoga Campus. Donors must be at least 110 pounds and be in good health.
“Many of them (the Harker children) are kind citizens that would willingly lend a hand. I have many friends (including teachers) that would soothe my troubles. I feel very safe among my peers because rules are well reinforced. This is a school of wonderful people.”—Daisy Shih, Gr. 5 “The community here at Harker is very welcoming, with no problems concerning racism or religion. I also like the diversity of people because I can experience different personalities.” — Robert Li, Gr. 8
parent
dates
Fri., Nov. 9 No School - Gr. K-6 Parent / Teacher conferences Fri., Nov. 9 & 10, 7pm, STG Gym “Midsummer Night’s Dream” US Play Wed.-Fri., Nov. 14-16, 11am-6pm Book Fair, Libray Wed., Nov. 14, 12pm, BKN Gym Gr. 6 Awards for Qtr. 1 Wed., Nov. 14, 2:30pm, BKN Gym Gr. 4 & 5 Awards for Qtr. 1 Fri., Nov. 16, 1:00-3:30pm Grandparent’s Day Tues., Nov. 20, 5:30pm Campus Closes for Thanksgiving Holiday. No late supervision. (Classes resume Tuesday, Nov. 27th) Mon., Nov. 26 No School - Gr. K-6 Parent/Teacher Conferences Tues., Nov. 27, 5-6pm, Library Gr. 3 Parent Coffee Wed., Nov. 28, 5-6pm, Library Gr. 2 Parent Coffee Thurs., Nov. 29, 5-6pm, Library Gr. 5 Parent Coffee
Volunteer Almost 50 Harker parents (30 in K-8 and 17 in the US) volunteered to be Ambassadors for our new families this year. Offering information, answering questions and sharing their knowledge of the school, Ambassadors provide the valuable perspective of an experienced fellow parent to help smooth the transition into the Harker community for our new families. They have met and greeted our newcomers at parent orientations, small get-togethers, and at the August Buddy Pool Party in August, offering a friendly smile and a warm welcome. We are ver y grateful to our Ambassadors for volunteering to be goodwill representatives of the Harker family. Thanks to the friendship and enthusiasm of these Ambassadors, new families this year seem to be off to a great star t!
notes
spirit
alive
“Ringing” in Exciting News! Thanks to the dedication of our Development Council members and the generosity and support of our entire parent body, the October phone-a-thons were a success. We are excited to share with you that 45% of our $1.25 million goal has been committed. To top off this wonderful news, we are thrilled to announce that a Harker family has generously offered Harker a $25,000 Matching Challenge Grant. This participation grant will be matched dollar-for-dollar for gifts received by returning families who did not participate in the Million for the Millennium Annual Giving Campaign. If you qualify for this grant, it is a magnificent way to double your contribution, and ultimately, double the support of your children. Last but not least we have several additional ways you can support your children and their educational and extra-curricular experiences at Harker. By joining eScrip and SCHOOLPOP, participating in Trash to Cash or simply washing your car at Trellis Carwash, you directly enhance what we can provide for your children. To find out more about these programs or the Campaign, please contact Amalia Keyashian, Director of Annual Giving (amaliak@harker.org). Again, thank you so very much for keeping the spirit alive! Kelly S. Parker, Development Director (KellyP@harker.org)
summer It’s never too early to start thinking about summer camp - mark your calendars! K-8 summer sessions for 2002 are:
Nancy Jones, Presley Troyer, Kim Pellissier, Ellen Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Roni Wolfe, Pam Araki, Nayana Patel, Sangeeta Mehrotra, Emiko Sung, Fran Axelrad, Terri Doyle, Kathy Polzin, Charu Prakash, Candy Carr, Debbie Dellar, Kim Hall, Sandy Berglund, Dana Briggs, Debbie Dawkins, Janie Fung, Smita Patel, Miri Rubin, Rosalba Sokhanvari, Gail Weeker, Mai Trinh, Sarita Kohli, Lori Chaykin, Cherrie Blair, Lori Nemetz, Niyati Thapliyal, Anu Barman, Idris Kothari, Shashi Mahendru, Jackie Bocian, Jessica Cu, Carol Douglas, Nancy Hartsoch, Jackie Liu, Susan Lee, Nimi Nagalingam, Dominique Ruegg, Gaurav Shah, Marian Sofaer, Sharad Srivistava and Nancy Tepperman. —Kathleen Santora, Ambassador Chair
camp For more information about the program, visit the website and click on summer camp!
Session I: June 24th-July 26th Session II: July-August 16th Brochures and registration forms available on January 14th. Harker students and returning summer campers have priority for programs and classes!
The Saratoga and Bucknall editions of the Parent Pages are published monthly by the Harker Office of Communications. They are also available on the web at: www.harker.org. Click on PARENTS. Editor: Pam Dickinson Printing: Communicart Photography: Mark Tantrum and Volunteers Design : Blue Heron Design
Harker’s Inaugural Homecoming a Historic Event! Harker's inaugural Homecoming on Sat., Oct. 20, 2001, at PAL Stadium in San Jose was truly an all-school event, with excitement and participation at all grade levels—over 1,100 people attended this historic event!
performance of the National Anthem by the Show Choir and Bel Canto was a heartwarming and patriotic kick-off for the game.
Leading up to the game, Homecoming Spirit Week on the Saratoga Campus included fabulous daily spirit events in the US culminating with a rousing Pep Rally on Friday, with performances by the cheerleaders, a pep-talk by Athletic Director, Jack Bither, class skits and competitions, and the premiere performance of the Harker Fight Song performed by the Harker Pep Band and composed and directed by Robert Scannell of the Performing Arts Department.
The Harker Eagles played against Justin-Siena of Napa Valley, defending San Joaquin Section Champions. (Was it just me, or were those guys really big?). While the Eagles fought hard on the field, led by Chris Davis’ two touchdowns, our US cheerleaders, the new Pep Band, and the fans showed their support from the stands with painted faces, Harker signs and total school spirit. It was awesome!
On the Bucknall Campus, our US cheerleaders coached 80 “Junior Cheerleaders” in our lower school to help them prepare a spirited school cheer for the game. And Dance Director, Laura Rae, with the help of Primary Division Head, Sarah Leonard and parent and Art Dept. Asst., Alice Schwartz prepared the Baby Eagles to take flight. The Harker Anthem, composed by Music Teacher and Gr. 7-8 Choir Director, Len Allen was premiered during the pre-game festivities, and performed by the MS Harmonics, the US Show Choir and other singers from all grade levels. The stellar
Our mini-mascots, the Baby Eagles, stole our hearts throughout the game, and did a wonderful routine to “Fly Like an Eagle.” Our firstever Baby Eagles were: Gr. 1: Connie Cheng, Amie Chen, Chandler Golan, RachelYanovsky, Payal Modi, and Shelby Rorabaugh. G. 2: Veronica Bither, ShonaHemmady, Sarah Howells, and Margaret Krackele. Though too numerous to mention, the “Junior Cheerleaders” were absolutely adorable, and the precision “Faculty Stunt Cheer” was truly moving. We feel a tradition coming on...
The Homecoming Court stole our hearts as well, as they were presented at halftime, driven by Harker faculty. The 2001-2002 Homecoming Cour t were Freshmen, Catherine Ball and Abeer Desai; Sophomores, Maya Hey and Max Kubota; Juniors, Rebecca Chang and Poorav Patel and Seniors, Carmen Antoun,Tiffany Duong, Alexa Bush, Adam Vucurevich, Alan Liu and Akhsar Kharebov with Carmen and Adam being crowned Harker’s first Homecoming King and Queen. Though the Eagles lost to Justin- Siena 42 - 12, they were true heroes to the fans in the stands. There would be no Homecoming without them, and we salute their hard work, their dedication and their teamwork— Go Eagles! A huge “THANK YOU” to the Harker community for bringing your enthusiasm and suppor t to this inaugural event. From parents, to kids to bus drivers, you were there—cheering our team, our talented students and our school. Thanks also to... • Chris Daren, US Activities Coordinator, who helped the students organize all the Spirit Week activities and the Homecoming dance, produced the program and secured the cars, tuxes and gowns for the Homecoming Court. • Carmen Antoun and Vivian Nguyen, Spirit Club Co-Presidents and Irene Altman, Spirit Club VP for the great Spirit Week activities. • Leslie Hernandez, President of Harker’s National Honor Society, along with other members of the NHS, for organizing the Homecoming Dance
• Brian Larsen for his usual technical genius, Bill Bost, for being the “voice of Harker,” and the entire Performing Arts Dept. staff and students who brought so much talent—and magic—to the event. • Head of School, Diana Nichols, who thought a tug-of-war would be “a fun class competition” as a half-time event...and so did the class officers! Thanks to class officers, Ed Williams (Senior), Maheen Kaleem (Junior), Kathryn Lee (Sophomore), Kimberly Wong (Freshman) for selecting teams and ensuring that the first tug-of-war was a smashing succes (and to Mr. Dan Gelineau, Dr. Richard Hartzell and Mr. Kevin Williamson for making sure the event went off without a hitch!) • Faculty drivers for the Homecoming Court (it was such hard work driving those Mercedes....), listed in driving order from Frosh to Senior: Lisa Radice, Misael Fisico, Diana Moss, Joe Rosenthal, Heidi Rolfson and John Near. • And finally, to the following businesses who donated the use of their cars and apparel for our Homecoming Court: Smythe European for the Mercedes, New Things West for the gowns, and The Men’s Wearhouse for the tuxes—thanks for your generous support!