APRIL 2002 (VOL. 8, NO. 12)
M O N T H L Y
N E W S L E T T E R
HARKER
F R O M
T H E
H A R K E R
headlines
Annual Tamagawa Exchange a Delight!
Fri., April 19 • Sat., April 20 Saratoga gym - 8:00 p.m.
Pam Dickinson
Chris Daren
class, art project and field trip to the Tech Museum. Here are some thoughts shared by some of our host families:
US Conservatory Production
Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students/children Contact laural@harker.org
top stories Bucknall Destination Imagination teams rock at area tournament ...... 4
Saratoga - MS Remarkable math scores in CAML contest ................... 12
Saratoga - US Ten Harker students attend Youth Diversity Forum .......... 9
important dates Mon-Fri, April 1 - 5 Spring Break-No Classes Mon., April 8 Classes Resume Sat., April 13 Harker Golf Tournament (pg 2) Mon-Fri., April 22-26 Gr. 7 Lawrence Hall, Berkeley Sun., April 28, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. K-12 Family & Alumni Picnic (pg 2)
Our exciting annual exchange with our sister school in Tamagawa, Japan, had both campuses smiling in March. The recent visit, originally scheduled for October but postponed to March due to world events, marked the 7th year of this enriching and heartwarming program which brings together 6th grade students from Harker and Tamagawa to immerse themselves in each other's culture and share experiences that nurture lifetime friendships. Our 28 Tamagawa students and 6 chaperones arrived in the country on Friday, March 15th, touring San Francisco before joining us for our Welcome Luncheon on Saturday, March 16th. After the luncheon our guests departed with their Harker host families for the 4-night “homestay” portion of their visit, to enjoy such American customs as hamburgers, pizza, baseball, sightseeing and more as host families entertained our special guests and included them in their daily family activities and traditions. During the school week the students attended classes with their buddies and also enjoyed special activities, such as a dance
S C H O O L
“The highlight of being a host family was getting to know Kazuma and his family through e-mail, and finally meeting him in person and spending time with him. I loved watching his amazement of things we take for granted! He adapts easily by being so observant, and though his English was limited, he made up for it with his impeccable manners and willingness to try new things!” —Julie Pinzas, mom of Harker buddy Joshua Pinza “Our student, Dai, was very interested in the fact that he was in Silicon Valley,” said Jackie Boberg, mom of Harker buddy Ross Boberg. “He wanted to know all about
Giants Baseball since the addition of a Japanese ball player, and he was excited to go to the Sharks hockey game.” Mrs. Boberg added that the e-mail exchanges with the family prior to Dai’s arrival helped them know his likes and dislikes, since the father spoke excellent English. “The non-verbal activities seemed to work the best…the international language of play. I saw him most joyous and animated when he was playing football with our son Ross (15), his three teenage buddies and our other son, Alex,” she added. Harker buddy Shelby Golan said that she and her Tamagawa buddy Saori Miyauchi “got along really well and we were both really happy. We loved going to the aquarium— she liked the jellyfish the best, the really big red ones.” Harker students will be traveling to Japan in May for a 10-day visit. Looking forward to that visit, Shelby sums up the magic of the Harker/ Tamagawa exchange: “I am really looking forward to just spending some time with her. We did nothing but giggle together. It was like I met my best friend, and she lives in Japan!” See more photos on pg. 5
Editor’s Note: Several times a year, beginning with this issue, we will publish an expanded edition of the Harker News to include an update on our alumni. This month also features Harker alumni who are now Harker employees, most notable of whom is our own Howard Nichols, pictured here during a moment of levity in his office. Steve Castillo
A
est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
—Pam Dickinson Director of Communications Remember to check the Parent Home Page for detailed calendars, updates and additional news between editions of the Harker News!
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Howard Nichols President At Harker since 1960
EVENT
news
SAT., APRIL 13th
Golf Tournament
SUN., APRIL 28th
51st Annual Family & Alumni Picnic - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bonjour! Join us for a day of fabulous French fun as the Harker Annual Family/Alumni Picnic goes to Paris! This year’s Picnic mixes activities and entertainment with Parisian panache, food and fun with a fabulous French flair. There’ll be something for everyone, from the Zoo La La Petting Zoo to the Marquis de Suds Beer Booth, plus wonderful per formances by our Harker students. It’s whimsical, it’s quirky…It’s a Fête Fantastique! Tickets are $5 in advance; $7 at the gate, and kids under 4 or over 75 are free! Get your tickets on the website on the Parent Home Page! Not only is this annual event loads of fun to attend, but it’s also a great opportunity to get involved. “The picnic has been firmly founded and fueled by the enthusiasm and energies of a legion of parent volunteers,” noted Community Relations Director, Nancy Reiley. This year will be no exception, with lots of opportunities for parents to help make this event un grand succès.
Nancy Reiley, director of community relations, reported that there are still foursomes waiting to be rounded out for Harker’s 3rd Annual Golf Tournament on Sat., April 13 at Sunol Valley Golf Club. So, you’re not exactly Tiger Woods, but you enjoy getting out and teeing up with friends and family despite an occasional divot or sandtrapped ball? Have no fear—skill level is not an issue. Parents, students, friends and Harker staff are invited to participate, and the format is a scramble, which means there is a single foursome score. Don’t own your own clubs? No worry there, either; you can arrange to rent clubs at Sunol. To register online, go to Events/ Activities on the Parent Page and follow the instructions. Fees for the day are $120 which includes golf, cart, lunch and prizes. For questions, contact Tournament chair Nancy Hartsoch at n.hartsoch@worldnet.att.net.
THURS, APRIL 18th
Sierra Club The Guadalupe Regional Group of The Sierrra Club meets at Harker each month, and the public is invited. Coordinated by US teacher and chapter member Phil Becker, the next meeting will be held Thurs., April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. #24 on the Saratoga campus. Dr. Chuck Nelson will present “East Africa's Mountains, Savannas, Deserts - A Vanishing World.” For more information, contact Mr. Becker at philb@harker.org.
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Want to help? You “Can Can!” ■ Work in a booth and help the teachers—it’s a great way to support the school, and it’s fun! To sign up, contact your room parent. ■ Help collate, stuff and label the next two picnic mailings at 8 a.m. on Tues., April 9 and Thurs., April 18 at the Book Store / Advancement Office. Café au lait and tasty French pastries provided! ■ Come to our craft workshop at 8 a.m. on Thurs., April 11, also at the Book Store location to help us decorate and paint items for the picnic. ■ Drop in any day the week before the picnic and help out! Picnic setup begins Sun., April 21 and continues throughout the week prior to the picnic. The Saratoga gym is the official “setup” headquarters— drop in any day to help unload, unpack, sort and catalog, plus help us rejuvenate and create all sorts of games, booth activities, decorations, etc. Questions? Contact Nancy Claunch at claunch@starband.net or Melody Moyer at joyberk@aol.com. ■ Wear your tool belt! Field setup later that week will be under the direction of Harker dad Fred Carr. Be prepared to wield an occasional hammer or screwdriver under Fred’s supervision—the hope is to build an Eiffel Tower before the end of the week! ■ Be a sponsor! The Picnic relies on the generous financial support of our friends and sponsors. Your family or business name can be prominently displayed on a banner at the event, as well as listed in the Auction Catalog and on our Sponsor Board. For donations of $1,000 or more, we’ll even reser ve a special on-campus parking space for you on Picnic Day! ■ Donate stuff! We’re collecting all kinds of prizes and goodies for the Picnic. If you’d like to donate items for our Wine or Plant booth, homemade treats for our Bake booth, or prizes for children, teens or adults for our “Wheels,” they can be dropped off at either campus. No time to shop? Send us a cheque and we’ll do the rest! ■ Buy up the raffle tickets that the students are selling. Don’t miss the opportunity to win the drawing for the Grand Prize of $10,000, a trip for two to the fashionable resort, Paris, in Las Vegas, a digital mini camcorder, a mountain bike, or a Nintendo Game Cube. The lucky winners will be drawn at 4:00 p.m. on Picnic Day. ■ Bring your checkbook! This year’s Silent Auction will feature an exciting collection of trips and travels, gems and jewels, and fun and frolic. Look for the Auction Catalog in the mail in mid-April so you can plan your bidding strategy. Or, be part of the fun by donating an item. It’s très chic! Picnic Coordinators Lynette Stapleton and Kelly Espinosa both hope to see each and every one of you at this huge, family event which has become such a tradition at Harker. Stapleton, mother of two Harker alumni and picnic coordinator since 1985, said, “Just come, help where you can and have a fun time with your students, family and friends!” Visit our website for your tickets today! For more information about helping out at the picnic, contact the individuals noted above or nancyr@harker.org.
EVENT
recap
SHarker Comes Home!
STUDENT
outreach
Pig Pucker as Promised! True to her promise, Elementary Division Head, Christy Vail, kissed a pig as part of her pledge to the students in the American Heart Association’s Jump for Heart event held in February. Ms. Vail promised the students that if they beat last year's fund raising total for the American Heart Association’s Jump for Heart of $16,000, she would kiss a pig. The students raised over $20,000!
Armed with bidding paddles, a group of Harker families and staff placed the winning bid to bring “SHarker Back to Harker” at the SharkByte Art Auction event on March 2nd. SHarker, painted by US Art Teacher Jaap Bongers and sponsored by Harker alumni parents Gary and Suzanne Mathers, brought in $5,500 for Harker during the hectic bidding and was one of the top five moneymakers of the evening among the 99 sharks auctioned off that night. In addition, SHarker was featured throughout the art event in newspaper articles, on the front page of the art show’s web site and on the invitation to the auction. Many thanks to enthusiastic Harker supporters Gary and Suzanne Mathers and to our very own Jaap Bongers for bringing SHarker to life. Watch for SHarker to turn up at Harker soon!
Pam Araki (all Wilbur photos)
Pam Dickinson (all Sharker photos)
Wilbur
Wilbur the Pig arrived on the Bucknall campus for his “blind date” with Ms.Vail, escorted by his owner, Cathy Kost, of the Belly Dragger's Ranch in San Martin. The children looked on in delight as Ms. Vail planted a kiss on Wilbur's snout.
Parent Education Events The Counseling Dept. hosted two Parent Education Events recently, and parents who attended found them extremely informative and valuable—watch for more Parent Education Events in the future! On the Bucknall campus, the 6week “Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP)” program for K-6 parents culminated in February. Led by therapist Caralee Weich, LFMT, who has a private practice in Los Gatos, the series was designed to help parents learn how to become better listeners, how to implement effective methods to manage misbehavior and how to conduct family meetings. Harker parent Janet Smith commented that, “The open forum for discussion was great. We were able to discuss current and specific parenting issues in a very supportive and well-directed setting.” On the Saratoga campus, parents of Gr. 7-12 students attended the “Miles to Go” program on substance abuse. Experienced
educators and speakers Jonathan Scott and Kelly Townsend presented comprehensive drug facts and discussed the sociopolitical environment surrounding drugs (legal and illegal), the chemistry of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and their effects on the body. They also shared invaluable insights with parents on the communication needs and emotional repercussions of addiction, and its effects on family and friends. Visit the COUNSELING page on the Harker web site for wonderful parent education resources, including national monthly newsletters entitled, “Home & School Connection” and “Reading Connection,” each designed for parents and loaded with great ideas. There are also videotapes available for parents to check out from the campus libraries on a variety of areas for all grade levels, including social skills, peer pressure and substance abuse.
MANY Pennies Raised by Harker! The US Key Club is proud to report that $3,549.94 was raised by all of the US students in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Pennies for Patients” fundraiser held during the month of February. This county-wide program is run as a class competition at all schools participating, and at Harker the sophomores won. US Math teacher and Key Club advisor, Jennifer Gargano, along with fellow US teacher Lisa Radice took all the coins to Safeway during their free periods during the day to have the coins counted in the Coinstar machines. “They allowed us to use the machines without taking the 8% charge since it is for charity,” Ms. Gargano said. All of the funds raised will go towards research and reducing medical costs for many children in the Bay Area. The patients each school “adopts” in this Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraiser are for the purpose of putting “a face” on this worthwhile fundraiser. Contrar y to what was reported in last month’s newsletter, funds raised do not go directly to the “adoptee,” but to the organization so that they may distribute the funds where most needed. A hearfelt “Thanks!” to all the US students, faculty and staff who participated in this fundraiser!
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bucknall
■ The Harker Girl Scout troops thank all the parents who supported their cookie sales drive last month! We thank the girls for making it so easy for us to get our favorite cookies!
Students who have participated or have signed up for a 2-week display are Myka Martin, Ananya and Namrata Anand, Matthew Giammonna and Erica and Jamie Woolsey. This wonderful new program, launched by Gr. 1 Science teacher Nina Anand of the Multicultural Committee, so far has included the countries of India and Guam. (In fact, because of the display, it was discovered that Ms. Vail and Ms. Hackwood were both born in Guam!). “We sincerely hope that each and every family at Bucknall will be represented in the course of the next few years,” said Ms. Anand. “The time and effort spent by each family will reap rich rewards, as we see the students at Harker enrich their lives with better understanding, tolerance, and respect for each other in their world.” Ms. Anand is looking for families to participate in the month of May and is also taking early sign-ups for next year. Please contact ninaa@harker.org. ■ Be sure to see Grade 6 Math News on Page 12. ■ The children in Mrs. Chung and Miss Proctor’s Gr. 1 classes celebrated the tall tale characters
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DITR, consisting of 4th graders Jacqueline Scharre, Joanna Melbourne, Monisha Dilip, Claire Bredenoord, Alex Creasman, Ketul Patel and Vickram Nilakantan (managed by Lenore Dowling, Liz Melbourne and Viji Dilip), created and built a robot that travelled around a 20' x 20' game board, transporting a ramp
Harker’s two all-5th grade teams, Wandering Eagles and Strandid Bandits, came in sixth and seventh, respectively. The Wandering Eagles performed a creative “holiday” play and finished in the top third. Team members were Emily Carr, Kailee Ayyar, Becky Yanovsky, Alyssa Donovan, Vickram Nathan, Amaresh Shukla
Dave Medin
Harker’s Destination Imagination (DI) teams competed recently in the Silicon Valley Regional Tournament at Independence High School in San Jose. All four of the teams were enormously successful, and two teams, 45 Falcons and DITR, won first place and will be heading to the state tournament in Sacramento on April 6th.
The 45 Falcons, made up of 4th and 5th graders Alison Palmintere, Sachin Rangarajan, Vickram Shenoy, Andy Fang, Sean Morgan, Priyanka Hardikar and Brandon Arati (managed by Ping Lee and Pam Arati), built two balsa wood structures, one in front of the appraisers at the tournament, while performing a play at the same time. The structure was a cylinder made of 1" balsa wood sticks and duct tape, weighing 59 grams, and holding 145 pounds.
with an “Apple and Hat Party.” Gr. 1 teachers Mrs. Chung and Miss Proctor were inspired to start a gardening project after reading the children’s book “Miss Rumphius.” Children in these two classes have been responsible for maintaining this beautiful addition behind the Rincon building, whose harvest this year has included peas, turnips and cauliflower. Over 100 bulbs will bloom in spring, and summer will be brightened by sunflowers. “The most exciting event to take place has been the appearance of our friend Peter Rabbit,” said Mrs. Chung. “So the garden is now affectionately referred to as ‘Mr. McGregor’s Garden’ and will continue to sprout inspiration, creativity and beauty,” she added.
and Abhimanyu Belani (managed by Abha Shukla). The Strandid Bandits performed a humorous skit that used an imaginary backpack made up of three simple machines to escape their situation. Team members were Elizabeth Case, Lizzie Cutler, Neha Sabharwal, Callie Medin, Kunal Modi, Anteneh Daniel and Vivek Maheshwari (managed by Gr. 5 teacher, Kate Shanahan).
Harker’s DI teams continue to amaze and succeed! If interested in seeing photos from the Regional Tournament, please check Ms. Shanahan’s website. Good luck to DITR and the 45 Falcons on April 6th! —Kate Shanahan, Gr. 5 teacher
Monterey Bay Aquarium Field Trip ■ Science teacher Ms. Criscione organized a field trip for Gr. 3 students to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in March in conjunction with their study of oceanography and marine biology in science. Gr. 3 teacher Mrs. Ferretti noted that the students particularly enjoyed the new seahorse exhibit and the splash zone!
Kathleen Ferretti (both photos)
Current display on Guam, courtesy of Gr. 4 student Brea Borlas & mom Lisa Mata.
made by the team to four unique color square “destinations.” Once at a destination square, the robot positioned the ramp to deliver 3 various size balls to the receiver area up to 20' away.
Anoo Nathan
David Qua
■ There is a new permanent display in the gym lobby featuring items and information about cultures from around the world, and all Bucknall families are encouraged to participate. Students and their families “adopt” a 2-week period and bring in the items for the display to share not only information about the culture of the country, but also to share special family customs and traditions.
Destination Imagination Teams Create and Amaze!
Diann Chung
AROUND
FEATURE
tamagawa
Global Friendships! The 2001-02 Tamagawa / Harker exchange students and chaperones: Harker Students Palash Agarwal, Megan Azebu, Stephanie Benedict, Cayden Berkmoyer, Alex Boberg, Robyn Chan, Tiffany Chen, Ian Cohen, Colin Daw, Neha Deshmukh, Benjamin Englert, Shelby Golan, Ayushi Gummadi, Stephanie Herh, Whitney Huang, Nikita Jeswani, Paula Lauris, Todd Lavine, Andrew Law, Spencer Liang, Caitlin O’Brien, Joshua Pinzas, Raven Reddy, Evan Sanders, Tanya Schmidt, Natalie So, Sabena Suri and Michaela Venuti Tamagawa Students Kota Sugiura, Eri Satake, Toko Tsubaki, Reona Kimura, Dai Ishihara, Mika Tanabe, Rena Homma, Masaki Kunimoto, Yasutaka Sorimachi, Kaho Ito, Yoshika Tanaka, Saori Miyauchi, Erina Seita, Saori Adachi, Aya Yamamoto, Sakura Narikawa, Ayumi Horikawa, Daigo Ichikawa, Kai Iwasaki, Yusuke Sugita, Mina Idemoto, Kazuma Murakami, Kimito Totani, Takuya Tsutsui, Ami Isobe, Nanari Osawa, Risa Toyama and Nasa Ishikawa
Harker Chaperones Mari Finn, Cyrus Merrill, Nan Nielsen, Julie PinzĂĄs and David Qua Tamagawa Chaperones Michiko Gaya, Katsuhito Iizuka, Masahiro Moriyama, Tsuyoshi Oyama, Keiko Sato and Keiichi Watase
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briefs
SPORTS Lower/Middle School
Upper School
In the Mayor’s Basketball Tournament, the A1 boys took the consolation award out of a field of 32 teams. The team was led by all tournament selection Lung-Hao Yu, Gr. 8. “The A1 boys lost the first game of the tourney, but came back to win the next 3 on solid defense and interior scoring,” said Coach Pete Anderson.
The US winter sports season officially ended on March 13th with the annual awards ceremony. Girls soccer and basketball, along with boys basketball and wrestling were honored for their accomplishments on and off the court. The evening began with boys
At the Hillbrook Basketball Tournament, Harker came away with 4 awards: A1 girls took 1st place; A2 boys took consolation; the B1 girls and B1 boys each took 2nd; and the B2 boys took 5th place. “Great job to all the teams who participated in the Hillbrook Tournament,” said Theresa Smith, MS athletic director. “We represented Harker well on the court, both with our play and good sportsmanship!” Kathy Polzin
The C1 Gr. 6 girls basketball team went undefeated this season at 9-0! Coached by Vonda Reid, the team was led by the consistent scoring of Taylor Alexander; the awesome ballhandling of Alissa Kawahara; strong rebounding by Jackie Grant; and strong performances by the rest of the team: Melissa Chen, Ariel Gaknoki, Caitlin O’Brien, Jennifer Scharre, Tanya Schmidt, Sumita Sharma, Whitney Huang and Kelly Knecht.
After a successful basketball season, team parties and awards ended the season, and the students are ready for spring sports, which are now underway. 7/8th graders are now competing in tennis, swimming and boys’ volleyball, while the 4-6th grade girls are enjoying softball and the 4-6th grade boys are playing baseball. Good luck to all the coaches and players for a successful season. —Reported by Theresa Smith, MS athletic director and Mary Kay Olks, MS PE teacher and coach
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On the courts and fields, several of our athletes earned all-league honors as well. In soccer, Alexandra Thurston was named 1st Team, Private School Athletic League (PSAL) as the goalkeeper, quite an accomplishment indeed. The senior keeper will be sorely missed by her coaches and teammates, but not by her admiring opponents! Earning second team all-league was Jennifer Jenq, voted on by the opposing coaches. Shabnam Aggarwal also earned honorable mention all-league for her play. In boys basketball, David Hsu was named 2nd team all-PSAL, quite an honor for the outstanding junior forward!
The highlight of the night came when girls’ basketball coach John Near presented a framed jersey to senior forward Stephanie Tsai. The very surprised and elated Stanfordbound Stephanie was and always will be the only player to have played all four years on the first girls’ hoops team ever. Congratulations, Stephanie, on an accomplishment that will never be equalled! Also as part of the evening, Dan Coronado, Harker’s groundskeeper, was recognized for his countless hours of preparing and maintaining the many fields and courts our athletes perform on. Thanks so much for all that “behind the scenes” work, Dan! Another Dan, Dan Hughes, was recognized for his efforts in transporting our myriad of teams around the Bay Area and always being flexible and helpful. We couldn't do it without all the
CCS Scholastic Team GPA Champions: Boys Wrestling Boys Basketball Boys Soccer Girls Basketball Also these Fall Sports: Football & Girls Golf
PSAL League Honors Alexandra Thurston Soccer - 1st team Jennifer Jenq Soccer - 2nd team Shabnam Aggarwal Soccer - Honorable Mention David Hsu Basketball - 2nd team
Team Honors Girls Basketball MVP: Neha Rahan Eagle: Alexa Bush/ Stephanie Tsai JV MVP: Surbhi Mahendru
Girls Soccer MVP: Alexandra Thurston MIP: Rachael Warecki Eagle: Jen Jenq JV MVP: Elise Nguyen JV MIP: Tanu Shenoy
Boys Basketball MVP: David Hsu MIP: Sunil Subhedar/Robert Lo Eagle: Ryan Graumann JV MVP: Ben Shapiro JV Eagle: Adhir Ravipati
Wrestling MVP: Charles Hung Eagle: Sameep Lad JV MVP: Matt Vucurevich JV Eagle: Solomon Awe
great suppor t we get from these and other folks!
Chris Daren
The 7/8th grade boys soccer season is underway. They are currently 2-0 posting wins against Monroe and Rogers Middle School. The game against Monroe was won on a penalty kick, and the score was 2-0. Against Rogers Middle School the score was 5-1, and outstanding playing came from Naushad Gotredj and Jay Sohn.
wrestling, basketball, and soccer (played in the fall), and girls basketball being awarded the CCS Scholastic Team GPA championship. Joining fall winners, football and girls golf, Harker now has six teams that have been awarded this prestigious honor. Harker had the highest GPA out of the entire Central Coast Section (CCS), which is comprised of 110 high schools. Congratulations to all of our outstanding student athletes!
Team awards were also given. Each team awards a Most Valuable Player (MVP), Most Improved Player (MIP), and a coaches choice award (Eagle). Congratulations to all of these outstanding accomplishments which are reported in the box on the upper right of this page.
Spring sports are under way. Check back here next month for updates on the competitive swimming, softball, baseball, golf, tennis, track and field, and volleyball teams just starting league play this week. Schedules of game times and locations can be found on the Harker web site. See you at the games! —Reported by Jack Bither, US athletic director
alive
NEWS
you need
Last Call to Keep the Spirit Alive
Uniform Update for K-8 Next Year
78% of our goal is committed!
In addition to the current sweater choice, Merr y Mart will be offering a softer acrylic sweater material as a Harker uniform option for next year. This new sweater option will not be as sturdy as our current sweater (or be able to bear as many medals, pins and patches!), but it will provide a softer “feel” for our families who have been asking for this. We considered a cotton sweater, but decided against it for durability reasons. Also, a reminder that Merr y Mart has opened a store in Fremont and is now stocking all of the Harker uniform items.
100 100
Percent of Participation by Grade Level
90 90 80 80 70 70 60 60 50 50 40 40 30 30 20 20
Faculty Meeting Days Update
10 10
Reminder to parents that effective this year, sports activities ARE NO LONGER CANCELED on Faculty Meeting days.
00 K
1
2 3
4
5
6 7
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9 10 11 12
As for the $25,000 Matching Challenge Grant contributed by a Harker family, we have still matched only 80% of this grant. The grant matches dollar-for-dollar gifts received by returning families who did not participate in the 2000-01 Million for the Millennium Annual Giving Campaign. If you qualify for this grant, help us get to $25,000! It is a magnificent way to double your contribution and, ultimately, double the support of our students. Again, we wish to thank those families and friends who have joined the eScrip program, an additional way you can support our students and their educational and extracurricular experiences at Harker. According to San Jose Middle School, their 400 registered families have generated $2,700-$3,000 a month for their school. Imagine what Harker could do for our students … For more information on eScrip and/or the Campaign itself, please contact Amalia Keyashian, Director of Annual Giving at amaliak@harker.org or log on to www.harker.org and click on ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI.
On the Saratoga campus, only Art is canceled on Faculty Meeting days, and all regularly scheduled after-school activities, athletics and paid activities will take place. On the Bucknall campus, all Rec activities are canceled; however, general after-school supervision, regular sports practices and paid after-school activities will still take place. The next Faculty Meeting is Wed., April 17th.
reCREAtION
news
Making Movies! Kerry Enzensperger
Thanks to the dedication of our Development Council members, the last leg of phonathons in March placed us ever closer to our goal— 78% committed! We are most appreciative to those Harker families and friends who have participated thus far. Their generosity and commitment are invaluable to our students. The 78% breaks down as shown to the right:
Mark Tantrum
spirit
Saratoga Rec staff member Dennis Hirata with his movie making club. Club members are Nina Vyedina, Joshua Wei, Jacob Yanovsky, Sho Okubo, Mark Hsu, Jenny Ma, Brandt Warecki and Aseem Shukla.
Kim Coulter (both Scottish photos)
Thank you so very much for your participation. —-Kelly S. Parker, Development Director
COME TO THE SOPHOMORE CLASS CARWASH!
Have a Dirty Car? We have the solution! Where: Harker’s Bucknall Campus in the Bus Circle
When:
Saturday, March 30 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cost:
$5 for a small car $8 for a large car
All proceeds go to the Sophomore Class Fund Donations gladly accepted!
The Games of Scotland! Kim Coulter, Bucknall recreation director, reported that in the “Mystery History” activities after school, students learned about The British Open. Since golf was invented in Scotland, students played several Scottish games, such as golf and saber toss (with Nerf spears!).
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Middle School
saratoga
■ French teacher and department chair, Carol Parris, reported that the Gr. 8 advanced French classes went to the Gaslighter Theatre in Campbell in March to see a national touring company production of the French comedic play “Tartuffe” by Molière. The bilingual play was presented in both French and English, with actors “backing up with strobe lights and redoing each scene in both languages to give the effect of the scene actually rewinding,” Ms. Parris explained. The show was followed by a question and answer session with the audience, and “a good time was had by all,” she added.
■ Gr. 7 student council members Adam Creasman and Ammar Kothari have instituted a new program for the MS called “Above and Beyond.” Teachers have been provided with “Above and Beyond” coupons, and they will award students with a coupon when they “catch” them doing something positive and unasked for, such as helping someone who has dropped his or her books. These coupons accumulate in the Shah Hall office, and during the school meeting each week, names will be drawn for prizes, such as Snack Coupons, free Dress Passes, etc. At the end of the year, there will be two grand prizes such as season passes to Great America or Raging Waters.
■ The annual Gr. 8 Flour Sack Baby Week was held recently as part of the Science curriculum covering Sex Ed. “The students get an idea—only a partial one of course!—of what it is like to be responsible for a baby,” science teacher Simon Kielty explained. Following this week of “parenting,” the students recycled their babies into cookies, breads and cakes that they shared with their classmates.
Our students do nice things for each other every day, and though this program isn't intended to award each and ever y act of helpfulness and kindness, it is a wonder ful way to reinforce how important the spirit of going “above and beyond” is in the Harker community, and beyond. Congratulations to the student council, and to Adam and Ammar, for this great program.
Simon Keilty
■ With the front tanbark play area being turned into a garden, Gr. 8 student council members Candance Chang and Samantha Fang worked with Mr. Nichols to have the ball board moved, new tether ball courts made and new four square courts put in. Their leadership in this project created space for students who wanted to play ball games other than basketball, without impacting the basketball court space. Nice work, Candace and Samantha!
enlight’ning
is now looking for entries!
The MS is publishing “Enlight’ning,” its first ever literary magazine. Student poetry, short stories or other short writing will be part of this first issue. Pieces written for English class or Expos, or ones just written for pure enjoyment are welcome! Poems must be typed or neatly handwritten. Short stories and other prose should be typed and double spaced (maximum of 12 pgs). Submit your work to the librarian or e-mail it to Mrs. Newman at stacien@harker.org.
Note to Parents: Urge your budding writers to submit their work! 8
Deadline is April 15!
NEW MS CLUBS—Something for Everyone! The new Middle School clubs this year have been a great success. Thanks to all the teachers who organized them and the students who enthusiastically supported them!
Allies & Axis -
Mr. Hazard
Kevin Santora, Jeff Le, Richard Leglise, Chris Keller, Sameer Chopra, Jackson Davis, Monte Malhotra, Onur Erbilgin, Neel Joshi, Ashutosh Sheth, Rushiketh Sheth, Akhil Mehta, Patrick Sweeney, Mark Hsu, James Hsi, Houston Hoffman, Amith Gupta, Brandon Kaneyuki, Josh Wei, Akaash Bhalla, Brandt Warecki, Philip Perkins, Aubon Gupta, Andrew Fandrianto, Matt Emer y, Scott Strutner, Matthew Holmes, Jacob Yanovsky and Stephen Martin
Book -
Mrs. Davis
Newspaper -
Mr. Buckley
Aaron Grant, Aaron Nemetz, Adam Edwards, Alexandra Nazari, Anjuli Bedi, Ankur Gupta, Annelise Han, Anum Asghar, Aseem Shukla, Chris Caswell, Cindy Wang, Daniece Loomis, David Linder, David Woolsey, Elise Marchese, Elizabeth Burstein, Elizabeth Moul, Ellen Harris, Gloria Kwan, Jessica Luo, Jonathan Chien, Katherine Shapiro-Mackler, Lauren Harries, Miles Bredenoord, Mina Lee, Natalie Torban, Natasha Sarin, Nick Navarro, Nina Vyedina, Polina Minkin, Rupan Bose, Samantha Peppard, Shaunak Adkar, Shilpika Lahri, Shoban Pothula and Vani Pyda
Risk -
Mr. Cunningham
Molly Newman, Jenny Ma, Tiffany Lin, Tiffany Chant, Nina Vyedina, Esther Teplitsky and Julia Havard
Literary Mag. -
Mrs. Newman
Allison Wong, Mansi Shah, Jessie Li, Varun Sivaram, Maya Ziv, Siobhan Stevenson, Nina Vyedina, Annelise Han, Swapanthi Nagulpally, Nick Jones, Julia Havard, Michael Chaykin and Erin Newton
Insect -
Gavin Dutrow, Jason Lee, Branden Nguyen, Andrew Hospodor, Matt Weeker, Varun Sivaram, Brian Ginn, Shanee Sokhanvari, Jay Han, Shoe Okubo, Rahul Komati and Robert Cheng
Chess - Ms. Swaminathan
Mr. Kielty
Siddarth Chandraesekhar, Karthik Jagadeesh, Akaash Bhalla and Rahul Komati
Shayam Srinivasan, Vikram Srinivasan, Nicholas Tan, Daniel Chung, Hoon Jeong, Jay Sohn, Michael Choi, Daisuke Ito, Grayson Hurd, Lucas Motro, Nupur Mathur, Alex Nicholaef, Vani Pyda, Jason Martin and Chad Manning
Terry Walsh (all club photos)
AROUND
Upper School ■ On five Friday evenings during the school year, US students gather to share their talents in the Saratoga Dorm Dining Room for the Improv/Coffee House. This is the 4th year of the Coffee House, and this year’s organizer John Hawley said, “It’s a time for the kids to relax and have fun after an intense week of work at Harker.” Hawley explained that the first hour is devoted to improv comedy and standup, including a team of 6-8 students doing games similar to “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on television, where performers hone their skills at making comedy skits with spur-of-the-moment prompts. During the second hour students do serious and comic poetry readings, read from novels and their own writings, and sing or deliver rehearsed monologues. Some of the “regulars” are Georgia Manry, Max Gokhman, Dav Yendler, Andrew Shvarts, Emma Hawley, Mallika Bhandarkar, Teja Patil, Gabby De Mers, Whitney Graves, John Tepperman, Jason Glasa, Ken Wat, Brendan Boland, Heather Browning, Rachel Meltzer, Jon Caswell and Michael Vu.
classroom, and students signed up for the movie of their choice. Albert Wu, Gr. 10, said he chose to watch “King of Hearts” in Mr. Near's room because “it was about crazy people in France.” Julia Gitis, Gr. 11, chose “My Life as a Dog” in Ms. Mittelstet's room, because it “sounded funny,” and Aaron Minor, Gr. 11, opted for “City of Lost Children” in Ms. Richard's room because “the premises of the film sounded interesting.” When asked how foreign films are different from or the same as American films, Aaron said, “Foreign films seem to have different motifs, a different way of looking at things. Like Japanese films have a Buddhist influence. Plots in American films seem to have more of a ‘doomsday’ effect with usually a climactic ending.” Albert commented that foreign films “are usually more romantic,” adding that “American films are filled with action and for people with short attention spans.” Shally Garg, Gr. 12, gravitates to Indian movies, saying that “Indian movies seem to have more dancing and singing,” but she added that, “there isn't much variety.” ■ Ten Harker US students represented Harker in March at the 5th annual Diversity Youth Forum, sponsored by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, The San Jose Mercury News and the Alza Corporation. This annual event
Chris Daren
■ The 3rd International Upper School Film Festival, sponsored by the International Club, and organized by US teacher Diana Moss was held in March. Teachers chose foreign films to show in their
saratoga
The Juniors won this recent Ski Race competition, where 4 students worked together to “glide” on two 2' x 6' boards.
offers area students a forum to discuss issues of diversity with students from a variety of schools and leave the event with a better appreciation and awareness of diverse cultures and a commitment to be more compassionate and tolerant. “One thing I was reminded of is that stereotypes are not always true,” said participant Wendy Tsai, Gr. 10. “We saw a movie that showed a kid and a woman shopping. It was assumed that the kid would do the stealing, and yet it was the woman who stole from the store.” Wendy added that she hopes to share what she has
learned, “not by telling people they are wrong, but by explaining how I feel about something.” “I learned right away how we make ‘first impressions’ very quickly without knowing anything about the person,” added Chris Davis, Gr. 11. “I’m charged to be Mr. Diversity after the weekend and am going to try to be careful with my friends, especially with racial jokes.” Representing Harker at this year’s event were: Alexa Bush, Chris Davis, Ilana Eydus, David Hsu, Alex Janofsky, Munazzah Javid, Rishi Mandal, Payom Pirahesh, Angela Pullen and Wendy Tsai.
Mentor Program Participants Honored
Chris Colletti
AROUND
A luncheon was recently held on the Saratoga campus to thank all of the companies and individuals involved in our US Mentor Program. In its third year at Harker, the Mentor Program matches each of our 11th graders with professionals working in an area of career interest to them. The mentors then bring the students to their place of business so they can observe, participate and ask questions, learning “firsthand” about that particular industry or profession. This program confirms career choices for some students and opens up new avenues for others. Either result is valuable for our children as they make decisions about college and their future, and we thank this year's mentors who shared their valuable time and expertise. Raj Lad, Genencor Inc.; Hanno Driscoll, Boston Scientific; George Jones, Phase II Technical Sales; Bill Cleary, Retired; Eric Gray, GDA Technology Advertising; Ajay Chopra, Pinnacle Systems, Inc.; George Davis, Applied Materials; Asad Jamaal, ePlanet Ventures; Michael McNamara, Verisity; James Lau, Network Appliance; Brian Pawlowski, Network Appliance; Larry Votta, Motorola, Inc.; Dr. Ghizala Kaleem, SF Neomatalogy Med. Group; Dr. Nilima Ragavan, Stanford University; Dr. Sunita Jayakar, Sunita Jayakar, M.D.; Rodney Rapson, City of San Jose; Marshall Clifford, City of Sunnyvale; Laura Reiley, San Jose Magazine; Brian Larsen, The Harker School; Eric Janofsky, Marvell Semiconductor, Inc.; Peggy Gale, Meris Laboratories; Diane Hurd, West Valley College; Peter Hurd, Hurd Design; Leslie Holmes, Law offices of Thomas Hogan; Pat Walsh, The Harker School; Carry Thacker, VA - Palo Alto; Monu Mukherjee, Monu Mukherjee, M.D.; Bill Pezzaglia, Santa Clara University.
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Kind stranger at conference
■ 82 US students par ticipated in the Rubix Challenge class competition recently. Here Ozan Demirlioglu, Gr. 10, works for his 45 seconds tr ying to complete the cube. Since the juniors had the most students par ticipating, they won this competition; however, the sophomores won points for being the only ones to solve the Rubix cube!
saratoga
Chris Daren
AROUND
■ Salsa instructor José Luis Rodriguez of “Salsa Caliente” from San Francisco instructed 100+ US students and faculty in the basic steps of salsa dance at an event sponsored by the US International Club.
Harker students (and friends!) at the Enterprise Leadership Conference held in March and reported in last month’s newsletter: Gabrielle DeMers, Julia Gitis, Alex Iftimie, Poorav Patel, Sheena Reddy, Alexandra Stanek and Calvin Yu.
Debate News Congratulations to Catherine Kim and Alex Iftimie who earned the right to attend the California State Championship Debate Tournament, April 26-28, in Fresno. Alex and Catherine defeated a team from Leland High School to gain “qualifier” status. Anita Gupta and Deepa Mathew advanced to the elimination round but lost their match against Lynbrook High School. A big “thank you” also to all parents who gave up their weekend to judge for the Harker debate students. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
Carmen Antoun (all salsa photos)
Harker Debate earned 4th Place Sweepstakes overall recently at the Stanford National High School Speech and Debate Tournament. The Harker Upper School was represented by 46 students in both individual events and debate. Also, congratulations to the following students who earned undefeated medals in February at the Coast Forensic League Novice Debate Tournament held on the campus of Menlo-Atherton High School: Nilay Gandhi/Raj Misra; Simon Linder/Manu Srivastava; Jason Gutstein/Ben Shapiro; Ashray Urs--Lincoln-Douglas debate. Harker participated in the 47th Annual Barkley Forum for High Schools Speech and Debate Tournament in January at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Approximately 1,500 students, teachers and administrators from 210 high schools and 36 states attended the three-day program. There were 150 teams that competed in the varsity policy debate division, which is very advanced with strict admission policies. US Debate teacher Matt Brandstetter proudly reported that Harker distinguished itself for the second year in a row by advancing a team into the “field of 16,” one round beyond last year’s achievement. The team of Liang Dong and Alan Liu were seeded 11th after 6 preliminary rounds. Alan also received 19th Speaker Award recognition out of a field of 300 competitors. Alan and Liang received Barkley Forum “Keys of Recognition” for their outstanding efforts. Congratulations again to Alan Liu and Liang Dong who placed 5th out of 12 of the nation’s best debate teams at the recent College Preparatory National Round Robin Debate Tournament. Alan and Liang missed advancing to the semi-final round on a tiebreaker.
Chris Daren
Also, congratulations to Sharon Hung and Kevin Hwang for advancing to the field of 32 teams (double octofinals) from an initial field of 228 teams at the UC Berkeley National High School Speech and Debate Tournament. Liang Dong and Alex Janofsky also had a winning record of 6-2 but missed advancing by speaker points. Redhot & Blue, an a capella group from Yale University, performed at a recent morning meeting, followed by a workshop with Harker’s Upper School Bel Canto and Middle School Harmonics
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For full details on the great successes of our debate team, visit the web site!
WHAT
in the world?
Over 135 talented, dedicated Harker students rehearsed for months to prepare for this year's spectacular Dance Production, “What in the World.”
Students in grades 1 to 12 kept the audience enchanted and thoroughly entertained during the recent ”What in the World?” dance productions. A hear ty “Congratulations!” to all of the students for their incredibly impressive per formances and behind-the-scenes work. And a hear tfelt thanks to all of the parents of the per formers and crew—we know all of the evening and weekend rehearsals take their toll on you, too! We have a talented and dedicated “cast” at Harker who devote an unbelievable amount of hours and energy to this production each year. For this show: Laura Rae, ar tistic director and stor y concept; Gail Palmer, co-director and stage manager; Wendy Huber, dance director asst.; Brian Larsen, technical director; Danny Dunn , asst. technical director; Natty Pierce-Thompson, lighting design and Jeffrey Draper, drama director and script.
Chris Daren (all photos)
The dance depar tment would like to thank all the wonder ful parents for their starring roles behind the scenes!
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FEATURE
engineering and math
Engineers Visit Classrooms in February & March Harker once again participated in the National Discover “E” Engineering Outreach Program in Februar y and March, where engineers throughout the United States visit K-12 classrooms to speak to students and teachers about the field of engineering. Many engineers visited Harker classrooms over the past two months, and here is a sampling. Thanks to all the engineers for taking the time to share your enthusiasm, knowledge and experience with our students!
Kathleen Ferretti
Stephanie Woolsey
Lower School
3rd graders enjoy the “tools of the trade” of civil engineer Bill Beaman and learn how a bridge is made. Their favorite tool (not shown) was the electric eraser!
Engineer Lowell Magleby teaches the students how math is involved in engineering by showing them how a long rod will swing more slowly than a short one!
MS Science teacher Raji Swaminathan’s Gr. 8 Math I class was visited in February by Kimberly Russell, who holds a B.S. from UC Irvine and a M.S. from UC Berkeley. She currently works in the structural engineering area of civil engineering. Since her area of specialty is bridges, she brought pictures of bridges designed and built by her company to share with the students. She also had some hands-on physics activities for the students to do, and she showed how computer modeling of bridges can predict how well they tolerate different levels of earthquakes. “The kids had tons of questions for her, and Ms. Russell emphasized the importance of math and physics in engineering,” Swaminathan said. “She also spoke to the kids about the importance of women entering the engineering field.” Brian Galvin, a senior electronics engineering specialist from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. / Missiles & Space Operations, visited teacher Raji Swaminathan’s Gr. 7 science class to talk about radioactivity, weightlessness in space, previous space programs to the moon (Apollo space missions), Mars, the different probes that have been sent to Mars, future space missions possible with humans to the Mars, etc. Mr. Galvin brought a Geiger counter he had built himself. “He used it to check the radioactivity on the dust that was collected on my tv screen!,” Swaminathan laughed. She added that the students have covered radioactivity in class, so “the students had a lot to contribute to the discussions.”
Raji Swaminathan
Raji Swaminathan
Middle School
Upper School Bob Franzen of Lockheed Martin spoke with Rob Cutler’s US AP Computer Science classes in February about aerospace engineering. Mr. Franzen talked about his long career with Lockheed-Mar tin and presented a slide show of the many different types of aircraft produced over the years by the aerospace industr y.
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Recent Math Results Add Up to Very Good News! Lower School Math Dept. Chair, Cindy Kerr, reported that the 6th graders did a fabulous job in their first California Math League competition. The top five scores were Charlie Fang, Ayushi Gummadi, Spencer Liang, Casey McNamara and Joshua Wang, and the sum of these scores has been submitted as the team score. Contest officials state that a score of 15/40 is a commendable score. “What is very exciting about the 6th grade results is that about 80% of the students scored at this level!,” Ms. Kerr explained. The results of the state-wide competition will be reported when they arrive. Congratulations to these Harker 6th graders!
Middle School Cindy Kerr and Vandana Kadam of the MS Math Dept. repor t that Harker will be hosting its first ever Math Invitational on April 20th! Students are busily preparing, and a wrap-up of this event will appear in the May newsletter. Also, the results of the February Middle School California Math League contest are in, and they are outstanding! To put the results in perspective, according to the contest administrator, a score of 15/40 or higher is “Commendable” and they state that very few achieve a score of 30/40. In the 7th grade, 95% of our students earned a score of 15 or more, and 34 received a score of 30 or higher. In the 8th grade, 98% of our students earned a score of 15 or more, and 51 contestants earned a score of 30 or higher. “These results are considered so remarkable that I am required to keep these papers until June 1st in case it is necessary for the contest administrators to verify the results,” explained Ms. Kerr.
Upper School The Harker team placed 10th at the Stanford Math Tournament held in Feb. with 30 teams participating. Felix Lee, Gr. 11, placed 7th in the Geometry category In the individual contests. There were two American Math Competitions (AMC) for this school year, held on Feb. 12th and 27th. In the Feb 12 AMC, both Yi Sun, Gr.
8, and Justin Wu, Gr. 9, placed first in Level 10, while Ozan Demilioglu, Gr. 10, Jerry Chi, Gr. 12, and Alan Malek, Gr. 9, were the top three winners in Level 12. All of these students qualified in the next level of the contest—the American Invitational Mathmatics Examination (AIME) in March, as did Ashray Urs, Gr. 10, due to his high score in the Level 10 on the 27th. The Harker School team received a score of 327 points and qualified for a Certificate of Merit Award. In the second AMC on Feb. 27, students’ scores improved tremendously. The top three Level 12 per formers were Ozan Demirlioglu, Yi Sun and Jerry Chi, and the Harker school team received a score of 387.5 points, qualifying for the Certificate of Honor Award. Twenty-three students qualified for the AIME. They are 8th grader: Yi Sun; 9th graders: Lev Pisarsky, Justin Wu, Gregory Perkins and Jerry Hong (Level 10 winner); 10th graders: Vivian Leung, Ozan Demirlioglu, Sridhar Chadalavada, Jessica Cu, Ethan Karpel and Karthik Kailash; 11th graders: Charles Hung, Jigish Patel, Kevin Hwang, Andrew Zhang, Felix Lee and Aaron Lehmann; 12th graders: Benjamin Janofsky, George Chen, Jerry Chi, Shiraz Khan and Ankit Desai. Thirteen brave Harker students participated in this year’s 4-hour, 5 question, problem solving test, the Bay Area Math Olympiad (BAMO), and were presented the 5th place team competition award at the awards banquet held in March at San Jose State University. Ninth graders Ozan Demirlioglu and Weiyi Mason Liang placed 2nd and 4th in the 9th and 10th level category, while 8th grader Houston Hoffman placed 5th in the middle school categor y. Felix Lee, Charles Hung, Matthew Wong, Jerry Hong, Ethan Karpel and Justin Wu also received good scores in the Olympiad. Congratulations to all of these students for their outstanding achievements! Watch for repor ts of Harker’s participation in the Santa Clara Valley Math Association (SCVMA) Math Field Day on March 23 at SJSU, the Bay Area Math Meet (BAMM) at USF in April and the CSU-Fresno's Math Field Day in future issues!
update Mark Tantrum
■ Effective for the 2002-03 school year, Harker is proud to announce that Chris Nikoloff will become our new assistant head of Academic affairs, K-12, and Jennifer Gargano will advance to Middle School division head. Both will oversee important curriculum Chris Nikoloff, famous for his extensive tie wardrobe, and administrative having fun with the middle school students during a matters to ensure the recent photo shoot. smooth transition for students from middle school to high school to college. ■ US computer science teacher Each has been with Harker for Robb Cutler recently made a three years, Ms. Gargano as an US presentation entitled “Visualizing math teacher and dept. chair, and Sorting Algorithms in Computer Chris as Middle School division Science” at the Technology head. As outlined in a letter Conference of the California League recently sent home, both of these of High Schools. Cutler explained, fine individuals have distinguished “The presentation was to help themselves within the Harker computer science and programming community and in the education teachers learn how to teach sorting industry, and we're delighted that algorithms in a visual way so that they have accepted these new students can easily and intuitively responsibilities. understand them.”
Pam Dickinson
Ms. Gargano (left) has organized and coordinated the US Community Service program, in addition to her math teaching and dept. chair duties for the past three years. Here, Ms. Gargano and Key Club members prepare to deliver “Adopt-a-Family” gifts.
■ It’s hard to resist an honest fish story. Kok Vu, a member of our Maintenance Dept. since 1998, recently caught an 80 lb. sturgeon near Stockton…from the shore! Mr. Vu, who is an avid fisherman in his spare time, said the fish was 61" long, and he used a 25 lb. test line. There are very specific laws in California about the legal size of sturgeon, and Mike Bassoni, head of facilities, who reported this amazing feat to us added that, “the fish was definitely legal.” They must be 42" minimum to keep but no longer than 72" or they go back. They can get up to 9-10' long and over 1000 lbs. He went on to say that it’s quite rare to catch them this large off of the shore. “Mr. Vu is, as most fishermen would be, very excited about his fortune.” Congratulations, Mr. Vu!
BEING
involved
■ There are lots of volunteer opportunities at the annual Picnic in April, so see page 2 for ways to get involved in this big event! ■ Do you enjoy meeting new faces and sharing your sage wisdom and life’s experiences? “Ambassadors” are veteran Harker parent volunteers who help welcome new students and their families into our community as school gets underway each fall, then check in with them throughout the year to answer questions and share useful information from the perspective of a fellow parent. Ambassadors for 2002-03 are now being sought. Please contact one of the following chairs if you’re interested: For Gr. K-8, contact Kathleen Santora and Sandy Berglund at ksantora@yahoo.com. For Gr. 9-12, contact Susan Lee at carrot2001@aol.com. ■ Are you a seasoned Harker volunteer who would enjoy taking on some leadership role in our parent volunteer program for next year? At both the Lower/Middle School and Upper School divisions, Parent Volunteer Leadership Councils have been established to assist us in developing and coordinating our concerted volunteer efforts. Members of these councils are invited to join based on their demonstrated involvement, support and commitment to The Harker School and to its volunteer program. Membership has traditionally been for 2-year terms and is staggered so that individuals rotate on and off in cycles which maintain continuity and sustained energy to the group. Councils meet monthly from August through May at the mutual convenience of members. Council members are expected to serve as committee or event chairs for a variety of volunteer endeavors that support student activities and Harker programs. Both councils are instrumental in helping formulate
Mr. Vu seeing how the fish measures up!
procedures and protocols relating to volunteer activities, in observing the needs of the school and in directing the known interests and talents of our parent body to realize and enhance the mission of the school. Please let Nancy Reiley
Mark Tantrum
STAFF
US Ambassador Chair, Susan Lee, with new parent Eva Hsu know if you would like to be considered as a potential Leadership Council member. For more information on these and many other volunteer opportunities, contact Nancy Reiley, director of community relations, in the Advancement Office at 871-6608 ■ The dance department would like to thank three parents who have been involved with dance production for more years than they care to remember. Alice Schwartz sews many of the costumes and generally helps make sure all the costumes are repaired, altered and looking fabulous. “Alice is very humble about her efforts, and she does this all with a sweet smile and laugh—you just want to hug her,” said Laura Rae, ar tistic director of Harker’s recent “What in the World?” dance production. And Cherrie Blair and Kathy Polzin have been here day after day, year after year, helping in the “Green Room” and wherever needed. “The support that Cherrie and Kathy have given to the dance department is immeasurable. Every student in the show crosses their paths, and their presence is truly appreciated,” added Gail Palmer, co-director and stage manager.
Alice Schwartz, Cherrie Blair, and Kathy Polzin deserve special Harker dance kudos!
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HARKER
summer
A Summer to Remember....with your Friends! Now, more than ever, we love to be with our family and friends. Spend your summer with your buddies and favorite Harker faculty and staff this summer—reser ve space now before everything fills up! In the K-8 programs, in addition to the traditional favorites, such as archery, art, swimming, crafts, field trips and more, we're chock full of NEW ACTIVITIES this summer, including: •Summer Tennis Camp: Two week, half-day sessions for students entering grades 2-8 in the fall—all levels! Come learn a new sport! • Gr. 1 “A is for Animal”: Literature-based class using animal books and stories to enhance learning and creativity! • Gr. 2 Computer Tech Knowledge: Enhance basic computer skills using Harker's vast library of educational software! • Gr. 3 Zainy Brainy Math: Puzzles, mindbenders, stories and games to unravel the wonders of math while improving skills! • K-3 Dynamo Dancers: An exploration of all dance styles with our very own Ms. Rae!
Have a
Harker Summer! Academic classes, sports and recreation programs for boys and girls entering grades K-8 in fall of 2002. Full and partial day programs are available!
NEW PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN THE US SUMMER INSTITUTE: • US Summer Performing Arts Conservatory: Theatre, movement, voice and musical theatre and a Shakespearean production! • US Computer Programming, Pre-AP Chemistry (Harker students only) and Economics being offered! • Free Cal Train shuttle from the Santa Clara station mornings, at the end of academic classes (12:30 p.m.) and at end of day (5 p.m.)! Programs are filling fast—register now for a Harker summer! Visit the Harker web site for all forms and information (click on SUMMER at top or go to the Parent Home Page) or call Cindi Gonsalves (K-8 programs) at 408.871.4611 or Jada Burrell (9-12 programs) at 408.345.9675.
Now registering for the following sessions:
SESSION I: JUNE 24 - JULY 26 (5 Weeks, K-8)
SESSION II: JULY 29 - AUG. 16 (3 Weeks, K-8)
Bucknall Campus: 4300 Bucknall Rd., San Jose, CA 95130
Saratoga Campus: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129
campinfo@harker.org Fax 408.871.4320
408.871.4600 To obtain information about our programs and to download an application, visit our website at
www.harker.org
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ALUMNI Class Notes Jeremy Wells writes that he attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, where he received a business degree and a PhD. Jeremy is now a retired bank executive living in New York. He shares a wistful memory of his best friend Phillip Walker with whom he lost touch after a disagreement in 8th grade.
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Gloria Silbersten Brown lives in Palo Alto, CA, where she has enjoyed serving as an active community volunteer over the years. Gloria was a boarding student at Miss Harker’s during World War II and has recently been working with Harker’s Librarian Enid Davis to help chronicle the history of the school. Gloria credits her boarding experience as being one of the most important in her life. She writes that Harker “instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility, independent thinking and community involvement” and that the tools
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update honed at school have helped her live a fulfilling life. Gloria has kept in touch with her roommates Marie Emerson, now living in Rancho Palas Verdes, and Shirlee Swanson Queirolo of South Lake Tahoe. David Rogers takes us back to Palo Alto Military Academy days. David lives in Redwood City where he works as warehouse super visor for the Sequoia Union High School District. He remembers special friends like Corky Bach and John Clements. David declares that his greatest achievement has been in parenting!
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Robert Mack lives in San Francisco and writes that he graduated from Topeka West High School in 1972 and attended Menlo College. Warren Kulo is alive and well in Ocean Springs, MS, where he is the managing editor of the Ocean Springs Record. He writes that his family relocated to Mississippi before he graduated from Palo Alto Military Academy, but that he returned for summer camp for 4
They’re Back!!! This month we decided to feature all of the Harker alums who’ve come back to Harker to work! In addition to Howard Nichols (cover) and the four pictured here, you'll see the others scattered throughout this Alumni Update—enjoy!
Welcome to the first ALUMNI UPDATE! To help keep our current and past Harker families connected, we'll be publishing an expanded newsletter periodically to include any alumni news we've received. All alumni who have not yet registered on our web site, please do so: www.harker.org Alumni, remember how much fun you had at the Family & Alumni Picnic as a student? Come join us this year and visit with old friends and former teachers! Check out some of the new things on campus since you graduated, and look through old photos and yearbooks in our special Alumni area—there will be a drawing for Harker logo items for all alumni in attendance! We expect the classes of 1992 and 1982 to have strong attendance to celebrate their 10 and 20 year reunions! If you're interested in planning a 5, 10, 15, or 20+ reunion, contact us and we'll put you in touch with other interested alumni from your graduating class. See you at the picnic! Terry Walsh Director of Alumni Relations 408.345.9205 terryw@harker.org
years after that. The memory of Major Nichols still holds a place of honor for Warren, as well as fond memories of teachers like Mrs. O’Neal, Steve Sampson, Coach Cox and Col. Tuttle. Warren has lost touch with his camp roommate of 3 years, Billy Bracy, who called him several years ago while visiting New Orleans. Stephen Meyer attended Palo Alto Military Academy until he moved to Monterey in 1966. He graduated from high school in Monterey, attended Georgetown University and returned to Monterey in 1979. He purchased and managed a hotel on North Fremont Street in Monterey until he sold it in 1998. Married now to the Senior Vice President for Publicity for Walt Disney, he commutes regularly with his wife between Burbank and Monterey.
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Terry Walsh
Chris Pitman (now MacGowanPitman) currently lives in San Francisco. Gerald “Jay” Russio keeps in close touch with us from his home in El Cerrito, where he works as a healthcare director for eBioCare.com. Dana Morgan, Jay’s music teacher at Harker, resonates in his memory most strongly; Jay writes that he has been able to apply what he learned in Morgan’s class years
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Jeffrey Neiderauer Co-Network Manager At Harker since 1995
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Dan Gelineau, Asst. Head of School, Non-Academic Affairs At Harker since 1972
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Chris Yamashita Rec. Director, Saratoga At Harker since 1999
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Ben Lee Technology Office Manager At Harker since 2000
Nancy Reiley Director of Community Relations nancyr@harker.org
ago to his experiences with his professional band today. Jay would love to hear news of Keith “Prettyman” Sanchez and keeps in touch with classmates Scott Brann, John DeLucchi, Alan Stevens and Gordon Meacham. Charlie Pellegrin attributes Harker with teaching him to “read, to count, to possess manners, to recognize colors, to tie my shoes, to develop my imagination, and to get along with others,” and remembers most fondly his teachers Mrs. Verharen in 1st grade, Mrs. Larsen in 2nd, and Mrs. Gregory in 4th. Charlie graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BA in ’85, and he is now a group coordinator for Oracle Corporation. He wonders whatever happened to classmate Giselle Black.
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Bill Protzmann remembers performing “The 12th Street Rag” in 5th grade at a school assembly on the old Palo Alto campus…and since he lists “pianist, composer, performer, writer and professional speaker” among his career pursuits, we wonder whether he attributes those obvious urges to appear in the public eye to his Harker experiences. Bill lives in Laguna Nigel, CA, and is also the founder and CEO of TetraDym Inc.
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Mike Archer is proud to share with
15
update
us the birth of his daughter Amanda on July 23, 2001. Congratulations, Mike!
at Harker have been enormously helpful to her in educating her own children.
Tommy Moala lives in Vallejo where he works in the field of environmental engineering. He remembers his favorite teacher Anthony Callaghan and especially his experiences in 9th grade.
Victor Pekarcik lives in Menlo Park. Truly a testimony to his belief that “one person can and will make a difference,” Victor has worked over the years with heads of state from Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Regan to Gorbachev and the Dhali Lama. He writes that he has been “proud to assist and work with some of the greatest people on the
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Rajiv Das graduated from Bellarmine, from UC Davis with a BA and from University of St. Louis Medical School. Rajiv is now a physician and lives in Saratoga. Heidi Payne Schoen lives in Maplewood, MS, and is currently a freelance development professional. Heidi graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in communications. She was a boarding student and attended Harker for two years, and she regrets not staying in touch with any classmates from those days. She would love to hear from Ginger Good, Jon Gray, Robin Ricker, Lauren Kiefer and Michael Conlan. She remembers Col. Tuttle teaching math—in particular a habit he had of sticking his tongue out and biting it when he was frustrated…which Heidi says was “often.” She also remembers Captain Torcellini as an extraordinarily kind man who was beloved by all students and Mr. Aidman whom the girls in those days regarded as “cute.”
Pam Dickinson
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Touraj Daryaee attended Harker Academy from 1977- 80 as an international boarding student. Touraj was summoned back to his home in Tehran in 1980, completed high school at the American Community School in Athens, Greece, and then returned to the US to continue his education at UCLA, where he completed both a Masters and a PhD. He is currently an assistant professor of ancient history at UC Fullerton and lives in Santa Monica. Leslie Karner Calloway is still living in Jacksonville, FL. She lists her occupation as “domestic engineer,” and we conclude that supervising and home schooling her two sons, Zachary, 9, and Isaac, 4, keep her very busy these days. Leslie comments that the study and organizational habits she developed
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Lisa Bowman - LS/MS Coach At Harker since 1997
face of the planet to make a difference by ending nuclear testing, the Cold War, marketizing the Russian system, bringing down the Wall in Germany and assisting people all over the world whenever major crises have arisen.” He is currently working with Angel Venture Capital on strategic business development of high tech corporations and serves on a global steering committee that advises world leaders, from the President of the U.S. to members of the United Nations. Edrice LaTanya Angry, now Wright, works for Kaiser Permanente in Modesto in the Member Services Department. She is married to Brian Wright, and she and Brian are the proud parents of daughter Brianna, age 3, this March, and at last communication they were looking forward to the birth of their first son in April 2001. Edrice remembers friends like Cassandra Floyd (See “In Memorium”), Akiko Murphy, Elizabeth Nichols, Betty Kamas, Jon Gray, Kelly Turner, Delia Stallings and Federico Garza, as well as favorite teachers Mr. Walsh, Mr. Near and Mr. Kaminsky. Celia De Benedetti updates us from her home in San Jose and lists her current occupation as “mom.” Celia graduated from Hawaii Preparatory
Academy and from Lewis and Clark College with a BA.
Vijay Lakireddy was a boarding student for 8 years and remembers his best friends Jon McManus, Don Byrne, Mike Cady, Tim Alvarez and Ron Yelton. Vijay reports that he is married now, with twins Kyle and Sarah, age 4. He joined his family’s business immediately out of upper school.
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Brian Cherrick lives in St. Louis and is the Vice President of Investments for A.G. Edwards and Sons there. Brian graduated from Lowell High School and from the University of Missouri in St. Louis.
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Debra Delizonna received a BA in economics from UC San Diego and a Masters degree in social work from the University of Texas. She has traveled throughout Europe and lived in Mexico for three years. Currently an associate clinical social worker, she lives in the San Jose area and is happy to have kept in touch with Harker classmates Diana and Celia DeBenedetti.
Jim Ganson claims that teacher Pat Walsh still owes him a Giants’ baseball game that he won in a classroom contest! Jim graduated from Leland High School and attended Fresno State and West Valley College. He is currently living in Fresno, where he is the president of a real estate investment firm, Ganson Properties. Sara Lundgaard Slocum graduated from Pomona College with a BA, received her Masters from UC Davis and her DDS from the University of the Pacific Dental School. She is now married and living in Mukilteo, WA, where she is a successful dentist. Sara fondly remembers the color guard and trips to Disneyland and Yosemite, and, “yes, finals in the gym!” She
Michelle Magboo remembers teachers Mrs. Tyrell and Mr. Walsh—especially writing a letter to herself in Walsh’s class which she was tickled to receive back a few months after 8th grade graduation. Michelle graduated from Sacred Heart Preparatory and later from St. Mary’s College with a BA in English literature. Michelle lives in San Francisco and writes that she is currently working as the director of marketing and business development for CMP Media, LLC. She has e-mailed old friends Alex Stojonavic, Keil Albert and Jim Reid. Jennifer Raish Harman writes that she lives in San Jose. Liz Robertson has many fond memories of her years at Harker: participating in the 8th grade trip to Yosemite, experiencing an earthquake in Mrs. Kulp’s class, putting on plays with Erskine Morgan, writing a “prediction” letter in Mr. Walsh’s class, fortunereading by Madam Feldman, discovering that Col. Tuttle was really an “old softie” and watching Mr. Near shoot endless baskets. Not only did Harker give Liz a great background for her professional career, but also was responsible for uniting her with a great husband, Keil Albert! Liz attended Stanford University and San Jose State, and she is currently working for Valin Corporation as the marketing communications manager. Liz also updates us that classmate Joanne Sharon Field is living in Sunnyvale.
Pam Dickinson
ALUMNI
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Mark Gelineau- Here since 1994 Grade 7 English teacher
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Kristen Giammona - Here since 1992 Grade 4 & 5 Social Studies teacher
writes that she changed from a shy girl into a very confident young lady while at Harker and that the school helped her to develop the academic confidence to continue on to many degrees after high school and college.
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Jenny Lu is an attorney in Palo Alto.
Brett Allen Nashlund graduated from Lincoln High School in
ALUMNI
update 50th anniversary of Harker’s Annual Picnic. Kristin Marlow Quintin works for Applied Materials and is currently living in Woodbridge, CA. She has kept up with classmates Karri Sakai and Matt Baker. Loren Due remembers Mom bringing him to Harker for the first day of kindergarten…and from that moment through the final day of 8th grade, feeling reluctant to ever leave! Loren graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in hospitality management and is currently a Code Enforcement Inspector for the City of San Jose. Loren has kept in touch with classmate Nick Stovanovich and would love to hear from Kimani Irby.
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Michael Saltzman Rec. Staff, Bucknall At Harker since 2000
Stockton after leaving Harker. Brett especially remembers Mr. Tuttle, who was his 5th grade homeroom teacher back in 1980. Brett’s first inkling that fixing computers might indeed prove to be a rewarding business came when he was able to work his magic on Mr. Tuttle’s calculator after class. Brett seems to remember that this act of heroism merited some tangible improvement to his grade! His computer expertise has only grown over the years; Brett now is the IS manager for a military contractor in Nevada. He shares with us another memory of his (misspent?) youth: catching moths on the playground and playfully liberating them in class…what a troublemaker!! Brett writes: “Education and motivation got me to where I am today. I was successful right out of the box and that was due to quality being put into the box” at the very beginning. Cheryl Held graduated from Monte Vista High School, UC Davis, University of the Pacific School of Dentistr y and St. Louis University Center for Advanced Dental Education. She is now an or thodontist at Comfort Care Dental South and living in the state of Missouri. Cheryl worked for 10 consecutive years as a Harker Summer Camp staff member, and she feels that coaching and working with children was inspiration for her career in or thodontics. Her memories of Harker are many. Cher yl has maintained a close friendship with classmate Anne Schlossman. She regrets that she was living too far away last spring and missed the
C. Sean Cartwright lives in Washington, DC. Steve Moorman graduated from Bellarmine after leaving Harker, earned a degree in advertising from San Jose State University and is now working for Sun Microsystems. Among Steve’s favorite Harker memories are teachers Mr. Saltzman, Mr. Near and Mr. Godfrey, and class trips to Disneyland and Yosemite. Steve completed a successful expedition to Tanzania where he is proud to have climbed the true summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He hears that classmate Jeff Stolzoff is married and the father of a new daughter. Steve welcomes ’85 classmates to e-mail him at mrwolf5@aol.com.
When we heard from Heather McGill last spring, she was looking forward to her upcoming wedding to her high school sweetheart. Heather lives in San Jose and works for VistaInfo Property Disclosure. She asks if time capsules buried in the field near the tennis courts have ever been unearthed. Heather, plans for future building on the Saratoga campus will undoubtedly bring
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Chris Yamashita
Pam Dickinson
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that burger, fries and Coke at Burger King which is owed him and classmate Murphy Sabatino by Mr. Walsh because they defeated Mr. Walsh and Mr. Bither in a basketball challenge 13 years ago. Tom attended Bellarmine, USC, where he received a BA, and he is currently a graduate student at Rutgers University. Tom believes that the teachers in Harker’s early foreign language program, particularly Madame Baggar and Madame Rigler, were invaluable in preparing him for the option of overseas work.
Scott Quilty is married and lives in Pismo Beach. Scott has two children, Amanda, age 4, and Dalton, age 2. He is farm manager for Waller Genetics, Inc. Scott was a boarding student while he attended Harker, and he fondly remembers living in the dorm under the supervision of Joe Rosenthal.
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Kathy Dalton would enjoy a reunion of her classmates. She graduated from Archbishop Mitty in 1991 and attended West Valley College. Kathy now lives in Chicago, where she works as the global marketing/ business development manager for Agfa Corporation.
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Tommy Kondo is still waiting for
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Laurie Held - MS Coach At Harker since 1999 (summers since ’90)
those to light some time soon if they are still out there. Ben Chen graduated from Gunn High School in Palo Alto, from Princeton University with a BS in engineering and is now a graduate student at Stanford University. Danielle Duran attended St. Francis High School and UCLA. Danielle currently lives in San Francisco where she works for Sequoia Capital. Steven Tam recalls the dubious recognition by some unnamed administrator that his class stood out in the annals of Harker history …somewhere on the downside of the
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scale! Looking back now, he’s ready to quibble about that distinction!!! Steve graduated from Bellarmine, received a BA from Colorado College and is now in sales for Hyundai Electronics America. He remembers a long list of favorite staff: Jack “Awesome” Bither, Joe “Willy” Rosenthal, Mr. Ippolito, Mr. “Z,” Mr. Near, Mrs. Baggar R.I.P., Mrs. Harp, Mrs. Nielson, Mr. Saltzman, Miss Kelly, the Marshalls, Coach Johnson, Mr. Walsh, Miss “Poolside” Melanie, Mr. Gelineau, Mrs. Peterson, and Miss Lisa. Steve, we hope you’ll come by soon to pay your respects to these good folk, most of whom are still inspiring students at Harker today. Steve writes that he knows the whereabouts of classmates Peter Joseph, Antonio Morici, Greg Davis and David Owens. Varish Goyal graduated from Menlo School and later from Duke University where he completed a BS in biomedical engineering and a MD/MBA from Wake Forest University. Varish lives in WinstonSalem, NC. David Kwon is currently living in Sydney, Australia (a mere 14-hour flight from his family and friends), where he works as a business process analyst for Qantas Airways. David graduated from Archbishop Mitty and later from USC where he completed degrees in accounting and in business administration. David attributes his independent spirit to living in the dorm at Harker, where he had his first experiences in being so far away from family. He continued through high school and college with classmate Bina Roy, with whom David shared even the same academic major at USC! Elaine Capogeannis is living in Los Angeles where she is an actress, working in film, TV and theater. Elaine graduated from St. Francis High School and from UCLA with a BA in history. Classmate Sehba Zhumkawala remains the “dearest, sweetest friend” of her heart. She would love to contact Jason Lee, Mark Gelineau (Elaine, we can tell you that Mark is right here at Harker, teaching 7th grade English!), Kyle Pearsal, and Lisa Kitayama. Elaine believes, “Dreams are reality. It is the self who makes them so.”
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update Ravi Belani received both his BS and MS in engineering from Stanford. He is now working for venture capital company Draper Fisher Jurvetson and lives in Los Altos. Ravi writes that he owes much of his curiosity and confidence in learning to his experiences at Harker. He recently spoke with classmate Riaz Valani and was pleased to run into Jason Lee some time ago. Maren Shough is now in law school at Stanford where she is working on her JD. Maren attended Archbishop Mitty High School and UC Berkeley, where she received a BA in sociology.
Chris Yamashita
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Jocelyn Poon - MS Rec Staff At Harker since 2000
Jennifer Hill is working as an engineer for Aichi Steel Corporation, based in Nagoya, Japan. Jennifer attended Presentation High School and The American School in Japan. She completed a BS in bioengineering at UC San Diego. Jennifer would love to contact her friend and classmate Lisa Kitayama. Georgiary McElveen taught afterschool music at Harker from 1991 through 1993; she and her family moved to Chapel Hill, NC. Her daughters, Emily and Adelle McElveen, attended Harker during those years. She writes with great pride that Emily is now a sophomore at Brown University studying pre-med and has distinquished herself as a co-author on a published paper she completed this past summer during a diabetes research program sponsored by the Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MC-PhD program. Adelle is a senior at Chapel Hill High School this year, where she has also proven herself to be an outstanding student. Adelle awaits admissions decisions from Stanford, Harvard and Tufts universities this spring. Mother Georgiary updates us that she completed a BA and MA in music history at Stanford and is working on her PhD at Duke University, with high hopes to open a music school for “underserved” students in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area in NC.
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Vicky Viso praises teacher Jack Bither and coach Theresa “Smitty” Smith for their unfailing encouragement and for challenging her to reach difficult goals. Their genuine care for their students has left a lasting impression on Vicky. Vicky graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Asian Studies and Japanese. She works now in the venture capital industry. She has kept in touch with Niki Noonan and Genia Shaw, and would enjoy hearing from Riki Kalil. Emily Adler attended Santa Catalina School in Monterey and New York University where she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in journalism and in theater. She is currently working as an assistant producer for a Phoenix, AZ, TV station.
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Sujay Jaswa lives in Saratoga and works as a consultant for McKinsey and Company. Sujay attended Bellarmine and graduated from Princeton University with a BA in economics. Young Lee is now working as an English tutor for a Korean language institution in Bundang, Korea. Young attended Woodside Priory after completing his ESL studies at Harker, and he completed his BS at UC San Diego. Sandi Zee attended Saratoga High School and UC Berkeley. She is currently working as a research scientist for Genitope Corporation. Christopher Jou is still up in Klamath Falls, OR, where he is a
— In
Memorium —
CASSANDRA FLOYD, Class of 1980 Graduated from UCSF Medical School. Was a resident of San Jose, CA, and worked as an OB/GYN at Kaiser Santa Teresa in San Jose, CA. Victim of homocide in November 2001. LOREN SCOTT MAAS, Class of 1997 Graduated from Webb High School and was attending Business College at U.C. Boulder in Colorado. Perished in diving accident in Kona, Hawaii, in July 2001. If you were a classmate, friend or teacher of Cassandra’s or Loren’s and wish to share memories for publication in our next issue, please contact Terry Walsh at terryw@harker.org, or visit our Alumni Web Page at www.harker.org.
student at Oregon Institute of Technology. Christopher has happy memories of his experiences in Harker’s boarding program…dorm parents Ron Maloney and Jim Cagney, the fun weekends and hanging with friend Minh Le. Franca Lee is living in Hong Kong and studying to be a fashion designer. She dreams of designing her own line of clothing and opening a shop. Franca remembers the ESL camping trip and the 8th grade excursion to Washington, DC.
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while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara. Mike attended Hawaii Preparatory Academy after leaving Harker and then managed to graduate from UCSB in just 3 years. He writes that he’s entered the “real” world now and has a job doing market research for Entrada Networks, a local San Diego storage area network company. Audrey Chiang was not a fluid English speaker when she first enrolled in Harker’s ESL program, but she
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Dana Hahn writes that she is currently a script reader and production assistant working on the TV series, “Dharma and Greg.” She lives in West Hollywood. Dana graduated from Menlo School and from Emerson College with a BA in media arts. Michael Saltzman maintains his close ties to Harker (his father Howard teaches Grade 3 here and his sister Kari is a student at the Upper School); his memories of Harker friendships with students and favorite teachers are treasured, and he feels that Harker gave him a strong foundation for future successes. Michael attended Piedmont Hills High School and West Valley College and is currently a fulltime student at Bethel College. Michael Stocker remembers a trip with Joe Rosenthal, Boarding Program Director, down to Carpinteria, CA, to visit Cate School, and marvels that he never expected then to have ended up living down the road from Cate
Chris Yamashita
ALUMNI
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Missy Smith- At Harker since 1999 Middle School Swim Coach
feels strongly now that Harker’s excellent teachers quickly helped her improve her English skills. Audrey has kept in touch with fellow ESLers and boarding program friends Diane Wu, Peter Liu and Vickie Hsi. Audrey attended Vivian Webb School and Northfield Mount Hermon School. She is currently studying at USC and living in Los Angeles. James Anson Troutner writes that
update
ALUMNI he still misses “being a kid” at Harker and still regards his trip in 7th grade to Yosemite as one of the greatest outdoor experiences of his life. Jimmy is proud today to say that he was once a Harker Eagle, and he hopes that today’s students recognize that the tools Harker provides them really DO help them achieve their dreams and tackle the challenges that they encounter, as he has witnessed in his own life. James lives in Belvoir, VA, with his wife and two children, and he serves in the US Army 3rd Infantry. James would be thrilled to hook up with Harker students on their Washington, DC, trip and offers his assistance and DC experience with visits to Arlington National Cemetery and historic Ft. Myer!
Rachel Parker now lives in Las Vegas, where she attends University of NV.
Sheila Collins graduated from San Jose Academy and is now a fulltime student at Stanford. She has maintained her friendship with classmate Irine Vodkin. John Benjamin YoungAnglim graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut and is now attending Tulane University. He was especially close to teachers Betty Wernersbach and Robert Reynolds and writes that he hopes they are both well. It’s hard for him to isolate favorite memories of Harker. Here for 9 years, Ben feels that he grew up at Harker and that the foundation built for him at Harker has molded him into the person he is today! He hopes to meet old
Jenny Werba attends Menlo School. Jenny writes that she would love to hear from classmates Melissa Lam, Caroline Bachmann and Brandi Tate.
Mark Stanton graduated from Palo Alto High School and is now a student at Columbia University. Philip Tseng has grateful memories of ESL teachers Mrs. Skapinsky and Mr. Holden, and his friends Jerry Chu, Carleton Chang, Jason Wang and Delphine Lin who lived in the dorm with him. Philip graduated from Valley Christian High School and is now a student at UC San Diego.
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Michelle Floyd - Recreation Staff At Harker since 2001
classmates again in the future and wonders where they are now. Victor Fang graduated from Robert Louis Stevenson School and is now a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Victor remains in touch with friend Darsen Chen and would love to have news of Kathleen Yan.
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Mindy Warner writes, “the dorm staff ROCKED!” While she acknowledges that being away from home and living as a boarder at Harker was at times difficult, the staff and her friends were truly her “second family.” She remembers Joe Rosenthal and Lani Potts Marshal, the weekend crew of Pam, Curt, Donna and Tristan and her “cool” houseparents Elise Schwartz, Karen Roller and Crystal Boyd. Mindy moved to Utah to be with her family and finished high school there with success.
Delphine Lin attended Canadian Academy and is now living in Malibu where she is a student at Pepperdine University.
Clinton Wu graduated from Bellarmine and is now attending Princeton University.
Ken Ito attended Woodside Priory School and is now a pre-engineering student at the University of Washington in Seattle. Ken’s years of living in the dorm and truly feeling a part of the “Harker family” are precious memories. He remains in touch with classmates Clifford Hayashi, Audrey Chiang and Ben Chung and would especially love to hear from his buddy Peter Nagano.
Manny Garrido sends greetings from his home in Mexico. He is completing his final year at the Colegio Vista Hermosa in Mexico City, and he says that his experiences at Harker made him realize that school can be fun! As an ESL student, Manny spent some happy times as an international boarder in Harker’s dorm.
It is with great sadness that we report the drowning death of Loren Scott Maas this past summer. Loren graduated in June 2001 from The Webb School and was enjoying a summer job as a YMCA camp counselor in Kona, HI, at the
Denise Mills attended Presentation High School for two years and has now transferred to Pioneer High School where she is enjoying being part of the promotions team for Empire Broadcasting Company which manages local radio
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Omar Parham is living in Castro Valley and attends St. Mary’s College High School. Omar writes at great length that he is doing well in school and constantly learning about life inside and outside the classroom. He played varsity basketball last year, but found his skills hampered by a torn ACL. His team won their league, North Coast, northern California and state championships. Omar has been a consistent honor roll student and achieved outstanding scores last year on the PSAT. He writes that his goal is to achieve a 4.0 GPA, take all the AP classes his high school offers, get his knee back in shape and participate in McDonald’s All-American game on ESPN. He also aspires to get 2 more state rings!!! Omar’s absolute favorite memory, and life altering experience, was his trip to Tamagawa, Japan, as a
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Chris Yamashita
Jamil Valliani graduated from Menlo School and is now working on his BS at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, from which he expects to graduate in May 2003. He enjoyed hanging out with many of the computer-lab folk when he was at Harker and believes that Harker gave him a “rocksolid” foundation in knowledge and abilities which has brought him success throughout his educational career. Seems like Jamil has kept in touch with quite a few Harker classmates: Daniyal Kaleem, Iliya Pesic, Kiu Li, Krishna Sampath, Omar Rasheed, Pavan Khanna and Ambar Bhatacharyya.
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stations KRTY, KARA, and KLIV. Denise loved playing a variety of sports as early as 1st – 3rd grades, when often she and Lindsay Carattini would be the only girls playing. She hopes to go to San Francisco State University in the future. Denise keeps in contact with good Harker friends Lindsay Carattini and Pat Fellows from the class of 1996.
Joyce Kan attends Lynbrook High School in San Jose and is thrilled to be a National Merit Finalist, an academic achievement which ranks her among the top students in the nation! Congratulations, Joyce!!!
Chris Yamashita
Jennifer Warner Waite lives in Salt Lake City, UT, and is currently a senior accounts manager with Discover Card.
time of his tragic death. (see memorial)
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Danny Walsh Rec. Staff, Bucknall At Harker since 2001
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update
ALUMNI
FROM
the archives
Harker exchange student.
Otelia Winchell Cullen Polk De Witt
Angela Esquivel attends Lynbrook High School, where she continues to see fellow Harker alums Courtney Payne, Shamala Gallagher, Edith Han and William Pu. Angela’s love of music, inspired and nurtured by Harker’s Performing Arts Department and her participation in the Harmonics, still keeps her singing. She is the alto section leader of Lynbrook’s Concert Choir, and she is involved in several musical groups through Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, including weekly singing gigs with a band called the Breakaway Band. Among her favorite teachers at Harker are Mr. Bither and Mrs. Harp who not only had significant impact on her academic successes (National Honor Society and a continued 4.3 GPA in high school) but encouraged her social development as well.
The women who put the “Harker” in The Harker School came from strong pioneer stock. Catherine and Sarah Harker, who founded and ran “Miss Harker’s School” for several decades, must have taken great pride in their maternal grandmother Otelia. She was a pioneer who joined the Oregon Trail in 1847 and was elected “first Mother Queen” of the Oregon Pioneer Association in 1909 when she was 95 years old.
Chris Yamashita
Derek Ward has moved to Saratoga where he is attending high school. Jackie Chiang is a boarding high school student in Wilbraham, MA. She remembers her many ESL and boarding family friends and would especially love to hear from Hiromi Chimura and Diana Chang. Colby Aymar attends Archbishop Mitty High School. Alvin Chyam is a student at Saratoga High School. Tammy Chiang remembers her many friends and inspirational teachers in Harker’s ESL program and treasured memories of life in the
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Our school’s archives contain an obituary, probably written by her daughter, Sarah Ellen Harker, and published in a San Francisco newspaper. Otelia died in 1911, and we have the original news item. According to the obituary, Otelia Winchel (sic) was born on January 14, 1814, in Brookville, Indiana. She married John Cullen in 1835 and produced a boy, John W. Cullen, the following year. John Sr. died shortly after. In 1842 she married Adam Guthrie Polk.
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Brent Torcellini Recreation Staff, Saratoga At Harker since 2000
dorm. Tammy is a student at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA. Tanya Rasheed now attends Fremont Christian School. Michael Lo is a student at Fountain Valley School in Colorado. Madiha Raees lives in Atlanta, GA, where she is a student at The Atlanta Girls’ School. She keeps in regular touch with her many Harker friends through e-mail, and she especially expresses her thanks to teachers Hazard, Harp, Keilty, Merrill and Pinzas and to coach Smitty for their inspiration and guidance. Tiffany Wang is a student at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont and writes that she misses her friends from Harker very much. She has found that Harker prepared her well for high school and the upcoming challenges in her life.
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Otelia and Adam had two daughters, Caroline and Sarah Ellen. Both sisters eventually moved from Indiana to Portland, traveling along the famous Oregon Trail, and then to Palo Alto, where they joined the staff at Miss Harker’s School. Sarah Ellen was the mother of Catherine and Sara Harker. In 1847, Otelia Polk and her family crossed the plains to Oregon. The head of their wagon train was Samuel Markham. Samuel’s wife, Elizabeth, was Otelia’s cousin. (My source for this is Linda Markham Curr y, a living descendant of Elizabeth Winchell.) In her e-mail to me, Ms. Curry writes: “You may be interested to know that Otelia Winchell-Cullen-Polk-DeWitt was cousin to Elizabeth Winchell Markham, who was the mother of Edwin Markham the poet. Edwin has a history in San Jose too.” The pioneers made a brief stop at the doomed Whitman Station. This was a missionary compound led by Dr. Marcus Whitman. According to the obituary, Dr. Whitman wanted the family to stay there for the winter, but Otelia “seemed to have a presentiment that forbade, and they pushed on toward the Willamette Valley.” This premonition avoided tragedy for the Polk family as the famous Whitman massacre occurred about one month later on November 29, 1847. (See the web site noted below for more information on the massacre.) Adam Polk died while crossing the Columbia River, leaving his widow and children to survive the harsh winter alone. They arrived at Oregon City, OR, sometime in November or December 1847. Upon their arrival, they moved into a cabin on First and Morrison streets. Later, they moved into the first frame house in Portland, built by a Captain Crosby. Otelia married Francis G. De Witt, an officer on a cargo ship in 1848. They had three children together: Marie B., Francis M. and Otelia V. Mrs. De Witt died on March 21, 1911, in Portland. She was 98 years old. If you’d like to see the ribbons she was awarded by the Oregon Pioneer Association, we happen to have them. Enid Davis, Library Director
CORRECTIONS ■ The printed program for the recent dance production contained three omissions. 1. Lauren Harries, Gr. 8, was an actor in the show and should have been listed with the other students who had dramatic roles. You were wonderful, Lauren, and our apologies for the omission! 2. Chris “Somebody” listed in the Guys Gig chorus is actually Chris Kim—sorry about that, Chris! 3. Christine Kang should have been listed as one of the dancers in the “World on a String” number. She was terrific! Reprinted programs have been delivered to each of these families so that the students and families have corrected programs for their scrapbooks...! ■ The Reading Buddy program featured on Page 4 in last month’s newsletter edition was in error. It’s actually Kathleen Ferretti’s Gr. 3 Language Arts students who read to Ms. McFarland's students, who are kindergarteners. Also, the photos are by Kathleen Ferretti. Wonderful program, and apologies for the error!
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Sources Curry, L.M. “Otelia.” E-mail to Enid Davis. 28 December 2001. De Witt, Otelia. Obituary. Unnamed newspaper article. The Harker School archives. For more information Whitman Massacre - http://gesswhoto.com/whitman.html
The Harker News is published monthly by the Harker Office of Communications. Current and archived issues are also available on the Parent Home Page on the website at www.harker.org Editor: Pam Dickinson Design: Blue Heron Design Reporter: Terry Walsh Bucknall Photographer: Pam Araki Photo Editor: Chris Daren Printing: Communicart