MAY 2005 (VOL. 11, NO. 8)
A
M O N T H L Y
inside
Robotics receives $10,000 grant .............................. 13 Elephant visits MS — Unforgettable! ......................... 10 Gr. 5 & 6 Show brought back memories ......................... 9 Inaugural Swiss visit a “great experience” for guests and hosts .............................. 14
online ■ Photos from “42nd Street” (p. 15) ■ Student accounts now online (p. 3) ■ New Library databases added (p. 3) ■ Blog resources for parents (p. 10)
events The Harker Harmonics Present
Fri., May 13 & Sat., May 14 7:30 p.m. - Saratoga Gym Tickets $5.00
Lower School Dance Concert
Happiness Is . . . Fri., May 27 & Sat., May 28 7 p.m. - Bucknall Gym $3/students & seniors $5/adults
Harker News — May 05
N E W S L E T T E R
est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
F R O M
T H E
H A R K E R
S C H O O L
New US Program for Girls Encourages Science Careers Harker held the inaugural meeting of WiSTEM (women inspiring young Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) on Wed., Mar. 23 at the Saratoga Campus. Over 50 Harker girls Gr. 10 and 11 attended the event featuring several prominent women from the scientific community to celebrate, share and learn about the paths and challenges of successful careers for women in science. “While there has been tremendous progress for women in the sciences over the past 20 years, women are still grossly under-represented in the sciences, particularly in positions of leadership, research and at universities,” said US math dept. chair Joanne Mason, one of WiSTEM’s co-founders along with Director of Studies Heather Blair and US science dept. chair Anita Chetty. During the luncheon, girls engaged in roundtable discussions with mentors and listened to an inspirational talk given by the keynote speaker, Dr. Rosalind Grymes, the Associate Director of the Astrobiology Institute at NASA Ames. Shruthi Bhuma, Gr. 11 said, “Conversing with these distinguished women made you proud of all that women
have achieved.” Head of School Diana Nichols, herself a former biology teacher, provided some inspiring closing remarks. “It was important for the girls to see two such accomplished women speak with such passion about science,” said Blair. “Many of the girls were a bit surprised to hear of the sexism and obstacles they may face in the ‘real world,’” said Blair. “They do not perceive barriers at Harker. They feel encouraged and included here.” The WiSTEM program, which the founders hope will be catapulted by this inaugural event, has set as its primary goal to foster interaction between successful women leaders in scientific fields and Harker girls interested in careers in science. Chetty has created a WiSTEM Web site with a monthly “Celebrate Women” section featuring Bay Area
women in research and leadership positions in science. A “Let’s Go To Work” section will be added where local scientists will discuss their recent work and allow Harker girls to contact them by e-mail with questions or comments. An “Ask an Undergrad” section will put current Harker girls in contact with recent Harker graduates who are studying in scientific fields. These programs features will be complemented by special events, such as a WiSTEM lecture series, workshops, dinners and mentorship opportunities. Chetty said, “We are really hoping that a number of Harker girls will come forward to take leadership in this program and serve as its facilitators.” From the overwhelmingly positive response to their first event, the WiSTEM founders are confident that Harker girls are getting the message. Samantha Fang, Gr. 11, said, “It is great to meet so many outstanding professional women who are willing to share their experiences and are eager to help us succeed.”
Quiz Bowl Makes It to Finals in Thrilling Match Since the last report, the Harker Quiz Bowl team advanced to the finals of the televised Quiz Bowl competition for the second year in a row. This year’s team of Gr. 12 students Mason Liang and Lev Pisarsky, and Gr. 11 students Hann Yew and Yi Sun, advanced to the final round with an exciting victory over Crystal Springs Uplands High School on Mar. 26. The match was tied at 50 points each after the collaboration round – and tied at 140 after the lightning round – and the Harker team pulled away at
that point, winning by a margin of 360-240. In the exciting finals, held on Sat., Apr. 2 to a cheering studio audience, Harker lost a thrilling match that had to be decided by a sudden
death question. “After last year’s loss in the finals, I didn’t think a match could get any closer,” said team advisor Bradley Stoll. “I was wrong.” The team from Mission San Jose High School tied the score at 280 by answering the final question correctly, then won the match by answering the sudden death question correctly. “I am extremely proud of our team, as all of Harker should be,” said Stoll. “With half our team returning and two newcomers, Harker should be in position to make a strong run once again!”
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may dates & events
staff kudos
This time of year is always an exciting time, as we prepare for so many passages: seniors graduate, 8th graders are promoted and many of our students have the excitement of moving to a new campus.
Visit the Web calendars for the latest detailed date information for each division. Also, key dates for the 2005-06 school year are currently posted.
Enjoy these final, crazy, fun, sentimental weeks of school. We’ll recap all of it for you in the next issue, which will be mailed June 17 to include it all!
■ Fri., May 6, 1 p.m. – Grandparents’ Day for Gr. K-6
■ The January 2005 issue of the National Forensic League’s magazine, Rostrum, contains the pictures of all new single diamond coaches, including our very own Debate leader, Matthew Brandstetter. Congratulations, Matt!
—Pam Dickinson, Director, Office of Communications pamd@harker.org
■ Mon., May 30 – Memorial Day, no classes for Gr. K-12
editor’s note
■ Tues., May 3 – LS Art Show begins ■ Wed.-Fri., May 4-6 – LS Book Fair in the Library ■ Thurs., May 5, 9 a.m. – KDG production ■ Fri. & Sat., May 13 & 14, 7:30 p.m. – MS Musical: HONK! ■ Tues., May 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m. – 2005-06 Fashion Show Kick-off in FDR! All are welcome! ■ Fri. & Sat., May 27 & 28, 7 p.m. – LS Dance Concert: Happiness Is… ■ Wed., June 8 – Noon dismissal, K-11 Last day of classes
Key Senior Parent Dates ■ Mon., May 16, 11:30 a.m., Edge Patio – Senior moms’ lunch ■ Thurs., May 19, 6:30 p.m., The Quad – Baccalaureate
tribute
■ Sat., May 21, 10 a.m., Mt. Winery – Graduation
Save the Date!
A Tribute to Howard & Diana Nichols Fri., June 3 • 7 p.m. Harker Saratoga Campus Gather with alumni, parents, faculty and staff to celebrate the Nichols’ 72 combined years of commitment to education and to The Harker School. Invitations will be mailed soon! Log on to the Harker Web site www.harker.org and click on the “Tribute to the Nichols” link to write a personal memory or best wishes that will be includes in a scrapbook presented to them at the end of the year. See back page for this month’s Tribute article.
“
As we go to
press, volunteers have
The Common Ground Speaker Series May topic will be “Drugs and Alcohol: What Parents Need to Know” that will include tips for setting limits and identifying problems. The dates and locations of each lecture are listed below: ■ Tues., May 3rd, 7pm -- Hillbrook School, 300 Marchmont Drive, Los Gatos ■ Tues., May 10, 7pm -- Crystal Springs Uplands School, 400 Uplands Drive, Hillsborough
College Update
Volunteer Needs
At press time, acceptances were still rolling in, but here are some of the results (with number of students in parentheses): California Institute of Technology (2); Columbia University (7); Georgetown (2); Harvard (3); Johns Hopkins University (6); MIT (13), St. Andrews, Scotland (3); Santa Clara University (20); Stanford (12); Tulane (2); United States Naval Academy (1); University of Chicago (8); University of Pennsylvania (11); Princeton (4); Purdue (8); Yale (6). A complete list of acceptances is on the Harker Web site.
Tues.-Fri., May 3-6, all day LS Library: K-6 Book Fair
It looks like it will be another impressive year - congratulations to the Class of 2005! Check the June issue for complete results.
Fri., June 3 Kiddie Carnival: A Bucknall tradition at the conclusion of each school year. Put on by our own Rec staff, lower school students will be treated to a fun afternoon of field activities. Parents interested in assisting with this event should contact kimc@harker.org.
already given over 9,000 hours of service
BAP Survey
to the school. . .
Bay Area Parent is conducting their annual Best of the Best survey.
”
—Nancy Reiley, Community Relations Director See the Volunteer News Special Report in this mailing.
If you think Harker is the best private school, click to vote in this and other categories! See Parent Home Page (PHP) for link. Deadline is May 15.
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Fri., May 6, 1 p.m. LS Gym: K-6 Grandparents Day! Mon., May 16, 11:30 a.m. Sr. Moms’ Luncheon. Grade 9-11 moms are asked to contribute potluck dishes – entrees, salads and desserts – to serve 6. Mon.-Fri., May 16-20 Grade-level coordinators and Room Parents: Give your feedback on the year’s activities. Postcards for specific days, times, and locations of meetings will be mailed.
And more! – Visit the PHP and click on Volunteers for more information on these and other Harker volunteer opportunities, or contact Nancy Reiley, community relations director at nancyr@harker.org.
■ US Music teacher Catherine Snider recently won the 2004 Bay Area Theater Critics Circle award for Musical Direction for her work on “Ragtime”, at Foothill Music Theater. She also received two 2004 Dean Goodman Choice awards, for “Ragtime” and for “Candide”. Snider has won three BATCC awards and eight Goodman Awards in the past six years for her musical direction. ■ Preeti Sharan (Saurabh, Gr. 5) has joined the Harker staff as a programmer/analyst in our Tech Dept. Sharan has worked as a software engineer and developer at LockheedMartin, Sun Microsystems, and Sentice Corp, and is excited about bringing her experience to a school she considers a “pioneer in technology.” ■ Congratulations to history teacher Ruth Meyer, who will soon be able to put the letters PhD after her name! Meyer defended her dissertation, entitled “Clio’s Circle: Historians Who Dare to Embrace the Unconscious,” on April 14, and will soon have a new gown to wear to Harker ceremonies! Harker News — May 05
tech
talk
New! Online Access to Your Student’s Account Now Available In an effort to provide you with more useful information and speed up response time, you are now able to view your account history and current charges online, as well as make online payments to your student account by using your checking account. Online payment will be available at the same time as online access, and these two services enable you to see your invoice history for the past year, see what items were purchased, and pay an amount of your choosing. If you combine these services with e-mail delivery of statements, you will now have access to all the same information as the Business Office. The online services will also allow you to purchase any items sold in the bookstore - including your book-buying needs - and then your student can pick up those items on campus. To acquire access to these great new features, contact Ado Alibegovic (adoa@harker.org) or Bob Benge (bobb@harker.org) and ask to have your user id and password assigned. (You will be asked to verify personal information in order to establish your identity). We hope you find these new services convenient and helpful! Security Note: Harker uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt your personal information such as user ids, passwords, and account information over the Internet. Any information provided to you is scrambled en route and decoded once it reaches your browser.
Library Adds New Online Software for Citing Sources Students who want to create accurate “Works Cited” lists in the school approved MLA style may access NoodleTools, a program which helps students in grades 4 – 12 create accurate citations. Library Director Enid Davis said this program, which was created by a nationally known school librarian, can be found on our library Web site. Click on the tab “MLA Citation” and you will see a link to NoodleTools. Please see a librarian for help with this program.
US
mentoring
Volunteer Mentors Help Students Explore Variety of Careers
This year’s roster of mentors drew from professionals in a wide variety of fields, ranging from fashion and interior design to aerospace engineering. “It really makes our jobs as mentors easy when the kids are this enthusiastic,” said Brian Pawlowski of Network Appliance. “They’ve been bouncy and energet-
ic and, from their feedback, I think I was able to dispel some of their preconceptions of the (computer engineering) field.” Eric Gonzales of the Doll Capital Management Group, concurred with Pawlowski. “The kids are very smart and driven. They seemed very interested in learning about entrepreneurship, building companies and the path to venture capital. I just tried to provide some exposure to what lies ahead for them in college and beyond.” Another mentor who seems to have made a tremendous impact on Harker students is Barney Saunders of Agilent Technologies. “Saunders has been a mentor for several years,” said Tyndal, “and he does an excellent job of explaining to the students not only the biotechnology side, but the business
Harker News — May 05
side of biotech as well.” Two other longtime mentors, Doug and Linda Emery of BaySport Technologies
have also proven to be favorites among the students, taking them to numerous facilities to experience the different aspects of sports medicine, including trips to the San
Jose Sharks and Oakland Raiders training camps. Tremendous thanks to all of this year’s mentors for making such an impact on our students: Robert Bigler, Animatics; Malti Charlu, Kaiser Permanente; Ajay Chopra, Pinnacle Systems; Steve Darrow, private psychologist; Sandy Davis, NASA; Doug and Linda Emery, BaySport; Peggy Gale, J.D., private practice; Eric Gonzales, Doll Capital Mgmt.; David Heslop, Preston Pipelines; Diane Hurd, West Valley Community College; Pete Hurd, Hurd Designs; Raj Lad, Genencor; Suchitra Narayen, Sun Microsystems; Brian Pawlowski, Network Appliance; Rodney Rapson, City of San Jose; Gordon Ringwold, Surromed; Krishna Saraswat, Stanford University; Barney Saunders, Agilent Technologies.
Cherrie Blair, parent
The 2004-05 US mentoring program capped off a wonderful year with a mentor appreciation luncheon on Thu., Mar. 17 attended by Harker students and administration. True to form, many of the tireless volunteer mentors spent the “thank-you” luncheon counseling and conversing with Harker students regarding career options in their fields. “You can’t say enough about the effort our mentors give to our students,” said Mentoring Program Advisor Joey Tyndal.
A group of US students enjoyed a visit to the Steinberg Group Architects in San Jose, arranged by parent mentors Peter and Diane Hurd.
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harker
fund
thanks!
Your Generous Annual Giving Dollars at Work!
In this issue we are proud to showcase the following student programs and services, made possible in part by your continued support through charitable giving. Thank you for your giving! ■ US Mentoring Program, p. 3 ■ An Evening at the Conservatory, p. 5 ■ Future Problem Solving, p. 7 ■ Gr. 5 & 6 Annual Performing Arts Show, p. 9 ■ MS foreign language field trips, p. 11 ■ Performing Arts Spring Musical - “42nd Street,” p. 15
Last month to give!
to date 100% 90% 80% 70% 60%
Development Council Honored - Many Thanks! We are deeply grateful to our community of nearly 80 parent volunteers for their outstanding support and dedication throughout the year. Harker administration joined in the celebration and our awesome Jazz Ensemble honored guests by sharing their musical talents: Richard Frazier and students Michael Lee, Brian Ma, Isaac Ball, Anton Sepetov, Roger Kim and vocalist Tara Chandra. (See photos under “Event Recap” on facing page.) The 2004-05 AG Campaign closes Tues., May 31 and your participation is critical. Visit www.harker.org for info or to make your gift online. —Bran-Dee Torres, Director of Annual Giving
Welcome Our 2006 Fashion Show Co-chairs! I am thrilled to introduce Harker’s 3rd Annual Fashion Show co-chairs: Mary Malysz, Sarah Pennell and Carol Underwood. Each of our co-chairs has previous volunteer experience and served on the 2005 Rock the Runway! Fashion Show Committee. They also have the dynamite combination of being able to motivate, be creative, and, most important, have the ability to promote community spirit. Mary Malysz says she has “two amazing, really fun kids who attend Harker – Joey (Gr. 7) and Emma (Gr. 2).” Mary grew up in Saratoga. She went to law school at Santa Clara University and enjoyed the private school experience so much that she knew she wanted her children to go to private school. Mary and her husband, Ed, heard about Harker through a friend’s recommendation, “and what a great recommendation it turned out to be.” Her hobbies include her newest passion, Fashion Show 2006, and she also enjoys a great group of Harker moms who
meet regularly for the Involuntarily Committed Book Club. Sarah Pennell has two daughters who attend Harker – Jennifer (Gr. 7) and Amanda (Gr. 5). Sarah has focused most of her energy the past six years being involved as
an active Harker volunteer. She has volunteered as a room parent, grade level coordinator, Development Council member, Leadership Council member, Picnic Committee volunteer, Fashion Show Committee volunteer, and now Fashion Show co-chair. In her spare time Sarah is very active and likes to plays golf,
tennis and snow ski. Carol Underwood began her Harker experience upon returning to the United States in August, 2003 after being overseas for 20 years. All three of her sons had already attended international schools in Hong Kong, Taiwan and England. Carol wanted to find a school that was internationally minded, and The Harker School was a good fit. Carol has a child in each division at Harker, with Alex in the US (Gr. 9), Scott in the MS (Gr. 7) and Robbie in LS (Gr. 1). Carol has worked as a volunteer on the Fashion Show Committee, the Alumni Picnic Committee and the Development Council. As a result, she has wonderful insight into what it takes to raise those extra funds for the common goal – giving our students the best possible education by making opportunities happen for Harker students! —Jennifer Helmonds, Harker Fund Director
50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
$925,000 4
Freeze the Date for Picnic Sunday 2005! Hope you’re all planning to come and “chill out” at “A Polar Picnic” next fall! Picnic Sunday has traditionally been a great time for the entire Harker community to come together -- parents, students, faculty and staff, family and friends -- including our much loved alumni -- and this coming picnic is no exception. In fact, this is one year you absolutely won’t want to miss! Igloos are in the making, the knitting has begun, snowboards and ski caps are at the ready. Fr-r-r-ozen chocolate smoothies, polar “beer” and peng-“wine” (for mom and
dad), and lots and lots of “chili” will be some of our food favorites this year. And, of course, there will be a “sled load” of prizes to delight picnic fans of all ages. Thanks so much to all who have offered to help - (we’re still on “patrol” for more volunteers!) - and special thanks to parent committee members Kathy Polzin and Melody Moyer who set the scene to make our “storm session” (theme brainstorming, that is) so much fun!! We would like to extend a special invitation to all our wonderful
alumni who traditionally make Picnic Sunday so heartwarming each year. The picnic is the perfect place to see many former teachers and classmates. Plan to meet with friends and gather in Graduates Grove, where the alumni office displays memorabilia from each of the schools. This is also a perfect time for all of our newest alumni, the US graduates, to get together, as well! So, “freeze” that date.....SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th!! We look forward to “chill’n” with you! —Lynette Stapleton, Picnic Chair Harker News — May 05
event
recap
De ve l o pm e nt Co un c i l Dinn e r 2005
5th Annual Evening at the Conservatory Magical Night of Talent The Saratoga gym rang with all kinds of music on Mar. 18, as every musical group on campus came together for one night of magic. A highlight of the evening was the performance of the piece commissioned by Cantilena and the String Orchestra, Prayer for Peace, which was conducted by its composer, Brian Wilson. Downbeat, Bel Canto and Cantilena displayed a wide variety of genres, ending the evening with a triptych of spirituals. The Harker Jazz Ensemble wowed the crowd with Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington, and two chamber ensembles gave beautiful renditions of Vivaldi and Schubert. Certificate Candidates Kevin Busch, Tara Chandra, Lauren Gutstein, Kathy Peng, and Amulya Mandava sang solos covering everything from arias to jazz to Broadway. Shannon Tan gave a piano solo, and violinist Audrey Kwong was featured on several numbers. Congratulations to director Catherine Snider and the ensemble leaders, Susan Nace, Richard Frazier and Laura Lang-Ree. Thanks also to Brian Larsen and Paul Vallerga for transforming the gym, and to our fabulous team of parent volunteers, led ably by Madelyn Isaacs (Emily ‘07).
Harker News — May 05
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■ Key Club Convention Ten members of Harker’s US Key Club, which performs numerous and wide-ranging service projects, attended their annual Convention in Long Beach Apr. 15-17 for chapters within the California/Nevada/ Hawaii division. The conference
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■ One Bear Donations US Key Club members, Emily Hsi, Meghana Komati and Shrestha Singh, delivered over 40 teddy bears during Spring Break to the One Bear organization in Fremont. Reporters from The Argus and SJ Mercury News were on site to witness the collection from Harker students and local Girl Scout troops, and reported it in their papers. The bears and personalized greeting cards have been happily accepted by The Family Day Home (care center) of San Francisco. ■ Pennies for Patients Kick-Off Upon return from Spring Break Robb Cutler, assistant head of school, and his son Ethan Cutler, Gr. 2, kicked off the annual Pennies for Patients fundraiser during an US school meeting. Ethan is the 2005 Pennies for Patients regional honoree. The Cutlers shared a clip of their “cancer story” with the students that aired the same week on KTEH. Totals raised by each division will be reported in the next edition. ■ Tsunami K-12 Wrap-Up After combining funds collected by
tion, JSA and Spanish Club sold drinks and churros, Key Club sold “Skittle guesses” and relief bands, and Photo Club sold matted prints. To top off the week, the students held a toy drive for a new nursery in Thailand and Red Cross Club successfully organized an auction for students to smash pies into the faces of generous teachers and administrators. As the devastated families and cities rebuild their communities overseas, the senior class will continue to sell their Tsunami Relief Bands in the Bookstore.
the LS, MS and US, we are thrilled to report that over $10,600 was raised for the Tsunami Relief! Thank you to the entire Harker community for participating and supporting this endeavor. In addition to the Bucknall Bucks (Feb. HN) and MS drive (April HN) previously reported, US clubs and student council hosted a Tsunami Relief Week before Spring Break: Robotics sold custom necklaces and pins, Improv held a benefit jam session, Dance Troupe held a twister and game competi-
■ Toiletry Collection for Homeless The sophomore class successfully concluded their toiletries collection for homeless families at the San Jose Family Shelter. The Harker Girl Scout cadette troop 202 took on the task of delivering the toiletries as part of a badge completion activity.
Diana Moss
Monica MacKinnon - both photos
■ Harmonics Performances Harmonics visited five venues in a whirlwind day of performances on Sat., Apr. 9. The facilities visited were: the Children’s Recovery Center of Northern California, located in Campbell: the Oak Meadows Convalescent Hospital and Terreno Gardens Skilled Care in Los Gatos; Chai House Retirement Community and the Inn Vision Facility for Women and Children in San Jose. The students, accompanied by instructor Monica MacKinnon, performed a combination of songs, including a Broadway medley and children’s songs for the younger audiences. After singing, the students met and talked with the residents, and all audiences expressed great appreciation. “During the tour, I realized how joy can spread in such little time,” said Nikita Agrawal, Gr. 7. “When everyone had smiles on their faces and said, ‘You’ve made my day,’ they had actually made my day.”
provides workshops for officers elected for the 2005-06 academic year, and also holds caucuses for higher officer positions spanning the entire division. Among the students who represented Harker at the convention were two of next year’s club officers – Presidentelect Ashley Yang and Secretaryelect Joanna Xu, both sophomores – as well as the current President Emily Hsi, Gr. 10. Four of the newly elected committee chairs – Alex Chen, Mounica Yanamandala, Anjali Joy, Gr. 10, and Stephanie Herh, Gr. 9 – also attended the conference. Said Key Club advisor Jaja Hsuan, “The convention is a great opportunity for the members to meet other Key Club leaders and take advantage of the many workshops that are offered.”
Serving Those Who Serve Us US Head of School Richard Hartzell and the Spirit Club held the 2nd annual “Serve Those Who Serve Us So Well” event Mar. 24, where students and faculty invited Harker staff members – including kitchen, maintenance and support – to be served dinner that was prepared, cooked, served (and cleaned up!) by students and faculty. Many thanks to all of our hard-working Harker staff!
Chris Daren - both photos
■ Jump Rope For Heart Recap Harker LS students once again jumped into a generous donating spirit at this annual event held last month. The final tally is in, and students raised over $12,500 for the American Heart Association! As a “thank you” the students will receive an extra free dress day. Also as a reward this year for surpassing their goal, LS P.E. teacher Pete Anderson said that the kids will be cheering on a few of their favorite teachers as they don full assembly uniforms later this month. Congratulations and kudos to our LS students for their outstanding support to this important cause.
outreach
Jaja Hsuan
community
Harker News — May 05
schoolwide
news
Lively Harker Latin Students Have Fun, Bring Home Awards at Convention
The US team earned first place in Competitive Certamen at the Advanced Level and second place at the second-year level. Harker sophomores Yuni Pao and Preeta Reddy, and freshman Kritika Kailash, swept the top three spots in the second-year Dramatic Interpre-
tation event. Junior Jonny Jenq won first place in the third-year Mythology competition, his third straight blue ribbon in this event! During the convention’s spirit sessions, the MS won first place for small schools, and the US took second place. The US also won the t-shirt design contest, thanks to a design by senior Adrik McIlroy. In MS competition, the team of Prachi Sharma, Pratusha Erraballi, Liz Cutler and Minaz Laiwalla, all Gr. 8, placed first in the Advanced Certamen competition for the second year in a row. In addition, Erraballi and two other Gr. 8 students, Sonya Gilman and Avanika Krishnaswamy, swept the top three spots in the MS Advanced Dramatic Interpretation category. In the
individual overall sweepstakes, Gilman placed first in both the academic and combined contests. Gilman and Krishnawamy also won the middle school talent show and performed their skit at the closing assembly. Other Harker award winners were: MS – Chris Guimarin, Veronica Hsieh, Matt Park. US – Melissa Chen, Alex Hsu, Mike Kim, Richard Kwant, Aarathi Minisandream, Sheena Tomar, Roberta Wolfson. Congratulations to all of our students for a fabulous showing, and many thanks
to Latin teachers and JCL Advisors John Hawley and Lisa Massoni for their instruction and inspiration!
John Hawley - all photos
Harker’s MS and US delegations performed exceptionally well at the50th annual California Junior Classical League (CJCL) Convention Apr. 1-2 in Irvine. The US team earned second place overall among the 19 medium-sized schools in the competition, which involves a vast array of academic, athletic and artistic contests. Competing for the first time as a separate delegation, the MS team brought home first place honors in the overall sweepstakes among the 13 middle schools competing, despite being one of the smallest delegations in the contest!
Five MS and US Teams Attend Future Problem Solving Finals Harker’s Future Problem Solving program sent a combined five teams – the most ever – from the MS and US to this year’s state finals held Apr. 16 at UC Davis. At the event students have two hours to complete a 12-page document outlining a specific problem, potential challenges and potential solutions. This year’s state qualifying topic was agriculture in the 21st century, with the specific problem of increased proliferation of molecular modified foods in China
by the year 2047. Two Harker US teams qualified for the state finals. The team of Gr. 11 Harker students – Amira Valliani, Sean Turner, Jonathan Chien and Sameer Chopra – qualified for the state competition in first place, while the Gr. 10 Harker team – Siobhan Stevenson, Julia Havard, Ashley Morishige and Maya Ziv – also qualified as one of only four teams invited to the state finals. The teams of Harker MS students also qualified for the state competition. The Gr. 8
team of Boris Brenerman, Denzil Sikka, Alyssa Donovan and Chris Berglund, the Gr. 8 team of Nikhil Raghuram, Ashwin Mathur, Vikram Nathan and Sachin Rangarajan, and the Gr. 7 team of Jeanette Chin, Sarah Wang, Monisha Dilip and Patricia Chang, were among the eight middle school teams from California to earn a spot at the state competition. Also qualifying for individual competition at the state finals were Dominique Dabija, Gr. 8, and Namrata Anand, Haran
Sivakumar and Arjun Mody, Gr. 7. Harker came within just a few points of qualifying all of its teams for state competition “Harker has extremely creative and innovative thinkers,” said team advisor Cyrus Merrill. “Every year at the state meeting coaches want to know how we are so successful, and I simply state that we have bright, motivated students.” The general topic for the state competition will be oceanic species. Check the June edition for a re-cap of the state finals.
eCybermission Competition Results in Three Harker Team Awards Three teams of Gr. 7 Harker students earned awards as part of the eCybermission competition, a Web-based science, math and technology competition for teams of students from Gr. 6 – 9 sponsored by the U.S. Army. A total of 11 Harker teams participated from MS science teacher Raji Swaminathan’s honors science class, joining approximately 2,000 teams nationwide to work on their projects from Sept. 2004 to Feb. 2005. In the Southwest/Pacific Region of 11 teams, Harker garnered the following awards: Team Firecrackers (Jeanette Chin, Namrata Anand, Nikita Agrawal Harker News — May 05
and Shefali Netke) won the Southwest/Pacific Region Overall 2nd Place award by earning the second highest cumulative score in the region. They were each awarded a $3,000 savings bond and a framed certificate of achievement from the U.S. Army. Team Pink Flamingoes (Jane Thomas, Katherine
Harris, Carissa Jansen and Kendra Moss) won the Southwest/Pacific Region Highest Score in the Application of Science, Math, and Technolgy Award, earning each of the team members a $2,000 savings bond and a framed certificate of achievement. The Funky Monkeys (Tamara Kawadri, Connie Lu, Sohini
Khan and Monisha Dilip) won the Southwest/Pacific Region Highest Score in the Best Team Collaboration and Communication Award. They also earned $2,000 savings bonds and framed certificates. “I am immensely proud of all my students who did such a fantastic job,” said Swaminathan. “All these teams are girls’ only. It makes me very happy to see that Harker girls are doing so well in the fields of science, math, and technology.” She also sent special thanks to MS division head Cindy Kerr and MS science teacher and dept. chair Simon Keilty for their support of the project.
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“What do you think of when you think of summer?” “Doing things I wouldn’t normally be able to do while in school. Like playing baseball with my dad.” Stephan Pellissier, Gr. 3 “Going to the beach and digging in the sand.” Gaurav Kumar, Gr. 3 “Being with friends and going to water parks.” Lauren Cali, Gr. 3
lower
school
Visiting Engineers Inspire Students Through Fun Special guests Jon Estanislao and Phil Cheng of Lockheed Martin paid a recent visit to Stephanie Woolsey’s Gr. 3 math classes to highlight the exciting aspects of engineering. The children learned about a few Lockheed projects, including the Hubble Telescope and a variety of other satellites. The students were eager to apply the differences they learned about density, pressure, and physics when they were given the opportunity to build their own “straw rafts” out of
“Ice cream because it’s tasty and the pool because it also cools me down.” Johnny Hughes, Gr. 3 “Video games, sports, seeing my mom, and sleeping in.” Spencer Quash, Gr. 4 “Sunshine, the pool, the beach, shopping and fishies.” Amanda Kalb, Gr. 4 “Going to cheer, swimming, oh, and Bermuda.” Amy Wardenburg, Gr. 4 “Swimming to stay cool and going to summer camp!” Charles Levine, Gr. 5
reminders Happiness Is . . . The 240 Gr. 1-6 dancers in this year’s show are “happy and they know it and their faces will surely show it,” laughed artistic director Gail Palmer as they move and groove in this year’s Dance Concert, “Happiness Is . . . ”. Whether it’s a day at the beach, sleeping in or hugging a puppy, the dancers will show you what makes the LS faculty and staff happy!
drinking straws, a little duct tape, and some saran wrap. The children then took their rafts to “Lake Harker” (also known as the tub of water located on the lawn just outside the classroom). The winning boat was able to float while holding the maximum amount of 160 pennies. Woolsey noted that it would have held more “but after emptying everyone’s pockets, there were no more left!” Although some of the students’ boats didn’t hold as many pennies as others, every student was encouraged to try
Spanish Mask/Play
LS CML Contest
Gr. 2 Spanish classes recently performed the play, “La Gallinita Roja” (“The Little Red Hen”) where students learned – in Spanish – the names of the animals in the play and performed dialogues associated with those farm animals using masks they created themselves. LS Spanish Teacher Anita Gilbert said it can be
In March Stephanie Woolsey reported that the Gr. 3 G++ students and one G+ class (as a pilot test) competed in the Continental Mathematics League (CML), a problem solving contest. Students from 50 states, and countries including Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Belgium, Singapore, and the United Kingdom participated in the meets. Harker third grade students Maia Adar and Alex Pei both earned cumulative scores of 17 on all three meets, out of a possible 18. Raymond Xu and Vikram Sundar earned cumulative scores of 16, and Katherine Paseman earned a cumulative score of 15. A total of 59 third grade students and two second graders participated in the third grade math contest for Harker. Each of the following students received a perfect score of six in at least one of the three meets: Maia Adar, Oishi Banerjee, Brian Bither, Mercedes Chien, Helena Huang , Anna Kendall, Arjun Kumar, Gaurav Kumar, Katherine Paseman, Alex Pei, Namita Ravi, Vikram Sundar, and Raymond Xu.
difficult and intimidating for younger children to learn a new language, so she felt using a play as a resource to help introduce the language can be effective. “A favorite story is a source that all children can connect with,” she said. “The students enjoyed making paper plate masks to illustrate the animal characters they portrayed in the play.”
Fri., May 27 - 7 p.m. Sat., May 28 - 7 p.m. Bucknall Gym Come on, get happy and purchase your tickets starting Mon., May 16 at either campus: Bookstore at Saratoga, Mrs. Sosnowski at Bucknall. Tickets are $3 for students & seniors, and $5 for adults.
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just as hard the next time. “I loved the boat contest even if I got only twenty-five pennies, I still kept trying,” said Gr. 3 student Helena Huang. “Working at Lockheed Martin sounds fun. I think your job is very interesting,” said one of the students of the project. So much for the job security of the visitors. Many thanks go out to our very special guests!
Stephanie Woosley - all photos
kid talk
LS students on their way to the loading zone and after school programs take time out to smile for the camera.
Out of 542 schools worldwide, only a small handful had a higher cumulative total than Harker - congratulations to these students for doing such a great job of representing our school. Harker News — May 05
sports This year’s crop of young baseball and softball athletes flexed their muscles as they made their way onto their diamonds earlier last month.
Gr. 5 & 6 Students Wow Audiences in Annual Show
Since then the Gr. 4, 5 and 6 softball and baseball teams have been learning fundamentals and skills to help them progress in their sport. Impressively some of the baseball players have been launching baseballs 150+ feet
With the move of the 6th grade class to the new MS campus next year, the 5th and 6th grade performances were combined this year, creating an entertaining and uplifting performance that everyone enjoyed. The performers kept the audience tapping to the beat as they performed a medley of hits from the 70s and 80s. Elementary Division Head Christina Vail said, “The students’ hard work paid off in four outstanding performances for their friends and families. They earned a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of Friday night’s performance - we are proud of them and they should feel very proud of themselves for carrying on the tradition of outstanding performing arts at Harker.” A big “thank you” is extended to Michael Pease and Danny Dunn for their hard work and dedication in putting together such a wonderful performance this, and every year. (More photos online.) across the field. “It’s been a fun season so far, but we are looking forward to the upcoming one also,” reported Gr. 4 boys’ baseball coach Mike Saltzman. At press time boys’ volleyball and girls’ flag football – the last LS sports of the year – were getting underway. —Nick Gassmann, Coach
rec news
Annual K Hat Parade - A Celebration of Spring This year’s 8th annual Kindergarten Hat Parade was once again full of colorful, spring themed hats that the children made and then paraded around other classrooms for everyone to enjoy. “It was another beautiful celebration of spring,” Tara McFarland said of the day. “After the parade the children searched for Easter eggs outside on the kindergarten playground and enjoyed the goodies they found within their own classrooms.” “The creativity and sheer joy of the children are great, and I look forward to this event each year,” added Nancy Curran. The hat parade was started by former kindergarten teacher James Hamilton who brought the tradition with him from his native England. Harker News — May 05
Egged on by Harker photographer Mark Tantrum, Christophe Pellissier, Gr. 5, nearly takes out the camera as he throws his frisbee. Students are excited as the weather warms up and allows them to enjoy the sun and participate in more outdoor activities.
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speak out A Word to Parents About Blogs
school
An African Elephant This Campus Will Never Forget
Blogs, short for weblogs, are internet journals that have become quite popular and very accessible over the past few years. The term ‘blog’ is commonly used as a noun, a verb and an adjective in daily conversation amongst our children. It is, however, a term which is elusive to many parents. As such, we feel that it is important to highlight for parents, practices for safe and appropriate internet communication. A few of the major points to consider:
■ Make sure your child does not post personal information on the Web. Common blog sites such as Xanga, Livejournal, and Blogspot ask subscribers to provide biographical information such as their name, location, and birthdate. Inputting such information on these sites makes it accessible to anyone with an internet connection. ■ Be aware of your child’s internet habits. Hugh Downs is credited with the analogy that the internet is like the street— you wouldn’t let your children wander the streets without supervision or knowledge of their whereabouts, would you? The internet is a dynamic force and appropriate social skills do not arrive along with the advent of any new internet venue. Our children are commonly navigating through territory that has no established courtesies or rules of conduct. We cannot rely solely on their innate common sense to lead them safely through. We encourage you to visit some of the sites about blogs that we have posted on the Parents Home Page (PHP).
—Cindy Kerr, MS Division Head
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A 19-year old African elephant named “Lisa” visited the Saratoga campus on Thu., Apr. 14, as part of the final MS assembly presentation of the school year. “We wanted to go out with a bang,” said US Dean of Students Kevin Williamson. “This is the last assembly that I will be in charge of planning for the MS since they will be moving to the new Blackford campus next year, so we wanted to make it special.” The elephant was brought to Harker by a Monterey County-based animal shelter and refuge to help teach students about animal awareness and appreciation. MS Division Head Cindy Kerr kindly invited faculty and students from the US to join the assembly, who attended by the dozens. At one point, Usua Amanam, Gr. 8, was invited to come to the front to experience how heavy the elephant’s tusks were. After the demonstration was completed, Lisa’s trainer, Charlie Sammut, surprised Amanam by asking him to feed the elephant. “I was a little timid,” said Amanam. “You don’t really realize how big the elephant is until you get up next to it. It was crazy.” Editor’s note: Yes, that’s administrator Chris Nikoloff in the photo at left!
MS Talent Show
Cal Math League
Gr. 8 students Chetan Vakkalagadda, D.J. Blickenstaff and Ameresh Shukla performed the Bee-Gee’s “Staying Alive” at the annual MS Talent Show. Eleven acts graced the stage, with performances ranging from dramatic interpretations to a hilarious mock “American Idol” skit. The grand finale included a “pajama party” skit where a number of MS faculty performed the “electric slide”.
All Gr. 6, 7 and 8 students recently took part in the California Math League contest, with all three classes A perfect score on the contest’s exam is a 40. A score of 30 or above is considered “exceptional”, and a score of 15 or higher is “commendable.” Daisy Lin, Gr. 7, and Thomas Wang, Gr. 8, both turned in perfect scores of 40. The complete results of the contest were as follows: - Gr. 6: Team score was 191, with the top five scorers being Michelle Deng (39), Patrick Yang (39), Albert Wu (38), Ian Wolfe (38), Amanda Kim (37). 94.9% scored above 15 points, 28.5% scored above 30 points.
Ali Abdollahi - both photos
■ Statements and information provided on blogs or anywhere on the internet are permanent, public, and not secure. Even when they have been deleted, a thorough search can retrieve previous communications.
- Gr. 7: Team score was 194, with the top five scorers being Lin (40), Nikhil Bhargava (39), Jeanette Chin (39), Kevin Zhang (39), Alex Han (37). 98.8% scored above 15, 30.1% scored above 30. - Gr. 8: Team score was 189, with the top five scorers being Wang (40), Sean Mandell (39), Andrew Chin (38), Jonathan Liu (36), Denzil
Sikka (36). 97.1% scored above 15, 17.4% scored above 30.
Prestigious Artist Visits Class
World-renowned artist Raghava paid a visit to MS art teacher Margaret McGovern’s classes on Tue., Mar. 22. Raghava is a 24-year old Indian-born painter whose works have been exhibited and admired at some of the most prestigious art houses in the world. Though he visited the Bay Area for only a week, he spent an entire day discussing his travels and his work. “It was great to have an established, professional artist of such a young age visit with our art students,” said McGovern. “The students got to hear detailed explanations from someone who truly loves his work.” Raghava, known for his intimate method of painting with his hands, certainly made an impression on the students. “I really liked that he was such a free-spirit,” said Amena Ahmed, Gr. 8. “His work and methods are so original, and he creates very moving paintings.” Harker News — May 05
sports Intel Engineer Speaks, Demonstrates to Gr. 7 Classes
Spring Season
Brett Klehn, an engineer at the Intel Corporation whose background is in electrical engineering and optics, visited the Gr. 7 classes of MS science teacher Raji Swaminathan Mar. 17 and spoke to students about different disciplines within engineering, the importance of studying math and science and
Muddy fields and wet grass hasn’t stopped Harker soccer teams from succeeding against league competitors, such as Redwood MS and Rolling Hills MS. So far the A boys’ soccer team has kept its footing against strong teams, and with a 3-2 record, the boys have been scoring heavily against their competitors.
why he feels engineering is a good career field for women. He also performed some demonstrations of polarizers, mother-boards, how a Silicon wafer is processed and how an integrated chip is manufactured. “Most kids seem to know that some engineers design buildings, but it seems less well known that
engineers design all of the electronics and computers and things of that nature that they see
Raji Swaminathan - all photos
every day,” said Klehn. “It was very educational for the students,” said Swaminathan. “(Klehn) had a good day talking to the kids and the kids showered him with questions.” Many thanks to Klehn for generously donating his time to Harker!
French, Spanish and Japanese Students Enjoy Annual Field Trips MS students in all three foreign language departments took part in delicious end-of-the-year field trips to ethnic restaurants that have become a Harker tradition.
at the table and everyone enjoyed the experience.”
On Wed., Mar. 23, MS French teacher Carol Parris took her Gr. 8 French students to Crepe Danielle in Saratoga to try some authentic French delicacies. “Two brave souls, Paari Kandappan and Steven Tran, tried the escargots and enjoyed them,” said Parris. “Some of the desserts were even flamed
room.”
“It’s something that cannot be duplicated in a classMS Spanish teacher Julie Pinzas took her Advanced Spanish students to La Habana-Cuba restaurant in San Jose on Wed., Apr. 6 to enjoy Cuban cuisine as part of this year’s cultural experience. “The students absolutely loved the food
and the atmosphere at HabanaCuba,” said Pinzas. “It’s something that cannot be duplicated in a classroom.” Kumi Matsui’s intermediate Japanese students visited the brandnew Tanto Japanese Restaurant in Mountain View in April. Harker students were only permitted to speak Japanese to restaurant staff and to one another during the special field trip. Said Matsui, “It provided an excellent learning environment for the students.”
On the key to this seasons success so far, Coach Justin Sullivan said, “Excellent goal play from George Gonzalez, and standout performances by Taylor Martin, Ryan Cali, Jose Costa, Omar Haque, and Matt Ghem has proven to be very helpful.” This year’s Gr. 7 B boys’ soccer team has come back to tie two games this season thus far and is looking to carry that encouraging play through the rest of the games this season.
Vanessa Bullman - all photos
The Harker Harmonics Present
MS Movie Madness Overnight Eight students and five staff members participated in the MS Movie Madness Overnight in the Bucknall gym following the MS dance on Apr. 8. The group munched on Taco Bell and candy and then put their thinking caps on for an “Amazing Race” style scavenger hunt around the campus. “We played movies until 7:15 a.m. and only stopped because we had to get up to head to breakfast,” said rec staff chaperone Vanessa Bullman. “It was a great night had by all and here’s to next year.” Harker News — May 05
Fri., May 13 & Sat., May 14 7:30 p.m. • Saratoga Gym Tickets - $5.00 Tickets available at Saratoga Bookstore or tickets@harker.org
At press time the MS girls’ soccer team, boys’ volleyball team, swimming and tennis were all getting underway. Updates to come next month! —Theresa “Smitty” Smith, Gr. 4-8 Athletic Director and Nick Gassmann, Coach
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What’s So Special About Harker? Actually, there is so much that is special about Harker, that I would need the entire newsletter to approach the subject. Harker is a community comprised of multitudinous young persons and a few “more mature” individuals; today, I’d like to consider the youthful majority. There is always much talk about students getting into college, but I am much more interested in what happens to Harker students once they’re at college. As a group, our alumnae and alumni are doing just what they did when they were at Harker: achieving excellence in the classroom, running for class office, performing, competing, discovering, and striving. Generally, they state that their advanced classes at Harker were far more demanding than similar university courses. When pressed further, most claim that the difference has to do with their peers.
“
. . . you will be hard
pressed to find a student body as extraordinary as Harker’s.
”
The most commonly repeated phrase that I’ve heard our graduates say is: “The intellectual level in my classes now isn’t as high as it was at Harker.” For me, this is a most revealing observation. It is possible to duplicate the Harker curriculum, teaching methodology, and so forth almost anywhere; however, if you look around—around the entire country—you will be hard pressed to find a student body as extraordinary as Harker’s. Most of our graduates have found that the process of learning with and from special peers is perhaps the single most important reason that Harker is so very special.
—Dr. Richard Hartzell, US Division Head
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Students Visit 11 Schools on East Coast College Tour Harker college counselor Alistair Grant led a delegation of 26 juniors on a six-day tour of 11 East Coast universities as part of the inaugural East Coast College Trip. The tour, which included Georgetown University, Princeton University and New York University, was designed to help the students get a feel for some of the colleges they are considering. “What cannot be fully explained without a visit, but should be experienced by any student planning to apply, are the different cultures that exist at each university,” said US Dean of Students Kevin Williamson. “From the fast-paced, gritty, in-your-face campus of NYU, to the bucolic, green campus and outstanding facilities of Princeton, each university has its own feel.” Williamson, Dean of Studies Heather Blair and US activity director Chris Daren accompanied the group on the tour.
about their new communities and share insights about college life with the juniors,” added Williamson. Tour participant Elizabeth Burstein said, “From my own judgments and the extremely useful recounts of Harker alumni, tour guides, and admissions officers, I now feel much more comfortable relying upon what I saw in this trip rather than just what is written in a college book description or online.”
Georgetown University, and back again. “The admissions officer at Georgetown could hardly believe
Despite encountering some inclement weather in many of the cities, the spirits of the Harker delegation were not dampened. While in Washington, D.C., a group of students trekked from George Washington University to
we had made the walk,” said Grant. “They were all troopers!” Grant was extremely gratified that this first-of-its-kind trip was such a success. “I feel fortunate to work at a school that offers so many opportunities to its students, and that our students take advantage of these opportunities,” said Grant. “I am also extremely grateful to the parents. The trip would never have taken place without their support.”
The students gained insights beyond their campus tours by also meeting with Harker alumni currently attending those schools. “At almost all of the universities that we visited, we met with Harker alumni who were excited to talk
JETS Teams Earn Top Ranking in the State The Harker chapter of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) earned first place rankings in California for both its Varsity A and Junior Varsity A teams. As the top ranking team in the state, both teams qualify for national consideration. In addition Harker’s Varsity B team placed third in their division, while the Junior Varsity B team placed second in their division. “I am quite proud of everyone who participated,” said team advisor Judy James. The teams that earned top-rank honors in the state are: Varsity A – Gr. 12, Jerry Hong, Mason Liang, Alan Malek, Joel Wright, Justin Wu; Gr. 11, Yi Sun (captain), Neil Chao; Gr. 10, Arkajit Dey. Junior Varsity A – Gr. 10, Aline Zorian (captain), Justin Chin, Danyal Kothari, Richard Kwant, Jessi Li, Tiffany June Lin, Daniel Paik, Jacqueline Rousseau.
Chris Daren - both photos
speak out
For students, the tour seemed to have served its intended purpose. “From academics, location, weather, social life, sports and quality of life considerations, I have a much more accurate picture of college life,” said Burstein. “I would definitely recommend this trip to future juniors.”
First Place Win at Spanish Poetry Contest Harker students won first place for the cumulative efforts in the 23rd annual Santa Clara County Spanish Poetry Declamation contest in March. This year marked Harker’s fifth appearance at the contest where students from throughout the county memorize and present a dramatic interpretation of a poem in Spanish. The following students participated in the contest, with awards in parenthases: Kathy Peng, Gr. 12 (first place, Spanish 5); Suman Sundaresh, Gr. 12 and Aseem Shukla, Gr. 10 (tied for first place, Spanish 4); Katherin Hudkins, Gr.
11 (second place, Spanish 3); Arjun Banerjee, Gr. 11 (third place, Spanish) 3; Neil Shah, Gr. 9 (first place, Spanish 2); Nina Duong, Gr. 9 (third place, Spanish 2); Anuj Kamdar, Gr. 9; Sushant Sundaresh, Gr. 9 (third place, Spanish 1). US Spanish teacher, Diana Moss, who served as a coach for the event, said “We are very proud of our exceptional Spanish students!”
Harker News — May 05
sports Robust JSA Club Attends Two Conferences At press time more than 75 US students (approx. 1/8 of Harker’s entire US student body) participated in the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Spring State Conference at the Santa Clara Marriot, Apr. 15-17. Though only in its fourth year of existence, the Harker JSA chapter is being considered for Chapter of the Year and two Harker students had committed to running for statewide office: Tara Chandra, Gr. 11, who is currently the Mayor of the Golden Gate Region of the JSA, was running for California’s Speaker of the House, and Natasha Sarin, Gr. 10, who is the Golden Gate Region’s current Chief of Staff, was running for the state’s Lieutenant Governor.
JSA members also participated in a leadership conference in Berkeley on Sat., Mar. 19 titled “Reflections on the Past, Lessons for the Future” that consisted of debates on contentious points in American politics such as states’ rights to secede and justification for America’s use of the atomic bomb to end WWII. Harker students served as moderators and led speakers for several of the questions debated at the conference. All four Harker speakers earned Best Speaker awards: Amira Vallliani, Amit Mukherjee, Shilpa Vadodaria and Sarin, all Gr. 11. “This has been an amazing year for the Harker chapter of the JSA,” said club advisor Dan-
Robotics Awarded $10,000 Synopsys Grant Synopsys, a Mountain View-based electronic design automation solutions firm, has awarded the Harker Robotics Team a $10,000 grant, the team’s first in their short 4-year history. Synopsys spokesman Theo Olson said, “Synopsys is proud to support the Harker Robotics Team, which represents the brightest minds of the next generation in technology.” The team, which was headed to the FIRST Robotics Conference in Atlanta at press time based on their winning performance at the Sacramento Regional, also participated in the Silicon Valley Regional Robotics Competition at SJSU in April. They advanced to the final round, which included an exciting 43-41 victory over powerhouse Bellarmine in the second phase of the contest, and a narrow defeat to them in the third phase. “Bellarmine has never lost this regional and we gave them a serious run,” laughed Eric Nelson, team advisor. At this event Harker was Harker News — May 05
awarded the prestigious Judge’s Award by Apple Computer cofounder Steve Wozniak that Nelson explained is based on outstanding student-led efforts in engineering, management, mentoring and community outreach. He also praised the Harker team for their self-sufficiency and independence. “I was talking to a mentor from the school that organized the Sacramento Regional event. They were so proud of the fact that since all the mentors were busy setting up the event, the students designed and built the robot all by themselves,” said Nelson. “Here at Harker, it is always the students’ work. If they succeed or fail, it’s all their own. We are just here to help when guidance is needed.” The Harker team is completely responsible for the design, development, construction, testing and management of their robot. Said Nelson, “The team made an excellent showing at the Silicon Valley competition and have demonstrated that they will be a serious contender at the national championship in Atlanta.”
iel Hudkins. Harker’s chapter has grown from 20 members to having over 100 different students participate in an offsite JSA event this year. “We have a regional mayor, a regional senator, the chief of staff of a region, and state level cabinet officers and we’re in the running for Chapter of the year,” said Hudkins. “Our Pizza and Politics night to watch a presidential debate in October was the largest such JSA event in the United States. Clearly our students love the combination of frequent policy debates, hard work on issues, and dancing in the evening. (JSA advisor) Mai Lien Nguyen and I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
Leadership Conference Juniors Shivani Bhargava, Jason Han and Teddy Lee represented Harker at the Rotary Club’s Enterprise Leadership Conference in March in Pacific Grove, CA. Dean of Students Kevin Williamson explained that at this annual event the students learn ‘hands-on’ business skills and work in small groups to create a competitive business plan in which the students create and market a product of their own design.
Teachers nominate the students, who are then invited to apply if they are interested. The Rotary Club selects eighty-eight students from various San Jose area high schools to attend each year and fulfill their mission, “to enhance leadership skills of outstanding high school juniors through a working introduction to the opportunities, benefits and challenges of establishing a business or providing services in the free enterprise system.” This is Harker’s fourth year participating in the program. Congratulations to these three students, and many thanks to the Rotary Club for offering this program to our students.
Spring Season As the spring sports season rolls along, the weather has been the most difficult opponent! With the unseasonably wet spring, many games, meets, and matches have been postponed or cancelled. Although Mother Nature has had her way, the teams have showed their hardiness, with the most recent track meet being run in the wind, rain, and hail, yes hail! Not to be denied however, junior Faustine Liao and freshman Taylor Alexander lead the track team with high finishes in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the long jump, with Faustine finishing second at the last league meet. On the boys’ side, super sophomore Jacob Bongers continues to delight and amaze in the sprints and the field events. With his long jumping and triple jumping, Jacob is shooting for the league title and a CCS bid. Pole vaulter John Ollila, Gr. 12, is also anxiously awaiting the upcoming CCS meet to see if he can improve upon his 4th place finish of a year ago.
Tennis is battling for second place in the PSAL, coming up short against perennial champion Sacred Heart Prep, but easily defeating the other league opponents. With a strong finish, they too are hoping for a CCS invitation. Swimming is sailing along, having won all of their duel meets. Led by senior Beth Low, the team is looking forward to the league championContinued next page
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Continued from p. 13
First-ever Swiss Student Visit Was Very ‘Chou’
ships in May with the hopes of qualifying six or seven girls to the CCS meet.
The inaugural exchange delegation from Harker’s newest sister-school, College Gambach in Fribourg, Switzerland, arrived to the Bay Area on Sat., Mar. 12, and the group of nine students and three chaperones were joined by their Harker partners the following day to enjoy numerous cultural attractions together in San Francisco, including Chinatown, the Bay Cruise and the Sony Metreon. “It was terrific how quickly and
The boys’ swim team is also undefeated, having defeated Kings Academy, Pinewood, and St. Lawrence in recent meets. When the weather allows, baseball and softball are playing exciting games. Both teams are encountering stiff opposition from their league opponents after enjoying good non-league success. Both teams are in action at home several times during the final four weeks of the season. Try to get out and see a game on a nice sunny afternoon — the kids would appreciate the support. The golf team is on a win streak, having won three matches in a row after dropping their first two. The young team is making a charge and will wind up in 3rd place in the PSAL.
Steven Wong, parent
Boys’ volleyball played an epic five game match against King’s Academy recently. Although the team came up on the short end, it was a fierce battle, marked by stellar play from both teams. It was good and pure competition, where both teams could leave the court knowing they had competed at their best and highest level, which is the essential core of the athletic experience.
Only a few more weeks in the spring season, so don’t miss a chance to see the more than 100 student athletes competing this spring. See you at the games — Go Eagles! —Jack Bither, US Athletic Director
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effortlessly the Swiss kids mixed with their Harker partners, and how so many of the US students made an effort to get to know them,” reported Harker’s International Program Director Bill Bost.
learned a lot. Jessica would help me with my French work and taught me some cool Swiss slang like ‘cimer’ (thanks) and ‘chou’ (cool).” “Of course, I had a great time staying up late with her in her room,” added Vu. “She talked to me about her life and school, and I let her know more about mine. I learned a lot about Swiss culture, like what Swiss teens really do on their weekends, and the general feel of how people are, which is more than any book or movie could ever do for me. It was really a mindexpanding experience, and I would love to do another program like this again in the future.”
Gr. 11 Harker student Christine Vu hosted a member of Swiss delegation, Jessica Purro. “The exchange with Jessica was a great experience,” said Vu. “Academically, I
The Swiss delegation was formally welcomed at a special US luncheon on Tues, Mar. 15 on the Saratoga campus, followed by four days of experiencing typi-
Museum Trip
Conservatory Shines
French II students traveled to the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco in March to enjoy a guided tour of the traveling exhibit “Bonjour Monsieur Courbet.” Accompanied by US French teacher Françoise Thompson and Harker librarian Naama Taal, the 23 students also viewed sculptures by Rodin and French art from the museum’s permanent collection. “Executive chef Steve Martin appropriately chose French baguettes filled with delicious ingredients for a picnic lunch including French pastries, which were greatly enjoyed by all,” said Thompson.
The weekend of April 9, twenty Conservatory students joined over 2,000 students from throughout California to participate in the Ohlone Theater Festival for the first time since 2002. All students received marks of Excellent or Superior for their performances, 18 went on to Finals in seven categories, and the following brought home one of the top trophies in five of those categories: Humorous One-Act – Student Directed Babel’s in Arms featuring Kevin Busch, Nick Rattazzi, Maya Ziv, directed by Boris Federov; Musical Scene – 42nd Street, Casey Blair, Kimberley Wong, Siobhan Stevenson, Katie Ball, Lauren Gutstein, Estelle Charlu, Peter Obara, Tommy Holford; Contemporary Dramatic Monologue – Julia Havard; Contemporary Humorous Monologue – Kimberley Wong; Improv – Team B: Genna Erlikhman, Boris Federov, Michael Hammersley and Steve Boyle.
Prior to the trip students received an art overview on Courbet and Realism by US art teacher Don Maxwell and Thompson, and upon their return wrote about some of their favorite art pieces seen. “They gave excellent classroom presentations on their observations,” added Thompson.
Special recognition goes to Robert Lougheed Lowe and Cooper Sivara
cal school days with their Harker partners on campus, and partaking in special activities such as a workshop on American History and improvisational acting. The delegation also attended the Harker Conservatory Concert and visited the San Jose Tech Museum. The trip also introduced the Swiss visitors to America’s vast diversity. “They were able to sample the cultures of the Chinese, Hispanic, Irish and Indian communities, among others,” said Bost. “They were really able to get a taste of the diversity in America.”
who placed in the top five in Classical Male Monologue, which had over 50 entries. Also thanks to moderators Erin Newton and Debanshi Bheda. Congratulations to all the participating students, and to the entire Conservatory for their outstanding performances all year.
FBLA Update The US Future Business Leaders of America are preparing for the FBLA State Conference Apr. 28 – May 1 in Burlingame. Nine Harker students will compete at the event: Gr. 11 – Jonathan Chien, Priya Takiar, Mina Lee, and Ankoor Shah; Gr. 10 – Anjali Menon, Jessica Lee, Ashutosh Sheth, Rahul Komati, Chris Xiao. Participants will compete in events involving everything from impromptu speaking to Java programming. “The FBLA has expanded this year,” said club advisor Danae Romrell. “We will have students competing in a wider variety of events than we ever have in the past.” Check the June edition for the results. Harker News — May 05
spring
musical 2005
One of Broadway’s most beloved musicals played to packed houses for three days in April, as the US Conser vator y produced 42nd Street. This quintessentially American story tells how a neophyte chorus-girl (Kimberley Wong, Gr. 12) gets the call at the last moment to step in for injured star Dorothy Brock (Casey Blair, Gr. 11) in famous producer Julian Marsh’s show (Peter Obara, Gr. 12). Of course she becomes a star, with much singing and tapping along the way by our cast of over 40 talented students. Congratulations to director Laura Lang-Ree, musical director Catherine Snider, scenic wonders Paul Vallerga and Brian Larsen, and our guest choreographers, Joe Duffy and Paige Cook Perez. Also huge thanks to the many, many parents, students and professionals who gave their time to provide the cast with props, costumes, lights, and food! (More photos online).
kudos! ■ National Scholastic Writing Awards Three Harker US students recently won Gold Key awards at the regional level of the National Scholastic Writing Awards Contest. Tara Chandra, Gr. 11, who won last year’s national award in the memoir category, won a Gold Key in the Short-Short Story category. Carolyn Wang, Gr. 10, was also recognized in the Short-Short Story category and Vyvy Trinh, also Gr. 10 won the Gold Key in the Short Story category. The entries will now move to the national level, and national winners will be announced in May. ■ Synopsys Science & Technology Awards Several Harker students won awards at the 2005 Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championships. Vijay Swamy, Gr. 10, won first place in the Technical Paper category and the Best Technical Paper award from the Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair Association Board of Directors for his paper titled, “Radon Emanation in Active Thermal Areas at Lassen Volcanic Center.” Seniors Solomon Awe and Samantha Levinson both won first place awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Freshman Sushant Sundaresh also earned a second place award from the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering and an additional honorable mention. ■ Bio Olympiad Harker students made an outstanding showing in the recent United States Biology Olympiad. A dozen Gr. 11 and 12 Harker students participated in the open exam, four of whom qualified for the semifinals, a feat accomplished by only 540 of the 5,405 nationwide participants. Harker’s semifinal competitors are Gr. 12 students Nina Zheng and Samantha Levinson, and Gr. 11 students Hann Yew and Yi Sun. The semifinal examination round was held at Harker’s Saratoga campus on Mar. 18. Check the June edition for all the updated results.
Harker News — May 05
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from
the archives
A Final Dream Realized: Harker Adds World Class Upper School
So in 1996 the board of trustees decided to consider the feasibility of expanding the school to K-12. Soon after Diana recalled a trip to a National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference in New York. She and Howard had been discussing adding the high school, but there seemed to be so many deterrents: finding property in Silicon Valley, funding the renovation to create a high school facility, hiring staff, and writing curricula. “We had a hunch it was going to be a lot of work,” said Diana, “…and why should we do it? We run the premier elementary school in the area, and we’re good at it.” But do it they did, and like all other endeavors at Harker, they did it very well! Diana decided that a research trip to the East Coast to see the prestigious preparatory schools was the first order of business. She and a select group of faculty members set out for Phillips Exeter Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall, Groton School, St. Paul’s School, Andover Phillips Academy, Deerfield Academy and Dana Hall School. Executive Director of Advancement Joe Rosenthal attributes the success of that trip to Diana’s organization and structure. “Each member of the team was responsible for looking into their area of
each of the programs we visited, and recommending the best of what we found.” They had long days and long nights, but in the end the team learned a lot about how to build a great prep school. Enid Davis, Library Director and research trip team member recalls Diana saying that it didn’t have to be exactly the way it was on the East Coast – “we can make it a California thing!” – and so they did!
Finally, the curriculum had to be developed and teachers hired. The school initially focused on math and technology due to its location Finding the right facility was a huge challenge. Real estate prices in 1996 were rising monthly. The vacancy rate of commercial properties was low. It was on the trip to NAIS that Diana remembers having a realization that it wasn’t a high school they needed to find. “The school that we are sitting on right now was originally Mother Butler High School…what we could actually do is build an elementary school [instead], which would cut the
The Harker News is published nine times per year by the Harker Office of Communications. Current and archived issues are also available on the Parent Home Page (PHP) on the Harker Web site at www.harker.org. Editor: Pam Dickinson; Production: Crystal Boyd; Photos: Mark Tantrum, unless noted; Contributors: Ali Abdollahi, Cathy Snider, Jaja Hsuan, Nick Gassmann, Terry Walsh, Steven Wong; Printing: Harker Copy Shop; Mailing Coordinators: Ashley Sukovez, Jerusha Hew Len.
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cost almost in half. Securing the Bucknall campus was, in Diana’s words, “more difficult than most people have any idea of.” But it was finally accomplished, and renovation began. Harker took possession of the Bucknall campus on Jan. 7, 1998. A $4 million renovation began, including remodeling of classrooms, building a swimming pool, and upgrading the grounds. Bucknall opened in September of 1998 and 9th graders were added to the Saratoga campus.
in Silicon Valley, and there was a lot of parent expertise and interest in those areas. Diana said, “I remember at one point we contemplated starting all four years at one time. And all I can say is thank heavens we didn’t do that because if we did, we certainly would have failed.” Diana cites the hiring of new teachers and the development of curriculum as the two most challenging aspects of building the high school. The curriculum couldn’t be designed until the faculty was hired, which Diana remembers was a “huge job.” The curriculum had to be “wonderful” - that was really important to Diana. She solicited the help of the eighth grade teachers until the high school faculty were in place. In addition, Diana wanted all the syllabi to be approved by the University of California, which involved a tedious process to meet their rigorous standards. Reflecting on the accomplishment in the fall of 1998 when the first 9th graders were on campus, Howard thanks parents and teachers for their enthusiastic support of his and Diana’s vision of a world-class independent high school. “The addition of ninth graders has added an exciting dimension to the Harker community, which is only going to get better as each year passes.” Seven years later, Howard and Diana have seen their dream realized!
Harker Archives - all photos
The 1990s was perhaps the most dramatic decade of change at the Harker School. Diana and Howard Nichols, with their vision of excellence and sharp business acumen, worked to make the last piece come together – the expansion of the school to a K-12 institution. Harker’s Silicon Valley parents were becoming busier than ever, and when surveyed in the 1980s they named a high school expansion as a clear priority.
—Sue Smith, Archivist & Terry Walsh, Alumni Director The Harker School is a K-12 independent, co-ed, college-prep school.
Grades K-6: 4600 Bucknall Rd., San Jose CA 95130 Phone 408.871.4600 • Fax 408.871.4320 Grades 7-12: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose CA 95129 Phone 408.249.2510 • Fax 408.984.2325
Harker believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), marital status, political affiliations, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by state or federal laws, local law or ordinance. Harker News — May 05