FEBRUARY 2007 (VOL. 13, NO. 5)
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BrainPOP is a hit with LS students ........................... 5
N E W S L E T T E R
est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
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Musicians Perform, Explore in Inaugural Trip to Paris In a first-time-ever journey to France, the Harker Orchestra hopped the pond over the holidays
to perform in the Paris Parade Festival and at other venues.The group left Dec. 26 and returned Jan. 2,
Robotics rock in the MS..... 11 Student directors present final projects ............................. 8 Harker US art teacher, Jaap Bongers, is profiled .......... 15
Supplied by Chris Florio
See page 2 for details.
and, in between, covered a lot of ground. “We arrived to a very cold Paris,” said Chris Florio, orchestra and jazz teacher, who led the group. “We spent the first day on a bus tour of town, climbed the Eiffel Tower and visited various sights that night.” The group toured Versailles in grand weather the following day and performed its first show, at the American Cathedral, that evening. The following day it was a visit to Montmartre, followed by a show at the Mairie (city hall) of the 12th arrondissement (district).
events Mon., Feb. 5 • 7 p.m. Blackford Auditorium
S C H O O L
Continued on pg. 14
Three Named Intel Semi-Finalists at Surprise Assembly The 2007 Harker Fashion Show Fri., Feb. 23 The San Jose Convention Center See pages 4 and 5 for details. 2007 Middle School Dance Production
2007
Dance JAMZ Fri., March 16 • 7 p.m. Sat., March 17 • 7 p.m. Blackford Auditorium Middle School Campus For ticket information e-mail tickets@harker.org Harker News — February 07
In an unprecedented victory for Harker programs and students, three seniors have been named 2007 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists. This is the first time any school has had three semifinalists in the same year since Intel took over sponsorship of the 65year-old program in 1998. Adam Creasman, Arkajit Dey and Carolyn Wang were awarded $1,000 prizes by representatives from Intel in a special assembly Jan. 17. There were over 1,700 entrants from 487 U.S. schools, and only 300 semifinalists named in the contest. The three Harker projects have real-world applications and the students spoke about their work with Bay Area reporters after the awards ceremony. Creasman’s project was “Characterization of siRNA Microparticle Formation and Encapsulation using Supercritical Fluids,” which addresses
immune system issues; Dey’s project, “Tree-Realizability of a Distance Matrix,” develops an algorithm that can be used in stimuli association in psychology or Internet performance evaluation; Wang’s project, “The Orientation of Polydiacety-
lene Ethanolamine Monolayers,” examines improving conductivity in transistors through a special coating. Congratulations to all three winners, their mentors, parents and Harker teachers. National finalists will be announced Jan 31.
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editor’s note I’m looking forward to strutting down the red carpet (to my table rather than down the runway this year!) at this year’s CineFest. This fabulous annual event stars Harker’s incredibly talented students and is simply not to be missed. Order your tickets online, and whether you attend the lunch or the dinner event, I’ll see you there! —Pam Dickinson, Director Office of Communications pamd@harker.org
february dates
annual giving
Visit the Web calendars for the latest detailed date information for each division.
Heartfelt Thanks!
■ Mon., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., Blackford Auditorium – Common Ground Speaker Series: “Dealing with Powerful Adults in Your Child’s Life” (see below for more details) ■ Mon., Feb. 12 - Mon, Feb. 19 – Presidents’ Week Break. No classes K-Gr. 12 ■ Tue., Feb. 20 – K-Gr. 12 classes resume ■ Fri., Feb. 23 – Fourth-annual fashion show (see pages 4 & 5)
Harker Hosts Common Ground Event ■ “Dealing with Powerful Adults in Your Child’s Life” Mon., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., MS Campus - Blackford Auditorium
who knew? since we changed 13 Years our name from Harker
Academy, although many people still refer to us that way!
150
Miles each week the Harker shuttle puts on traveling between our three campuses. What do YOU want to know? Send you “Who Knew?” ideas to communications@harker.org.
quote “There were a lot of ‘oh-yeahs’ and high fives, and I think a few electronic engineers were born at that very moment!”
—Ilona Davies, MS science teacher (pg. 10)
correction The photo of Gr. 7 science students on page 10 of the January issue of Harker News was incorrectly attributed. The photograph was taken by science teacher Ilona Davies of her sixth period class at work. Harker News strives for accuracy, and publishes corrections when appropriate.
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The logo appearing at the end of some of our stories throughout the year indicates those activities or programs funded by Annual Giving. See page 6 for update.
The next Common Ground event will be on Mon., Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Blackford auditorium. The speaker will be Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence” and “Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads: Dealing with the Parents, Teachers, Coaches, and Counselors That Can Make or Break Your Child’s Future.” Wiseman’s topic will be “Dealing with Powerful Adults in Your Child’s Life.” Wiseman will discuss “how parents should – and should not – become involved in their children’s conflicts. She’ll offer practical advice about conflict resolution and ways to deal more effectively with the parents, teachers and counselors who can make – or break – your child’s future. And, she’ll inspire us all to act according to our values and to set examples that will make a real difference in our children’s lives,” according to the Common Ground Web site. The Common Ground series pools the resources of its 17 member schools to bring parent education to a new level in the Bay Area. Created in 2002 by a coalition of Bay Area schools, it seeks to enrich our communities by bringing together parents and educators to listen, connect and share ideas at presentations addressing a wide array of issues. Visit the Harker Web site for more information on this and future Common Ground events.
LS Traffic Change Reminder Just repeat: change is good, change is good. Traffic patterns at the LS have been changed by the City of San Jose to avoid congestion. The city posted signs in January prohibiting a left turn into the LS loading zone from 7-9 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. The school has sent out a map illustrating the changes to help parents adapt. Joe Gill, assistant head of non-academic affairs, suggests that parents who normally approach the school from San Tomas Aquino Road continue down West Campbell Avenue to Fulton Street and then turn east on Bucknall Road. Please stay off Rincon Road near the back loading zone and respect all directions given by Harker recreation staff members and security officers. “We understand that this is an unexpected change and thank you for your help in making it work for everyone,” Gill added.
chef’s corner With winter upon us, vitamin C is very important. What better source for this vital nutrient than – oranges! The orange will be the fruit of the month for February. A single orange has 120 percent of the daily vitamin C requirement recommended by the FDA, according to the Sunkist Web site. There are dozens of varieties of this popular fruit, including the Navel, Cara Cara, Satsuma and Blood Orange. Although California’s orange crop took a h i t t h i s y e a r from the weather, we have plenty of alternatives as “the orange has become the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world,” according the Purdue University Web site. “It is an important crop in the Far East, the Union of South Africa, Australia, throughout the Mediterranean area, and subtropical areas of South America and the Caribbean.” The United States leads in world production, with Florida followed by California, as the largest producers, the Web site continued. At Harker, we plan to integrate oranges into the menu, starting with whole oranges available on the fruit table. In addition, we’ll try chocolatedipped orange slices, orange vinaigrette dressing, orange avocado dip, orange chicken and orange sorbet. Stay healthy – have an orange (or an orange sorbet!). —Chef Steve Martin
Harker News — February 07
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Parent Webcasts Continue
May the Year 2007 be a Merry One!
The Harker School, partnered with Campus Outreach Services, has been providing parents with evening Webcast presentations led by panels of national experts on 10 student wellness and risk issues. Accessed via the Internet at home, there are four remaining Special Focus “Webinars”:
Can anyone believe that we are now in the seventh year of the new millennium? Remember when Prince said we ought to party like it’s 1999? Does any date with a nineteen in front of its year sound like it is from another era? Was the decade of the 1990s a time machine that propelled us into the future at rocket speed? When was the last time that time itself wasn’t so quick and slippery? Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
Mon., Feb. 5 – Diversity and Difference Mon., Mar. 5 – A Cyber-World of Trouble Mon., Apr. 2 – Bullying and Harassment Mon., May 7 – Parenting: Rights and Responsibilities Parents were sent an e-mail with details on how to access the Webinars. Those with questions should send an e-mail to webinars@campusoutreach services.com or call 610.989.0651. There are a limited number of “seats” and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will have access to all previously recorded sessions and the Web site will be available through June 1, 2007.
Communicate About Internet Safety ■ Show genuine curiosity and interest in your child’s Internet activity. ■ Children love to teach! Ask your child to teach you how to do something on the Internet. ■ Spend some time sitting next to your child while he or she are IM-ing (instant messaging via AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk etc.). Try to keep the sessions brief and light. If you have concerns try and consider planning for that discussion later in the day. ■ Here are a few questions you could ask your child: “I am curious as to why...” “What did so-and-so mean by...” “How do you know this person?” “How do you know that person is who he says he is?” —Provided by the Harker Technology Dept.
Staff Update ■ Lana Morrison has accepted the position of dean of students for the MS. Morrison has served The Harker School as MS recreation director, LS assistant recreation director and program director for the Harker Summer Camp. Morrison began her new role as dean on Jan. 2. ■ Head Librarian Enid Davis has had two songs published in the Big6 electronic newsletter. Davis created parody lyrics for the children’s songs “London Bridge is Falling Down” and “This Old Man” to get the six-step message of information literacy across to students. You can read Davis’ songs by following the link from the Notable Achievements page of the Harker Web site. ■ Congratulations to LS teacher Grace Sabeh on her recent engagement. Sabeh’s fiance, Chris Wallace, proposed one minute after midnight at Disneyland – the “Happiest Place On Earth” – beside Snow White’s Wishing Well! Now that’s romantic! ■ Cindy Kerr, head of the MS, was selected to serve on an accreditation team of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and visited Presidio Hill School in San Francisco in January with a team of other WASC school administrators. Accreditation of schools by WASC certifies to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning, and fosters excellence through a peer school process of regular assessment, monitoring and reassessment. Harker has been an accredited member of WASC since 1988, and completed its most recent accreditation evaluation last year, which is valid through 2012. Harker News — February 07
“Generally speaking, the young tend to be idealistic and pure of heart -- why does that tend to change as we grow older?” Of course, if I want to abandon this morose rumination on millennial drift and time, I only have to consider that for a large swath of the world the New Year hasn’t arrived yet at all: its arrival on Feb. 18 will usher in the Year of the Pig, approximately lunar year 47044705. Any of our students born in 1995 also represent the Pig, known for its idealism, pureness of heart and naïveté. Generally speaking, the young tend to be idealistic and pure of heart -- why does that tend to change as we grow older? I often think that educators have to stay in touch with their own idealism in order to relate to students successfully. That’s one of the many benefits of teaching. We often talk to students and parents about “taking time to smell the roses.” I actually walk by roses every day to get to my garage and I rarely stop to smell them. I probably should. Everything seems so ac-
celerated these days. Metaphors like “treadmills” are used. When Bill Murray’s character in “Groundhog Day” discovers that he is continually waking up to the same day, he exasperatedly exclaims, “How do you know there will be a tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.” There never is a tomorrow. There is only today. Janus, the Roman god of doors and archways, has two faces: one looking into the past and another looking towards the future. Isn’t that where we are all caught? January, named after the same god, is a time for reflection on the past and the future. But where is the present? Left under the Christmas tree? Bill Murray warns “Phil,” the groundhog he kidnapped from the authorities in Punxsutawney, not to “drive angry.” Just to be an imp around the house, I like to say “Happy Christmas” and “Merry New Year” to friends and family. (They say “Happy Christmas” more often in the U.K., I believe.) However, I think “Merry New Year” has a nice ring, with the added benefit of shifting our attention away from happiness towards merriness. Merriness is about living in the present, easier said than done. But worth the try every day. Merry New Year!
—Christopher Nikoloff, Head of School
Saint Nick Visits Kindergarteners One of the little perks our kindergartners get is a chance to whisper their wishes right into Saint Nick’s ear before the winter break. Visit our photo galleries at www. harker.org/media/photos. htm for more photos of kindergartners with our own “Saint Nick”!
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FA S H I O N S H O W
DANCING
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
S H O W C A S E D R AW I N G
Watch Our Stars Shine!
rF i., Feb. 23, 2007
SE C O TH E SA N JO
LIVE & SILENT AUCTIONS
11 a.m.
Luncheon Fashion Show
C EN TE R N V EN TI O N
5:30 p.m.
Dinner Gala with Fashion Show
COUTURE FASHIONS BY
Azadeh TUXES BY
Tuxedo Wearhouse
Barry Swenson Builder
Sathaye Family Foundation Air Systems Inc • Banerjee Chopra Family • CH Premier Jewelers • Communicar t Graphics & Printing • Connell Family • Davé Family Trust • Davis Family • Diamond Quality Printing • Federal Realty Investment - Santana Row • Hunter Laboratories, Marcia & Chris Riedel • Navindra & Madhu Jain • Mantra Restaurant & Lounge • Krish & Nina Panu • Santana Row • XL Construction Denise Brodersen CFP, UBS Financial Ser vices • Brooks Family • Cho Family • Courtesy Chevrolet • Heritage Bank of Commerce • Intero Real Estate Ser vices, Saratoga • Jackson Family • Lai Family • Morgan Stanley, San Francisco • Rector Porsche • Smith Barney, Hall Walswor th Group • Stevens Creek BMW • Susai Family • Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP • Wells Fargo, Private Client Services
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The Box Office is Open!
The Fun Begins!
Invitations were mailed at the end of December, but even if you did not receive one in the mail, you can still join the fun! Tables are filling up fast and the event is expected to sell out – plus Presidents’ Week break is a week before the show – so avoid disappointment and reserve your seats NOW, because the final deadline is Feb. 20. Visit the CinéFest Web site link from the Harker home page to learn about credit card, student account and online purchase details.
Both the luncheon show and the dinner gala will be packed with so much entertainment, you won’t want to miss attending at least one of these two wonderful events! The luncheon will include: n Pre-show entertainment with talented Harker student performers n A tantalizing and tasty meal n Fashion show featuring Harker student, parent, alumni, faculty and staff models and student entertainers n Showcase drawings, with four Treasure Chests to be awarded at the luncheon show n A scintillating Silent Auction
A Red Carpet Welcome The first Harker faces you’ll see at the show will be those of our intrepid Gr. 6-9 greeters: Alison Axelrad, Natasha Chitkara, Siobhan Cox, Alex Creasman, Monisha Dilip, Kelsey Hilbrich, Asia Howard, Scott Mohanram, Chloe Nielsen, Christophe Pellissier, Shanna Polzin, Randall Riedel, Curran Shah and Ian Wolfe. Look for them to direct you to the red carpet and all the CinéFest action!
Attend the dinner gala, and you’ll get all the fun of the luncheon event, plus: n An expanded menu, with hors d’oeuvres and wine n An exciting live auction with auctioneer extraordinaire Damon Casatico of Charity Benefits Auctions n Additional showcase drawings, with two more Treasure Chests to be awarded n Dancing to the beat of the always-popular David Martin’s House Party, one of the most respected and sought-after party orchestras in the Northwest
Your Tickets to Win At both the luncheon and dinner gala, these friendly Harker US students will assist you with your last-minute Showcase drawing ticket purchases, or help out in any way they can. Hats off to our hosts and hostesses: Garrett Brooks, Johnny Chang, Will Courchesne, Adam Creasman, Matt Emery, Ariel Gaknoki, Anjali Gill, Paula Gitis, Adnan Haque, Jessica Hsueh, Winny Huang, Jocelyn Ko, Danyal Kothari, Faustine Liau, Ashley Morishige, Anusha Reddy, Kavita Shah and Arya Srinivasan.
Going Once! Going Twice! SOLD! Supplied by Damon Casatico
fashions by
Proceeds from CinéFest benefit the Harker Scholarship Fund, professional training and continued education for faculty, and the new Science and Technology Center at the US campus.
The dinner show’s always-popular Live Auction will have you at the edge of your seat as you try to win unique items – including an encore of last year’s Emmy Awards package, and the Indy car racing package that includes lunch with the drivers and team! Damon Casatico of Charity Benefits Auctions is the evening’s auctioneer, and as anyone who attended last year’s event will tell
CONTACTS
sponsors
VOLUNTEERING: Lisa Blickenstaff - lisabl@harker.org PROGRAM AD SALES: Tina Najibi - tmm@cadence.com SPONSORSHIPS: Shyamoli Banerjee - shyamolib@hotmail.com DONATIONS: Showcases - Christine Davis - christine@tmfcinc.com • Live Auction - Bob Schick - sjbob13@aol.com RESERVATIONS: Jeannine Hammersley - jhammersley@comcast.net • Regina Wong - reginaywong@gmail.com WEB SITE: www.harker.org/news.htm - click on Fashion Show link INFO LINE: 408.345.0115 • E-MAIL: fashionshow@harker.org Harker News — February 07
you, his positive, high-energy presentation makes this an auction like no other! Come enjoy the fun and bid on fabulous items including:
Evening with the Stars: Join the stars at the 2007 Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A.! Four tickets get you and your friends the full star treatment, with VIP Red Carpet arrival by limo, exactly the same as nominees and celebrities!
Indy Car Racing Package: The ultimate motor sports immersion experience! Full access for two to the Sonoma Indy Racing League race, with all the perks, including introductions to legendary drivers Mario and Michael Andretti!
The Live Auction will also include these great items: n n n n n n n n n n n n n
2007 Graduation Package – VIP treatment on graduation day South Lake Tahoe Cabin Adventure – at a luxury cabin featured in Log Home Living Magazine Greek Dinner for Ten – dine like the Greek gods on Mount Olympus Custom Jewelry – one-of-a-kind creations from Deja & Co. Partyin’ with Mr. N. – a birthday party at Mr. Nikoloff’s house Chef Steve, Take Me Away – dinner once a week for the school year Fore! – a private golf foursome at the Preserve Cassin Fur – such a luxury, with a relaxed attitude and modern shape Bollywood, Here We Come – catering and party for 100 people from Swagat Fine Art Photography – a unique piece from our friends at Venz Couture Design for You – a $2,000 gift certificate from Couture by AZADEH Fairmont Hotel Getaway – timeless elegance in the heart of downtown San Jose and, of course… a Puppy
Shhhh… It’s a Silent Auction! Details about the Silent Auction will soon be revealed at the CinéFest Web site!
Can’t make the show? You can still bid on Auction Items! It’s easy and fun, and you don’t have to be present to support CinéFest and the school. Simply download and complete the Proxy Bid Form found at the fashion show Web site, and we’ll do the bidding for you! For more auction details and an up-to-the-minute auction listing, please visit the Web site.
Newest Program Advertisers We want to recognize and thank these new program advertisers for signing on with us in December: Cheryl Acheson, Age Defying Dermatology, Bernadine Ai-Kuo (ReMax), Sunita Bajaj DDS, Baysport, California Karate Academy, Chelsea Court Design, ClickAway Computers & Networking, Coelho’s Body Repair, Mark DalPorto DDS, Danny Thomas Party Rentals, Executive Homes Realty, Fremont Foreign Auto, R.W. Gabler, Bill Gorman (Coldwell Banker), High Tech Passport, Hopkins and Carley Law Corporation, Knitting Arts, Warren Lee DMD, Leland Parachini Steinberg Matzger & Melnick LLP, Irene Lo DDS, Mission Electric Company, Mortgage Magic, Thomas Peters DDS MS, Valya Ragu (ReMax), San Jose Grand Prix, SkyBlue Pools, Tiempo Interior, United Tours and Travel, George and Jeanette Ziemak DDS.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Purchase Cinema
Showcase Tickets at Pre-Event Sale Prices Now! Any or all of these wonderful showcase collections could be yours – all it takes is a winning ticket! Be sure to take advantage of the Pre-Sale Blockbuster offer: three sheets of tickets, a $75 value, for only $60 when you purchase before Feb. 16! Look for the order form that came with this newsletter packet or visit the fashion show Web site for details.
Feature Film: JERRY MAGUIRE “Show Me the Money!”
$5,000 CASH
GOLDFINGER: “My name is Bond – James Bond”... The legend of 007 comes alive with this collection of refined sophistication from Santana Row, including a Safari watch from Tourneau, diamond earrings from Derco Jewelers, and much more. Set design by Marie Peterson of Chelsea Court Designs. STAR WARS: “May the force be with you!”... The latest technology toys for all ages, including an LCD television and a new PlayStation 3! Set design by Dennis Baldwin of Dennis Baldwin Interiors. THE SECRET GARDEN: “The whole world is a garden”... An extravaganza of wonder ful outdoor items that will turn any back yard into an oasis. Set design by Craig Shannon of Stems and Fred Ojeda of Acanthus Interior Designs. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me”... By popular demand, four Treasure Chests will be awarded at the luncheon show, and two at the dinner gala. Each Treasure Chest will offer a shipload of great prizes, and one will include a week in a two-bedroom suite at the five-star Villa del Arco resort, with a picture-perfect view of land’s end on the beach of Cabo San Lucas! Set design by Diane and Peter Hurd of Hurd Design.
Stay the Night!
The Marriott is only steps away from the event venue, and they’re offering a special room rate of only $109 for the night. Be sure to reserve before Feb. 1, and tell them you’re coming for CinéFest.
Event Administration & Finance Committee
You can be a part of this shining event! Venz Fine Photography
There’s still time to become part of the CinéFest crew – join us at our Thurs., Feb. 8 meetings at the Blackford MPR starting at 8 a.m., or visit the CinéFest Web site for more information:
http://faculty.harker.org/adm/fashionshow n n n n n n
Volunteer Opportunities Committee Information Showcase Donation Drawing Tickets Event Registration Table Captain Opportunities and more!
Harker News — February 07
Event Chair Archana Sathaye and Assistant Chair Violet Boyle extend their deepest appreciation to the Event Administration and Finance Committee members for their hard work and support.
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harker
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SPORTS
Gearing Up for Grants
briefs
The winter sports season is in full swing. Below are updates from our soccer and basketball coaches. Go Eagles!
Thank you ver y much to those of you who made your Annual Giving gifts or pledges early this year. Your timely support has enabled the Advancement Office to shift some resources to pursuing corporate and foundation grants. In researching grant opportunities, we have learned that a high percentage of parent participation in Annual Giving is essential; it provides critical evidence to outside funders that our own community believes in and supports our school’s mission. Private, independent schools that receive significant grant funding typically have 85-100 percent parent participation in their annual campaigns. Currently our participation rate is at 58 percent. We need to see a significant increase in that number in order to be considered for outside grants. To reach the participation levels of similar schools, we need over 300 more families to give to Annual Giving this school year. This is why each and every contribution we receive makes a difference. Even small gifts add to our participation rate and help us qualify for grants. If you have not yet made your gift for 2006-07, we urge you to make a gift online (click on “Giving” from the Harker home page) or drop off your gift to the front office of any campus. Check the March Harker News for more information on the grants we plan to pursue!
LS Sports ■ Boys Basketball The Gr. 4 boys basketball season is beginning to wind down, but the action is heating up. The boys’ ball handling skills and defense have improved with each week that has gone by. The players will finish the season with numerous intramural games where they will get to display the basketball skills they’ve worked on all season.
—Melinda Gonzales, Director of Annual Giving
Student Thanks For the past seven years, I have been involved in the afterschool dance program. The money you have donated has paid for costumes, sets and props, late supervision, guest choreographers and more. With your help, we have produced marvelous, exciting and successful shows.
My favorite thing provided by Annual Giving was the field trip to Hidden Villa. I liked it because we hiked up the mountain and ate lunch at the top. We made butter out of fresh milk, we painted our faces and we heard a coyote. Thank you!
—Shreya Nathan, Gr. 8
—Gabi Gupta, Gr. 4
A great time was had by all on the holiday break movie outing donated by LS teacher Elise Schwartz. The parents of Robbie Underwood and John Nicolas Jerney, both Gr. 3, bought the package at the Harker Family Picnic to go see the movie “Eragon.” “We were at the theaters bright and early on Saturday morning for the 10 a.m. show and I stuffed the kids full of popcorn, candy and Icees,” said Schwartz. The package covered four kids, so the lucky boys brought along friends and classmates Regan Heslop and Zachary Clausen. Schwartz brought along her sons, Kurt, also Gr. 3, and Jonathan, Gr. 2, and friends Austin Tuan, Gr. 2, and brother Brian, Gr. 5, making a total of eight Harker kids. “The movie was fabulous and the special effects were spectacular. Everyone loved it!” said Schwartz. “It was a wonderful way to kick off the break!”
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Supplied by Elise Schwartz
“Eragon” Picnic Package a Hit
The girls on the Gr. 5 team have all worked together to develop into a solid unit. The girls held their own against the Harker B/C team with a
The D1 (Gr. 5) boys team is 2-0 with impressive wins over St. Victor’s and Holy Family. They have three more games during the month of January and are hoping to add some more victories to their record. The team is led by a three-guard rotation including Brian Bither, Johnny Hughes and Nicholas Navarro. Coach Walid Fahmy expects big things from this team!
number of great plays turned in by a number of girls. Shazdeh Hussain was amazing in goal-making saves and keeping the game close with her fast thinking and great reflexes. Stephanie Lu, Shilpa Yarlagadda, Isabella Zuccarino and Michelle Pagnon held down the defense by making sure they held their shape and a strong line. Also coming up strong in the middle of the field by keeping the attack alive were Dora Tzeng, Saachi Jain, Urvi Gupta and Mercedes Chien. The three forwards who kept the pressure on all game were Anna Kendall, Regina Chen and Laura Thacker. The team is looking forward to a rematch with the B/C team.
MS Sports
The D2 (Gr. 5) boys team has had a productive learning season so far. They have worked on improving basic skills and developing a sense of teamwork, and have had fun on the court. Their intrasquad scrimmage game between the green and white teams was an exciting affair! The green team took a sudden death overtime victory on a foul shot from Brandon Yang to win 21-20. Standout players in that game included Ian Richardson, Avinash Nayak and Samir Baz.
■ Girls Soccer Coach C.J. Cali said the girls A soccer team is “off to a great start.” In their opening game they defeated St. Simon’s 2-1. The team was lead by the strong play of Veronica Bither, Gr. 7, Ava Rezvani, Shireen Moshkelani and Monisha Appalaraju, all Gr. 8. Also, they defeated the girls B team 4-0 in a scrimmage game. The girls are showing enthusiasm, positive attitude and team spirit. “Coaches (Justin) Sullivan, (Chrissy) Chang and I are proud of all the girls on this year’s team,” said Cali.
■ Girls Soccer The Gr. 4 girls soccer team has been having a lot of fun. The girls really enjoy playing the “Sharks and Minnows” and “World Cup” games at practice. At press time they were looking forward to playing against the Gr. 5 team on Jan. 17.
The B team (Gr. 6) has been a very enthusiastic and dedicated group of young soccer players. In the first two matches, Indica Sur, J.J. Jordan, Megan Grabeel and Sondra Costa all scored goals. Jenny Chen helped move the ball well when the team was on attack and Adrienne Harker News — February 07
■ Boys Basketball The A1 boys basketball team has a record of 2-3 with wins against Castillero and Hoover and close losses to Castillero and Crystal Springs. The team is led by Gr. 8 players Spencer Jordan’s hustle, Timmy Lin’s leadership and scoring and the much improved shooting of Kevin Kai, who made five out of six three-pointers at the Harker Hoops Classic. Jordan was named to the All-Tournament team. The team is playing hard and improving every day. The A2 boys basketball team played their first game over the holiday break, losing a tough one to Hoover. The leading scorers were Kevin Chen and Ben Chen, both Gr. 8. The team has a great parent following and is looking forward to their next game. The B1 (Gr. 7) basketball squad is off to a 4-2 start this season, including a hard-earned second place finish at the Harker Hoops Classic. After opening the tournament with a 25-19 win over Crystal Springs, the Eagles put together their most impressive outing of the season by upsetting Castillero 45-43. Point guard Stephen Hughes’ leadership led Harker back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and the Eagles grabbed the lead for good on Grant Napier’s three-pointer with less than a minute to go. David Fang and Ananth Subramaniam were forces down low, grabbing numerous rebounds and playing smothering defense. The win earned the Eagles a spot Harker News — February 07
in the championship game against a very good Aptos team. After falling behind by 13 points late in the third quarter, Harker closed the point gap to three late in the game before losing 42-38. Hughes was selected to the All-Tournament team for his tremendous play in all three games. Overall, it was a great team effort, and the team hopes to build on this effort in its final three games before the close of the season. This season has been great for the B2 (Gr. 7) boys basketball. They have refined and developed many skills essential for their success as a team. Some of the games may not have turned out the way they wanted to but their determination and strive to win was truly evident for every member on the team. Teams that play Harker in the future will definitely have their plates full once this squad matures into a well-oiled machine! The C1 (Gr. 6) boys have had a successful season thus far with a record of 3-1 due to wins over King’s Academy, Valley Christian and San Jose Christian. The team is led by Nikhil Panu and Kevin Cali, who average 12 points per game each. The team has several games remaining on the schedule. The boys are rapidly improving and are enjoying every minute of the season.
Fencing Tournament at Harker Harker is co-hosting a Regional Youth Circuit fencing event on February 3-4, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. both days, in the Blackford gym, in conjunction with Elite Musketeers Fencing Club of Menlo Park (EMFC). EMFC manages the Harker fencing program and the school is proud to host one of only three such events held in California each year. Over 150 fencers, age 8-14, will fence in foil, epee and saber, and spectators are more than welcome. If your son or daughter is a budding pirate or knight, bring him or her by to watch these trained competitors compete for medals and other prizes. The event is sanctioned by the United States Fencing Association, and MS Athletic Director Theresa Smith encourages all to come on out and watch this great display of “physical chess!” recent games. With only seven seconds left in overtime, Harker trailing by a point and star senior Faustine Liao benched with five fouls, junior Melissa Chen hit an NBA-distance three-point shot against the Yerba Buena Warriors to win the game.
sophomore Panu; they will provide a strong core for years to come,” says coach Richard Hartzell.
There was high drama, too, against Woodside Priory, when Liao sank two free throws with seconds remaining to give the Eagles their first lead of the game and a one-point victory; in the same game, sophomore Tara Panu grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds. This team is hot. Co-captain Liao was selected to the all-tournament teams for both the King’s Academy Tournament and the Crystal Springs Gryphon Tournament. “The Lady Eagles include two freshmen, Kacie Kaneyuki and Anita Satish, and
The C2 (Gr. 6) team has had a great time learning and competing this season. They have had two close losses, and their big win over Los Altos Christian gives them a 1-2 record with two games to go. Hard work and dedication has brought this team far and will continue through the end of the season.
US Sports ■ Girls Basketball The varsity girls basketball team has had some great moments in
Steven Wong, parent
Mendel and Ragini Bhattacharya have been a force on defense. The two goal keepers, Sammy Schlernitzauer and Swetha Rajavel, have had a number of goalie saves as well as some spectacular stops on shots from point blank range. All the players have made marked improvement and should continue to develop into very strong soccer players in years to come.
■ Girls Soccer Varsity girls soccer coach Russ Baba says the team is improving and that sophomore Kristina Bither is out in front as the team’s high scorer. “The most versatile girl on the team is senior Julia PriceMadison, who has covered a variety of positions. And Sara Estrada, the frosh goalkeeper, is doing great job,” noted Baba. ■ Sports Honors Congratulations to Athletes of the Month for November, all seniors: Jay Japra, cross country, and Sharon Huang, volleyball; and December: Natasha Sarin, basketball, and Rohan Narayen, basketball. Congratulations to all! In other sports news, Athletic Director Dan Molin congratulates junior Tanya Schmidt for being named to the All Mercury News Second Team for girls volleyball. “This is truly a well-deserved, high honor,” he noted. ■ Spring Sports Meeting Any upper school student interested in a spring sport must attend a mandatory meeting with their parents on Mon., Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Blackford Multipurpose Room. Sports offered in the spring include baseball, softball, boys volleyball, boys golf, boys tennis, girls lacrosse, track and field and swimming. The meeting will last one hour and light refreshments will be served.
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Summer @ Harker
The 2007 Summer Programs information is posted online - visit now and register for your favorite courses before they fill up!
408.871.4600 campinfo@harker.org
www.harker.org The Harker School is a K-12 independent, co-ed, college-prep school. Grades K-5: 4600 Bucknall Rd., San Jose, CA 95130; Grades 6-8: 3800 Blackford Ave., San Jose, CA 95117; Grades 9-12: 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 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.
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The Harker News provides timely information, news and features about the Harker community to current and alumni Harker families. Editor: Pam Dickinson; Lead Writer: William Cracraft; Copy Editors: Catherine Snider, Jennifer Maragoni; Production: Crystal Boyd, Blue Heron Design Group, Jaja Hsuan; Photos: Mark Tantrum, unless noted; Contributors: Laura van den Dries; Printing: Carol Sosnowski; Mailing Coordinator: Desiree Mitchell. Harker News — February 07
Lower
school
eBeam Brings PowerPoint to Life
Field Trip Focuses on Environment
Imagine a classroom where students are engaged by becoming part of a PowerPoint presentation, where students eagerly tackle worksheets projected on a white board and are participating in online activities and educational games as a class. This is a Harker eBeam classroom.
In December, first graders made their annual pilgrimage to Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, where naturalists and community educators taught students about various aspects of the environment. Through age-specific activities, the students learned about ecology, natural histor y and energy systems/cycles. The students went hiking along a creek, and visited a cow, pigs, chickens and goats. They har vested garden vegetables, turned compost piles and tried other new things. “The unique teaching techniques of the Hidden Villa Environmental Education Program strike a balance between scientific investigation and feelings of wonder, awareness and appreciation,” said Gr. 2 teacher Michael Bourquin, who accompanied the group along with other instructors.
The eBeam device is connected to a computer. It projects the computer screen onto the whiteboard, making it a powerful classroom tool resulting in increased student learning, said teacher Nina Anand. The eBeam is a commercial product used by technology and other companies for working sessions, presentations and remote conferencing. Anand and several other LS teachers have eBeam setups in their classrooms, and there is a set available from the technology office for those teachers who wish to use it from time to time. “The students in my class, be they first- or third-graders, become energized when I mention the eBeam. eBeam to them is game time and to me it is dynamic learning time,” said Anand. “In the days before eBeam, PowerPoint presentations were demonstrations where I moved from slide to slide. Now, students can walk up to the whiteboard, select a particular slide or question, click on images and sounds, and can even write on the slides using the eBeam pen. “Students eagerly wait to work on worksheets that are projected on the whiteboard, or enjoy practicing math facts as a class through online games. The eBeam is so simple to use, yet versatile, provides a fantastic visual aid, and can seamlessly be integrated into daily lessons to enhance student learning,” Anand finished.
Students Cheer for BrainPOP In a world of catchy names, BrainPOP is a standout. The brainpop.com Web site provides educational videos to classrooms via the Internet. ”BrainPOP is a really enjoyable way to get students engaged,” said Gr. 3 science teacher Tamara Kley Contini. “I love the fact that the videos are very short, which enables me to do an activity or lab during the same class. “I use BrainPOP in all of my classes (as) there is a very wide range of science topics available. I have used it to introduce topics, supplement curriculum, review for a test and even to give a quiz,” she continued.
‘Great Spin Off’ a Hit with Students In the ever-creative world of Harker, math teacher Pat Walsh carries on an annual contest that has grown into an institution. “Basically, I buy these cheap spin-them-with-your-fingers tops for every kid in the fifth grade,” Walsh said. He hands them out just before the Thanksgiving break so the kids have time to practice. “I tell them not to drive their parents crazy.” Then comes the contest. “It is something to keep them focused and their spirits up for that last month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when they tend to go a little wild. The longest spin wins and elimination rounds take place in the seven math homerooms, plus a wild card to get eight groups, with finals in the gym. It is silly, but they get into it. They are cheering and screaming.” Once winners are declared, Walsh takes the first-, second- and third-place finalists out to D & J Hobby to choose a prize. “We have probably done this for 10 years and the students love it,” said Walsh.
Ski Trip: Sunshine, Fun Activities Gr. 2 families enjoyed perfect weather during their Bear Valley ski trip over the recent three-day weekend. The group arrived at their Blue Lake Spring lodgings on Friday evening and hit the slopes at Bear Valley on Saturday morning. “At the end of the ski day, a few of the Harker families met in the lodge and warmed up with hot chocolate for the kids and Irish coffee for the adults,” said Nazy Zahiri, who, along with Angie Krackler, coordinated the trip. “Later that night, the two women, both Gr. 2 class coordinators, hosted a potluck dinner at their cabin for the whole group. “While the parents talked, laughed and ate, the kids had a blast playing ping-pong, foosball and different board games,” Zahiri noted. The group checked out Sunday morning, with some staying to ski while others headed for the sledding park. “Thanks to all the parents who participated and made this a great and memorable weekend for the kids!” said Zahiri.
“It addresses standards and supplements the curriculum in a very positive way. Quizzes can be e-mailed to me for grading, or I can choose a quiz that won’t let them go on until they get the right answer,” Kley Contini said.
Kley Contini’s students are as enthusiastic as she is. “I like BrainPOP because (the videos) are funny and educational,” said Sadhika Malladi, Gr. 3. “Plus, when you’re done, you can take a quiz to see if you learned anything. BrainPOP is cool because of the ‘pop’ sound.” The site seems to have managed the trick of entertaining students while teaching them. “They usually have some silly jokes that can be quite funny,” said Kley Contini. “The children love it and get really excited when they see we are having a BrainPOP. One of my classes even chants, ‘BrainPOP, BrainPOP, BrainPOP,’ when they see it on the board!”
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Rasool Solaimanpour
BrainPOP video subjects include science, English, math, arts and music, and topics covered include poetry, immigration and nanotechnology. Lisa Diffenderfer, assistant director of instructional technology, monitors the program and sends out a notice when new videos are added to the site.
Harker News — February 07
Students Get Up Close with Wildlife
Songs from Around the World “A Harker Celebration,” the title of the Gr. 1 and Gr. 2-3 holiday shows, celebrated the season with song and dance last December. A slide show of student candids entertained parents before the show, and snow even fell on the performers thanks to some magic from technical director Danny Dunn. The songs sung were from all over the world, including Puerto Rican, Jewish and Spanish folk songs (complete with a piñata).
Students had a treat in January: they got to see a 50-year-old turkey vulture and a twotoed sloth all in the same day. The annual visit from Wildlife Associates, a nonprofit organization based in Half Moon Bay, was a hit, as usual. Steven Karlin, the organization’s founder, gave a great, humorous, educational presentation that, along with the bird and the sloth, included a kinkajou (a nocturnal tree-dwelling mammal that likes honey) and a squirrel monkey, a very cute little being that foraged across Karlin’s body seeking treats, much to the amusement of the students. Aside from the fun of seeing these unusual animals, students were given a sense of how small the earth is, what destruction of the rain forests means to all of us and what we can each do to help avoid both destruction of the forests (avoid buying furniture made from trees harvested from rain forests) and to preserve the wildlife (don’t buy accessories made from exotic leathers – 75 percent is from illegally hunted animals, according to Karlin). Wildlife Associates has six different presentations and they bring a different set of animals to Harker each year.
’Twas the Season for Polyhedrons To both prepare for the holiday season and take the edge off of math class, a number of classes participated in the aptly-named Polyhedron Ornament Project. Math teacher Eileen Schick located and distributed the patterns, supplied stickers to jazz up the finished products and generally encouraged teachers and students in their endeavors. Students cut flat patterns from cardstock. They then folded them and used glue or double-sided tape to create a 3-D polyhedron of their choice. Patterns included a cube, triangular pyramid and the fearsome-sounding octahedron. The finished polyhedron was then decorated to taste to create an ornament for the holiday season. Classes from grades 1, 4 and 5 participated, with Pat Walsh’s Gr. 5 students setting up a display of their handiwork, called Winter in San MATHeo, on the second floor of the gym. Now that’s applied mathematics! Harker News — February 07
Director Louis Hoffman and choreographer Gail Palmer welcomed two guest performers: violin teacher and Harker parent Toni Woodruff (Helen, Gr. 3 and Katherine, Gr. 6), and Spanish teacher Anita Gilbert, who played and sang with the third graders on “A La Nanita Nana.”
Food, Toy Drives Help Many Holiday efforts were richly rewarded this year, as K- Gr. 5 students and families provided food and toys for many through a variety of channels. Joe Bauer, pastoral associate at St. Justin’s Commonalty Ministry, the recipient of the LS food, sent a letter thanking the Harker community for the “generous donation of over four tons of food and over $2,600.” Bauer added, “I would also like to express my gratitude to (teacher) Pat Walsh who every year coordinates this effort. During the month of November, we provided food assistance to 2,230 Santa Clara residents, including over 90 homeless people.” Bauer noted that the organization distributed Thanksgiving meals to 560 families and Christmas dinners and gifts to 650 families. In addition, the LS Toys for Tots drive collected 912 toys, exceeding its goal of 900, and the Spirit Club raised $830 for the program through its snowman-gram sales. “Again ... well over our expectations and truly appreciated by the Toys for Tots recipients,” said Dean of Non-Academics Kelly Espinosa. Espinosa continued in her note to parents, “We’d like to thank YOU once again for your continued support of all Harker service programs. No matter what we ask, you generously participate and provide fabulous service learning opportunities for your children. We are so proud of our families for their generosity, kindness and willingness to get involved in community projects. Great job!”
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MIDDLE
school
Club Celebrates Japanese Culture
Students ‘Tune In’ to Electronics On the electronic side of MS science, Ilona Davies’ students built electronic components using Snap Circuits, a modular electronic parts kit for conducting experiments. ”It’s like Lego for electronics,” said Davies. “My students liked the AM Radio, Doorbell, Police Car Symphony and Space War Sound Blow Off the best.
Hair-Raising Experiment In this photo, students prove that one way to make your hair stand on end is to stick your finger in a light socket. Seriously, these Gr. 7 science students in Ilona Davies’ class are experimenting with a Van de Graaf Generator, which creates static electricity by building up a negative electric charge on its dome. When a student touches the dome while isolated from the ground, negatively charged electrons accumulate in the student’s hair and the strands repel each other, causing the effect seen in the photo.
Lorna Clarebout
Club Japan, with 22 members, meets to celebrate ancient and modern facets of Japanese culture. The group, led by teacher Kumi Matsui, has made origami paper airplanes for an intra-club contest, learned to play traditional games, watched “Spirited Away,” an animated Japanese movie, played with traditional wooden toys and had a Japanese food tasting party. The group also has played Japanese dodgeball, in which a player who is hit and sent off the court can nail an opponent from the sidelines to regain entry to the court. If you want to learn more, e-mail kumin@harker.org.
“You should have seen their faces when they first made the radio and then realized that they could tune in to different stations by just turning the dial. There were a lot of ‘oh-yeahs’ and high-fives, and I think a few electronic engineers were born at that very moment!” she added.
Young Writers Enter Contest Harker students have made their second foray into the Promising Young Writers Program, sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of English (NATE). There are two categories, Best Writing Samples and Impromptu Essay, which requires students to whip out an essay on a general topic in 75 minutes. Patricia Lai Burrows, English teacher, is coordinating the program at Harker. “This year, 14 Gr. 8 students participated, many of whom were recommended to participate by Harker histor y and English teachers,” said Lai Burrows.
Ilona Davies - both photos
From these 14 participants, two will be selected as Harker nominees and their entries will be sent to the state coordinators for the contest. “Students entered many different kinds of pieces,” said Lai Burrows, “including poetr y, science fiction short stories, memoirs and short expositor y paragraphs.” The Impromptu Essay topic was: If you could go back to another time for one day, whom would you like to meet? Explain why you would like to meet this individual and discuss what you would tell her/him about life in the present and why.
Harker, Tamagawa Study Together In early January, Gr. 6 students reached out across the ocean in a videoconference with Japanese colleagues in Tamagawa on vital environmental topics being studied. The Harker students, who were required to be in full assembly uniform for the occasion, participated in the videoconference over a five-day period. The meetings took place after regular school hours in order to sync with Japanese time. The students have been corresponding by e-mail on the projects, and two teams of Harker students were selected to present their environmental study projects during each videoconference. Students not presenting participated in the videoconferences by asking the Tamagawa students questions about their presentations.
Electronic, Physical Worlds Collide In a crossover examination of electronic and physical worlds, Raji Swaminathan’s Gr. 7 science students recently covered current electricity. They built simple electrical circuits, tested different materials to see if they were conductors or insulators, learned how to use an ammeter, and built series and parallel circuits to understand which type of circuits are commonly used in homes, schools and businesses.
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“Students wrote about a variety of people including historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Julius Caesar and more personal figures like a great-grandfather or relatives who have recently passed,” Lai Burrows noted. Good luck to all the entrants! Participants, all Gr. 8, are Trisha Basu, Maxim Elisman, Ashtyn Ka, Christina Li, Alice Loofbourrow, Kristi Lui, April Luo, Malika Mehrotra, Francesca Nagle, Shreya Nathan, Ava Rezvani, Diane Villadsen, Allika Walvekar and Olivia Zhu.
Scavenger Hunt Celebrates Diversity One of the more interesting holiday diversions in December was the MS Spirit scavenger hunt. Teacher Doug Knight’s advisory were the contest winners, earning the right to keep the Black Ford for January. The rules were complex and the list of hunted items, from a range of cultures, included a Santa cap, a diya (an oil lamp used in Diwali, the Indian light festival), a dreidel (a four-sided top played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah) and mistletoe (unhung). Teacher Mark Gelineau set up the hunt, tabulated the scores and announced the winners just prior to the break. The hunt was ostensibly to pass the long hours before the break, but rather stealthily taught students about cultural winter celebrations across the spectrum. Harker News — February 07
Michael Schmidt - both photos
Robotics are Rockin’ at Harker Two Harker robotics teams each earned an award at the San Jose Unified School District qualifying competition in December, with one team earning the Judges Award for making the strongest impression on all the judges. “(The team) didn’t have the best robot or programs, but impressed every judge along the way,” said teacher Michael Schmidt of the computer science department, who runs the robotics program. “Our other team placed second overall out of 56 teams, and has advanced to the Championship Competition for all of Northern California,” Schmidt noted. That match is at San Jose City College on Jan. 20, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Watch for the results in next month’s Harker News. Winning the Judges Award, The Micro Giant Space Hamsters are Rishi Ravuri, Swetha Repakula, Trisha Basu, Rachel Fang, all Gr. 8; Mackenzie Porter, Jay Reddy, both Gr. 7; and Preston Yeung, Ravi Tadinada, David Grossman, Varun Gudapati, all Grade 6. Taking second place overall, team Mini But Mighty are Nikunj Donde, Michael Prutton, both Gr. 8; Paul West, Ashley Kling, Kushal Ranjan, Prag Batra, all Gr. 7; and Ram Menon, Erik Andersen, Sierra Lincoln, Karan Das-Grande, all Gr. 6. Special thanks to the parent volunteers for their many hours of guidance, support and, of course, transportation. These include two parent mentors, Raymonde Guindon (mother of Sierra Lincoln), for Mini But Mighty, and Don Porter (father of Mackenzie) for Micro Giant Space Hamsters. Both gave precious time to the teams. Also we would like to thank the parents who donated robotics kits to the teams. Raymonde Guindon donated two NXT kits to the team, and Chitra Bhade (mother of Ravi) and Krishnaveni Meka (mother of Varun) each donated one.
Physics Has Its Ups and Downs
Raji Swaminathan
In the course of their study of our physical world, Raji Swaminathan’s Gr. 7 science students designed and built roller coasters to examine energy transitions. The students used PVC pipe and foam insulation to build the track and used a marble to simulate a car. Students were required to build a working model and prove that the total mechanical energy is conserved in a roller coaster. Harker News — February 07
Girls Robotics Team Takes First Place Girls Excited About Robotics (GEARS), an independent team comprising all Harker students, took first place this year in the NanoTech Project at the Fremont Regional Tournament. It is the team’s third year competing. There are other independent teams made up of Harker students, and Harker is widening its participation in robotics competitions (see related article at left), but this is the only known allgirl team from Harker. Team members are Eva Bruketa, Sonia Gupta, Cristina Jerney, Cecilia Lang-Ree and Payal Modi, all Gr. 6. The girls have qualified all three years for the Northern California State FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Tournament, also known as FLL. According to its Web site, the FLL is an international robotics program for students ages 9 to 14. Students research and solve a real-world problem based on a challenge theme, present their research and solutions and, of course, build an autonomous robot using engineering concepts. Jerney and Lang-Ree first became interested in robotics when they attended Camp SeaLab in Santa Cruz and saw the underwater robots used to probe the deep, said Helena Jerney, Cristina’s mom. “That is where their fascination began.” The team has morphed over the years, with Bruketa, Lang-Ree and Jerney as anchors. Bruketa’s mother, Cynthia, is the prime motivator behind the team, though all the parents pitch in, said Jerney. In conversation with other parents, Bruketa mentioned she knew about the Lego robotics league and suggested the girls think about entering so they would both have goals and be motivated to learn about robotics. Parents and daughters agreed and GEAR was born, Jerney said. “(Our) goal was to go through the process with them,” said Jerney. The parents didn’t want to push the girls into competition, but “as it was, the girls felt pretty ready” the first year. After watching a demonstration, Cristina Jerney said she “fell in love! I just like robots. I think it’s cool how machinery can be smart. I love the competitions. (They are) great events: noisy, loud and you can be with your friends and cheer them on.” Eva Bruketa may have even found her career path: “I would like to be an engineer, and engineering is a lot like what we do in robotics,” she said. “We all participate and contribute something to each part of the robot.” Mom Cynthia Bruketa took the lead in marshalling support among the parents and helping the girls arrange to compete when they said they were ready. On their rookie outing as fourth graders, the girls did well, entering the Fremont Regional Tournament and earning first place for their “No Limits” project and qualifying for the Northern California State Tournament. The next year, the girls entered the Palo Alto FLL Regional Tournament and took first place for Robot Design, again qualifying for the state tournament. At this year’s Fremont Regional Tournament they took first in the Nano Quest Project category, qualifying for the state tourney for the third year straight.
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upper
school
Student Researchers Help Company
JETS Teams Prepare for Takeoff
In a fascinating crossover of music and technology, students in Susan Nace’s Study of Music classes have been using a leading bibliography software for their projects – and the company principals came to Harker to get student feedback that has resulted in changes to the software.
The Harker chapter of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) has formed and is preparing for competition. Each year the society sponsors the TEAMS competition, where over 14,000 high school students spend a day working in small groups, solving problems.
“The Harker team is helping Debbie Abilock, an exper t on curriculum design using Web-based products, to develop online help for teaching Notecards to students,” Smith said. “Debbie and Damon obser ved students working with their products, engaged them in discussions about usability and sought input from our students on product enhancements.” After ward, the collaborative team of Nace, Vaughn and Smith met with the Abilocks to discuss their research model and how they use the NoodleTools products as thinking tools to promote critical analysis.
Chris Daren
The Abilocks worked with two of Nace’s classes and, “because of the discussions Smith and the Abilocks have had about our students’ experiences, changes have been made in NoodleTools,” noted Nace. Now that’s research.
US students stand on the shores of Lake Tahoe on their annual ski trip over the recent three day weekend. According to senior advisor and trip organizer, Chris Daren, “the trip was safe and the students had a fantastic time!”
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Silk noted the competition is held in local venues across the country. Harker students will work on their two 90-minute projects at Stanford University. The results of the two pieces determine state and national standing, respectively. “Last year Harker sent five teams (one from each grade, plus a mixed grade team). The students did very well, earning first place nationally in the varsity competition and third place nationally in the junior varsity competition.” This year’s competitions take place between Feb. 3 and Mar. 11. Good luck Harker JETS!
kudos ■ Junior Laura Holford, a dancer for 11 years, hit a milestone in her career when her troupe, the Kennelly Irish Dancers, was asked to dance at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s inauguration. “When my teacher first suggested to our weekly Tuesday night Irish dance class in the city a couple weeks ago that we may be dancing at the governor’s inaugural ball, I was intrigued, to say the least,” said Holford. Then, after numerous security checks, she found herself, “standing side stage about to dance for 3,000 politicians, donors and movie stars. By now, I’m a bit more than ‘intrigued.’”
Mary Holford, parent
Susan Nace - both photos
Nace, along with librarians Lauri Vaughn and Sue Smith, is teaching a year-long research project on a musical topic of the students’ choice, using NoodleBib and Notecards, products that were developed by NoodleTools, Inc. Harker students have been using the software for two years. Founded by Debbie Abilock and her son, Damon Abilock, NoodleBib’s Web site says they, “create innovative software that teaches students and suppor ts teachers and librarians throughout the entire research process.”
According to teacher Tony Silk, who is coordinating the group, “These questions deal with real-world engineering issues such as air transportation, bridge design and rehabilitation, flood analysis, solar-powered vehicles, food preservation and much more.”
The group’s numbers went well and, afterward, the dancers joined the partiers, rubbing elbows with actors Tom Arnold and Rob Lowe. It was a nice gig to end the holiday break; best of luck in the future! ■ Harker senior Jessica Dickinson Goodman had her essay, “High School Politics,” published in “She’s Such a Geek,” a book of essays by women about “science, technology and other nerdy stuff.” The essay gives us insight to Dickinson Goodman’s perception of her world, a bit cynical, a bit hopeful and rather watchful. The collection is edited by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders and published by Seal Press. The often self-analytic essays are worth reading by any intelligent person interested in how brainy women think. The San Francisco Chronicle published a review of the book in early January. Congrats to Dickinson Goodman! ■ Two Harker seniors are the statewide winners of Siemens awards for Advanced Placement. Tiffany June Lin and Arkajit Dey both won $2,000 scholarships. Both won their awards in the math and science category. Siemens only awards two scholarships per state, and they both went to Harker students this year. In order to qualify for the award, Lin and Dey had to get scores of 5 on at least three AP exams. Siemens makes the awards in order to foster the growth of a pool of math, science and technology talent “that we will need for the continued growth of business and industry in the United States and globally,” according to the letter sent to the winners. Great job! Harker News — February 07
Student Directors Present Their Final Projects
One of the most challenging courses a senior can take at Harker is Student Directed Showcase, taught by performing arts department chair Laura Lang-Ree. This semester-long course allows four specially
Chilean Student Visits Harker Visiting student Constanza Cabrera stayed with Harker senior Allison Wong for a month in January. Wong had visited Cabrera’s family in Chile. “I had such a great time visiting them, I really wanted to reciprocate,” said Wong. The girls “went all over the place,” Wong added, including San Francisco and Monterey. Cabrera, 18, is from the same school where teacher Diana Moss did a yearlong exchange in 2006.
Update Debate At press time, Harker debaters were preparing for several upcoming events. Students will attend the National Catholic Forensic League District Qualifier in Sacramento the weekend of Jan. 19-21 in policy, public forum and Lincoln-Douglas debate. Students will also compete at Jesuit High School, vying for the right to attend the NCFL National Tournament in Houston, Texas, later this year. Varsity students will also travel to Emory University the last weekend in January to compete in the 46th annual Barkeley Forum for High Schools, a national tournament that brings together students from every state.
Mathematicians Place in Top 10 Harker mathematicians finished sixth in the 2006 Ciphering Time Trials, a national mathematics contest administered by National Assessment & Testing. Coach Misael-Jose Fisico prepared students for the competition, which comprised 10 rounds in which students had three minutes to solve three problems. Several Harker students received individual awards. Jeanette Chin placed seventh in the Gr. 9 division, Charlie Fang was 10th in the Gr. 11 division, and Justin Chin placed 22nd in the Gr. 12 division. The team finished 10th in the 2006 Team Scramble in early December and its next outing will be the 2007 Four-by-Four Competition on Thurs., Feb. 9. In addition, the school plans to participate in the 2007 Collaborative Problem-Solving Contest on Mar. 28, on which the entire school can collaborate for one week, doing research or applying technology. Harker News — February 07
exam” – their plays. P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster characters were brought to life by Aseem Shukla. Exploring friendship and marriage was Siobhan Stevenson, in “Dinner With Friends,” by Donald Margulies. Juliana Daniil presented a fun mistaken-identity story called “Gas, Air and Earl,” by B. Bloch. Finally, Yoshi Kuroi directed the frantic “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged.”
students as well. Congratulations to all the directors and their casts, and to Lang-Ree for guiding them through this complicated and challenging process!
Lights, stage management, sound and running crew were all provided by
Visit Harker’s online galleries for more photos.
Student Photographers Sell Works The Photo Club is now a startup. Just before the holidays, members created a commercial business providing quality art at reasonable prices. The club’s gallery was in the main academic hallway and featured photos in a variety of sizes and finishes. The pictures were all taken by club members, said Roger Kim, Gr. 12, “with varying types of cameras from runof-the-mill point and shoot digital to film SLR cameras. We took a few meetings sorting through them and then voting for the finalists.”
Sophi Newman
chosen students the opportunity to select, interpret, cast, direct and produce a one-act play. In December, audiences were treated to the directors’ “final
The group intends to refine the sale process. “We are planning tentatively to have another sale later in the year. Hopefully we’ll do a better job telling people about it. Some people I talked to actually didn’t know the prints we hung up were for sale and were just admiring them as they passed through the hallway,” said Kim. The club is not focused on becoming a commercial success. Kim wants to do more, “in terms of learning about photography or, just getting (out) and taking pictures somewhere.” Watch the main hall for the next exhibit!
Open House Highlights Activities The last open house of the year, held in early Januar y, was a chance to showcase academic, depar tment and club activities available to students. “We do usually have a pretty good showing—it is smaller than November, but many who come to this night are ver y interested, and they have questions about clubs and activities,” said Nan Nielsen, Director of Admission and Financial Aid. Thanks to all the students that helped make this event a great success, including all those who acted as club or activity reps, the jazz band which enter tained the visitors. Student speakers were Caitlin Contag, Adam Creasman, Julia Havard, Sharon Huang, Danyal Kothari, Natasha Sarin, Aseem Shukla, Siobhan Stevenson, Matt Wong, all seniors, and Frank Wang and Tanya Schmidt, juniors. Ambassadors were: senior Audrey Kwong, sophomores Ananya Anand, Elizabeth Cutler, Sachin Rangarajan, and freshmen Namrata Anand, Jackie Ho, Eugene Huang, Kapil Kolhatkar, Won Hee Lee, Anjali S. Menon, Arthi Padmanabhan.
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A Gift That Keeps On Giving: Livestock A worthy contender for a new tradition at Harker was introduced in a December assembly by US teacher Evan Barth. He suggested that rather than thanking teachers with a gift card or box of candy, students donate money to an organization that provides livestock, such as goats or chickens, to impoverished people in Darfur. A goat can mean a step toward solvency for people with so little, Barth noted. The suggestion took, and senior Simren Kohli was one of the students who acted. “I found Mr. Barth’s speech very inspiring,” Kohli said. “Mr. Barth’s recognition of other problems … provided a sense of perspective for all of us.“
Chris Florio - all photos
“The process is really simple,” said Kohli. “You can go to the Heifer International Web site (http://www.heifer.org) and choose the gift you want to give. I chose to give a flock of chicks to a family in Zimbabwe. I wonder about the family who received the flock of chicks and whether the gift has been helpful to them. I would love for there to be a more personal touch to this gift.”
The group next performed at a 17th-century church in the town of Chantilly, where their small but enthusiastic Dec. 31 audience gave the performers, including senior concertmistress and featured soloist Audrey Kwong, Gr. 12, three bows at the end, Florio noted. “We all then gathered and watched the Grand Parade de Chantilly, featuring some American marching bands, Chinese dragons, a flock of trained geese, Czech cheerleaders and many others,” said Florio. “New Year’s Day I took a few students and their instruments back to a crowded Montmartre where they set up an impromptu chamber music performance in a very touristy section. With in minutes of beginning to perform they had as many as 60 spectators cheering and taking photographs. It was a real highlight,” added Florio. Students thought so, too. Kwong, a violinist, was one of the participants in the street concert: “We took all of our instruments up (there were many, many stairs) and played little solos, duets and trios. There were many great moments from the trip including the concerts that I was able to solo in, but going to Montmartre was just amazing,” she said. Catherine Chiu, Gr. 11, also a violinist, said “Paris was really a once-in-alifetime experience with friends. Not only were we able to share our music halfway around the world, but we were able to have fun at the same time.” The best thing about the trip, Chiu said, was being able to bond with the orchestra. “We are now one close-knit family (and) I liked practicing violin/ cello duets with my roommate (Tiffany Yu, Gr. 11) at two in the morning -- just for kicks.”
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Freshman Siqi Duan also chose to help those in Darfur. “I contributed a share of a goat in honor of each of my teachers. I don’t think about the goat as much as I wonder about the family who has received my goat.” Duan noted that Heifer International makes it easy to help. “They even have a gift catalog and gift registry! No need to ask for blenders and toaster ovens for your wedding; these special gifts are much more useful,” she noted.
Robotics Prepare for Feb. Deadline The Robotics team has been hard at work for over a fortnight creating a robot that fits competition specs and triumphs over its rivals. The competition is a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) event. The national kickoff was televised from the East Coast in early January and a Harker cadre went to San Jose State University (SJSU) for the local sync up. “We picked up our kit of parts that morning (150 pounds of materials) and met back here at Harker,” said physics and astronomy teacher Eric Nelson, who is advising the group. “The students worked on design ideas until 6 p.m.” Within a few days, prototypes were being spec’ed out by the group. Nelson expects he and students will be putting in from 100 to 500 hours of time per person on the effort. “With 83 people on the roster, that’s a LOT of man-hours!” he noted. “We (had) five weeks to design and build the robot--it must ship by 5 p.m. on February 20, or we are disqualified. It’s a hard deadline.” The race is on.
Students look through this year’s object - an inflatable tube that must be picked up and moved around like tic tac toe.
A student works on assembling a modified version of a wheel in the prototype assembly. Harker News — February 07
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Global Experiences Shape Harker Teacher Jaap Bongers’ Art, Life
All photos provided by Jaap Bongers
How would you describe your artistic style? I don’t think you can talk about artistic styles in the old sense of the word. Picasso’s or Rodin’s work can be recognized because of their specific forms and colors. You can recognize my work because of the specific personal conceptual approach rather than by form or color. The results can look very different from one to the next (stylistically), but they are strongly tied together conceptually.
Sculptor Jaap Bongers chairs Harker’s US art department, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1998. Before immigrating to the United States, Bongers studied at prestigious art academies in both his native Holland and in Italy. He also spent time studying traditional tribal art in Africa. We spoke to him about his art, influences and current projects. What sparked your interest in sculpture? When I was 15 years old, I had a book about the sculptures of Michelangelo. (I realized that a) form in stone could convey strong feelings and emotions. That an artist can develop his own “language” and “speak” to people this way excited me to no end. What types of materials do you use in your art? I have used marble, granite, bronze, cast iron, wood, steel, tar, wax … I could go on. Most of the time, I make “photo-based” works. These works often contain painted elements … (and) are usually framed behind glass with sandblasted lines or images in steel frames.
What factors influenced your style? During the time I attended the art academies in Holland and Italy, “Arte Povera” was a prominent art movement. Literally translated, this means “poor art.” This was a movement by artists who used often poor, unsophisticated materials to express their ideas. I was also strongly influenced by a father with a strong interest in archaeology and especially by my travels to Zaire, Africa, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. What was the goal of your trip to Africa? The Dutch government awarded me a grant to study traditional tribal art in the Congo in 1981. My focus was on the communication through slit drums in the Equatorial jungle. I ended up with a lot more than I bargained for. I spent a week in the warehouses of the museum in Kinshasa, where I learned about the art of countless tribes. Later on during this trip, I encountered a group of Pygmies. (I went)
back to the Congo three years later specifically to live with a Pygmy tribe. After my stay with the Pygmies, I bought a dug-out canoe and went down a river through one of the most remote areas of the Congolese jungle. During this trip, I temporarily lost my eyesight due
or images on it. The whole work is then placed in a steel frame. Sometimes I cover a photograph with a layer of wax that mimics the blurred vision during my African experience, and then I continue again with the sandblasted glass and the steel frame.
to a bacterial infection. This traumatic experience proved to be the source of a lot of inspiration for my work later on.
When you aren’t teaching or sculpting, what do you enjoy doing? I like to hang out at home. I read art magazines or research and collect traditional African art. During the weekend, we usually go see my youngest son play soccer or watch his practice. I am also active as a board member of the “Friends of Ethnic Art.”
How did the experience shape you and your art? Having seen how the Pygmies, who are basically Stone-Age people, live in total harmony with nature, I started looking at how far removed we have gotten from nature. I began working on a series called “Archaeological Remnants of an Imaginary Culture,” for which I mainly used natural materials. Ultimately it was the experience of going blind in the canoe that triggered a slowly evolving series of work that researches “how we look/see.” What projects are you working on now? I am working on a series that is based on the idea of “how we look/see.” All the works in this series are photo-based and are usually combined with small painted elements (on the photo). Sometimes I nail a sheet of mylar with strategically cut-out shapes over the photo. The finished work is then framed behind glass that has sandblasted lines
What one piece of advice would you give a young artist? I would tell an ar tist not to tr y to please ever yone through “pretty” work, but instead follow your passion, live your life and “translate” your findings and ideas into ar t in the most sincere way possible without being too literal – it is your world! To see more of Bongers’ art, visit www.jaapbongers.com.
The Harker News (USPS 023-761) is published monthly except July, Aug. and Sept., by The Harker School, Office of Communications, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is paid at San Jose, CA and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Harker News, 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose CA 95129.
Harker News — February 07
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