OCTOBER 2008 (VOL. 15, NO. 1) est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
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Capital Campaign Co-Chairs John and Christine Davis Ashok Krishnamurthi and Deepa Iyengar
Team Members Lon Allan Helen Amick Sabina Chitkara Karen Coates John Cox Wei-Jin Dai and Faustina Chen Grace Edvalson Doug and Linda Emer y Vanaja Gadiraju Melinda Gonzales Regina Gupta Simi Gupta Marcia Hirtenstein Dan Hudkins
Harker Benefactors Honored at the Opening Gala
Manisha Jain Helena Jerney Vidya Kamat Yulia Korobko Arne Lang-Ree June Li Susan Mandell Sangeeta Mehrotra Dan Molin Brian Moss Christopher Nikoloff Kim Pellissier Brian and Eileen Richardson
Chris Johnson – pendulum photo
Betsy Lindars
On Aug. 22, the dream of opening a new science and technology center became reality as the Harker Benefactors (families making gifts of $100,000 or more) gathered together to dedicate the five centers that make up this new facility. The five Centers, named after the families who made Visionary gifts of $1,000,000 to help fund these individual Centers, are proudly named: The Jain Technology Center, The Pawlowski Chemistry Center, The Krishnamurthi Physics Center, The Madala Biology Center and The Ringold
Research Center. Over 120 guests attended the gala, which began with Askok Krishnamurthi thanking the teachers for their work with Harker students before making the inaugural swing of the Foucault pendulum in the building’s rotunda, setting it in perpetual motion and signifying the opening of the building. Guests were then invited to tour the building where teachers were happily showing their new classrooms and labs.
Marcia Riedel
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Gordon Ringold Joe Rosenthal Ruchi Sadhu Abhay Salukhe Archana Sathaye John Siegel Huali Chai Stanek Allison Vaughan Heather Wardenburg Carol Whitman
Community Gathers at Ribbon-Cutting On Aug. 25 the Harker community gathered to celebrate the opening of Nichols Hall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Donors at every level were acknowledged and given a special science beaker lapel pin. Parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty and staff enjoyed hearing science teachers share their favorite aspects of the building including the new collaborative space, robotics room, special projects room and, in the atrium, a large-screen monitor displaying energy savings from the solar array on the green roof. Howard and Diana Nichols were on hand to cut the ribbon, and everyone was invited to tour the building and visit with the teachers. Continued on pg. 3
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
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Gala - continued from pg. 1 The 52,000-square-foot “green” center, which broke ground in May 2007, is designed to be fully LEED certified; the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green Building Rating System.
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You all can feel really good about what you have helped make possible and this building will have a major impact for our students, our teachers and our program.
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As guests were summoned to the auditorium, Christopher Nikoloff, head of school, was joined on stage by the Visionary Donors, and thanks were extended for their incredible generosity. “You all can feel really good about what you have helped make possible and this building will have a major impact for our students, our teachers and our program,” Nikoloff said. The Jain Technology Center was dedicated first. “Navin and Madhu Jain made the very first Visionary gift to the Cornerstones Campaign approximately nine years ago. Navin and Madhu are involved as volunteers, including serving on our Parent Technology Committee and being a member of the Board of Trustees, and it is with great joy that we dedicate the Jain Technology Center tonight,” Nikoloff said. The Pawlowski Chemistry Center is named for Visionary Donor Brian Pawlowski, who made his gift when his son Nic was in the upper school. “Brian continues to be a mentor to our 11th grade students and we are very grateful to Brian for his early leadership in the Senior Parent Appreciation Giving Program,” Nikoloff said, as he thanked Pawlowski and his wife, Aki Ueno. Gordon and Tanya Ringold were among the first donors to the Cornerstones Campaign when Harker first began the expansion to a K-Gr. 12 school. During Phase III of the campaign, the Ringolds made an additional commitment to the school, becoming Visionary Donors. The Research Center was dedicated in their honor.
Ashok Krishnamurthi and Deepa Iyengar were next to be recognized for their visionary gift. The Physics Center in the building is named in memory of Krishnamurthi’s father, who passed away a few years ago. “Ashok has not only been a major benefactor, but he co-chaired this phase of the Capital Campaign along with John and Christine Davis,” Nikoloff noted. The final center dedication was for the Biology Center. Nikoloff: “Srini and Durga Madala just kept getting more and more excited about what they were seeing happening as Phase III began to come together. They committed to making a gift early in this phase and they kept increasing the amount of their gift as they became more and more excited about the benefits that it was going to provide to our students and teachers. We are grateful for their visionary commitment and for naming the Biology Center.” Also being honored for their Visionary gift were Krish and Nina Panu. Much of the success of the record-breaking year in annual giving (bringing in $1.5 million and 80 percent parent participation) is due directly to the Panus, who joined the Madala family in a matching gift challenge that resulted in 153 families making gifts who had not donated the year before, and 418 families increasing their gifts to the campaign. After this moving ceremony, Nikoloff turned his thanks to the Gold Circle Benefactors, Shirish and Archana Sathaye, and Marcia and Chris Riedel, Sehat Sutrdja and Weili Dai and Sally Anderson and presented them each with a commemorative book highlighting the process of the construction of the entire Phase III project.
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
Alumna Casey Near ’06 talked to several guests at the blacktie gala, and gathered some thoughts as to what the new building means to them. We love the whole idea of ‘build it and they will come…’ When we first started Harker the kids were so small, we had no idea what to expect. But, today, yes, this is really what we want for our children. –Marcia Riedel (Hunter, Gr. 5; Randall, Gr. 8) I obviously envisioned the stateof-the-art classrooms and auditorium, but I never really envisioned how it would blend in to the entire campus, and really create an entire space for the students that I know they will enjoy.
Ribbon-Cutting - continued from pg. 1 Anita Chetty, US science department chair, noted, “As Harker teachers, we get to play everyday. We get to think. We get to create. And now in this incredible facility, we get to do it as anyone would dream of doing.” Lon Allan, chair of Harker’s Board of Trustees, recognized the contributions of lifetime trustees Howard and Diana Nichols for their “extraordinary vision, dedication and leadership at The Harker School for more than four decades,” by announcing the Board’s unanimous decision to name the new building Nichols Hall. MS history teacher Patricia White admired the building, pointing out the beautiful aesthetics. “I think
we really needed the space for students and this brings us up to being a world-class prep school,” White said. She thinks that the LEED certification will “put us on the map as a very progressive school. We’re known for our science. We’re known for our math…. We are putting our priorities in the right order and we are actually fulfilling what we preach.” After the Nicholses cut the ribbon, attendees poured into the new building, exploring the new classrooms and teaching space. “I wish I was a high school student right now,” Anshu Das ’05 said, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at the Foucault pendulum in the rotunda. “I think it is starting to set a standard. Any building made
...in this building, the next generation of scientists will start forming ideas that will fuel the future.
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
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Now that our students have the ability to do their own research, I think they’ll only be able to achieve more. Our students who have already been at a higher level can excel and meet if not surpass their potentials. –Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs With any architectural project, one knows that the structure will be sound, and that the building will be functional, but we really have been fortunate that David Takamoto is not only an architect – he’s really an artist.
from here on out only has to be better than the last.” Neil Shah ’08 added, “I have never seen anything of such caliber. It certainly changes the way you look not only at this campus, but of course at science and technology.” Howard Nichols addressed the guests and discussed the 20-year planning process and the hard work design architect David Takamoto, Head of School Chris Nikoloff and the Board of Trustees have placed into the project. “Our vision has always been to build the best school in the world,” he said. “I don’t know if anyone can claim that distinction but we certainly know we are one of the best and we are only going to get better.” Diana Nichols added, “It pleases me to think that, in this building, the next generation of scientists will start forming ideas that will fuel the future.”
This could be an art museum. I think that it’s a demonstration that one does not have to sacrifice function for something that is truly breathtaking. –Lon Allan, chair, Harker Board of Trustees As a former scientist, I think this building for research for young students is the top of the line. It really brings the school right up to the top. It’s got it all! –Tanya Ringold (Alexander, Gr. 11; Greggory ’07) What was really fun tonight was to see how proud the teachers were. They’ve been waiting a long time for this. I’m sure they are so excited for their students to come back … just to say, ‘look at what we did.’ –Linda Emery (Christine, Gr. 12; Matthew ’07), member, Board of Trustees
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Nichols Hall Dedicated to Visionary Couple Among the highlights of the Opening Gala was the formal dedication of Nichols Hall honoring Howard and Diana Nichols. Lon Allan, chair of Harker’s Board of Trustees, read a resolution that was unanimously passed by the trustees upon the recommendation of the administration, officially naming the building after Howard and Diana Nichols. Before reading the resolution, Allan smiled and commented that, “for more than four decades Howard and Diana have been involved in ever y major decision at this school, except the one I am about to read.” Of course no building gets constructed without scores of people designing, drawing, planning and building, and Christopher Nikoloff, head of school, also recognized design architect David Takamoto; Mark Hutchinson and Cathy Shields from DES Architects + Engineers, who were the project designers; Mike Bassoni, Harker facilities manager who ser ved as Harker’s project manager for the entire expansion, and his right hand Janet Rohrer; and Eric Raff, Steve Winslow, Casper Wagner, Mike Foisy, David Beck, Tony Ramirez and Sarah Thompson from XL Construction. The elegant event was a fitting end to a long building phase and an exciting new beginning for the entire Harker community.
The Harker School Board of Trustees, Recognizing the Lifetime Contributions of Howard & Diana Nichols: Whereas, on August 22, 2008, The Harker School will commemorate the opening of its new Science & Technology Center; and Whereas, Howard and Diana Nichols have shown extraordinary vision, dedication and leadership at The Harker School for more than four decades, and under their leadership The Harker School’s graduates have routinely been admitted to the finest colleges and universities in the country; and Whereas, the entire Nichols Family has continually demonstrated exemplary philanthropic leadership including, but not limited to, their visionary gift to The Harker School of the 16-acre Saratoga campus; and Whereas, during their years of their leadership, Diana and Howard Nichols have been visionaries and role models in the area of Environmental Science and are true stewards of the earth.
Chris Johnson
Now, Therefore, the undersigned Board of Trustees of The Harker School, on behalf of the entire Harker Community, recognizes and acknowledges these lifetime contributions by Howard and Diana Nichols by naming this new Science & Technology Center: NICHOLS HALL
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
Architect Shares His Vision for Nichols Hall
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serves as a “teaching machine,” providing a stimulating environment where architectural elements contribute to the learning experience, including the additions of the Foucault pendulum, green roof and photovoltaic panels. With the help of DES, the project’s architect of record who took Takamoto’s conceptual ideas and brought them to life with design and detailing plans, Takamoto created what Hutchinson called a “living, breathing science
The open canopy-covered atrium serves as a symbol ‘for the aspiration of scientific thought’; the pendulum reflects ‘the movement of the earth on its axis [and] serves as an on-going science experiment’; the supporting columns and star-patterned granite floor, divided into radians that are 15-degrees apart, ‘correspond to the movement of the earth in one hour.’
Institute of Architects Santa Clara Valley Awards for Architecture. The open canopy-covered atrium serves as a symbol “for the aspiration of scientific thought”; the pendulum reflects “the movement of the earth on its axis [and] serves as an on-going science experiment”; the supporting columns and star-patterned granite floor, divided into radians that are 15-degrees apart, “correspond to the movement of the earth in one hour.”
Harker’s science and technology building won one of 14 highest citations from Penton Medias Schools and University’s magazine.
While these aspects are not obvious to students and visitors, both Takamoto and Hutchinson believe that the mere exposure to the design elements will foster interest in the sciences, act as part of the learning experience, and will complement the physical teaching within the classrooms.
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With this concept in mind, the Harker design team created the center spine that teachers can access from their classrooms. “This space is a collaborative space not only for sharing materials and things but to actually talk to each other,” Takamoto said, emphasizing the opportunity for teachers “to talk and pick each other’s brains and socialize.”
as one.” When he begins to design a particular unit of a building, Takamoto always asks himself and his clients how the room works in respect to others. He looks at all the possibilities and takes it to a larger scale, wanting to make a difference. “Plus, the other thing that happens is that you include a bigger audience. This building is a possibility for a bigger conversation
“‘collaboration’ The word
The 200-seat lecture hall and center atrium also allow for collaboration on local and global levels. Within the campus, the
Takamoto and his wife, Leslie
experiment” inspired by astronomy, physics, chemistry and robotics. The two classroom wings “represent the earthly aspects of science,” DES noted in a project description for the 2008 American
center atrium serves as a space to gather for various meetings and as another space for students to “convene, socialize and collaborate,” said Mark Hutchinson, director of project delivery at DES Architects + Engineers, Inc., the architectural firm on the project. Like Dobbins Hall, Nichols Hall Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
came to me at two o’clock in the morning when I was sleeping. I woke up and I couldn’t go back to sleep until I wrote some of this stuff down.
“I am very pleased with the way the building came together,” Hutchinson said, noting the clean, contemporary lines that stress the “state-of-the-art teaching going on in the building.”
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Architect David Takamoto’s design and vision of Nichols Hall stressed the overarching theme of collaboration. As the project’s design architect, Takamoto incorporated the necessary functions for science classes and also focused on promoting a greater level of teamwork, “meaning individuals working together, groups working together, schools working together, communities working together, and then globally,” he said.
for the school and the school is a bigger conversation in the community, globally and internationally,” he said.
Takamoto relates Nichols Hall to the rest of the campus: “The vision and concept of the science and technology building is also more or less a vision for the total campus – all the buildings and the total campus
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Photos by Mark Tantrum and Chris Johnson
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Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
Photos by Mark Tantrum and Emily Chow
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
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The Nitty-Gritty on “Green”
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The bioswales, located around the building and alongside the parking lot, act as a natural earthen filter for the rainwater...
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were cleaned and capped after each day of work to prevent dust collection and no combustion vehicles were allowed on site during construction. Once the construction was done, there was a flush out period to ensure good air quality.
Harker’s long-held commitment to environmental issues informed every decision in the current capital expansion project, and environmentally focused features have been incorporated into the design of the new science and technology center also known as Nichols Hall, which is designed to be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). According to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site, “LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental
The building also has bioswales, turf cell paving and a green roof that provide a storm water management system. The bioswales, located around the building and alongside the parking lot, act as a natural earthen filter for the rainwater before it goes to San Tomas Aquinos Creek on its way to the bay. The turf cell paving effectively absorbs rainwater into the ground and minimizes storm water runoff and also preserves the soil from human ac-
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The interior lighting is designed to maximize brightness throughout the building while minimizing excessive energy use.
During production, 95 percent of the construction debris generated by demolition and construction were sent to recycling facilities instead of landfills.
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quality.” LEED certification is based on a point system recognizing performance in the aforementioned five areas. XL Construction Corporation and DES Architects + Engineers, Inc. have designed the building so that it is on target to become LEED silver certified, which ranges from 37 to 43 points. During production, 95 percent of the construction debris generated by demolition and construction were sent to recycling facilities instead of landfills. Additionally, more than 10 percent of the materials – steel, concrete, carpet, casework – used for construction are manufactured from post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content. Eighty percent of the steel content itself is recycled. All of the paint, adhesives, sealants, carpet and other products used are low VOC and the wood products used have low urea-formaldehyde, earning the building four points for improving the indoor environmental quality. Air quality was also monitored during construction and before occupancy. All the air handlers
tivity. The green roof has a two-fold purpose; while the vegetation filters rainwater particulates and reduces storm water runoff, the green roof also acts as a natural insulator, keeping the heat in the building during the winter and out during the summer. The green modules as well as the surrounding reflective white coating on the roof help minimize the heat island effect caused by solar absorption of traditional black rooftops.
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Since the area where Nichols Hall stands was originally a field and no buildings were demolished for the construction of the new science center, the location selected earns the building one point under sustainable site development. Nichols Hall also earns another point for community development, because the school has pedestrian access to residential neighborhoods and shopping centers. The proximity to bus stops, availability of bike racks and locker rooms, limited parking capacity and preferred parking for carpools and low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles encourage the community to use alternative transportation, giving the building an additional four LEED points.
Nichols Hall also uses targeted exterior lighting and low-contrast yellow lighting to reduce undesirable light and night sky pollution. The interior lighting is designed to maximize brightness throughout the building while minimizing excessive energy use. For example, the recessed lighting used in the atrium decreases glare and also lights up large areas without taking up a lot of space. XL Construction has also installed occupancy sensors in all the rooms to minimize power consumption, improving the indoor environmental quality. The use of water efficient features allow the building to use 40 percent less water than a typical building of the same size. These features include low-flow sinks, also included in the labs, as well as dual-flush toilets and ultra-low flush urinals, which use only 0.125 gallons per flush. Additionally, the building operates 27-33 percent more energy efficiently than a baseline building of the same size due to features like the improved air handling system, heating, lighting, photovoltaic cells and building envelope. Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
Valley Companies Hired to Bring Solar Technology
The green donor wall honors those who make contributions in recognition of the green features noted on this page.
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The use of water efficient features allow the building to use 40 percent less water than a typical building of the same size.
chemicals are used within the building. Also, the HVAC system uses air circulated from outside and has more air changes than required by code, ensuring good air quality indoors. To increase thermal comfort, each room has individual temperature controls to maximize energy efficiency and comfort for building occupants.
The building envelope Additional points will also be considered for educatincludes the low-emissivity ing the community and going above and beyond the glass windows used for requirements in energy efficiency. With a rolling display the atrium and rotunda of the solar panel energy production as well as displays and the green roof. The explaining all the LEED-certified features of the building, polycrystalline solar panels students can learn just how “green” the building is. will generate more than 2.5 percent of the energy used, offsetting a significant amount of greenhouse gases. The efficient HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system will help the building consume $30,000 less in electricity annually with the help of features like the directive/indirect evaporative cooling air handlers that use one-tenth the The polycrystalline solar panels will amount of electricity generated by regular generate more than 2.5 percent of the air conditioners that use compressors. Instead of using Freons, the air conditioning energy used, offsetting a significant system uses enhanced refrigerant made amount of greenhouse gases. entirely of water, so no ozone-depleting
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The Roof is Always Greener… To achieve LEED certification, Nichols Hall received a number of modifications to make it more environmentally friendly. One of its more interesting features is the GreenGrid roof system that rests atop the building. The GreenGrid “green roof” is essentially a roof covered in large part by vegetation. The rooftop plants reduce storm water runoff and can improve the energy efficiency of the building. During hot summers, for instance, the plants help reduce the overall temperature of the building, thereby lowering the amount of energy required to keep the building cool. In addition, green roofs improve air quality by sequestering carbon and removing chemical compounds such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Plants used in the GreenGrid system also require less water, making them resistant to drought.
The GreenGrid roof system consists of drought resistant vegetation.
Green roofs have been used in Europe for decades, and in recent years have been gaining traction in the U.S. GreenGrid systems have been installed at several locations throughout the Bay Area, including Santa Clara University and Windrush School in Emeryville.
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
More than 2.5 percent of the energy used in Nichols Hall, approximately 9000 watts of electricity, comes from onsite renewable sources such as the photovoltaic cells, allowing the green building to operate 27 to 33 percent more efficiently than a baseline building of the same size. Akeena Solar, Inc., the nation’s leading solar power installer, has installed over 3000 systems nationwide and provided Harker with the 54 solar modules sitting on Nichols Hall’s roof. The poly-crystalline panels will produce about 10.3 kilowatts of energy, offsetting 165,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 152 pounds of nitrous oxide. With Fat Spaniel Technologies’ monitoring system, the community can see the energy production data online and on display in the atrium. The display, located outside of the Jain Technology Center, shows the current and historical production, the amount of greenhouse gases avoided by the use of this solar energy, and a technical tour of how solar electricity is generated. In addition, environmental equivalencies place the energy production into perspective and offers educational awareness by calculating the amount of homes that can be powered by the energy generated and also the amount of car emissions avoided. Fat Spaniel has provided about 2,500 monitoring and reporting systems worldwide, of which roughly 25 percent have been for schools, but only a handful of these schools have installed displays, according to Richard Eckman, director of operations at Fat Spaniel. “All data is made available to teachers and students,” Eckman said. The production data “becomes a teaching aid for how solar panels work.”
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Ripple Effect: Science and Non-Science Classes Alike Benefit A few weeks after its unveiling, Nichols Hall has already made an impact on the Harker community. And while the 52,000-square-foot science and technology center features state-of-the-art laboratories, a lecture hall, conference rooms and a study loft, the bells and whistles are only part of the positive influences upon teaching and learning. “The best thing about this new room is the proximity to my chemistry colleagues,” chemistry instructor Alicia Vogelaar observed, adding that collaborative teacher workspace “allows for more and easier interaction to share ideas, materials and labs.” Biology teacher Kate Schafer says, “We have spent a lot more time discussing things than we did when we had to get up and go down the hall to talk. It’s also much easier for us all to get together. Before, discussion often happened in pairs and information got passed along.” Vogelaar and Schafer are not the only ones to notice a difference. “There is an ambiance here. It has a collegiate feel to it. This is hard to describe. It’s as though we are elevated to a higher level of learning, a higher level of expectation,” observed science department chair Anita Chetty. “If I walk out into the atrium right now, it is so quiet. I can see the other instructors teaching and students so actively engaged. It’s as though the space demands a different type of conduct. It invites us to be our best and do our best.” A ripple effect generated fresh learning spaces in Main, Dobbins and Shah halls, where classrooms have been expanded, teachers have been
assigned to rooms adjacent to their department colleagues, and everyone appreciates a little more elbow room. Spanish teacher and sophomore class dean Diana Moss fairly gushes about her new room in the main hall. “I have twice the space I had last year – it’s marvelous! I am able to have my students in a semicircle, which facilitates conversation” and allows students to “move and switch conversation partners – something that was utterly impossible in my previous room.” Moss’ department has “inherited a couple of bulletin boards in Main Hall on which we’ll be putting cultural displays about artists, holidays, students’ travels or other aspects of Hispanic culture,” while the Class of 2011 inherited the old robotics closet for storing materials for class activities. Music teacher Susan Nace, who moved into Dobbins Hall from the nowremoved portable classrooms, says that with the extra space, “we can hear each other and sing as loudly as we wish without disrupting language classes who also need to hear fine distinctions. Because we can hear better, we can tune better.” Cantilena ensemble member Shubha Guha, Gr. 12, says “I can hear everyone in the ensemble now.” Back in Nichols, teacher Chris Spenner is taking advantage of new tools to crank up the audio/visual effect in his physics classes. Using the ceiling-mounted projectors and smart boards has changed his teaching. “I’m using multimedia much more seamlessly in my lessons,” said Spenner. “My students from last year are certainly impressed.”
“ It’s as though we are elevated to a higher level of learning,
There is an ambiance here. It has a collegiate feel to it. This is hard to describe.
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a higher level of expectation.
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
Dream Come True for Faculty ■ New Robotics Space Much Anticipated After five years of running the robotics program from his classroom, the hallway and a few other classrooms, teacher Eric Nelson is pleased to have a separate robotics room attached to his new physics classroom in Nichols Hall. Now that robotics has a proper workspace with dedicated areas for tasks like electrical work, the team can practice pit management, which they have no previous experience of learning due to space restrictions. “The team can set up a working ‘pit’ like the one they have to live in during the competitions,” Nelson said. “It’s a 10-by-10 space where all the field work must be done.” The additional space also offers the team room to assemble the robot for the competitions and, a big plus, has a large roll-up door to the outside. “We can now get large items in and out of the building without having to take apart the doorways” or move equipment, Nelson said. Nelson is also looking forward to having the classroom space “to do the large-scale demonstrations I can now only talk about.” He claims that students are often skeptical when he explains physics on a large scale, so he is looking forward to doing “extreme demonstrations” now that the new room allows up to 200 kilograms to be suspended from the ceiling. As the new building is tailored to specific uses for each science, the physics classrooms offer moveable furniture to provide ample space for experiments. Tables that are not bolted down provide easy access to floor outlets. That means tripping over power cords “is now a thing of the past,” said Nelson. The building’s ability to handle high electrical loads also means that teachers have more freedom in planning experiments and the students can learn without electrical limitations. “I could write dozens of pages about what this new facility means to me and what it will bring to the others in the department,” Nelson stated. “But I want to point out that it’s the faculty we have here at Harker that makes all the difference.” The new building provides endless opportunity. “The difference will be in the richness of the learning experience which can only truly be measured by how it affects the students’ lives when they are no longer students,” Nelson said. “This effect is much more far-reaching than the SAT and worth every dime.”
n Biology Teachers Love Dedicated Spaces Science department chair and biology teacher Anita Chetty shook her head in disbelief as she walked into the Special Projects Room in the new science and technology building. “It’s my dream,” she said. “I designed it [. . .] and I can’t believe I’m here and this is happening to me.” The new space allows students to work on long-term research projects undisturbed. “I am very excited about the research lab because unlike the classrooms that are based upon direct observation of the teaching and learning dynamic, this is an area that we have not experienced before,” Chetty said. “We are also excited about the caliber of projects that can now be conducted just because there is a space now dedicated just for research.” Biology teacher Kate Schafer is also looking forward to the special projects room. Schafer said, “The research room will also be a great asset for our biology classes, allowing us to conduct some of our labs there and make use of the specialized equipment and tools that we will continue to acquire as the research program develops.” Chetty’s other personal favorite is the lecture hall, which allows for guest speakers and large presentations. “I believe that both of these spaces elevate us beyond the status of a high school,” she said. “It will be very interesting to watch how this space is utilized and how it will evolve over the years.” “Mike Bassoni (facilities manager and point person on the new construction) asked us every little detail.” Chetty said. “We feel like we customized our rooms.” The new building was designed with careful attention to what the science department needs to grow. For the design, the department “examined personal teaching strategies and ways in which a new physical space could accommodate those strategies.” Schafer added, “The rooms are going to be amazing, with lots of space for labs and state-of-the-art technology for instruction.” With classrooms equipped with ceiling-mounted projectors, nonglare whiteboards, eBeam capabilities and other multimedia abilities, Chetty believes that the quality of lectures will improve. With the “ideal setting for our students” in mind, the teachers helped create “the aesthetics and good work flow environment,” Chetty said. “We are looking forward to a space that enables students to find, retrieve, demonstrate and showcase their work.”
n Collaboration a Big Advantage As construction came to an end and teachers prepared to move their boxes into the new science and technology building, chemistr y teacher Alicia Vogelaar was looking for ward to “the proximity of [her] colleagues within chemistr y” as well as within the department itself. For Vogelaar, this proximity allows for “interaction and exchange of ideas.” The new classroom set-up with back doors opening out to a collaborative hallway will “enhance the quality of our entire culture within our science department,” she said. With the opportunity to collaborate, Vogelaar plans “to make connections of chemistr y with biology and physics” a more integral part of her courses. She believes “that collaboration is vital in today’s complex world,” and “teachers making connections and collaborating will only enrich our courses and encourage similar behavior in our students.”
Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report
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Cyber Loft Inspires Study
Phase III Heads Into Final Stage
Since the inception of the Cornerstones Capital Campaign in 1996, over 300 members of the faculty and staff, past and current, have contributed $633,676.25 in gifts and pledges. This generous gift from Harker’s faculty and staff has funded the Cyber Study Loft in Nichols Hall. The nameplate on the study loft reads, “Gifted to all of our students by The Harker School Faculty and Staff.” To paraphrase Chris Nikoloff, head of school, this is a subtle reminder to the students to study! Thank you very much to all of those faculty and staff who have contributed to this wonderful gift.
Campaign Reaches $18.7M
C Y B E R L O F T
This fall, Phase III of our Capital Campaign enters its final stage. During this phase, Harker volunteers have attempted to reach out to every member of the Harker family in an attempt to provide everyone the opportunity to be a part of this transformational building phase. Members of the Capital Campaign team set up personal meetings with prospective benefactors, members of the Parent Development Council phoned other prospective donors seeking their support, and more than 4,000 parents, alumni, alumni parents and grandparents were sent letters from peers and received follow-up phone calls from one of the nation’s leading philanthropic phone services, IDC. To date, just over $18,700,000 has been gifted or pledged. As the campaign comes to a close we will work with the families who are finalizing their gift plans and reach out to the remaining families that have not yet been contacted. Thank you to all the members of the Harker family who have made gifts or pledges to this wonderful project.
The Time is Now to Reserve Your Naming Opportunity The new facilities are all opened, and now is the best time for you to reserve your naming opportunity. Various naming opportunities are still available in all three of the new facilities: Nichols Hall, Davis Field or the Aquatic Center. The up-to-date listing of the available naming opportunities is located on the capital campaign Web page. You can reach this site from Harker’s home page by clicking on the Support Harker tab, then selecting Capital Campaign and then Naming Opportunities. How does it work? A naming opportunity can be reserved by making a pledge to the campaign. The actual name plate will be placed when a pledge or gift has been paid in full. A complete listing of the policies and procedures are also listed on the capital giving Web site. For more information on the available naming opportunities, please visit the capital campaign page on Harker’s Web site or contact Joe Rosenthal at 345.9266 or joer@harker.org.
The Harker School is a K-12 independent, coed, 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, produced by the Office of Communications, provides timely information, news and features about the Harker community to current and alumni Harker families. Director: Pam Dickinson; Editor: Catherine Snider; Writers: Emilie Robb, Joe Rosenthal, Lauri Vaughan, Emily Chow; Production: Triple J Design; Photos: Mark Tantrum, unless noted; Printing: Harker Copy Shop; Mailing Coordinator: Desiree Mitchell. Harker News — October 08, Capital Campaign Report