Fall/Winter 2012

HARBOR HA ARBOR DAY DAY SCHOOL 3443 P PACIFIC ACIFIC VIEW DRIVE, C CORONA ORONA DEL MAR, CALIF CALIFORNIA ORNIA 9 92625 2625 | HARBORD HARBORDAY.ORG AY.ORG | WINTER 2012 2012

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS!

CONTENTS

FEATURES A TALE OF TWO LIBRARIANS........PAGE 04 AN EXEMPLARY PACIFIC VIEW CAMPUS ....................PAGE 08

VE

HEAD OF SCHOOL

THE TRANE FAMILY LEGACY..........PAGE 1 2 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: THE PIANO MAN...................................PAGE 16

DA

Dr. Daniel Greenwood DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Noelle Becker WRITERS

IN THIS ISSUE HEAD’S MESSAGE ................................PAGE 03 FINE ARTS ...............................................PAGE 1 0 PERFORMING ARTS ............................PAGE 1 4

Noelle Becker Melissa Bentley (’99) Stacy Bierlein Kellie Brownell (’99) Nancy Gelston Fries EDITORS

Noelle Becker Stacy Bierlein Susan Johnson ('88)

ALUMNI REFLECTIONS......................PAGE 1 8 DESIGN

SEAHAWK ATHLETIC NEWS ...........PAGE 20

Eric Neuner | RPIstudios

LADIES’ EVENT......................................PAGE 21

PRINTING

ANNUAL FUND......................................PAGE 22

Rosemont Press, Inc.

————————————————————— ©2012 | 2013 HARBOR DAY SCHOOL (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED) No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from Harbor Day School.

MISSION Harbor Day School provides an academically challenging, well-balanced education in a nurturing, family-centered environment. Our traditional, yet innovative, curriculum develops eager, confident learners who think creatively and work collaboratively. Developing self-reliance, building strong moral character, and encouraging social responsibility are hallmarks of a Harbor Day education.

NON-DISCRIMINATION Harbor Day School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, or other programs administered by the School.

HEAD’S MESSAGE DR. DAN GREENWOOD t is a pleasure to welcome you to the 60 Anniversary Edition of the BEACON. For the past 60 years, Harbor Day School has been true to its mission of educating children with a challenging academic program in a nurturing, balanced, and family-centered environment. Our unwavering commitment to educating children is evident in the following stories. Given our history and deeprooted tradition, Harbor Day continues to provide a well-rounded environment for these young learners. As you will read in this issue, many alumni attribute their lifelong success to the HDS teachers who encouraged, challenged, and inspired them.

I

TH

W

hile I know that I have not been here very long, I have spent a great deal of time researching our long and rich history as the oldest independent school in Orange County. It is fascinating to study the graduation photos and to observe the fashions, school locations, and hairstyle changes over the decades. What is most striking about our history is how many HDS alumni return to the community as faculty, board members, parents, and in one instance a grandparent of two current students (as you will read in this issue). They carry forward the friendly Blue-Gold competitions and cheer on the next generation of Turkey Bowl and Track and Field athletes.

O

DR. DAN GREENWOOD

ur rich traditions and record of success with previous generations provide a firm foundation on which we continue to build a forward-looking curriculum. Our teachers continue to leverage the best practices of the past yet implement new innovative programs by using the latest proven technologies and teaching pedagogies. Harbor Day School looks forward to issuing a similar BEACON in 60 years, celebrating the successes of its graduates and history, as we do now.

Dan BEACON — WINTER 2012

PAGE 3

A TALE OF TWO LIBRARIANS: THE HISTORY OF THE HARBOR DAY SCHOOL LIBRARY —————

BY NANCY GELSTON FRIES

—————

ANNE POLKINGHARN AND MOLLY MAILLOUX IN 2012

PAGE 4

BEACON — WINTER 2012

T

here’s a place at Harbor Day where a yellow brick road once led to a land of imagination and creativity; where kids once crawled into an igloo and looked up at the stars; where a closet was transformed into the tomb of a mummy; and where a replica of Ms. Frizzle’s Magic School Bus once beckoned kids to climb aboard and read.

Parents, students and alumni know that place is the Harbor Day School library. Much more than just a place to house books, the HDS library is a place where books come alive.

T

THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD THAT COVERED THE LIBRARY IN 1986.

BEACON — WINTER 2012

he credit for making the library such an integral part of a Harbor Day education goes to the two sole librarians in the school’s 60-year history. Founding librarian Anne Polkingharn held the post for 31 years, from 1968 until 1999. When she retired, former 5th grade teacher Molly Mailloux stepped in to fill Mrs. Polkingharn’s very large shoes. During her tenure, Mrs. Polkingharn developed a library program so rich in creative, experiential learning that students would eagerly look forward to the surprises that awaited them with each week’s library visit. When asked how she came up with her ideas, Mrs. Polkingharn says, “I was inspired by the kids’ questions, the books, the school curriculum, and the world.”

“It was very unique if I may say so looking back,” she says. “For me, it was just fun. I had to make a lesson for every class in the school every week, and it came from my head or my knowledge of the books.

It didn’t come packaged.”

But Mrs. Polkingharn’s ideas were good enough to package, which is why, together with 1st grade teacher Catherine Toohey, she published two books in the 1980s: Creative Encounters: Activities to Expand Children’s Responses to Literature, and More Creative Encounters. Mrs. Polkingharn and Ms. Toohey also conducted workshops at schools and reading associations around the country, and even in Europe. She and Mrs. Mailloux, along with Director of Lower School Kris Rowe, have also presented ideas to the California Association of Independent Schools and the California School Library Association.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

PAGE 5

A TALE OF TWO LIBRARIANS: The History of the Harbor Day School Library

B

ack here at Harbor Day, Mrs. Polkingharn’s creativity led the library to become the hub of the school, encompassing aspects of science, social studies, and of course picture books and literature. That’s why Founding Head of School John Marder designed the library as the physical core of Harbor Day when it moved to its current location in 1973.

“He wanted a relaxed place where all the grades could intermix,” Mrs. Polkingharn said. “When someone questioned the fireplace, he himself said ‘I will personally pay for that if you won’t have it.’” That hearth became the heart of the school, a gathering spot where Mr. Marder would traditionally read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas to the kindergartners. Fond memories persist among alumni today.

“The library was such a warm and cozy place to go, to curl up and read,” says Brooke Robinson Meyer (’79). “Mrs. Polkingharn was so friendly and helpful, especially with research projects back in the day when we used the Dewey Decimal System.”

PAGE 6

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5)

“I was so happy to see the library hadn’t changed,” says Leslie Cashion Montgomery (’84), whose two daughters now attend Harbor Day. “The fireplace is still there roaring during winter, and big comfy bean bags and butterfly chairs await you and your book.”

Beyond the fireplace, Mrs. Polkingharn had a lot to do with the design of the library to suit her ever-popular curriculum as well as traditional needs.

“The layout of our library is phenomenal,” says Mrs. Mailloux. “Anne was just a genius. We have three distinct sections for reading, researching, and listening.” At any given moment, you might find students curled up in front of a fire reading a book; engaged in learning, discovering, and searching out information at the computers; and gathered in the horseshoeshaped listening area for their library lesson.

Though it hasn’t changed much physically, the library has evolved significantly from its early days when books were checked out with dates stamped on a card. “We had to hand type every catalog card,” Mrs. Polkingharn says. She credits the parent volunteers— BEACON — WINTER 2012

ABOVE: ANNE AND MOLLY REFLECTING ON THE PAST DURING THEIR INTERVIEW. PAGE 6: TOP LEFT: ANNE POLKINGHARN PORTRAIT MIDDLE TOP: ANNE AND MOLLY HOLDING A COPY OF THE BOOK WE GODDESSES IN 1999.

LEFT BOTTOM: IN 1991, THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS CAME TO LIFE WITH THE HELP OF MANY CHILDREN AND AN IMAGINATIVE LIBRARIAN. MIDDLE BOTTOM: FIFTH GRADERS DURING LIBRARY TIME IN 1985 RIGHT: ANNE POLKINGHARN WITH KOANI THE WOLF

two every morning, two every afternoon— and a parttime clerical staffer with shouldering the administrative burden so she could focus on her programs. “I was able to do that kind of teaching and planning and curriculum development because I had the parent volunteers,” she says.

Most of the automation in the library occurred when Mrs. Mailloux took over 14 years ago, making for an easy transition. “Seven clicks and we can catalog a book,” Mrs. Mailloux says. With less clerical work to do, Mrs. Mailloux has fewer volunteers than before, yet she still relies on their talent and efforts to keep the library running. “They’re just so excited to be there, and it just puts such a happy face on the library,” she says.

“Our kids now can read books on many different platforms,” Mrs. Mailloux says. Harbor Day subscribes to an eBook service called Overdrive, which enables students to “check out” digitally more than 200 titles for children and young adults. “There are no overdue

BEACON — WINTER 2012

books and the dog can’t chew your book,” Mrs. Mailloux says. Eighth graders now have iPads to use, which are ideal for reading eBooks, but Mrs. Mailloux says that doesn’t mean they won’t pay her a visit.

“Since they’re on the iPad all day, they’ll come to the library and say, ‘I think I’ll just get a book.’ There’s just something about knowing how thick a book is, they like the feel, they like the information they get from the cover. There will always be books.”

There will always be librarians, too. Librarians are as important to schools as ever. No fewer than 60 studies have shown a connection between student achievement and the presence of a qualified librarian on campus. Which is great news for Mrs. Mailloux, who says she has “the best job on earth.” It’s unusual for just two librarians to have held a position in a school with a 60-year history. But based on her love of the job, it’s a good bet Mrs. Mailloux will be continuing the traditions Mrs. Polkingharn started for many more years to come. n

PAGE 7

An Exemplary Pacific View Campus —————

BY STACY BIERLEIN

—————

N

ot long after John F. Marder, Jr. became headmaster of Harbor Day School, he received news that might have been crippling to any growing institution. In 1969, through eminent domain, the California State Highway Division would force closure of the campus located at the corner of Marguerite and Fifth Avenues.

Instead of seeing this as an obstacle, Mr. Marder, a hard-working Board of Trustees, and an enthusiastic parent group saw a creative opportunity.

T

hey embarked on a master plan for Harbor Day School that would double student enrollment with two classes for each grade level, endow scholarships, and create a state-of-the-art campus that would transition into the next century. The total cost for expansion would be $1.25-million.

The purchase of a six-acre property on Pacific View Drive in Corona del Mar allowed for groundbreaking on the new campus to begin in 1972. The project was overseen by Harbor Day School parent and UC Berkeley-trained architect Alan E. Smith. Mr. Smith was one of the Blurock Partners, an architecture firm internationally known for their work in modern educational design. Their acclaimed teamwork approach, involving educators and parents on design teams, appealed to the Harbor Day School community.

James D. MacConnel, former director of the School Planning Laboratory at Stanford University, later told the Los Angeles Times that Mr. Smith and Mr. Blurock had proven themselves as “people architects, striving to bring a home atmosphere to each school” they designed. Indeed the Blurock Partners were the very first to use carpet in classrooms, a tradition they had started with the design of Corona del Mar High School in 1962.

PAGE 8

Locally, the Blurock Partners, in addition to their work at Harbor Day School and Corona del Mar High School, are known for their innovative work on Estancia High School, the Orange Coast College Library, and Segerstrom Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Orange County Performing Arts Center). The Blurock Partners are also recognized for their work in drafting the master plan of the UC Irvine campus, along with famed Los Angeles architects William Pereira, A. Quincy Jones, and Frederick E. Eamons. Internationally, they have designed or consulted on schools and colleges in Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Marder insisted that the design for Harbor Day School would be a very human one, with a generous use of open spaces to allow the outdoors and sunlight into the learning environment. He wanted to avoid the enclosed corridors and hallway mazes of more traditional schools. He agreed with Robert Hench, another Blurock partner, that “too many American schools look like official boxes of boredom.”

The Harbor Day School concept, Smith knew, must honor an independent school’s commitment

BEACON — WINTER 2012

TOP LEFT: THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECT SKETCH OF THE LIBRARY FEATURED IN ORANGE COUNTY

ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE IN 1971.

BOTTOM LEFT: JOHN LUSK, ALAN SMITH, ARCHITECT, KEITH GAEDE, AND FORMER

HEADMASTER

JOHN MARDER LOOK OVER THE FINAL PLANS OF THE SCHOOL CIRCA 1970/71.

TOP RIGHT: IN 1969, CHARLIE THOMAS, PRESIDENT OF THE IRVINE COMPANY, BILL MASON, OF THE

IRVINE COMPANY, AND KEITH AND LINDA GAEDE, HDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS, SURVEY A DIRT LOT (NOW THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT).

to academic freedom and individual attention for each student. The design called for the school to be scaled physically to children rather than adults, built to a fiveeighth scale. Noteworthy elements of the design included a greenhouse to study plant life and upper school classrooms accommodating a math lab concept with students working at tables in lieu of desks. The campus was to be rich with display areas to celebrate student artwork and the science lab was configured to allow teacher demonstrations to slightly larger classes.

“Our school is designed to reflect warmth, intimacy, and coziness,” Mr. Marder told Orange County Illustrated in 1971.

The Pacific View campus opened in September 1973. Parents, students, and faculty gathered to dedicate the new main building, completing phase one of the master plan. At Mr. Marder’s suggestion, the architecture team had included a brick fireplace and floor seating areas in the library, to inspire a feeling of ski-lodge warmth. This became the mostoften photographed area of the school.

Classrooms opened to the library, making it common area, welcoming, with books always accessible.

Originally lower school classrooms did not have doors so that this shared area was always in view. When

BEACON — WINTER 2012

Dr. Sidney I. DuPont became headmaster in 1993 he had a philosophically different view of this element of the building design. He believed teachers needed more privacy, and classroom doors were added.

Of course one of the primary successes of the Harbor Day School design is its ability to transition and evolve. By 1975, phase two construction was complete, providing a second building with additional classrooms. Five years later, the Moiso Family Activities Center was dedicated, marking the completion of phase three. In 1991 the upper school classroom wing was expanded and dedicated to the Robert T. Best family.

Student athletes cheered the addition of the Blass Gymnasium in 1999. Two years later, the Moiso Family Activities Center was remodeled and rededicated, becoming the hub for the hot lunch program, as well as home to school concerts, award ceremonies, the 8th grade musical, and Wednesday student assemblies.

The Steelberg Families Kindergarten Playground and the Steelberg Families Greenhouse were dedicated in 2007. The addition of an updated playground, unveiled at the September Family Picnic this year, completed the campus landscape as we know it today. n

PAGE 9

ART

CERAMICS Seventh Grade ceramics students have had the opportunity to learn to throw pots on the electric potter's wheel this fall. They learned specific techniques like molding the clay, decorating, and glazing. These students enjoy the challenge of this difficult skill to master.

BLENDING ART AND TECH Blending art and technology, seventh graders have been using the Brushes and Art Set applications on the iPad. Using the iPad as a sketchbook, students sketched plants and flowers outside allowing them to explore color, texture, and composition.

PAGE 10

BEACON — WINTER 2012

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS The art department embraced the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

Students read books regarding the subject and learned about the deep history and meaning of the celebration. They studied the human skull and began to sketch their interpretation. Using watercolor paper, they created their own wild and colorful skulls. To add to the authenticity students added scores of details with pens, paint, gems, and glitter. The Calaveras (skulls) keep a watchful eye over students as they pass through the library!

First graders used different mediums to create an abstract ceramic face. They incorporated the iPad using the Facesimake App, and used that image to create a ceramic face with clay.

BEACON — WINTER 2012

PAGE 11

THE TRANE FAMILY

LEGACY ————— BY STACY BIERLEIN —————

W

hen Frank and Allan Trane moved their young family to Newport Beach in the 1960s, they met a group of like-minded parents desiring strong primary schooling for their children.

That group imagined a school built on a solid academic curriculum delivered by inspired teachers who emphasized the moral values these founding families associated with their own Christian educations.

I

MARY CALLAGHAN ('18), FRANK AND ALLAN TRANE, AND CINDY CHRISTESON ('69) POSE FOR A PICTURE DURING GRANDPARENTS' DAY 2012.

PAGE 12

n the fall of 1952, St. James Parish Day School opened its Lido campus doors to 51 students.

Within a decade, the St. James Parish Day School more than doubled its enrollment. In 1964 it had relocated to Corona del Mar and received a new name, Harbor Episcopal School.

Cindy Trane (Christeson)(’69) remembers her former school located on the corner of Marguerite and Fifth Ave. in Corona del Mar, the current site of the Oasis Senior Center. She recalls also how the former parish school transitioned again. In 1968, Harbor Episcopal School became an accredited independent school and was renamed Harbor Day School.

In 1969 Frank and Allan Trane were among the parents who provided the funding to purchase six acres on Pacific View Drive from the Irvine Company. Their vision was a state of the art enduring campus that could increase enrollment to upwards of 360 students. Frank Trane served on the Board of Trustees as treasurer.

BEACON — WINTER 2012

FUN FACTS The Trane Science Lab...

• SEATS UP TO 22 ENTHUSIASTIC THIRD THROUGH SIXTH GRADERS. • REMAINS THE “NUCLEUS” OF HDS SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. • BOASTS MORE THAN 1,800 ALUMNI WHO DISCOVERED HERE THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE. • ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BE ACTIVE IN THEIR LEARNING. • SERVES AS HOME BASE FOR THE AWARD-WINNING SEAHAWKS ROBOTICS TEAM, WHOSE MEMBERS TEST THEIR TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING CREATIVITY IN COMPETITION. TOP LEFT: THE TRANE SCIENCE LAB IN 2012. RIGHT: THE TRANE SCIENCE CENTER

PLAQUE STILL HANGS OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM. ST. JAMES PARISH SCHOOL FROM 1956.

The Trane’s involvement carried on as a family affair.

Daughter Cindy Trane Christeson followed in her father’s footsteps by serving on the Board of Trustees when her daughters, Kelly Christeson (Callaghan) (’93) and Amy Christeson (Strutzenberg) (’95) wore plaid jumpers. Two other Trane grandchildren Matthew Chapman (‘97) and John Chapman (‘03) are HDS alumni as well. When Kelly married Ryan Callaghan (’90) and Matthew married Jennifer Sniff Chapman (‘98), daughter of former English teacher Mary Ann Sniff, HDS roots only deepened.

By the time the fourth Trane grandchild graduated, the family had seen a school through three addresses, two notable headmasters, a continually expanding academic curriculum, and impressive development.

The master plan for the present-day campus was nearly realized, with three construction phases complete.

BEACON — WINTER 2012

BOTTOM LEFT:

A PICTURE OF

Appropriately, the now third through sixth grade science lab was named to honor the Trane family.

“My grandparents are missional people, who have always dedicated their time, talents and resources to the needs of others and causes they believe in,” Kelly Christeson Callaghan said. “I’m so please that Harbor Day School — for five decades now — has been one of those causes.”

When Mary and Aubrey Callaghan entered Harbor Day School in 2009 and 2011, respectively, the great-granddaughters of Frank and Allan Trane became the school’s first third-generation legacies.

On May 11, 2012, Frank and Allan Trane attended Grandparents Day with their great-granddaughters, creating a celebration of four generations and one of the proudest moments in Harbor Day School family history. n

PAGE 13

PERFORMING ARTS THANKSGIVING PROGRAM

T

his year’s THANKSGIVING PROGRAM was inspired by the slogan, “Leave It Better Than You Found It.” The idea was to draw a broader and deeper meaning of thankfulness for each child. Songs like It Starts with Me and When we Give, provided students the opportunity to convey compassion and appreciation through music. n

PAGE 14

BEACON — WINTER 2012

BEACON — WINTER 2012

PAGE 15

W

hen Brandon Getter (’14) won first place in the California/Nevada Exchange Club’s Search for Talent piano competition this year, it wasn’t simply because he played the notes correctly.

Nor was it because the piece he played, Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu,” is extremely challenging.

Surely it didn’t help that he tripped on his way up the stairs to the stage, or that the piano was woefully in need of repair.

————— BY NANCY GELSTON FRIES —————

The Piano Man PAGE 16

BEACON — WINTER 2012

B

randon won first place and $575 in the competition because he plays with talent, fluidity, and emotion that belie his years.

“I used to call him my Mozart genius,” says Sandra Matthews, his former piano teacher and principal keyboard player for the Pacific Symphony. Matthews says Brandon came to her around the age of seven playing notes without any feeling. “He just kind of hacked away,” she says. Sandra worked with Brandon to turn notes into beautiful music, comparing the process to a writer turning words into sentences.

“He got it immediately,” she says. “After that, he just flourished.”

Flourish he did. Brandon made it to the finals of the Search for Talent only after placing first and second in local and regional Exchange Club competitions. This year alone, Brandon also took first place at the Baroque Festival, the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and the Contemporary Festival in Irvine.

The day after the Search for Talent competition, the Getter family by coincidence had breakfast at the same restaurant as some of the judges. One of them recognized Brandon and explained why he won. As paraphrased by Brandon’s mom, Linda Getter, the judge said, “If you’re going to play Chopin you have to feel it. From the minute you put your hands on the keyboard, your face expressed the feeling of the whole song.” Sandra Matthews hears something special in Brandon’s music, too. “I’m just amazed by his musical feeling,” she says.

Brandon has a gift, but he hasn’t achieved his success without hard work. His mother started him in lessons when he was four because, she says, “Music opens someone’s heart.” At the time, Brandon was an only child, and Linda felt music could always keep him company. “If he feels sad or lonely, music can enrich him and make him happy,” she says. (Brandon now has a four-year-old sister.)

In the early days, before homework, swim practice and boy scouts started vying for his time, Brandon would practice up to two hours a day. Linda says he would walk in the house after school, drop his backpack, and head straight for the piano. Today, his practices are shorter but no less satisfying. “Sometimes I don’t want to practice,” Brandon confesses, “but usually once I start playing I don’t want to stop.”

BEACON — WINTER 2012

Since he was six, Brandon has been sharing his gift for music with residents of Crown Cove, an assisted living facility in Corona del Mar, several times a month. “He is not only a great little piano player, but he has a wonderful personality,” Director of Activities Ann Krueger wrote in a letter of recommendation for Brandon. “After he plays, he greets each resident individually with a hand shake and stays to chat with them!”

Brandon indeed loves to perform. This fall he played piano at his cousin’s wedding in Kansas. He plans to continue entering competitions and is currently studying for the Level 8 Certificate of Merit, an assessment awarded by the Music Teachers’ Association of California. Although he isn’t sure if his career will involve music, Brandon has a feeling he’ll be playing piano indefinitely. n TO SEE BRANDON’S WINNING PERFORMANCE AT THE SEARCH FOR TALENT COMPETITION, GO TO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2jxijqKWFo

PAGE 17

ALUMNI REFLECTIONS How Harbor Day School Has Shaped Me Mrs. K sparked in me a long-lasting love for dinosaurs, including my still-favorite bit of trivia: Q ~ How fast did the speediest dinosaurs run? A ~ Approximately 40 mph. From Mrs. Murphy, I will remember the power of encouraging hugs – especially those offered to a child struggling through math, PE, and the first aches and pains of life.

As I increased my learning, trying my hand at new subjects – from pottery to pre-algebra to Spanish – it was the teachers who refined my ambition. By about Fifth Grade, I knew that English was not only something I loved but, with encouragement from Mrs. McKinley, I was determined to make it something I could excel at. And then there was Ms. Crawley’s memorable lessons, including an illustration of the fiveparagraph thesis essay which hung on the classroom wall – an image of a chunky-looking monster with a rhinoceros’ horn and three great rolls of fat that Following graduation, Melissa continued her private represented, in turn, a focused approach followed by education at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, the three “body paragraphs.” Now as a writer for the Brigham Young University, and graduate school at Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., I find Georgetown University. daily use for fundamental principles of organization learned in my upper school years at Harbor Day. And, came from what might be called an “HDS family.” though I have yet to pull out the image of the thesis From the backyard of my childhood house, I could monster or diagram a sentence as I teach writing to see the once-small (and now quite expanded) cluster others, I find myself explaining (often times in the very of brown-roofed buildings. By the time I entered the same language as I learned it) the grammatical principles blue and gold doors for the first time, several of my that were laid down as a foundation at HDS. More siblings had preceded me in attending Harbor Day importantly, Harbor Day pushed me along a course that School. Teachers who had taught my brother and sisters I learned quite early on and still have not deviated from: were already aware of me and keen to encourage me to pursue dreams, stretch my imagination, and better along the paths to success. my intellect. As my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. d’Albert, It was these teachers and their indomitable attitudes often reminded us: “Reach for the moon! Even if you who shaped my HDS experience, cultivating in me a miss, you’ll land among the stars.” sense of self-worth and igniting a fascination for learnMy experience is not a solitary one. The faculty of ing. I will remember lessons learned – not merely facts Harbor Day School continues to give their time, smiles, from textbooks, but from experiences and memories. and knowledge to each and every student who walks From Mrs. Keturakis, I will always remember the joyous through their classroom doors. This year my nephew, reward of swirling my fingers through shaving cream William, is in Mrs. Keturakis’ class. And his favorite topic? and finger painting elaborate curlicues on my desk. Dinosaurs.

MELISSA BENTLEY (‘99)

I

PAGE 18

BEACON — WINTER 2012

A LIFE DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS WILL BE A RICH ONE

PICTURED: Sid DuPont, Judy d’Albert, and Luis Abreu (pictured in the back

KELLIE BROWNELL (‘99)

row) and members of the class of 1999, who were fifth graders at the time.

The 5-gallon water bottle in the picture contained coins and dollars donated

by HDS students to help bring Mr. & Mrs. Abreu from Cuba to Orange County.

Following graduation, Kellie attended Corona del y Fifth Grade teacher was Mrs. d’Albert, whose Mar High School, then Stanford University, where she fierce imagination was matched only by her earned degrees in humanities and the social sciences, desire to help others. She also had a habit of throwing with an emphasis on philanthropy. messages in bottles out to sea. All of her students at one tend to think we already know as kindergartners point prepared bottles for a long journey across the what we will like and not like, what we will value, Pacific Ocean to teach us about ocean currents. Every and what we can probably forget as adults. Looking few years a letter would arrive from the Philippines, and back now, I can see two such formative beliefs originally we would all marvel. One year, someone responded to introduced to me by Mrs. Anne Polkingharn and Mrs. a message she had tossed into the Caribbean Sea. Luis Abreu was a baseball fan, hard worker, and caring father Judy d’Albert. in Cuba. He and his wife, Miriam, corresponded with Harbor Day classes for over five years. Then in 1996, STORIES ARE GREATER THAN they won immigration visas to the States. Our class THE PRINTED PAGE raised enough money to purchase their plane tickets rs. Polkingharn’s love for stories was particular from Havana to southern California, where strangers and contagious. It’s no wonder I developed a offered their homes and gave Luis a job even before his strong relationship with books. In case any student plane landed. News stations joined us at John Wayne doubted that stories are greater than the printed page, Airport to welcome the couple and report the story they she rounded up volunteers to build a Magic School Bus called “an American dream come true.” I now have the out of cardboard. Sitting inside, reading, our imaginagreat fortune to help others by fundraising for The tions could take us into volcanoes and out past Pluto.

Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit in San Mrs. Polkingharn’s lessons served me through high Francisco. school and college, where relating to books personally The memories I mention from Harbor Day School and taking essay assignments seriously allowed me to were passing moments, but I think about them reguexcel in literature classes. A grade was always at stake, larly. In many ways, they were my first encounters with but so, too, was the opportunity to stretch my imaginaimagination and a desire to help others. These are two tion and explore other worlds, other lives, and other things I want to continue to play large roles in my life. n possibilities beyond my own experiences.

M

I

M

BEACON — WINTER 2012

PAGE 19

SEAHAWKNEWS ————— BY NOELLE BECKER —————

Girls’ Basketball Wins Championship!

T

he Girls’ Fifth and Sixth Grade Basketball team claimed an undefeated season! This group of talented young ladies faced older and bigger opponents during each game – but still they persevered. Their victory was secured during the championship game against Huntington Christian with a score of 31 - 9.

Congratulations to Sophie Beador, Danielle Beder, Campbell Case, Kate Miller, Macey Mullane, Audrey Nourse, Nicole Nourse, Kimmy Reddy, Clarissa Sargeant, Maddie Seybold, and Coach Leshinsky. Go Seahawks! n

BLUE VS. GOLD TURKEY BOWL RESULTS | GOLD 269 FINAL SCORE AFTER THE TURKEY BOWL: BLUE 233 | GOLD 301 SCORE PRIOR TO TURKEY BOWL: BLUE 216

PAGE 20

BEACON — WINTER 2012

LADIES’ EVENT AN EVENT TO REMEMBER! HELD AT THE BEAUTIFUL AMAREE’S BOUTIQUE IN NEWPORT BEACH, THE LADIES’ EVENT THIS FALL WAS DEFINITELY AN EVENT TO REMEMBER. MOMS WERE ABLE TO ENJOY A PICTURESQUE DAY CONVERSING WITH FRIENDS, EATING DELICIOUS FOOD FROM DEER HOLLOW, AND PROCURING BEAUTIFUL PORTRAITS OF THEIR CHILDREN. THE FUNDS RAISED THROUGH THE EVENT’S GIVING TREE ALLOWED HARBOR DAY TO PURCHASE NEW DRINKING FOUNTAINS, A WEATHER BUG, AND CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT. SPECIAL THANKS TO CO-CHAIRS ELIZABETH STEINKE AND PAM SARGEANT FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EVENT THAT ALL COULD ENJOY.

1

2 3

6

5

4

7 8

1. CO-CHAIRS – ELIZABETH STEINKE AND PAM SARGEANT 2. MONA RAZMJOO, TINA WAINWRIGHT, AND CARI PEETS 3. THE GIVING TREE 4. BAHAREH MAHDI AND POONEH SHAKOORI 5. MOLLY DAVIN, SALLIE JANE SUPER, AND DAN GREENWOOD 6. KORI SCHILLEREFF AND JENNIFER WITHROW 7. STUDENT PORTRAITS 8. KATHERINE SANDERSON, LINDA WIRTA, AND INGA BEDER 9. BETH GREENWOOD AND DIANA BLATZ 10. LEAH SIMKINS AND ALLISON LEDGER

9 BEACON — WINTER 2012

PAGE 21

10

ANNUAL FUND www.harborday.org/giving PAGE 22

BEACON — WINTER 2012

THANK YOU to all who have already contributed to this year’s ANNUAL FUND! We are making great strides in accomplishing our goal of 100% parent participation. The Annual Fund runs until June 30. We hope you and your family will make a gift that is right for you.

___________________________________________________________________________

2012-13 ANNUAL FUND CENTURY CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Lance Jordan

BLUE AND GOLD CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Frieden

FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Deckey* Mr. Jeff Gehl Drs. Zafar and Iram Khan The Linda I. Smith Foundation Julia Blatz

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Steelberg (’88) Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ueberroth*

EDUCATORS’ CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Todd Anderson* Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Steven Briggs Mr. and Mrs. Robert Case Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cavner Mr. and Mrs. Philip Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Rob Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cudzil Mr. Mark Czepiel and Ms. Amy Paul* Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Dietrick Mr. and Mrs. Hirad Emadi* Mr. and Mrs. Brian Fischbein Dr. and Mrs. Sanjay Grover* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kern Mr. and Mrs. Jason Krotts Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lin Mr. and Mrs. Cosmas Lykos Mr. and Mrs. David Mossman* Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shean* Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sonenshine (’87)* Mr. and Mrs. Geoff Von Der Ahe* Mr. and Mrs. James Warmington, Jr.*

HARBOR CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Jim Abbott Mr. and Mrs. Robert Akerblom Mr. and Mrs. Mark Beder* Mr. and Mrs. Blake Bertea (’84) Jill Hamilton Bertea (’89)

Ms. Kelly Burke Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Busick Mr. and Mrs. Paul Casey Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chung* Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cook* Mr. and Mrs. James Furey* Drs. Robert and Kimberly Johnson Genc Mr. and Mrs. Kavous Gitibin Mrs. Deirdre Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Richard Martin Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Massey* Dr. and Mrs. Farzad Massoudi Mr. and Mrs. David Mead Mr. and Mrs. JD Montgomery Mr. Steven Nataupsky and Ms. Nicole Whyte Mr. and Mrs. Chad Peets Mr. Christopher Rodriguez* Mr. and Mrs. Reza Rofougaran BEACON — WINTER 2012

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ruck Mr. and Mrs. Robert Searles* Mr. and Mrs. Raju Shah Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stemler Mr. Shep and Dr. Tina Wainwright

SEAHAWK CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Jason Bryden Mr. and Mrs. Brian Copple Mr. and Mrs. Kent Elliott (’84)* Mr. and Mrs. Richard Eusey Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Greenwood Mr. Sean Mohtashami and Dr. Samira Houshiar Dr. and Mrs. James Rosing (’89) Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Vovan Mr. Shep and Dr. Tina Wainwright Mr. Marvin Willson and Ms. Carol Springstead-Willson Dr. and Mrs. David Wirta

BLUE-GOLD Bank of America Mr. and Mrs. Jon Christeson Cynthia Trane Christeson (’69) Aubrey and Mary Callaghan

Mr. Jefferson Cowart (’99) Mr. and Mrs. Matt D’Ambrosia Tara Simpson D’Ambrosia (’86) Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Davin Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Decker Girl Scout of OC Troop 976 Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Hatfield Kristen Coleman Hatfield (’88) Mr. Thomas Hauge and Mrs. Nina Diamant Mr. and Mrs. Richard Heard Mr. and Mrs. Michael Johnston Dr. Ryan Klein (’83) Mr. Robert Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Mike McNeill Mr. and Mrs. Peter Nanula Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Neushul Mr. Sean Niknafs and Dr. Sima Mirhashemi Mr. and Mrs. Rob Pickell* Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Piercey Mrs. Frederick Poska and Mrs. Kimberly Valentine-Poska Mr. and Mrs. Mazi Razmjoo Dr. and Mrs. Greg Super Wells Fargo Foundation

FRIENDS Ms. Madeleine Abbott (’11) Mr. Dann and Dr. Anne-Marie Angeloff Mr. Chatom Arkin and Mrs. Emily Horowitz (’98) Anonymous Mr. Brian Barwick (’04) Mr. Marcus Berry (’89) Mr. and Mrs. Ben Blatz BNY Mellon Community Partnership Mr. Bobby Briggs (’12) Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Britt Ms. Nicolette Cochran (’06)

Ms. Catherine Dailey (’02) Mr. and Mrs. Edward Dailey Mr. and Mrs. Erik DiPaolo Kathleen Campbell DiPaolo (’82)

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Duke Mr. and Mrs. Mark Eckenweiler Mr. and Mrs. Drew Emmel Christine Porter Emmel (’80)

Mr. and Mrs. Read Fenner Mr. and Mrs. John Fowler

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Vaicek Melissa Ingold Vaicek (’85)

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Vaughan Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Wanlass (’78) Mr. and Mrs. William Warden Wells Fargo Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Clark Welton (’84) Mr. Justin Wilson (’06) Ms. Kate Wilson (’03) Mr. and Mrs. David Wooten

Ava, Chloe and John Elliott

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Geary Mr. and Mrs. Robert Getter Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Hammond Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hofer Mrs. Catherine Holland Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Howell Mr. and Mrs. David Janes Mr. and Mrs. Sean Johnson Susan Ihrke Johnson (’88)

Mr. and Mrs. Brendon Kensel Mr. and Mrs. Paul King Drs. Russell Klein (’80) and Nicole Nelson Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lainfiesta Ms. Traci Landis Mr. and Mrs. David Look Mr. and Mrs. Kambiz Mahdi Mrs. Joyce-Ann Bishop Mahoney (’91) Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Majit Mr. and Mrs. Jock Marlo Mr. and Mrs. Vince McGuinness (’79) Mr. and Mrs. Mark McKinney Mr. and Mrs. Lance Miller Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Mix Mrs. Whitney Finster Morgan (’91) Mr. and Mrs. Peter Morin Mr. Michael Morris Mr. and Mrs. Adam Muchnick Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mullane Newport Mesa National Junior Basketball Mr. and Mrs. Paul O’Connor Mr. and Mrs. Brian Oliphant Mrs. Blair Elliott Paige (’82) PIMCO Mr. and Mrs. Edward Post Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Richardson Drs. Jose Roque and Jessica Hung-Roque Mr. and Mrs. James Sargeant Mr. Nicolas Sargeant (’10) Mr. and Mrs. Ben Schmid Lyden and Rylen Schmid

Drs. John and Monica Schwab Ms. Jamie Searles (’09) Ms. Shelby Searles (’05) Mr. and Mrs. Ben Seybold Mr. and Mrs. Reza Shakoori Mr. and Mrs. Coby Sonenshine (’84) Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Steinke Mr. and Mrs. Joel Strauch Dr. and Mrs. Richard Taketa Mr. Richard Taketa (’86) Mrs. Sally Taketa Caroline Taketa

Mr. and Mrs. Will Tipton

HDS FACULTY AND STAFF Dr. Daniel R. Greenwood Mr. Chatom Arkin Mrs. Noelle Becker Ms. Diane Bjelland Mrs. Carole Blake Mrs. Leslie Brockman Ms. Erin Byrne Ms. Violeta Cambra Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coleman Ms. Francesca Drino (’95) Ms. Cara Ducey Mrs. Courtney Duke Ms. Sylvanda Edwards Mrs. Jennifer Fenner Mrs. Anne Foodym Ms. Amelia Gomez Mrs. Jackie Graham Mrs. Stacey Hammond Ms. Casey Hogan Mrs. Patricia Huff Mrs. Susan Johnson (’88) Mrs. Janet Kempke Mrs. Cassie Keturakis Ms. Katie Leshinsky Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mauser Mrs. Marilou McCarty Mrs. Christine McKinley Mrs. Karen Polkingharn Meier (’79) Ms. Alexa Miller Mrs. Melissa Mullane Mrs. Marti Murphy Mrs. Wanda Nordstrom Mrs. Sarah Oliphant Mrs. Faith Pickett Mr. Jean-Paul Rimlinger Mrs. Katie Robinson Mrs. Kristin Rowe Mrs. Siouxzie Salisbury Ms. Terra Shirvanian Mrs. Marie-France Smith Mr. Mac Stephens Mrs. Meggen Stockstill Mrs. Lynette Vieira Isabella Palazzo

Mrs. Leslie Yagar Ms. Courtney Zarrilli (’92) Ms. Amy Zucker

*Board of Trustees member This list reflects all gifts or pledges received as of December 10, 2012.

PAGE 23

SAVE the DATE please join us for the exciting events taking place throughout our 60th year! (details coming soon!)

FRIDAY,JANUARY JANUARY25 25 FRIDAY, MEN'SEVENT EVENT MEN'S

SATURDAY, MARCH MARCH 23 23 SATURDAY, SPRINGBENEFIT BENEFIT SPRING

SATURDAY,JUNE JUNE11 SATURDAY,

HARBORDAY DAYSCHOOL'S SCHOOL'S60 60THTHANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY HARBOR PICNICAND ANDCELEBRATION CELEBRATION PICNIC

https://www.facebook.com/harborday

https://twitter.com/harborday