JUNE 2005 / end of year (VOL. 11, NO. 9)
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M O N T H L Y
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N E W S L E T T E R
est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
F R O M
T H E
H A R K E R
Two Ceremonies Promote Students to New Campus
Congratulations Class of 2005 ......... 14 & 15
Art exhibits showcase outstanding student talent ...... 9 Grandparents’ Day a heartwarming tradition ............. 13 First place in National Science Bowl ....................... 19
online
New albums posted online of May events such as: ■ 2005 Graduation ■ LS Dance Concert ■ MS Honk! Performance ■ Kindergarten Show ■ US Senior Showcase ■ LS Grandparents’ Day
events
S C H O O L
Gr. 5 and 6 students ended the school year – and their Bucknall careers – with two days of special festivities and two wonderful promotion ceremonies held Tues., June 7 to promote them into the middle school. Gr. 6 students enjoyed an afternoon of signing yearbooks, swimming, Music Jeopardy and free dance, then were promoted from elementary to middle school at the conclusion of their second semester and annual awards presentation. With the MS
expanding to include Gr. 6 next year on the new Blackford campus, Gr. 5 also held its first-ever promotion ceremony. Students had a fantastic end-of-the-year party the day before, featuring snow cones, a tug-of-war and a dunk tank, and the next day, prior to their promotion, enjoyed a talent show and spelling bee. “It was my honor to promote the 5th and 6th graders to the middle school. We are all very proud of these fine students,” said outgoing Elementary Division Head Christina
Vail, who is moving from the area at the end of the school year (see Staff Updates on Page 7). Elementary social studies teacher Kristin Giammona, who will assume Vail’s position next year, was moved while watching many of her Gr. 5 students during the promotion service. “The ceremony touched my heart a great deal, since I taught many of the children for two years in a row,” said Giammona. “This class will surely do well in middle school.” Vail added, “Each of our students leaves the elementary school with a strong academic foundation, great spirit and enthusiasm, and, most importantly, outstanding character traits that have been practiced and honed in preparation for the exciting years ahead. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing their achievements in the future.” We also salute our incoming Gr. 8 students who will move to Blackford from the Saratoga campus, and assume their important role as leaders of the new middle school. Congratulations to our inaugural MS student body for our new campus!
DI Teams Qualify for Nationals, Capture Media Attention
Harker News — June 05
broadcast (see clip on Harker Web site). The San Jose Mercury News also ran an article on Harker’s teams in the May 12 edition (Guide), and India West, a weekly English-language newspaper, published an article on the DI students in their May 13 edition. Both teams performed marvelously at the Global Finals, with the “Top Quarks” team – Urvi Gupta, Anisha Padwekar, Darian Edvalson, Andrew Zhu, Katherine Paseman, Michael Kling and Ali Abdollahi
Two teams of Gr. 3 students competed in the Destination Imagination (DI) Global Finals in Tennessee, May 25-28. As reported in the April HN, teams who placed high enough in the regional event were invited to the national tournament to show off their cultural performances, and what structural improvements they had made on their already impressive bridge designs. Their designs, and the fact that Harker was the only Bay Area lower school with two teams invited to the Globals, caught the attention of local media, as well. Lyanne Melendez of KGO-Channel 7, who was clearly charmed by the students’ comments and enthusiasm, interviewed the teams on the LS campus May 2, and aired a special feature on Harker’s Destination Imagination teams on that night’s 6 p.m.
Ashwin Chalaka – placing in the top three of the Elementary Level of their chosen “DIsigning Bridges” competition. The “Creative Imaginers” team – Rahul Sridhar, Dhavani Raghupathy, Nihal Uppugunduri, Vikas Bhetanabholta, Nikhil Dilip and Saachi Jain – ranked 22nd at the Global Finals, also in the “DIsigning Bridges” contest. Congratulations to both teams for their exceptional performances in the global competition. We salute all of the students and parents involved in DI for their spirited and outstanding efforts throughout this competition!
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