FEbruary 2006 (VOL. 12, NO. 5)
M O N T H L Y
inside
Teachers from Japan & Australia Visit ................. 7, 8 MS starts new wrestling program ............................. 8 Harker senior named Intel semifinalist ...................... 11 Student directors showcase plays – and talent ............ 11
harker.org NEW! Summer Camp online registration opens Jan. 30! Register early for best selection.
events 2006 Upper School Dance Production
Branching Out Fri. Feb. 10 & Sat., Feb. 11 7:30 p.m. Upper School Gym
Tickets Now On Sale! Buy tickets at US Bookstore or e-mail tickets@harker.org $12 Adults $10 Students/Seniors (See story page 2.)
Harker News — February 06
N E W S L E T T E R
F R O M
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US Artists Explore Sculpting, Prepare for New AP Course Students in the US sculpting class of Fine Arts Department Chair Jaap Bongers completed the first semester by creating exquisite sculptures. The fine arts department is preparing for the new Advanced Placement Studio Art class, which will begin in fall 2006. “Because of the new AP class, we are getting a lot more students entering the program who are serious about art, industrial design or architecture,” said Bongers. In the new AP class, students will assemble a 29-piece art portfolio in 3-D design, 2-D design or drawing that they will submit to the College Board. Students will receive a score on their portfolio that will serve as the equivalent to an AP exam score. Bongers said, “It is important that we prepare the students for this new class.” Dean of Studies Heather Blair added, “(The AP class) will be a culminating experience for art students at Harker. It’s a studio art class in which young artists who have already begun to develop their talents through
coursework in art refine their work and create new work according to the guidelines established by the AP Studio Art program.”
about subtractive sculpting through the stone-carving; they learned about constructive methods through their architecture-inspired sculptures; and they learned about malleable sculpting through the bronze casting,” Bongers explained. Throughout the course of the semester, Bongers also gradually helped his students “develop an eye” for artistic designs in everyday life. “They’ve gained a much deeper understanding of constructive design and three-dimensional elements in the real world,” he said. “The sculptures help them learn about organizing volume in space.”
Last semester’s final projects served as part of the preparation for the AP course, providing students experience with different forms and methods of sculpting, including stone-carving, architecture and wax cast in bronze. “I wanted the students to gain knowledge of all aspects of sculpture, not just the traditional clay or stone sculptures,” Bongers said. Different materials and concepts are used in the various forms of sculpture. “The students learned
In addition to the architectural sculptures, the stone-carving method also draws elements from the natural world. “The assignment with the stone-carving was to create organic shapes, or forms from nature,” said Bongers, “Forms like the stone in the river that, over time, forms its shape by the way it rubs against other stones at the bottom.” Watch future editions for more updates on our K-12 art programs, and for reminders of upcoming art shows, including the US Art Show this spring where some of these sculptures will be displayed.
Employee Spends Six Weeks Helping Hurricane Victims George Monack has been helping students at Harker for 15 years, first as a bus driver and more recently by directing traffic in the school’s loading zones. But last fall Monack, 70, lent a hand to another group of people: Hurricane Katrina victims in Louisiana. Monack (pictured here, back row - center) went to the devastated region twice, each time for three weeks. Prior to his first deployment on Oct. 23, he participated in the American Red Cross’ Disaster Relief Boot camp and Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) Training. Monack was assigned to drive one of the Red Cross’ ERVs, trucks that
provide assistance and hot meals to disaster victims. “I, as so many, found myself drawn to the tragedy of (hurricanes) Katrina and Rita, which impacted so many people in the South,” Monack said. “At times it seems that my life has been mostly about me, and I thought I could turn that around
photo provided by George Monack
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est. 1893 • K-12 college prep
a bit by helping out in some small, but meaningful, way.” Continued on pg. 12
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