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“We have great discussions at Harker,” says 12th-grader Adam Perelman. Discussions might be about the syntax of Mexican poetry, the logic of computer algorithms, or even the plot lines of “Harry Potter” when helping a sixth-grader with an English essay.
Perelman is one of 1,750 students attending Harker, a kindergarten through 12th-grade school with three beautifully landscaped campuses in the heart of Silicon Valley. Although the Lower School dates to 1893, Harker’s upper school was only launched in 1998. Already, it has earned elite recognition from the College Board, naming Harker’s scores highest in the world in advanced-placement chemistry, AB calculus, computer science and psychology. “At the same time,” adds 11th-grader Brianna Tran, “the student body is so close-knit that I know almost everyone by name.”
Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school, says the dedicated teachers at Harker have a lot to do with the school’s success. “They’re not only vested in the students’ intellectual growth, but also in their growth as people.”
To broaden students’ worldview, global education is integrated into lessons as early as kindergarten. Students interact with schools in countries such as Japan, Australia and Costa Rica using videoconferences, letters and exchange visits to “experience the viewpoints and cultures of people around the world,” Gargano says.
For Harker’s large student base of science lovers, a new science and technology center, Nichols Hall, is a place where they can pursue serious, original research. The state-of-the-art building has even made headlines on its own merit. In July 2009, it was awarded a Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, making Harker the first school in Santa Clara County to achieve this designation.
Jeff Sutton is Harker’s Upper School biology and environmental science teacher. Part of his job, he says, includes preparing students for an uncertain future by “empowering them to see that they are not passive observers to the events unfolding around them.” He instills in kids the idea that they have the potential to become part of the many solutions that will lead toward a more sustainable future.
Sutton’s teaching often involves engaging them in real-life situations. For example, he says, “If I asked my AP environmental science students to research how much water their household uses per month, rather than just guessing, they become invested in learning about water treatment, water conservation and water usage.”
This hands-on method of learning is a hallmark of the Harker experience. Recently, the entire student body raised enough money to build a school in Cambodia, $12,000 in one month for relief efforts in Darfur, and $10,000 in one day in an annual cancer walk.
Harker’s high standard of moral character and leadership can be traced to David Starr Jordan, the first president of Stanford University, who was instrumental in Harker’s origins 117 years ago.
Values are instilled early. Starting in kindergarten, “students learn to take pride and pleasure in their accomplishments in an environment of honesty and personal accountability,” wrote Pam Dickinson, Office of Communication director.
As a student’s maturity and talent evolve through grades six, seven and eight, Harker helps evaluate and determine the course placement that will best challenge and inspire — always in a safe and trusting atmosphere in which to grow through the ups and downs of early adolescence.
Teachers regularly set aside time after class for questions and discussion. “Teachers here are passionate about what they teach,” says Gargano. At all grade levels, they teach a discipline in which they have studied in depth and in most cases have advanced degrees. They also work closely with students, she says, supporting them in various activities outside the classroom.
“There’s always something special going on at school,” Perelman points out. From the traditional Winter Ball and Prom, to jazz band, dance, bronze casting, chorus, printmaking and video, Harker balances its academic program with a rich array of social and creative activities.
The Upper School’s performing arts department, Harker Conservatory, produces 10 major theatrical productions each year. They have performed at the Lincoln Center, the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at various venues in Paris, Prague and Vienna.
Harker offers a complete sports curriculum, again with an emphasis on building character. Whether tennis, football, water polo, basketball or cross-country, sports at Harker at all grade levels is meant to improve not only physical and mental health, but also teach accountability for one’s actions and attitudes.
Weekly college counseling classes begin mid-junior year and are designed to guide and support students and families through the college selection process.
Perelman is excited about his future. He wants to travel. He wants to learn more about being an engineer, a lawyer, an architect, a scientist, a programmer, a teacher. “I think that the skills I’ve learned at Harker, both academic and otherwise, will give me the freedom and the ability to find opportunities and make a difference in any number of fields.”
The Harker School is located on three campuses in San Jose. For more information, visit www.harker.org or call (408) 249-2510.