![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
Upper School students have meetings with advisors
A group of freshmen socialize and work on homework during advisor meetings. Students met with advisors on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss grades and progress.
Students at the Upper School met with their advisors during the Extra Help period time of the alternate schedule last Wednesday and Thursday to discuss their grades and progress throughout the current school year.
The alternate schedule replaced the normal Extra Help period with a free period of time during which students were to meet with advisors.
Grades were released to students and their parents on the parent portal last Wednesday, Oct. 15. This is the first of monthly grade book reports that will be prepared for students, a new policy in comparison to last year, where grade book reports were released only twice per semester.
Advisors scheduled 10-minute time slots to meet with each member of their advisory by requiring students to sign up on a sheet posted on each advisor’s classroom door. Available meeting times ranged from 9:15 a.m. to 10:05 a.m.
The one-on-one time with students was seen as a valuable chance for advisors to give individual attention to each child.
“I think that this is a great opportunity for advisors to connect with their advisees and show how much they care about their progress, happiness, and well-being,” sophomore advisor Juston Glass said. “We are at school, and when we talk about grades, that’s one of the biggest things going on in a student’s life.”
Advisees also placed value on reviewing their progress with their advisor.
“Our advisor is also a teacher, so they get the perspective of a teacher on our grades by having us go in and talk to them,” Lucas Wang (10) said.
While students were not busy with their advisor, many chose to make use of the extra time during the school day to complete pending homework.
“I spent time studying for my math test after meeting with my advisor today,” John Nicolas Jerney (11) said.
Others welcomed the alternate schedule by deciding to spend their time catching up with friends.
“I think it’s nice because you can get a chance to eat or talk to friends,” Anamika Kannan (9) said.
Students will have normal advisory this week.
Ria Gandhi (11) is the Aquila Features Editor. This is her third year on staff after being the Assistant Sports Editor in her sophomore year and a reporter...
