The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Ritu Belani (12), Anna Lee (12) and Caden Ruan (10) choose food options from the LIFE Boards snack bar after school on March 14. The board set up the snacks as a healthier alternative option with orange juice, donuts and more.

LIFE nutrition month encourages healthy eating through speaker event and snack bars

by Jonathan Szeto, Assistant News Editor March 25, 2024

The Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) Board held a speaker event on March 11 and two snack bars, one on March 14 and the other on March 27, as part of their Nutrition Month initiative. Dietitian...

Academic counselor Jonah Alves guards an opponent in a teacher-student basketball match during the school meeting on Feb. 22. The faculty team Alves was a member of, Below the Rim, placed third overall.

School Meeting 2/22: Make Our Schools Safe, DECA advocacy month and basketball

by Margaret Cartee and Felix Chen March 2, 2024

Associated Student Body President Daniel Lin opened the school meeting on Feb. 22. Make Our Schools Safe Treasurer Anoushka Chakravarty announced that Feb. 14 marked the sixth year since the Parkland...

Shafia Zaloom speaks to the frosh and sophomore classes about consent in a LIFE session on Feb. 2. Zaloom explained the meaning of a healthy relationship and emphasized the importance of not being pressured into making decisions.

Students explore cyber awareness, healthy relationships and life after high school through February LIFE assemblies

by Vivek Moorjani and Ella Guo February 23, 2024

Upper school students attended various grade level Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) events across the month of February, while some also attended Eagle Buddy events. Assistant upper school...

Om Tandon (12) smiles as he answers a question during the senior panel at the eighth grade introduction to the upper school. Om was one of the eight seniors selected to participate in the panel.

Eighth grade families explore upper school through performances, presentations and panelists

by Ashley Mo, Reporter December 1, 2023

Eighth grade students and their families assembled in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center for an introduction to the upper school from 6 to 7:15 p.m on Nov. 14 at the Saratoga campus. The annual upper...

Claire Perng (11) plays Connect Four with her fourth grade eagle buddy at the team room in the Athletic Center. The buddy families also had the option to participate in activities like friendship bracelet making, karaoke and board games.

Juniors meet Eagle Buddies while seniors, sophomores and frosh attend LIFE assemblies

by Jessica Wang and Vivian Chen November 24, 2023

Seniors, sophomores and frosh attended Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) sessions while juniors spent time with their Eagle Buddies at the upper school campus on Nov. 2.  Upper school...

Upper school speech and debate chair Jenny Achten speaks to the frosh class about time management in the Auxiliary Gym on Sept. 22. “Think about yourself a little bit scientifically,” Achten said during the assembly. “Think, ‘What stresses me out and what helps me.’ Be really cognizant of those things.”

Be on-time and addiction-free: frosh and juniors attend first LIFE assemblies of school year

by Felix Chen and Andrew Liang October 1, 2023

Frosh and juniors attended Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) assemblies about time management and substance abuse on Friday in the Auxiliary Gym and the Rothschild Performing Arts Center...

LIFE speaker Julie Lythcott-Haims gestures during the LIFE Assembly in the Zhang Gym on April 19. Students learned the importance of pursuing their passions and living authentically.

Former Stanford Dean speaks to upper school students in LIFE assembly

by Felix Chen, Katerina Matta, and Katie Reed May 4, 2023

Former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University and TedX speaker Julie Lythcott-Haims presented to upper school students about living with purpose in a Living With Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) program...

Ayla Apsey (12) and Sonya Apseys (11) Haft-seen showcases the seven traditional elements, as well as hyacinth flowers, a bowl of goldfish, colored eggs, a mirror and a candle. The Haft-seen serves as a reminder of the rebirth of the new year.

Nowruz: ‘A holiday that represents togetherness’

by Ariana Goetting, Co-A&E and Lifestyle Editor March 26, 2023

Connecting with my Persian roots has always been somewhat of a struggle. Being half-Iranian, celebrations of my culture mostly come from my “maman,” or mother, who emigrated from her homeland when...

Students play wall ball on the lower school campus during the sophomore eagle buddies event. “I think it benefits both sides tremendously,” Lower school Dean of Students Walid Fahmy said. “The third graders get to see what theyre going to look like, and what things are going to be like as they get older. When youre a kid, everybody always wishes they were older. And then when you get to that point with the tenth graders, they come back and theyre like, ‘Oh my god, I miss this.’”

A day of festivities and engagement: seniors, sophomores meet eagle buddies, juniors, frosh participate in LIFE assembly

by Anwen Hao and Vika Gautham October 7, 2022

Smiles bloom on sophomore and seniors’ faces as they meet their Eagle Buddies for the first time. Their relationships would only strengthen as they proceed to engage in outdoor activities in the lower...

Sophomore students rise in response to youth advocate Charis Denisons opening prompt, Stand up if in the last few weeks you reacted [to a situation] and then went home and went through all of the things you wish you had said or done rather than what you actually did. In her talk, Denison taught students about how to connect their feelings, thoughts and actions.

Speakers share insights about essential skills in annual LIFE sessions

by Ella Yee, Co-Asst. Multimedia Editor March 31, 2022

Additional reporting by Isha Moorjani and Lucy Ge Upper school students explored various topics from course planning to safe driving in interactive sessions coordinated by the Living With Intent, Focus...

Charis Denison, expert in adolescent development and community involvement, gives an in-person presentation to the junior class about Relationships, Substances, Sex, Communication, and Your Rights.” She previously spoke to the class two years ago, when they were freshmen.

Students attend class-respective LIFE speaker events

by Kinnera Mulam, Edward Huang, Arely Sun, and Sabrina Zhu November 29, 2021

Content warning: This article mentions the topic of suicide. “There was a 17-year-old girl who texted her boyfriend, encouraging him to act on his suicidal thoughts. Was this criminal?” Skadden...

Upper school LIFE program director and math teacher Jane Keller talks about the difference between vaping and Juuling at the start of the Psychology Club event on Feb. 19. Keller encouraged 30 students to think deeply about their values and discussed supporting peers struggling with substance abuse.

Students, faculty partake in first annual Substance Abuse Awareness Week

by Lucy Ge, News Editor February 27, 2021

“Think down to the very last detail: what are you going to wear to a party tomorrow night?”  Students gazed thoughtfully into the distance on Feb. 19 as they contemplated upper school LIFE program...

Load More Stories