May 31, 2007

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

We are the world

Bret Harte Middle School Cultural Fair celebrates ethnic diversity

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

The quad of Bret Harte Middle School turned into a league of nations last week as the school community celebrated its annual Cultural Fair. The event featured entertainment, food, crafts and fun and rejoiced in the diversity of 23 customs from around the world.

An Indian dance charms with its colorful costumes and beautiful smiles. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“Bret Harte is a wonderful school with great spirit because of the diversity that exists on campus,” said Bret Harte Principal Don McCloskey. “As you notice the flags flying around the quad, please know that we have a representative from almost every country. We work hard to make sure that everyone has pride in who they are and where they come from.”

And with that, the multi-cultural extravaganza started with a flag salute and a parade of nations. Traditional Scottish bagpipers entertained with Mary Hanner and Sue Nissen in Stewart clan tartans. Karen Lee wowed the crowd with her carefully choreographed moves using a long rod performing the Chinese Lance Dance, also called the Stick Dance. A beautiful Vietnamese silk and fan dance charmed, a Chinese martial arts impressed and the Hawaiian hula dance inspired a trip to the islands. The cultural fair continued with an Indian dance, Korean percussion instruments, and other entertainers to the delight of the crowd.

“It is very exciting to be here,” said Bret Harte cheerleader Madeline Peretta who danced and cheered with the cheerleading team. “And it’s fun!”

During the performances, cultural booths were set up around the quad displaying the diversity of cultures: food, crafts and information from as far reaching as the Netherlands, Greece, African American, Poland, Turkey, Arab world, Finland, Mexico, Switzerland and others.

A beautiful Vietnamese silk and fan dance is performed by Minh, Kim, Anna, Lily and Elizabeth.

And while the festivities continued, a silent auction raised funds to build the Doris Dillon School in a Cambodia village where a genocidal reign from 1975—79 massacred over a third of the population. It was a reminder that other cultures need help and that Bret Harte’s Invisible Issues Club is dedicated to raising donations to assist in the building, which will be named for the popular local educator Dillon who lost her fight with ALS nearly four years ago.

“You’re school looks great,” said District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle, who presented a $2,500 check for the Invisible Issues Club from the city of San Jose. “All the diversity, food and entertainment. It is a real pleasure to be here. Thank you for inviting me.”

Many of the booths were multi-cultural as well. Frank and Allison van Diggelen staffed the Scotland exhibit with Leland High School volunteer Andrew Garg. Allison is Scottish but husband Frank hails from South Africa and said, “She’s the real McCoy!”

A parent sang the praises of the Bret Harte community, which she says appreciates other cultures and believes that diversity is to be celebrated.

“Our cultural fair is an opportunity for our students to travel through different countries, experiencing their cultures and watching different performances in our school quad,” said Bret Harte community club President Trupti Mehta.
“The organization has been very active in organizing and financially supporting various activities inside as well as outside the classroom through general contributions of parents and countless volunteer hours by our wonderful parents. Enjoy the cultural fair!”

And the contributions are many. Because of the generosity of parents and teachers this year, Bret Harte has a “climbing wall” in the physical education department, science experiment kits, atlases, Web site subscriptions and other needed items. Funds are also raised for the Doris Dillon School in Cambodia.

Nietfeld to leave Union School board; potential candidates apply by June 21

Barbara Nietfeld has announced she will resign in mid-term from the Union School District Board of Trustees this June. She has been a trustee for the district since 1992. The district plans to fill the vacancy by provisional appointment and will accept applications until June 21.

Nietfeld, a third grade teacher for the Mount Pleasant School District, plans to retire from teaching at the end of this school year. Her board resignation will be official on June 14. The person appointed will fill out the remainder of Nietfeld’s term, which expires in November 2008.

Prospective applications are invited to submit an application. Registered voters, over the age of 18, who live within Union District boundaries, are welcome to apply. Candidates will be required to complete an application packet, which includes information regarding qualifications, experience and interests. The district’s boundaries are shown below and also can be found at the Web site, www.unionsd.k12.ca.us.

Applications are available in the superintendent’s office at 5175 Union Ave., San Jose, 95124. Applications must be received no later than noon on June 21. Submit applications to Dr. Jacqueline Horejs, superintendent, Union School District.

Candidates will be interviewed at a public meeting of the Board, and an appointment will be made no later than July 2, 2007.

Pioneer sophomores share their grasp of world problems

It’s that time of year again for Sophomore Project presentations at Pioneer High School. Each year students pick a world problem, complete 30 hours of community service related to the problem and present the extensive project in May.

Conrad Egan and David Hoyt
Catherine Adam

The Sophomore Project involves a research paper, survey results, graphs, a career search, a community service reflective essay and a poem.

According to teacher Mike Burrell, a lot of kids choose child abuse as a world project and many of them volunteer at the Bill Wilson Center.

This year a couple of projects really stood out above the rest. Conrad Egan and David Hoyt worked together on their project creating a model showing how water pollution can flow from a factory to a nearby stream.

“The model took about 40 hours to complete,” said Conrad. “We were going to add water to it but decided last night that it would be too messy.” Their contraption was not a mandatory part of the project but it came fairly easily to the two students who are members of the school’s robotics team and who received help from David’s dad, who is a software engineer.

David volunteered at My City Forest to discover how planting trees helps to stop pollution. Conrad worked at Wastewater Paths to learn how clean streams lead to clean bays.

Fellow sophomore Catherine Adam chose to study the extinction of endangered species. She counts the late Steve Irwin as one of her biggest influences. Her community service hours were spent at the Humane Society working with feral cats. “There is a real problem with all the feral cats right now. They impact wildlife by killing off the bird and rat population,” said Adam.

Adam not only volunteered at the Humane Society but she also donated blood and cut off 10 inches of her hair to donate to the Locks of Love organization at Pioneer’s recent Service Learning Fair.

—By Julie Davis Berry

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