This story was submitted by Harker parent Narendra Nayak (Avinash, grade 11).

With a busy year winding down, grade 11 families decided on a get-together that would be fun and entertaining for all. Initiated by grade-level coordinators Ana Duraiswamy (Kevin, grade 11; Ashley, grade 5) and Priya Cherukuri (Varun, grade 11), a large group of families congregated March 16 at Nichols Hall on the Saratoga campus for the Multicultural Family Social. Attendees enjoyed music from across the world and across the decades, which helped set the tone for the evening. Several guests were attired in traditional clothing and the social hour that preceded dinner provided ample opportunity to meet and greet other guests. The multicultural dinner spread gave the guests a true taste for the diversity in culture the school’s families offer.

It was then time for family games. A challenging round of Bingo followed by a well-contested musical chairs had everyone in the audience on their feet, cheering the contestants as they engaged in cordial competition. The games were followed by entertainment in which both children and adults performed dance and vocal numbers. The crowd often tested the limits of the loudness meter when expressing their appreciation.

For the grand finale the floor was opened up for dancing to lively music with parents and children stepping it up with vigorous participation. While the four-hour event helped the grade 11 families mingle in a relaxed atmosphere, the one complaint from the 80-odd guests was that it was too short! Much credit for the success of the event goes to Harker’s advancement office, kitchen staff, facility department and security staff for their support in planning and running the event.