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National Art Honor Society Celebrates 10th Anniversary of 6x6 Collaborative Show

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Harborfields High School’s National Art Honor Society students displayed their work at the 10th annual NAHS 6x6 Collaborative Art Installation, where a special installation themed “Home” brought together 11 school districts from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Showcasing the artwork of student-artists from this year and the past decade, the 6x6 art was elegantly displayed on custom-designed cubes. The show ran from April 10-14 at the Heckscher Museum in Huntington, with the opening reception taking place on April 11. The cubes then went on display at the Firefly Artists Gallery in Northport.

Co-founded in 2014 by art teachers and NAHS advisers Jeanie Ritter of Harborfields and Rosemarie Elder of Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, the 6x6 project seeks to encourage NAHS students to connect, collaborate and create. Heckscher Museum Educational Director Joy Weiner provided the host location. Allyson Uttendorfer, NAHS adviser for Half Hollow Hills High School East, joined the project in 2015, with the three teachers serving ever since as 6x6 Collaborative coordinators. Other high schools participating in 2024 included Cold Spring Harbor, Hicksville, Massapequa, Northport-East Northport, Syosset and Wantagh high schools as well as Mineola Middle School.

This year, Ritter received grants from Jovia Financial Credit Union and Blick Art Materials to expand the scope of the exhibit for the 10th anniversary. The support from these sponsors enabled the project to offer commemorative logo T-shirts, honor all students with certificates of participation, present Awards of Excellence and highlight a “best in show” piece. The original logo and 10th anniversary logo were designed by Harborfields senior Emma Byrom, who serves with junior Samantha Urmaza as the NAHS chapter’s 6x6 Collaborative liaisons.

Visit the 6x6 website to view the students’ work: https://sites.google.com/harborfieldscsd.org/nahs6x6/home



Date Added: 5/1/2024

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Washington Drive “Purples Up” to Celebrate Its Military Families

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Students and staff at Washington Drive Primary School participated in Purple Up on April 15, celebrating its military families by wearing purple and tying purple ribbons outside the building.

April is the month of the Military Child, and Purple Up encourages the wearing of purple to honor military kids. The color references the joint environment of the military – encompassing all service branches, active duty, reserve, National Guard and veterans – by combining each branch’s colors into one; the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard all use shades of blue, the Army uses green and the Marines use red.

“Thank you to our PTA for the purple ribbon and beautiful banner, and to our military families for their service,” Principal Kathryn McNally said.

Date Added: 4/29/2024

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Harborfields High School’s Future Teachers Observe Classes at OMS

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Harborfields High School students enrolled in the Introduction to Secondary Education course with Dr. Alison Matthews had an opportunity to visit their former teachers at Oldfield Middle School on April 9. This particular course, part of the Child Development and Education Pathway, allows students to acquire credit as student teacher observers. Laura Hurney, an Oldfield English teacher, arranged a schedule for each student to observe classes in three different content areas. Students took notes, spoke with teachers and even participated in the lessons.

“During the course of their study, this special access allows students to gain a vantage point, no longer as a middle schooler, but rather as an educator,” Dr. Matthews aid. “From Virtual Enterprise to science and physical education classes, these future teachers continue to make our Harborfields family proud and full of potential.”



Date Added: 4/26/2024

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Building Bridges With Band

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In late March, Oldfield Middle School band students traveled to Harborfields High School for a bridge-building session with their older counterparts. Seventh and eighth graders sat in on an 11th and 12th grade band rehearsal, sightread a small section of that ensemble’s “How to Train Your Dragon” medley, witnessed them rehearsing concert overture classic “Hounds of Spring,” and performed a Taylor Swift medley from their own repertoire with the upperclassmen. The middle schoolers also had a chance to ask the older students about high school band and their experiences transitioning into the building, High School Band Director Allison Scilla answered questions and spoke briefly about the program as a whole, and all of the students had time to socialize over a pizza lunch before returning to the rest of their school day.

“We feel strongly that fostering these types of connections, offering younger students an opportunity to explore and experience what band is like in the high school setting, and giving our juniors and seniors a chance to share their experiences are all important ways to go about creating a cultural continuity that allows musicians of different ages to relate to one another,” Middle School Band Director Dan Bilawsky said. “I'm so glad that Ms. Scilla and her band were able to host us and offer the seventh and eighth graders a look at what their future in band can be.” 

Date Added: 4/25/2024

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Harborfields Sculpture Students Learn from Professional Ceramicist

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Harborfields High School students in Eileen Rottkamp and Kalliope Viegas’ sculpture classes were recently visited by professional ceramicist Gina Mars. During her visit, Mars provided a captivating demonstration on the potter's wheel, showcasing her skills and expertise. Following the demonstration, students had the unique opportunity to engage with Mars one on one, where they learned new wheel throwing techniques.

“The students were truly engaged and thoroughly enjoyed this hands-on experience,” Rottkamp said.

Date Added: 4/22/2024

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Current News   

National Art Honor Society Celebrates 10th Anniversary of 6x6 Collaborative Show
 
Washington Drive “Purples Up” to Celebrate Its Military Families
 
Harborfields High School’s Future Teachers Observe Classes at OMS
 
Building Bridges With Band
 
Harborfields Sculpture Students Learn from Professional Ceramicist
 
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