Featured Bulletins

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, Harborfields High School’s 10th grade Student Government members donated $1,500 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The team collectively designed and sold children’s and adult-sized t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts and sweatshirts across the district’s schools, raising breast cancer awareness and a sense of community. 

“I think it’s something that is really impactful especially because there is so little we can do in this time and it’s so strange that we can’t be together and gather,” Student Government President Nahrahel Louis said. “We thought that this would be a great way to bring the community spirit back by collectively coming together and supporting this one thing. It has truly been a team effort.”

Members of the Student Government also planned and executed districtwide “Pink Day[s]” on Nov. 12-13. Students, faculty and staff wore their new apparel in solidarity.

Fifth graders at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School in Mr. Rettino and Mrs. Washington’s, and Mrs. Turrini and Mr. Kanler’s integrated classes kicked off the New Year with the “One Word Challenge.”

The program, created by authors Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page, was created in 1999 as a New Year’s resolution replacement. Instead, the authors of “One Word That Will Change Your Life,” found it to be more successful to choose just one word to live by and aspire to.  

Inspired to do the same, the two classes read the book "One Word for Kids," and each student chose one word to serve as a guiding vision for 2021. To help students select their one word, the teachers conducted several lessons on how to pick one word, live one word and love one word, before selecting a word themselves. 

Each student then designed and painted a canvas and shared their aspirations, as well as desk stickers, with their classmates to help each other “live” their one words. 

“Our words will give us meaning and mission, passion and purpose for the year,” Mrs. Turrini said. “This one word will help us focus on what matters the most. The one word will help us be our best and create a focus for us to have a great year.”

Unwilling to compromise on tradition in the age of COVID-19, Harborfields faculty, staff and parents came together to produce Washington Drive Primary School’s annual “Pick a Reading Partner” kick-off show. 

This year’s performance, a play on “The Wizard of Oz,” titled “Follow the Reading Road,” followed the story of classic characters and their search for a brain, heart and courage — each of which were delivered in the form of a book.  

This year’s goal is to have students complete a combined total of 2,021 hours of reading over the course of the week. If successful, the entire school will enjoy challenging Principal Kathryn McNally to complete one of three silly tasks. 

Kindergartners in Emily Gutheil’s class at Washington Drive Primary School started off the New Year by remembering some of the important life lessons that they learned in 2020. 

Upon returning to school after the holidays, students talked about their New Year’s resolutions and read books about the New Year, but Ms. Gutheil said that she also wanted her students to remember 2020 as a year like no other. While she addressed with her students the challenges faced since March, she also had them reflect on the positive lessons and experiences that they had. 

To help inspire them, she read the children’s book, “In the Year 2020,” by Dani Quattrone, which sheds light on some of the silver linings of 2020 and touches on the importance of working together to overcome hardships during the pandemic. 

The lesson that followed: “2020…A Year to Remember,” had students writing about how, during 2020, they spent more time with their families, enjoyed outdoor activities and even watched the “Earth get healthy.”

Ms. Gutheil said, “Even at their young ages of 5 and 6, they understood that 2020 brought them some pretty memorable experiences.”