After a quiet week of empty hallways, classrooms, and parking lots, it was great to welcome our students and staff back to school! I hope everyone enjoyed some family time during the mid-winter recess. 

As we flip the page on the calendar to March, the number of school events start to pick up significantly. I am personally looking forward to joining our families at all of our events this spring. There’s no better feeling than celebrating the achievements of our students alongside our dedicated staff and amazing families. 

History Made! 

Last Thursday, New York State held the first-ever State Tournament Championship for Girls Wrestling. I am so proud to share that Harborfields High School senior, Mikee Tepley, placed third in NY State and also earned All-State Honors! Congratulations, Mikee! This is an amazing personal and program accomplishment. We are so proud!  

A big Thank You to our Director of Athletics, Rob Franco, and our Coaches Nick D’Anna and Greg Mazzola for being there in support of Mikee at this historic event!

A Brighter Tomorrow Begins Today at HF!

Prior to the mid-winter recess, all four schools came together to celebrate P.S. I Love You Week, embracing this year’s theme – “a brighter tomorrow begins today!” Each building put its own spin on activities that engaged students and staff while promoting kindness, connection, and mental health awareness. The week concluded with a district-wide show of support for the cause with everyone wearing purple. The social-emotional wellness of our students and staff is one of the district’s top priorities. It was wonderful to see our community come together to honor a cause that further advances our goals.

PTA Reflections Winners

The National PTA Reflections Program welcomes students of all grades and abilities to explore the arts. This year, our students reflected on the theme 'Accepting Imperfection' and created original works of art that beautifully expressed their thoughts, feelings, and creativity. Their original works were submitted for judging in a variety of categories and ceremonies were held throughout the district to celebrate the winners. Please join me in congratulating the following students who earned County-level recognition in the Suffolk Regional PTA competition: 

Dance Choreography: Delaney Cali (OMS), Avery McCarty (WDPS) 

Film Production: Cole Matsis-McCready (TJL)

Literature: Sophie Clayton (OMS), Leah Giove (OMS) 

Music Composition: Olivia Wiese (WDPS) 

Photography: Cierra Bues (OMS) 

Visual Arts: Isabella Kolev (OMS), Jack Kelly (TJL) 

In addition, we are thrilled to share that Madeline Klug of Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School will advance to the National PTA level in the Photography category! Congratulations to all the PTA Reflections winners! 

February Superintendent’s Spotlight

Each month, a student program is the subject of my Superintendent’s Spotlight at our Board of Education Meetings.  This month, the Helping Hands program at Harborfields High School took the stage.  Please take a moment to learn more about this program by watching the brief video linked below.