Dear Harborfields Community,
It is my pleasure to welcome our students and families to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope the summer provided time to relax, recharge, and enjoy special moments with family and friends. Throughout the past several weeks, our administrative, facilities, custodial, clerical, and technology teams have been working diligently behind the scenes to prepare our schools for another successful opening. I know our entire community joins me in thanking these dedicated professionals for their tremendous efforts and for all they do throughout the year to support our students and schools.
As we begin a new school year, we do so with tremendous pride in all that we have accomplished together and great excitement for what lies ahead. With the continued support and leadership of our Board of Education, we remain focused on meeting the needs of every learner through innovative curriculum and instruction, meaningful integration of technology, expanded opportunities for students, and a continued commitment to social-emotional wellness. This work remains guided by the goals and action steps of our Five-Year Strategic Plan.
It is hard to believe that we are entering the fifth and final year of our current Strategic Plan. Over the past several years, this plan has served as an important roadmap for our district, helping us transform ideas into meaningful opportunities and measurable outcomes for students. As we celebrate the progress we have made, we will also turn our attention toward the future. Throughout the coming year, I look forward to engaging our students, staff, families, community members, and Board of Education in thoughtful conversations about the next chapter of Harborfields and the development of our next Five-Year Strategic Plan.
Although classes were not in session, our schools remained busy throughout the summer. Washington Drive Primary School hosted both our Summer Academy and Extended School Year Program, providing students with engaging opportunities to continue learning and growing. I am grateful to the administrators, teachers, psychologists, social workers, teaching assistants, nurses, custodians, and support staff whose dedication made these programs possible. Harborfields High School was also home to a variety of HACEF and Booster Club camps, with proceeds directly benefiting our students through scholarships, grants, programs, and donations. These organizations, along with our outstanding PTA units, are invaluable partners in our work, and I encourage families to become involved and support the many ways they enrich the Harborfields experience.
This summer, we were also pleased to welcome several talented educators to leadership roles within our Harborfields Family:
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Ms. Donna Kam – K–12 Director of STEM
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Ms. Meghan White – K–12 Director of Humanities
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Ms. Jessica Castoro – Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School Assistant Principal
Each brings valuable experience, enthusiasm, and a deep commitment to students and staff. I look forward to the contributions they will make as we continue strengthening teaching, learning, and student support across the district.
As we prepare to welcome our students back to our schools, I am also pleased to share the following updates with the Harborfields community:
Facilities Improvements
Summer break provides an opportunity to complete facilities improvements in each of our buildings. In addition to the usual cleaning, painting, repairs, polishing, and waxing, our custodial and facilities teams have gone above and beyond to ensure that our buildings are ready to welcome more than 2,700 students and nearly 550 staff members in September.
Projects included in Phase 3 of the 2024 Bond Project are nearing completion. Some of the major projects include the refurbishment of many classrooms at HHS, TJL, and OMS; a complete refresh of the high school auditorium, including a new façade, seating, flooring, and lighting; and the installation of air conditioning in the South Gymnasium at Harborfields High School. This completes our goal to provide air conditioning in all large spaces and classrooms throughout the district. All corridor ceilings at HHS were replaced, along with the completion of various exterior repairs. At OMS, our students will be excited to see a new rubberized track being installed as well as resurfaced parking lots with security gates, and new first floor windows. While the majority of improvements at TJL and WDPS were completed during Phases 1 and 2, new doors were installed at both schools this summer.
I will be providing a capital project update this Wednesday at our August 19th Board of Education meeting. Please tune in for more information!
School of Distinction - Harborfields High School
I am pleased to share that Harborfields High School was recognized as a School of Distinction by the NYS Public High School Athletic Association for the fourth consecutive year! To earn this recognition, 100% of our varsity athletic teams needed to qualify as scholar-athlete teams. I am very proud of this recognition and join our community in congratulating all our scholar-athletes. Way to go, Tornadoes!
2025 2026 Annual Report
I encourage you to take a moment to review our 2025-2026 Annual Report, which highlights district programs and student accomplishments from the past school year. I am incredibly proud of our students, staff, and community partners, whose support continues to help every child reach their fullest potential.
Looking Forward to a Great School Year
As September approaches, please look out for additional welcome information from our principals.
I look forward to greeting our students on the first day of school, September 3rd, and to seeing families at the many exciting events planned for the year ahead. On behalf of the Board of Education, our administration, and myself, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and successful school year.
Enjoy the remaining days of summer!
Sincerely,
Rory J. Manning, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
| Each Child. Each Day. One Harborfields Family |
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