Dr. Manning's 5-Minute Weekly Update

Posted Date: 11/16/25 (10:00 AM)

Dr. Manning's 5-Minute Weekly Newsletter - November 16, 2025

Superintendent's Message

I had the pleasure of welcoming many veterans who visited with our students to share stories of their service and sacrifice. What an exceptional learning experience for our students!

Click on any of the pictures in this update for additional information.

Grateful For Our Exceptional Students, Staff, and Community!

During this season of thanks, I want to express my appreciation for the dedication of our staff, the support of our families, and the inspiring efforts of our students. I’m fortunate that my work takes me into classrooms across our district. Whether I’m in Washington Drive, Thomas J. Lahey, Oldfield Middle School, or the high school, I’m reminded of the exceptional teaching and learning happening here in Harborfields.

HHS - New York State Unified Sports Champion School!
I am thrilled to share that Harborfields High School was recognized by the Special Olympics as a New York State Unified Sports Champion School! Thank you to our coaches, Mr. Bertuch and Ms. Lebit, for their hard work and dedication to providing athletic opportunities for all students. A special shoutout to our student-athletes who make our champion unified program an inclusive and fun experience each and every day. Way to Go Tornadoes!

All-State Honors - Sayla Fives
Congratulations to Harborfields High School Junior, Sayla Fives, who took 9th place in the New York State Cross Country Championships yesterday. Her amazing run of 18:27 for 5K earned her All-State Honors! Way to go, Sayla!

A Night To Remember - Harlem Wizards
Friday evening, the world-famous Harborfields Teaching Tornadoes took to the basketball court at Harborfields High School to take on the Harlem Wizards in front of a capacity crowd. This fun event was hosted by the Harborfields Council of PTAs as their annual fundraiser, with all proceeds going directly back to our students and our schools. I would like to sincerely thank our PTA volunteers for their countless hours of work to make the event possible. I also need to thank our Teaching Tornadoes staff members, who gave it their all on the court to the delight of our students and families in attendance.

Congratulations to 8th grader, Chloe Reyes-Thai, who opened the evening by singing the national anthem, our local Cub Scout Troop for the color guard, the Harborfields Youth Cheerleaders for an amazing performance, and the Harborfields High School Kickline for their perfect halftime show!

The final score was not in our favor, but we will get 'em next year! Click on the picture below to see more from the Teaching Tornadoes!

Celebration of New & Newly Tenured!

It was wonderful to recognize 29 staff members at the annual New & Newly Tenured Staff Reception. We celebrated 15 dedicated staff members who earned tenure: Joseph Acquaviva, Melissa Basel, Kristen Boody, Allyse Choic, Vincent Companion, Maribeth Corr, Graceann Fitzmaurice, Robert Franco, Harman Kaur, Catherine Meehan, Jennifer Minogue, Heather Palma, Bailey Roche, Linda Scarth, and Kelly Teape.

We also officially welcomed 14 new staff members to the #oneHFamily: Samantha Alfieri, Alannah Belmonte, Kelly Fernandes, Alexandra Hicks, Samantha Howe, Katherine Hudson, Milton Josephs, Kelly Lagoumis, Jennifer Maichin, Kyra Marando, Brittany Quigg, Kimberly SanFilippo, Michael Sgaglione, and Robert Tartaro.

This special evening celebrated our wonderful staff, both new and established, and the lasting impact they have on students' lives. Please join me in congratulating them all!

Upcoming Fall Theatre Production

The Harborfields Theatre Company cast and crew is preparing for their upcoming performances of Eurydice! The play retells the myth of Orpheus from the perspective of Eurydice, his wife. Be sure to get your tickets and support our talented students on Friday, November 21st, and Saturday, November 22nd at 7:00 p.m.

4th Annual Corey’s Promise Color Run

Are you looking for something fun to do next weekend while supporting a great cause? Please consider registering for the 4th Annual Color Run at OMS to support Corey’s Promise. The run will take place on Sunday, November 23rd, from 9 - 11 a.m. Check out the event flyer for registration details!

Here are some of my favorite moments from this past week:

Harborfields High School:

AP Microeconomics students explored production costs in a sweet way… with marshmallows! Using toothpicks and marshmallows, small groups of students built structures designed to maximize output while keeping cost at a minimum.

Oldfield Middle School:
Mr. Havranek gave the popular Shark Tank a historical twist! Students pitched 19th-century inventions to “investors,” combining creativity, research, and presentation skills in a fun, hands-on way.

Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School:
In honor of Veterans Day, local veterans who are also parents, grandparents, and community members stopped by to share their personal experiences with students. Classes heard inspiring stories from Navy, Army, and Marine vets who spoke about service, teamwork, and leadership. The visiting veterans certainly left a lasting impact on students across the school.

Washington Drive Primary School:
In celebration of World Kindness Day on November 13, Mrs. Postorino’s class read “Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Day” and created an Acts of Kindness chain. I stopped by to share a special message about spreading kindness on the morning announcements!

Board of Education Meeting Preview

The Harborfields Board of Education will hold its next Regular Meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at Oldfield Middle School. The public portion of this meeting is expected to begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. Doors will open to the public at 7:20 p.m. The public does not need to register in advance to view the meeting remotely. All meetings will be live-streamed on our student-run Tornado News website. The link is also provided on the monthly Public Notice document posted on our website.

The Board of Education welcomes and encourages the public to attend its meetings. The agenda for this meeting is posted on the Board of Education page of our website, along with a brochure describing Board of Education meetings and an informational letter describing the public comment process.

Highlights of this month’s meeting are as follows:

The Board Recognition program will begin with a celebration of Harborfields High School being recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Students and staff will also be recognized for their accomplishments during the Board recognition program.
My Superintendent's Report will include a spotlight on the new Emergency Medical Services program at Harborfields High School.
A presentation on Health and Wellness at Harborfields will be provided.

Following the Superintendent’s Report, the Board will act on items included in the agenda. We hope you will be able to join us at this upcoming meeting of the Board of Education.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and our schools!

Each Child. Each Day. One Harborfields Family.