With the winter recess fast approaching, our Harborfields community has truly embraced the joyful spirit. From spectacular winter concerts and cheerful caroling in the neighborhood to heartfelt toy and gift drives, gift-wrapping efforts, and festive spirit weeks throughout the buildings, the excitement is contagious. 

Perhaps the biggest cheer-makers are the District’s social workers, who have gone above and beyond to help families in our community by organizing a Snowflake Gift Collection. Staff members generously selected snowflakes featuring individual gift requests and thoughtfully purchased and wrapped each item. There were hundreds of gifts collected. These gifts will soon be delivered to local families, bringing joy, warmth, and plenty of smiles this holiday season. Thank you, Ms. Zaharia, Ms. SanFilippo, Ms. Leonard, and Dr. Koenig! 

I will take a break from my weekly update until after the New Year. Wishing all our families good health and happiness in 2026 and beyond! 

Outstanding Achievement by Our Student-Athletes! 

We are thrilled to share that all of the high school's fall varsity teams were named Scholar-Athlete Teams by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association! 

To earn this distinction, at least 75% of each team's roster must achieve a GPA of 90.00 or higher for the marking period. In addition, 165 students from these teams were recognized individually as scholar-athletes. This achievement highlights the strong connection between academic excellence and athletics! 

Another exciting achievement for a student-athlete… Ava Vandor was named the 2025 Suffolk County Diver of the Year! 

Superintendent’s Spotlight - Facilitating a Culture of Belonging at TJL

Each month, we take a moment at our Regular Board of Education meetings to spotlight a student program to showcase the wonderful opportunities happening across the district.  This month, we had the pleasure of spotlighting TJL’s Lion’s Mane Mission as they foster a culture of belonging.  Please take a moment to watch the video below.  You won’t be disappointed! 

Save the Date - Names Not Numbers Documentary

I encourage you all to reserve Thursday, January 22, 2026, on your calendar to attend a screening of a student-produced Holocaust film documentary, Names, Not Numbers. This one-hour film was created by local teens who met over the course of a year at the Suffolk YJCC to study the Holocaust and learn journalism and film techniques in order to document the lives of three local Holocaust survivors.