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Harborfields high school

Monday, June 9 looked a little different for the Harborfields High School Class of 2025. Instead of their regular schedules, seniors spread out across the greater Greenlawn community to participate in a Day of Service, an event created by Bridget Hickey as part of her Capstone Project for Civics Awareness and Community Action.

Hickey didn’t want the project to be a solo endeavor. She challenged her entire class of 258 students to join her in giving back and they responded in full force.

With support and assistance from Mrs. Patricia Taylor, seniors were assigned one of 13 volunteer sites throughout the community. The Day of Service projects included cleaning up and painting lamp posts on Broadway, designing a mural at the Northport VA Hospital, donating items and crafting with residents of Paumanack Village, collecting food donations and stocking shelves at HACO’s food pantry, and much more. Some chose to serve within the school district itself, collaborating on a project with students at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School and cooking and crafting alongside students in the Career Transition Class at the high school.

Remarkably, the number of students not participating was smaller than the size of an average class roster.

“I wanted seniors to participate in community service beyond the hours they need for different clubs,” shared  Hickey. “I hoped they would discover a  love for volunteering and feel inspired to stay involved in their communities long after high school.”

Bridget not only encouraged her peers to give back, but she did so in a way that directly reflects the values of the Harborfields Central School District. Harborfields is committed to developing life-long learners with the intellectual, social and emotional skills necessary to achieve success as active citizens within their local community and in an ever-changing diverse global society. Her project exemplifies how student leadership can bring the district’s Strategic Plan to life through meaningful action.

The Day of Service left a lasting impression on the seniors who participated, the staff and students who worked alongside them, and the community members who benefitted from their efforts.

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s production of “Chicago” was recently nominated for 10 Hunting-Tony Awards, including Best Musical Production. The nominations included Nolan Reinhardt for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and Best Male Vocalist, Angelica Viviani for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Cooper Knorr for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical and Lily Brown for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. 

The annual event is held by the Town of Huntington to celebrate the musical and drama productions of the nine local high schools. At the Hunting-Tony Awards ceremony, held on May 15 at Harborfields High School, cast and crew members from each of the high school productions were in attendance, along with their families. John Glenn senior Nolan Reinhardt secured his third win in a row, taking home the award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. 

“It was a joy to celebrate the hard work of these talented students,” director Brittany Wheeler said. “I am incredibly proud of all our nominees, as well as the entire cast and crew who worked tirelessly to make our production a success.”  

Legislator Bontempi with Ms. Patricia Taylor’s Civics’ Class, at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn.

On October 21, Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R – 18th L.D.) visited Harborfields High School, where she spoke with students in Ms. Taylor’s Civics class.

During her visit, Legislator Bontempi delivered an engaging presentation on the role of the Suffolk County Legislature. She explained the responsibilities of a Suffolk County Legislator, provided insight into her day-to-day work, discussed water quality initiatives and legislation on this year’s election ballot, as well as highlighted various community outreach programs offered by her office. Legislator Bontempi also guided students through the legislative process, from the inception of an idea to its passage as law.

The discussion included an opportunity for students to express their thoughts on school policies, such as the controversial “No Cell Phones in Class” rule. Legislator Bontempi encouraged students to think critically about how policies are formed, getting involved, and how they can influence their community.

“The students were incredibly thoughtful and engaged. It’s inspiring to see young people so interested in the civic process and government as a whole,” said Legislator Bontempi. “Their perspectives on policymaking are invaluable, as they will shape the future of our communities.”

Harborfields High School science research students Jessica Dean, Jackson Dunham, Alexa Green, Riley Lyons and Leah Vapnyar complete their last session at the Cold Spring Harbor Labs Science Journal Club. Photo courtesy of Harborfields CSD

Harborfields High School science research students Jessica Dean, Jackson Dunham, Alexa Green, Riley Lyons and Leah Vapnyar recently completed their final session at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Science Journal Club. The lab offers this program exclusively to Harborfields students.

During this school year, these five students attended 15 biweekly sessions at the Carnegie Library on the CSHL campus and presented landmark papers with both scientists and archivists. Additionally, they received a behind-the-scenes look at three labs on the cutting edge of research in breast cancer, neuroscience,and plant genetic engineering. Each student was presented with a certificate by the library archivists and scientists they had worked with throughout the year.

“The Science Journal Club gave these students not only an opportunity to enhance their public speaking skills, but also a chance to see real-world applications of the science concepts they learn in class,” science research teacher Michael Pinto said.

Andrew Hoppe and Delilah Shapiro earned seventh place medals in the Write It Do It event.

Harborfields High School recently sent three teams of 15 students to the Eastern Long Island Science Olympiad to compete against 60 other teams in 24 different science and engineering events. Guided by teacher Mike Pinto, Harborfields earned six medals over the course of the event.

Kyleigh Connors and Michelle Diner took fifth place in the Geologic Mapping category.

Andrew Hoppe, Suvan Shrestha and Quinn Johnson Wemyss finished sixth in Scrambler.

Andrew Hoppe and Delilah Shapiro took seventh in Write It Do It.

Alex Meagher and Leo Meagher earned ninth place in Ecology.

Mohammad Karim Anan and Liza Michalopoulos finished 10th in Astronomy. 

Riley Lyons and Brody Surbeck placed 10th in Dynamic Planet

— Photos courtesy of Harborfields CSD

 

Harborfields High School student Olivia Eusanio was recently selected as an All-Region player by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Photo courtesy HCSD

Harborfields High School student Olivia Eusanio was recently selected as an All-Region player by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, recognizing her as one of only 171 players selected from over 500 spanning 20 states who were nominated this year.

NFHCA High School All-Region teams are made up of student-athletes that represent the highest level of field hockey players in their region. 

“This is the very first time Harborfields has had an All-Region selection,” coach Lauren Desiderio said. “We are very, very proud of Olivia and the accolades she has worked so hard to achieve this past season. She truly represents the best of Harborfields through her athleticism, academic achievement and sportsmanship.”

Three Harborfields High School students Jackson Ferrara (trombone, HS Instrumental Jazz), Peter Hoss (tenor saxophone, HS Instrumental Jazz) and Hartley Semmes (trumpet, HS Instrumental Jazz) are selected for SCMEA All-County Jazz ensembles. Photo courtesy HCSD

Three Harborfields High School students have been selected for SCMEA All-County Jazz ensembles: Jackson Ferrara (trombone, HS Instrumental Jazz), Peter Hoss (tenor saxophone, HS Instrumental Jazz) and Hartley Semmes (trumpet, HS Instrumental Jazz).

An extremely select band, the SCMEA All-County HS Instrumental Jazz group requires an audition for acceptance. Fewer than 20 students in grades 10-12 from across Suffolk are chosen to participate. 

“These young musicians are extremely dedicated to their pursuit of excellence in this area,” Harborfields High School Jazz Band director Dan Bilawsky said. “Their selection is a well-deserved reward for their high-level commitment and hard work.”

Shoreham-Wading River scores the insurance goal. Photo by Bill Landon

It was the quarterfinal round of field hockey playoffs when the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River (No.3 seed) hosted sixth-seeded Harborfields in a Class B matchup Tuesday night, and the Tornadoes would have their hands full at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field.

Jocelyn Kavanaugh broke the ice for Shoreham-Wading River off an assist by Haylie Abrams at the 4:27 mark of the second quarter to put the Wildcats out front. Harborfields had several opportunities to even the score from penalty corner shots, but the Wildcats defense was able keep the Tornadoes at bay. 

Sophia Minnion would provide the insurance goal for the Wildcats off an assist by Ellie Arena to take a 2-0 advantage three minutes into the third quarter. The Tornadoes wouldn’t go quietly, with Wildcats goalie Maggie Andersen stopping nine in the box. Harborfields keeper Lily Viscusi had eight saves on the night.

The 2-0 win sends the Wildcats to Eastport-South Manor (No. 2 seed) Saturday, Oct. 28, for a 10 a.m. semifinal matchup.

 – Photos by Bill Landon

Port Jefferson had its hands full when the Royals hosted the Tornadoes of Harborfields Sept. 21 in a League III matchup where they found themselves down two goals at the halftime break. Harborfields’ junior Alexandra Fiumara found the right corner of the net off a rebound within four minutes followed by Lila Porzio at the 22-minute mark.

The Royals struggled to keep the ball upfield in the second half when Harborfields’ seniors Meaghan Fealy and Alanna Ratti both found the net to close out the game with a 4-0 victory.

Port Jeff goalie Rose Meliker-Hammock had 13 saves on the day and Harborfields’ keeper Keira Collins stopped 3.

The win lifted Harborfields to 5-2 on the season while the Royals fell to 1-5.

– Photos by Bill Landon

Five Harborfields High School students, pictured above, were recently named winners in the second annual national Junior Achievement Social Innovation Challenge. Photo courtesy HCSD

Five Harborfields High School students were recently named national winners in the second annual national Junior Achievement Social Innovation Challenge. The five students were all members of the Harborfields Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, which is facilitated by the school’s business department coordinator, Alison Matthews.

The challenge is a national competition in which high school students submit their innovative ideas for making an impact on their communities. The winning students were selected from more than 90 participating teams from across the country, and will have the opportunity to further develop their entrepreneurial concepts with the assistance of experts from challenge sponsor Chick-fil-A.

Nahrahel Louis won first place for “Clothing for a Cause,” a social enterprise that partners with organizations to create clothing for fundraising. Nahrahel’s company idea focused on collaboration with schools, businesses, nonprofits and other organizations to create custom apparel that reflects their unique brand and message, handling the entire process — from design to production and even shipping — to ensure a seamless and effortless experience for their partners.

Gabriella DiMartino, Nabeeha Ilyas, Elizabeth Kelly and Ivie Mergille won third place for “Purte.” Inspired by families living without adequate heating and cooling, and recognizing the need for affordable climate innovations, the Purte team designed a portable, solar-powered climate control device that cools and heats a room at the click of a button, using sunlight as a source of energy for a spinning center that rotates to conduct air.