This Week in Pictures

Breakfast Special for Pre-K Moms

The Preschool children celebrated Mother's and Special Friend's Day by sharing a delicious breakfast together in Harbor's dining room. Each child presented his or her mother or special friend with a beautiful, hand-made present--a secret they've kept all week--as well as a unique "hug and kiss" specially made by the children.

Using Manipulatives to Teach Math

Third-grade students are learning to determine if outcomes are likely, unlikely, certain, or impossible using colored math cubes and bags. Students learn to alter the outcome by changing the number and the colors of cubes in each of their bags.

Chicken Eggs Update

In their pre-school farm unit, the children are learning about different kinds of bird nests and the eggs they lay.  The children made their own bird nests from Chinese noodles and paper leaves. We have 11 chicken eggs in our incubator, and if all goes well the eggs should hatch in about three weeks. In the picture below, Mrs. Napodano demonstrated how to make yarn from raw sheep's wool using a spinning wheel.

The Farm Is a Classroom for Pre-Schoolers

A trip to Benner's Farm provided preschool children with a bird’s eye view of a real working farm, and some hands-on experience. The children were riveted as Benny taught them about the various animals that live on and near the farm. Each child had an opportunity to feed the baby kids with milk bottles, feed fresh grass to the sheep and goats, and hold newborn chicks and rabbits. They also saw how hens lay eggs in their nests. Bringing classroom experiences to life reinforces many concepts learned in class, and provides children with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to the real world.

Notices

Harbor Wish List

Thank you to all those who have helped with our past wish list items! Right now, we are working to market HCDS, and one of the ways to market Harbor Country Day School is to spruce up our campus. The School will be hosting the Strawberry Festival on June 2, and commencement on June 7. Our campus needs to look as nurtured and well groomed as our students, as developed and well thought out as our program, and as charming and inviting as our faculty and staff:) The grounds must reflect the culture of Harbor and what we do inside our school. Let's work together to make it happen!

Our current wish list...

• Posts ($18/per) and rails ($12/per) for the fencing - we need approx. 40 rails and 20 posts
• long-handed claw for gardening
• grooming along North Country Road (could we get all hands on deck one day?)
• new outside screen door for the front of Tulip Knoll
• new or adapted post for the mailbox
• weeders (people who have a few minutes to stop and pull weeds when on campus)
• plants - donations of new or split for the terrace area
• golf cart for athletics/plant operations
• window washing for school buildings 

HEN Camp News

Do You Know…                                         

Harbor Country Day School Summer Camp and Workshops can help youngsters can improve their chess games with master chess instructor, Harold Stenzel. 

Register now for:

Week of July 16, 2012                 Grades 1- 8

Time:
       9:10 a.m.  Beginning Chess
       10:30 a.m. Experienced Chess

Beginning Chess introduces youngsters to the game.  They learn the basic moves and rules of chess.  Experienced Chess is for students who have some knowledge of the game and want to advance their skills.

Harold is the president of the Nassau Chess Club and has been its chief tournament director since 1976.  He has earned the highest tournament directing titles of both the U.S. Chess Federation and FIDE (the international chess organization) and directed at some of the biggest tournaments in the country, including the U.S. Open and the National Elementary Championships. As a player, his peak rating was national master, and he is currently ranked in the 97th percentile of nationally rated tournament players. He has played in over 1,000 rated tournaments (over 4,000 games).  Some of his games have been published in books and periodicals.  He has taught chess in over 60 schools, 30 libraries and chess camps, and he gives private lessons to players ranging from under 4 to senior citizens.  He was inducted into the NYS Chess Association Hall of Fame.

Combine the chess workshop with an afternoon of summer fun or register for chess with additional workshops.  Call the camp office if you have any questions.

Greenkill Meeting

Dear Fourth-Seventh Grade Parents,

Mark your calendars for, May 16, 2012.  At 6:30 pm, Jason Marker, Outdoor Education Director of Greenkill Outdoor Education Center, will be at Harbor to give a presentation about its programs. As you know, our 7^th and 8^th graders visit Greenkill each year for a three-day, two-night experience. Greenkill is a YMCA Camp located in Huguenot, New York, which provides a safe, interactive and enriching environment for students to immerse themselves in a comprehensive, character development program. Please take this opportunity to see what your children will explore. 

Please email me at ddecker@hcdsny.org  if you plan to attend this fabulous opportunity.

Thanks,

Debbie W. Decker
Director of Athletics and Student Life

Yearbook

Yearbook orders are still being taken. The cost is $30 for full color/hard cover. Quantities are limited and once we sell out we will be unable to order any more. Don't get left out. Extra order forms are available in the main office.
J. Settoducato 

Strawberry Festival on June 2

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Harbor is hosting the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Harbor Country Day School. The rain date is June 3.  All of the proceeds for this event will go directly to Stony Brook Children's Hospital.  Last year, we raised over $20,000 and we hope to meet or exceed that goal this year. 

This day is a celebration of Long Island strawberries. There will be craft and food vendors, local musicians, children's entertainment and games, a strawberry creation throw-down contest, a strawberry shortcake eating contest, a children's strawberry stemming contest and much, much more. 

For more information, or to download a sponsor or vendor form, please go to our website and select the tab for "Upcoming Events."

Parents’ Association

Parents' Association Open Positions for 2012 -2013

Come Join Us!!!

There are many different opportunities.  Be a part of something that is very rewarding.  Every person makes a difference. CLICK HERE to see the different positions.

See where you fit in best.

Cooking On Tulip Knoll

The Harbor Cookbook is on its way.  Coming to a kitchen near you this fall.  Do you have a specialty dish, a favorite dessert or an appetizer to die for?  You have time to perfect your dish this summer.  More to come.............

Foundations of Leadership..........

Our children exhibit their leadership every day at school.  Over the years as they walk the halls of Harbor, they leave their legacy with our school.  Coming this fall, you too can leave your legacy with Harbor.  One BRICK at a time!!  Stay tuned for how you can be a part of Harbor for eternity.

Thank you for your continued support!

Stephen Hussey,
Parents’ Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

Good Grief!

Hail to the Charlie Brown in all of us--the youngster who costs his team the game, who can’t keep his kite out the trees, and who ties himself up in knots over how to win the heart of The Little Red-Haired Girl.

Described as a typical day in the life of Charlie Brown, any day is anything but typical.  It swings from euphoria to calamity and back again.  Over time, growing up augers in fresh challenges, different circumstances and a new vocabulary for youngsters to master. One of the important words in that vocabulary is ‘parents.’

Both parents and children were on hand Friday night for Harbor’s spring musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”  Almost 50 years after its first production, “Charlie Brown” still has plenty of spring in its step.  Its lessons ring true with parents and youngsters alike:  Be grateful for small blessings (a full supper dish for Snoopy, a blanket for Linus and a respite for Schroeder from Lucy’s constant harangues). 

One of the pleasures of seeing Harbor’s production of “Charlie Brown” is seeing young actors stepping into roles, and circumstances, that, in terms of age, are almost tailor-made for them.  The ‘serious’ theater for Harbor students will come as they grow older, but for now we can delight in youngsters playing youngsters.  It’s what they do best.

SKYPE Draws in Harbor and Toledo Students

Sixth and seventh grade Spanish students from Harbor and Toledo had the  opportunity recently to simultaneously interview Doña Salud Cristobal. The new experience enabled Harbor students to make the connection with a native person from Spain and meet her personally .

Doña Salud was born in Toledo and lives in Madrid, Spain. She frequently comes to the United States to visit family and friends.  Doña Salud shared with the students many interesting stories about Toledo and also showed us her artistic talent using the castanets. Carina Cristobal is the granddaughter of Doña Salud and is currently  in the first grade.  Meeting your “abuela” was a treat for everyone. Gracias!

Budding literary talent flocks to Writer’s Alley

 
Alex put together the frame, letter and photograph for the first author in Writer’s Alley.

Photographs and letters from award-winning authors will soon give a literary flavor to the Upper School English classroom as it takes a new name:  Writer’s Alley.

Rodman Philbrick, an award-winning author of eight books for middle-school students, will be the first writer honored in this way at Harbor Country Day.  English 5 students began the project after reading one of Mr. Philbrick’s books,The Young Man and the Sea, in class.

After completing the novel, students wrote individual letters to Mr. Philbrick, inquiring about his career.  The author replied with a lengthy letter and photograph to the class, and answers to its many questions:  When did you start writing? Who is your favorite author?  Is the sea an important theme in your books?  How do you overcome writer’s block?

In the future, fifth-grade students plan to contact other authors who write for middle-school students and begin building a portfolio of photographs and letters that will be displayed in the English classroom.

The Return of Flat Stanley

At the end of February, the first graders sent 20 Flat Stanleys to 15 states and Washington, D.C. So far, all but seven have returned and have had interesting adventures to share with us. They have seen public libraries, museums, beaches and parks, visited schools, and gone to sporting events. Some of our Stanleys made friends with family pets such as dogs, cats, and even a lizard. Stanleys have flown on planes, sped across the water in boats, ridden bicycles, and even helped drive a school bus. One Stanley returned after spending a week at technical rehearsals for a college theatre production. Now he wants to be an actor. 

As each Stanley returns to Harbor, we study the state he has visited. First graders locate each state on the U.S. map, and then they learn many facts about each state, such as the capital, state bird, state flower, area, motto, nickname, and other cool facts. Did you know that the official sport of Maryland is jousting, or that the state of Texas has four official plays? Do you know what is the official dog of Louisiana? We didn't either until one of our Stanleys visited Mrs. Napodano's friend, who lives in New Orleans. By the way, it's the Catahoula leopard dog.

Partners in Learning and Reading

First and third grade students got together Friday morning for partner readings, in which students from both grades took turns reading and listening to their classmates.  An added element was our visitor, Daniel Netter, a former Harbor student.  Daniel was nice enough to pitch in and lend his voice to the partner reading exercise.

Notices

Harbor Wish List

Thank you to all those who have helped with our past wish list items! Right now, we are working to market HCDS, and one of the ways to market Harbor Country Day School is to spruce up our campus. The School will be hosting the Strawberry Festival on June 2, and commencement on June 7. Our campus needs to look as nurtured and well groomed as our students, as developed and well thought out as our program, and as charming and inviting as our faculty and staff:) The grounds must reflect the culture of Harbor and what we do inside our school. Let's work together to make it happen!

Our current wish list...

• Posts ($18/per) and rails ($12/per) for the fencing - we need approx. 40 rails and 20 posts
• long-handed claw for gardening
• grooming along North Country Road (could we get all hands on deck one day?)
• new outside screen door for the front of Tulip Knoll
• new or adapted post for the mailbox
• weeders (people who have a few minutes to stop and pull weeds when on campus)
• plants - donations of new or split for the terrace area
• golf cart for athletics/plant operations
• window washing for school buildings 

HEN Camp News

Hot off the Presses….

There is a new Robotics workshop being offered at camp this summer. During the week of July 30^th, Mr. Artie Weissbach will be running a robotics workshop for students entering grades 4 – 8 in September. 

If you have any questions concerning this incredible workshop, please call the camp office.  Enrollment is limited.

Mindstorm Robotics

9:10 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

Have you ever wanted to build your own robot and then program it to do whatever you needed?  Have you wondered if you could? You can, and this is the workshop that will teach you how to do it every step of the way! In this workshop you will build your own robot, and then equip it with two interactive servo motors, a light sensor, sound sensor, ultrasonic sensor, two touch sensors and an intelligent brain. The next step is to use laptop computers to create programs that you will download to the robot’s intelligent brain, which will control all functions of the robot. This is a cool workshop that promotes problem-solving and communication skills. Through brainstorming you and your colleagues will find creative solutions to problems.  All workshop participants will receive a special Robotics Team t-shirt.

Please note: The robotics kit used in this workshop remains the property of Harbor Country Day School.

Harbor Fund Update

The generous and thoughtful supporters of The Harbor Fund understand that tuition alone is not enough to fund an education at Harbor Country Day School. The Harbor Fund provides essential support for every aspect of life at Harbor.

The Harbor Hunger Games

On Thursday, May 17, The Upper School Gamemakers will host the Harbor Hunger Games for grades 5 through 8. The event will run from 3:15-5:30 p.m., and activities will include a trivia challenge, a physical challenge and a cornucopia challenge. Five dollars will provide tributes with a healthy snack and beverage to keep up their strength during the games.

Please return the Permission Slip and $5 by May 11.

 May the odds be ever in your favor.

Greenkill Meeting

Dear Fourth-Seventh Grade Parents,

Mark your calendars for, May 16, 2012.  At 6:30 pm, Jason Marker, Outdoor Education Director of Greenkill Outdoor Education Center, will be at Harbor to give a presentation about its programs. As you know, our 7^th and 8^th graders visit Greenkill each year for a three-day, two-night experience. Greenkill is a YMCA Camp located in Huguenot, New York, which provides a safe, interactive and enriching environment for students to immerse themselves in a comprehensive, character development program. Please take this opportunity to see what your children will explore. 

Please email me at ddecker@hcdsny.org  if you plan to attend this fabulous opportunity.

Thanks,

Debbie W. Decker
Director of Athletics and Student Life

Yearbook

Yearbook orders are still being taken. The cost is $30 for full color/hard cover. Quantities are limited and once we sell out we will be unable to order any more. Don't get left out. Extra order forms are available in the main office.
J. Settoducato 

Strawberry Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 2

Harbor is hosting the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Harbor Country Day School. The rain date is June 3.  All of the proceeds for this event will go directly to Stony Brook Children's Hospital.  Last year, we raised over $20,000 and we hope to meet or exceed that goal this year. 

This day is a celebration of Long Island strawberries. There will be craft and food vendors, local musicians, children's entertainment and games, a strawberry creation throw-down contest, a strawberry shortcake eating contest, a children's strawberry stemming contest and much, much more. 

For more information, or to download a sponsor or vendor form, please go to our website and select the tab for "Upcoming Events."

Parents’ Association

Parents' Association Open Positions for 2012 -2013

Come Join Us!!!

There are many different opportunities.  Be a part of something that is very rewarding.  Every person makes a difference. CLICK HERE to see the different positions.

See where you fit in best.

Cooking On Tulip Knoll

The Harbor Cookbook is on its way.  Coming to a kitchen near you this fall.  Do you have a specialty dish, a favorite dessert or an appetizer to die for?  You have time to perfect your dish this summer.  More to come.............

Foundations of Leadership..........

Our children exhibit their leadership every day at school.  Over the years as they walk the halls of Harbor, they leave their legacy with our school.  Coming this fall, you too can leave your legacy with Harbor.  One BRICK at a time!!  Stay tuned for how you can be a part of Harbor for eternity.

Thank you for your continued support!

Stephen Hussey,
Parents’ Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

Trying to Fill Shakespeare’s Shoes

How would you like to be William Shakespeare for one week?  One day? How about 20 minutes?

 Julian carried it off well at Friday’s all-school meeting.  Donning the period attire of an Elizabethan gentleman, he paraded about the gymnasium dispensing Renaissance wisdom.

“I’d always wanted to play the role of a pompous English gentleman, and this was my chance,” said Julian.  The students were treated to recitations of Shakespeare’s sonnet No. 145, as it would have sounded during the Renaissance, and the same sonnet as it is read today.  The two stood in stark contrast to one another, illustrating how dynamic and ever-changing the English language is.

In recognition of April as National Poetry Month, Friday’s all-school meeting also featured a poetry recitation by nine Nissequogues and nine Nesconsets.  The top awards went to two Nissequogues:  Zoe Rizzo, lower school, and Jake Dessart, upper school.

Diggin’ in the Dirt

Friday, April 20, turned out to be a beautiful day to revisit our kindergarten/first- grade trench, dug exactly one month ago, and discover what became of the variety of "trash" we had buried.

Students dug up small sections of the trench, and the findings were pretty clear. The glass jars, plastic trays, aluminum can, and bits of newspaper and cardboard remained virtually the same, except for being dirty and housing a happy worm or two. We discussed how the paper and cardboard might have decomposed if it remained longer in the trench.  But plastic, glass and aluminum were exactly the same as the day we buried it.

The experiment underscored the need to recycle these products so that they do not end up in landfills, polluting Earth. The organic matter we buried, such as apple cores, banana peels, bits of cucumber and so on, could barely be found.  As a matter of fact, all we actually unearthed was part of a clementine rind and a grape stem. Everything else had decomposed and returned some nutrients to the soil.

The message to us was to compost organic matter, whenever possible!  Parents, we hope the lesson is coming home...Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle...and Compost!

Pre-K Studies Africa

Our young students have been learning about some of the countries in Africa. They are in awe of the artifacts and treasures of ancient Egypt. Listening to sounds in a word was a skill that came into play when the students used hieroglyphs, to sound out the letters in their names when making their own cartouches.

Kenya brought new adventures, and our young explorers were introduced to the Masai tribe and its way of life. They were intrigued with the daily routines of a Masai child, which they compared and contrasted with their own ways of life.

An integrated curriculum is key in enhancing our young students’ experiences.  Ms. Siani introduced the children to African drums and rhythms in music class, while tribal masks were explored and created with Mrs. Grass in a visit to the art studio.  

The Southwest Comes Alive for Students 

Kindergartners entertained their parents this week with a presentation of songs, facts and research projects dealing with the deserts of our American Southwest.  The students have greatly enjoyed this science unit, which has captured their imaginations to the point that they are building deserts out of linking cubes, drawing saguaro cacti, roadrunners, elf owls, and scorpions in their free time, and singing about coyotes and javelinas. 

Old Mac Donald Tends his Brood

In Harbor's preschool, Old Mac Donald is tending to his farm animals and preparing the fields for a robust crop. The children have been tilling the soil, sowingvegetable seeds and irrigating the fields. In the absence of mother hen, eggs were placed in an incubator on April 25. The thermostat is set at 99.5 degrees F, the same temperature as a mother hen's body, and students are hoping for a successful hatch in 21 days. Stay tuned. Be sure to stop by to see the variety of eggs in our incubator.

Preschool children are starting a new unit about the farm. They are learning about various nests and how birds use them to incubate their eggs. (The ones below are made from Chinese noodles and paper leaves.)  In our classroom incubator, 11 chicken eggs have been set, and we hope to have a hatch in 21 days if all goes well. 

The Next Best Thing to Being the Artist Himself

The third grade played with the Picasso Head website today.  It allows students to discover his technique by creating portraits in his style. Their signatures are even written in the artist’s famous font. Visit it at any time to create your own Picasso head. Picassohead.com.

Keeping an Eye on the Weather

The third grade took a trip recently to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Students explored a walk through the history of flight, learned about the rich history of our region and got a glimpse of what the future holds. We enjoyed a program about weather patterns and their effect on aircraft. Students also learned about some of the ingredients that could conjure up destructive forces, such as a tornado.

Let the Games Begin

Harbor hosted its Family Fun Night last Friday at the .  Students, parents and freinds of the school enjoyed tumbling, soccer archery and dinner.

Notices

Annual Art Show

The Harbor Country Day School community looks forward to the Annual Art Show on May 21. Our young artists will be highlighted this year in a fabulous public forum in the lobby of the Cancer Center at Stony Brook Hospital, and the exhibit will remain up until May 25. We are very excited about the new venue to showcase the wonderful arts at HCDS and our talented students. Please plan to join us for the opening reception on Monday, May 21. More details will follow.

All-School Field Day

Friday, May 25, 2012

The preschool children will participate in Field Day along with all other Harbor Country Day School students. There will be No Regular Classes for preschool children on that day. Each preschool child must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who will participate with the child throughout the morning. Each Field Day event will have a faculty supervisor to explain the activity. When the activity is completed, the activity’s supervisor will punch your child’s event card. There will be many developmentally appropriate activities for every student. Some of the events may be too challenging for our youngest children. Parents and children will determine the activities in which they participate. Activities will take place inside the school building, in the gym, on the patio, and outside on the field.

Please park on the field. Meet your teacher in your classroom at 8:30 a.m. After the flag ceremony, the events for grades N-4 will begin at 9:15 a.m.  The children may stay to cheer on the Upper School students while they participate in their activities. An all school barbeque will be served to all our families after the events are complete. Please email Ms. Daniele at dmaniscalchi@hcdsny.org if you plan to attend the barbecue, and if you would like a hamburger or hotdog. Dismissal for all students will follow the barbecue at 1:00 p.m.

Thanking you for your cooperation,

Terry Hotzak

Greenkill Meeting

Dear Fourth-Seventh Grade Parents,

Mark your calendars for, May 16, 2012.  At 6:30 pm, Jason Marker, Outdoor Education Director of Greenkill Outdoor Education Center, will be at Harbor to give a presentation about its programs. As you know, our 7^th and 8^th graders visit Greenkill each year for a three-day, two-night experience. Greenkill is a YMCA Camp located in Huguenot, New York, which provides a safe, interactive and enriching environment for students to immerse themselves in a comprehensive, character development program. Please take this opportunity to see what your children will explore. 

Please email me at ddecker@hcdsny.org  if you plan to attend this fabulous opportunity.

Thanks,

Debbie W. Decker
Director of Athletics and Student Life

Dressing Up Campus for Spring and Summer

Thank you to our three hard-working gardeners who are edging, weeding and planting the gardens on campus:  Abby Ciambone, Lisa Cissel and Jama Young. A special thank you to Abby for the donated plants. Also, thank you to our pre-school weeders who helped to tackle the terrace area on Earth Day!  If anyone is splitting perennials this spring, we would love for you to share your plants for the terrace gardens, which get a lot of sun. We could also use a donation of good quality, dark brown mulch for the gardens. Let's see if we can continue the good work to get Tulip Knoll looking great for spring and summer, in addition to the Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 2!

Yearbook

Yearbook order forms have been distributed to all students. Please consider purchasing a yearbook for your child. A full year’s events are chronicled in the book and it is a wonderful remembrance of the year at Harbor! Quantities are limited so get your orders in early.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

Friday, May 4, 2012    7p.m. in the gymnasium

See Sydney Essex as Charlie Brown, Sarah Hickerson as Snoopy, Thalia Konstantopoulos as Lucy, Kimberly Cataudella as Linus, Natalie Butkevich as Marcie, Kaitlyn Welch as Schroeder, Evelyn Beltrani as Patty, Alexandra Berlingieri as Sally, Jake Dessart as Pig Pen, Emma Hickerson as Peppermint Patty, Anum Khan as Violet, Donna Sanders as Frieda and Christian Cataudella as Shermy.  These students have been rehearsing, and working very hard after school for the last two months. This promises to be a fantastic production and an enjoyable event for the whole family.

Plein-air art will be on display

The eighth annual Joseph Reboli Wet Paint Festival will run for three days in May, in and around Stony Brook and Setauket.  Regional artists participating in the festival include Larissa Grass, art director and artist-in-residence at Harbor Country Day School.

Working artists will be on the scene May 4, 5 and 6 at the Historic District and Stony Brook Boat Basin.  Ms. Grass will be painting May 5 and 6 at the boat basin. Paintings will be exhibited for auction May 8 – May 11, and artwork will be auctioned 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 11.

The areas where artwork will be on display during the festival are the boat basin, the Setauket Post Office, the Setauket Pond Bates House and at the Neighborhood and Thompson Houses.

The Wet Paint Festival is a tribute to the late artist Joseph Reboli as a celebration of plein-air painting. 

Strawberry Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 2

Harbor is hosting the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Harbor Country Day School. The rain date is June 3.  All of the proceeds for this event will go directly to Stony Brook Children's Hospital.  Last year, we raised over $20,000 and we hope to meet or exceed that goal this year. 

This day is a celebration of Long Island strawberries. There will be craft and food vendors, local musicians, children's entertainment and games, a strawberry creation throw-down contest, a strawberry shortcake eating contest, a children's strawberry stemming contest and much, much more. 

For more information, or to download a sponsor or vendor form, please go to our website and select the tab for "Upcoming Events."

Parents’ Association


THANK YOU ALL

for a successful Family Fun Sports Night!

It was a FUNomenal  night for the Harbor Community with over 200 participants in the Harbor Games!  Special Thanks: To all the Gamemakers, especially to Mrs. Decker and Mrs. Hotzak who fostered friendly, competitive games between the Tributes and the Capitol! To all the supportive parents, especially Jennifer Berlingieri, Mike Berlingieri, Michele Welch Buddenhagen, Carmelo Cataudella, Cyndy Cataudella, Abby Ciambrone Josefina Essex, Jeanne Forster, Nancy Hickerson, Stephen Hussey, Lori Hussey, Daniele Maniscalchi, Misha Monticciolo, Leslie Murn, Mary Sanders and Carrie Zuckerman. To the Berlingieri Family for the fancy fruit platters! To the Murn family for the beverages to quench our thirsts! To the Sanders Family for the assorted ice cream, ices and yogurt treats! Family Fun Night lived up to its “fun” name once again!

Parents' Association Open Positions for 2012 -2013

Come Join Us!!!

There are many different opportunities.  Be a part of something that is very rewarding.  Every person makes a difference. CLICK HERE to see the different positions.

See where you fit in best.

Cooking On Tulip Knoll

The Harbor Cookbook is on its way.  Coming to a kitchen near you this fall.  Do you have a specialty dish, a favorite dessert or an appetizer to die for?  You have time to perfect your dish this summer.  More to come.............

Foundations of Leadership..........

Our children exhibit their leadership every day at school.  Over the years as they walk the halls of Harbor, they leave their legacy with our school.  Coming this fall, you too can leave your legacy with Harbor.  One BRICK at a time!!  Stay tuned for how you can be a part of Harbor for eternity.

Thank you for your continued support!

Stephen Hussey,
Parents’ Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

Skype in the Classroom

Over the past two weeks, 6th and 7th grade Spanish students interviewed students in Toledo, Spain, via Skype. Our students then wrote a summary in Spanish and shared it with the students of Toledo this past Monday. To make the assignment more fun, Harbor students left out the name of whom they were writing about and asked the students in Toledo to guess the identity of their mystery friend.

The 8^th grade students were also able to use Skype in the classroom. Knowing their interest in ballet, a special interview was scheduled with our students. Reaching out to others is one of the many uses of Skype, and this was a very special opportunity for the students to do so in the language classroom.

Elisa Toro Franky from Bogotá, Colombia, was our special guest. Elisa dances with the New Jersey Ballet Company, and she travels constantly to fulfill a busy calendar of events.

The students were truly inspired and excited to learn about the fascinating world of ballet. For Elisa Toro Franky, “el baile es su vida.:” Dancing is her life.

The Beach Tells Its Own Story

Harbor got a jump on Earth Day as upper-school students took part in a scavenger hunt Friday at Long Beach in the town of Smithtown.  Along with the assorted rocks, shells, quartz and evidence of horse-shoe crabs, there was also evidence of human flotsam (cans and garbage, for instance).  Students studied the effect of a jetty on the beach, discovering that it tends to redeposit sand and can change the contours of the beach.

Also on Friday, the second-, third- and fourth-grade students celebrated Earth Day by visiting West Meadow Beach.  Students collected plastic items found as they walked along the beach.  Along the way, everyone enjoyed picking up interesting shells and rocks. After walking along the sound side of the beach, students walked over to the wetlands and talked about how pollution impacts estuaries--places where baby animals hatch and grow.

Back in Time with the American Revolution Wax Museum

On Wednesday, the fourth grade hosted its fourth annual American Revolution Wax Museum. The students dressed up in period costumes and gave short speeches about their contributions to the American Revolution. This year our "guests" included: Andrew Oliver (a Massachusetts tax collector), King George III, Abigail Adams, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin and General George Washington. Our Museum guests also included Cathlyn from the Smithtown Historical Society, who gave demonstrations of how to spin wool into thread; Donna Smith, from the Three Village Historical Society, who taught us about Anna Smith Strong from the Long Island Spy Ring; and Rosemary and Rusty, who played music from the time period.  We also had our Traveling Spy Museum Kit on loan, from the Three Village Historical Society. This kit includes replicas of every-day items from that time. 

The fourth-grade parents, Harbor teachers and students were welcomed to visit our Museum and to learn all about the American Revolution. The fourth grade had a wonderful time presenting what they learned about the Revolution.

Oscar’s Three R’s

Oscar the Grouch has an Earth Day message for the preschool children:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Reusing toilet paper rolls and leftover scraps of green construction paper, the children created an Oscar the Grouch reminder of Earth Day 2012. Dressing in gardening clothes for school today, and bringing garden tools from home, the Nursery and Pre-K children spent a beautiful spring morning weeding the school patio gardens and planting colorful petunias in celebration of Earth Day. 

Plein-Air Art will be on Display

The eighth annual Joseph Reboli Wet Paint Festival will run for three days in May, in and around Stony Brook and Setauket.  Regional artists participating in the festival include Larissa Grass, art director and artist-in-residence at Harbor Country Day School.

Working artists will be on the scene May 4, 5 and 6 at the Historic District and Stony Brook Boat Basin.  Ms. Grass will be painting May 5 and 6 at the boat basin. Paintings will be exhibited for auction May 8 – May 11, and artwork will be auctioned 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 11.

The three areas where artwork will be on display during the festival are the boat basin, the Setauket Post Office, the Setauket Pond Bates House and at the Neighborhood and Thompson Houses.

The Wet Paint Festival is a tribute to the late artist Joseph Reboli as a celebration of plein-air painting. 

Notices

Student Council Announcements:

The Student Council is sponsoring a plant sale this week, with proceeds earmarked for planting and repairing the koi pond.  An announcement went out this past Friday to all families along with a pre-order forms. If for any reason you missed the email you can click here for the pre-order form. All orders must be submitted by April 30, and the pick-up date is May 9 (just in time for Mother’s Day).

The Student Council is also sponsoring a Happy Spring Day on April 24.  Students should dress in spring colors like lime green, yellow, hot pink, or bright blue. 

We thank everyone for collecting Box-Tops. Please continue, as there will be another surprise for the next winning group.

Thank You...

To Mrs. Ciambrone (Micaela, grade 4), Mrs. Cissel and Mrs. Young for their hard work in planting hostas on campus this past week.  We appreciate your efforts in helping to beautify Tulip Knoll.

The Garden Club

Yearbook

Yearbook order forms have been distributed to all students. Please consider purchasing a yearbook for your child. A full year’s events are chronicled in the book and it is a wonderful remembrance of the year at Harbor! Quantities are limited so get your orders in early.

Strawberry Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 2

Harbor is hosting the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Harbor Country Day School. The rain date is June 3.  All of the proceeds for this event will go directly to Stony Brook Children's Hospital.  Last year, we raised over $20,000 and we hope to meet or exceed that goal this year. 

This day is a celebration of Long Island strawberries. There will be craft and food vendors, local musicians, children's entertainment and games, a strawberry creation throw-down contest, a strawberry shortcake eating contest, a children's strawberry stemming contest and much, much more. 

For more information, or to download a sponsor or vendor form, please go to our website and select the tab for "Upcoming Events."

Parents’ Association

MR. SOFTEE IS COMING!!!

GREAT JOB TO ALL

Mr. Softee will be coming
between
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
on April 25. All children will be able to enjoy a scrumptious delight of their choice. 
Ice pops will be available for children with food allergies.

*************************************************************************************************

FAMILY SPORTS NIGHT

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 27 at the International Soccer Academy in Smithtown.

Preschool through 8th grade students, siblings, parents and friends, Harbor faculty and staff

(Organized by grades 6, 7 and 8).

REGISTRATION AT THE DOOR ACCEPTED; $15 per person (t-shirts are not guaranteed)

FREE DRESS at school on Friday, April 27

Get ready for an evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition

with heart-pounding activities for all ages to enjoy! See below for the schedule of events.

 Click here for Family Sports Night form. Send in tomorrow to ensure t-shirt for adults.

Big Soccer Field Students vs. Parents

 6 p.m. K grade

 6:30 p.m. 1st grade

 7 p.m. 2nd-3rd grade

 7:30 Halftime – Fireballs: Tributes vs. Capitol

 8 p.m.: 4th-5th grade

 8:30 p.m.: 6th-8th grade

Training Center: Archery, Hula Hoops, Jump Rope, Agility challenges

 6 p.m. 1st grade

6:30 p.m. 2nd -3rd grade

7 p.m. K grade

7:30 p.m. Halftime - Fireballs: Tributes vs. Capitol

8 p.m. 6th-8th grade

8:30 p.m. 4th-5th grade

Volleyball:  Students vs. Faculty/Parents

6 p.m. 2nd-3rd grade

6:30 4th-5th grade

7 p.m. 6th-8th grade

7:30 Halftime - Fireballs: Tributes vs. Capitol

8 p.m. 1st grade

8:30 K grade

FUN Events for Everyone!

Supervised tumbling room for Preschoolers.

Spectators are welcome to cheer in our stadium seating!

Arts & Crafts table.

Food and Refreshments will be served.

Summer's on it's way!!!

Have you been sprucing up around the house, planting some of your favorite flowers?

Whether you already have started or are getting ready to do so... 

If you are getting green while you plant your greenery, then think about Harbor. If you are planting perennials, splitting up some hostas, or taking your third trip to Lowe's, think about bringing part of those perennials to plant around Harbor. No need to bring it in a pot, or anything fancy. Just bring it in a bag, and leave at the front desk with Ms. Daniele.

Selecting perennials provides benefits in terms of cost savings, establishing a garden and giving structure and form to landscapes. Perennials give you time to get to know your plants, their growth habits and how to create the best conditions for them.

Thank you for your continued support!

Stephen Hussey,
Parents’ Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

It’s Great to Meet a Real Fungi

The 6^th grade science students are really fun guys and gals. They grew mushrooms this week as they learned the characteristics of protists and fungi.

Mushrooms belong to the family of organisms known as fungi. They help nature by recycling material back into nutrients.

History Students Share Their Knowledge with Third-Graders

This week the 7^th and 8^th grade history students shared their projects with Ms. Woods’s third-grade class.  As part of their unit about life after the Civil War, Ms. Fotis’s history class wrote and illustrated children’s books about the passage of the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th amendments, and what life was like after the Civil War for former slaves. They also created PowerPoint presentations and skits based on the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Throughout the presentations the 7^th and 8^th graders actively engaged the third graders with questions about each topic.  The students were excited to present their work, and the third graders did a great job listening and answering questions.  It was a great way to have fun and learn at the same time.

French Cuisine at Three Village Inn

Harbor's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders enjoyed a French lunch on Thursday at the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. The culinary treats were prepared by the highly respected French chef, Guy Reuge. Monsieur Reuge is from the Loire Valley region of France, and for many years he ran the acclaimed Mirabelle Restaurant on North Country Road. A few years ago it was moved to the Three Village Inn. 

Because Mirabelle is open only at night, the Harbor students ate in the less formal dining room called The Tavern at Mirabelle.  The three-course meal included a salad or croque monsieur (French version of a ham and cheese sandwich) followed by a main course of arctic char or boeuf bourguignon, and concluding with a choice of crêpe au chocolat or crème caramel.  At the end of the meal, chef Reuge and his wife, Maria, came to the table to welcome the students and their chaperones, Mrs. Williams and Mr. Prario.

Everything about the experience was superb:  the ambiance, camaraderie, food, service and value.  A bonus was a private tour of the Inn including a guest room for overnight stays, the several salons and banquet rooms, and one of the secret passageways. The guide also talked about the male and female ghosts that have been spotted by the staff over the years. 

Bravo to the Three Village Inn!  Harbor is indeed fortunate to benefit from the proximity of such a historical and culinary gem. Bon appétit! 

‘Pi’ Gets the Attention of the Mathematically Minded

Let’s hear it for pi, which begins with a ‘3’ followed by a decimal point and an endless string of digits!  Let no one say Harbor did not give pi its due.   Pi Day was March 14, and in a contest at the all-school meeting Friday, Isai emerged as the winner of the longest memorized succession of digits in pi (54).  Congratulations, Isai!  Students also made posters illustrating pi, and the winners in that category included Kaitlyn, Alex, Evelyn, Kimberly, Sydney and Rachel.      

The eagle-eyed will spot the Harbor Hawk

Harbor’s favorite, feathered friend, the Harbor Hawk, is waiting for you to find him.  Somewhere in this issue of the Hawk Eye News, or This Week in Pictures, he’s there, waiting to be found out.  Can you find him? But you can’t win if you don’t play, and all students have to do is ‘reply’ to this email, enter "Go Hawks" in the subject field, type their name in and identify his whereabouts  to have a chance to win an undisclosed award. Good luck!

Young Illustrators Challenge is Close to Completion

Forty pieces of art have been submitted for judging in the Harbor Country Day School’s first annual Young Illustrators Challenge.  The submissions are now on display at the school.

Judges will pick winners the week of March 26, and all participating artists are invited (along with their parents and families) to the award reception from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on March 31 at the school.

The theme of this challenge is “Peace,” and the artwork includes paintings, sculpture, drawings and collages.

Smithtown Fun Run

On March 10 Smithtown hosted its Fun Run. It was a beautiful day, and Harbor students, faculty and families showed their support with a total of 24 registering for the 1 mile or 5K race. The overall winner of the 1 mile run was our very own 5th grader, Jai, running it in a time of 6:40 and third place went to Jake with a time of 7 minutes flat. I am proud to say that the other 22 runners all finished their respective races. Great job to all the runners!

Tennis Anyone?

Recently, Harbor has made a connection with Setauket Tennis in Setauket, New York. ” Setauket Tennis and Fitness is committed to running quality-teaching programs. Our quest for excellence is supported by training each tennis professional for 100 hours during his or her first year of employment, followed by 30 hours a year of continuing education. We are passionate about creating curriculum driven programs that are result oriented, purposeful and fun. We are looking forward to working with the students of Harbor Country Day School. “ www.setaukettennis.com

Our 7^th and 8^th graders started going to Setauket Tennis and Fitness for PE classes this past Friday.  This is a great opportunity for our students to learn a lifetime sport.

Notices

Reminder:

The School calendar was revised in the fall and Spring Break is now April 5 – 13.

Thank you.

Dining Room News….

April’s menu will be sent home in the backpack today.  Click here if you need another copy of April’s menu.  All menus are due to the office by Friday, March 23.  Due to the spring recess, it is important to place your orders by this date.

Please remember all lunches must be pre-ordered.  Lunch orders will not be placed daily. Please send your child with a lunch each day if you have not ordered from the menu.

No refunds will be issued for missed lunches due to illness, field trips, etc.

If there are any questions, please call me at the school office.

Cathie Pisk

School Bus Transportation for Next Year

The strictly enforced transportation deadline for most school districts is April 1st.  Please be sure to contact your district for applications.

Thank you.

Now Enrolling for Summer Camp…

New workshop classes include: Chess, Kids in the Kitchen – Baking Edition, Airbrush Designs, The Art of Keith Harring, Kindermusik, iMovie and Animoto. Many Harbor teachers will teach in our workshop program, which will include: Ms. Grass, Ms. Netter, Ms. Siani, and Mr. Weissbach. 

A fun, educational math trailblazer class will be run by our own Ms. Jennifer Barkus. Join her in “Fun with Math” the week of July 23^rd from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Check out our Workshop Schedule, and see how much fun you can have at Harbor in the summer. Combine these classes with day camp for a true camp experience.

Information on all of our outstanding summer programs can be found atwww.campharbor.org.

Parents’ Association

Upcoming Events:

Spring Benefit

ONLY 4 DAYS REMAINING!!!!!!!

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23 from 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, casino, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!

Tickets are now available!

Only $60 per person

Invitations went out last week. If you haven’t received one, please send me an email at stephen.hussey@hotmail.com and I will get one for you.

WE MUST GIVE AN ACCURATE HEAD COUNT AS OF MARCH 21, 2012

 Invite friends and family out for a fun-filled night. Where else can you go and have a great meal, meet terrific people, and have a fantastic evening.

Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades
Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

 An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby?

We need your help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year are only one in 500

Ice Scream, You Scream,
 All students Scream for Ice Cream

As soon as we hit 300 ticket sales we will have Mr. Softie Ice Cream Truck for the students to enjoy.

WE ARE ONLY 10 TICKETS AWAY FROM HEARING THAT GOOD OLD MR. SOFTIE ICE CREAM TRUCK RINGING HIS BELL AS HE COMES DOWN THE STREET.

You know that there are less than 210 tickets remaining?

EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT.

THIS JUST IN...

If we can sell 400 tickets, we are going to have a Summer BBQ Party right here in Harbor. Yes, an actual BBQ!! There will be BBQ ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, delicious pies and so much more.

The best part of this BBQ is that our very own Mr. Cissel will be the King of the Grill.

Look out Emeril LaGasse and Mario Batali.

Here comes Chef Cissel.

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Help Wanted:

Anyone who won a beautiful basket from Harbor's Celebrities or has a picture frame from their winning basket please return them to the school. In order to conserve our resources, reusing those components help us considerably.

Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator  

This Week in Pictures

Math Team Answers the Challenge

Sydney, Sarah, Kimberly and Jai attended the Math Museum math tournament at Brookhaven Lab last Friday. 

The students creatively solved challenging problems, such as….

David removes 30 percent of the water in a jar.  He then removes 40 percent of what remains in the jar.  What percent of the original amount of water is now in the jar?

This is an example of the questions from the individual round.  The students have 30 minutes to complete 10 problems.  There is a team round that runs for 10 minutes with five very challenging questions, and then there is a mixed team round in which students work with other students from other schools.

All had a good time, and Kimberly’s mixed team placed in the winners’ circle.

Congratulations to Kimberly and our Harbor Middle School team!

Something’s Fishy at the Vanderbilt

On Feb. 9, Harbor Country Day Upper School students took a field trip to the Vanderbilt Museum to learn about marine life through artwork and exhibits. 

Did you know, for instance, that you cannot actually hear the ocean in a seashell? (The sound comes from the blood circulating in your eardrum.) Did you know that a seahorse has the head of a horse, body of a kangaroo, and the tail of a monkey?

Ask our students if they can tell you why painters long ago went out to sea to search for colorful fish, or what is the largest living thing on Earth that can be seen from space?  Our students learned plenty while they sat down to “paint” vibrant creatures in the Hall of Fishes. The trip to the Vanderbilt Museum will not be forgotten soon!

-Kimberly

A Crustacean Education

The preschool children are learning about life in the ocean. They discovered that some sea creatures wear their bones on the outside of their body, and they are called crustaceans.  This week two live lobsters were brought into the preschool classrooms for the children to feel and observe. Their hard exo-skeletons, as well as their large pincers, protected them from the large humans that hovered above. 

One of the lively lobsters decided to "join the ranks" in Pre-K and grasped a pencil in its claw, ready to start a day of writing and drawing.  Hands-on experiences such as this one help young children develop a clear understanding of concepts discussed in class. 

After feeling the hard shells on the lobsters, the children were able to make immediate connections to other crustaceans in the ocean. We wondered if a crab brought into the classroom would be inclined to pick up a paintbrush.

Notices

School Bus Transportation for Next Year

The strictly enforced transportation deadline for most school districts is April 1st.  Please be sure to contact your district for applications.

Thank you.

Now Enrolling for Summer Camp…

New workshop classes include: Chess, Kids in the Kitchen – Baking Edition, Airbrush Designs, The Art of Keith Harring, Kindermusik, iMovie and Animoto. Many Harbor teachers will teach in our workshop program, which will include: Ms. Grass, Ms. Netter, Ms. Siani, and Mr. Weissbach. 

A fun, educational math trailblazer class will be run by our own Ms. Jennifer Barkus. Join her in “Fun with Math” the week of July 23^rd from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Check out all our Workshop Schedule, and see how much fun you can have at Harbor in the summer. Combine these classes with day camp for a true camp experience.

Information on all of our outstanding summer programs can be found atwww.campharbor.org.

St. Patrick Would Be Proud

St. Patrick’s Day arrives one day early at Harbor this year, as the school celebrates the holiday on Friday, March 16.   There will be activities throughout the day, and the Student Council is hosting Canteen Night, with dinner and dessert, board games and Wii from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

After School Activities Program
Spring Session Begins March 12, 2012

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. A minimum enrollment of three students is required for a class to run, unless otherwise noted. Some classes will have a maximum enrollment number, which will be listed with the course description. Student absences cannot be made up or refunded. In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, or a program teacher’s absence, onemake-up class will be held at the end of the session. Each activity begins in the Dining Room with a healthy snack provided by the program. At 3:15 students will be picked up by the program teachers and escorted to their designated classrooms. Parent pick-up is promptly at 4:30 p.m. in the Main Hallway.

The cost for each activity is $140 per session, unless a materials fee is also required. Please make checks payable to Harbor Country Day School.

****Art Club is Full and will not be accepting any new enrollment****
Art Club                                                                Tuesdays
Instructor: Mrs. Grass                                        Grades: K-8
Minimum Enrollment: 3                                                      
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Materials Fee: $10
****Art Club is Full and will not be accepting any new enrollment****

This club is for the student who wishes he could come to the art studio more, who can’t get enough of painting and drawing and who loves to get messy exploring and discovering new and unique materials. If you’d like to spend more time in the art studio creating this club is for you.

The Harbor Dance N’ Beats                               Thursdays
Instructor: Ms. Dym                                            Grades: K-2
Minimum Enrollment: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 10

If you’re ready to dance your feet off, then this is the club to join! We’ll jazz it, rock it, hip hop it and more. The main goal is to provide students with a truly fun and rewarding experience through movement, rhythm and dance. Students will develop self confidence and a sense of personal achievement while enjoying the Dance N’ Beats experience! Students should wear loose comfortable clothing and sneakers.

Chess                                                                    Fridays
Instructor: Chess Nuts                                       Grades: All
Minimum Enrollment: 10

Note: This is an eight-week program – Click on the link for the Enrollment Form. Payment is made to Long Island Chess Nuts.

Learn and improve your chess skills. Weekly chess instruction followed by coached playing time. Program concludes with a Chess Tournament.  

Parents’ Association

Harbor's Celebrities

A Standing Ovation for Harbor Shining Stars!!

We would like to thank all of the wonderful parents, faculty and staff for helping make our Harbor Celebrities Event such a great success!  The fashionistas were fabulous and the talent was top notch. Rave reviews for each one who took center stage and modeled, sang, danced, told jokes, hula hooped, played the piano, violin, or did karate moves. Travis was poised and relax as the MC, introducing our performers and cheering them on. It was equally inspiring to see the turnout from the Harbor Community supporting our children.  Thank you to the Third and Fifth Grade families for all your hard work in planning the event and for providing the delicious desserts and refreshments. The generously donated auction baskets, especially from all the Harbor families, were a big hit as well. Really special was the whimsically painted toy chest decorated by Harbor’s budding artists in K – Gr.8, with the help of our talented Mrs. Grass, going home with the Verdi Family. More children’s art pieces will be available for auction at the Spring Benefit. 

Special thanks to Angela Verdi, Josefina Essex, Leslie Murn, Susan Gieraltowski, Mary Sanders, Carmelo Cataudella, for orchestrating the event and making it so enjoyable.

We did have a few baskets that were not claimed.  If you have the following ticket numbers, please let Ms. Daniele know, so you can claim your beautiful basket:

Winning Pink tickets category baskets: 3) Cultural Experience- ticket #36802, 5) Make Memories – ticket #36660, 14) Tilles Center - #36643, 18) O Sole Mio - #36823
  
A big round of applause to all who supported this event!  Harbor Celebrities is sure to be back next year, bigger and better!

Upcoming Events:

Did you Save the Date for Harbor's upcoming events?
Double-check your Blackberry and iPhone to make sure you save the dates below.

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23 from 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, casino, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!

Tickets are now available!

Only $60 per person

Invitations went out last week. If you haven’t received one, please send me an email at stephen.hussey@hotmail.com and I will get one for you. 

 Invite friends and family out for a fun-filled night. Where else can you go and have a great meal, meet terrific people, and have a fantastic evening.

The front of the invitation is for purchasing your tickets. The back is for you to calculate how many tickets you need as well as if you would like to contribute towards the teacher and staff pool facilitating more of Harbor's outstanding teachers and staff to attend. Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades
Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

 An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard

The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23 at Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma. This is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item

We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in the past for our auction:

• A night out in NYC, including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel.
• A foursome round of golf.
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico.
• A personal chef experience for 10.
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Remember, there are no donations too small or too large. All donations add to the success of the event. Give some thought to your favorite hairdresser, special restaurant, or even one of the many places where your child goes, like gymnastics or dance. These are a few examples of places that may donate services, a birthday party, or even a gift certificate. If you are not sure what they need in order to donate, shoot an email to Misha Monticciolo , Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net).

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:

Please consider being a sponsor for this event.

This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support. 

Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information. 

Buy tickets for this fun event!

Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration!

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby?

We need your help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year are only one in 500

Ice Scream, You Scream,
 All students Scream for Ice Cream

As soon as we hit 300 ticket sales we will have Mr. Softie Ice Cream Truck for the students to enjoy. Did you know that there are less than 220 tickets remaining?

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Cartridges for Kids 

We are still collecting cell phones, empty laser and inkjet cartridges, laptops, iPods^®, PDAs, video games & consoles, scientific graphing calculators, digital cameras, DVDs, GPS devices and iPads^®/tablets/eReaders.  Check around the house for anything you can bring in after winter break.  The recycle box is in the front office.

Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator  

This Week in Pictures

Black History Month Gets Students’ Attention

Ms. Foetis's history class and Ms. Huang-Ernst's second grade shared information about Black History Month. The Upper School wrote and illustrated its own story about slavery, and the second grade presented its research on famous African-American women in history. It was a great collaboration!

A Literary Sensation for Young Readers

The Harborcott Award, our school’s version of the vaunted Caldecott Award for the nation’s best illustrated children’s book, goes this year to Hello to Zorro by Carter Goodrich.

The runner-up with Lower School students, which probably could have won a global award for longest title, was Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus. This book was written by John Grandits.

Mr. Young took top honors at the Friday all-school meeting for his reading of Hello to Zorro, while Mr. Cissel took the silver medal for his second-place entry.

Looking Forward to... Mondays?

Harbor's Head of School, Mr. Young, and Ms. Young have been hosting Marshmallow Mondays with each grade during the winter. This week, they met with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades to catch up with students on what they did during their vacations and topics they are studying in class.

The Youngs heard about ski trips, visits with relatives and overnights with friends. Fishing and trips to Florida, Turkey, India and the Caribbean were also included. Mr. and Mrs. Young learned that the 4th grade is studying great explorers, and other adventurers who are lesser known. The 3rd graders are writing their own songs; what talent!

The Youngs also shared a story or two of their own adventures and photos of their grandsons. The 2nd graders wanted to know all about the Youngs and asked several good questions. All of the Harbor students have been gracious, kind and a lot of fun! As one 2nd grader wrote: “It was the best hot chocolate ever. I loved the sprinkles on top of the marshmallows. Plus, I liked the conversation we had. We think that says it all!”

Make Way for More Music in Schools

Did you know that March is national Music in Our Schools Month? Also known as MIOSM among music professionals, it's a time for us to emphasize the importance of music in our students' education and lives.

Over the past 30 years, many studies have shown a correlation between students studying music and improved math, reading, language and spatial skills. Did you know that young children with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years? Findings of a recent study showed that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement of students classified according to rhythmic competency. Students who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on all rhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test achieved below academic expectation.*

In addition to having many positive effects on academic performance, music also plays a large role in developing a child's social skills. In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts were found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels.**

Look for more compelling and interesting facts about music education in our upcoming issues of the HEN, and don't forget to take some time to investigate how music enhances your own life!

*"The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency and Academic Performance in First Grade Children," University of Central Florida, Debby Mitchell.

** The Arts Education Partnership, 1999.

We're 100 days smarter!

Thursday, March 1, was the 100th day of school.  First graders celebrated this milestone by participating in several activities throughout the day that revolved around the number 100.

The day began with Ms. Netter reading the book Jake's 100th Day of School by Lester L. Laminack. During our morning meeting we traded 10 ones for one 10, and then 10 tens for one 100 on our place value chart.

On our money chart we created seven rows of various coins that equal 100 cents. Children were timed to see how long it would take to complete 100 addition problems. The top three finishers were Kirsten (4 min., 57 sec.), Arjun (5 min., 53 sec.), and Austin (7 min., 2 sec.).  We played our spelling game, Sparkle, with 100 past spelling words. Carina was our finalist for that challenge. Ms. Netter taught the class a 100 Day song and we read the poem 100 is A Lot by Meish Goldish, which has exactly 100 words. Each student wrote a story titled I Found 100 Dollars, and they completed some 100th day activity pages.

The highlight of the day was the presentation of 100th Day projects. Each first grader, along with his or her family, created a unique project containing 100 of something. Legos, M & M's, pasta, buttons, stickers, shells, jelly beans, bendaroos and animal pictures galore adorn these projects, which will be on display outside the first-grade classroom.

What Is Slippery, Wet and Slimy?

The preschool children started a new curricular theme about ocean life. During the next several weeks the children will be learning interesting facts about the diverse creatures that inhabit our local waters (the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound).

Ms. Cissel, who has a vast knowledge of marine life, visited a local beach this week and brought back several live specimens of seaweed for the children to see, touch and smell. We learned that plants are living things. Unlike animals and humans, plants must make their own food to survive. Just like land plants, sea plants need sunlight to produce food.  Seaweed grows in shallower waters, or floats close to the surface to utilize sunlight for photosynthesis.  Some of the children shared that they have eaten seaweed in the form of sushi. Others cringed at the thought after touching the slimy, slippery specimens brought into the classroom.

Soon to come: sea animals with exo-skeletons, or, skeletons that are on the outside of their bodies.  Stay tuned...

Fourth-Grade Rediscover the New World

This week the fourth grade has been studying the exploration and settlement of North America.  We've spent time learning about explorers who came to the New York area, sailed into New York Bay (Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524), traveled up the Hudson River (Henry Hudson in 1609) and explored the Long Island Sound. The students learned that Block Island, just off the eastern cost of Long Island, was first claimed for the Dutch by Adriaen Block around 1610. Although these explorers were first searching for a shorter route to Asia, traveling west to reach the Far East, they soon discovered the abundant raw materials and "treasures" of this great New World.

Brushing Up on Dental Health

A very special "thank you" to Dr. Finch, Elliot's dad in Pre-K, and "Miss Wren," Elliot's mom, who came to teach our Harbor pre-schoolers all about keeping our teeth healthy. After a wonderful presentation, which included brushing horsey's big white teeth, each child was given a goody bag containing items to help keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Dr. Seuss Is On The Loose

Is he here?

Is he there?

Have you seen him

Anywhere?

Did he go east?

Did he go west?

Is he in the preschool

Getting dressed?

We spotted his hat,

And another, and more.

So many Seuss's,

Almost twenty-four.

Notices

Now Enrolling for Summer Camp…

New workshop classes include: Chess, Kids in the Kitchen – Baking Edition, Airbrush Designs, The Art of Keith Harring, Kindermusik, iMovie and Animoto. Many Harbor teachers will teach in our workshop program, which will include: Ms. Grass, Ms. Netter, Ms. Siani, and Mr. Weissbach.

A fun, educational math trailblazer class will be run by our own Ms. Jennifer Barkus. Join her in “Fun with Math” the week of July 23^rd from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Check out all our Workshop Schedule, and see how much fun you can have at Harbor in the summer. Combine these classes with day camp for a true camp experience.

Information on all of our outstanding summer programs can be found at www.campharbor.org.

St. Patrick Would Be Proud

St. Patrick’s Day arrives one day early at Harbor this year, as the school celebrates the holiday on Friday, March 16.   There will be activities throughout the day, and the Student Council is hosting Canteen Night, with dinner and dessert, board games and Wii from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

After School Activities Program
Spring Session Begins March 12, 2012

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. A minimum enrollment of three students is required for a class to run, unless otherwise noted. Some classes will have a maximum enrollment number, which will be listed with the course description. Student absences cannot be made up or refunded. In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, or a program teacher’s absence, one make-up class will be held at the end of the session. Each activity begins in the Dining Room with a healthy snack provided by the program. At 3:15 students will be picked up by the program teachers and escorted to their designated classrooms. Parent pick-up is promptly at 4:30 p.m. in the Main Hallway.

The cost for each activity is $140 per session, unless a materials fee is also required. Please make checks payable to Harbor Country Day School.

Art Club                                                                Tuesdays
Instructor: Mrs. Grass                                        Grades: K-8
Minimum Enrollment: 3                                                     
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Materials Fee: $10

This club is for the student who wishes he could come to the art studio more, who can’t get enough of painting and drawing and who loves to get messy exploring and discovering new and unique materials. If you’d like to spend more time in the art studio creating this club is for you.

Little Scientists                                                  Tuesdays
Instructors: Ms. Woods                                     Grades: K-1
Minimum Enrollment: 3
Maximum Enrollment: 6
Materials fee: $15

A hands-on science class where we'll discover the surprising science behind how things work. Some of our experiments will make things fly, fling, spin, swim, woosh, zoom and ooze.

The Harbor Dance N’ Beats                               Thursdays
Instructor: Ms. Dym                                            Grades: K-2
Minimum Enrollment: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 10

If you’re ready to dance your feet off, then this is the club to join! We’ll jazz it, rock it, hip hop it and more. The main goal is to provide students with a truly fun and rewarding experience through movement, rhythm and dance. Students will develop self confidence and a sense of personal achievement while enjoying the Dance N’ Beats experience! Students should wear loose comfortable clothing and sneakers.

Chess                                                                    Fridays
Instructor: Chess Nuts                                       Grades: All
Minimum Enrollment: 10

Note: This is an eight-week program – Click on the link for the Enrollment Form. Payment is made to Long Island Chess Nuts.

Learn and improve your chess skills. Weekly chess instruction followed by coached playing time. Program concludes with a Chess Tournament.  

Parents’ Association

Upcoming Events:

Did you Save the Date for Harbor's upcoming events?
Double-check your Blackberry and iPhone to make sure you save the dates below.

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23 from 7 p.m. – 12 a.m.

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, casino, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!

Tickets are now available!

Only $60 per person

Invitations went out last week. If you haven’t received one, please send me an email at stephen.hussey@hotmail.com and I will get one for you. 

 Invite friends and family out for a fun-filled night. Where else can you go and have a great meal, meet terrific people, and have a fantastic evening.

The front of the invitation is for purchasing your tickets. The back is for you to calculate how many tickets you need as well as if you would like to contribute towards the teacher and staff pool facilitating more of Harbor's outstanding teachers and staff to attend. Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades
Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

 An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard

The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23 at Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma. This is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item

We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in the past for our auction:

• A night out in NYC, including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel;
• A foursome round of golf;
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico;
• A personal chef experience for 10
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Remember, there are no donations too small or too large. All donations add to the success of the event. Give some thought to your favorite hairdresser, special restaurant, or even one of the many places where your child goes, like gymnastics or dance. These are a few examples of places that may donate services, a birthday party, or even a gift certificate. If you are not sure what they need in order to donate, shoot an email to Misha Monticciolo , Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net).

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:

Please consider being a sponsor for this event.

This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support.

Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information.

Buy tickets for this fun event!

Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration!

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby?

We need your help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year are only one in 500

Ice Scream, You Scream,
 All students Scream for Ice Cream

As soon as we hit 300 ticket sales we will have Mr. Softie Ice Cream Truck for the students to enjoy. Did you know that there are less than 260 tickets remaining?

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Cartridges for Kids

We are still collecting cell phones, empty laser and inkjet cartridges, laptops, iPods^®, PDAs, video games & consoles, scientific graphing calculators, digital cameras, DVDs, GPS devices and iPads^®/tablets/eReaders.  Check around the house for anything you can bring in after winter break.  The recycle box is in the front office.

Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator  

This Week in Pictures

Many Languages, One World

In celebration of International Mother Language Day, and to honor the diversity of nations represented at Harbor, the modern language department recently organized a wide-ranging, all-school assembly.

Several students addressed the school in the mother tongues of their parents: Turkish, German, Russian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. All 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade language students pledged to the American flag in French and Spanish and also spoke about their posters celebrating the theme, “Many Languages, One World.”

The celebration also extended the theme to include traditional apparel, foods and cultures of various nations.

First graders sang in Spanish, 3^rd and 4^th graders in French, and six students from grade 5 put on puppet shows in Spanish. The assembly concluded with a rollicking sing-along of “Waving Flag.”

Brookie Cookie Bookie

Learning about kindness, tolerance and friendship is even more meaningful when the message comes from the words of children themselves. Robin Rosenberg, author of Brookie Cookie Bookie, read her book to the preschool and kindergarten students this week. The celebration of Valentine's Day reminds us of the message about caring for one another, and love and friendship.  Each of the preschool and kindergarten children was given a signed copy of this special book written by one of our own Harbor parents.

Third Grade Mixologists

Third graders have been learning about mixtures and solutions. We conducted an experiment called The Great Mix-up and learned that a mixture is a combination of two or more substances that do not react chemically and do not produce a new substance. Each substance retains its original chemical properties. We also learned that a solution is a specific type of mixture in which two or more substances are so evenly mixed that the separate parts cannot be seen.

Harbor's third grade class goes to the theatre

After concluding our classic literature unit, third graders took a trip to the Patchougue Theatre to see a performance of Charlotte's Web where the miraculous Charlotte and the lovable Wilbur stared in E.B. White's tale of bravery, selfless love and the true meaning of friendship. The performance was enjoyed by all but we unanimously agreed that reading the book was better.

Notices

Thanks to the Second Grade Parents

Pasta and sautéed chicken in a bed of mouth-watering sauce,

Sandwiches, a salad with bread at no cost!

Beverages, cake and decorations to boot,

The faculty was spoiled by all the food!

Thank you Second Grade Parents,

We loved every bite,

You were so thoughtful and generous,

Everything was just right!

The History of Harbor’s Summer Camp…

 
2004                                                     2011

Summer programs have been a part of Harbor's history right from the start. On May 4, 1959 it was announced that a program to be called Harbor Day Camp, and featuring academic tutoring in the morning followed by an afternoon of outdoor games, model airplane building and going to the beach to swim, would be run privately by two teachers. This program ran for several years with small groups of Harbor children.

Summer programs in various formats ran off and on for many years as long as there were faculty members interested in organizing and participating. In the seventies a summer school with remedial and enrichment studies, which included swimming lessons at a private pool and a pottery class, was in session for 26 children for one month.

In 1979, a summer program called the Harbor Country Summer Institute was begun. This three-week morning program offered Computer Math, Creative Writing, Marine Biology, Musical Theory and Harmony/Composition to students enrolled in the seventh through eleventh grades.

Around 1990, the school art teacher began an incorporated camp program, which ran with small groups of children through the summer of 1993.

Currently, Harbor Country Day School offers two quality programs for children during the summer - Harbor Country Day School Summer Camp & Workshops. Begun in their current format during the summer of 1994, these programs were created as a part of Harbor's outreach effort to the community as well as to provide additional revenue for the School. The programs represent a unique blend of summer fun and educational opportunities for Harbor students and students outside of the school. Together the two programs now serve over 500 children each summer during seven weeks.

Information on all of our outstanding summer programs can be found online at www.campharbor.org.

Now enrolling.

Yearbook - Deadline for submittals has been changed

Harbor families, please consider writing something to your child and placing it in the yearbook. Pictures and your sentiments make the book special! Please send in the attached form by Monday, Feb. 27 to be included in this year’s yearbook.

After School Activities Program
Spring Session Begins March 12, 2012

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. A minimum enrollment of three students is required for a class to run, unless otherwise noted. Some classes will have a maximum enrollment number, which will be listed with the course description. Student absences cannot be made up or refunded. In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, or a program teacher’s absence, one make-up class will be held at the end of the session. Each activity begins in the Dining Room with a healthy snack provided by the program. At 3:15 students will be picked up by the program teachers and escorted to their designated classrooms. Parent pick-up is promptly at 4:30pm in the Main Hallway.

The cost for each activity is $140 per session, unless a materials fee is also required. Please make checks payable to Harbor Country Day School.

Art Club                                                                Tuesdays
Instructor: Mrs. Grass                                        Grades: K-8
Minimum Enrollment: 3                                                     
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Materials Fee: $10

This club is for the student who wishes he could come to the art studio more, who can’t get enough of painting and drawing and who loves to get messy exploring and discovering new and unique materials. If you’d like to spend more time in the art studio creating this club is for you.

Little Scientists                                                  Tuesdays
Instructors: Ms. Woods                                     Grades: K-1
Minimum Enrollment: 3
Maximum Enrollment: 6
Materials fee: $15

A hands-on science class where we'll discover the surprising science behind how things work. Some of our experiments will make things fly, fling, spin, swim, woosh, zoom and ooze.

The Harbor Dance N’ Beats                               Thursdays
Instructor: Ms. Dym                                            Grades: K-2
Minimum Enrollment: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 10

If you’re ready to dance your feet off, then this is the club to join! We’ll jazz it, rock it, hip hop it and more. The main goal is to provide students with a truly fun and rewarding experience through movement, rhythm and dance. Students will develop self confidence and a sense of personal achievement while enjoying the Dance N’ Beats experience! Students should wear loose comfortable clothing and sneakers.

Chess                                                                    Fridays
Instructor: Chess Nuts                                       Grades: All
Minimum Enrollment: 4

Note: This is an eight-week program – a separate flyer with enrollment form will be sent home with students. Payment is made to Long Island Chess Nuts.

Learn and improve your chess skills. Weekly chess instruction followed by coached playing time. Program concludes with a Chess Tournament.  

Parents’ Association

Upcoming Events:

Did you Save the Date for Harbor's upcoming events? There are some exciting events coming up right after our Winter Break. Double-check your Blackberry and iPhone to make sure you save the dates below.

Harbor’s Celebrities

Hosted by the Third and Fifth Grades
Sunday, March 4, 2012 (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
At the Social Hall at Temple Isaiah, Stony Brook

The perfect time and place for the Harbor children to show off their talents. Whether it’s that special talent that they have like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or strutting their stuff down the Fashion Runway. They are our “Harbor Celebrities."

Showtime is right around the corner.  We have lots of Celebrities who will be showing off their talents.

Reminder!!

Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. is the Mandatory Final Dress Rehearsal and walk through at the Social Hall at Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook.

If you are interested, please contact Angela Verdi (angelav103@aol.com).

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23 from 7 p.m.– 12 a.m.

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, casino, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!

Tickets are now available!

Only $60 per person

Invitations went out last week. If you haven’t received one, please send me an email at stephen.hussey@hotmail.com and I will get one for you. 

 Invite friends and family out for a fun-filled night. Where else can you go and have a great meal, meet terrific people, and have a fantastic evening.

The front of the invitation is for purchasing your tickets. The back is for you to calculate how many tickets you need as well as if you would like to contribute towards the teacher and staff pool facilitating more of Harbor's outstanding teachers and staff to attend. Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades
Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

 An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard

The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23 at Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma. This is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item

We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in the past for our auction:

• A night out in NYC, including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel;
• A foursome round of golf;
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico;
• A personal chef experience for 10
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Remember, there are no donations too small or too large. All donations add to the success of the event. Give some thought to your favorite hairdresser, special restaurant, or even one of the many places where your child goes, like gymnastics or dance. These are a few examples of places that may donate services, a birthday party, or even a gift certificate. If you are not sure what they need in order to donate, shoot an email to Misha Monticciolo , Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net).

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:

Please consider being a sponsor for this event.

This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support.

Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information.

Buy tickets for this fun event!

Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration!

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby?

We need your help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year are only one in 500

Ice Scream, You Scream,
 All students Scream for Ice Cream

As soon as we hit 300 ticket sales we will have Mr. Softie Ice Cream Truck for the students to enjoy. Did you know that there are less than 260 tickets remaining?

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Cartridges for Kids

We are still collecting cell phones, empty laser and inkjet cartridges, laptops, iPods^®, PDAs, video games & consoles, scientific graphing calculators, digital cameras, DVDs, GPS devices and iPads^®/tablets/eReaders.  Check around the house for anything you can bring in after winter break.  The recycle box is in the front office.

Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator  

This Week in Pictures

Young Orators Rise to the Challenge

Faced with the challenge of delivering a speech at the all-school meeting on Friday, can you guess the favorite topic? Answer: The challenge of delivering a speech at the all-school meeting on Friday.

Actually, the subject of Harbor’s second annual public speaking contest was, What would I do if I knew I could not fail? Answers abounded from 14 students, ranging from fourth-to-eighth grade, who participated.

--Be a comedian; help myself get over my fear of speaking in front of big crowds, and make people laugh.

--Do things I wouldn’t usually do.

--Fail a little in your life so you can appreciate success.

--Make a new friend every day.

--Present a great speech that makes me and others happy.

--Swim with fishes.

--Sing like the king, Elvis Presley. I would know it’s now or never.

--Be a major leaguer.

One contestant invoked the advice that Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” For the brave students who participated in Friday’s event, all came away winners.

Happy New Year

Learning about cultural diversity is essential to children developing greater human understanding and tolerance. Learning about diverse populations in very authentic ways is a unique characteristic of a Harbor education. From their earliest years in preschool, the Pre-K enrichment children travel around the world, learning about different continents, countries, cultures, foods, music and art work. Many Harbor families share their heritage within our classrooms throughout the year, enabling students to develop greater understanding about the diversity among our own Harbor families. 

Recently, Mrs. Wong-Lippe, (Jacob's mom in Ms. de Niese's class) and Mrs. Yang (Avery's mom in Mrs. Sjogren's class) shared their Chinese heritage with our students by celebrating Chinese New Year - The Year of the Dragon - here at school. The delicious aroma of Chinese food, - fried rice freshly prepared in a wok, along with long noodles (for long life), and dumplings, filled the hallways. A variety of symbolic artifacts were displayed for all the children to enjoy. Red silk clothing adorned with gold trim were worn by Jacob's family, with red being a symbol of good fortune in the new year. Delicate Chinese lanterns, made from lucky red envelopes, were hand-made by Avery's great aunt for each child to take home. They were magnificent! Mrs. Wong-Lippe brought in beautiful traditional Lion Dance costumes, and a large parade drum on wheels, with other percussion instruments, and the children paraded through the hallways, re-enacting the traditional Lion Dance.

Mrs. Cippitelli (Luca's mom in Ms. de Niese's class) also joined the celebration by making felt fortune cookies for each of the children to take home.

This wonderful celebration of Chinese New Year enabled our preschool students to experience some cultural traditions that were unfamiliar to many of them, and to gain a deeper understanding of the friends they play with each and every day throughout the year.

A very special THANK YOU Mrs. Wong-Lippe and Mrs. Yang for bringing this amazing opportunity to our children. Gong Xi Fa Cai to you and your families!

See You Later, Alligator

Eric Callendar brought his exotic menagerie of reptiles and amphibians this week to Harbor students in grades three through eight.

The cast included Australian tree frogs, South African bullfrogs, and roaches from Madagascar. But the stars were Wally, a 16-year-old alligator; Twinkie, a Burmese python; a boa constrictor named Flex; and a Monitor Lizard named Biawak.

Callendar is the director of Eric’s Reptile Adventures, and the students learned about the importance of preserving the native habitat of these rare species. The company puts on about 300 shows a year.

Sunflowers? In January?

Kindergartners started a unit on Vincent van Gogh, and they have created the most beautiful sunflowers inspired by his work. They are also watching a van Gogh puppet show on the Smart Board about his life and artwork. Their sunflowers will bring some much needed sunshine to the school during the winter months. 

Bring on the Snowflakes!

Here at Harbor we have a tradition of filling all of the window panes in the art studio in hopes of a snowy winter. 

The more snowflakes we put up, the more snow days we believe we will have. Above are some examples of the Kirigami snowflake the students cut from plain white paper. For those of us who don't know, Origami is the art of folding paper and Kirigami is the art of cutting it.  

Pharaohs Cleo de Nile and Snortenkamen Live Forever!

On Thursday last week, the Fifth and Sixth Graders became the overseers of an ancient Egyptian ritual by starting the process of mummifying a fetal pig. While studying ancient Egypt, the students brought to life the ends to which pharaohs of that time period went to create their own afterlives. The class is in the process of building miniature pyramids, two sarcaphagi and creating images and sculptures of food and articles the Pharaohs Cleo de Nile and Snortenkamen will need in their afterlives. On Thursday, the class dissected the two "pharaohs (fetal pigs)" and placed the stomach, lungs, liver and intestines in canopic jars (also designed by the students) which the pharaohs would need once they were brought to life by their spirit Ka. The class is writing the life stories of their pharaohs while also documenting the whole reenactment on film. With the help of Mrs. Grass, who is building low reliefs of images of the pharaohs and including hieroglyphics, (the picture language from 5000 years ago), the class will construct an installment. All these artifacts will be on display for the school to see after we complete the process in a few short weeks. Stay tuned.

Permafrost, Glaciers and the Chilly Peconic River

The fourth grade had two field trips recently, which were enjoyed by all.  Last week, we visited the Dolan DNA Learning Center where children watched a film on the development of Long Island from the time of the Ice Age to current times.  This trip connected to our social studies curriculum, The Land and Early People.  We discussed the ice bridge that allowed early people to pass from Asia into North America.  We also learned about how the Wisconsin Glacier, taller than the Empire State Building, and larger in size than the continent of Australia, shaped Long Island and left rich soil deposits, which later supported the agriculture that the east end of Long Island is so well-known for.  We learned about DNA and inherited traits as a connection to our enrichment activity in class--digging "woolly mammoths" out of permafrost and learning about how researchers are trying to find a "complete" woolly mammoth DNA strand. Using the same mathematical calculations that researchers used to lift a solid block of permafrost holding a preserved mammoth, students calculated the weight of a small container filled with a plastic animal, soil and water, which was then frozen (and snowed on).  They found the density of the block by calculating its mass and volume.  Our field trip made this learning come alive.

Our second trip last week was to the Long Island Science Center.  We made curricular connections to our Ecosystems science unit and built background knowledge for our upcoming Watersheds unit.  Students took water samples from the chilly Peconic River and tested the ph, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates and water temperature. We discovered that the Peconic River, as it runs through Riverhead, is actually quite healthy.  The phosphates and nitrates contents were low.  We were glad to find that out!

Developing a Critical Eye for Excellence

Each year the Lower School views potential Caldecott award-winning books.  (The Caldecott is an award given to the book with the most distinguished pictures for the year) After viewing all of the books the students vote for their favorite.  Students evaluate the pictures for interest, colorful/eye-catching qualities and how the pictures help tell the story. This year the book Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich received the most votes, just beating Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus by John Grandits. The actual Caldecott medal was awarded to A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka.

Third Grade Publishing Party

The third grade class just completed its non-fiction reading and writing unit. We invited parents to help celebrate our published non-fiction books. In this unit students were asked to plan and organize a large writing assignment. Students chose a topic that was familiar to them and became experts on it by conducting research using a variety of library books and school laptops. We also learned about how illustrations help the reader better understand and picture the text. Students had to group several pages of information together to form a chapter that was unified. They had to create pages of fun facts and included a table of contents.

Harbor Gears Up for Summer Camp

We have been spoiled with warmer weather this winter and the Harbor camp office has been busy putting together this summer’s camp program. Finally, the summer camp packet is ready and will be sent home in the back pack to all Harbor families starting today. Information on all our outstanding summer programs can also be found on www.campharbor.org.

Notices

Year Book

It’s Yearbook time! Please consider advertising in our yearbook or including some original artwork created by your child. Perhaps you would like to send a special greeting to your child? The yearbook is the place to be seen. Please send in the attached  yearbook sponsor form to the office by Friday February 17th.

Parents’ Association

Upcoming Events:

Mark your calendar. Update your mobile devices.

Harbor’s Celebrities

Hosted by the Third and Fifth Grades

Sunday, March 4, 2012 (2pm - 5pm)

At the Social Hall at Temple Isaiah, Stony Brook

The perfect time and place for the Harbor children to show off their talents. Whether it’s that special talent that they have like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or strutting their stuff down the Fashion Runway. They are our “Harbor Celebrities”. 

Are you READY?

Click HERE for the form to sign up.

If you are interested, please contact Angela Verdi (angelav103@aol.com).

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23, 2012

7pm - 11pm

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, Casino, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!
Tickets will be available for sale shortly.
Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades

Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 6 – 9 pm

An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23rd in Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma, is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item:

We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in the past for our auction are:

• A night out in NYC including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel;
• A foursome round of golf;
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico;
• A personal chef experience for 10
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items which you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:

Please consider being a sponsor for this event. This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support.

Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information.

Come! Buy tickets for this fun event!

Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration! You will be receiving an invitation soon.

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby? 

We need your help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket, yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year,

are ONLY 1 in 500

Did you know that there are less than 300 tickets remaining?

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Thank You

Stephen Hussey

Parents' Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

Hawk Tales from the Head....

Jama and I have instituted Marshmallow Mondays (although they began on a Tuesday due to the Monday holiday last week) into the winter schedule to give us an opportunity to connect with Harbor students and enjoy a little rap session together. Last week, we began with the Kindergarten by serving hot cocoa in the dining room at the end of the day and discussing whatever topic the students generate. We had a wonderful time together, and look forward to greeting each class through the winter months. Of course, marshmallow was offered for their cocoa (yes, we know it is not the most nutritional snack!) but why else would we call it Marshmallow Monday?

On Friday, the 20th, the Harbor community said good bye to our two January interns, Miss Hannah and Miss Sarah, who have covered a lot of territory in their two weeks on campus helping us out with various projects from development to athletics, and classroom activity. We are happy to have had them share their positive energy with us, and the children enjoyed their daily presence. I know the interns enjoyed their time at Harbor and certain they learned a great deal from the experience. One of my goals for the future is to establish an intern program at Harbor to bring in new energy, fresh ideas and the latest in thinking in education. There are many areas within the community where interns can assist in daily life as researchers in development and admissions, teaching and project assistants, special events staff and marketing, etc.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind our parents about the annual Harbor Fund, which allows us to be forward thinking about our curriculum each year. We have had great success with 100% participation by trustees and our faculty. Let's keep the momentum going by working toward increasing the percentage of contributions from parents this year. The percentage of parent gifts is an important statistic when we take our fundraising to the next level to seek funding from outside sources including foundations for our programs. I hope that every one of you will give Harbor students your consideration for a gift. We intend to surpass our goal this year!

With every good wish...

James J. Young III
Head of School

Third Graders Harness Solar Energy

Third graders are learning to build and use a solar oven to demonstrate a renewable energy resource. We can identify energy resources as those materials that provide energy used by humans and society. We understand that the most widely used energy resources are fossil fuels, which are a non-renewable energy resource. We can also identify alternate energy resources, describe their real-life applications, benefits and drawbacks.

Two-week internships draw to a close

For the past two weeks, Hannah and Sarah Knowles interned at Harbor Country Day, helping out in the classrooms and in the administrative offices.  Hannah and Sarah Knowles are college seniors interested in pursuing careers in a school environment.  Each day, the children did their best to tell the identical twins apart (most of the time, they got it right).  Hannah, an art major, spent several days in the art room with Mrs. Grass observing the students at work.  She also enjoyed playing basketball with the seventh and eight graders.  Sarah took part in a science experiment with the fourth-grade class and practiced her Spanish skills with the fifth graders.  They would like to thank the Harbor Community for its generosity and hospitality.

Girls Basketball

The record of the 7th and 8th grade girls basketball team now stands at 1-1 after a 22-14 loss last week to Trinity. The Hawks made a furious charge in the second half as they cut the lead before falling to a very good opponent with a deep bench. Come cheer us on at our next home game this Thursday. GO HAWKS!

Team Captains, Sarah Hickerson and Sydney Essex

Harbor Hears the Sound of Music

Harbor’s three choirs sang to a packed house Thursday night at the Winter Concert.

The kindergarten kicked off the program, and the hand bell choir contributed to a spirited rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle.” The Lower School was next, and by the time the singers swung into “Feel the Beat” the joint was jumpin’.

Finally, it was the Upper School Choir’s turn, and it presented four selections before being joined by the other singers for a grand finale of “Winter Wonderland.”

Pocket Change Goes a Long Way

Every dollar counts, and Harbor students learned Friday at the all-school meeting how they can contribute to the cause of pediatric specialty care.

The hospital’s Change for Children program enables Harbor students and their families to contribute pocket change to the fundraiser.

Friday was also Rainbow Day, and students proudly sported their respective grade colors and enjoyed a Friday in their colorful, casual apparel. This year, the school community gathered in the gymnasium for the Rainbow Day picture.

The school also said good-bye Friday to Sarah and Hannah Knowles, who just concluded two-week internships at Harbor. We send them back to college with our best wishes as they resume work on their undergraduate degrees.

Bravo for Rachel Fine!

Congratulations to Harbor’s own Rachel Fine, who was honored this past weekend as a first violist at the Long Island String Festival for sixth- and seventh-grade students. Among the pieces the festival orchestra performed were Western Dawn, Alan Lee Silva, and Arlington Sketches, by Elliot Del Borgo.    

Parents’ Association

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION UPCOMING EVENTS:

Mark your calendar. Update your mobile devices.

Harbor’s Celebrities

Hosted by the Third and Fifth Grades

Sunday, March 4, 2012 (time to be determined)

The perfect time and place for the Harbor children to show off their talents. Whether it’s that special talent that they have like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or strutting their stuff down the Fashion Runway. They are our “Harbor Celebrities”. 

Are you READY??

Preliminary Practices are being held January 25th and 26th from 8:00 am - 8:30 am in the Gym

Click HERE for the form to sign up.

If you are interested, please contact Angela Verdi (angelav103@aol.com).

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship

Friday, March 23, 2012

7pm - 11pm

at

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!

Tickets will be available for sale shortly.

Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades

Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 6 – 9 pm

An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23rd in Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma, is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item:

We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in the past for our auction are:

• A night out in NYC including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel;
• A foursome round of golf;
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico;
• A personal chef experience for 10
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items which you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:

Please consider being a sponsor for this event. This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support.

Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information.

Come! Buy tickets for this fun event!

Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration! You will be receiving an invitation soon.

Have you seen the SS HARBOR in the front lobby? 

We need you help to fill up the ship.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket, yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships.

What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers.

What's in your wallet?? Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket? If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!

Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year,

are ONLY 1 in 500

Did you know that there are less than 300 tickets remaining?

Click HERE to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

Thank You

Stephen Hussey

Parents' Association Coordinator

This Week in Pictures

Harbor Pauses to Reflect on Dr. King

The all-school meeting Friday was largely dedicated to class observances honoring Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. Students offered their opinions on Dr. King’s message of equality, non-violent protest and peaceful solutions to problems. They also saw a short video on Dr. King, sang a song in his honor and discussed the importance in all walks of life leaving a legacy that helps guide others.

Second graders share their own dreams

The importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day was not lost on second graders who have been learning about his life and accomplishments leading up to the holiday we celebrated on Monday. King had a dream for the world and so do the children in the second grade. A few of the children's dreams were an end to world hunger, protection of endangered animals and a cleaner environment.

What Did Dr. King Teach Us?

Monday, January 16th is, of course, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  This day, the third Monday in January of each year, was first set aside in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan to remember Dr. King and the cause he passionately embraced. The fourth grade has been reading about Dr. King, learning about what he stood for, and discussing key words related to the Civil Rights Movement: equality, respect, freedom and liberty.  We watched an interesting film about Dr. King, which taught how he became the national face of the Civil Rights Movement.

See the link below to watch this powerful video. http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086

See, also, this link for Dr. King’s famous, “I Have a Dream” speech from August,1963. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs

The fourth grade learned that as a child, Dr. King was shielded from discrimination by his parents, Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr., a minister at Ebenezar Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His first experience with discrimination was as a school-aged boy when a former friend suddenly stopped playing with him, “because he was black.” At the time, young Martin didn’t understand this. Then, his mother told him about segregation. This lesson would stay with Martin Luther King Jr., for the rest of his life.

It seems as if his younger years prepared King for his future as the national face of the Civil Rights Movement. He attended a segregated high school and was accelerated through the grade levels more than once. He studied at Crozer Seminary School in Pennsylvania and went on to attend graduate school at Boston College. While in seminary school, Dr. King learned about the ideas of Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of civil disobedience in India's struggle for independence from Great Britain.  The idea of civil disobedience shaped King's views during the Civil Rights Movement.  He used non-violent protests to raise the consciousness of a society where Jim Crow Laws, racial discrimination and segregation were common.  He once said, “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” After graduation, King moved to Montgomery, Alabama with his wife, Coretta Scott King, where he became a minister at the Dexter Baptist Church. There, King developed excellent skills as a communicator and public speaker.

In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to on a Montgomery, Alabama bus and the Montgomery Bus Boycott began soon after that. Dr. King was there to help organize the bus boycott. For 381 days, Alabama’s black citizens walked to work, to school and to church. The boycott finally ended on December 20, 1956, when the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional. With his eloquence, quiet dignity and talk of civil disobedience, Martin Luther King Jr. had become the spiritual leader of this generation.

For nearly ten more years, King traveled around the country to walk with, pray with, and speak to, huge crowds of people who were inspired by his words and his ideas. He made nearly 2,500 speeches, wrote five books and many articles, was selected as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, met with President John F. Kennedy to discuss civil rights, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

One of Dr. King’s most famous speeches was his ”I Have a Dream” speech, given on August 28, 1963. After a march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, a gathering of 250,000 people listened to Dr. King as he spoke about how the U.S. Constitution promised “all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” He spoke of the black citizen who “languished in the corners of society” in “shameful conditions.” It is not until 13 minutes into his 18-minute speech that Dr. King utters his memorialized words, “I have a dream,” and extemporaneously shares his vision of a nation united in equality and liberty for all.

Shortly after this momentous speech, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act, putting an end to lawful segregation.  In April, 1968, Dr. King was shot and killed as he stood on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, having come to Memphis to support the striking sanitation workers.

The fourth grade was inspired by Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Together with first grade, we created a banner with cut out “clouds” filled with our own dreams for the future. The banner is on display on the second floor of the Lower School, just outside of the first grade classroom. It reminds us that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was freedom and equality for all. We invite you to write down your dream—for your school, your community or your country—on a cloud and place it on our community banner. Thank you, Dr. King, for teaching us all about peaceful protest. The classroom is a great place to learn about respecting diversity.

¡Hola amigos!

Fifth-grade students finished making Spanish native puppets and are memorizing and rehearsing a dialogue to be presented in class this week. In this way, the class will say farewell to a wonderful and most productive time together in Spanish. As of Jan. 23, students will continue with French for the remainder of the year. ¿Cómo te llamas?, ¿de donde eres?, ¿dónde vives?, ¿hablas español? and many other questions are part of the script that the students created on their own. The colorful display of the puppets represents many countries and cultures. Bravo to all the students and mucha suerte!

Third-Grade Volcanologists

Third-grade students have been learning about the earth's surface--the different layers of the earth and how the earth's crust can change. The class visited Mr. Dutchen’s science lab, where he helped us “erupt” our homemade volcanoes. We learned that the earth's surface is shaped by many factors including water, ice, wind, gravity, earthquakes and volcanoes.

Peruvian Culture Captivates Students

Our Pre-K enrichment students are enjoying their “trip” through Peru. They learned about the Inca civilization, also known as the Children of the Sun, which incorporated the symbol of the sun into much of its artwork. The Incas created ornaments and sculptures using gold, silver, copper and bronze. They also loved Peruvian music, and they created musical instruments using materials like cane, conch shells, horns, metals and mud. The students had an opportunity to learn about pan flutes, and they will make these ancient instruments with Ms. Siani in music class.

Our Pre-K students created beautiful and intricate metal sun art, which is on display in the pre-school hallway. In the art studio, they worked with Ms. Grass to sculpt Inca suns using clay.

Their Muse Motivates Young Poets

Personification poetry was the first topic for the after-school poetry program, and it was a huge success. In personification poetry, the writers give human characteristics to inanimate objects. This allows the objects, in a sense, to come alive in their poems. They may think, have feelings and even speak. Our young poets shared two poems with us below.

Bracing for the Cold in More Ways than One

In our preschool classrooms, the arrival of winter led to exciting discoveries. Using music, literature, and hands-on activities to help young children learn how animals and humans respond to the colder temperatures and environmental changes become meaningful.  Hibernation, migration, and adaptation have become new vocabulary words that are part of the daily conversations in our preschool classrooms. 

Using cold water and warm water to represent temperatures in winter and spring, the children placed sleeping paper bears (curled up) in each water temperature and discovered that bears wake up (uncurl) in response to warmer temperatures.

There’s Two Sides to Every Coin

First graders are learning to identify coins and count mixed groups of coins that include quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies.

One way we practice this skill is through the use of money games.  A favorite Smartboard game from the U.S. Mint's website allows children to select a square to uncover a coin, and then another square in the hopes of finding a match.  Coin Hopscotch helps us count groups of coins one at a time as we hop along the line of giant paper coins.  Rolling the coin cubes and adding the values is another fun way to practice counting coin values. The first grade would like to thank Harbor alum Devin Netter for assisting us with our coin centers this week.

Harbor Sports

Girls Varsity Basketball

The Varsity Hawks win their first away game 26-12, against Buckley. Way to go, Hawks!

Notices:

Winter Concert Is Here!

Next Thursday, Jan. 19, all students in grades K through 8 will perform at the annual winter concert. The students have been working diligently to prepare for this exciting event and look forward to sharing their hard work with family and friends. Students should wear concert dress and arrive no later than 6:45p.m. Students in Kindergarten will meet in their classroom prior to the concert, while all Lower School students will meet in the second floor hallway. Upper School students should go to the lounge upon arrival. The concert will begin promptly at 7p.m. and will last roughly 45 minutes. We're looking forward to seeing everyone there!

C’mon, Put Your Heart Into It!

February is National Heart Month. The Physical Education Department will focus on heart awareness and cardiovascular fitness. Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart programs will take place for grades 1- 8 on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Please mark your calendar for Valentine’s Day, as students along with their parents will be asked to participate. A schedule will go home along with the donation envelope at the beginning of February.

Parents' Association:

Parents’ Association Upcoming Events:

Mark your calendar. Update your mobile devices.

Harbor’s Celebrities

Hosted by the Third and Fifth Grades
Sunday, March 4, 2012 (time to be determined)
The perfect time and place for the Harbor children to show off their talents. Whether it’s that special talent that they have like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or strutting their stuff down the Fashion Runway. They are our “Harbor Celebrities”. More information to come soon.
If you are interested, please contact Angela Verdi (angelav103@aol.com).

Spring Benefit

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship
Friday, March 23, 2012 7pm - 11pm
Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Dinner, dancing, silent and live auction and lots of mingling!
Tickets will be available for sale shortly.
Super Raffle drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Sports Night

Hosted by the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades

Rescheduled Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 6 – 9 pm

An evening of family fun challenges and healthy competition for all ages to enjoy!

Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship Spring Benefit

The Spring Benefit, Come Aboard The Harbor Scholar Ship, on March 23rd in Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma, is the Parents’ Association’s main fundraising event, with proceeds continuing to enhance and support the outstanding curriculum of the School. You can help contribute to the financial success on this evening in several ways:

Donate an auction item:
We are looking for special items to auction off. Some examples of the items we have had in  the past for our auction are:

• A night out in NYC including 2 theatre tickets to any Broadway Show and an overnight stay at a beautiful NYC Hotel;
• A foursome round of golf;
• Impossible to get Giants tickets! Or tickets to any sports events!
• A week timeshare vacation in Puerto Rico;
• A personal chef experience for 10
• Premium seating and reserved parking at your child’s Holiday Concert!
• Justin Bieber concert tickets! Or any other show tickets!
• Restaurant gift certificates.

Please contact – Misha Monticciolo, Benefit Auction Chair (mishamonti@optonline.net) with any items which you might want to donate for the auction.

Sponsor a Table:
Please consider being a sponsor for this event. This is a great opportunity for your company to receive exposure and show your support. Please contact Andrea Dagnelli, Benefit Sponsorship Chair (andrea_dag@yahoo.com) for more information.

Come! Buy tickets for this fun event!
Please join us and purchase tickets for this incredible celebration! You will be receiving an invitation soon.

Faculty /Staff Luncheon BBQ style!

Hosted by the First Grade " SHIVERING SUMMER BBQ" January 12, 2012 was a smash.  Delectable delights that made everybody think summer time.  It was definitely a 2 napkin feast.  A job well done by all the First Grade Parents.

DID YOU BUY your Super Raffle ticket, yet?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle proceeds will enhance diversity and attract top scholars at Harbor Country Day School by funding tuition assistance and merit scholarships. What better way to do that than to buy a few tickets, as well as pass along the form to friends, families and co-workers. What's in your wallet??  Is it a Harbor Super Raffle Ticket?  If not clean it out, and make room for the extra tickets you're buying.

Tickets are still on sale!!  
Just think of the odds of winning, $10,000 cash or Free Tuition for next year, are ONLY 1 in 500.
 
Did you know that there are less than 300 tickets remaining?
Click HERE to get your entry form.   
Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!
Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.
 
Thank You
Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator

The Sunshine Report

A very warm Harbor Welcome to our new friends!!

Valentina & Sebastian and Brooke – Pre-Kindergarten

Jack – Kindergarten

Anthony – Second grade

And a very special welcome to Mrs. Nicole Fotis-Connelly who is the new teacher for the Upper School’s History program.

There are also 2 new smiling faces (no, you are not seeing double), Sarah and Hannah are identical twins completing an internship with Mr. Young. One young child was overheard to say: “even their smiles are the same!!” We hope you enjoy your time here!

The Sunshine Committee

This Week in Pictures

Learning the Fine Art of Public Speaking

At Friday’s all-school meeting, plans were spelled out for several events, including the upcoming public speaking contest (topic: something I would do if I knew I couldn’t fail) and Rainbow Day on Jan. 20. Whether your color is red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple, put it on and wear it proudly!

Ms. Grass also accepted a check for $125 for art supplies. This money was raised by students collecting box tops. Mr. Cissel also read a letter of thanks to the Harbor Student Council for its participation in this year’s very successful coat drive.

In the year 2012, I resolve…

The New Year is a time of promise and, often, of change. In Harbor's preschool, the children and teachers shared their New Year's resolutions -- promises to ourselves (and to no one else) -- that will help us become better individuals.

As we welcome in the New Year, we also welcome three new students to Harbor's preschool: Brooke joined Mrs. Sjogren's morning class and the afternoon enrichment class last week. She received a warm welcome by all. This week, twins Valentina and Sebastian, who come from Puerto Rico, will also be joining our preschool. Valentina will start in Mrs. Sjogren's class, and Sebastian in Ms. de Niese's class. Both children will participate in the afternoon enrichment class. Please give a warm welcome to our newest Harbor students and families.

Harbor also rolled out the welcome mat for two other students who have joined the student body: Anthony, who is enrolled in second grade, and Jack, who is a kindergartner. Welcome Anthony and Jack!

Apply Now For Pre-School

With nursery school fairs taking place in January and February, and our admissions open house coming Jan. 21, classes for next fall will fill quickly. We would like to give our current preschool families the opportunity to apply for next year's classes before they are filled. If you are planning to register your child for Nursery, Pre-K or Kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year, please be sure to pick up an application in the main office. The DIAL 3 Assessment for Kindergarten Readiness will be administered Feb. 3 to Pre-K students who have handed in an application for Harbor's kindergarten.

Never Too Young for the Classics

The third grade has just began its "Classics and folktales" unit in Reading Workshop. Students are enjoying classics such as Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland, Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, The Trumpet of the Swan and Little Women. Third graders are also enjoying a class read-aloud of Charlotte's Web with Ms. Woods.

Pitching In for Those in Need

Led by the National Junior Honor Society, Harbor's 7th and 8th graders are continuing the school's connection to the Pax Christi Homeless Shelter in Port Jefferson. Twice every month the students prepare and serve lunches to the residents of the center, which is tucked away behind the Port Jefferson train station.  Pax Christi is one of the many outreach activities of Hope House, a non-denominational self-help organization serving those in need in the Port Jeff area.  

First Graders Look to the Future

In the spirit of the New Year, the first graders began the week by making New Year's resolutions.  Each student made a resolution for school, home, and self.  Many of us want to be more helpful around the house and work harder in the classroom.  

Several new projects got under way this week.  The students began a unit of non-fiction reading for science information in Reading Workshop.  In Writing Workshop students wrote about our areas of expertise in the form of "How-To" books. Inventors and inventions are our new unit of study in Social Studies. We began this unit by discussing some of the inventions we just can't live without.

Cold-blooded creatures, like reptiles, will be the focus of our science unit this month. Last but not least, the children were introduced to Flat Stanley. Soon, each first grader will be making his own Stanley to send on an adventure. 

Notices

BOX TOP REWARDS FOR JANUARY, 2012

MAKE SURE YOU BRING IN YOUR BOX TOPS BEFORE JANUARY 27, 2012.

PAY ATTENTION GROUPS (PRE-K), (K-1), (2-4) & (5-8)

THE GROUP THAT BRINGS IN THE MOST BOXTOPS WILL WIN A CUPCAKE PARTY. WOW!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS

HARBOR COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

STUDENT COUNCIL

After School Activities Program

Winter Session Begins This Week

Registration will run throught the end of this week. A minimum enrollment of 3 students is required for a class to run, unless otherwise noted. Some classes will have a maximum enrollment number, which will be listed with the course description. Student absences cannot be made up or refunded. In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, or a program teacher’s absence, one make-up class will be held at the end of the session. Each activity begins in the dining room with a healthy snack provided by the program. At 3:15 students will be picked up by the program teachers and escorted to their designated classrooms. Parent pick-up is promptly at 4:30pm in the main hallway.

The cost for each activity is $140 per session, unless a materials fee is also required. Please make checks payable to Harbor Country Day School.

Origami                                                                 Tuesdays

Instructor: Mrs. Grass                                         Grades: 2-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3                                                      

Maximum Enrollment: 10

Materials Fee: $10

The art of folding paper is an ancient technique. In this workshop students will examine and explore the ancient art of origami and kiragami. Students will learn to follow challenging step-by-step instruction and create their own works of art out of paper.

Jump Rope Decathlon                                        Tuesdays

Instructors: Mrs. Decker & Mrs. Hotzak            Grades: 3-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Jump rope not only for fitness but also for fun. Train for the jump rope decathlon in Harbor’s gym. Practice and combine new jump rope tricks that will prepare you to compete in the jump rope decathlon.

Poetry Workshop                                                 Tuesdays

Instructor: Ms. Woods                                         Grades: All

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Materials Needed: a notebook or poetry journal, a pencil and a creative imagination

Find a love for poetry by creating a form of literary art in which language is used to express love, laughter, and inspiration. Students will explore many different types of poetry including Haiku, Acrostic, and Limericks. We will look at word choice, rhythm, onomatopoeia, visualization and voice.

Marine Biology Hands-On Workshop                  Thursdays

Instructor: Mrs. McBrien                                       Grades: 2-4

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Maximum Enrollment: 10

Materials Fee: $10

Second- through fourth-grade students are invited to participate in a program on marine biology.  We will conduct water-based experiments to gain basic understandings of the properties of water and will apply this learning to marine ecosystems.  We will study the fish and sea life in our new fish tank--a Long Island marine ecosystem--in the library. 

Science Club                                                            Thursdays

Instructor: Mr. Dutchen                                           Grades: 5-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Materials Fee: $30

Join in once a week to explore The Weather, Astronomy, Rocks and Minerals, use our digital microscope to examine slides you make yourself. Get involved in robotics, and much, much more.

Parents' Association

Mark Your Calendars and Save the Date

 Teacher & Faculty Luncheon Hosted by the First Grade " SHIVERING SUMMER BBQ" January 12, 2012. Summer time delicious foods to take the bite out of the cold, or maybe something with a little bite. Either way, sounds like a good ole' time. No bandits please.

 Harbor’s Celebrities

The perfect time and place for the Harbor children to show off their stuff. Whether it’s that special talent that they have like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or strutting their stuff down the Fashion Runway. They are our “ Harbor Celebrities”. More information to come soon. If you are interested please contact Angela Verdi / Second Grade Class Parent (angelav103@aol.com).

March 4, 2012

Spring Benefit

March 23, 2012 at 7pm - 11pm

Windows on the Lake, Lake Ronkonkoma

Super Raffle Drawing to be held this evening. Winner need not be present.

Family Fun Night

Invite friends and family for a fun filled night of games, refreshments, and a good time.

Tentative Date April 27, 2012

6pm – 9pm

 SUPER RAFFLE!!!!

It's now 2012

Did you make your New Year's resolutions?? Hopefully one of them was to not miss out, and get your Super Raffle Ticket.

 Do you want a chance to win that $10,000 Cash Prize or how about Free Tuition for next year??

 There are less than 250 tickets remaining out of 500. The tickets went very fast while they were on sale.

 Now for only $100 per ticket, don't lose out on your chance for one of those big prizes.

 Just imagine how many tickets to Disney that could be, or how many movies you could see. We already know how many Doppio's you could buy at Starbuck's, and we know how much you love those??

  Don't forget to invite your friends and family to get in on the action. Tickets are going fast. We wouldn't want you to be the only one without a ticket. Drawing to be held on March 23, 2012 at the Spring Benefit. The entry form can be fowarded and or copied.  In case you run out of ink from printing all those extra copies, don't worry we can get you more.

 Click here to get your entry form.

Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

Winners need not be present to win. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes.

This Week in Pictures

The Winter Solstice and Turning a Corner

The Solstice Celebration on Friday celebrated more than the start of winter vacation. It marked a time for new beginnings, renewal and progress as we move from the shortest day of the year (Dec. 22) toward the longer days ahead of spring and summer.

It was a day of small moments--trivia quizzes, the bagel breakfast and gift-giving between students—and for reflection on how far the school has come at this point in the school year.

Parents, faculty and students later convened in the gymnasium, where they heard Christmas carols in English, Spanish and French by upper- and lower-school students. When head of school Jim Young asked lower-school students what they wished for this holiday season, all the responses were for the well-being of the less fortunate, and not one for themselves.

The day concluded with families exchanging holiday greetings and looking forward to spending time with one another.    

The Few, the Proud… Visit Campus

Marines came to Harbor this week to say ’thanks’ to students who had gathered holiday gifts as part of Toys for Tots, and students, in turn, thanked the Marines for safe-guarding our freedoms.

The Marines were from Alpha Company, Sixth Communication Battalion in Farmingdale, and they took time to speak with students before loading the gifts and departing.

Several of the Marines had served tours of duty in the Middle East. Among their reasons for enlisting in the Marines were patriotism and serving the country, getting a better education and learning specific skills that they might need later in their careers.

Suffolk County alone is expected to contribute 90,000 to 100,000 toys to Toys for Tots this holiday season.

Skyping to Toledo

Harbor 6th/7th grade Spanish students had a 35-minute SKYPE session with the students of Toledo, Spain.  Previously, the students worked on a shared Google document about the different end-of-the-year holidays and celebrations in Spain and the United States.  Students there did the same research into our holidays. It was a very enriching and exciting activity for students at both schools. Students are getting to know each other better, and as we continue our dialog between the two schools communication will become easier, and the themes to discuss will be of interest to both schools.  Well done, Harbor!

Fourth-Grade Memoir Writing Celebration

Each year at this time, the fourth grade writes memoirs that celebrate the important things in life--friends, family, traditions and hopes for the future.  We reflect on what we've learned over the years and show appreciation for family and friends.  One way to get started thinking about this is through a treasured object that has a special meaning.  This could be an autographed football from a time when a student and his/her dad went to a special game.  It could be an embroidered pillow from a grandmother or a baseball from a grandfather.  It could even be a keepsake from a special event in one's life, such as a wedding or birthday.  Items that we treasure are usually important because of the feelings or people they remind us of.  During this holiday season and approaching New Year, memoir writing, using a memento to inspire us, is a great way to reflect on what is really important to each of us.

Fourth-grade students learn that memoirs are like autobiographies, with a few differences.  They usually relate to a "small moment" in life or time when something meaningful happened.  They always have an emotional content.  Each year, fourth graders learn that memoir writing teaches the reader something he might not know about the writer.  In turn, students often learn something about themselves that they might not have realized before.  As a result, memoir writing can be very authentic writing and is often very brave.

As a finish to this very important writing experience, fourth-grade students invite their parents for a Holiday Memoir Celebration.  This year, we met in the Library to read our stories and to reflect on all that we appreciate.  Our guest performer, Craig Buying, was there to play seasonal music at the start of our event.  Craig is finishing his Ph.D. in music at Stony Brook University and has recently accepted a job as a clarinetist with the Army National Marching Band, so his playing was very special.  Parents and grandparents were on hand to listen to wonderful memoirs written by incredible fourth-grade writers.  Congratulations to the wonderful fourth-grade writers for their exceptional writing and authentic voice. 

Preschool Holiday Breakfast

Preschool Holiday Breakfast was held at Danford's Marina and Hotel.  It was a great coming together of all Harbor preschool families. Elegant buffet breakfast, Music by Matt and a visit from Santa himself, who had a small present for each child. A wonderful time was had by all!

Fourth Grade Bake Sale Success

The fourth grade wishes to thank parents, students and faculty for their tremendous support with our recent bake sale.  Fourth grade students especially wish to thank their parents for all of the support for baking and supplying items for sale.  In just one day, students raised nearly $250, enough to feed five needy families in the Smithtown area.  The funds went directly and completely to Pat Westlake, director of the Smithtown Food Pantry, in a ceremony on Thursday during the fourth-grade Memoir Writing Celebration.  An additional $50 in canned goods was also donated.  Ms. Westlake informed the children that they would be providing five holiday meals to families in need.  In as much as the fourth grade was involved in this holiday giving, so too was the entire Harbor community.  Always generous with help and support, the Harbor community demonstrated once again how much our school cares for those in need.  We sincerely appreciated your support and donations.

Thank you.

Tuning Up for a Sing-along

Harbor's Upper School students went caroling last week to Sunrise Senior Living in East Setauket. Residents and students joined in a wide selection of songs for the holidays. Harbor hopes to visit Sunrise several times next year to engage in music, crafts and games with the seniors. The school's National Junior Honor Society is spearheading this outreach effort.

Preschool celebrates Hanukkah with Ms. Siani.

Notices

After School Activities Program

Winter Session Begins Jan. 9, 2012

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. A minimum enrollment of 3 students is required for a class to run, unless otherwise noted. Some classes will have a maximum enrollment number, which will be listed with the course description. Student absences cannot be made up or refunded. In the event of school closure due to inclement weather, or a program teacher’s absence, one make-up class will be held at the end of the session. Each activity begins in the dining room with a healthy snack provided by the program. At 3:15 students will be picked up by the program teachers and escorted to their designated classrooms. Parent pick-up is promptly at 4:30pm in the main hallway.

The cost for each activity is $140 per session, unless a materials fee is also required. Please make checks payable to Harbor Country Day School.

Origami                                                                 Tuesdays

Instructor: Mrs. Grass                                         Grades: 2-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3                                                      

Maximum Enrollment: 10

Materials Fee: $10

The art of folding paper is an ancient technique. In this workshop students will examine and explore the ancient art of origami and kiragami. Students will learn to follow challenging step-by-step instruction and create their own works of art out of paper.

Jump Rope Decathlon                                        Tuesdays

Instructors: Mrs. Decker & Mrs. Hotzak            Grades: 3-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Jump rope not only for fitness but also for fun. Train for the jump rope decathlon in Harbor’s gym. Practice and combine new jump rope tricks that will prepare you to compete in the jump rope decathlon.

Poetry Workshop                                                 Tuesdays

Instructor: Ms. Woods                                         Grades: All

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Materials Needed: a notebook or poetry journal, a pencil and a creative imagination

Find a love for poetry by creating a form of literary art in which language is used to express love, laughter, and inspiration. Students will explore many different types of poetry including Haiku, Acrostic, and Limericks. We will look at word choice, rhythm, onomatopoeia, visualization and voice.

Marine Biology Hands-On Workshop                  Thursdays

Instructor: Mrs. McBrien                                       Grades: 2-4

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Maximum Enrollment: 10

Materials Fee: $10

Second- through fourth-grade students are invited to participate in a program on marine biology.  We will conduct water-based experiments to gain basic understandings of the properties of water and will apply this learning to marine ecosystems.  We will study the fish and sea life in our new fish tank--a Long Island marine ecosystem--in the library. 

Science Club                                                            Thursdays

Instructor: Mr. Dutchen                                           Grades: 5-8

Minimum Enrollment: 3

Materials Fee: $30

Join in once a week to explore The Weather, Astronomy, Rocks and Minerals, use our digital microscope to examine slides you make yourself. Get involved in robotics, and much, much more.

This Week in Pictures

Grant is Formally Presented to Harbor

A $5,000 grant for a distance-learning project was formally submitted last week by Optimum Lightpath to Harbor Country Day School. The grant will allow fourth-grade students at Harbor to learn about research by the Royal Tyrell Museum into the study of fossils and pre-history.

Mr. Artie Weissbach, the school’s director of technology, and Ms. Christine McBrien, the fourth-grade teacher, accepted the grant on behalf of the school. It was presented by Joan Boccieri Gilroy, director of government affairs for Cablevision, and Todd Cammarota, enterprise account executive. Smithtown Councilman Kevin Malloy was also on hand for the presentation.

Authors Share Work with Young Audiences

The kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth grades were treated to three Book Fair author presentations this week.

The first reading was by Yvonne Capitelli. Her book, Daria Rose and the Day She Chose, is based on her daughter's experiences. The book’s theme is about the importance of making good social choices and not following the crowd.

The second author was Sandy Lanton, and her book Lots of Latkes is about special family traditions. The third author was Barbara Prignano who read How Bunnies Got Their Cottontails and Anthony and the Magic Bumblebee, which is about plants and pollination. The lower school enjoyed all three of the special presentations!

Harbor Students Have Art Hanging in Museum

The Long Island Museum held an opening reception Nov. 18 for the Colors of Long Island Showcase. This is an annual exhibition in which the museum showcases artwork created by students in grades K-8 from all over Long Island. This year Harbor was once again asked to participate. We had two very talented students representing us there: Julia and Olivia. The reception was wonderful, and both girls and their families had a terrific time. Their work will hang in the museum until the end of December. Visit the museum any time this month to view Julia and Olivia's stunning work. 

Harbor Fitness

Harbor 7th and 8th graders working on their fitness at Energy Gym in a Spin class.

Look closely, they have a special guest...it's Mr. Cissel.

What Our Students Love About Harbor

This year Harbor once again participated in the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Promenade of Trees. This is part of a fundraiser that the Heritage Organization hosts every year. Schools and groups from all over Long Island are invited to sponsor a tree and decorate it. All of the proceeds go to those in need. Harbor has sponsored a tree for many years, and each year students help create the decorations. Our theme this year is What Students Love About Harbor. The tree is covered in snowflakes, each with a message about something that the students love about their school. On Tuesday, Dec. 6, our senior class went to Stony Brook to hang all our snowflakes. They did a great job! If you would like to see our tree for yourself it is in front of Godiva Chocolates.

Tanks to the Parents Association

Our library has something new!  Thanks to the generous support of the PA, we now have a 55-gallon fish tank in the library.  This new tank holds fish, sea stars and hermit crabs typically found in a Long Island marine ecosystem.  A marine ecosystem is a salt water ecosystem.  Other kinds of water-based ecosystems include fresh water ecosystems (ponds and lakes) and mixed ecosystems (a combination of fresh and salt water which comes together in estuaries all along Long Island).  Known as the nurseries of the sea, mixed ecosystems are places where most water creatures lay eggs or raise their young.  Many of the fish and creatures in our tank first began life in a mixed ecosystem.  

Our new fish tank is very exciting.  We have puffer fish, sheepshead minnows and two varieties of tropical fish, a grouper and a pinfish.  These fish should live to double in size.  There are also many interesting mollusks and plants.  

Our fish need plenty of respect so we ask that students never tap or bang on the glass.  It frightens the fish.  And, please don't put your hands into the tank.  Be sure to visit our fish and watch them as they glide around in their watery home.  Watching fish can be relaxing and interesting.  Soon, we will begin to learn more about them and their watery community. 

Book Bonanza Comes to Harbor

Harbor hosted the school’s annual book fair for three days last week, with the theme “Read Around the World.”   Students of all ages took advantage of the opportunity to re-stock their bookshelves at home with many new editions.

This year’s book fair attracted six authors who participated in book readings, book signings and discussion groups with students. The gymnasium was festooned with dozens of flags made by students, and on Wednesday night Madeleine the Magician entertained a gathering of parents and students.

The event also featured a yearly favorite for teachers: the Wish List Program. Parents donate books for classroom libraries and the school library.

Thank you to everyone that donated books to the library during the book fair.  

Grant Owen                             Montgomarie Essex
Ryahn Khan                            Donna Sanders
Sarah Hickerson                     Emma Hickerson
Thalia Konstantopoulos          Kimberly Cataudella
Ava Weir                                 Mark Stephen
Connor Elling                          Mia Robinson
Austin Murn                            David Garcia

Notices

Parents' Association

Read Around the World: Destination Book Fair

It was an exciting week dedicated to reading, with visits from six authors who shared their writing successes with the kids! In addition,  we sold over 600 books,  to our children, and added books into the classrooms and library.  Thank you to Jacqui Evans (Olivia, Gr. 1)  and her creative, hard working team of grades 1 and 2 families. Special thanks to the Garcias (David, Gr. 1 and Sophia, Gr. 4) for the beautiful book covers adorning the gym, banner and  hot air balloon logo design. Thanks also to all the families that supported this event with their purchases and attendance during the Book Fair Night, experiencing Madeleine the Magician and the yummy international desserts. Thank You.
 
Harbor has taken another step to going green! We now offer reusable tote sporting our Read Around the World theme, available for purchase at $5 each.

Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle

ONLY 399 tickets remaining....
Did you know that you only have a 1 in 175 million chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot..!
The chances of getting a Hole in One in Golf is 1 in 12,750.
With that being said, you have a 1 in 500 chance to win either $10,000 or FREE TUITION.
In order to win it, you need to be in it. Did you buy your tickets yet? I know 58 other people that have.
ON SALE NOW FOR $75.00
ONLY UNTIL DECEMBER 16TH
The cost of one ticket is the same cost as 20 Vente Latte's at Starbucks.
Winning the Super Raffle would allow you to buy 2666 Latte's. Now that's a lot of coffee.
Don't forget to invite your friends and family to get in on the action. Tickets are going fast. We wouldn't want you to be the only one without a ticket. Drawing to be held on March 23, 2012 at the Annual Dinner. Winner need not be present to win. Winner is responsible for all applicable taxes for either Grand Prize.
Click here to get your entry form.
Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

This Week in Pictures

Skype en Español

With Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures and expand their knowledge in amazing ways.

After a successful first connection with a school in Toledo, Spain, the following are some of the impressions from our students about their experience.

“It was amazing how we could both see each other. More amazing that we could have a conversation!”

“They learn almost the same things we do, and they like the same things that we like.”

“I can’t wait until we connect with them again!”

“I think that the Skype session today with Toledo was eye-opening.”

“The classes in Spain are just like ours, but they speak Spanish.”

“I will always remember this day.”

In the near future, both schools will collaborate on a cultural project.

A Grand Day for Grandfriends

The American writer Madeleine L’Engle once said, “The great thing about getting old is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” And so it was at Harbor as grandfriends visited campus to peer into the lives of young students at Harbor.

About 60 grandfriends were on hand for a morning of activities that included classroom visits with teachers, students and administrators.

Contrasts were revealing, as grandfriends recalled their own youth when idle time was filled with stickball, roller-skating, jumping rope and pitching baseball cards. Several recalled the early days of television, when viewing choices were limited to three networks. “The Shadow” was on the radio, as were Connie Francis and Frankie Avalon. Gasoline cost 25 cents a gallon. One Long Island grandfriend recalled that cars were so scarce that she and her friends would pass the time counting them as they passed on the Montauk Highway.

Toward the end of the morning, an ensemble of students performed several songs on recorders before the day’s assembly concluded.

NJHS Collects Food

On Monday, Nov. 23, National Junior Honor Society members delivered hundreds of cans and boxes to the Smithtown Food Pantry.  It marked the culmination of a three-week effort to collect food for the hungry of our area.   When the pantry's executive director, Pat Westlake, saw the items pouring into its storage room, she exclaimed, "Harbor does it again.  Thank you!"   And thank you from the NJHS to the entire Harbor community.

Caring for those who need help

Going to a men’s homeless shelter was an experience that changed the lives of the 7^th and 8^th grade students.  The trip showed the students (and teachers) how many people are suffering on Long Island.  Men constantly go in and out of this shelter and are in need of support.  We will take frequent field trips there and help in any way we can.  Making lunches and bringing them to the homeless men is just one way we will provide care for people in need.  What better time to be in the spirit of giving than the holidays?

Kimberly 

Pre School Pilgrims

In the year 1620, the Mayflower sailed across the Atlantic Ocean carrying 102 passengers who were searching for a life of freedom in America. With so many passengers, and little room on the ship, each person could bring only a few personal belongings.

If you were a pilgrim sailing on the Mayflower, and you could bring only one suitcase with you, what would you pack?

Sofia – my stuffed animals, games, my princess blanket, a dollhouse, applesauce, apple juice and my dollhouse, if it fits.

Quinn – my Woody pillow, my star blanket, my stuffed animal, Lucky, yogurt and hamburgers.

Chloe – Poodle Pooh, my princess blanket, my polka-dot pillow, apples and apple juice.

Kevin – my Buzz blanket, my Spiderman pillow, my stuffed animals, games, hamburgers, and milk.

Ava – crayons and paper, peanut butter and jelly, chocolate milk, apple juice, my stuffed animals, my toy princesses, my Alice in Wonderland blanket and my princess pillow.

Ashley –Lucky, my games and toys, juice and food – all kinds of food, and mommy.

Matthew – my cars blanket, my pillow, a ham, turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard, chocolate milk, my stuffed animal dog and games.

Elliot – Neigh, my horsey, toy princesses, my princess blanket, my flower pillow, my unicorn, chocolate milk and hotdogs.

Jordyn – my stuffed animals, my Winnie the Pooh blanket, my princess pillow, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, water, chocolate milk and oatmeal.

Avery – my stuffed animals, toys, paper and markers, hamburger and chocolate milk.

Trivia Contest Ends in a Tie

On Friday, the Nissequogue and Nesconset teams participated in another monthly event: school trivia. The questions spanned a range of topics from the building, faculty and staff, Harbor history and the students themselves. With a round for the Lower School students and a round for the Upper School students, it was a split with both teams earning 25 points.

Some questions included: "How many acres comprise the Harbor campus (11)? Which teacher has been at Harbor the longest (Ms. Sjogren)? How many bathrooms are in the school for student use (seven)? How many students are new to the school this year in grades K-4 (13)?"

There were questions for all students, and a great time was had by all.

A Big Thank You!

Harbor would like to recognize the efforts of Jake and Rachel for helping keep the building clean while Mr. Guido is recovering. Great job guys!

Notices

Parent Student Handbook

Dear Harbor Parents,

We have uploaded the Harbor Country Day School Parent and Student Handbook to the school's website and ask that all parents confirm that they have read it.

To navigate to the page you will need to first log into the parent portal by going to Harbor's website and clicking on the LOGIN link located between the QUICKLINKS and ALUMNI links at the bottom of the page. Once logged in you will click on the Parent Portal link on the left hand side of the page and under that will be the link for Parent and Student Handbook.

You can download the Handbook to view it, and once done you will need to enter your full name in the field provided and select I Agree or I Disagree. You will then click on the Submit button and that is it. You will be sent a confirmation email to the address you provide. If you have any issues following these directions or are unable to locate the page please contact me, Artie Weissbach at aweissbach@hcdsny.org, and I will help you complete this.

Thank you,
Artie Weissbach
Director of Technology

Tea Party Announcement

The Student Council will be holding a tea party for grades K-4.

The girls K-4 are invited to attend the party on Monday, Dec.12, from 3 - 4:30 p.m.

We will have nail painting, tea, cookies, and a princess movie.

We ask that all students who participate in this event pay $10 and all extra proceeds will go to Toys for Tots.

Box-Top Announcement

Congratulations to kindergarten and 1st grade for bringing in the most box tops. They win a free dress day on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Thank you to all box top contributors!

Now, we need to get ready for the next competition, which will end in January. Keep saving, and stay tuned to find out what happens next.

Toys for Tots

Just a reminder that the Toys for Tots drive continues through Dec. 13.

Please donate a toy to help the underprivileged children.

Dining Room News…

January’s menu will be sent home in the backpacks today. Click here if you need another copy of December’s menu. All menus are due to the office by Friday, Dec. 9. Due to the holiday recess, it is important to place your orders by this date.

Please remember all lunches must be pre-ordered. Lunch orders will not be placed daily. Please send your child with a lunch each day if you have not ordered from the menu.

All lunch menus must be handed into the office by the due date stated on the menu. The lunches are pre-ordered from Buona Sera and once the order has been placed it is very difficult to change. No refunds will be issued for missed lunches due to illness, field trips, etc.

If there are any questions, please call me at the school office.

Cathie Pisk

Parents' Association

Book Fair: Read Around the World: December 6th, 7th and 8th

What an exciting week it's going to be. Great selection of books for everyone to choose from as you use your passport to travel Around the World. Many different book readings this week with various authors for everyone.

Don't forget to invite Friends and Family to the Wednesday night event, December 7 starting at 6pm. Meet authors and be dazzled my Madeleine the Magician. There will be international desserts and warm beverages as you embark on your reading adventure.

Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays. Buy someone special a book.  Don't forget to check out the Teacher's Wishlists.

Gingerbread Extravaganza : December 13th
Preschool 10:30 am - 12noon
K – 8 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm

A great time for everyone. The children use their creative energy to create magical, beautiful, and yes even edible Gingerbread Houses.
R.S.V.P with your $20 payment and form to Ms. Daniele by December 7th.
Don't forget..whether you can't make it that day or you're looking for that perfect holiday gift, you can order and pick up your Gingerbread House kits
for only $15.00 baked at Garguilo’s.

Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle

ONLY 442 tickets remaining....
Did you know that you only have a 1 in 175 million chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot..!
The chances of getting a Hole in One in Golf is 1 in 12,750.
With that being said, you have a 1 in 500 chance to win either $10,000 or FREE TUITION.
In order to win it, you need to be in it. Did you buy your tickets yet? I know 58 other people that have.
ON SALE NOW FOR $75.00
ONLY UNTIL DECEMBER 16TH
The cost of one ticket is the same cost as 20 Vente Latte's at Starbucks.
Winning the Super Raffle would allow you to buy 2666 Latte's. Now that's a lot of coffee.
Don't forget to invite your friends and family to get in on the action. Tickets are going fast. We wouldn't want you to be the only one without a ticket. Drawing to be held on March 23, 2012 at the Annual Dinner. Winner need not be present to win. Winner is responsible for all applicable taxes for either Grand Prize.
Click here to get your entry form.
Now you can "SHARE" and "LIKE" the Super Raffle on FACEBOOK!

This Week in Pictures

Harbor’s Annual Fund Kick-Off…

The positive energy at HCDS this fall resulted in an energized and well attended reception Nov. 17 to kick off the Annual Fund Drive at the Three Village Inn, Stony Brook Village. Head of School, Jim Young, told the gathering that the drive already had 100% participation from the Board and the faculty. This fantastic show of support reflects the happy, daily pulse of activity at Harbor and affirms that the fund is all about Harbor students. The School will make every effort to garner 100% parent participation this year, statistics that we will proudly take to foundations, corporations, etc., for additional support. Thank you, faculty and trustees, for your continued support of HCDS. Thank you to the host of the evening, Jim Verdi, trustee. Thank you to Adrienne Owen, also a trustee, for her beautiful flowers, Harbor sweets, and kick-off buttons and decals. Sally Dessart, Harbor thanks you for attending to every significant detail. All of you have helped to make the kick-off a great event.

Remember, our students need your participation in the Harbor Fund!  

How Do Young Children Learn?

Role-playing and dramatization are essential teaching tools when helping young children process new ideas and concepts. It allows them the full experience of comprehensive understanding so that the auditory and visual information provided during story time and class discussions makes sense. Our preschool children have been immersed in early American history, role-playing the lifestyles of early Native Americans and the arrival of the first pilgrims to America.

Imagination is critical in role-playing. The children made clothing from white buckskin (dad's old tee shirt), and designed it with bird feathers, seashells, clay beads, and natural berry dyes, understanding that there were no malls or supermarkets for early Native Americans to purchase clothing, food, furniture or toys. These early American people needed to be self sufficient in order to survive.

An outdoor pow wow on our beautiful fall campus allowed the children to feel and understand the hardships of hunting for food to satisfy hunger and sitting and sleeping on the cold hard ground. But the children also experienced the joys of gathering around a campfire to tell stories, and the excitement of singing and dancing in celebration of a successful hunt. The culminating outdoor experience of the pow wow brought meaning and clarity to history for our young students. Creating rich, meaningful, authentic learning environments for young children is what makes Harbor's early childhood program unique.

Turkey Centers

It was a gobblin' good time in the first grade Wednesday. The students participated in turkey centers. At the spelling center, students were challenged to add feathers to Mr. Turkey by spelling words to Carina's grandmother. The book All About Turkeys was the source of information for children on the turkey topic, including the names of different ages of turkey, what turkeys eat and that wild turkeys can fly. Kavin's mom helped the students recall and write what they learned.  Each child created a turkey glyph that represents family traditions and Thanksgiving food preferences of each individual student. A Turkey Track math game, led by Sophia's mom, reinforced addition and subtraction skills that students have been working on during our math lessons. We would like to send a huge Harbor thank you to our volunteers. We couldn't have done it without you!

Lightpath Technology Grant

Congratulations to Mrs. McBrien and Mr. Weissbach for winning a $5,000 technology grant for an exciting new program for Harbor. The grant was awarded by Optimum Lightpath and was presented Thursday at a technology conference at company headquarters. The grant will allow Harbor to engage in distance learning with other schools, museums and programs around the world.  Eventually, teachers will be able to tap into the technology during or after the school day.

Mrs. McBrien will pioneer a class unit using the new equipment within the Distance Learning Program at the Royal Terrell Museum in Alberta, Canada. She intends to have her class learn about dinosaur bones from a paleontologist, in real time, through the Internet, using a camera and a "green screen."  Mr. Weissbach is working on the technological side of this project. 

Go to this link and then click "Distance Learning" to find out more about this program. This museum is in the Badlands in Alberta and in one of the major geological areas in North America known for unearthing dinosaur bones. 

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/programs/public_%20programs.htm

Congratulations, Mrs. McBrien and Mr. Weissbach!

Advisory Tech Talk

At the last 5-8 Advisory meeting Mr. Weissbach spoke about Internet safety, social media awareness and proper email correspondence. When it came to social media, the discussion focused on what information should be in profiles and how to police individual accounts. Another topic was how to address an online audience, which might not be able to pick up nuances that would be obvious in person-to-person communication. Finally, Mr. Weissbach emphasized that material placed on the Internet may remain there for an eternity, so be careful about what you place online.

Notices

Picture Re-take Day

Picture re-take day is Monday, Nov. 28. If you would like a retake, please return the pictures you do not like (keep the group class pictures). Jo Ann in the office will put you on the re-take list.

Physical Education Wish List

Polydots
Floor tape
Masking tape
Lollypop paddles
Slo-mo balls
Foldable goals
Large cones
Volleyballs
Playground balls
Single ball cart on wheels
Basketballs
Game balls for basketball games
Basketball game book
Ball bags
Pinnies
Balance board
Badminton sets
Agility ladder
Medicine balls
Music player (cd/ipod compatible)

Parents’ Association

BoxTops 4 Education

Bonus Offers to Earn Quick and Multiple BoxTops: Check it Out!!

http://generalmills.promo.eprize.com/btfe/:b=ie9/?affiliate_id=1b

http://www.boxtops4education.com/Sweepstakes.aspx/Zoo-Pals-Sweepstakes/367

http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/marketplace/Default.aspx?WT.ac=BBT_OPE

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Look out Giada, and forget about Chef Ramsey. Here comes the Parents from Grades 4, 6 and 8.

Fourth, sixth and eighth grade parents hosted this month's Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon:  Around the World.  It was a fabulous and delectable lunch with mouthwatering delicacies from all around the globe, with Turkish, Italian, Greek, American, Jewish, French, Filipino and Mexican dishes.

Read Around The World: Destination Book Fair scheduled Dec. 6, 7 and 8 (chaired by first and second grades). There will be a special author-signing event on Dec 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. Families and friends are welcome.?

Gingerbread Extravaganza (chaired by Grade 4): Dec. 13. Scrumptiously delicious.

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle is here!

What would you do with $10,000

or

how about free tuition for next year?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle 2011-2012

Take a chance to win $10,000 or free tuition for next year.  Winner will have a choice of either super prize.  Once the winner has elected payment method, free tuition for next year is not transferable or refundable.  Winner is responsible for all applicable taxes.

ONLY 500 tickets will be sold.  Just 500.  Those are great odds.

Drawing will be on 3/23/2012 at the Parents' Association annual dinner party, which will be held separately at Windows on the Lake in Lake Ronkonkoma.  Annual Dinner Party tickets will be sold separately. 

 The winner need not be present to win.

Don't forget to ask your friends and family if they'd like a chance to win $10,000. 

The odds are incredible.

Get your tickets NOW!!!  Tickets are only $75 each until Dec. 16, 2011. 

 ON SALE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Ticket prices will increase after Dec. 16.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR ENTRY FORM

This Week in Pictures

Native Americans in Pre School

The preschool children had a special visitor in their classrooms this week, Mrs. Lisa Cissel, who taught them about how early Native American Indians hunted and gathered foods from the environment and, in particular, how they used corn for many purposes. After husking some corn plants, the children learned that various parts of the plants were used to make baskets, mats, cornhusk dolls and corn based foods.  The children followed a recipe using natural ingredients to make corn bread. The aroma of freshly baked corn bread soon filled the air in the dining room, and the children were excited to taste their delicious muffins, asking for seconds and thirds.  A special thank you to Mrs. Cissel for sharing this enriching experience with our preschool children as they learn about life in early America.

A Love Affair with Madagascar

David Krause first went to this island nation of 21 million people in search of pre-historic fossils, and, in fact, Madagascar has yielded fossils of species that existed no where else on earth.

But what the paleontologist saw around him – poverty, illiteracy and suffering – brought forth a new cause: the development of schools, clinics, and a spirit that the sub-standard living conditions for many children in this island nation can be improved.

Dr. Krause spoke Friday to two assemblies of Harbor students about the challenge ahead for him and the doctors, dentists and other medical volunteers from Stony Brook University who make regular trips to Madagascar. The Madagascar Ankizy Fund was established to finance a variety of projects and distribute healthcare supplies.

Aloha from the Second Grade

The second grade has been busy studying Hawaiian culture and customs. The students have been drawing comparisons and contrasts of lifestyles here in New York and in Hawaii while they learn about native plants, animals and marine life in Hawaii. The second-grade children also chose Hawaiian research topics for projects to present to their classmates. Topics included volcanoes, the endangered nene goose, Hawaiian leis, marine life, President Obama and the Hawaiian trigger fish.

Life and Times of Frida Kahlo, the Artist

Eighth-grade Spanish students spent several weeks researching the life of Frida Kahlo and putting together remarkable power-point presentations that provided an inside view of her personal life and success.

Kahlo’s painting career lasted 28 years. She was also known as the exotic wife of the famous muralist Diego Rivera. She wore festive Mexican costumes and painted peculiar, often shocking self-portraits.

During her lifetime, Kahlo's work was recognized primarily by the cultural and intellectual elite, nationally and internationally. She was not known by most Mexicans until years after her death.

Since the late 1970s—thanks in part to feminism, the Chicano movement, and multiculturalism— Kahlo has become an international cult figure. Exhibitions, books and films about her abound.

Printing with Pre-K Enrichment

In a visit to the art studio, the Pre-K Enrichment class learned about how prints were made before electronic printers.  Mrs. Grass demonstrated the mechanics involved in using an authentic printing press and our enthusiastic young artists couldn’t wait to start creating their own prints.

An Update from the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees met Oct. 26 with all trustees in attendance.  Board Chair Dave Essex explained that all Board Committees--Buildings & Grounds, Development, Executive, Finance, Head Support & Evaluation, Marketing, and Trustees--have now met and are energized after their meetings, where goals and plans for the 2011-2012 school year were developed. Committee chairs provided updates to the Board and answered questions. The Board approved the Parents' Association proposal to offer a free tuition for 2012-2013 as an alternative option to the $10,000 Super Raffle grand prize. The Development Committee announced this year's Harbor Fund Kick Off will be Nov. 17 at the Three Village Inn. After Jim Young gave his Head's Report, John Cissel, head of academic affairs, provided an overview of Harbor's 2011-2012 Academic Program and shared his ideas, recommendations, needs and areas of focus with the Board.

Notices

Coat Drive

Thank you for all of your coat donations!

Our goal was 30 coats. We got over 50 coats! Last week, the student council made a visit to the homeless veterans to drop off our coats. They were very thankful. They needed the coats and they were trying them on as we brought them into the building. We would like to again thank every one for bringing in the coats and making the coat drive such a success.

Evelyn Beltrani
Alexandra Berlingieri
Alex Gieraltowski
Donna Sanders

The Student Council

Dining Room News….

December’s menu will be sent home in backpacks, Tuesday, Nov. 15. ^. All menus are due to the office by Thursday, Nov. 17. If you would like your copy now, click here.

All lunches must be pre-ordered. Lunch orders will not be placed daily. Please send your child with a lunch each day if you have not ordered from the menu.

All lunch menus must be handed into the office by the due date stated on the menu. The lunches are pre-ordered from Buona Sera and once the order has been placed it is very difficult to change. No refunds will be issued for missed lunches due to illness, field trips, etc.

If there are any questions, please call me at the school office.

Cathie Pisk

From the Business Office

This week all of our 60/40 tuition payment option families will be receiving a reminder invoice that your 40% payment is due Dec. 1. If you should have any questions just give me a call.

Diane Abrams
Business Manager
631-584-5555

Parents’ Association

What’s next? 

November Faculty/Staff Luncheon hosted by Grades 4, 6, and 8 will be Nov. 16.

Read Around The World: Destination Book Fair scheduled for Dec. 6, 7 and 8.  (chaired by Grades 1 and 2)  There will be a special author-signing event from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 7. Families and friends are welcome.?

Gingerbread Extravaganza (chaired by Grade 4): Dec. 13. Scrumptiously delicious.

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle is here!

What would you do with $10,000

or

how about free tuition for next year?

The Harbor Scholarship Super Raffle 2011-2012

Take a chance to win $10,000 or free tuition for next year.  Winner will have a choice of either super prize.  Once the winner has elected payment method, free tuition for next year is not transferable or refundable.  Winner is responsible for all applicable taxes.

ONLY 500 tickets will be sold.  Just 500.  Those are great odds.

Drawing will be on 3/23/2012 at the Parents' Association annual dinner party, which will be held separately at Windows on the Lake in Lake Ronkonkoma.  Annual Dinner Party tickets will be sold separately. 

 The winner need not be present to win.

Don't forget to ask your friends and family if they'd like a chance to win $10,000. 

The odds are incredible.

Get your tickets NOW!!!  Tickets are only $75 each until Dec. 16, 2011. 

 ON SALE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Ticket prices will increase after Dec. 16.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR ENTRY FORM

"Family is a collective expression of individual perspectives--a living work of art."

Wes Fessler

Stephen Hussey
Parents' Association Coordinator