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TJL Fourth-Grade Parents Play Their Part in Band

Fourth Grade Parent Band Night thumbnail257462

Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School hosted its annual Fourth Grade Parent Band Night on March 11. TJL Principal Jennifer Washington set the event in motion with her welcoming remarks. Band Director Courtney Kassinger spoke about the wonderful work that fourth-grade band members have been putting into their instruments, invited K-12 Music Department Coordinator Dan Bilawsky and several high school musicians up to speak, shared an informational video featuring her students, and provided helpful information to guide them down the path to continued success.

The second half of the evening involved high school students teaching parents how to play their children’s instruments. The program concluded with parents performing a brief concert for their children.  

“Parent Band Night is always a very special event,” Kassinger said. “It gives parents an opportunity to experience the hard work their children are doing every day as they learn an instrument for the first time. And on the other side, of course, the students really enjoy seeing their parents play. The whole experience shows students how committed their parents are to helping them succeed in band.”

Date Added: 4/16/2024




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TJL Team Earns Highest Honors at Second WordMasters Challenge Meet

TJL fourth graders Maggie Devlin and Sam Seaman thumbnail257163
A team representing Harborfields’ Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School achieved highest honors in the recent WordMasters Challenge, a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students annually. The fourth-grade team scored an impressive 185 points out of a possible 200 in the second of three WordMasters meets this year, placing ninth in the nation. Competing in the difficult Blue Division, fourth graders Maggie Devlin and Sam Seaman earned a perfect score of 20. Nationally, only 69 fourth graders achieved this result.

Other TJL students who achieved outstanding results in the meet include third grader Stanley Virgil, fourth graders Emma Currie and Amalia Sepulveda Aponte, and fifth graders Maeve Nordmann and Violet Waldren. The students were coached in preparation for the WordMasters Challenge by Linda Scarth.

Date Added: 4/9/2024
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Harborfields Cited As One of the Best Communities for Music Education

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For the fifth consecutive year, the NAMM Foundation has honored the Harborfields Central School District with a Best Communities for Music Education designation. This recognition is awarded to districts throughout the country that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music education and access to their students.

“We pride ourselves on the quality and accessibility of our programs,” K-12 Music Department Coordinator Dan Bilawsky said. “Harborfields is fortunate to have a very supportive community that stands behind the arts and shows a steadfast commitment to music education in particular. The Board of Education, administration, staff, parents and students all contribute to the success of our programs, and this award speaks clearly to music's importance in Harborfields.”

“Congratulations to the entire music department,” Superintendent Dr. Rory Manning said. “This is a well-deserved recognition for an amazing community of music educators.”

Date Added: 4/8/2024

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Fourth Graders Have Fun with Fractions at TJL

Fourth Graders Have Fun with Fractions at TJL thumbnail256500

Samantha Little and Shaina Zebrowski’s fourth grade classes at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School in the Harborfields Central School District recently practiced fractions in a hands-on way. The students reviewed adding and subtracting fractions by making trail mix snacks and making slime. They renamed fractions from improper fractions to mixed numbers and played tic-tac-toe and Connect 4 when the fractions were renamed correctly. They also found equivalent fractions by playing bingo.

“Our students had a great afternoon working together and reviewing fractions,” Little said.

Date Added: 3/20/2024

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Two from TJL Earn Perfect Score on WordMasters Challenge

Fourth grader Amalia Sepulveda and fifth grader Quinn Dunham, thumbnail255900

Two Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School students recently received a perfect score in the first of three meets in this year’s WordMasters Challenge, a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students each year. Fourth grader Amalia Sepulveda and fifth grader Quinn Dunham, both competing in the Blue Division, each earned a perfect score of 20 on the Challenge. Nationally, only 26 fourth graders and 43 fifth graders achieved this result. The students were coached in preparation for the WordMasters Challenge by Linda Scarth.

Date Added: 3/6/2024

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Current News   

TJL Fourth-Grade Parents Play Their Part in Band
 
TJL Team Earns Highest Honors at Second WordMasters Challenge Meet
 
Harborfields Cited As One of the Best Communities for Music Education
 
Fourth Graders Have Fun with Fractions at TJL
 
Two from TJL Earn Perfect Score on WordMasters Challenge
 
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