After a long winter of early sunsets, an abundance of snow and freezing temperatures, and more time indoors than many of us would like, spring feels like a sigh of relief. The days are stretching longer, the air feels lighter, and our Harborfields community is beginning to step back outside- into sports seasons, neighborhood walks, social gatherings, and the simple joy of fresh air and sunlight.

Seasonal transitions can lift our spirits, but they can also remind us that winter sometimes brings feelings of isolation, physical and emotional fatigue, or social disconnection. As we move into this brighter season, it’s a beautiful opportunity to check in with ourselves and with our children. More daylight, more movement, and more face-to-face connection can have a powerful impact on mental well-being. Spring truly is a time of renewal, not just for nature, but for our routines, relationships, and energy.

With the return of sports games, practices, performances, and social events, the calendar can fill quickly. Taking a moment now to plan ahead- for meals, downtime, family connection, spring cleaning and even digital boundaries- can help this season feel energizing rather than overwhelming. Balance doesn’t happen by accident; it happens with intention.

In this edition, we’re focusing on digital wellness and how to create healthy balance as screen time competes with outdoor time. We’re excited to feature an interview with our Harborfields Director of Technology and Security Systems, Mary-Lynn Karpenske, who shares thoughtful insight on navigating technology both in school and at home. You’ll also find fitness tips to support digital balance, ideas for packing healthier snacks for busy game nights, how to make better choices when fast food is the only option, bike and outdoor safety reminders as our kids return to the streets and sidewalks, and details about a digital wellness workshop for parents in March and our upcoming Wellness Fair and Healthy Tornado Challenge.

In a community proudly rooted in green- growth, resilience, and renewal are strongest when we move forward together as One Harborfields Family.

Wishing our entire Harborfields community a season filled with health, connection, and renewed energy!

Warmly,

As both a parent and a fitness professional, I spend a lot of time thinking about balance. Every family approaches screen time differently, and there is no one size fits all answer. What I do know is that when kids have intentional breaks from screens, those moments can be powerful opportunities for movement, connection, and play. Rather than focusing on limits alone, I like to focus on what we can encourage kids to do with that time.

Below are simple, age appropriate ways to encourage activity at each school level.

At this age, screen time usually means tablets or iPads. Rather than focusing on taking screens away, it helps to offer clear and fun alternatives.

• Use timers so children know when screen time ends and movement begins.

• Let kids help choose the activity so they feel involved and excited.

• Make activity a family routine by going for walks, riding bikes, or playing outside together.

• Or create short movement breaks like dancing, animal walks, or simple obstacle courses at home.

Young children benefit most from regular opportunities to move throughout the day, with activities that feel playful rather than structured.

Kids in this age group often have more independence with screens, including gaming systems and virtual reality. Building movement into their daily routine helps create balance.

• Encourage active play like backyard games, driveway sports, or neighborhood bike rides.

• Turn movement into a challenge such as seeing how many jumping jacks or laps they can do.

• Invite friends to join, making movement feel more engaging and enjoyable.

• Use screen time as something that comes after being active.

This is a great age to reinforce that screen time can exist alongside regular movement.

Middle school children are often navigating phones, texting, and social media. Communicating with friends is important, but so is learning how to connect in person.

• Encourage get-togethers that involve movement like walking with friends, outdoor fun, or pickup games.

• Create phone free times such as during meals or before bed.

• Model healthy habits by putting your own phone down when possible.

• Offer suggestions instead of restrictions so children feel guided rather than controlled.

Helping middle school children practice real world connection builds confidence and healthy habits.

With phones no longer allowed during the school day, many high school students are experiencing better focus and stronger connections. The next step is supporting healthy habits outside of school.

• Encourage movement as a way to manage stress through sports, walking, workouts, or fitness classes.

• Promote screen free time at night to support better sleep.

• Help teens explore movement they enjoy beyond organized sports.

• Focus on balance rather than perfection.

Supporting healthy routines now helps teens develop habits they can carry into adulthood.

Digital wellness is not about eliminating screens. It is about balance. When we guide kids toward movement, play, and real world connection, we help them build habits that support their physical health, mental well being, and overall happiness.

With Spring sports finally back in action, the Harborfields community is buzzing with energy. But for many families, the return to the fields also means the return of the "Dinner Dilemma." When you’re rushing from work to the high school turf or the local park fields, the evening can feel like a race against the clock.

Do you eat a heavy meal at 4:00 PM? Do you wait until 9:00 PM and risk everyone being "hangry"? Or do you find yourself stuck in the drive-thru or at the concession stand for the third time in a week?

It can feel daunting, but with a little bit of strategy, you can fuel your student-athletes (and yourself!) with nourishing meals that actually fit into a hectic sports schedule. Here is your practical guide to winning at game-night dinner.

The best sideline meals are those that don't need a microwave and can be eaten with one hand. Focus on a balance of lean protein for muscle recovery and complex carbohydrates for lasting energy.

Pack a few of these nourishing snacks in a bag or cooler to help prevent energy crashes between school and game time:

Success on the field starts with a plan in the kitchen. Use this checklist to stay ahead of the busy week:

By shifting the focus from "fast food" to "fueling food," you’re giving your athlete a competitive edge and saving yourself the stress of the late-night dinner scramble. See you on the sidelines!

With spring around the corner and sports activities “gearing up” for another busy season, fast food surely can become a convenient dinner option for many busy families. Recent research has raised awareness about two main concerns: chemicals in packaging and ingredients in highly processed foods:

1. Some fast-food wrappers and containers have contained PFAS (“forever chemicals”), which help resist grease but may transfer into food. Many companies are now working to reduce or eliminate these chemicals, and improvements are ongoing. Tips: Take the food out of the wrapper as quickly as possible and never reheat the food in its original container or any plastic container.

2. Fast food often contains high levels of sodium, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and preservatives. These ingredients help food taste good and last longer, but eating large amounts regularly may contribute to health concerns over time. Fast-food meals also tend to be low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables, which are important for growing children. Tips: Stick with grilled rather than fried food and fresh burgers rather than frozen if possible.

Below is a helpful chart which compares some popular fast food establishments:

Wendy’s burgers may have a slight advantage because their beef is always fresh and never frozen. While fresh, never-frozen beef doesn’t automatically make a burger ‘healthy,’ it does reduce processing and can be a helpful factor when comparing similar menu choices.*

This information is meant to support families, not judge their choices (and certainly not to promote Wendy’s as a health food restaurant!) Every household balances time, budget, and children’s preferences differently. Small, realistic choices can make a positive difference. Balance matters more than perfection.

* Research has consistently shown that Grass fed beef is the healthiest beef to consume.

Varre JV, Statham T, Smith AF, Ahsin M, Cloward J, Carbonell Herrera M, Mittendorf C, Crompton C, Ward RE, Evans T, Bird T, Lyons S, Pinelli A, Kittredge D, Van Vliet S. Nutritional Composition of Beef: A Comparison of Commercial North American Grass- and Grain-Finishing Systems. Journal of Animal Science. 2025 Dec 18:skaf436. doi:10.1093/jas/skaf436

I sat down With Mary-Lynn Karpenske, our Harborfields Director of Technology and Security Systems, to talk about the role of technology in our schools, digital wellness inside and outside of school, and her own personal views and habits to keep herself and her family balanced.

MK: Digital wellness at school is really linked to mental health because technology is everywhere for our students. There’s always a constant flow of information and a way to access it, so it really is our job to teach them how to maintain a balance and reconnect. In schools, we try to guide students past just accepting information and being passive listeners. We want them to engage. We want them to challenge the information and come to their own understanding of it.

Technology can help make their ideas sparkle. We have databases, our wonderful teachers, and tools they can use, but the school's role is to show students how to use technology to further their curiosity, not solely to consume what’s put in front of them. It’s about balance and intention. 

At home, it’s tough as a parent because when you think about it, we really only have a couple of hours with our children after the day ends. So creating boundaries- such as this is when we use technology, this is when we don’t- becomes really important. We want to make the most of our time.

MK: Beginning in kindergarten, we introduce students to the purposeful use of technology, ensuring its application is intentional. Our curriculum aligns with the New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency standards; we also prioritize age-appropriate integration and evidence-based digital wellness practices

If you walk into a classroom, you are never going to see a child on a screen from bell to bell- because that’s just not best practice. Technology should enhance a lesson, never substitute for it. We want the focus to be on hands-on, inquiry-based learning, where technology is a tool that enhances it. Sometimes that ‘technology mindset’ means more than just a screen or device- it can mean playing with Legos, engineering manipulatives, or just focusing on building and problem-solving. That inquiry thought process is really what it’s all about, and a focus on that rather than the actual device can help foster healthy technology habits. 

MK: We lean on our families so much, and we’re very appreciative of the community’s support. We try to offer as many events as possible on understanding technology, especially as AI is entering the picture so quickly. We’re all trying to wrap our minds around what that means. When families attend events and join the conversation, it helps us ensure we’re all on the same page.

In our schools, digital wellness isn’t an isolated lesson. It’s infused throughout the day. Teachers reference it intentionally so that when students go home, the hope is that you might hear them say something like, ‘We have to be careful with that image,’ or ‘That might not be reliable.’ Those in-school lessons can help naturally extend technology conversations into the home.

MK: This is a constant conversation in my house.

My 6th grader loves esports, robotics, and tech. For him, it’s very social- he’s playing with friends and building things. So I have to be mindful not to just say, ‘No screens.’ Instead, we use the built-in screen time apps to see how many hours he spends on certain platforms. When he sees that number, it brings him back and helps him to regroup. It gives us a chance to ask, ‘Were you practicing lacrosse? Basketball?’ It just sparks reflection to ensure equal time is spent on digital, physical, and academic activities. 

For my 3rd grader, it looks different. What works for one child doesn’t necessarily work for the other. We’ve had conversations about why the rules may not look exactly the same, but they’re designed for each of them.

Privacy settings are on. My 6th grader can’t download an app unless I approve it. That’s been a huge help because it sparks conversations. When I don’t approve an app, we always talk about the why behind that decision. 

We also talk about the difference between being an active participant and just doom-scrolling. And I always try to remind both of my children about digital footprints- what you put online stays with you. That’s a hard conversation to have with little ones, but finding an age-appropriate way to have it is important.

MK: I have to actively think about this each day. My job is in technology, so it's become normal for me to have access to a device, since I always want to act quickly if needed. But when I’m home with my kids, I’ll try to physically put my phone in a certain spot so it’s out of sight, out of mind.

At dinner, we try not to have screens. And my kids will call me out if I don’t follow that rule, like, ‘Mom, what’s your phone doing out?’ And they’re right.

We approach it as a team. We hold each other accountable because digital wellness is just as important for adults as it is for kids.

I also try to model being okay with being a little bored, sitting without a device in my hand, and just letting the world unfold because I think that’s such an essential skill that can be difficult for all of us, children and adults alike. 

MK: Be open and communicative. Don’t shy away from the hard conversations around technology. Sometimes we need a break from screens, and that can be hard, but pushing through it together matters.

I really like the idea of creating a family ‘social contract.’ Ask your kids: When do we want to use technology? What works for our family? Every family looks different.

Know your family. Know what works for them. And take advantage of the resources around you- our schools, our public libraries. There are great supports out there. Knowing where to look is a huge part of it.

Whether you have younger or older children, incorporating some digital wellness boundaries can be a helpful step in keeping the whole family digitally balanced. Digital wellness is the intentional and mindful use of technology in ways that promote balance, healthy relationships, and overall well-being.

Here you'll find helpful links from Common Sense Media to help your family take steps toward digital wellness by age group.

As the days grow longer and the weather warms, our Harborfields neighborhoods come back to life, and we can expect to see more people on bikes, scooters, e-bikes, and foot everywhere around us. It’s one of the best parts of spring, but it also calls for a shared commitment to safety from families and drivers alike. A little reminder about safety and awareness can go a long way in keeping everyone safe, while still allowing our children the freedom, independence, and joy that being outdoors brings.

Early-season supervised rides and clear boundaries can help children rebuild skills and confidence after the winter break.

Spring means more children near parks, driveways, crosswalks, and residential streets. Slowing down, staying off phones, yielding fully at crosswalks, and giving cyclists adequate space when passing are small actions that make a big difference.

Children are still developing impulse control and depth perception. What seems predictable to an adult driver may not yet be predictable to a 9- or 10-year-old. A few extra seconds of patience can prevent a serious accident.

The HF Health and Wellness Committee is excited to present our first spring wellness fair. The Healthy Tornado HF Stronger Together Night is happening Friday, April 17th from 4-8 PM at Harborfields High School, in front of the track under the stadium lights! This high-energy community event will bring families together for spring sports clinics led by our high school athletes, a Girls Varsity Lacrosse game under the lights, interactive booths from HHS wellness-focused clubs, tables hosted by community health and wellness professionals and local organizations, HF music bands, HF Youth Cheer, and more. From movement and mindfulness to nutrition education and service opportunities, this is a celebration of what makes Harborfields strong- students leading students, families connecting, and our community coming together around health, teamwork, and school spirit.

In the four weeks leading up to the event, WDPS and TJL students will be invited to participate in the Healthy Tornado Challenge- a fun, accessible way to build healthy habits one week at a time. Each week will focus on a different area: Nutrition, Hygiene, Mental Health, and Fitness. Students will complete simple, age-appropriate activities and track their progress on a challenge card. Those who bring their completed card to Stronger Together Night will receive special recognition with exciting details to be announced soon! We can’t wait to see our younger Tornadoes building healthy habits and being celebrated under the lights!

Harborfields Central School District presents a digital wellness event with Dr. Marie Bragg, who will host a Parent Workshop, Scroll Smarter: Staying Digitally Safe in the Age of Social Media and AI.

In this interactive parent workshop, Dr. Marie Bragg helps families better understand the digital environments that children and teens navigate today. The session explores how social media platforms and emerging AI tools are designed, how these technologies influence behavior and decision making, and where potential safety and well-being risks can arise. 

Parents will learn how algorithm-driven content, AI-generated material, and online engagement features can impact attention, judgment, privacy, and emotional health. The workshop emphasizes practical, age-appropriate strategies parents can use to promote digital safety, support critical thinking, and guide healthier technology use at home.

You can find an eye opening Ted Talk by Marie Bragg on You Tube.

Please register for this event on Parent Square.

If you have a fourth grader, did you know they can get a pass to explore national parks, waterways, and lands for free? Check out this website for more information:

In The Amazing Generation, Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price explore how growing up in the age of smartphones and social media has shaped today’s children and teens. Blending research with practical insight, they examine the impact of constant connectivity on youth mental health and development, and offer thoughtful ideas for how families and communities can support healthier, more balanced childhoods. A timely and meaningful read for parents navigating the digital world.

Support Our Local Community:

Harborfields Alliance for Community Outreach (HACO)

Dr. Rory J. Manning, Ed D., Superintendent of Schools

Jessica Posillico, MS, RD, CDN, Co-Chair

Donna Maio, Co-Chair

Morgan Dubas

Joanna Gras

Kelly Little

Rachel Marfoglio

Ginny Porto, LCSW, CCTP

Maria Reina, Psy.D.

💚 We’d love to hear from you!

Have ideas, feedback, or resources to share?

Reach out to the Harborfields Council of PTAs Health & Wellness Committee:

📧 Thehealthytornado@gmail.com

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Instagram: @HFHealthyTornado

Facebook: HF Healthy Tornado

The information provided in this Health and Wellness Newsletter is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or health-related issue. The PTA, The School District and contributing authors, do not endorse or recommend any specific tests, products, procedures, materials, opinions, equipment, or any other information mentioned in this newsletter. Reliance on any information provided herein is solely at your risk, and should be based solely on your own investigation and verification.