We have exciting news! On Tuesday, March 7th, we were thrilled to welcome Robert Brull, President of the The Marilyn Lichtman Foundation, to Harmony Heights, where Mr. Brull presented our Executive Director Kathy Nastri, Clinical Director Lori Neazer, and Principal Tatiana Pejkovic with a very generous grant in support of Harmony Heights' program on behalf of the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation.
The Marilyn Lichtman Foundation, based right here on Long Island, was created by Marilyn Lichtman herself upon her retirement, and following her death the foundation has continued to fulfill her vision of bringing about positive change by supporting veterans, animal assistance and wildlife conservation programs, medical and community service providers, and others that enhance our lives and the lives of future generations.
Thank you so much to everyone at the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation for their incredible generosity and support. We are truly honored to have been chosen by their board for this amazing grant, and so enjoyed the opportunity to meet Mr. Brull and have the chance to share a bit about our program with him. As our country faces a mental health crisis among adolescents like never before, funding from the Marilyn Lichtman Foundation allows Harmony Heights to continue providing our mental health services to Long Island's teens. We are immensely grateful for their support, and are very proud to be a part of Marilyn Lichtman's legacy!
Introducing the Summer 2022 Harmony Heights Newsletter!
The first edition produced by our new Principal, Tatiana Pejkovic, M.A.
Principal Pejkovic holds a master’s degree in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership, and is certified as a teacher of grades 7 through 12, and teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Congratulations to our Executive Director, Kathy Nastri, LCSW, who was recently named a Woman of Distinction by Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Councilwoman Michele Johnson. The Town selects awardees based upon their contributions to the arts, education, environment, athletics, community or civic service, volunteerism or business. Kathy was recognized for her 30 years of service to Harmony Heights, in positions ranging from clinical social worker to executive director. “Kathy has made a concerted effort to forge a bond between [Harmony Heights] and the surrounding community, feeling it was important for both groups to become more connected and to help alleviate misconceptions with mental health,” the citation reads. Congratulations, Kathy!
Congratulations to Kathryn Nastri, Executive Director of Harmony Heights, on being named the winner of the Certilman Balin Leadership Excellence Award at the Imagine Long Island Awards on April 26, 2022. Pictured here with Denis Garbo, president of the Harmony Heights Board of Directors.
Thank You, Harmony Heights Supporters!
Sincere thanks to all of our amazing supporters! You made our 2021 Fall Fundraiser a tremendous success! We could not provide the high level of care we do, including enrichment and ancillary programs, without your support.
January 2022
Harmony Heights’ Executive Director Kathryn Nastri, LCSW, Chosen as a Finalist in the 10th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards
Harmony Heights is proud to announce
that our Executive Director Kathy Nastri has been chosen as a finalist in the 10th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards!
The Long Island Imagine Awards were created as a way to showcase the nonprofit sector and all the good work that it does throughout the Island. For the second year in a row, Harmony Heights has been chosen from over 140 applications submitted by nonprofits throughout Long Island. With just 36 slots in the semi-finalist round, Harmony Heights has been nominated as a semi-finalist in two categories.
Our Executive Director, Kathy Nastri, was selected as a nominee for the Certilman Balin Leadership Excellence Award, while Harmony Heights was nominated for the Cerini & Associates Social Impact Award. Congratulations to Kathy and to all our hardworking and dedicated Harmony Heights staff on this tremendous honor!
Kathy Nastri has since advanced to the Finalist Round for the Certilman Balin Leadership Excellence Award!
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Long Island Imagine Awards as well as to the sponsors who have made these awards possible, in particular Cerini and Associates, LLP, Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, Claire Friedlander Family Foundation, Flushing Bank, Nerds That Care, and Vanguard Insurance Agency. We would also like to congratulate our fellow semi-finalists, all of whom are doing such vital work in the nonprofit sector here on Long Island.
This has been another challenging year for us all, and our staff has truly gone above and beyond in coming together to continue to provide the vital services and supports the students in our program need now more than ever. These nominations are a testament to their hard work and dedication, and we are immensely proud.
We invite you to learn more about the Long Island Imagine Awards by visiting their website at: www.imagineawardsli.com/finalist
Sincere thanks to all of our supporters who made our annual fundraiser such a success! It was different from our previous fundraising events - like everything else these days! - and we are so very appreciative of your generous participation. Watch for our Supporter Spotlight to begin on social media in the coming days!
December 2020
Harmony Heights is Pleased to Present our New Computer Lab
Courtesy of the NYS Education Department’s Smart Schools Bond Act: Computer Investment Plan
Smart Schools Bond Act: Computer Investment Plan
UPDATE: August 13, 2020 — Harmony Heights is pleased to share the final version of our Smart Schools Bond Act Plan, which has now been officially approved by the NYSED Smart Schools Review Board. We are excited to begin work on the upgrades to our school computer lab, and look forward to sharing our progress with you!
You can review the complete Harmony Heights Smart Schools Bond Act application by clicking here.
Smart Schools Bond Act: Computer Investment Proposal
Under the Smart Schools Bond Act, Harmony Heights has been given the opportunity to submit an investment plan proposing how it would spend the $20,075 in funding allotted for our school. Harmony Heights has created the following investment plan, in which we propose re-wiring our existing student-use computer lab and replacing our outdated desktop computers with new Dell desktops.
Harmony Heights welcomes feedback, comments, and questions from teachers, students, and parents, and invites interested parties to attend our February 10th Board Meeting at the Harmony Heights Residence at 7PM. To RSVP for the meeting or to share your thoughts ahead of the meeting, please contact Kathy Nastri at Kathy.Nastri@harmonyheights.org or at 516-922-4060. You may also mail feedback to:
Harmony Heights
P.O. Box 580
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Click here to see a PDF of the working draft of the proposal.
Click Here to view the Harmony Heights Smart Schools Bond Act presentation that was shared at our board meeting on February 10, 2020.
"The following Smart Schools Investment Plan was approved by Harmony Heights’ Board on February 13th, 2020. Please review the proposal for details on Harmony Heights’ plan to purchase educational technology and improve school connectivity with funding provided under the Smart Schools Bond Act.”
Click Here to view.
On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, students and staff at the Harmony Heights residence dedicated a new bench to the memory of our beloved friend, house mother Mable Stevenson. Mable was with us for more than 30 years watching over the students at night and getting them off to school in the morning, until she passed away on January 28, 2018. We think of her often, and the lessons she taught us about kindness and faith; this bench creates a lasting memorial to her on our grounds.
At Harmony Heights, we participated in National Walkout Day with a beautiful tribute to staff and students killed in Florida 1 month ago. With students, teachers and staff together “walking out of our classrooms, united against gun violence!” we met in our gym and from 10 a.m. until 10:17 a.m. Staff and students read poetry, students sang Imagine and Blackbird, staff and students sang We Are The World. A student solo of Ordinary People was shared, Kindness Quotes were read by a student, a letter was shared by the principal and a moment of silence was shared by all. We returned to class….staff and students united.
In Memoriam: Mable Stevenson
On Sunday January 28, 2018 our dearest staff member and friend, Mable Stevenson, passed away. Mable worked at Harmony Heights over 30 years as an Overnight House Mother. Mable provided support, reassurance and guidance to staff and students. Through her experience she helped to provide a therapeutic community and helped our students to feel truly cared for and accepted. In the morning Mable made breakfast for our students before sending them off to school with kind and encouraging words. Mable would work all night and then serve up a breakfast of eggs, chocolate chip pancakes and blueberry muffins with a side of bacon. Every year she would set up, prepare and cook breakfast for our graduating seniors. She always looked on this day an opportunity to do something special for our senior class. She starched and ironed one by one the graduation gowns our seniors would wear for graduation. On our annual Field Day, she could be seen cooking over the hot grills and making sure we all had plenty to eat. She never missed a Harmony event, and if she was asked to participate she gladly volunteered. She was the main attraction in our Spring Fashion Show, modeling dresses and outfits and of course receiving the most applause for the evening. Mable taught us about remembering the good things that were happening in our lives. She always spoke lovingly of her family, trips to Disney World and her faith commitment to her church. She could often be heard sharing “God is good.” Mable rarely missed a day of work. She was a dedicated, nurturing and dynamic colleague and friend, who we will all miss dearly. We know throughout her journey with us, she taught us to celebrate life. We celebrate your life Mable, “ Mabs”, as many of us called you, and we thank you for the gift you have given us over and over for more than 30 years.
Kathryn Nastri, LCSW
Executive Director
Harmony Heights
Meet Rue, our therapy dog!