Commack School District

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Meetings Law,” the Board of Education of the Commack Union Free School District shall hold a Regular Meeting and Budget Adoption on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at Hubbs Administration Building, 480 Clay Pitts Road, East Northport, NY 11731. It is anticipated that the Board of Education will make a motion for the purpose of adjourning into Executive Session at this time, and at 8:00 p.m. the Board will reconvene in Public Session for the purpose of holding its Regular Business Meeting and Budget Adoption.  Please note, that the District will adhere to the District’s policy that speakers will be limited to 3-minutes. The meeting will also be livestreamed so that the public will be able to view and/or listen to the meeting; see www.commackschools.org for more information. 

 

Newsday has selected three Commack student-athletes as All-Long Island selections for the winter season.

Congrats to Jeffrey Longstreet (fencing), Sofia Vasselman (basketball) and Ilana Kaplan (bowling) on receiving the recognition.

Sawmill students had the opportunity to participate in a Day of Drums and Dance program with Path to Rhythm on Wednesday. 

 

Students were split into two 20-minute stations in the program: drumming and dancing. At the drumming station, students learned about African hand drums called Djembes with Adam Issadore and joined together in song as they picked up rhythm techniques. As part of the dancing station, Yahaya Kamate taught the students a short African dance as he drummed a song, with some of the teachers joining in to dance.

 

Participation in the program is part of Sawmill’s mission to expose students to different cultures each month.

CHS ninth and 10th graders learned about how they control their decision-making during a pair of assemblies on Wednesday morning.

Youth speaker and behavior coach Kevin Mecchella shared his own evolution to that conclusion with the students inside the auditorium.

Mecchella emphasized that decisions stem from “your story.”

For instance, you can tell yourself you are not proficient at a subject, or you can tell yourself you are not proficient at a subject yet. And that one extra word will totally influence your actions and ultimately the results.He also noted — while readily acknowledging it has been said by others before — that decisions have consequences.

He relayed the story of a car accident caused by him falling asleep at the wheel, and how his decisions materially impacted the lives of women in another vehicle.

Mecchella also noted that decisions are your own to make.He called up a student volunteer and began filling the pitcher she held with water. It eventually overflowed.

Then Mecchella had the student put the pitcher on an adjacent table.He noted the problems aren’t necessarily lifted, but not physically carrying every burden you cannot control allows for better decision-making.Mecchella even encouraged the students to journal positive things that occurred each day and consider meditation.

“This is not a dress rehearsal,” Mecchella told the students about how the decisions they make now may affect their lives.

CHS students produce big results in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. And in a pair of ceremonies in the auditorium on Tuesday evening, 157 juniors were inducted into the school’s National Honor Society.

The honor society recognizes leadership, scholarship, character and service.

Suffolk County Police Department officer Jesse Levy is offering straight talk to CMS health classes this week.Officer Levy met with students in Donna Sita’s health classes on Tuesday, discussing vaping with eighth graders, bullying with seventh graders and internet safety with sixth graders.

Officer Levy impressed upon the sixth graders the importance of acting safely on the internet. He noted to never put identifying information on social media, such as full names, dates of birth in handles, or what school they attend.He also implored the students to turn off apps’ ability to track their whereabouts, such as disabling Snap Map’s share location feature.

Even when gaming, students must be careful, Officer Levy warned students. People pretend to be people they are not, play games against children, and start sending messages over time — perhaps waiting months or longer before trying to meet in person for bad intentions

“Don’t think it can never happen to you,” Officer Levy cautioned. “That’s the worst thing you can do.”

The Suffolk PD assigns officers as school resource officers. The role of the SROs are to act as a liaison between the school administration, students and the police department.

CHS' National Art Honor Society celebrated its inductees, seniors and new officers on Monday evening in a spirited ceremony in the school's art gallery.

Advisor Marie Adamo welcomed back 2018 alum Julia Kester, who plans to pursue a career in art education, as a guest speaker.

The ceremony then honored inductees Olivia Espinoza, Sophia Efthymiou, Charlie Gilmartin, Juliet Jackson, Jordana Kofler, Via Luo, Hasibullah Safi, Mollie Young and Michael Zagon.