Earth Week At Smithtown School District

Smithtown Central School District students participate in Earth Week activities 

Students in the Smithtown Central School District participated in Earth Week-related projects.Students throughout the Smithtown Central School District have been participating in projects in relation to Earth Week, celebrated from April 15-22.

Students at Smithtown High School West “chalked the walk” with earth themes.

Mr. Toth’s seventh grade social studies elective students at Accompsett Middle School participated in an outdoor school cleanup and recycled water bottles.

Smithtown High School East students played “Tick, Tack, Leaf,” and painted a mural on the windows of the commons. 

Photos courtesy of Smithtown CSD

Commack Students Team With Suffolk Y JCC Combat Hatred With Film

COMMACK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TEAM WITH SUFFOLK Y JCC TO CREATE FILM

CHS students Michael Wagner, Noah Caplan, Jordana Kofler, Sammy Weinstein, Izzy Karten and Hannah Krinsky at film’s April 7 premiere at Stage 74 in Commack. COMMACK, N.Y. — Commack students have received lessons in combatting hatred and bullying this school year in conjunction with the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center, heard firsthand from Holocaust survivor Meir Usherovitz and watched a play from Theatre Three recounting the descent into the Holocaust.

 

Six Commack High School students chose to fully immerse themselves in the topic.

 

Noah Caplan, Izzy Karten, Jordana Kofler, Hannah Krinsky, Michael Wagner and Sammy Weinstein have completed a year-long project in which they interviewed local Holocaust survivors for the film, “Names, Not Numbers.”

The film, produced by the Suffolk Y JCC, premiered Sunday evening at Stage 74 in Commack.

The six Commack students and a dozen students from other districts who contributed to the film as well as Holocaust survivors Rachel Epstein, Manny Korman and Rosalie Simon — who are featured in the film — attended the showing. So too did a bevy of Commack School District officials to support the students’ endeavor, including superintendent Dr. Jordan Cox, assistant superintendent Timothy Russo, Board of Education trustees Gus Hueber and Susan Hermer and district clerk Debbie Virga.

“Person to person is so different than learning through books,” CHS junior Izzie Karten said.

SHSW Announces Brayden Stahl As 2024 Commencement Speaker

Smithtown High School West quarterback named honor speaker by classmates 

Smithtown West senior, Brayden Stahl, was selected by his peers to be this year’s commencement speaker, iSmithtown West senior, Brayden Stahl, was selected by his peers to be this year’s commencement speaker, it was announced during the school’s annual Gold Cord breakfast, on April 3. 

“It’s a big honor, and the relationship I’ve built with my classmates and the respect I’ve hopefully earned from them is what got me to that position,” Brayden exclaimed.  

Smithtown High School West Principal John Coady expressed his appreciation for the school’s highest academic achievers among the senior class. 

The senior class encompassing 114 students who achieved a cumulative 4.0 GPA assembled in the G Café for a breakfast to recognize their lofty achievements.  

“Smithtown West is a great school because we have great students like you,” Coady told the honorees.  

The gold cord honorees are slated to attend a second ceremony, with their families, on May 22. Each senior will be called to the stage and their college destination and planned major will be shared.

Photos courtesy of Smithtown CSD

Mt Pleasant Student's 'Got Talent'

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School’s students ‘Got Talent’

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School students in grades 3-5 showed off their talents at the school’s talent show on April 3. Students sang, shredded on the guitar and performed dance routines for classmates and school staff

members.

Photos courtesy of Smithtown CSD

Commack SD Celebrates First-Ever Varsity Flag Football Victory

Commack Athletics made history on Monday. And it won in convincing fashion to boot.

In the first-ever varsity flag football game in school history, the Cougars defeated visiting Bay Shore 22-0 on Monday afternoon.

Commack converted on a pair of fourth downs and scored a touchdown on the first drive in program history en route to the shutout victory.

The county began sponsoring flag football as a varsity sport a year ago, and Commack joined in this season.

“We have really smart girls and really athletic girls,” said head coach Augie Contressa, a former Stony Brook football standout. “They showed it today.”

CSD Invites Parents In District To Participate In Universal Pre-K Lottery Registration

2024-25 Universal Pre-Kindergarten Lottery Registration

If your child lives within the Commack School District and will be 4 years old by December 1, 2024, they are eligible to be included in the UPK lottery. The lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024.

To be included in the lottery, please complete the following information by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.  

UPK Lottery Registration LINK

Placement information and registration materials will be distributed at the end of May pending State Budget information.  

Please note: 

*UPK placements DO NOT include extended day options/activities. Each provider may offer extended day options at an additional cost(s). These costs are determined by the provider and not the Commack School District. Please contact each provider directly for details that may inform your choices.

*When choosing your UPK provider, please consider that each provider may have slightly different operating times. Please contact providers for more information.

*If you do not receive your first choice, you will be placed on a waiting list which the district will reference throughout the year as enrollment changes.

Building Blocks Developmental Pre-School: 631-499-1237

Kiddie Care Early Learning Center: 631-543-4949

Suffolk YJCC Early Learning Center: 631-462-9800

For questions regarding the UPK Lottery, please contact registration@commack.k12.ny.us or you may reference the Commack UPK FAQ. (https://www.commackschools.org/Downloads/UPKFAQs23.pdf)

Smithtown SD Names William Holl Principal At SHSW

Smithtown Central School District hires new High School West principal 

William Holl has been hired as the new principal at Smithtown High School West, effective July 1. Calling it a “tremendous opportunity,” William Holl is preparing to join the Smithtown Central School District as the new principal at Smithtown High School West. 

“I am incredibly excited and honored to have been given the opportunity to serve the Smithtown community as the new principal of Smithtown High School West,” Holl exclaimed.

From 2020-2024, Holl has been the principal at East Moriches Middle School.

His career in education began as a high school physics teacher at Sachem North High School where he taught both Regents and Advanced Placement level courses. In addition, while working at Sachem North High School, Mr. Holl coached boys cross-country, winter track and field and spring track and field. 

Holl’s administration journey began at Seneca Middle School in the Sachem Central School District where he worked as the middle school assistant principal from 2017-2019.

Holl will replace High School West Principal, John Coady, who is retiring after this school year. 

 Photo courtesy of Smithtown CSD

CHS Students Travel To Albany to Share Ideas And Concerns

ALBANY, N.Y. — Commack High School student leaders impressed their state representatives and Education Department administrators with their command of issues affecting students and the district during a visit to the State Capitol on Tuesday.

Twenty-two CHS students from the Legislative Advocacy Committee accompanied superintendent Dr. Jordan Cox and his cabinet as well as Board of Education vice president Steven Hartman and committee co-chairs Eric Biagi and Dr. Jennifer Santorello on the advocacy trip to Albany.

The group met with state senators Mario Mattera and assemblymen Keith Brown and Michael Fitzpatrick. They then crossed Washington Avenue to meet with New York State Education Department deputy commissioners Angelique Johnson-Dingle and Jason Harmon as well as a dozen senior staff members from throughout the department.

The politicians and education officials both praised the students’ effective lobbying on behalf of the Commack School District with respect to policy and funding requests.

“We love the fact you’re becoming young advocates,” Assemblyman Brown told the students. “It keeps our finger on the pulse.”

Said Harmon, the Education Department’s P-12 operational support deputy commissioner: “This is critical for our work being able to hear from all of you.”

The students’ presentations focused on six general topics: school funding, environmental sustainability, safety, mental health, local governance and technology.

The specific proposals included requesting funding for a wellness room for mental health breaks, the expansion of security badges to younger students in the district to improve safety, and assistance developing educational opportunities at the six-acre farm that had been bequeathed to the district. The students also advocated for increased practical learning opportunities such as state-sponsored financial literacy coursework and the freedom to do internships as part of the academic coursework.

Students from the district annually have traveled to Albany for nearly a decade to meet their representatives as well as Education Department officials. In fact, current social studies teacher Crystal Curcio — one of the chaperones for Tuesday’s trip — had visited Albany as a CHS student leader several years ago.

The officials clearly listened. Johnson-Dingle and Harmon took copious notes and pledged to stay in touch with the students to get further feedback as the state looks to reexamine how students experience school.

SHSW's Chelsea Margolis Worked On Holocaust Survivor Documentary

Smithtown High School West student worked on Holocaust survivor documentary

Smithtown High School West 11th grade student Chelsea Margolis is taking part in “Names, Not Numbers,” an innovative documentary film project by the Suffolk Y JCC, in which students share the stories of local Holocaust survivors.Smithtown HS West 11^th grade student Chelsea Margolis is taking part in “Names, Not Numbers,” an innovative documentary film project by the Suffolk Y JCC, in which students share the stories of local Holocaust survivors. The program transforms traditional history lessons by combining Holocaust research with lessons in video production, interviewing techniques and film editing.

“We hear about it on TV, but when you actually speak to the person it’s different,” Chelsea said of the project. “Even if you’re not Jewish it was a great experience to learn about someone’s story.”

Chelsea says she started working on the project last November, meeting and interviewing three Holocaust survivors. 

“The one who stood out the most to me was Rosalie Simon, who was 10 years old during the Holocaust. She taught me to always follow your dreams because she always followed hers….she made me want to learn more about my heritage.”

The film premiere is on Sunday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at the Suffolk Y JCC.     

Photo courtesy of Smithtown CSD

Accompsett MS Students Collect Canned Goods For Food Pantry

Accompsett Middle School students pitch in to make a difference

From left, Madison Klimkoski, Callie Shao, Molly Hyland, Francesca Zins, Abigail Sacco, Sadie Messler and Julia LuccaThe Need: To provide canned food items for those in the community who are going hungry.

The Project: Seven Accompsett Middle School students went to their classmates and encouraged their involvement to collect cans for those less fortunate.

The Result: More than 2,000 cans of food donated and $2,500 raised.

Twice a year, the Lead4Change organization hosts TheLead4ChangeProject, which is a small grants program that showcases the growth of students as leaders and funds their ideas for community impact. 

After collecting 2,384 cans, the students partnered with the Smithtown Township Food Pantry to donate all the cans they had collected.

Lead4Change then donated $2,500 to the pantry to help meet their needs as a community.

Photo courtesy of Smithtown CSD