COMMACK

November 2009Published by the Commack Board of Education

BOYS VARSITY GOLFBOYS VARSITY SOCCER

GIRLS VARSITY GYMNASTICSFor Sports News & Photos:

www.commack.k12.ny.us/athleticdepartment/

#1 in League Play

COURIER

Superintendent Announces Retirement Plans Article on Page 3

2 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

Rocco and Lisa have been selected by the

Physical Education Depart-ment as Commack High School’s recipients of the New York State Suffolk Zone Physical Education Award. This award is given annually to those student athletes who have demon-strated superior leadership and academic qualities in physical education, and who are involved in extra curricular activities. Each Suffolk County high school selects two representatives who will be honored at a special awards dinner on Decem-ber 2, 2009, at the East Wind in Wading River.

T w o o f t h e B e s t

On hand to congratulate and be congratulated are (l to r): winner Lisa, Director of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Jeremy Thode, PE teacher David Viegas, Commack High School Principal Russell Stewart, and Rocco.

NURSE PER DIEM SUBSTITUTES

The Commack School DistrictSeeks qualifi ed applicants for Professional Nurses (Per Diem)

Candidates must have a valid New York State Registered Professional Nurse’s License.

SUBSTITUTE ACCOUNT CLERKSBookkeeping and/or accounting experience required.

All applicants should send a letter of intent, resume and supportive data to:

Sheryl L. HaimovichAss’t Sup’t. For PersonnelCommack Public Schools

PO Box 150, Commack, NY 11725

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 3

At the November 19 Board of Education meeting, Commack

Superintendent Dr. James Feltman announced his plans to retire as of July 1, 2010. The Board offi cially accepted the Superintendent’s let-ter of resigna-tion, and Board President Mary-Jo Masciello praised Dr. Felt-man for his 24 years of service and leadership. “His hon-esty, work ethic, and integrity have been rec-ognized by all, both within and outside the dis-trict. Under his leadership, stu-dent achieve-ment has moved to even higher levels and the Com-mack community has passed a budget each year. His efforts to educate and engage the communi-ty in all aspects of the educational and business process has brought to the public a level of transparency that far surpasses those of other times and other districts,” Mrs. Ma-sciello stated. “His leadership in imposing a salary freeze upon him-self, and structuring his retirement plans to benefi t the District despite negative impact on his own pen-sion, deserve the praise and appre-ciation of the Board of Education.” Dr. Feltman joined the admin-istrative team in 1986, heading all business operations. His foresight and knowledge of technological innovations and trends resulted in advancements to the District’s communication infrastructure that continue to promote both teach-

ing and learning in this information intensive society. His logical ap-proach to immersing both staff and students in learning and using new technology has been a major con-tributing factor to the success that

the Commack School District en-joys. When Dr. Feltman became Superintendent in 2006, his focus on educating our students to be “the best you can be” became his passion. Through his hands-on style of visiting and speaking with every student in the high school each year, he shared his message of setting personal goals and striv-ing for success. Collaborating with administrators and teachers at all levels, emphasis on educating the “whole” child was ingrained into the curriculum. Dr. Feltman’s objective of leading the students to be “life-long learners” through academics, character education, and social and emotional learning is on track in every classroom throughout the District, from kindergarten through high school. Perhaps an excerpt from Dr.

Feltman’s letter to the Board of Ed-ucation says it best. “In my 24-year tenure in Commack, I have much to be thankful for, not least of which is a Board of Education that always places the welfare of the children

of Commack fi rst in all of the decisions they make. I have been blessed with a staff ...of d e d i c a t e d and talented profess ion-als who give 100% all of the time. The C o m m a c k c o m m u n i t y has been most sup-portive, and I am proud

that they have continually and un-waveringly supported the Board’s educational plan.” While the resignation was reluctantly accepted with mixed emotions by the Board of Educa-tion, Mrs. Masciello said that, “The Board looks forward to working with Dr. Feltman to achieve his ambitious goals for the balance of the school year.” Preliminary plans of the Board of Education include a Request for Proposals for a Su-perintendent Search Consultant, who will participate in the process of determining the most qualifi ed individual to continue the commit-ment of the Commack community to excellence in education. All new information regarding the Board of Education’s search for our next Superintendent will be posted on the Commack Web site when available.

t th N b 19 B d f i d l i i thi i f ti F lt ’ l tt t th B d f Ed

SUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENTSUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

President MaryJo Masciello reads Dr. Feltman’s letter to the Board and the community at the November Board of Education meeting.

4 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

You can’t turn on the television at any time of the day or night

without seeing a commercial adver-tising one prescription drug or an-other. Do you cringe when certain ads come on when there are chil-dren in the room? Created by phar-maceutical companies, these ads make it look like all physical and emotional problems can quickly and safely be overcome by simply using their product. The result is that many medicine cabinets are crammed with new and old medica-tions like never before. This growth in prescription drugs has created a new and far scarier side effect. To many young-sters, the medicine cabinet is the new drug of choice. In addition to its easy availability, children over-whelmingly believe that because these drugs are legal, they are also safe. Since these drugs are so readily available, and many teens believe they are a safe way to get high, teens that wouldn’t otherwise touch illicit drugs are more likely to abuse prescription drugs. In today’s youth subculture, teens abuse prescription drugs more than almost all other drugs combined. One in fi ve teens has already tried prescription drugs to get high. Every day 2,500 kids age 12 to 17 try a painkiller for the fi rst time. Twenty-nine percent of teens believe painkillers are not addictive. These beliefs and behaviors cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic boundaries. It is now a massive problem that re-quires increased awareness and education. One simple answer is to en-courage parents to lock their pre-scription drugs in a safe foolproof container. Just as responsible gun owners lock weapons to keep them out of the hands of children, respon-sible parents are encouraged to lock their medications to keep them out of the hands of not just teens,

but young children that often think these colorful tablets are candy. To that end, Commack SEPTA, is promoting a custom made elec-tronic lock box that fi ts into most medicine cabinets. Talking to kids

about drugs is necessary, but reliev-ing them of the temptations in the medicine cabinet is necessary, too. Details about this important product can be found on our Web site. This year, Commack received additional help in its efforts to fi ght drug addition from the White House Offi ce of National Drug Control. They direct the Drug Free Commu-

nities Support Program in partner-ship with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis-tration. The Commack Coalition of Caring was awarded the maximum grant of $125,000 per year for a fi ve

year period. “This grant funding is vital in helping the Commack community to battle the devastating effects of drugs and help our young people to develop positive alternatives to substance use,” said Dr. John Kelly, Director for the Commack Coalition of Caring and longtime CHS school psychologist.

P r e s c r i p t i o n M e d i c a t i o n P r e s c r i p t i o n M e d i c a t i o n “ S a f e D r o p O f f ” P r o g r a m“ S a f e D r o p O f f ” P r o g r a m

COMMACK COALITION OF CARING

Do you ever wonder what to do with your unused prescription • and expired over-the-counter medication? Did you know that more children abuse medication taken from • their own medicine cabinets than buying them from a “street dealer?”Did you know that fl ushing these medications is a danger to our • groundwater and soil?

The Commack Coalition of Caring has a simple solution to disposal of your unused or expired medication; get rid of it in a safe way through our program with local pharmacies. Just take your unused or expired over the counter drugs and prescription medications to one of the pharmacies listed below, who have “safe drop off” disposal boxes.

The pharmacies cannot accept needles or controlled substances (narcot-ics). There are no specifi c days or hours. The only request is that the drugs be dropped off during pharmacy hours.

The following pharmacies have agreed to participate in the “Safe Drop Off” program:

Walgreens 555 Larkfi eld Road, East Npt., NY – 266-5093 5001 E. Jericho Tpke. Commack, NY – 858-0408 820 Ft. Salonga Road, Northport, NY – 261-1057CVS 341 Commack Rd., Commack, NY – 462-9077 2000 Jericho Tpke. East Npt., NY – 462-7366 977 Jericho Tpke. Smithtown, NY – 265-7143 520 Larkfi eld Rd., East Npt., NY – 368-4433

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Debbie Virga at 858-3623 or email at dvirga@commack.k12.ny.us

Making Commack Homes Safer

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 5

NYS Department of Environmental ConservationNYS Education Department

Return to collection events where available orMix with something undesirable such as coffee grounds, cat litter or dirt

Tape up containers

Toss in your garbage

For full instructions or designated collection events visit:

www.dontflushyourdrugs.net

Don’t Flush Unwanted Household Medications or Pour Them Down the Drain

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Help Protect New York’s Waters BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

Thursday, December 17, 2009 - 7:30pmCommack High School Little Theatre

Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 8:00pmHubbs Administration Center

EARLY DISMISSALEmergency Management Drill

Students Dismissed 15 minutes earlyWednesday, November 26, 2009

All District Schools

Commack H.S. Field Turf

Due to liability concerns, community mem-bers are not permitted to use the track dur-

ing school use. For safety purposes of our stu-dents and community members, the track must be limited to physical education classes, athletic teams, and school personnel during these times. Community members are asked to refrain from use during these activity times/events. There is a suitable walking path around the large bleachers during these activity times.

For more information about the Commack Coalition of Caring,

including a short video, in-depth information about drug prevention

and awareness, visit the CCC website at:

www.commack.k12.ny.us/CCC/

For ordering information on the MedSafeclick here

6 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

COMMACK HS STUDENTS TAKE THE STAGE

Sunday, October 4, 2009, was the perfect day for the Walk

Now for Autism Speaks’ 10th an-nual walk-a-thon at Jones Beach State Park. Commack honor students and members of the band “Half-Life” - Jordan Mayo, Andrew Resnikoff, Jacob Tesch,

and Aidan Scherer - came early to help hand out T-shirts and walk the 3k route along the boardwalk. The walk of-fered a spec-tacular view of the glistening ocean, sandy beach, and all the smiles of the people who came out to make a difference. Last month, the four honor students competed against local Long Island bands at the “Bands Battling Autism,” that raised over

$5,000. After the students’ debut performance, their band “Half-Life” was selected to play at the largest grassroots autism walk program in the United States for Autism Speaks. Lead guitarist Jordan Mayo, who volunteers to help serve the needs of children

d i s -a b i l i -t i e s

in another local community or-ganization called the Friend-ship Circle, and who is a recent member of the Long Island Au-tism Speaks Youth Leadership Council stated, “Their goal was to help raise awareness about

autism so that one day there may be a way to prevent this dis-ability.” Jacob Tesch, a founding member of the Long Island Au-tism Youth Leadership Council stated, “It is our duty, not only as a band, but as a community

to spread a w a r e n e s s and to try and stop autism in its tracks. I know how autism af-fects fami-lies, as my fourteen year old brother, Zach, was di-agnosed with

the disabil-ity when he was

t w e n t y -one months old.”

Andrew Resnikoff, a member of Student Council, said, “It is im-portant to join the call for help to end this dis-

ability once and for all.” Aidan Scherer commented,

“All the hours of practice were worth it and it was an honor to play for the kids.” The band was elated when they learned that over 27,000 people attended the walk-a-thon which helped raise over 1.1 million dollars for research and awareness pro-grams on autism. For more in-formation about Autism Speaks: www.AutismSpeaks.org

da

For “Autism Speaks” Walk-A-ThonFor “Autism Speaks” Walk-A-Thon

n

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 7

Hundreds of Commack High School students, teach-

ers, and community members joined thousands of like mind-ed people assembled at Jones Beach to walk the 10th Annual Autism Speaks Walk-A-Thon, all with a common goal: to raise funds to promote Autism awareness, and search for a cure. Members of the Girls Lead-ers’ Corps spent weeks pre-

paring and gathering pledges for this cause. They appealed to the community, sold sym-bolic Puzzle Pieces, and solic-ited sponsors for donations to the cause. Their group efforts raised more than $1,600. On the morning of the walk, the members gathered at the school and went together to Jones Beach State Park, the site of the event. They were led by offi cers Marisa Aurora, Car-

ly Sadiker, Jen Moffatt, Nicole Smith, Jen Fox, and Mary Kate Griffi n. Girls Leaders’ Corps members walked the three ki-lometer route as a group. This event was a community effort, and Girls Leaders’ Corps is a strong advocate of the cause. They would like to give special thanks to all who donated and supported this cause, including Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Fischetti, and Nancy Nunziata.

In photo on right, Nancy McGeever’s second grade class at Wood Park

Primary School class are seen sharing their community posters. The children took various pictures of items in their community and created posters to celebrate and learn more about their community as part of a social studies unit called Celebrating Communities.

C E L E B R A T I N GC O M M U N I T I E S

Girls Leaders Corp Walks for Autism

8 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

How many bags of candy did you give

out this Halloween? And how much candy did your children bring home? The Student Council at Mandracchia Sawmill Intermediate School de-cided they had more than enough to share with oth-ers, and collected candy contributions to send to the troops in Afghanistan and to homeless families on Long Island. Students and staff members in the school were kind enough to do-nate their Halloween candy, and hundreds of pounds of candy was gathered and packed into boxes (photo). In just two days time, all of this candy was ready to be distributed to home-less shelters in Suffolk County, and mailed overseas to Army Sergeant Matthew Soria. Matthew is a Com-

mack graduate (1995) serving our country in Afghanistan with TF-41 since August, and the son of one of our staff members, Kathy Soria. Matthew will distribute the candy to

his fellow soldiers. We are certain that the men and women will be ever so grateful for our generosity and for thinking about them during the holiday season.

Long Island’s Annual Regional Student Job/Internship Fair

For High School Students

The economy may not be great, but you are! Come and see what’s waiting for you.

Tuesday, January 12, 20104:30pm for Pre-Registered Students

Huntington HiltonBroadhollow Road, Melville

FREE!!!!! Access to LI businesses Seminars, One-to-One Resume Review, Interviewing Skill Builders

Register now! http://liworks.org/eventregistration.cfm?eid=1038

How Sweet It Is!

Student Council members pack the candy-fi lled boxes for distribution.

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 9

SIMULTANEOUS SPEED STACKINGIn a fast paced challenge of accu-

racy and quickness, North Ridge and Wood Park students joined more than 1,300 other schools across the nation to help set a new Guinness World Record for most people sport stacking at multiple locations in one day. Sport stacking uses plastic cups to form a tower, and the idea is to stack them and take them down to set a record time. The idea originated in the early 1980’s in southern Cali-fornia and received national attention in 1990 on a segment of the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. That was where it fi rst captured the imagination of Bob Fox, who was then an elemen-tary classroom teacher in Colorado. Bob said, “What are the benefi ts of sport stacking? Kids don’t need to be convinced about the benefi ts of sport stacking. They just plain love it (even your “way too cool for it” kids). For teachers and parents, we’ve al-ways touted hand-eye coordination, quickness and ambidexterity. We now can substantiate those claims. A uni-

versity study by Dr. Brian Udermann, currently at the University of Wiscon-sin-Lacrosse, confi rms that stacking improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time by up to 30 percent.” On November 12th, students in physical education classes at Wood Park and North Ridge Primary schools participated throughout the

day. PE teacher Lorraine Esposito was amazed at “how fast those little hands can move! The children re-ally have a great time Sport Stack-ing, plus it teaches them how to fol-low steps, and they are also learning about patterns and sequences while taking great pride in trying to improve their times.”

eBoard Award for the Commack SchoolseBoard Award for the Commack SchoolsMore than 400 of

C o m m a c k ’ s teachers are integrating eBoards into their teaching approach, using their eBoard for homework assignments, classroom activities, weekly schedules, photos, and discussion boards. And the students love it, as do many of their parents, so much that Commack has received a plaque and award for hav-ing the most “hits” on their eBoards in all of Long Island. A hit is the retrieval of any item, like a page or a graphic, from a Web server. It is one way to measure the popularity of a web page or a web site. The award highlights the popularity of accessing the eBoards. Linked from a central directory on the Commack Web site, the eBoard directory lists all the names of the eBoards grouped by school and grade or department.

Parents who ask the age-old question, “Do

you have any homework tonight?” need only take a look at a teacher’s eBoard to see the answer. Students who might miss a day or two of school can keep up to date on assignments. The eBoards also help students to be better organized, and quickly locate assignments or classwork. eBoards also have other great features, even a translator. So even if a parent does not read English, the notes posted there can be translated instantly into 30 other languages! Teachers can also integrate technol-ogy into the classroom by posting links, photos, pod casts, streaming video, and other digital content. Just

another way to embrace technology in the classroom and go green in the process!

10 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

Commack High School was re-cently awarded a Lemelson-MIT

InvenTeam grant in the amount of $8,100 to create a device that re-duces the standby power consumption of electrical devic-es in the home and offi ce. Commack is one of 15 high schools nationwide to be selected as an InvenTeam this year. I n v e n Te a m s are teams of high school students, teachers, and mentors that re-ceive grants up to $10,000 each to in-vent technological solutions to real-world problems. Entering its seventh year, this initiative of the Lemelson-MIT Program aims to inspire a new generation of in-ventors. Technology teacher Joseph Cas-trogivanni initiated the InvenTeam application process last spring and attended training at MIT in June to help prepare the fi nal proposal. A prestigious panel of judges com-posed of educators and research-ers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, representatives from the industry, MIT staff and alumni, and former Lemelson-MIT Award win-ners assembled this fall and select-ed Commack for one of this year’s InvenTeam grants. According to Mr. Castrogivanni and his team, “We will invent a de-vice that reduces standby power con-

sumption in the home and offi ce. By using infrared radiation sensors and current measurement techniques, the device will be able to determine

when to turn on and turn off power to an appliance respectively. The de-vice will be a small module that con-nects the appliance to a wall outlet. Costing less than $35, the common consumer will be able to effectively and inexpensively decrease his/her energy usage with this device.” The team of students, led by Miss Sonal Nanda, met frequently over the summer with Mr. Castrogi-vanni. Their application was based on the premise that If mankind’s ex-cessive usage of energy produced by non-renewable sources contin-ues, not only will our current ener-gy production techniques become unsustainable in the future, but the harmful contaminants released by

these industrial energy-production processes will cause lasting dam-age to the earth. Even the smallest percentage

of energy wasted carries a great signifi cance when considered on such a large scale. Based on a Cana-dian study, indus-try experts esti-mate that standby power accounts for four to ten per-cent of residen-tial energy use in developed coun-tries, amounting to almost $11 billion annually. Our product also has the potential to reduce global warming; it would save the world 230 million tons of carbon emis-sions each year. A device that

cuts down standby energy will as-sist consumers using electricity for everyday needs, industrial compa-nies using already large amounts of energy, and a world running low on non-renewable energy as a whole. Over the next nine months, the Commack InvenTeam will develop its “Vero Verde” device. In June, the students will showcase a prototype of their invention at EurekaFest at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. EurekaF-est, presented by the Lemelson-MIT Program, is a multi-day celebration designed to empower a legacy of inventors through activities that in-spire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving.

High School Students Receive Grant to Engineer Electrical Power Reduction Device

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Initiative Inspires a New Generation of Inventors

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 11

Fall is in the Air!

Students from Gina McManusand Susan Reers’ class at Sawmill have celebrating the fall season. Apples have domimnated both songs and reading in their music classes. Music teacher Nena Thompson said, “In addition to singing songs, we read the book I Am an Apple, and added instrumental parts to it. We also spent some time learning how to write musical notes, and used them to create our apple rhythms together.”

In photo with music teacher Nina Thompson are students from Ms. McManus and Ms. Reers’ class with their ‘core’ apple creations.

During their recreation time with librarian Laurie Foster at Indian

Hollow Primary School, some second grade students worked cooperatively to create a character education puz-zle/mural. The children focused on the traits of courtesy, honesty, and respon-sibility, since those are some of the at-tributes they strive for at the beginning of the school year. Students read and discussed books about their topic, and then drew an expressive picture and created a writing phrase that exhibited a particular character trait. Working corroboratively on an art project, such as the puzzle/mural, exemplifi es how everyone joins together perfectly “to fi t in” with the Indian Hollow school com-munity.

Character Education Fits in Nicely

12 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

Commack High School ju-nior Matthew has been se-

lected as a regional semi-fi nalist for Siemens Westinghouse. He conducted his research at Stony Brook University and worked with a student from Ward Melville High School over the summer. The Siemens Competition is administered annually by the College Board, awarding college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 in individual and team categories, and is the nation’s leading original research competi-tion in math, science and technol-ogy for high school students. The title of the research was: High-Flux Nanofi ltration Mem-

branes From Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and Polyethersulfone (PES) Polyamide Substrates. It is described as follows:

The pure water crisis is one of the world’s most pressing modern issues. Due to recent shortages in the clean water supply, 1.1 billion people are currently without access to clean fresh water. Fortunate-ly, pressure-driven membrane fi ltration processes have aris-en as solutions to the growing water crisis. The advances in this type of technology allow for the removal of contami-nating particles from water. In this investigation, the effect of

varying the structure of fi lter-ing membranes was tested. Extensive tests showed that the variations in the mem-brane structure proved to benefi t the performance of the membrane, and improved its ability to fi lter water.

Congratulating Matthew (center), from left to right: Princi-pal Russ Stewart, Asst. Super-intendent David Weiss, Super-intendent Dr. James Feltman, CHS science teachers and research advisors Dr. Lorraine Solomon and Jeanette Collette, Director of Science James En-geldrum, and research advisor Richard Kurtz.

PURE RESEARCH for CLEANER WATER

BACKPACK NEWS UPDATE - Everything in One Place!

It’s amazing how much information we’re bombarded with each and every day. It’s hard to keep up and keep organized with it all. The District’s new Backpack News page is designed to help you conquer at least one slice of information overload, by categorizing every bit of paper sent out by your school, the District, and inside and outside organizations on one easily accessible page. Just click the Backpack icon from the home page of any of our schools or from the home page of the Commack Web site. You’ll fi nd lunch menus, letters from your principal, PTA info, fundrais-ers, clubs, etc. You can even subscribe to the RSS feed to bring the new postings right to your browser. And don’t forget to sign up for Email Notifi cation for breaking news.

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 13

Melissa Reggio’s primary school students got front row seats

when they hosted the Commack Varsity Football Team’s captains one day recently during their physi-cal education classes. The tower-ing football players in their Cougar jerseys shared their skills, expe-riences, and their feelings about teamwork, sportsmanship, and the qualities of being a leader to the captivated fi rst and second grad-ers. The four captains: Brett, Mike, Rocco, and Nick, accompanied

by their teacher and Head Varsity Football Coach Joseph Reggio (who also happens to be Ms. Reg-gio’s dad), showed taped highlights of some outstanding plays from the team’s Homecoming game demon-strating teamwork, skill, and sports-manship. The Rolling Hills students were able to witness their high school role models cheering, high fi ving, and hugging each other with excitement after a touchdown. The Captains demonstrated a few live football plays, while the primary students cheered and clapped with enthusiasm as they watched “real” football plays. The

primary students then showed the high school students how they use teamwork to play with the parachute, and invited the football players to join their team and play one of their favorite games. The two groups of students proceeded to “pop the popcorn” (photo) “build a tent,” and “go on a campfi re together” using the colorful parachute. Once under the “tent” the high school students clapped and sang campfi re songs along with the primary students, which everyone totally enjoyed. Teachers, football players, and students sat together in a circle as the young students listened atten-

tively while the captains took turns reading aloud from a book about working together as a team, then graciously answered questions about themselves and their beloved sport. At the conclusion of the lesson, the Rolling Hills students presented a good luck banner to the Varsity Captains that is now hanging in the hallway at Commack High School next to the football bulletin board. In return, the captains presented each very thrilled Rolling Hills stu-dent with an autographed picture of themselves. Mr. Reggio also brought along a memento of their visit for the school: a football auto-graphed by the captains. This interactive learning experi-ence is one that will long be remem-bered by all involved. It served as an excellent bridge between the two schools, a way to foster a sense of community, provided positive role models for the young students, and encouraged leadership and team-work.

CAPTAINS SCORE A TOUCHDOWN!at Rolling Hills

14 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

Commack High School senior Adam (in photo) does a presentation at a recent

Zone 1 principals meeting. Commack High School is one of 13 area high schools in Zone 1. Adam hopes to enlist support from the principals for the “Games For Kids” project at the schools they represent. The “Games For Kids” project seeks to collect a library of used Gameboys and games to be distributed to youngsters in-volved in cancer treatment at area hospi-tals. Gameboys and other computer driven distractions are used to as a distraction to combat the long hours of waiting time in hospitals during treatments. These video games provide hours of enjoyment and help pass the time during diffi cult periods in these childrens’ young lives.

Learning to love to read is one of the most important skills a young child encounters in school. Reading is the basis

for acquiring knowledge in the world today, and transcends into every facet of learning. At Indian Hollow Primary School, classroom teachers engage children with books during a specifi ed time of the day called Reading Workshop. A typi-cal Workshop session consists of a mini-lesson for the en-tire class on a specifi c reading strategy, individual reading time, and partner reading time. Children “book shop” weekly and engage in a variety of reading activities with their self-selected books from a specifi c level determined by teacher assessment. While the children are engaged in their inde-pendent or partner reading, the classroom teacher is either providing a guided reading or reading strategy lesson, con-ferencing with, or assessing students. Reading Workshop provides differentiation for individual students so that each child is reading a book at his or her “just right” level. Learning to read begins in earnest in kindergarten (yes, kindergarten!) with students being introduced to emergent storybooks. These books are read aloud to the class, and each reading focuses on one particular reading strategy or skill. When children are ready, they move into their “just right” books. First and second grade Reading Workshop builds upon the students’ acquired knowledge. As Prin-cipal Judy Pace observed, “The children are delighted to read and discuss books in quite a sophisticated manner for fi ve to seven year olds. They feel empowered and love it!” And isn’t that the perfect ending to this story?

Workshop for Young Readers

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 15

TREATS ALL AROUNDIt was a special treat (no tricks!) for the residents at Birchwood Suites

Assisted Living in East Northport when two classes from North Ridge Primary School came trick-or-treating there on the day before Halloween. Costumed children from Cyndi Nichols kindergarten and Lucy Ol-iveto’s fi rst grade classes interacted and made new friends with the resi-dents, who were also decked out for the visit. The Halloween costumes were a great conversation starter, with the children eagerly explain-ing their choices. Even Birchwood’s Executive Director Glenn Rappaport was drawn in by the festive atmo-sphere, in a game of Duck, Duck, Goose (photo). A warm welcome of cookies and juice, as well as handmade beaded bracelets and goody bags were giv-en to each child as they went on to their next engagement, the Hallow-een parade at North Ridge. What a special way to celebrate Halloween!

Legal blindness did not stop Rebec-ca, a visually impaired tenth grader

at Commack High School, from pursu-ing her goal to attend "Space Camp" in Alabama. She received a full scholarship from NYSEAR (New York State Associa-tion for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) to learn about astronomy and space travel at the United States NASA Space Academy. One week of the Space Camp was dedicated to serve the specifi c needs of visually impaired students, including adaptive computer software and spe-cialized staff. She had the opportunity to meet people with similar vision impair-ments from around the world, which she particularly enjoyed. She bravely traveled by airplane independently, and totally en-joyed the experience.

Congratulating Rebecca are (l to r): vision support teacher Debbie Lapi-dus, Assistant Principal Sue Shapiro, Director of Science James Engel-drum, and science teacher/mentor Richard Kurtz.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

16 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

Board of Education Appreciation Night

October is recognized throughout New York State as Board of Education

Recognition Month, a time to honor all the good citizens that serve their communities as mem-bers of school boards. It’s one annual meeting that is dedicated to thanking our board members who generously donate their time to help set policy and solve the myriad of problems that are generated by a modern school system.

In photo above, the District’s Primary School Principals pres-ent the BOE a student generated artwork of peace doves. In photo on left, Mandracchia-Sawmill Intermediate School students perform a musical number for the board and present a candle to represent the Boards’ mission of “lighting the way.” In photo below Burr Intermediate School students present the book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?”

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 17

In photo above, Commack Middle School students present a mock news show featuring the District and Board. In photo on right are members of the Com-mack High School World Lan-guage Department, students, and Commack High School Principal, Russell Stewart following a foreign language presentation.

In photo on left, Paul Infante, Director of Fine and Applied Arts presents the Board with Commack High School Marching Band apparel.The Athletic Department provided Commack Cougar athletic shirts.

18 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

The NYSPHSAA (New York State Public Athletic Association) has once again honored the Commack School District’s Athletic Program with the “Good Sports Promotion Award.” This award is presented to

the schools that display the programs, policies, procedures and structures within the school and community to promote good sportsmanship in their athletic program and district. Athletic Director Jeremy Thode and Commack High School Principal Russ Stewart traveled to Lake Placid, New York, to accept the award and banner in August, and presented it to the Commack Board of Education at its October meeting. Mr. Thode stated, “It is an honor to be recognized for this award as one

of only three schools in the state. This is the second time Commack has been a recipient of this award. It is a tribute to the dedication of our student body, school leadership, and community. The support from the Board of Education and Super-intendent James Feltman allows us to create an en-vironment that values and expects good sportsman-ship from our players and fans. It is the true reason why we have developed a culture of sportsmanship and fair play.”

Commack Means Sportmanship

In photo, standing, from left to right: Board of Education Trustee Allen Leon, Principal Russ Stewart, AD Jeremy Thode, BOE Trustees Thomas Torneé and Deborah Guber. Seated: Board Vice President Joseph Pennacchio, Board President MaryJo Masciello, and Superintendent Dr. James Feltman.

The World Languages department at Com-mack Middle School made a $500 dona-

tion last month to Room to Read, a nonprofi t organization that impacts the lives of millions of children in the developing world, by provid-ing the lifelong gift of education. World Languages staff and students joined forces with members of the middle school community, in a generous effort to spread the gift of language through literacy. The charitable donation will be used to pur-chase books for children in underprivileged countries around the world.

Communication Across the Globe

In photo are members of the CMS World Languages Department.

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 19

In October, 2007, a group of Commack Middle School students, under the

direction of middle school art teacher Grace Barrett, designed large banners celebrating cultural diversity. These banners were recently showcased as part of an art exhibit showcased at Hofstra University’s fi rst annual Cel-ebration of Suburban Diversity called “Embracing our Differences.” Congratu-lations to Grace Barrett and former mid-dle school art students Adam, Arielle, Erica, and Kaitlyn. Joining the winners in congratulations are Assistant Princi-pals Carol Bertolotti, Catherine Nolan, Leslie Boritz and Director of Fine and Applied Arts Paul Infante.

One crisp Fall morning, a group of children at North Ridge Pri-

mary School gathered that couldn’t wait to get their “hands dirty” in a school beautifi cation project. The Site Based Management Team has been working hard to make North Ridge an even “fi ner” place. Re-cently, they have recruited the Fun with Nature Club in one of their proj-ects. The Fun with Nature Club is offered to fi rst and second grade students at North Ridge through REACH CYA. The club meets on Monday mornings before school. Taking nature walks on North Ridge property is one of the club’s favorite activities. Breathing in fresh crisp air, collecting fallen leaves and rais-

ing them up to the sunlight, and looking at the autumn colors is a wonderful way to begin the school day. In the photo above, the children planted mums around the North Ridge sign in front of the building. The mums were funded by the Site Based Team. Along with the assis-tance of club leader Ms. Nadobny, and parent volunteers Mrs. Weinb-

traub and Mrs. Sack, the beautifi ca-tion project was a success. And this is just the beginning for The Fun with Nature Club and the SBMT, which will team up to create an even more beautiful world for our Commack community. So, when you drive down Town-line Road, take a gander at how our children with “green thumbs” can make our world a brighter place!

C e l e b r a t i n g O u r D i v e r s i t y

North Ridge North Ridge Primary School:Primary School:

A Beautiful Place!

20 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and throughout the District, stu-

dents and staff planned events to support those stricken with the disease, and to help fund research for a cure. Despite rain, wind, and cold weath-er nothing could dampen the spirits of those who walked at the annual "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk" at Jones Beach on October 18th. Several Commack High School sports teams and teachers were part of the Commack con-tingent. The Friday before the walk par-ticipants and organizers asked everyone to wear PINK to publicize the walk and declared that Friday district-wide Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Individual schools hosted their own activities and events. The day was a great success with $2,920 donated by generous Com-mack staff and students. The photos at left depict the many fundraising groups and events that took place at Commack Middle School. In photo below, Wood Park staff members gather for a group photo on National Denim Day. The staff raised more than $200 for Breast Cancer Awareness.

C O M M A C K

G O E S P I N K

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 21

Students at MSIS are always thinking about ways to help others. This year,

they collected over 800 gently worn shoes, sneakers, and boots to send to the organi-zation Soles 4 Souls. These soles will be distributed to families around our country and throughout the world. Student Council representatives busily tied laces together, rubber-banded the shoes, counted them, and placed them in cartons ready for the long journey. They are certain that those who receive these soles will be put them to good use, and the Student Council was happy to have been able to provide shoes to wear throughout the seasons.

Thomas Jefferson’s signature? The wedding invitation from

John F. Kennedy’s marriage? It is not often that students in Com-mack have an opportunity to view such historical documents, much less meet an author of several So-cial Studies textbooks. But that’s exactly what happened at Burr In-termediate School recently when

fi fth graders Katie and Jared Zimmer invited their grandfa-ther to share his knowledge and incredible collection with Mrs. Brennan’s and Mrs. Pal-amara’s classes. Mr. Zimmer shared a va-riety of interesting primary documents. One was a list of captured British soldiers from the Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War. Did you know that once they were captured, the soldiers were returned to Great Britain? Another was a Presidential Pardon, signed by Abraham Lincoln, on behalf of a Union soldier who had fallen asleep at his

post and was facing the penalty of a fi ring squad. Students even got to hold a set of towels used by Dwight David Eisenhower during World War II. Many were curious as to how Mr. Zimmer has acquired so many valuable items and asked some thought-ful questions throughout his pre-

sentation. While preparing for the up-coming New York State Social Studies Test, students rarely get the chance to see authentic docu-ments. Thanks to Mr. Zimmer, these lucky students not only got to see these documents, but to hold them as well.

History Comes to Burr Intermediate School!

Soles 4 Souls

22 T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR COMMACK SENIORS

Thirteen Commack High School stu-

dents achieved national recognition in the 2010 National Merit Scholar-ship Program. These commended students placed among the top fi ve percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 compe-tition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualify-ing test.Commack High School

Principal Russell Stewart told the students, “You have distinguished your-selves as academically talented individuals, and you should take pride and satisfaction in that achievement, I am certain your parents are very of you, just as we are at Commack High School.” The winners, in photo above, are (seated, left to right): Suraj, Frank,

Ryan, Daniel, and Mi-chael. Standing, left to right are: Julie, Jen-nifer, Laura, Katherine, Danielle, Rosemary, and Michael. Joining the winners in congratulations are Director of Guidance John Macaluso (left), Commack High School Principal Russell Stewart (center), and Superin-tendent of Schools Dr. James Feltman. Missing from the photo is winner Christopher Gorgone.

On November 4, families throughout the District gave from the heart and donated supplies and

goodies that will be shipped overseas to our brave United States soldiers. For the seventh year in a row, boxes placed in the school lobbies were fi lled and overfl owing with needed personal items, from toothpaste to socks, and extras like gum, candy, CDs, books and maga-zines to lift the spirits of our men and women serv-ing in Afganistan and Iraq. In photo, Burr’s Student Council members with Debbie Virga, who organizes the collection and shipping effort each year.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

T h e C o m m a c k C o u r i e r 23

The students in Mrs. Caren Ma-cholz’s fi fth grade class and

the students in Mrs. Jen Murphy’s third grade class said “YES” to giving this Thanksgiving. The chil-dren, who take part in a Book Bud-dies/Writing Buddies partnership, worked with their “buddies” to trace each others hands. Each child then created turkeys out of the tracing. These turkeys are being donated to a charity called YES! Solutions. This organization provides home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless, poor, displaced elderly and even to people who hung on as long as they could after losing their jobs and never thought they would look for food from a stranger. A hand turkey is included with each meal. This turkey is a small keep-sake for the families in need. Recently, an elderly man con-tacted the organization. He told a volunteer for YES! Solutions that he was a grateful recipient of a Thanksgiving dinner many years

ago. Although the meal itself is a distant memory, he still has the hand turkey that was made by a young child. He explained that he held onto the turkey as a symbol and reminder of the importance of giving. Once the students learned

about this wonderful initiative, they worked diligently to create these unique turkeys. Each turkey was made from the two children work-ing together to help a perfect stranger! These students were cer-tainly thankful to be giving! Happy Thanksgiving!

STUDENTS at MSIS Say “YES” to GIVING!

Every November, the Burr Student Council

sponsors a food drive to help families in the Com-mack community. Our goal is to provide a hearty holiday meal for all of these families. This food drive is a wonderful oppor-tunity to help others and to teach students the impor-tance and impact of com-munity service. In photo with students are advisors Keri Cestaro (on right) and Jeanette La Mountain.

BURR STUDENTS GATHER FOOD

In the second level of American Sign Language, the main teaching goal

is sentence structure and translitera-tion. Since American Sign Language is not a written language, this task is often diffi cult. However, American Sign Language has its own gram-matical structure, syntax, etc., and ASL becomes a true and very real language. With this goal in mind, and Hal-loween approaching, Miss Greco proposed the idea to her students of taking Michael Jackson’s infamous “Thriller,” and interpreting his song into ASL. At fi rst, some students were hesitant and unsure as to how we were going to interpret a fi fteen minute song. As time progressed, each day we focused on a new verse, a new

line, and each student took on his/her own role. Some prepared their own dance routine. Luckily, there were a handful of talented Couga-rettes, girls who are familiar with the dance arena. These students in par-ticular were asked to learn parts of the Michael Jackson dance to add to our performance and encouraged other talented students to join them.The signers were diligently practic-

ing their parts, and the dancers were forming their routine. Finally, on the eve of Halloween, the American Sign Language 2 class interpreted and performed “Thriller” for an audience of teachers and other ASL students. It was indeed a great success. Not only did students learn how to take English sentences and interpret them into ASL, but they did it in a creative and fun way.

ASLASL Thriller Thriller

It was a fi rst: Thriller performed in It was a fi rst: Thriller performed in American Sign Language by Sarah American Sign Language by Sarah Greco’s high school class.Greco’s high school class.

Mandracchia Saw-mill Intermedi-

ate School’s Student Council representa-tives donned their caps for “Wear Your Cap to School Day.” Students and staff members wore their caps to school to sup-port those youngsters going through cancer treatments. A total of $468 was sent to Caps for Kids, an organiza-

tion dedicated to pro-viding hats signed by athletes, entertain-ers, and other nota-bles to children, ado-lescents, and young adults with cancer to wear when they lose their hair from their medical treatment. Sawmill students are very proud to have been a part of this day for the last three years.

Sawmill’s Caps for Kids

The Commack Courier is published by the Commack Board of Education. This issue is available exclusively on the Commack Web site: www.commack.k12.ny.us