CHS junior Chris B. earned a national award Tuesday … and learned about it in surprise fashion.

Business teacher Robert Plechner shared during the school year’s introductory FBLA meeting after school that Chris had placed first in New York State and third nationally in this past spring's InvestWrite essay contest.

The essay resulted from Chris’ experience managing a stock portfolio during the 2023-24 school year.

Plechner surprised Chris with the announcement and noted that the award includes not just a large trophy but a laptop and cash prize as well.

Chris’ family surprised him and attended the impromptu ceremony.

This marks the fourth time in the past seven years that a CHS student has placed first in New York State and the second time a CHS student has landed in the top three nationwide.

Our big homecoming game is on the 21st and we have a great week planned for all of you. Show your school spirit and support your class with points towards competition night. The week's Spirit Day themes are:

And see you Saturday at Homecoming!

Congratulations to 9 of our talented musicians for being recognized by the NYS School Music Association (NYSSMA) as Alternates (Honorable Mention) and those who will be attending the December All-State Winter Conference in Rochester! We are very proud of these nine students who are considered to be amongst the most accomplished musicians in the entire state of New York! 

We'd also like to recognize the tireless efforts of our dedicated music teachers - Dr. Hansen, Ms. D'Amelia, Ms. Frankonis, & Ms. Neville and their Director, Mr. Stuckey, who bring out the absolute best in our talented students and really let them shine!

 

Orders are now being taken for the 2025 edition of Crossroads Yearbook! Our yearbook includes all grades, sports, clubs, and highlights activities from the school year. Order now to lock in the lowest price of the year, plus you get 4 FREE cover icons with name personalization until October 25th. Go to Jostens.com to place your order today

CHS’ game-design class is learning from a guest expert this week.

Professional designer David Miller joined CHS teacher Robert Raeihle in working with the students on board game development.

Students learn during the semester topics including game-development concepts, game history and connecting board game concepts to modern video games.

They ultimately design video games using Unreal Engine coding.

The students create their own assets using a three-dimensional sculpting program.

The class leads into a college-level game-design class that students can elect to take in the spring.

Congrats to CHS sophomore Harold T., who was recognized by councilwoman Theresa Mari and the Town of Huntington board with a proclamation recognizing his dedication to suicide prevention and mental health awareness on Tuesday evening.

Harold will host a fundraiser at Simplay in Hauppauge on Sunday.

Expected in attendance will be state senator Mario Mattera, Councilwoman Mari, assemblyman Keith Brown, Super Bowl champion Gary Brown, St. Joseph's College student-athletes and representatives from the Long Island Nets.

The event will include a simulator tournament of soccer, football and dodgeball. He also has a silent auction, a live auction, raffles and merchandise sales, with proceeds going to suicide prevention and mental health.

The summer is no time off for Commack High School’s science researchers.

Students gathered in Lab 10 at the high school on Wednesday morning with science teachers Andrea Beatty, Jeanette Collette, Dr. Daniel Kramer as well as retired teacher Dr. Lorraine Solomon to gain an overview of the Regeneron Science Talent Search application process and receive initial feedback on their 20-page research papers and essays.

Regeneron STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students. Started in 1942 as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, Regeneron STS recognizes and empowers the nation’s most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve society’s most urgent challenges.

Roughly 2,000 students submit applications each November to Regeneron STS, which involves original research in critically important scientific fields of study. Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring and engaging the nation’s most promising future leaders in STEM.

Commack has a proud tradition of students achieving in the Regeneron competition. The high school has produced 14 semifinalists in the past decade: Jonathan Zhang (2024), Soyoun "Ashley" Moon (2022), Kimberly Liao (2020), S. Shamtej Singh Rana (2020), Pragati Muthukumar (2019), Daniel Lee (2018), Anoop Singh (2018), Jordan Cooper (2017), Abby Cuomo (2017), David Li (2016), Mehtaab Sawhney (2016), Scott Massa (2015), Matthew O’Connell (2015) and Josh Zweig (2014).

Massa achieved finalist status.

Those graduates have continued their research at elite universities including Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Penn and Stanford.

The Commack School District takes pride in its commitment to music education. And CHS rising senior Jack Gordon feels passionately about ensuring that same commitment is sustained nationwide.

So Gordon hosted a fundraiser on Monday evening to support the Save the Music Foundation.

Six bands, including the CHS Jazz Messengers, performed at Miller’s Ale House in Commack as part of the event. The musical groups represented wide-ranging genres, with the performers ranging in age from 12 to their late 60s.

Gordon partnered with several local businesses who donated rehearsal space, shirts, silk screening, banners and DJ services as well as gift cards and gift baskets to be raffled off as prizes.

The Save the Music Foundation is committed to helping underfunded schools nationwide keep their music programs alive by providing them with money for programs, instruments, technology and other resources.

“When I found out about their mission, I decided I had to get involved,” Gordon said. “Since the age of 13, I have been playing with my peers and in many adult bands. Over the years, I have established strong friendships with these fellow musicians, and I asked them to come together to perform for the event.”

Registration for 2024 fall driver's education program is now open!

The registration form will remain on the district website until the maximum number of students that the program can accommodate for the fall 2024 semester is reached.

If you have any questions regarding the driver's education program, please call Mr. Matthew P. Keltos, coordinator of driver education, at (631) 912-2107.

Only 11th and 12th grade Commack High School students who are in good standing and have met all of their academic requirements for their present school year are eligible to enroll. Students must be 16 years old.

For full details and the registration form and calendar, click here.

Dara Gordon, who graduated from CHS last month, has earned a scholarship from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook.

Gordon had an illustrious high school career, excelling in numerous dramas and musicals — both within the school and beyond.

Her talent earned her the Hunting-Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play in 2022 and Best Vocalist in a Musical this year from the Town of Huntington. She also received the 2024 Scholar-Artist Merit Award in Theatre from the Long Island Arts Alliance.

In addition to theatre accomplishments, Gordon was highly active in several high school choirs and was a vocalist for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.

She was a long-time participant in NYSSMA, SCMEA and NYSCAME.

A versatile musician, Gordon plays piano, ukelele and the kalimba. She was a proud member of the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society and the International Thespian Society.

 

Gordon will study musical theater at the Conservatory at Shenandoah University beginning this fall.

Con-grad-ulations to the Commack High School Class of 2024!

Family, friends and educators of 498 seniors celebrated commencement on Thursday evening at the school’s stadium.

The event included addresses from student academic speakers Jonathan Zhang and Evan Stern and class president Conor Spahn presenting assistant principal Andrea Allen with a class gift — outdoor furniture for the school’s courtyard.

Superintendent Dr. Jordan Cox offered a gift to each senior as well — an evergreen tree that the graduates can plant and watch take root and grow throughout their adulthoods.

Before awarding of the diplomas, the ceremony included a pause to recognize the graduates who are entering the various military branches.

“The strongest trees sway with the really heavy winds and don’t break,” Dr. Cox told attendees during the commencement ceremony. “When the tough storms come, and they will, be able to bend. And then once they pass, return to standing proud and tall. Don’t let those tough times break you or uproot you.

“And, lastly, don’t ever forget to remember your roots. I promise you that you are graduating from a place that is absolutely over-the-moon excited for you, that cares about you and loves you.”

For family members and friends unable to attend our commencement ceremony in person on Thursday at 5 p.m. at CHS, please consider sharing one of our streaming links:

YouTube

Boxcast

We look forward to you joining us virtually or in person!

We are thrilled to introduce the 2023-24 issue of Pathways, the Commack High School Freshman Art Literary Magazine!

Pathways is a vibrant celebration of the creativity and talent of our freshman class, showcasing their artistic and literary achievements. We invite you to explore the imaginative and inspiring works of our freshmen, who have poured their hearts and souls into their creations. Each piece in Pathways reflects the individual journeys and new beginnings of these talented students. This magazine is a journey through the artistic and literary expressions of our high school freshman, providing them with a platform to share their voices and visions.

Pathways is more than just a magazine; it’s a testament to the potential and promise of our freshman class. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication, and we are excited to share their achievements with the entire Commack community.

Join us as we embark on this journey through the creative minds of our freshman class. Whether you're a lover of art, literature, or simply curious about the talents of the next generation, Pathways offers a rich and inspiring experience that highlights the extraordinary potential of our students.

Congrats to CHS' Tyler C., who captured singles and doubles gold in tennis at the Special Olympics' New York State Summer Games this past weekend!

Tyler participated with the CHS JV tennis team this past season.