Congrats to retiring boys track coach Paul Sleavensky, who has been named League 2 Coach of the Year. The presentation was made at the Section XI All-Section Awards Dinner at Villa Lombardi's. It marks Sleavensky's third Coach of the Year award this school year alone. The boys spring track and field team went undefeated in League 2 en route to the championship.

CHS track and field’s Danny P. proved himself an elite competitor at the New York State Track and Field Championships.

Danny placed second in the pentathlon at Cicero North Syracuse this past weekend, and third overall in the Federation.

He also was selected to Newsday’s All-Long Island track and field team.

Three CHS students were honored Tuesday morning for their lofty achievements in scouting.

Matthew C. was presented a $1,925 check by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Elwood/Commack Post 9263 after placing first in Suffolk County and second in New York State in the Scout of the Year competition.

Meanwhile, CHS also recognized on Tuesday morning new Eagle Scouts Matthew M. and Jack F.

All three CHS students are active with Troop 125.

Matthew C. previously had been honored by Suffolk County executive Edward Romaine and Suffolk County legislator Nick Caracappa.

Superintendent Dr. Jordan Cox, who has spearheaded the Commack School District emerging as a leader in teaching financial literacy, served as a featured speaker at Bloomberg for Education’s 2024 Academic Symposium on Friday.

Dr. Cox addressed district leaders and other educators from throughout the Northeast during the event inside Bloomberg’s Manhattan headquarters.

Commack Schools will debut a financial lab resembling a stock exchange floor and featuring Bloomberg terminals for the 2024-25 school year. A new financial literacy teacher, Peter Myers, was approved during Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting to join the CHS staff.

All seniors will be required to take the financial literacy coursework beginning next school year. The lessons will be embedded into existing economics and social studies classes so that it does not diminish the number of electives the students are free to choose.

The financial education generally will provide Commack students practical knowledge they can apply throughout their adulthood.

The Bloomberg Financial Fundamentals unit, for example, will cover topics including the purpose of investing, types of investment, risk and reward, and portfolio management.

Friday’s symposium included officials from higher education and secondary education and also featured speakers including Bloomberg Economics chief economist Tom Orlik and Bloomberg head of AI engineering Anju Kambadur.

CHS ninth grader Estelle M. has been recognized for her submission to Northwell Health’s “Erase the Stigma” art competition.

Estelle took second place for her artwork.

The contest aimed to bring attention to May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and to help fight mental health stigma. This year’s theme was “#HopeStartsHere.”

The contest’s mission was to highlight mental health as an essential part of overall health and to provide a creative space in which students share their voice.

The artwork was judged on its originality, creativity and how well it expressed the contest theme.

Winners will have their work displayed by Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

CHS seniors are learning from the Class of 2023 about what awaits them in college during the high school’s annual Transition Day.

The return of young alumni to address the soon-to-be graduates was one of multiple sessions during Thursday’s Senior Sendoff workshops.

Commack High School’s young alumni are sharing their college experiences — topics ranging from academics, to the college social landscape, to time management … and everything in between. That session culminates with the alumni’s words of advice to the seniors, who are at the precipice of embarking on their own college experience.

The Senior Sendoff workshops also include a presentation on preparing for opportunities and challenges as well as the seniors’ participation in a “legacy project.”

For the project, each senior contributes a feather to a “Spread Your Wings”-themed art project to be displayed at CHS long after their departure.

Congrats to our New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence recipients.

The programs awards scholarships to high-achieving students at registered state high schools.  Awards are based on student grades on certain Regents exams. 

Students are nominated by their high schools.

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.

What a memorable and moving night at the Senior Awards and Scholarship Evening at CHS on Wednesday.

In all, 71 scholarships totaling in excess of $83,000 were awarded, including some scholarships in memory of friends we lost too soon.

We also celebrated the appointment of Emma H. to West Point!

A wonderful evening at CHS began with honored 101 seniors in the annual Top Cohort Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday.

Each student produced a 100+ cumulative average.

Senior Eunice J. served as the honored speaker, and Evan S. and Jonathan Z. were recognized as academic leaders.

The CHS varsity baseball team defeated Farmingdale, 2-1, in Saturday night’s Long Island championship game at the Middle Country Athletic Complex to earn the island title.

Evan K. had 11 strikeouts in a complete game and eighth grader Robbie M. provided an RBI single in the fifth that drove in what turn out to be the deciding run. Congratulations to the players and coaches on this very impressive accomplishment! 

Next up for the team is the New York State championship tournament, which gets underway on Friday at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton.

CHS seniors made history on Monday night.

During a ceremony inside the school’s auditorium, 44 students became the school’s first-ever graduating class from The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme.

Additionally, 92 students received International Baccalaureate diplomas.

Commack is the only district on Long Island to offer the IB Career-related Programme.

Superintendent Dr. Jordan Cox noted that the coursework has permitted students to “test drive” career options while still in high school — allowing them to enter higher-education institutions with a better handle on where to focus their studies.

The CP and DP graduates are now well-prepared as they head to a wide array of colleges and universities, including Boston University, California, Cornell, George Washington, Georgia, Hofstra, Indiana, Lehigh, MIT, NYU, Penn, Stony Brook, Texas, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Vassar and Virginia as well as every military service branch.

The CP was specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable and lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication and cross-cultural engagement.

“This program prepares students to make the best decision for what program they want to pursue in college,” Dr. Cox said.

CHS theater students were honored Monday evening at the Town of Huntington’s “Hunting-Tony” awards at a red-carpet event at the Paramount in Huntington.

Commack won four awards on Monday including: 

Best Female Vocalist, Dara G., Mamma Mia

Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Logan B., Mamma Mia

Best Set Design in a Play, Radium Girls

Best Choreography, Mamma Mia

 

Commack’s production of “Radium Girls” was nominated for four awards including best drama, best ensemble in a drama, best stage design in a drama and best technical production in a drama.

 

Commack’s production of “Mamma Mia” was also nominated for four awards including best musical, best stage design in a musical, best costumes in a musical and best choreography.

 

Eight students were nominated for awards including the following:

 

Nate B. - best supporting actor in a drama

Sofie B. - best supporting actress in a drama

Vanessa S. - best supporting actress in a musical

Dara G. - best vocalist and best lead actress in a drama

Ayaan K. - best lead actor in a drama

Logan B - best featured actor in a musical

Danica R. - best featured actress in a musical

Julia L. - best actress in a musical

CHS varsity boys tennis captured its fourth straight team county title during Memorial Day weekend. 

Congratulations to Eric B. and James Y. who after winning the county doubles championship, earned the duo a berth in the state championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The pair had an amazing tournament and faced the best players from across the state, winning their first three matches before falling in the semifinals.

Commack had a bevy of students inducted into the National Technical Honor Society.

Congratulations to honorees Kylie B., Saphire C., Gabriella E., Jack F., Joseph G., Michael G., Kaitlin K., Madison M., Gloria M., John N., Jack P., Kylie R., Emma S. and Juan V.

The students are involved in programs including cosmetology, veterinary medical assisting, aviation science/flight, automotive technology, aircraft/drone technology, criminal justice and electronics/robotics & automation.