Thanks to the support of our community and parents, and the excellence of our teachers, administrators, and support staff, we are confident that our schools will continue to be highly successful. As we sharpen our focus and refine curriculum to make it more appropriate, and bring forth even more enrichment and project-based learning for all students, we are confident that we are going beyond the rote memorization of information. We are truly endeavoring to stimulate innovative thinking, and to provide them with the skills they need to tackle real-world problems. Course offerings like engineering, literature and arts enrichment at the elementary and middle schools and our Access and Opportunity initiative at the High School provide a full range of courses available for all students. This helps students envision and prepare for their future. From our littlest kindergartners to our graduating seniors, the Commack School District continues to offer a choice of academic paths and varied opportunities for social growth through extracurricular activities that include athletics, clubs, and volunteer work to support a balanced program - one that supports all facets of development. Make no mistake, Commack Schools offer the finest academic program for all students; a program with robust options allowing students and parents choice of program with opportunities to tailor their schedule to meet their needs, interests, and abilities.

 

In the area of advocacy, efforts by the District, Board of Education, PTAs and administration continue to reduce and refine testing of our students, and to return control to the local level, as does the fight to increase funding for public education and to reduce unfunded mandates by the State and Federal governments. We have seen some progress in the reduction of testing of our students in grades 3-8, but it is necessary to continue to pressure our elected officials until they get it right, as the State’s testing program is still deeply flawed! The myopic and lock-step approach to testing young children along with the loss of valuable classroom time in the preparation, administration, and grading of these tests casts an unnecessary and unfunded burden on our children, teachers, and taxpayers. I urge all parents and community members to lobby for relief from unnecessary testing and for increased funding.

 

As always, we value the input and suggestions of community members, students, and parents. There are many different avenues to communicate with our District and its employees. Contact information and telephone numbers are posted on the Commack Website and in our printed calendar, delivered to all households. Please be sure to keep in touch with us by opting in for community news emails, and I urge all parents and guardians to update their contact information on the Parent Portal, and to opt in for text messaging and non-emergency phone calls.

As we work together toward our common goal of the success and well-being of our children, I look forward to another wonderful school year and the daily accomplishments of our students and staff. As the year unfolds, I will be in touch regarding our progress and asking your input regarding communication, program, and more. In the meantime, please feel free to send me an email at any time should you have questions or concerns. My email address is djames@commackschools.org.