Commack School District

Commack Union Free School District
Motto	Excellence in Education
Established	1900
Type	Public
Superintendent	Dr. Donald James
Location	Commack, NY, US
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Gold and Black
Mascot	Cougars
Website	http://www.commack.k12.ny.us/

Commack Union Free School District is a public school district located in Suffolk County, New York and is based throughout Dix Hills and Commack. It serves residents of Commack, Dix Hills, Smithtown and East Northport. It serves approximately 7,800 students. There are four primary schools (grades K-2), two intermediate schools (grades 3-5) one middle school (grades 6-8) and one high school (grades 9-12).

Mission statement

Within the context of a caring community of learners, our primary mission is to provide an exemplary learning experience that will allow each child to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to become a successful, contributing member within our school community and greater society.

Current Schools

Primary schools

The Primary Schools in the Commack School district are Indian Hollow, Rolling Hills, North Ridge, and Wood Park. They service students in grades K-2. The school day for these schools last from around 9:20 A.M. to 3:20 P.M. although one should check with the specific schools for exact times. The students have one teacher throughout the day except for special classes like music art and physical education and special services like speech, physical or occupational therapy.

Intermediate Schools

The Intermediate Schools are Burr and Sawmill. They service students in grades 3-5. Their school day is from 8:50AM – 3:05PM. The two buildings are identical in their structure and design. Both schools have at least 10 clubs that meet while school is not in session. The children have one teacher for the whole day except for special classes like music, art and physical education. There are many special services available like Physical Speech and Occupational therapy, social workers, psychologists and a gifted and talented program. There is also an English as a second language program. In fourth grade, the students begin to learn a musical instrument. They are given lessons once a week and participate in the schools Band or Orchestra. There is also a chorus for students who are interested in singing. Each 5th grade class in both schools takes a two day trip to Camp Mariah in Fishkill NY towards the end of the year.

Middle school

The Commack Middle School services students in grades 6-8. The school day lasts from 7:55 to 2:42. The students have 10 periods in a day, each with a different teacher. The classes are 40 minutes in length (except for 1st period homeroom which is 8 minutes) with 4 minutes of walking time between them. Each child is required to take Math, English, Science, Social Studies, a foreign language, Gym all year for the entire three years. They are also required to take Art, Family and Consumer Science, Technology and Health for a quarter of each year. There are 65 clubs for students to get involved in and there are 20 school sport teams.

High school

The Commack High School services students in grades 9-12. The school day lasts from 7:30 to 2:25. The students have 9 periods in a day, each with a different teacher. The classes are 41 minutes in length with 5 minutes of walking time in between them. Each student is required to meet the requirements for a New York State regent’s diploma unless there are special circumstances. They are also required to complete a 15 CSIP (community service involvement program) credits their first three years and 20 their senior year. They can be fulfilled by participating in sports and clubs or by doing volunteer work. Commack High School is an International Baccalaureate School and students pursuing an IB diploma are subject to a different set of requirements. At the end of the 2008-2009 school year there were 14 honor societies, 63 clubs and 21 sport teams for students to participate in. Two notable graduates of the 2011 class are Daniel Paulson and James Hanges. Also Marc Nembhard graduated in this class as well

Academics

Commack Middle School took first place in the Long Island Regional Middle School Science Bowl academic competition at Brookhaven National Laboratory on April 14, 2007, and went on to take seventh place in the academic competition in the National Middle School Science Bowl held at the University of Denver. It is also a blue ribbon school of excellence (Blue Ribbon Schools Program). The Suffolk County Reading Council has recognized the Commack school district elementary schools for their achievements in the area of literacy. Commack had the highest Regents Diploma rate (94%) in 2004 of all comprehensive Suffolk County Districts. Ninety-five percent of its graduating seniors went to colleges of their choice. Commack 4th grade math scores and 8th grade ELA scores were the highest among all school districts in the towns of Huntington and Smithtown. Standardized test scores for its elementary school students in the areas of reading/writing and mathematics significantly exceed the national average.

Notable alumni

• Head college football coach Dave Cohen
• Major League Baseball player Pete Harnisch
• Famous Cross-Country Runner Daniel Paulson
• Entertainer Rosie O'Donnell
• Opera singer Ruth Ann Swenson
• Founder of FBLA James Hanges
• Founder and Creator of Gay Straight Alliance Jesse Mistretta
• Sportscaster Bob Costas
• Business Executive Tom Mendoza, after whom the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame is named.

Teacher and Administration Contracts

Commack administrator and teacher salaries are among the highest in New York State. This has caused some controversy, including a story in Newsday A full view of the teacher contract and teacher salaries as well as administrative salaries and their contract is available at the Commack Teacher Contract Website

External links

• Commack School District Website [1]
• Commack Middle School Wins Science Bowl at Brookhaven Lab [2]
• Commack teacher and administration contracts and salaries [3]