Thumbs up for Commack Middle School as Principal Pamela Travis-Moore (with bow) is joined by School Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund, administrators, and staff members in a hardy congratulation to all that helped make this nationally recognized honor a reality.
Another measure of the quality of Commack's educational program is the number of students graduating with a Regents diploma. Recent graduates of Commack High School had a 70% Regents diploma rate which compares very favorably to Long Island and New York State averages for Regents diplomas. In addition, the class of 1999 had a record number of Advanced Placement Scholars based upon their Advanced Placement test scores. Seventy-five percent of these students received a 3 or higher score on their Advancement Placement exams which entitled them to college credit. With the largest number of AP national scholars in Suffolk County and a lion's share of scholar recognition awards, Commack students have continued to excel beyond New York State and national standards. And this year, Commack High School became the second school on Long Island to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate program for students who wish to excel at an international university level of achievement. Much of the ongoing work toward the improvement of educational programs and challenges for a better world have been met through the establishment of joint committee work. More than twenty-five district committees currently work on annual tasks to improve the educational program of Commack schools. Cooperative efforts through Site Based Management teams at each school have resulted in improvements to the daily life of students and staff. And a highly organized and energetic PTA organization, which has continued to grow with enthusiasm and support, has helped to sustain and improve the educational program of Commack schools. During the later 90's, the Commack School District was recognized for its Excellence in Education by the New York State Education Department naming Commack High School and Commack Middle School as Blue Ribbon Schools. The school district has also received annual awards from the nationally-recognized School Match Program based upon ''what parents want" for
their children in education K12. Other honors have been received by each of the eight Commack schools including the Suffolk Reading Council Honor School Award. The district continues to garner accolades, awards, and accomplishments of special recognition from a wide array of sources as students continue to perform at an exemplary level of achievement. So as the 21st century begins, the Commack school district has emerged as one of the premier school districts on Long Island. The educational program has come a long way from the days when school was conducted in the Frame School, with two classrooms and two teachers where the highest level of schooling one could obtain was an eighth grade education. The community of Commack has evolved as well from a little farming village into a modern, densely populated, suburban community. The glue that continues to bind the Commack community together is the school system and its record of achievement in preparing Commack's children for life in the 21st century.
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Seventy-nine students from the class of 1999 and 2000 were named National AP Scholars.
Commack High School Principal Ron Vale is joined by the School Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund and the committee of administrators, teachers and parents who prepared the application that helped Commack High School succeed in becoming a Blue Ribbon School.