July 2017
Science Research Students Advance to International Competition Three Commack High School students, Charity, Abbigayle, and Raphael, represented Commack on the world stage in Los Angeles, California, at the International Science and Engineering Fair. These students earned prestigious Intel Division Grand Awards at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair in March, qualifying them for the international competition with students from around the globe. Charity took 1st Place in Animal Sciences for her project, “Manipulation Odor Driven Behavior in Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster).” Her research involved exposing genetically modified fruit flies to various light and odor conditions, with possible human applications. Charity also won the US Air Force Award at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF). Abbigayle's “A Study in Westward Recurving Tropical Cyclone Tracks in the Atlantic” earned 1st Place in Environmental and Earth Sciences. Westward recurving storms in the Atlantic Ocean, such as Hurricane Sandy, have damaging consequences, and Abby studied storm tracks
with an eye towards improving forecasting. Abby also won a Ying Scholar Award, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award, an Association for American Geoscientists Award, and an American Meteorological Society Award at LISEF. Raphael studied “The Effects of Nitazoxanide on Chaperone/Usher Pathway Assembled Virulence Factors in Gram-negative Bacteria,” and won 1st Place in Microbiology. Raphael investigated transport across the outer bacteria cell membrane. In addition to his first place title, Raphael also earned a US Air Force Award at LISEF, and a Ying Scholar Award. “Our science research program continues to excel," stated Dr. Alison Offerman-Celentano, Director of Science. "Our teachers provide opportunities for students to follow their passions through original research, where they learn 21st century skills
that will benefit them for a lifetime, and are so proud of their dignity and poise as they represented our school district in California.” Raphael earned a 3rd Place award, and Abby received a 4th Place award in the ISEF competition! Congratulations to our exceptional students and to our talented teachers, who are instrumental in cultivating our students' successes: Mr. Richard Kurtz, Dr. Lorraine Solomon, Ms. Jeanette Collette, Ms. Andrea Beatty, Dr. Daniel Kramer, and Ms. Stephanie O'Brien.
2017 IB DIPLOMA CANDIDATES
Commack High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Candidates celebrated two years of intensive studies with a ceremony that highlighted their accomplishments. The 114 seniors completed coursework at the most challenging academic level, which has resulted in them acquiring the critical thinking, research, and
writing skills necessary to succeed in college and career. The ceremony featured student speeches and performances showcasing their diverse abilities and expansive knowledge in various subject areas. Any student may decide to pursue the IB Diploma Program given in grades 11 and 12, or may take individual IB courses as up-
perclassmen. Commack High School also offers an array of other college-level classes such as Advanced Placement, Project Lead The Way engineering and computer science classes, and other courses associated with colleges and universities. Congratulations to the IB Diploma Class of 2017!