Commack PTA Council Voice

Pocket-Size Commack Schools Calendar & Directory
Available at all PTA meetings.
$4.00

Meet the Candidates
May 4 - 8pm
@ Sawmill Intermediate School

Budget Hearing
May 6 - 8pm
@ Sawmill Intermediate School

www.suffolkpta.org - The legislative link provides a directory to contact your local, state, and federal elected officials.
www.nyspta.org - The website of the New York State PTA
www.commack.k12.ny.us Parents - you will find lots of help and information under the Parent Resources Link- including links to your Legislative Representatives.

Upcoming PTA Council Meetings

June 7 at 8pm at Hubbs.

PTA Welcome Back Breakfast August 30 @ 9am at Hubbs.

The first PTA Council Meeting of the 2010-11 School Year will be held on September 7
at 8pm at Hubbs.

Dear Friends and Families of Commack PTA,

Springtime and sunshine are finally upon us! As we near the end of the school year we are busier than ever with many wonderful events. Our students have worked hard throughout the year and are now getting ready to review and study hard for their exams. I am proud of them and their many successes. I would like to give a big heartfelt thank you to all of our PTA members and supporters. You have all helped to make this a great year. But… it’s not over yet!

As you know, New York State had to decrease state aid this year, which amounts to a $1.8 million reduction to Commack. With the help of the community at the Budget workshops, administration and the Board of Education have worked tirelessly to come up with a budget that is fair and reasonable and maintains as many of the current educational offerings as possible, with an increase of 2.56%, down from the initial budget draft that called for a 5.82% increase. PTA SUPPORTS THIS ADOPTED BUDGET.

Everyone is working together in these difficult economic times to be able to give our children the best education possible. We applaud the unions for their concessions, which helped to keep many of the programs intact, while not raising our taxes to an astronomical amount.

We encourage you to attend the budget hearing on May 6th and please let your voice be heard loud and clear on May 18th, as you vote for the budget.

I would like to congratulate Council’s 2010-2011’s Executive Committee:
Jacki Fleischacker - President
Jill Mihnovich - 1st Vice President
Maryann Montella - 2nd Vice President
Maria Grasso - Recording Secretary
Jeanine DiGirolamo - Corresponding Secretary
Mary Lionetti - Treasurer

Sincerely,
Eleanor Stentiford
PTA Council President

There is still time for you to register to vote in this election:

Voter Registration
May 5 and 11, 2010 - 9am to 9pm

at Commack High School and Commack Middle School

Let your voice be heard!

"Working Together...
Coming together is a beginning,
Keeping together is progress,
Working together is success."

Arts in Education
Committee Report
The Arts-in-Education programs in the district are PTA funded programs. Through both fundraising and membership drives each PTA raises funds which enable each building to bring in programs which otherwise would not be available to the students of our district.

The children of our district are exposed to countless cultural and art related programs of every variety. These programs support and enhance the classroom experience and the curriculum in a multitude of ways.

Some of the programs are theatre programs of Off-Broadway caliber. There are classroom workshops that relate to curriculum as well as writing workshops.

The most recent programs which have taken place here in the district are: the theatre productions of The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Frankweiler and We the People. Foodplay, a dynamic interactive nutrition program was an enormous success in many buildings. Bash the Trash and Hip Pickles are musical productions with character education themes. Again this year, many schools had a visit from The Coalition for Disabled Musicians. StarLab and Poetry Alive were also big winners with the students in the district.