Students and staff across the Sachem Central School District honored Patriot Day on Sept. 11 through several remembrance ceremonies and displays.

Sachem High School East held an inaugural ceremony at its 9/11 memorial outside of the building. Principal Lou Antonetti welcomed the crowd of students and staff before the Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the choir sang the national anthem. Several student speakers stepped up to the podium and gave speeches about the importance of community, bravery and heroism. Members of the junior class explained the meaning behind High School East’s memorial and how the 25 flags surrounding it represent the 25 lives lost within the Sachem community. Those 25 names were then read aloud as students placed wreaths at the memorial.

Similarly, Sachem High School North held its annual ceremony. Students, staff and local leaders gathered at the building’s memorial to commemorate the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as all those impacted by the tragic events. Students led the ceremony and invited their peers to read heartfelt essays they wrote in their English classes. The essays honored the first responders, heroes and citizens who were impacted, while also acknowledging the sense of patriotism and unity across the nation.

Many of the district’s elementary schools invited students to wear red, white and blue as a symbol of solidarity. At Tamarac Elementary School, students came together to sing patriotic songs and watch a flag-raising ceremony outside of the building.

Click here to view the HS East slideshow.

Click here to view the HS North slideshow.

Click here to view the Tamarac slideshow.

Date Added: 9/11/2024

Sachem High School East Senior Jaden Rudnicki has a lot to celebrate with a string of recent successes for the young French horn student. Jaden started his summer by performing with the Island Symphony Orchestra. Soon after, he was notified that he won second place in his age division in the Charleston International Music Festival 19th Century Music Competition. A week later, Jaden performed a Horn Concerto with the Northport Community Band as the first runner-up in their Young Artists Competition. Following this, Jaden spent 2 weeks at the Philadelphia International Music Festival & Camp, where he studied horn with the associate principal horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jeffrey Lang. While at the camp, he won third place in his age division in the Virtual Concerto Competition and Honorable Mention in the Live Concerto Competition. Following the camp, Jaden flew to Fort Collins, Colorado to attend the International Horn Symposium. During his time there, Jaden had the opportunity to study under Leelanee Sterett, who sits third horn with the New York Philharmonic.

Since school has resumed, Jaden has received additional good news. He was accepted to the NYSSMA All-State Honors Festival for the second consecutive year, this time as a Horn 1 with the Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Jaden will be attending the rigorous Manhattan School of Music Pre-College program on horn every Saturday from now through May 31st. As part of the program, Jaden will receive private lessons from Hugo Valverde, the second horn in The Met Opera Orchestra.

Sachem is proud of Jaden Rudnicki and all of his many accomplishments regarding the French horn. We wish him the best of luck in his senior year!

Date Added: 9/9/2024

Students from across the district were all smiles to kick off the 2024-2025 school year on Sept. 5. As they arrived at their respective buildings, they were greeted by teachers and administrators. Students reconnected with familiar faces and made new friends as they were engaged in classroom activities throughout the day. The Sachem Central School District looks forward to a great year ahead.

Click here to view the East slideshow.

Click here to view the North slideshow.

Click here to view the Samoset slideshow.

Click here to view the Tamarac slideshow.

Click here to view the Wenonah slideshow.

The Sachem Central School District is welcoming several new faces into assistant principal roles for the upcoming school year. At the Board of Education’s July 24 meeting, Tara Scully was approved as assistant principal of Samoset Middle School, Marc Mastropolo was named assistant principal of High School East and Melissa Cameron-Piccola at High School North.

Tara Scully has been a Sachem Central School District employee since 2003. Most recently, she was a principal’s aide at Chippewa Elementary School, as well as a remedial math teacher and instruction coach.

Both Marc Mastropolo and Melissa Cameron-Piccola are Sachem graduates and are eager to return to the district in their new roles. Mastropolo most recently served as a school social worker through Eastern Suffolk BOCES, whereas Cameron-Piccola served as a physical education teacher and summer school administrator in the Port Chester School District.

Date Added: 8/2/2024