During an official street renaming ceremony held on Jan. 27, the Town of Brookhaven and the Sachem Central School District joined family and friends to rename Smith Road in memory of a local leader, legend and warrior Matthew DiStefano, who lost his battle with cancer five years ago. The street, on which Sachem High School North is located, now holds the name of Matthew “Dezy” DiStefano Way. 

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, joined by Deputy Supervisor Neil Foley and Councilman Neil Manzella, said, “Today, his memory will be enshrined in moments after we reveal that sign across the street from the school where he was employed, loved and where he went to school as a child.” 

Sachem Superintendent of Schools Patricia Trombetta shared that Dezy had a major impact on Sachem High School North. “What Dezy did for Sachem, especially North, was he reminded everyone of the importance of family, and for us that was our North family,” Ms. Trombetta said. “Because of him, there were more hellos in the hallways, pats on the back for something good, and that extra hug when you need a friend or shoulder to lean on.”  

In describing Dezy, his sisters, Michele Mullady, Jennifer Kolongowski and Melissa Thurston, described their brother as a legend and warrior. “His goal was to spread his mindset to others, and his legacy lives on five years later,” Mullady said. “He has taught us how to live and be grateful and appreciative each and every day.” 

Under the baton of chorus teacher Cara Caliendo, the IMAGE A Capela group performed inspirational music prior to family and friends crossing the street to proudly and ceremoniously unveil the new street sign.     

 

Date Added: 1/28/2025

Congratulations to the Sachem East Girls Winter Track and Field team on their League 1 Championship! With their dominant performance, they captured their 8th league title in the last 10 seasons. Twenty different girls scored points to help lead the team to victory. Sara Scavo won two events the 300m and the 600m. Gianna Mauri continued to dominate the race walk, and sophomore Bella Galeas placed in two events and won the long jump in a school record of 18’4”.

Date Added: 1/27/2025

 

Sachem High School East’s Virtual Enterprise firm Dynamic Customs, led by business teacher William Ward, brought their A game to Long Island University for the first trade show of the year. 

During the event, students communicated and networked with peers from over 50 high schools across Long Island. Hundreds of students collaborated in selling products designed by student-led companies. Dynamic Customs had the highest sales in school history topping out at approximately $200,000 over the course of three hours. The executive team, led by Shamus Birbiglia, Andrea Mohabir, Brandon Nguyen, Matthew Scavo and Ryan Zhu, impressed judges with their business plan presentation. 

The Dynamic Custom team looks forward to their next trade show and representing Sachem at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in April!

 

Date Added: 1/17/2025

In honor of their talents and interests, 28 students from Sachem High School East were chosen to attend the New York State Theatre Education Association 28th Annual Student Conference at the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in Callicoon, New York. NYSTEA is a strong, statewide organization of theater educators that promotes and supports theater education for students in grades pre-K through 12.

This was the second year that Sachem High School East has sent representatives to NYSTEA. One Sachem senior, Kailyn Lamb, was a finalist in the NYSTEA Screenplay Competition. Her original work about pickles was performed on stage at the conference for the first time. It garnered much laughter and support for more pickle stories for the future. Kailyn’s comic timing and superb writing skills were a highlight of the evening.   

This conference creates an opportunity for high school students from all over New York State to come together for a full weekend of learning and peer interaction. The students attend workshops given by colleges, universities and other theater professionals, as well as network with one another and experience performances throughout the conference.

This conference is a highlight of the Student Conference delegates’ high school career. In the over 100 workshop offerings, students will receive expert instruction in technical theater, acting, dance and voice. Meeting and sharing interests with other similarly minded students from every region of the state is paramount in working collaboratively, gaining self-confidence and exploring new areas of learning. This conference is a testament to how theater transforms students’ lives.

 

Date Added: 1/16/2025

To offer experience and business insight, Sachem alumna and creator of the original Liana’s Buffin Muffin came to visit Mr. LoGiudice’s Food Trends and Baking & Pastry classes at Sachem High School North to talk about healthy eating and smart baking. During the visit, she spoke about her personal challenges with body image as a teenager and how she turned those experiences into a passion to create a product, brand and business.
 
In addition to her presentation, students got to watch Liana demonstrate making her Almond Joy Energy Bites, enlisting the help of a few junior bakers – Daniel Collins, Jonathan Giraulo and Aaron Ramirez. Afterward, everyone got to try different types of healthy baked goods from The Hummus Fit/Buffin Bakery brand accompanied by a Q&A session with Liana.

 

Date Added: 1/15/2025