Message from the Superintendent - July 2024

Greetings to the Central Islip School District Community, 

I hope you are enjoying summer vacation and are spending time partaking in fun activities with your families and friends. 

Over the summer, I have had the pleasure of visiting each of our summer programs which our School District offers to our students, many of which are ending this week. Participating students benefited from the Elementary Enrichment Summer School Program at O’Neill Elementary, the Title III program for Newcomers at Mulligan Elementary, the Extended School Year (ESY) program at Alfano Elementary, the Title IV Summer Science Research Program, and the High School Summer School Program at Central Islip High School. 

I want to thank the program principals, Mrs. Rebecca Garcia, Mr. Eric Haruthunian, Mr. Brett MacMonigle and Ms. Tracy Rentz, the entire summer school teaching staff and support personnel for your collaborative efforts in making these programs a success for our students. A special acknowledgement goes to Funded Programs Administrator Ms. Christina Guastella for her talents in securing grant funding that underwrites these wonderful initiatives. We have a contingent of summer programs that our entire school community can be proud of. 

To our parents and guardians, thank you for supporting these programs which have been designed to bridge the gap in learning between grade levels for our students. Please continue to encourage your children to read and explore the wonderment of our wide world and new horizons that await them by visiting the Central Islip Public Library. 

Please know that we are busily working to prepare for the opening of the 2024-2025 school year when our students return to school in September. You will be receiving information regarding orientations and other activities coming your way for the remainder of the summer. 

Finally, to the Board of Education, thank you for supporting all these academic initiatives which are so important for our students’ overall success as they continue their studies over the course of their summer vacation. 

I would like to close with this excerpt from a speech by former First Lady Michelle Obama:

“I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong . . . Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.”

Sincerely, 

Dr. Sharon A. Dungee 

Superintendent of Schools