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Michael Mosca

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Students at Comsewogue High School in the Comsewogue School District have joined a cross-cultural humanitarian effort to bring closure to Japanese families whose loved ones were killed during World War II.

Before going to battle, Japanese soldiers were given yosegaki hinomaru—good luck flags—to keep with them on the battlefield. There are currently an estimated 50,000 yosegaki hinomaru throughout America, brought back as souvenirs by World War II veterans who didn’t understand that the flags are considered by Japanese families to be the non-biological human remains of their family members.

Students with Good Luck Flags. Photo from Comsewogue School District

Roughly a dozen Comsewogue students have been working with their teachers and community partners to collect these flags and reunite them with grieving families who never had a proper burial for loved ones who didn’t return home from the war.

“It’s so important for our students to learn about history through the lens of different cultures, and to understand that there is more that unifies us than divides us,” said Comsewogue High School Principal Michael Mosca. “Our students volunteered to take part in this project and their dedication and passion is palpable.”

Comsewogue High School teacher David Hughes and Comsewogue parent and community partner William Donohue are avid historians who collected about 35 these meaningful flags and brought the initiative to the high school. Along with teachers Alex Wessel and Kyle Schauss, they will be assigning a flag to each student who will then study the flag and learn about the soldier to whom it belonged.

Students recently held a Zoom meeting with Rex and Keiko Ziak, the founders of the nonprofit the Obon Society, whose mission is to reunite families with the good luck flags of their loved ones. The Obon Society is the largest grassroots effort dedicated to the cause and has returned over 600 flags to families in Japan.

Rex and Keiko answered questions from students and shared powerful stories both about receiving and returning flags. They explained the process of tracking down these families and how the reunion is more of a funeral than a celebration. The couple started the Obon Society after Keiko and her family were reunited with her grandfather’s good luck flag. She described being a child when he went missing in action while serving in Burma.

Students will be learning the stories behind each good luck flag as they continue to work with the Obon Society to track down the families, a process that could take roughly two years.

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Comsewogue students recently worked at the local Chick-fil-A in Port Jeff Station as part of their Life Skills curriculum. Photo courtesy Andrew Harris
By Camila Perez Solis

Comsewogue High School’s Life Skills class students were given the opportunity to work at the local Chick-fil-A in Port Jefferson Station, putting their learning into practice. 

This weekly event was made possible by several donations from companies across the Comsewogue community and support from administration and staff.

Michael Mosca, CHS principal, reacted to the unique educational endeavor. “This incredible work experience is a product of the incredible vision of our Life Skills teacher, Katy Dornicik, and our School to Career Partnership that is spearheaded by Mr. Ketterer, Mr. Joudeh and the rest of the business department,” he said.

Mosca added, “Stan, from our local Chick-fil-A, has been a tremendous supporter of our Work Based Learning initiative.”

The principal also mentioned that this initiative is just the beginning, with plans in the works to build upon this experience and develop the program even further. “Each year, we plan to add more opportunities for all of our students through our growing community partnerships,” Mosca said.

During these visits, students put together salad kits, cleaned tables and windows, and restocked shelves. They are excited to implement the skills that they have learned in Dornicik’s classroom into the real world.

Camila Perez Solis is a foreign-exchange student from Ecuador and a junior at Comsewogue High School.

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(Left to right) Social worker Taylor Cohen; social worker Alexia Bellini; and student-writer Sophia Gregorio. Photo courtesy Andrew Harris
By Sophia Gregorio

For the second straight year, the Lake Grove-based Trek Bicycle Store has donated two bicycles to Comsewogue School District. 

The bike store generously gave the bicycles to help those needing something for the holidays. 

“Trek Lake Grove is happy to help families in the Port Jefferson Station community this year,” said store manager Catie Gregorio.

Comsewogue School District would like to thank Trek Lake Grove and anyone who donated to the needy during the holiday season. 

Comsewogue High School principal, Michael Mosca, commented on the value such donations add to the greater community. 

“This is what makes our community special,” he said. “Everyone is willing to go above and beyond to help one another. We are very grateful for our community partners and all they do for our students and our schools.”

Sophia Gregorio is a sophomore at Comsewogue High School.

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Students from Comsewogue High School’s Triple C Club during the sale. Photo courtesy Andrew Harris
By Camila Perez Solis

For the past two weeks, students from Comsewogue High School’s Triple C Club brainstormed ways they could raise awareness of healthy alternatives to typical snacks and baked goods. 

Healthy foods on display during the Strong Bake Sale at CHS. Photo courtesy Andrew Harris

They decided to hold the Strong Bake Sale, with healthier options like a banana power bar. All sales were conducted from the high school’s rotunda, with profits supporting student scholarships and positive activities around the school and Greater Comsewogue community. 

“It is important to educate students at our school on how they can eat healthier and offer them alternatives,” said Andrew Harris, club adviser.

The organizers of the sale sought to raise awareness that what we eat as foods can be both nourishing and delicious. Oftentimes, people avoid eating healthy because they worry these options won’t taste as good. 

Sofia Castro, one of the star bakers in this sale, offered a different perspective. “The double chocolate protein muffins were truly a big hit,” she said. “They provide a good source of protein, but are still so tasty.” 

Along with Alexa Kallmeyer, Castro also made pumpkin and banana muffins. “It is relaxing for us to bake, so we didn’t mind spending the weekend doing it,” she said.

‘Life is all about choices, and it’s important for people to have options that are better for our health.’ 

­— Michael Mosca

Michael Mosca, CHS principal, gave us his opinion on this initiative. “I love the idea of the bake sale,” he said. “There is definitely a common misconception that healthy foods do not taste good, but there are so many delicious foods that can make for great snacks.” The principal added, “Life is all about choices, and it’s important for people to have options that are better for our health.” 

These baked goods were all homemade, using healthier ingredients such as sweet potatoes, almond flour, unsweetened applesauce and dates. Of course each treat also included lots of love from the bottom of the Triple C volunteer bakers hearts. 

Comsewogue is proud to report that the sale satisfied two objectives by raising over $200, and building awareness and momentum for healthier eating choices in the district. Next month, the club will continue its work, offering fresh organic fruits to students, with plans for another bake sale sometime soon.

Camila Perez Solis is a foreign-exchange student from Ecuador and a junior at Comsewogue High School.

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By Elaine Holmes

Comsewogue High School congratulates sophomore Elliot Jaklitsch on being named a Macy’s Great American Marching Band member.  

Honoring America’s finest high school musicians, color guard members and dancers, this marching band comprises select students from across the country.

Above, Elliot Jaklitsch, sophomore at Comsewogue High School. Photo courtesy Elaine Holmes

Jaklitsch will be one of 185 musicians chosen to perform for this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan. This prestigious band will be positioned among the gigantic helium balloons, impressive floats and the nation’s top marching bands.  

“I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity,” Jaklitsch said. “I am looking forward to meeting musicians from all over the United States and marching in one of the best parades.”  

Stepping off from Central Park, the band will be cheered on by an estimated 3 million spectators lining the parade route. Arriving at Macy’s Herald Square, the band will perform for celebrity hosts, a grandstand audience and the usual millions of TV viewers watching the  broadcast live from home. 

“Elliot is an incredible young lady, and we are very proud of her accomplishment,” said Michael Mosca, Comsewogue High School principal.

To watch the Macy’s audition video with Jaklitsch playing the mellophone, see above video.

Elaine Holmes is the orchestra director at Comsewogue High School.

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New Artwork Four Years, 2 Million Pieces in the Making

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A host of past and current high school students came together to celebrate the mosaic's unveiling. Photo by Kyle Barr
Comsewogue Superintendent Jennifer Quinn marvels at the new mosaic’s craftsmanship. Photo by Kyle Barr
Principal Michael Mosca on the high school's new mosaic. Photo by Kyle Barr
Comsewogue senior and first president of the Arts Honor Society, Alexa Bonacci, introduced the new mosaic. Photo by Kyle Barr
Art teacher Gina Melton has aided and led the mosaic project for four years. Photo by Kyle Barr
11th-grader Michael Lussos starts off the unveiling ceremony with a rendition of "Star Spangled Banner" on guitar. Photo by Kyle Barr

Young people at the Comsewogue High School, both current students and graduates, looked down at their feet with a unique sort of pride. There on the floor, amongst a mosaic of approximately 2 million pieces, they could see all the time they spent on hands and knees, carefully laying each and every shard of stained glass and colored pebble by hand. 545 square feet of space, all of it spread out to create an image exemplifying what the students, teachers and admin say make Comsewogue unique.

The new mural, on the other side of the high school’s front doors and vestibule, displays a large Native American man, which the district says represents the area’s historic roots; a tree of knowledge to represent the growth of learning; and a rendition of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” to represent the artists that were at Comsewogue and all those who will eventually find their way there.

High school Principal Michael Mosca said the project started in 2016 when current Assistant Superintendent Joe Coniglione was still principal of the high school. As assistant principal, Mosca walked the halls with Coniglione, who would pause at the entrance to the high school, thinking of what it could be.

“Every time we would walk past this space, he would always stop and he would look at it, and I would see the wheels turning and I could tell something was going on in there,” Mosca said. “It’s something a lot of our students could be proud of and say, ‘This is ours, we did this, and it’s going to showcase our Comsewogue pride.”

Comsewogue senior and first president of the Arts Honor Society, Alexa Bonacci, said “it’s incredible” to see all the hours she and her classmates have put into it come to fruition. Whether it was after school or even during, she said she has gotten 90 hours of community service hours working on this project alone.

Many of those who worked on the project have already graduated, but many came back to their alma mater to see the hours upon hours of work they put into it realized.

Gianna Alcala, a Comsewogue graduate and past president of the Art Honor Society, worked on it for three years, spending time on it even during the summer to help get it all completed. When she started on it during her sophomore year, there was only a section of the Native American’s head and some of “The Starry Night” image. She remembers cutting tiles into fourths or eighths in order to get better detail.  

“I’m in awe,” she said now seeing it all complete. “I could always see it finished in my head, but the fact that it’s actually come to life, it’s amazing.”

Coniglione said creating something new was a learning process, from having to redo a part of it after the floor cracked, and some redesigns of the mosaic from its original design.

“Every tile was glued down one at a time, nothing was on a mesh,” he said. “It took place over multiple graduating years, so to have a vision, and to have multiple years complete it with that same vision, is pretty impressive to me.”

Art teacher Gina Melton, a now-20-year veteran of the district, has been at the head of the project since its inception, helping lead the students in the project. The last year saw a huge bulk of the effort go to the mosaic.

“For all the high school kids who put so many hours into this, I’m really so proud of them,” she said.

Coniglione said it’s teachers like Melton who have made such a difference in the beauty of their schools.

“This building was built back in the ’70s, and it’s beautiful because of [Melton] and other art teachers like her doing creative projects within the school,” he said.

Mosca thanked custodian staff for helping to preserve the mural as students were walking around it and for helping finish its border.

Also included in the mural is a small but noticeable mint green homage to former Comsewogue Superintendent Joe Rella, who passed earlier this year, as well as a butterfly in homage to Rella’s wife Jackie, who was well known for her love of bright, fluttering insects.

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Photo from Comsewogue

When Mike Mosca was formally introduced as the incoming principal of Comsewogue High School at this past January’s district board meeting, he expressed his desire to revamp the school’s business department, saying he was focused on getting his students to the next step of their lives, whether it be college or straight into their careers. 

Comsewogue School District From left: Susan Casali, Jennifer Polychronakos, Michael Mosca, Joseph Coniglione and Jennifer Quinn. Photo from David Luces

Working together with Comsewogue Superintendent Jennifer Quinn, fellow teachers and administrators, collectively they have already begun making changes to the business curriculum at the start of this school year. 

In conjunction with this strategy, the high school has revitalized its School to Career Advisory Committee, which aims to help students with their career paths and become productive members of the community. The group will be made up of teachers, administrators, business leaders, local professionals, community members, students and other stakeholders.

“We think this is something we believe will get our students to the next level,” Mosca said. “We have been reaching out to professionals and asking them, ‘What are you looking for in a candidate?’ and use that help and sculpt our students to be successful post school.”

Mosca said he hopes that the revamped curriculum and committee will help bridge the gap from school to the next stage of a student’s life.

“We want to make the business curriculum focused on career readiness and want to make sure they gain the skills needed for the 21st century and their careers,” he said.

The principal of the high school said it has already begun reaching out to community members, organizations, professionals, business leaders, among others, to see who would be interested in joining the committee. 

As of now, the district has around 50 people who have pledged to join the committee. Together they will provide input on how the business courses can be improved as well as connecting students with professionals in their preferred career path. 

Mosca said they have plans on doing mock interview days with students, job shadowing opportunities, guest speakers to talk to students and set up possible internships. 

Anthony Ketterer, business education teacher, said he believes this is a great opportunity and advantageous for students at the high school. 

“We want our students to think about their careers and life after high school,” he said. “We want to bring students and professionals together … and continue the strong relationship between the community and the school.”

Ketterer said the main goal is to better educate students and teach them practical skills that they can use in the future. He also said they want to provide resources to students who chose to pursue trade and vocational careers after graduating. 

Beginning in September, administrators and teachers began the first step in the business department revamp when it began offering a virtual enterprise business class to seniors. 

The six-credit course offered through SUNY Farmingdale allows students to essentially run a virtual business, specifically a clothing business, which was chosen by the students. 

Mosca said the class is made up of 10 students and will act as a liaison for the committee on how they can further improve the curriculum for future students. 

The principal also mentioned that members of the committee donated cubicles, desks and other office materials to mimic a real-life business setting.

“We want our students to think about their careers and life after high school.”

— Anthony Ketterer

 

“They are getting real-world experience — they are our pioneers and they are going to be working closely with the committee,” Mosca said.

He wants to make this experience accessible to all students in the district and hopes to expand it younger students down the line. 

In addition, the principal said he wants to make sure they are catering to different fields and career paths that students are interested in nowadays, adding there are “so many directions they can go in now.”

In response, administrators have reached out to professionals in the health care and medical field like St. Charles Hospital and Northwell Health. Local officials and politicians have expressed interest in contributing to the committee. 

Mosca also has plans to eventually create a senior workshop stemming off ideas from the committee. He said there are opportunities to teach students important life skills like changing a tire or filing their taxes.

The committee plans to meet several times a year and its first advisory meeting will be on Nov. 14 at Comsewogue High School. 

“Getting our students exploring these opportunities is the goal,” Mosca said. “They should be thinking about this and their careers as early as possible.”

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