Editorials

As you may have noticed, this year when scheduling for your 2022-2023 classes, you had a 9th period to fill with a class of your choice. This is an exciting initiative we have embarked on and one we know the Comsewogue students will benefit greatly from.

I’m sure you’re thinking… “How could an extra period be such great news?”

Firstly, we are one of the only schools in Suffolk County without a 9th period. So what does that mean? Adding this period will open the doors for our students to take courses in their actual areas of interest. Have you ever asked yourself the question: “When will I need to know this?” When you have more choice in what classes you will take, I promise, you will find yourself asking that question far less.

More space in the schedule also means we had the opportunity to add some great new courses that align with a large variety of career choices. Are you interested in computer languages and coding? Our new Computer Languages course may interest you. Are you interested in a career in education? In our Intro to Teaching course, you’ll have the chance to work with teachers and students from our elementary schools to hone your teaching skills before pursuing your education major.

The trend of adding career-related courses is also one that we hope to continue here at Comsewogue. Each year, we look at your career interest surveys and work with our talented teachers to add classes in the fields that our Comsewogue students find interesting. We are proud to be adding new classes in the Engineering field like our Design Innovation course through Stony Brook University and a Long Island University Business Law course for our prospective Business majors.

We are confident that our new Course Catalog has a little something for everyone. Other new courses include Broadcast Journalism (English), Studio in Crafts (Art), Project Adventure (Phys. Ed), Freshman Seminar (9th Grade), Chemistry in the Community (Science), Child and Adolescent Development (Health Sciences). Comsewogue students will also have access to 2 new Advanced Placement (AP) courses/programs. AP Psychology was a class that many of our students expressed interest in when we did our classroom visits earlier this year and we are pleased to announce the addition of the very popular AP Capstone Research program. AP Capstone will give our students an opportunity to earn an additional AP Diploma Credential when you combine the class with some of the other great AP courses we offer.

Comsewogue High School is an amazing place. But even the most amazing places could get better. That is always our goal. We will be taking another big leap forward this upcoming year by moving to a 9 period day. This extra period will allow our students to continue to be competitive with students across the country. We are hopeful that you will take advantage of these incredible new opportunities and continue to make us proud as you graduate to become productive members of our community.

It sure has been a rough couple of years. We all feel it. And it is hard for any of us to say that we haven't been negatively affected by the turmoil. So how do we get out of the funk? How do we move past the madness? It is not easy.

I have always considered myself a positive person. Before I became a teacher I worked in publishing, as a production manager; in that position I frequently found myself running from one end of the office to the other, concerned with constant deadlines and meeting budget in a high-pressure environment. Anyone who knows me here at Comsewogue knows that I still keep that pace wherever I go. But despite the pressure, one day, as I rushed from one office to another, a co-worker stopped me and inquired how I was able to keep smiling under such conditions.

Without a thought, I responded, “I choose to smile”.

Yes, it is really that easy. Wake up every morning and do your best to smile. Things will go wrong, and pressures will arise. They always do. Life is not easy. But when you keep a positive attitude, things usually do get better. Really, they do.

This attitude has gotten me through some rather challenging times, and although I don’t pretend to have the most difficult life on earth, I truly believe that living with a positive attitude has partially been the reason. When the shutdown first occurred, I was the teacher who believed it would only last weeks, then a month, then we were definitely getting back before the school year ended. When we came back to school under a hybrid method, I still kept the best attitude I could. Still, we all have moments. I too have had, and still have, my share of moments over the last year.

That positive attitude that I have considered a lifetime mantra has been tested more times than I care to admit lately. I cannot imagine there is a human alive who has not felt the pressures of the last year and not felt like the madness will never end. As teachers, we have never felt so overworked, and as students, you all feel the same. We all find ourselves binging Netflix or scrolling through Instagram for entire Saturdays just to cope with the pressures that have been put upon us. We all get sad and feel hopeless. We all have had moments when we felt like giving up.

What has helped me deal with the last 18 months, however, is exactly the opposite. In that time, I decided not to give up and become a couch potato, not to reduce my responsibilities, not to retreat from society. I decided to keep busy. I truly think that has made a difference. I continue to feel useful and productive, and that keeps me smiling.

Life without purpose is more difficult than life without stress. A little stress… just a little, can actually be good. When you have a plan, and a reason to get up every morning, every day gets easier. When people are counting on you and need you, it feels great to help them. Giving to others, having goals, and improving yourself all contribute to enhancing mood and self-esteem. It won't happen overnight, but little by little, those accomplishments will make you smile.

We have all had trouble getting back to normalcy since the shutdown, some more than others. It's understandable. But despite it all, life goes on. So I encourage you all to find something that makes you happy and gives you real purpose. Walk away from technology, find a passion, and get back to living. Give it some time, and then, choose to smile.