\;ommunit

Students, district flourish in Port Jefferson Station
BY GEORGEMORAITIS
Somewhere in the "sometime inbetween" period, I was a student in thes<:hoolhouseat 51 Terryvilfe Road in the1'011 JelfersonStation-Terryville'Union
Free # :\ S<:hool Distrkt, at that time,<:alled the Purt Jefferson StationTerryville Elementary School. I was a student there between 1957 and the first partof the 1961-1962s<:hoolyear. In a contest,
the students renamed it the Comsewogue
Elementary School when a new schoolhouse was built and opened in the second
part of the 1961-1962 school year at 40 I'Ien'yville Road in Terryville. The newschoul was namedTen-yville Elementary.
I was one of the students in Mr. Haar's
lirth grade class, who moved to the newbuilding after the Christmas huliday vacalion period leaving my beloved school
house behind. I was not happy about thatmove. The old school was my home formany years and my older brother, Johnand my sister, Maria, went through thesdlOul before moving onto the Port
Jefferson school district. I thought I would
soon li>lIow them. But I was wrong. Alier
graduating li'um the sixth grade from the'Ien'yville Elementary S<:hool,I returnedto the I1<hVnamed Cumsewogue school.
The sdlOul huused seventh and eighth!!raders. So I did nut go downtown. Ithought I wOL)dmeet up with my siblings
again in the Purt Jellerson High School,Again, I was wrung. I cuntinued on to thenew John F. Kennedy Junior-Senior Highat 200 Jayne Buulevard in 1965 and graduated with the dass of 1969. But that's a~,.~~~~..;i.:,;'--~h~:"2..~.

,j\~.~.\

It's',..

.,'From the collection of G. Moraitis.
Inside the Port Jefferson StationTerryville Elementary School
whose class moved to the new TetTyvilleexists today. Mr. Thomas R. Terry. Mr.
story for another day.
Elementary; Mrs. Marian Kirkland, 6th
The concept of establishing a .school R.W Wheeler and Mr. Addison Hulse
grade. Other names that readers might
district for this area led to a meeting on becarne the new trustees.
The first schoolhouse. a restored recognize are: Mr. Frank Chart. Mrs.
April 8. 1874. Prior to this time, students
Rebecca Thomas, Mr. Werner Schulman,
traveled to the schools in Port Jefferson. Baptist church. was from Northport andMrs. Eugenia
Rice, Mrs. Matilda
The committee that began our school sys- was placed near the future Port Jefferson
Elementary School on Dickerson (teacher and librarian). Mrs.
tem thought that was a great distance for Station-Terryville
Lorraine Jesaitis, Frances Alvarez, Mrs.
our own pupils to walk. So it was time for Terryville Road in Port Jefferson Station.
our own schools in our own community, The pupil population was about 350 at Helen Bellows, Mr. Herbert Goldsmith.
Mr. Clayton Huey. Mr. Harold Abrams,
The Port Jefferson school district was that time. As the district grew, a vote wasMrs. Kathleen Quinn, Mr. Gordon
split. The students living north of North needed for a new schoolhouse and to purCountry Road and Sheep Pasture Road chase three and a half acres at a cost of Jackson, music band teacher; Mrs. ll11ie
Krvcoff, nurse teacher; Mrs. Hazel
continued in the district in lower Port $47,275. The building would be a oneWarner, Mrs. Lisa 'Iillotson, Mr. Paul
Jefferson. The students to the south of story and basement structure with four
Huprich, physical ed. teacher; Mr. Alben
these two roads would go to the newly classrooms and an auditorium.
Hess. Mr. Harold Horowitz, Mrs. Eleanor
The dedication of the building was on
establisheddistrict. Port Jefferson objectM. Cox, Mrs. Mary C. Futrell, Mrs.
5, 1921. The first of manyed to the idea. However, the new district. December
additions and alteralions was made in Harriet B. Hopkins, Mrs. Nancy A.
to be called Terryville-Comsewogue
School District Number 38. prevailed and 1930. As the population grew so did the Hutchinson. Mrs. Thelma M. Osthus.
the line between the two districts stillbuilding. The board of education in 1930 Mrs. Mary R. Robertson, Mrs. Louise H.
Tupper, Mrs. Carole G. Walsh, Mr. Roben
was Mr. Joseph S. Kessler, president; Mr.
Johnson, Mr. Thomas E. TeITY. Jr. headCharles E. Smith; Mr, Arthur D. Rulon;
custodian; Mr, Henry Rackowski. custoMr. Preston E. TerrY, treasurer; Mr. Da',!iddian; Mr. George M. Smith, Mrs.
Baldwin, clerk; Mr. Dodd B. Craft, principaL By the time I was a student there in Margaret Nystedt, office secretary; Mrs.
Alice Jersey, head cook; Dr. Samuelthe 1950s. the board consisted of Mr.
Feinberg, school physician. (who delivAlt>ert H. Ralph, president; Mr. Robert L.
ered me in 1951).
Ball, Mr. Nicholas Caggiano, Mr. Hallan
Port.:\;: :~-'!':....

The,,~?,,;;,;.,,:'.,-_:)!ff.;~§:":'~>'~}jJefferson

Station-Terryvllle

Elementary

School,From!he col/ecfjon

ca,

1930

of G. Moraitis,C)ftj'Tfie'<N6rqe:~no._ _'Y'''''~''''~:''''j~

E. Goldstine,

Come Celebrat~:4iWi,tK;<iV~

Mrs.

.

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'.' '. "'~'}2:;' ~:,i;~,;'YS£:f~t~f~.
.:~..~f'-~~,,;;~~.~?;.
t::,~Ji/~.

Special Opportunity For AU Vil1ageMercbants"'i' .'to Advertise in the ~event.~..~~n.~at

0ffic181i:;A i""
CIIfJ2LESDICI\tNc/.i.

.

Cli1\QLE0."

D ecem b et' 69,td
7 8',;; DICKEN8.

Our ViJlage is transformed into',

I' t: & T I V II L

a VictorianHolidayWondc;lind .,,.

A wcckcnd-Iong. Old Timc Christmas Cdcbration

clerk;

Mr. Deanewith Authcntic.

. Today,

the building

is occupiedMaryhavenCenterofHope
Treatment Program at TelTyville,by theDayandLearningCenterEastern
Suffolk BOCES. But, before all that. andbefore more additions were added to theTerryville

By the 1960s. the board of education
was Mr. Nicholas
Caggiano.
president;
Mr. Waldemar Sill (who became president

building that included a cafeteria andmore classrooms, the students ate th~ir

Mr. George N. Trigony, Mr.
many times),
Robert E. Woods. Mr. Peter Seitz; Mr.

classrooms. and milk was delivered toeach student. Gym classes were in thegym/auditorium.
Mr. Terry, school l'ustodian adjusted each student's desk. All thefloors in the building were wodden. Ea<:hclassroom was very large with huge windows and huge coat close: with an in door

Donald P. Smith, clerk; Mr. Joseph Busa;
Mr. Deane H. Royce, principal.
The faculty that I had during the 1950s

fE&TIVAL GUIDE'iA~/J.

P. Smith,treasurer,

H. Royce, principal (who was my mother
Alice Poulos Moraitis' physical educationteacher at the Setauket High School in
East Setauket).

In Our tIolidax. ISsuest;;.>~2:.).
,.:,::;).'!'

Mr. Donald

Ruth R. Terry,and early

1960s included

Mrs. Ernestine

Gudzik, kindergarten; MiS. Gertrude
Howe, 1st grade; Mrs. Catherine Budrie,2nd grade; Mrs. Valentine Curry, 1st. partof 3rd grade; Mrs. Rosella Gilbert, 2nd.
Part of 3rd grade; Mrs. Dora Browning,
4thgrade;

Mr. Harold

Haar,

5th grade,lunchesbrought

in fromhomeand an out door. An Americanin theIlag and apicture of President George Washington
were in every room. Civil defense alongwith fire drills were conducted on a regular basis
students went into the hall--F cstivitics and Enchaotiog Displays throughout our Hometown.
to attract Holiday Shoppcrs from Near and Far_.. .

ways, crouched towards thewall and covered our heads
with our arms and stayed thele

The official Cbarles DickeDs Festival Guide is mailed aDddistributed

until the drill was over.
In the 50s.there were nobuses. Students had to walk toschool and home. I walked
homeon the tirst dav of tirs!

iD select 10catioDs iD 21 commuDities ODtbe Nortb Sborc IDd bigb trlffie locatioDS,
witb a special tiered distributioD Detwork.

I'';.,'f""..Yo..
s,,,,N-MD..,,~
0.........

CaIJ 751-7744
For Details
From the collection of G. Moraitis,...7.'...~!;...

';7:";.;"';'~Y'-''::~The elementaryschool. ca. 1980

grade after lunch' period
because I thought you wenthome. I did nut know it was
just a lunch recess periud. Of
course, they were looking furme. I was home. TIley m..desure I stayed the second day
and every day after.

ComlTIunit -The move to John F. Kennedy Jr.-Sr.High SchoolA l1zel1lberof the class of 69 looks back at Comsewogue school district's growthBY GEORGE MORAITISArter surviving the seventh and eighth grade in theComsewogue School at 51 TelTyville Road, the class of1969 moved on to the new John F. Kennedy JuniorSenior lIigh on Jayne Blvd. in 1965.
It was a great experience moving into a new school.
The situation at the Comsewogue School on TelTyvilleR\",d was an experience in itself, however. The class ofI 968 and 19(.9 were in the same building going to ourstudies on split session. What that means is that theseventh grade went to classes in the early morning andlert s~hool in the early afternoon. The eighth graderscame in early afternoon and stayed into early evening.
Arter 1;le Christmas vacation period, the two grades
switched time slots. After training ourselves for earlymorning arrival. we were now going to school in thearternoon. We did that again when the class of 69\1ecameeighth graders.
From the collection of G. Moraitis,
The class of 1968 conlinued their schooling in IheStudents
readInfrontofthe sign for the new John F.
I.ongwood school district in Middle Island. The class
Kennedy Junior-Senior High School; above.
'41'68 had to slay at Longwood for the following fouryears, with the districi paying tuition to the district for At right, the cover of Charisma, the yearbook.
our students. They never made it to Comsewogue's. The yearbook photo of G. Moraitis, below right.
lirst high school. The Terryville Junior-Senior HighSchool was not completed in time in order for Ihem to The program from the dedication of John F. Kennedy:lI\end: it was another year berore its completion. By Junior-Senior High School, bottom.
then. the new school was renamed John F. Kennedy, Below, some of the patches and badges that distinguished the school and its "mighty seniors.".
following the assassination of our beloved president.
The concept of acquiring the property of the newschool site \1eganin a meeting on April 17, 1959. The
The members of the board of education in 1969 schools), Mr. Fred
Everett TelTY Estate or 23-plus acres became available were Waldemar Sill, president; Martin Craine, vice Hoffman,Mrs.
al an asking pricc or $3.000 per acre. The school dis- president; members Richard Ahkao, Robert Schur,Dorothy Tagner, Miss.
tlici purchased the land to prevent it being used as a Joseph Busa, Charles Stropoli, Stuart Porter; JohnNancy Wallrabe, Miss
sitc of additional
70-80 homes. District residents voted Wallen, district principal; Irwin Seliger, assistant disWoog, Mr. Williamfor Ihe new school on January 28, 1963.
trict principal; Richard Bangs, principal; JackNugent,Mr. Paul
Gmundbreaking was in the rail of 1963. TheZamek, assistant principal.
Hupriyh;. sciencebuilding opened its doors for students on";,, The board of-education, district admin-~:, department: Mr.']ack .
Septemher 15. 1965. 11le board of edu-'. istration;"'J.F.K. administration. faculty.
Zamek (later assist~1I1cal;on membels in 1963-1965 weresupporl staff, parents and students
principal
and thenWaldemar Sill, George Trigony,came to realize Comsewogue school principal), Mr. Frank
Edmund Baird, Joseph Busa, Hartley
district's dream to have the area's firstChieppa, Mr. Stephen
Davis. Martin Craine, Lawrence
graduation. It was on Sunday, June
Krase (later assistantPannullo, Martin Bellin, Marian22, 1969,5 in Ihe afternoon outdoors
superintendenl),Mr.
Kitkland. Roht'rI Schur. and Nicholas
in the field west of the gymnasium. Guy 'Schrickel, Mr.
Ponlos (the writer's uncle), Deane H.
The parenls sat in folding chairs facing
Schwart?, Mr. Henry,noyce. dish ict principal, Harry G.
the students who sat on the field bleach- Mr. William Gilroy,
hn.-eli. sr. high principal, Albert J. Hess,ers.
Mr. Jerome Reagan.
jr. high principal.
Catherine Sabino gave the valedictory Mr. Vigliotla, Mr. Warren Tellfel; s(,cial stlldit's' Mr.
Tht' class of (,9. as ninth graders, was the highaddress. Alan Halperin gave the salutatory address. Robert Mancini, Mr. Robert Carr. Mr. ('('I'llelillsesl grade. We were the top class for the next four years. Anne Langan, as class president, gave the Presentation Clifford, Mr. Robert Harten. Mr. Harve)' Kaplan. 1\11'.:.>:
Wt' had to learn ahout school government with a class of the class of 1969 address. Our senior class advisor
John Sullivan (later assistant principal). Mr. Iklm. 1\11'.
council. The ciass of 69 changed and made many was Mr. John Cooney.
.
Frank Romeo, Mrs. Shropshire, Mr. Elliot Matis. Mr. ::school house policies. We were the top grade and theThe faculty of 1965-69 period, who stayed those Joseph Dessi.
"rulers" of the lower classmates. We were the "Mighty
four years, included: art department: Mr. Jess Dorso,
John F. Kennedy Junior-Senior lligh Sdlnol contino ~Seniors:'Mrs. Eleanor Meier, Mrs. Lamson, Mr. Atkins, ued to be a high school for the classes of 1970 and ~The class or 69 set the foundation for~~future cOllncils to change policies for thebetlenl1cnt or the students. Student
cOllncils met after school in today'sroom 112.We opened up the first stu-~

Mr. Haley; business department: Mrs. 1971. The class of 1972 continued on 10 the new
Estelle Bleck, Mr. Laurence Lamm, Mr. COl11sewogue
High School on Bicycle Path. whilt' John
Curt Brown, Mr. Andrew Cassidy, Miss . F. Kennedy continued to house the seventh, eig.hthand
Plowfield, Mr. McAllister, Mrs. ninth grades during the mid-80s. Later, the ninth "'"iDugan;
Englishdepartment:Mr. graders moved into the high school. 'Ihday. J. F.K. ;;dent lounge. It was in the basement
Kevin Pusey, Mr. Joseph Claro, Mr. houses sixth, seventh :md eighth graders as the John F ;:1of the school and was entered fromJohn Jurich (later guidance), Mr.
Kennedy Middle School.
the staircase near the rear of the cafe':Lowell Hendricks, Mrs. Shea, Mr.
.
tt'ria. There was furniture and areas
Matt Bloom, Mrs., Ann Tombler, Mr.
for sll'-Jy and talk without teacher
I g'Meisner, Mr. Kaufman, Mr. VanTassell, Iq.,. J..
supervision. A ping-pong table was inMrs. Parish; foreign language depart...LJf! cea Ion
the middle of the noor. We were able to go
ment: Mrs. Catherine
Chachakis,Mr.
down to the student lOllngeduring our "offFinelli. Mr. Mikulecky; guidance department;
time." The class of 69 started Comsewogue's first
Mr. Frank Gaffney, Mrs. Walsh, Mr. George Cobelli,
J~hn F. Kennedy Junior High School
hig.h school yearbook. The journal was called health: Mrs. Jean Clay; home economics: Miss Mary
Cllarisma. The school colors were green and white andAnn Cramer, Mrs. Cynthia Borowski, Mrs. Johnson,The Norwood Schoolollr sport teams were called the Spartans. The class trip
Mrs. Brooks; industrial arts: Mr. Christopher Dillon
was at Mount Airy Lodge in the Pocono Mountains
No..mber 6, 1966
(later guidance), Mr. Jerome Paszkiecz, Mr. Kriese, Mr.
along with our many ski trips. The senior picnic was at James Tyler, Mr. Sat Guli; librarian: Mr. Gus Basile,
3:00P.m.
Southaven Park where we went horseback riding. The Mr. Roy Scott, Mrs. Geslak; math department: Mr.
junior prom or 68 was in the schoolcafeteria. Thesen- Richard Bloom, Mr. Alan Bromberg, Mr. Jerry Harell,ior prom of 69 was at the Holiday Inn. which is now the Mrs. Edna Shelton, Mr. Hoppe, Miss Webber; music
CORN~RsroNE
CERtMON!ESAtria Retirement and Assisted Adult Living Facilities, department:
Mr. Gorden Jackson, Mrs. Casimira
1.30 p. m. - Th. Norwood School
across from what is now Blockbuster (which, believe it . Swenson, Mr. Howard, Mr. Meadows; physical educa2.15p. m.- JohnF.hn~dy Junior. H;gh Schoolor not, was the Fox Movie Theater in the 70s).
tion: Mr. R. Peter Rovegna (later superintendent of~gt