Neal Heaton doesn’t give many interviews nowadays. The Sachem alum from the Class of 1979 is relatively quiet and enjoys his gig as a pitching instructor at All Pro Sports Academy in Bellport. With the […]
Category: History
Looking back: Sachem was bustling in ’67
One look at the cover of “Sachem News” from September 1967 and you could tell the school district was transforming and growing by the day. New buildings were launching, administrators were beginning to build legacies, […]
Sachem enrollment reaches 10,000 in 1968
In the fall of 1968, Sachem’s yearly enrollment passed the 10,000-student mark. Paul Cammarata, then 5 years old, was honored by Sachem Superintendent Walter C. Dunham with a certificate of recognition for being Sachem’s 10,000th […]
Sachem’s first Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Sachem celebrated its first graduation in 1959, four years after the original centralization that brought together students from Holbrook, Holtsville, Farmingville and Lake Ronkonkoma. Marian Stuart and George Svetlichny captured the honor of being named […]
Sachem North Valedictorian: “Sachem Pride is not something that can be taught”
Last week Sachem North Valedictorian Fran Barilla said she would deliver a speech on graduation day filled with Sachem Pride. She wasn’t kidding. For nearly 10 minutes, Barilla gave an elegant oration about what it […]
Sachem honors former BOE trustee during graduation
If you walk into the main entrance at Sachem High School North, you’ll notice the original building dedication plaque on the wall from 1969. For you Sachem aficionados, you’ll recognize the names Walter C. Dunham […]
Sachem East Valedictorian: “Graduation is not only an end, but a beginning”
Through all the speeches given during Sachem High School East’s graduation on Friday, the theme of “character” seemed to be a constant. More than 600 graduates and a couple thousand guests sat and listened about […]
Lincoln Center artists perform at Sachem High
Editor’s note: The following is an installment of an ongoing historical series about the Sachem Central School District. I have the great pleasure of exploring Sachem’s historic archives and bringing to light stories that have […]