With patriotic music in the air and flags flying in the sun, the Islip community gathered at Commack Road on June 12 for the annual Flag Day celebration. Students clad in red, white and blue joined members of the local American Legion Rusy Bohm Post 411 in a march down the school driveway, followed by a solemn flag-raising ceremony.

Among the honored guests were American Legion Post Commander Matthew Stahl, retired U.S. Army Sgt. Alfred DiGiacomo, Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter, State Sen. Phil Boyle and Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi.

The CRES TrebleMakers vocal group performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and a group of nine fifth-graders – Jordan Bennett, Gwenyth Bobal, Jacqueline Bryant, Patrick Chiarelli, Kaeli McAnally, Paige Newman, Hunter Rindos, Joseph Urban and Paige Wirth – came to the podium to explain the Pledge of Allegiance.

The TrebleMakers later sang “America the Beautiful,” with the entire school and guests joining in on “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “God Bless the USA.”

Stahl and Principal Jeannette Feminella presented contest awards to second-grader Sara Geldmacher, third-grader Kylie McDonald, fourth-grader Avery Falco and fifth-grader Anthony Lopez, as well as an academic award to Timothy Mak and a music award to Genna Schifter.

“On this day, we celebrated the flag – a symbol that unites us as a country and as Americans,” said Feminella.