Dear Islip Families:

As we are seeing from the horrific bus accident involving students, teachers, and administrators from the Farmingdale School District, tragedy can strike at any moment and without warning. Right now in our Islip community, we are safe and looking forward to what our day tomorrow will bring.

However, for our friends and colleagues in Farmingdale, fellow teachers, students, parents, and family members are hoping and praying for the full recovery of the Farmingdale High School band members injured in the bus crash, and they are preparing for the funeral masses for one of their beloved administrators and a retired teacher who continued to give selflessly to the students of Farmingdale.

As most of us have experienced, grief is challenging and can, at times, feel lonely. However, we feel support in unity and know the power of compassion. We know the simplest of gestures can lift us up. As a sign of support for the students, faculty, staff, families, and community members of Farmingdale, I am inviting all Islip students, faculty, staff, and community members to wear green tomorrow, Tuesday, September 26, 2023. Green is the color of the Farmingdale Dalers, and it represents hope, growth, and renewal. By wearing green tomorrow, we will show our friends in Farmingdale they are not alone as they struggle through this tragedy.

In Islip, our core values reflect love, compassion, and strength. I am blessed and proud to be a Buccaneer and a part of this lovely community. Tomorrow, let us all wear green and be Dalers for a day.

Sincerely,

Dennis P. O'Hara, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools