Month: April 2019

North Country Road Middle School (NCRMS) in Miller Place is busy embracing the digital age with well-known children’s author Dusti Bowling. After recently completing Ms. Bowling’s first book Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, NCRMS’s Book Club welcomed the children’s author via Skype to gather insight on her writing secrets and have an in-depth discussion on their favorite book.

“Face-to-face interactions with professional writers like Dusti Bowling allow our students to gain knowledgeable insight into life as an author and encourages them to embrace their passions of reading and writing,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of Miller Place School District. “The District aims to motivate each student to dream big and work towards achieving their goals. We hope to inspire them, as well as provide them with opportunities to speak with individuals who had aspirations similar to those of our students.”

Spearheaded by NCRMS’s librarian Ronnie Farrell, students were eager to meet Ms. Bowling, learn more about her passion for writing, and dive deeper into the book’s underlining message. Members of the NCRMS Book Club had several questions for Ms. Bowling including how old she was when she first realized she wanted to be a writer and what was her favorite pet Ms. Bowling’s enthusiasm and eagerness to answer each student’s question made for a very engaging and productive visit. The Skype visit concluded with a sneak peek into Ms. Bowling’s upcoming book Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, which is pending release for September 2019.

Ms. Bowling’s Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is a tremendous story of hope, strength, and letting the light shine on who you truly are. Aven, the book’s main character, who was born with no arms was faced with new challenges as her family relocated to Arizona. With two new pals who face differences of their own, Aven learns that their light can shine just as brightly as anyone else’s. The heartwarming and inspiring story taught Miller Place’s students the significance of acceptance and understanding.

Dusti Bowling, who currently resides in Arizona with her family and army of pets, has had a passion for reading since her youth. She composes various books for young adult and middle grade students.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at

www.millerplace.k12.ny.us.

North Country Road Middle School in Miller Place recently used their voices to advocate for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of individuals with Down Syndrome during World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) on March 21, 2019. Together, students at NCRMS dressed up in blue and yellow to raise awareness and sold bracelets to fundraise for the cause.

“This small but immensely impactful initiative—spearheaded by Student Government—helps instill in our students a sense of empathy and understanding, two characteristics that are immensely valued throughout the District,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of Miller Place School District.

NCRMS’s Student Government spearheaded the initiative under the direction of Nicole Farley and Mara Healey. The group of students set up a table and rotated shifts to sell blue and yellow bracelets to their peers and staff members in the building—all proceeds donated to the cause.

World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day that began in 2006. The date for WDSD—the 21st day of the third month—was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us.

Miller Place School District (MSPD) is proud to announce that Joseph Maronski, member of the National Honor Society at MPHS, has been selected among thousands of applicants as a recipient of a 2018-19 National Honor Society Scholarship. Joseph will receive the scholarship in recognition of his commitment to making a difference in school and the community through his exceptional scholarship, service, leadership and character.

“The District is ecstatic to share the accomplishments of our scholar Joseph Maronski,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of the Miller Place School District. “He is a very intelligent young man with a bright future. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), parent organization of NHS, has awarded more than $15 million in scholarships to outstanding NHS members since 1946. Of the 600 recipients, one national winner receives a $25,000 scholarship, 24 national finalists are each awarded a $5,625 scholarship, and 575 national semifinalists are awarded a $3,200 scholarship each. NASSP is committed to providing additional resources to assist students and families face the rising costs of higher education.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us.

Miller Place School District is thrilled to announce the success of two students—James McCarthy and Kylie Mistretta—who were named finalists in the 2018 Ayn Rand Essay Contest. Finalist James and Semi-finalist Kylie each submitted essays through their English Honors Class. Mr. Zeltman, English Honors teacher at MPHS, was overjoyed to discover that Kylie and James were both selected as finalists.

“Every day our students surprise us with their incredible talent. James and Kylie are two truly talented scholars,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of the Miller Place School District. “They truly represent what the District strives to emulate day in and day out, working tirelessly to prove their ability not only to themselves but to their peers and community.”

Aside from his passion for writing, Jake enjoys learning about history and has plans to continue onto higher education after high school, majoring in journalism. Outside of school, James can be found fencing.

Kylie has always had a passion for reading as well as writing. She enjoys reading adventure stories the most. Kylie entered a poetry contest in this year’s English class, and recently found out that she is being published in Creative Communications Magazine. Aside from her schoolwork, she is in the Miller Place High School Service Club and enjoys archery as a hobby. Kylie has been on the Varsity Soccer Team for two years and is also involved with the Stony Brook Travel Team.

For over 30 years, the Ayn Rand Institute has held essay contests for students all over the world. The contest is in honor of writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, who defected from Russia during the Communist Era. The 2018 Ayn Rand Essay Contest received over a thousand student entries world-wide.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us.