Author: MillerPlace

Hundreds of students from Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School in the Miller Place School District recently celebrated the school’s annual Give Back Day, during which they hosted local heroes and thanked them for their service.

 

More than 50 local police officers, firefighters, veterans and soldiers were in attendance and spoke with students about their careers and heroic experiences. Students in each class presented the visitors with signed posters, hand-drawn Thank You cards, letters, drawings and crafts to show their appreciation. They also performed musical pieces to serenade the visitors.

 

The event was organized by students in the school’s Service Club under the direction of Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School teacher Ms. McCann, and is one of many Miller Place School District initiatives to help students connect with the community in positive, constructive ways.

 

 

 

Students from Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School in the Miller Place School District recently donated dozens of stuffed animals and toys to sick children and seniors at St. Charles Hospital. Students throughout the school participated in a month-long toy drive in order to collect as many toys as they could, involving family, friends and the community in their efforts. The purpose of the toy drive was to help students become involved in service and the community. Through their efforts, participating students were able to bring a smile to patients’ faces and provide patients with some comfort while they are in the hospital.

 

 

Miller Place School District students at North Country Road Middle School and Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School were recently recognized for their excellence during a recent Suffolk ZONE Physical Education awards ceremony. Four students, one male and one female from the fifth and eighth grades, were selected by physical education teachers to receive the award based on their exemplary effort, attitude, conduct and compassion within the curriculum of physical education. The Suffolk Zone Chapter of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance distributes this award once per year.

 

 

 

Students in Miller Place High School’s Advanced Placement Biology classes recently observed a live-streamed hand surgery performed by the Pan Am Clinic in Winnipeg, Canada. Students have been studying anatomy and advanced biological concepts throughout the year, and have experience dissecting small animals, however this is the first time they’d ever seen a surgery on a living human and been able to ask questions in real time. Students were able to submit questions to the surgeon and operating staff digitally while a Pan Am staff member answered questions about the right thumb trapeziectomy procedure and gave students an up-close and personal view of the surgery.

 

This event is one of many Miller Place School District events to engage students in the curriculum in unique, innovative ways, helping students develop a lifelong love of learning and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

 

Approximately 100 fifth grade students in the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School and their families recently came together during the first Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math exploration night. This event was part of a District initiative to expose students to a wide variety of scientific concepts and help them develop a love of learning.

 

Prior to the event, Mr. Bassan, a LADSBS parent and Brookhaven National Lab engineer, enhanced the evening by showing students how to build circuits to power LEDs and LED toys. Following the presentation, students explored building the circuits themselves. Students also visited two classrooms of their choosing, exploring science and engineering-themed stations to learn the mathematical framework behind physics and civil engineering concepts. In addition to learning the theory, students were able to put their new knowledge to practice building catapults, aluminum foil boats, paper airplanes, straw roller coasters, marshmallow towers, balloon racecars, computer programs, egg-drop devices and more. The night was further enhanced by the helpful hands of the North Country Road Middle School National Junior Honor Society volunteers, who assisted the teachers in each of the classrooms. This night had the parents and students alike asking for more!

 

Students in grades three through five from the Miller Place School District recently presented the results of their unique scientific studies during a recent science fair held at the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School. Throughout the fair, students and parents visited each student’s presentation board and learned the results of each student’s inquiry.

 

After learning about computer graphing in class, the students’ individual experiments were researched and developed at home. Students were provided journals to document their data in an organized fashion with the standards being aligned with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) rubric. The projects focused on a range of disciplines including physics, chemistry and biology.

 

Approximately 30 Miller Place High School students in upper-level science courses were the judges for this event. This tradition has been carried on since the inception of the science fair. This year more students volunteered to judge than ever before.

 

In addition to the selection of finalists to present at BNL, student awards were presented in each classroom for a variety of categories, including Most Detailed Journal, Most Surprising Results, Most Artistic, Most Interesting Research Question, and Best (in class) Presentation. These awards generated increased student and parent excitement alike.

 

 

More than 300 Miller Place School District Kindergarten—1^st grade students at Andrew Muller Primary School recently learned how to properly care for teeth and gums from local dental hygienists. The interactive lesson was part of the District’s Social Studies and Health education programs. The students listened eagerly as the visiting hygienists read age-appropriate books to the students and used props to demonstrate good oral hygiene. Following the event every student received a dental hygiene kit, including a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss to take home.

 

Student-musicians from the Miller Place School District’s Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School recently participated in the Long Island String Festival Association and the Suffolk County Music Educators’ festival and concert. Performing in the prestigious concert is one of the most selective opportunities for young musicians on Long Island, featuring students from throughout Suffolk County who were hand-picked by their music teachers.

 

This year’s participants from the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School were:

LISFA                                     SCMEA

Nini Guo                                 Nini Guo

Alan Yue                                 Alan Yue

Emma Rosequist                    Nicholas Nania

Nicholas Nania                       Kiera Bussewitz

Kiera Bussewitz                     Ege Tunar

Nicolette Capocci                   Phoenix Guasto

Maris Lynch                          Emma Rosequist

 

All of the students from Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School students were seated within the top 10 of their sections in both orchestra and band. Violinist Nini Guo was the first student in Miller Place history to sit first chair, first violin, and serve as Concertmaster of the orchestra.

 

Participation in the concert is part of the District’s ongoing commitment to providing a high-quality music education and supporting students to help them succeed in a range of activities.

 

As part of the Miller Place School District’s commitment to providing a high-quality, diverse education, students at the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School recently participated in an inspirational assembly recognizing influential artists and literary icons of African descent. The event was intended to highlight the deeply significant contributions of African Americans in history and culture.

 

During the event, students watched a live theatrical performance, “Dream Alive!” to explore some of the United States’ African-American heroes and heroines. Nationally known singer, songwriter and performer Reggie Harris shared stories from early African American anti-slavery advocates including Crispus Attucks, Benjamin Banneker, Phillis Wheatley and those who fought in the Revolutionary War. Through acting, song and dance they then shared African-American voices from slavery and the Civil War, including Sojourner Truth, Satchel Paige, explorer Matthew A. Henson and Booker T. Washington. Students learned how these historical figures helped build the modern Civil Rights movement.

 

 

 

Miller Place High School students in Signor Mancuso’s Freshman Italian class recently celebrated the nearly 1,000-year-old Italian tradition Carnevale and learned more about Italian history and culture. After learning about the colorful costumes and masks worn by Italian Carnevale participants and performers in the famous form of street theater—‘commedia dell’arte,’—students decorated their own masks. The masks are currently on display at Miller Place High School.

 

During the Carnevale celebration, students studied Medieval Latin to learn the origin of the words ‘carnem levare’ and ‘carnelevarium,’ from which ‘carnevale’ is derived. Participating in the celebration was part of the Miller Place School District’s ongoing initiative focusing on using unique, creative ways to engage students in course material.