Miller Place students in fourth grade at Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School explored Native American culture after transforming the elementary school into a temporary Native American museum. Each class in the fourth grade attended an Eastern Woodlands full-day workshop program which included a museum presentation, traditional stories and games, crafts, singing and dancing, and much more. Students were given the opportunity to help lead the group with the speaker in the demonstration and storytelling portions of the day. Students even got up close and personal with replica Native American artifacts.

The event was designed to be an interactive way to educate students on American origins and the value of understanding diverse cultures. LADSBS’s students enjoyed switching up their daily routine to learn about Native American history in a nontraditional classroom setting.

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

North Country Road Middle School’s seventh graders in the Miller Place School District recently took historical fiction novels to the next level by creating “glogs,” or multimedia presentations aimed at enticing fellow students to check out the book they read. Students utilized a user-friendly visual platform, Glogster, to generate their presentations using combinations of text, images, and video, with audio creating an interactive canvas. After reading a historical fiction novel of their choice, students tapped into their creativity by organizing images, text boxes, and personal voice recordings to produce an appealing book trailer for others to enjoy. Students then uploaded their presentations to the Glogster site and anxiously waited to see how many views their glogs generated from fellow students, friends, and family.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.usand ‘like’ our Facebook page: @MillerPlaceSchoolDistrict.

Miller Place School District is proud to acknowledge eleven students from Miller Place High School who recently placed in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) District 1S competition at Hofstra University. The Panthers ranked in both written and performance events including job interviews, public speaking, accounting, business communication, word processing, advertising,introduction to business, business calculations, and sports marketing.

“We are excited to recognize these nine dedicated students who worked tirelessly to conduct themselves with high academic and professional standards,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Miller Place School District. “The valiant effort our students put in to excel in this program is admirable and we are incredibly proud of how they continue to represent the District as our entrepreneurs and business professionals of tomorrow.”

FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. FBLA is the largest career student business organization in the world and assists more than 230,000 students prepare for careers in business. FBLA competitions recognize and reward student excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas.

For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us. To read more about the great things happening in Miller Place schools, visitwww.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page: @MillerPlaceSchoolDistrict.

Winners for Performance:

LoriBeth Sussman 2^nd Place in Job Interview

Joseph Bisiani 4^th Place in Public Speaking II

Winners for Written Events:

Nicholas Follo 1^st Place in Accounting I

Justyn Baldeo 1^st Place in Business Communication

Sarah Cuccinello 1^st Place in Word Processing

Cadence Masino 1^st Place in Word Processing

Alexis Franzoni 2^nd Place in Advertising

Jodi Cui 2^nd Place in Introduction to Business

Lori Beth Sussman 3^rd Place in Business Calculations

Jodie Cui 3^rd Place in Business Calculations

Colin Brennan 3^rd Place in Sports Marketing

Jesse Pallas, fourth grader at LADSBS, and Emma Casey, eighth grader at Rocky Point Middle School and the daughter of Miller Place staff member, were recently recognized by Miller Place School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Marianne Cartisano, for their ongoing efforts to go above and beyond to help others in the local community.  

Emma, founder of Emma’s Holiday Hugs—an organization that collects new unwrapped items like books, stuffed animals with tags, puzzles, coloring books, and crayons for children at St. Charles Hospital—was inspired to “do good” in the community during the holiday season. After visiting Jesse in the hospital who was courageously battling Leukemia, Emma was touched by the realization that some children who spend holidays in the hospital don’t always have the opportunity to celebrate with gifts. Emma was determined to make a difference. Founded in 2010, Emma’s Holiday Hugs has since grown exponentially by partnering with local businesses and taking over her parent’s garage with containers filled to the brim with gifts for the local hospital. Her organization that began as a holiday initiative has since become an ongoing effort that continues throughout the year to bring toys to St. Charles Hospital on a need-be basis. Since then, Jesse has also taken the initiative to become a toy ambassador to spread smiles and share toys with others going through a similar experience as he did.

In November of this year, Emma presented Dr. Cartisano with a detailed proposal to implement her enterprise across the Rocky Point-Miller Place border and into the Miller Place School District.

“After hearing Emma express how we have the ability to turn a difficult situation and childhood illness struggles into something so great, I could not say yes fast enough,” said Dr. Cartisano.

The District worked with Emma to place several toy boxes in the District Administration building to collect supplies during the holiday season. Together, MPSD was able to fill 3 boxes of toys for Emma to share with the children’s clinic at St. Charles Hospital.

“I’ve selected Emma and Jesse as my hometown heroes because I am inspired by the rippling acts of kindness stemming from the Casey family to the Pallas family—making all of our families and friends in the community that much greater,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano. “It’s truly a remarkable feeling to be a part of a community that strives to instill good character among our children and always lends a helping hand to others in the community.”

On behalf of MPSD and the Board of Education, Emma and Jesse were each presented with awards of recognition for their outstanding volunteer efforts and citizenship. Both individuals have stepped up to the plate to make their mark in the world by making others happy. 

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

A kind gesture can go a long way; that’s what students at Andrew Muller Primary School (AMPS) in Miller Place are learning as they continue spreading kindness throughout the building. Students and staff recently celebrated “Kindness Day,” a busy day filled with team building activities to promote unity and kindness.

“The goal is to instill good character among our students,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Miller Place School District. “Kindness Day is a great teaching moment for our students. They learn the value of being kind to one another within the context of working together towards a common goal, following directions and working hard as a team. It’s a great opportunity for our students to bond with their peers and develop new friendships.”

To kick off the day, each student had a unique grand entrance—they entered the classroom doors either performing a high five, twirl, dance move, hug, or big smile. Teachers facilitated a morning meeting to discuss kindness and the legacy and message of Dr. Martin Luther King—how he wanted everyone to have equal rights and to be treated based on the kind of person they were, not what they looked like. Kindergarteners began the day with Mem Fox’s Whoever You Are, a book that urges readers to accept individual differences, to recognize similarities and most importantly to rejoice in both. First graders read The Crayon Box That Talked, a story that discusses cooperation and the beauty of working together. Margery Cuyler’s and Sachiko Yoshikawa’s Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler was read with second grade classes to teach students a lesson on support and the golden rule: kindness is cool!

In each classroom, teachers facilitated several ice breaker activities to better familiarize students in different classes with one another. They discussed their favorite colors and foods, pets and siblings they have, and afterschool activities they participate in. Before lunch, the students created ‘snowballs’ out of paper with their names written at the center. The snowballs were placed in a bucket for students to randomly select from and then share something nice about that student with the class. After reading Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches, each student cut out a hand on construction paper to write gestures they can do to make the world a better place. Responses included smile, hug, tell a joke, and give a compliment. To conclude Kindness Day, AMPS’s students and staff gathered in three concentric circles for a building wide sing along of “Count On Me” by Bruno Mars.

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

Miller Place School District (MPSD) recently held a special assembly at North Country Road Middle School to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Mr. Chris Pendergast, a Miller Place native and courageous fighter of ALS, returned to the district to speak with students about his journey over the last 25 years.

“Mr. Pendergast is a special member here in the Miller Place-Sound Beach community,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Miller Place School District. “Each year our students look forward to hearing Chris’ story of perseverance and commitment to raise awareness for the ALS cause, something that directly aligns with the District’s initiative to encourage students to have a positive impact on the world.”

North Country Road Middle School’s students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade listened attentively to Mr. Pendergast’s story about his advocacy efforts and how his devotion and perseverance inspired the Ride for Life organization, a charity that raises money and awareness for ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The presentation honed in on an important message for students to never give up and overcoming the odds. Students were also amazed by Mr. Pendergast’s ability to utilize advanced technology equipment to type using his eyes and speak through a computerized voice.

For the last 25 years, students and educators across Long Island and New York City have helped Mr. Pendergast raise more than $7 million for research and patient services. This year alone, the Miller Place School District has worked together to raise more than $5,500 for the organization through different initiatives including Kick Out ALS and Spirit Week.

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

The Miller Place School District’s North Country Road Middle School is thrilled to recognize four exceptional students—Christopher Barton, grade 7; Leo Lin, grade 8; Russell Platt, grade 7; and Lilah Lindemann, grade 8—who were recently invited to compete in the annual American Mathematics Competition for eighth graders.

Christopher, NCRMS’s top scorer of the competition, earned a gold medal in addition to an honor roll certificate for scoring in the top 5% of the competition nationwide. Lilah was also recognized as one of NCRMS’s highest scorers and received a silver medal for her accomplishment. Leo and Russell’s hard work and dedication earned them each a well-deserved spot in third place—both took home a bronze medal for their scores.

The AMC 8 competition is designed for middle school students and its purpose is to provide an opportunity for 8^th graders to demonstrate their knowledge and ability in the area of mathematics. Students participate in a 25-question, 40-minute multiple choice examination designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. Congratulations to all involved, with a special thank you to Mrs. Maureen Radday, math teacher at NCRMS, for all of her efforts in providing this opportunity for our students.

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

The Miller Place School District recently recognized 12 students from Miller Place High School for their random acts of kindness and stellar educational achievement. Students either received an Outstanding Acts of Kindness (OAK) or Outstanding Academic Recognition (OAR) award at a breakfast in the presence of family and friends.

“We are thrilled to recognize these twelve students who go above and beyond in the classroom, inside the high school, and throughout the surrounding community—a representation of what all Miller Place educators seek to inspire in our students,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Miller Place School District. “These twelve students’ high marks in rigorous courses, participation in extracurriculars, and their commitment to being positive role models for their peers make our District extremely proud. Congratulations to all involved in these wonderful achievements.”

Students who qualify for the OAK award have been “caught” in the act of being great by displaying selfless behavior. One example is when a student helps a peer or faculty member in need with no expectation of material return. These students demonstrate the sense of spirit the District aims to achieve throughout the school community and serve as role models for others in the building. Recipients of the OAK award this year include Tristan Bailey, Jake Froese, David Miekley, Mary Rozensky, Jack Soldano, and Christopher Waldemar.

To meet the requirements for the OAR award, students must distinguish themselves as academic inspirations and have successfully risen to the educational challenges presented to them. These students either met long-term goals or are students who have exhibited commendable improvement. This year’s recipients include Alexis Biscardi, Dylan Flerx, Charlotte Gann, Ann Marie McNulty, Lily Newman, Emma Walsh.

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

Miller Place School District is proud to recognize two students—Lauren Barnes and Olivia Shamberger—who have recently exhibited exceptional leadership in the community. Lauren and Olivia both earned themselves different opportunities to attend honorable leadership programs this past summer, representing the Miller Place School District in an exceptional light.

“The District encourages our students to pursue any opportunity that will foster growth and academics,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, Superintendent of Miller Place School District. “We could not be more proud of Lauren and Olivia. Their remarkable leadership roles are a representation of their hard work and dedication to their studies and our district. We are excited to see what Lauren and Olivia do with their new skills as they grow into leaders of their generation.”

Lauren Barnes attended a two-week program at the Brown Leadership Institute for Global Health at Brown University this past summer where she further developed her leadership skills. The rigorous program encourages students to grow in leadership by organizing an initiative for change in their community. With a goal to impact her community, Lauren wrote an extensive paper focused on Food Insecurity in shelters and lower income neighborhoods. With the help of MPHS’s science club, Lauren aims to create a sustainable change in MPHS by working on the “Giving Green” project with the newly donated greenhouse to provide food to the local homeless shelter, Pax Christi.

Olivia Shamberger spent this past summer with the Ambassador Leadership Program “Hunger around the World” at Harvard Law. Partnered with United Way, the program focused on worldwide hunger issues to serve the greater good through intense discussions, sight-seeing, and hands-on service projects. In addition, Olivia also spent part of her summer at Yale University for Students for the Gifted (SIG), a program that introduces students to new subject areas and recreational activities to enrich their natural talents. Olivia was also chosen to represent MPHS at the Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership summer program where she gained knowledge of leadership skills. In her future, Olivia plans to use these skills to obtain a medical degree and become a psychiatrist.

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

ABOVE: Miller Place High School’sOlivia Shamberger spent this past summer with the Ambassador Leadership Program “Hunger around the World” at Harvard Law. Partnered with United Way, the program focused on worldwide hunger issues to serve the greater good through intense discussions, sight-seeing, and hands-on service projects.

BELOW: Miller Place High School’s Lauren Barnes aims to create a sustainable change in MPHS by working on the “Giving Green” project with the newly donated greenhouse to provide food to the local homeless shelter, Pax Christi.

•