Virtual Learners in Miller Place Participate in STEM Quick Build Challenge

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (MARCH 2021)—Implementing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts has been a hallmark of the Miller Place School District’s educational model for several years. While balancing different educational models this year, Miller Place’s staff have capitalized on the opportunity to ensure hands-on learning continued.

Ms. Watkins, second grade teacher at Andrew Muller Primary School (AMPS), engaged her virtual class in a STEM quick build challenge, via Google Classroom, to bring each students’ individual dream playground to life. The class was prompted to brainstorm and draw an initial design before the building stage, and then asked to gather materials available right in their home. Students were encouraged to apply their curiosity in a new way while creating simple machines—inclined planes, levers, and wheel and axles—that they previously learned about as part of their science curriculum. The challenge focused on building foundational STEM skills—communication, problem solving and creativity—that are essential in the engineering process.

Congratulations to North Country Road Middle School’s  Jesse Mott, Aiden Fiorelli and Chase Macaulay

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (MARCH 2021)—Sixth grader Jesse Mott, seventh grader Aiden Fiorelli, and eighth grader Chase Macaulay at Miller Place’s North Country Road Middle School have been recognized as Coupons for Characters recipients for February. These distinguished students were recognized for serving as positive role models, promoting respect and encouraging their peers to build a caring school community.

Each month, the names of students who have demonstrated exceptional character are put into a container in the building’s main office. At the end of the month, three students’ names are randomly selected to receive a prize for their leadership. Students whose names were put into the jar, but not selected, receive a letter of recognition for their commitment to making NCRMS an outstanding place to learn and gain leadership skills.

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MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (FEBRUARY 2021)—A total of 63 distinguished students in Miller Place were recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at North Country Road Middle School (NCRMS). This honorable membership recognizes middle school students for their citizenship, character, leadership, scholarship and service while challenging them to develop further through academics and active involvement in service. Included in this year’s inductees was Ms. Allison DeSario who was nominated as an honorary faculty member.

To be considered for membership, students were first invited to participate based upon scholarship criteria, which was then followed by a rigorous application process juried by a faculty council. As new members, the inductees will participate in a number of projects and initiatives that serve others on a local level and regional level, under the guidance of NJHS advisor, Ms. Nicole Farley.This year’s inductees are: Chris Amendola, Samantha DeRosa, Emily Lopez, Brayden Rowe, Josie Attisano, Valentina DiGiuseppe, Gabrielle Maggio, Noah Samonas, Marena Bielenda, Katelynn Dimaiuta, Madison McErlean, Julianna Skoblicki, Madison Blaha, Gianna Donofrio, Andrew McGuirk, Gwendolyn Smith, Abigail Bosshard, Michael Drago, Taylor McHugh, Noah Squires, Fiona Burzynski, Angelica Efstathiou, Jayden Meadows, Emma Synan, Nicholas Calandrino, Erin Felser, Jason Miletti, Jackson Thompson, Brooke Callaghan, Christian Fisher, Ashlyn Mistretta, Hailey Turner, Natalie Cervenka, Mary Fitton, Sofia Moore, Jackson Vaccariello, Lucy Chang, Kaitlyn Goetz, Isabella Morano, Nicholas Vallary, Matthew Cirrito, Carolena Hanauer, Hailey Murphy, Claire Wagner, Christian Conway, Hannah Higgins, Virginia O’Hanlon, Richard Wink, Anders Dalberg, Dane Lagrasta, Evelyn Paul, Isabella Zaher, Meadow Dalberg, Jamie Lewis, Sean Pepe, Ava Zicchinelli, Emily Darragh, Lucas Lockel, Kayla Portigiano, Bianca Zou, Carrie Davis, Abigail LoNigro, and Nailah Rahman.

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MPHS Hosts 20th Annual Breakfast to Recognize Students for Exceptional Character and Academic Excellence

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—Miller Place High School (MPHS) hosted its 20th Annual Outstanding Acts of Kindness (OAK) and Outstanding Academic Recognition (OAR) Breakfast where 12 distinguished students were acknowledged for their selfless behavior or stellar academic performance. 

OAK award recipients—students who have helped someone in need without expecting any reciprocation—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 Denis Amaya, Chloe Anthony, Sophia Bloom, Justin Klotz, Shaun Mooney, Sean O’Connor, Grace Polak and Avery Purrier.OAR award recipients—students who’ve distinguished themselves as academic inspirations and have successfully risen to the educational challenges presented to them—either met long-term goals or exhibit commendable improvement. This year’s recipients include Caroline Bark, Ava Marcario, Christopher Scott, Matthew Shelton, Carly Shurbet and Grace Stone.

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123 Miller Place Students Recognized for Service, Leadership, Character and Scholarship

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—Miller Place School District (MPSD) announced that 123 students were inducted into the Miller Place High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) in recognition of their leadership qualities, commitment to community service and academic excellence. Among this year’s inductees was MPHS English teacher, Mr. Vallone, who was nominated as an honorary member for his authenticity in the classroom, coupled with his work ethic.

Membership in the NHS is offered to juniors and seniors who meet the criteria established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Qualifying students must have a leadership role in the school or community, inspire positive behavior among peers, and serve an adequate number of community service hours. As members, students are expected to uphold the criteria of excellence in scholarship, leadership, service and character.This year’s inductees are Brett Adams, Ava Alamia, Olivia Almodovar, Amelia Angelo, Ava Angelo, Anthony Bartolotto, Abigail Beers, Noah Bila, Scott Bisiani, Jordyn Bloom, Liliana Bosshard, Lucas Braun, Jake Canino, Bree Cantone, Hannah Cantone, Celia Caputo, Giovanni Cassino, Kalyna Chase, Danielle Cirrito, Madeline Cohen, Alexis Colvin, Meghan Connolly, Kellyanne Crovello, Sarah Cucinello, Nicholas Daleo, Jack Davis, Ryan Davis, Emma Delaney, Amelia DeRosa, Kate Doyle, James Duffy, Kaylie Elliot, Kirstin Elliot, Mia Eovino, Makenzie Fallon, Paige Faulknor, Skyla Fernandez, Justine Finnegan, Brooke Fisher, Anthony Gagliardi, Brooke Geiser, Taylor Giugliano, Jonas Goldberg, Sierra Gray, Madison Guiseppone, Alyssa Hawkins, Alanna Hopkins, Michael Ierna Petrie, Olivia Ingenito, Matthew Jacovelli, Giovanna Kalin, Natalie Kappeler, Connor Kirchner, Justin Klotz, Derek Knee, Charlize Kolasinski Lindsey Kreyling, Emma LaMountain, Max Law, Maria Lazarinis, Luke Leahy, Brooke Ledda, Kenneth Leen, Julia Lent, Amy Luglio, Selia Lyons, Michael Manolis, Cadence Masino, Ann Marie McNulty , Walter Michalski, Mark Milano, Joseph Miletti, Faith Miller, Anthony Modica, Lauren Molinaro, Jack Moloney, Delaney Moore, Andrea Mott, Brendan Muller, Sean Muller, Lauren Neri, Matthew Niemczyk, Noah Nieves, Lacey Noto, Sean O’Connor, Brendon Paduano, Daniel Paesano, Jake Pepe, Michael Perrino, Angelena Polito, Thomas Pranzo, Liam Preston, Matthew Reilly , Bradley Riegel, Madigan Roach, Diya Saini, Nicholas Savino, Ryan Schafer, Mallory Schuster, Alex Schwartzberg, Caileigh Sexton, Zoe Skarupski, Jack Soldano, Jackson Starr, Leora Stieglitz, Emily Stoessel, Jason Strickland, Christopher Sun, Nikolas Szumowski, Dominic Testa, Deirdre Thomson, Riley Torres, Evelyn Trelfa, Thomas Tumminello, Michael Vallary, Miles Vaska, Victoria, Waldemar, Michael Warren, Abigail Weiner, Maxwell Weisman, Noah Wenig, Sarah Winter, and Makayla Witherell.

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Miller Place’s NCRMS Recognizes Model Students for December

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—Congratulations to North Country Road Middle School’s December Coupons for Character recipients—Andy Luo, 6th grade; Shane Kiernan, 7th grade; and Jackson Thompson, 8th grade.

The initiative, which began in 2019, is designed to reward North Country Road Middle School’s students who serve as positive role models, promote respect and help NCRMS build a caring school community. Each month, students who have demonstrated exceptional character have their name placed into a container in the main office. At the end of the month, three students are randomly selected to receive a prize for their leadership. Additionally, each student whose name made it into the jar receives a letter home in recognition for their commitment to making NCRMS a great place to learn and gain leadership skills.

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Miller Place Students Host Multicultural Holiday Celebrations with Old Friend Holiday Henry

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach’s students kicked off their multicultural holiday celebrations this year with some help from an old gnome and friend, Holiday Henry. After four years of worldwide traveling, Holiday Henry returned to LADSBS to share his insight on cultural and religious traditions that take place in other parts of the world. 

The initiative, designed to encourage students to value and appreciate the winter traditions and holidays of others, began in 2016 when Holiday Henry made his first arrival at LADSBS as part of his long quest to acquire knowledge of December holidays. He visited 15 classrooms in the building where he witnessed kindness that radiated from each LADSBS classroom before heading off.

Miller Place High School to Enhance Students’ College and Career Readiness through Partnership with College Board

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—The Miller Place School District (MPSD) is proud to announce it will be implementing the AP Capstone Diploma program, an initiative through College Board that focuses on college-level research, collaboration, and presentation skills crucial for college and career success, beginning in Fall 2021.

“We are thrilled to be among only 2,000 schools in the world to implement this program for our students,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of Miller Place Union Free School District. “This initiative will help enhance our District’s offerings by providing our staff with more leeway in curriculum choices and enable our students access to more challenging coursework.”

Students who qualify for the AP Capstone Diploma must score a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as four additional AP Exams of their choice. Students scoring a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research, but not on four additional AP Exams, earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

AP Seminar, a project-based learning course typically taken by 10th or 11th grade students, requires students to choose and evaluate complex topics through multiple lenses, identify credibility and bias in sources, and develop arguments in support of a recommendation. Students’ scores are derived from a set of assessments, including research reports, written arguments, timed essays and presentations, that are completed throughout the year. 

AP Research, also a project-based course, has students build upon their skills acquired in AP Seminar through design, execution, presentation and investigation. The course teaches students how to understand research methodology; employ ethical research practices; and collect, analyze and synthesize information to contribute to academic research. Students’ scores are derived from their academic paper, presentation and oral defense.

“We’re proud to offer AP Capstone, which enables students and teachers to focus on topics of their choice in great depth,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president for AP and instruction at College Board. He adds, “This provides terrific opportunities for students to develop the ability to write and present their work effectively, individually, and in groups—the very skills college professors want their students to possess.”

MPHS’s Andrew Bova Selected for 2020 All-National Honor Ensembles Virtual Event on January 7–8, 2021

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (JANUARY 2021)—Miller Place High School senior Andrew Bova was selected among 552 student musicians in the United States to perform in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2020 All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) Virtual Event on January 7–8, 2021. Each ensemble will create a final, recorded performance that will be premiered online during the NAfME Music in Our Schools Month® in March 2021.

Andrew, who was chosen through an audition process, will be rehearsing a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the direction of six of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Frances Fonza (Mixed Choir); Nobuyoshi Yasuda (Symphony Orchestra); Rodney Dorsey (Concert Band); Todd Stoll with Terell Stafford (Jazz Ensemble); Chuck Hulihan (Guitar Ensemble); and Tony Sauza (Modern Band). The All-National Honor Ensembles consist of a concert band, symphony orchestra, mixed choir, jazz ensemble, guitar ensemble, and modern band. The concert band and symphony orchestra will each have 120 instrumentalists, the jazz ensemble 13 instrumentalists, the mixed choir 241 vocalists, the guitar ensemble 45 instrumentalists, and the modern band 13 performers.

During his time in the District, Andrew has participated in numerous All-County music festivals, was chosen to participate in the 2019 New York All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble and has starred in several MPHS musical theatre productions. Upon graduation this year, Andrew intends on studying acting/musical theater while attending college next fall.

Christian Kimmy’s Holiday Wish Transforms into a Communitywide Initiative Benefiting Others

MILLER PLACE, NEW YORK (DECEMBER 2020)—What began as a classroom literacy activity soon became a building wide initiative to give back to families in need—all thanks to Christian Kimmy, a 4th grader at Miller Place’s Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School (LADSBS). With the holiday season in full swing, LADSBS students took pen to paper to highlight their wishes after a class discussion about donations. Fortunately, Christian’s wish, asking his classmates to donate to those who are less fortunate, is being granted this holiday season.

“I am humbled by Christian’s generosity and thoughtfulness, particularly at such a young age. On top of that, I’m touched by his drive to inspire those around him to follow suit,” said Dr. Marianne Cartisano, superintendent of Miller Place Union Free School District. “This initiative is just one example of what takes place every day in our classrooms—the transformative power of an effective teacher like Justine Parcelluzzi and our students’ determination to leave their mark on the world for the better.”

In a personalized letter to the class, Christian asked for his peers’ help in donating to Toys for Tots, a charity that works to collect new and unwrapped toys to distribute to the less fortunate around Christmas. Since then, a collection box has been placed outside the Comsewogue Library to encourage students to bring their unwrapped toys there to donate.