Jillian Scully Defends Her Title at State Track and Field Championships

Miller Place High School senior Jillian Scully has proven herself once again as one of the most remarkable athletes in New York State, repeating her title at the NYSPHSAA and NYS Federation Champion in the shot put for the 2024 and 2025 indoor track seasons. Jillian claimed the championship title at the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island earlier this month.  

“Jillian Scully is an outstanding athlete who is competing in her own league by continuing to beat her own records,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “She represents Miller Place with pride, enthusiasm and passion. We are thrilled to celebrate her exceptional accomplishments and look forward to watching her continue to shine at the collegiate level and beyond.”

After winning her first state title in 2024, Jillian continued her impressive reign this year by beating her own record and outpacing her competition by more than four feet with a throw of 46 feet, 11 ½ inches. She also holds the indoor record for both Suffolk County and Long Island, which she earned by placing first at the Section XI NYS Qualifier with a personal best distance of 48 feet, 4.25 inches.

Jillian’s record-breaking indoor season also included a fifth-place finish at the Nike Nationals and her third consecutive state championship title. Her winter training regimen involved practicing outdoors in the cold weather for roughly four hours a day, six days a week, which helped her perfect her throwing form and elevate her performance to new heights.

Jillian’s accomplishments were not limited to the shot put, as she also dominated the state discus championship. Her remarkable achievements in both shot put and discus earned her All-American honors once again.

As she looks ahead to her collegiate career, Jillian will continue her athletic journey in the track and field program at Louisiana State University (LSU). Her time at Miller Place will be remembered for her unwavering dedication and the legacy of excellence she leaves behind.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page.

Student scientists finished seventh of 63 teams in regional contest 

Miller Place High School students recently showcased exemplary skills and dedication at the Eastern Long Island Regional Science Olympiad on January 25. For the first time in the District’s history, Miller Place had enough students to field two teams at the competition. Team A finished in seventh out of 63 teams throughout eastern Long Island, securing them a spot in the New York State Science Olympiad in Syracuse from March 21 through 22. 

“We are proud of our students’ hard work in the regional Science Olympiad,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Seth Lipshie. “These students excelled throughout the rigorous competition and represented Miller Place with pride and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing what they can accomplish at the state competition next month.”

Miller Place had two teams competing in the regional competition in 26 challenging categories such as air trajectory, entomology, forensics, wind power and experimental design.

Team A included an experienced group of 14 students led by Team Captains Lucy Chang and Taylor McHugh. Each member delivered a stellar performance, with senior Bianca Zou winning three medals across 4 events. The team included seven seniors who won 12 of the team’s 18 medals.

Team B also showed incredible talent and skill with freshmen Mathilde Snijders and Cate Worcester earning Miller Place two additional medals.

The District congratulates all the Miller Place High School Science Olympiad students and wishes Team A good luck in the state competition next month!  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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

District Holds Ribbon Cutting as Construction Completed on New Gymnasium

(JANUARY 2025)—The Miller Place School District recently completed construction of its new, state-of-the-art gymnasium at Andrew Muller Primary School. To mark the occasion, Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie joined with District administration and Board of Education members for a ribbon cutting. January 13^th marked the first day that Physical Education classes were held in the new gymnasium.

“Our District has worked diligently to complete construction to provide our students with a brand new and exciting physical education environment,” Superintendent Lipshie said. “We were excited to start physical education classes in our new facility”

The new gymnasium is located to the left of the main entrance with an adjoining hallway. The District broke ground in September 2023 as part of the bond referendum that was approved by voters in October 2021. In addition to constructing the gymnasium, the District has completed several additional construction projects and upgrades as part of the bond referendum.  

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Spirit week, pep rally and parade lead to a winning home game

The Miller Place School District recently celebrated a successful Homecoming with students, staff, alumni and community members. The festivities began with “Spirit Week,” during which students and staff dressed according to different themes and finished with “Spirit Day,” highlighted by students donning their favorite Miller Place School District clothing.

“Spirit Week” culminated in an exciting high school pep rally that included a host of friendly competitions among classes. The celebration concluded on October 19th with a parade and home game for the Miller Place Panthers, who were victorious against the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats with a score of 41-7.

“The Miller Place community showed their Panther Pride during another amazing Homecoming celebration,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Seth Lipshie. “It’s always inspiring to see how enthusiastic our students and staff are to celebrate “Spirit Week” and our high school pep rally. Everyone showed tremendous support and joy on Homecoming Saturday when the Panthers competed in an incredible winning home game.”

For the Homecoming parade, Panther cheerleaders, members of the MPHS pep band, and students from each building in the District marched alongside the handcrafted floats. The parade began at the Miller Place Fire Department South and navigated to the high school’s Stadium Field, where the festivities continued and included a helicopter flyover from the Suffolk County Police Department Aviation Section.  This section of the SCPD provides Search and Rescue (SAR) and Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) services to all of  Suffolk County.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Students Meet with Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame President Christopher Vaccaro

Miller Place High School’s new Sports History class recently kicked off its first semester with a visit from special guest speaker Christopher Vaccaro, the president of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame who is also a journalist, professor and author.

“Our new Sports History program is off to a great start,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “Mr. Vaccaro enlightened our students about the importance of local history and the impact made by their neighbors and the student-athletes who came before them. We are appreciative for this partnership with the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame and the opportunities that lie ahead for our students.”

Mr. Vaccaro shared with students his love of storytelling through the lens of local sports history. His presentation detailed the impacts Long Island residents made on athletics both on a local level, like high school football fields, and on a global setting, such as the Olympic Games. 

His presentation emphasized the importance of having hometown pride and preserving the rich stories that come from Long Island. He referenced Miller Place High School’s own Athletic Hall of Fame and encouraged students to get to know the names, faces and stories they pass each day in their school’s main lobby.

Mr. Vaccaro’s engaging and educational presentation set the tone for a successful start to the high school’s Sports History program, which launched this semester through a partnership with the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Vaccaro’s presentation opened student’s minds to the power and persistence of local history and hometown pride. The Miller Place School District thanks Mr. Vaccaro for inspiring and enabling our students to see the significance of sports history, and the many ways they can pursue the field as a potential career.

Miller Place High School Social Studies Teacher Bryan Vaccaro, who teaches the class has organized special guest speakers, unique research projects and interactive experiences to inspire students to become future historians, teachers and sports business leaders while honoring local sports history.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe Will Advance in the 70th National Merit Scholarship Competition

The Miller Place School District is excited to announce that two Miller Place High School students have been recognized as semifinalists in the 70th National Merit Scholarship competition. Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe are among just 16,000 students in the nation being considered for about 6,870 awards worth a total of more than $26 million that will be offered in the spring.

“We are incredibly proud of Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe for their pursuit of excellence,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting achievement with them.”

Semifinalists can advance in the competition by completing several further requirements. About 95 percent of the students recognized as semifinalists are expected to achieve finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will earn a National Merit Scholarship and Merit Scholar title. The National Merit Scholarship Committee has allocated over 423,000 scholarships valued at nearly $1.7 billion to more than three million students nationwide.

Over 1.3 million students across 21,000 high schools in the country entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by completing the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The highest scoring students, representing less than one percent of those who entered, advanced in the competition as semifinalists.

Students could become a finalist by submitting a detailed scholarship application that includes an exemplary academic record, involvement in extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and any honors and awards they’ve earned. Semifinalists must also submit a personal essay and a recommendation from a high school official, in addition to SAT or ACT scores that match their performance on the qualifying test. Semifinalists will be notified in February if they advanced in the competition.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Staff and students begin a new school year with confidence and pride

The Miller Place School District recently welcomed back over 2,000 students across its four schools for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The first day of school was full of excitement and cheer as students met their teachers, reunited with peers and made new friends with their classmates as they prepared for the year ahead.

“Our staff at all our schools did an amazing job helping our students become confident for the new school year,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Seth Lipshie. “We are thrilled for our students to excel and experience a successful year ahead.”

Elementary students at Andrew Muller Primary School and Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School came off buses with beaming smiles as they met their teachers and greeted their principals and staff. Students at North Country Road Middle School and Miller Place High School reunited with their peers and made their way to their classrooms for the first day of school.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Matthew Nicoletti appointed to new role in the district

The Miller Place School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Nicoletti as Curriculum Specialist for Humanities.

“As a teacher, Mr. Nicoletti’s classroom was dynamic with rich discussion,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “He has brought so much to the Miller Place community over the past 12 years as a teacher, coach, mentor and leader.”

Mr. Nicoletti began his educational career in 2012 as an English teacher at North Country Road Middle School in the Miller Place School District. His work outside the classroom included coaching track and field and directing the Miller Place High School Panther Players.   

Two years ago, Mr. Nicoletti became the Dean of Students at North Country Road Middle School and supported and enhanced instruction by facilitating professional development workshops.

He was also a member of the School Improvement Team and led fundraising efforts to create the Chris Pendergast Memorial Garden at North Country Road Middle School.

Mr. Nicoletti grew up in the Miller Place community and graduated from Miller Place High School. He studied English Education at SUNY Oneonta and spent his summers at Eastern Suffolk BOCES as a Teacher’s Assistant for students with special needs.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Christine Mangiamele appointed to new role leading NCRMS

The Miller Place School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Christine Mangiamele as the new principal of the North Country Road Middle School.

“The Miller Place community has gotten to know Ms. Mangiamele very well over the past 19 years and we are excited to see her excel in her new position leading North Country Road Middle School,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “She has served the district with pride and dedication in many roles and we are confident in her ability to foster an environment for student success.”    

Ms. Mangiamele has served the Miller Place community since 2005, when she began her educational career as a World Language teacher at Miller Place High School. She furthered her career at Miller Place High School in 2010 when she became the school’s assistant principal and dean of students. In 2019, she became the assistant principal at North Country Road Middle School and, this past year, she was appointed the curriculum specialist for Humanities.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page. 

Board members are sworn in as district prepares for the year ahead

The Miller Place School District recently held its annual organizational meeting, at which time Brian Makarius was sworn in for his new term as a trustee.

Lisa Reitan was re-elected by the Board of Education as President and Bryan Makarius was re-elected by the Board of Education as Vice President. Lisa Reitan was first elected President by the Board two years ago for the 2022-2023 school year and served as the Board’s Vice President in the 2021-2022 school year. Bryan Makarius was first elected Vice President two years ago for the 2022-2023 school year and served as a trustee in the 2021-2022 school year.
The 2024-2025 Board of Education also includes trustees Johanna Testa, Andrea Spaniolas and John Galligan.

“Our District is excited to go into another year with such a dedicated and enthusiastic group of people leading the Board of Education,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie, who was also sworn in at the meeting for his third year.

The District wishes a warm welcome to the 2024-2025 Board of Education as it prepares for the school year ahead.

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, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page.