Author: MillerPlace

Nine students were selected for the 13^th annual winter exhibition and one Miller Place High School Student was awarded first place

Miller Place High School sophomore Maya Murphy was awarded first place at the Suffolk County Community College’s 13^th annual High School Exhibition at its Sagtikos Art Gallery. This is a very prestigious award. Maya’s sculpture “Noise” was chosen by the faculty of the Suffolk County Community College Art Department to be the first-place winner. The exhibition involved many school districts and very talented high school students.

A total of nine Miller Place High School students were chosen to have their artwork displayed at Suffolk Community College’s 13^th annual High School Art Exhibition at its Sagtikos Art Gallery. Joining Maya Murphy who were also featured included Senior Patrick Milord, Junior Mia Amundsen, Sophomore Amelia Avalos, Junior Samantha Selfridge, Senior Mary Duffy, Senior Gisela Killary, Junior Gavin Sanfilippo, Senior Emma Rosequist.

“These students are deserving of this honor and platform to showcase their incredible work,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “They represented Miller Place with pride and demonstrated a remarkable and diverse selection of high-quality artwork. We congratulate them on their amazing achievement.”

The Sagtikos Art Gallery, on the Michael J. Grant campus in Brentwood, regularly showcases exhibitions featuring contemporary fine art, photography and craft by local artists. It regularly hosts high school exhibitions to recognize the talent and diversity of artists at local high schools. 
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.

Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School launches new program to encourage students to read

Miller Place School District’s Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School recently launched a new initiative called the Million Word Challenge. Designed to foster a love and appreciation of reading, the Million Word Challenge tasks students with setting reading goals with their classes and documenting their progress. The LADSBS School Improvement Team initiated participation in the program, which will continue through March 1^st and award the class that reaches one million words first.  The school recently held an assembly to introduce the rules and incentives of the Million Word Challenge. The assembly even featured a visit from Panther Bob, the District’s mascot.

“The Million Word Challenge is a program that we have in place to inspire and encourage our students to explore the world of literature and become better readers,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “We aim to foster a lifelong love for reading, while teaching students about the importance of setting goals.”

During the challenge, students can meet with teachers and librarians to find book recommendations tailored to their interests and reading level. Teachers will also encourage students to discuss the books they are reading with their families.  As students read, they will document their progress in a reading log and share their thoughts and reflections on each book with their classmates. Students can view the progress made by each class, which will be displayed on a large bulletin board outside of the school’s main office.

At the end of the challenge, the school will host a special reading celebration to honor the achievements of all students. The class that reads the most words will also receive a special prize.

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. 

Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School contributes to Beyond the Badge’s fifth annual Cards for Cops

Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School recently took park in the fifth annual Cards for Cops program, run by the local nonprofit Beyond the Badge. As part of the initiative, students created holiday cards for local law enforcement officers, thanking thank them for their service.

“We’re very proud of our students for showing their appreciation to local law enforcement officers,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie.

Beyond the Badge is a New York nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health resources and suicide prevention awareness among law enforcement. Through its Cards for Cops initiative, the nonprofit partners with local schools and community groups to give children a chance to extend their appreciation to law enforcement. The goal is that a sweet gesture from a child could inspire and restore the spirit of many officers who put themselves on the frontlines every day, both physically and mentally.

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.

Miller Place school installs sensory spaces for students to re-center

Andrew Muller Primary School in the Miller Place School District recently introduced for all students a sensory hallway with resources and interactive stations. The sensory hallway supports mental health and social emotional wellness by providing a safe space for students to refocus their energy.

“Our sensory hallway at Andrew Muller Primary School supports students with sensory sensitivity and students who need movement breaks,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “Students can use the spaces to release energy, allowing them to better focus on schoolwork, and optimize learning.

The sensory hallway includes various activities and spaces where students can focus on sensory development and needs. Students may also practice mindfulness exercises by engaging in activities related to sight, hearing, smell, touch, balance and movement.

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. 

Schools host food drives for local pantries and families in the community

Students and staff throughout the Miller Place School District worked together this Thanksgiving season to host several food drives helping families in need throughout their community.

“As a District, we’re so proud of the dedication and efforts our students and staff put forth to support our community,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie.

Andrew Muller Primary School parent Ryan Jones, the owner of Chubs Meats butcher shop and catering company, donated turkeys. Students donated non-perishable food items and gift cards to the school’s collection efforts. SCOPE Behavior Counselor Corien Bologna delivered the donations throughout the community, bringing Thanksgiving meals to seven local families.

Students at Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School helped stock a local food pantry through their Thanksgiving food drive. Each grade was assigned a different list of foods to donate. Thanks to their generosity they were able to provide local families who may be facing food insecurity with the necessary items to have a delicious Thanksgiving meal.

North Country Road Middle School is home to a food pantry that serves those in need in the community throughout the school year. Donations to the pantry included gift cards that are used to purchase specific items for the holiday such as turkeys, yams and stuffing. The District’s student behavior counselors, Marissa Prager and Jeanine Pedersen, worked with members of the Student Government to prepare Thanksgiving meals and distribute them throughout the community. The District thanks the behavior counselors

The Miller Place High School National Honor Society led a Thanksgiving Food Drive with their peers to support local families in need. Homerooms competed against each other, donating non-perishable food items.  Mr. Sztabnik’s Period 1 class donated the most food and was rewarded with a bagel breakfast. Thanks to the efforts of each class, the District was able to fully stock the Miller Place High School food pantry and provide food for seven families in the community. The donations will also go toward helping families throughout the December holidays as well.

District Office held a fundraiser of its own, raising $775. The Business Office staff purchased various food items to donate to help stock the local Saint Louis de Montfort Food Distribution Center, the North Country Road Middle School Food Pantry and the Miller Place High School Food Pantry.
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. 

Panthers place second at Suffolk Country Championships

The Miller Place High School Boys Cross Country Team have been racing to victory throughout their fall season. They finished the season as Team Divisional Champions and placed second overall in Class B Suffolk County Championships.

“I’d like to congratulate our high school boys cross country team for putting in such hard work and dedication all season. Their efforts have paid off and they represent their community with pride every time they compete,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie.

The team competed in the Suffolk County Championships/New York State Qualifier at Sunken Meadow State Park, clinching second place in the Section 11 Class B 5,000-meter race with a combined time of 64. Senior James Loughlin led the team by finishing in ninth place out of 61 runners with a final time of 17:46.51.

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. 

High school drama production draws a crowd to two performances

The Miller Place Panther Troupe recently captivated audiences with two performances of their fall drama production The Curious Savage, written by John Patrick.

“I’d like to commend the actors, set designers, musicians and everyone involved in the incredible production of The Curious Savage. Our students put on two engaging performances that moved their audience with scenes that were both poignant and comedic. Congratulations to everyone involved,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Seth Lipshie.

Over the course of this fall, cast members developed their characters and honed their acting skills while crew members sharpened their technical theatre skills and helped curate the set. Director Jenna Ely and Assistant Director Colleen Annicelli led a talented cast that had their audiences laughing, crying and thoroughly enjoying the show.

The Curious Savage follows the story of an elderly widow named Ethel Savage who was left $10 million from her late husband. She seeks to donate the fortune, but her stepchildren seek to thwart her plan and have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters. She bonds with the kind residents there and discovers the meaning of love and family. The dramatic comedy opened on Broadway in 1950 and starred Lillian Gish as Ethel Savage.

For their work on The Curious Savage, the Miller Place Panther Troupe is eligible for the East End Arts’ 22^nd Annual Teeny Awards. The annual high school theater awards show, given its name as a reference to the Tony Awards, will take place this June.

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 held an exciting Homecoming celebration with students, staff, alumni and friends on September 30th. Throughout the week, students and staff members at all school buildings displayed their school spirit for “Spirit Week” in preparation for the celebratory weekend parade and football game. The District concluded the week with a High School pep rally, at which Varsity teams were introduced and classes completed in friendly events and competitions. It all led up to a victorious home game for the Miller Place Panthers, who defeated the Islip Buccaneers with a score of 33-7.

“Homecoming brought together the Miller Place community for a tremendous showing of Panther Pride. It was exciting to see staff and students enthusiastically participating in “Spirit Week,” culminating in a High School pep rally,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “A spirited parade combined with a deserving win before a crowd full made for a successful Homecoming on many fronts.”

Students celebrated Spirit Week by dressing up each day according to different themes. The week concluded with Spirit Day, highlighted by students donning their favorite Miller Place School District clothing and a pep rally at the high school. Varsity teams were introduced, and classes competed in friendly events and competitions in preparation for Homecoming.

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 Miller Place Panther’s football defeated the Islip Buccaneers with a score of 33-7.

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 celebrates the start of construction on new elementary school gym

The Miller Place School District recently celebrated the start of construction of a new gymnasium at Andrew Muller Primary School.

Superintendent of Schools Mr. Seth Lipshie joined with members of the District administration, the Board of Education, District Architect and representatives of RENU Contracting & Restoration to celebrate the groundbreaking.

“We are thrilled to announce the start of construction of the new gymnasium at Andrew Muller Primary School. Our District has worked diligently to make this possible. This provides an excellent physical education environment for our students. The current shared gymnasium space can now be utilized for a dedicated cafeteria and an area to host school assemblies,” said Mr. Lipshie.

The site of the new gymnasium will be located to the left of the main entrance with an adjoining hallway. The construction of the Andrew Muller Primary School Gymnasium is part of the District’s bond referendum approved by voters in October 2021.

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. 

Nicholas DiCaprio participated in the annual benefit for Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Miller Place High School freshman Nicholas DiCaprio finished eighth out of 3,503 runners in the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K on September 24^th. Nicholas completed the race with a time of 19:51:3 and was the only Long Island runner to place in the top 10.

“We are so proud of Nicholas for this incredible accomplishment. He is a powerful runner and an earnest student who competed with pride for such a humbling cause,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie.” In speaking with News12 about competing in the event, Nicholas noted that it was more than simply another 5K race, but a way to honor the over 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001. “It was definitely special to me. I envisioned the towers there and thought about it a lot [during the race].”

Nicholas is a standout on the track at Miller Place High School, where he is only one of two freshmen on the Varsity Cross Country Track Team. His goal is to continue competing in 5Ks and possibly train for a full marathon in the future.

The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk symbolizes the late firefighter and 9/11 hero Stephen Siller’s final footsteps from the Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers. It takes place the last Sunday of every September in New York City. The event began with 1,500 people in 2002 and has since become one of the most prominent 5Ks in the country. All proceeds go toward the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which is committed to fighting veteran homelessness, provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, and builds accessible homes for injured veterans and first responders.

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.