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.

 

The Miller Place High School Mock Trial Team recently celebrated its victory over Huntington in the first round of playoffs. To prepare for the first round, students conducted extensive research on legal precedent with the guidance of Miller Place instructors, as part of the Miller Place School District’s dedication to helping students excel both inside and outside the classroom. Led by club advisor Tom Moran, the team was congratulated for its display of jurisprudence competence at the Suffolk County Courthouse in Central Islip.

 

Participating students included: Ricky Abreu, Jonathan Beers, Ryan Holownia, Justin O’Connor, Kristen Nappi, Sean Reagan, Lori Beth Sussman, and Kristen Taylor

Andrew Muller Primary School recently participated in a week-long literacy celebration, Parents as Reading Partners (PARP), as part of the District’s commitment to promoting a love of reading. This year’s PARP theme was “Parpical,” and every lesson was created with a Dr. Seuss theme in mind.

 

On the first day of the celebration, Principal Laura Gewurz dressed as The Cat in the Hat. Throughout the week, five faculty members from the Andrew Muller Primary School were SMART Board Mystery readers and read Dr. Seuss books to the students, including “The Cat in the Hat,” “Horton Hears a Who,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Yertle the Turtle,” and “The Sneetches.” At the end of the week, students joined musical performer Lee Knight during an assembly to sing original Dr. Seuss-inspired songs.

 

Students at the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School also participated in this event by reading age-appropriate books to Andrew Muller Primary School students over Skype. The third-to-fifth-grade students shared their passion for reading with kindergarten through second-grade students, and they recommended some of their favorite books when they were younger. North Country Road Middle School students—grades six, seven and eight—visited Andrew Muller Primary School and read to the students as well. The collaboration between schools was part of the District’s mission to inspire students and foster intra-district collaboration.

 

 

As part of the Miller Place School District’s ongoing Character Education initiatives, students at the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School recently created a wall of positivity outside the school’s cafeteria. The wall features a collage of colorful paper, each of which has a different positive message written by every teacher and student in the school. In addition, more than 600 students signed a pledge to “Start with Hello” and promote a positive culture of kindness. A full week of daily activities were planned around these important, simple, yet powerful messages.

 

The purpose of this project was to bring smiles to the faces of students, teachers and staff members throughout the school. Not only did each student receive his or her own Post-It note to contribute to the wall, many students also shared their positive messages with their friends.

 

Examples of the positive Post-Its include:  Make Everyone Smile; Everyone has something nice to do or say; If you can’t be a pencil to write someone’s happiness then be a nice eraser to remove their sadness; The word ‘impossible’ is really I’m possible and Never give up.

 

The Miller Place School District recently celebrated Read Across America Day with a Districtwide event to help students share their love of reading. Students at Miller Place High School used Skype, an online video communications service, to read age-appropriate books to elementary school students at the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School. After reading the books, the high school students asked their elementary school audience what they thought about the stories. Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School students then asked the high school students about the books they used to read when they were younger and what kinds of books they enjoy reading now.

 

This program was part of an ongoing Miller Place School District initiative intended to help students connect with their peers and develop high-level literacy skills from an early age.

 

The Miller Place School District recently held an event at Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School, giving third grade students an opportunity to show their appreciation for members of the United States Military, both veteran and serving active duty. As part of the program, students in Ms. Brenner’s class created a care package for the teacher’s brother-in-law, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Joseph Monaco, who is currently deployed overseas in Mahe, Seychelles on the USS Comstock LSD-45. Ms. Brenner’s class wrote thoughtful letters about the importance of servicemen and women and created a huge ‘Thank You’ poster. After receiving the package, Monaco thanked the class sent the students a picture of himself holding the poster.