Students and staff at Edmund W. Miles Middle School celebrate its positive culture and climate.

More than 300 hundred students committed to maintaining a bully-free zone at Edmund W. Miles Middle School. To begin National Bullying Prevention Month, students signed anti-bullying pledges during their lunch periods on Oct. 1.

As part of the pledge, students vowed to take a stand against bullying by speaking up if they see it happening. They also promised to stick up for others in need of help and serve as role models by not using their phones or computers to spread hurtful messages about others. 

Students received No Place for Hate bracelet after signing the pledge. Earlier this year, the school received the No Place for Hate designation by the Anti-Defamation League for its commitment in creating a culture of kindness and respect. 

Many students and staff wore orange to school, which is the awareness color for National Bullying Prevention Month. The school also began Project Connect, with students writing on paper links their ideas for helping others. The links will be connected to spell “Unite.”

“We are uniting for a common cause,” social worker Beatriz Offitto said. “While one person can speak out against bullying, our message is much stronger when we come together to make a difference.”

 

Paul Duguay, a teacher in the Amityville Union Free School District for more than a decade, has been named assistant principal of Edmund W. Miles Middle School. He joins the administrative team of Principal Edward Plaia and fellow Assistant Principal Earl Mitchell.

Mr. Duguay was a social studies teacher at Amityville Memorial High School for three years and at the middle school for eight years. He was the middle school’s social studies department chairman in the 2017-18 school year, and has also coached the varsity girls track team and the middle school baseball team. His responsibilities as assistant principal will include master schedule planning and supervising extracurricular activities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and education from SUNY Albany, a master’s degree in social studies secondary education from Hofstra University and his administration certificate from the College of St. Rose. His professional memberships include the Long Island Council for Social Studies and ASCD. 

The district announces that Earl Mitchell has been named the Assistant Principal of Edmund W. Miles Middle School, which serves seventh- through ninth-grade students. Mr. Mitchell is beginning his 20th year in education, and was the middle school’s Dean of Students for the previous three years.

Prior to coming to Amityville in 2015, Mr. Mitchell was a social studies teacher and department chairman at Baldwin Middle School, and a social studies teacher at J.W. Dodd Middle School in Freeport as well as the high school’s junior varsity basketball coach. He also served as a social studies teacher and College Now program director at the East New York Family Academy in Brooklyn.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and history, a master’s degree in education and social studies from Adelphi University, and an administrative certificate from the College of Saint Rose.

“I’m honored to be able to serve students, parents, faculty and the community in a greater capacity,” Mr. Mitchell said. 

Administrators, teachers and support staff greeted incoming seventh-graders as they attended orientation on Aug. 23 at Edmund W. Miles Middle School.

Back in June, as sixth-graders at Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School, they made the trip a mile north to experience a typical day in the middle school. For their second visit, they were invited to orientation with their parents to learn about the opportunities and expectations. 

Principal Ed Plaia reviewed the courses that they will take as seventh-graders including math, science and social studies, a double period of English, physical education and health, Spanish or French, and electives. He spoke about the eighth-grade curriculum, in which students are accelerated in math and science to earn high school credit, and the rigorous academic demands in seventh grade to prepare for that. 

Mr. Plaia encouraged students to make the most out of middle school by attending extra help, joining an extracurricular activity or sports team, and making sure they are on time for their classes. 

Students were able to take home free binders and notebooks as they gather their school supplies for the upcoming school year.