After a month of designing and building, eighth graders at Edmund W. Miles Middle School put the finishing touches on their kites and then went outside to explore the laws of physics.

Students in Christine Quigley’s STEAM class studied the science of flight, learning about drag, gravity and thrust. They then built their own tetrahedral kites, which have greater surface area to catch more wind. Supplies they used included straws, string, tissue paper and glue. 

When it was time to fly on March 26, students brought their kites outside and ran across the back lawn, to see how high their kites flew and for how long. They then returned to the classroom to discuss the results, analyze their designs and identify improvements they could make. Ms. Quigley said the lesson came from NASA’s STEM website and also helped students learn about the scientific method.

Rosie the Riveter, a cultural icon representing the women who went to work during World War II, was celebrated on March 26 at Edmund W. Miles Middle School for Women’s History Month.

Students learned about Rosie the Riveter in social studies classes and how the fictional character was based on an actual factory worker. She symbolized the increase of women in the workforce in the 1940s. To mark the occasion, Assistant Principal Lurdez Berrios brought in dozens of red and white polka dot bandanas, which students and staff donned in front of a “We Can Do It!” bulletin board outside the cafeteria, reminiscent of the Rosie the Riveter poster. 

Also for Women’s History Month, there were lessons about International Women’s Day, the changing roles of women during the 1920s, the Women’s Suffrage movement, the Temperance Movement and access to education for young women around the world. 

Kindness spread from one Amityville school to another, as students from Edmund W. Miles Middle School connected with their younger peers at Northwest Elementary School for a virtual character education program on March 15. 

Members of the middle school’s National Junior Honor Society chapter spoke to two kindergarten classes and two first grade classes in the first of several digital meet-ups. Each group of Honor Society students was paired with a specific class so they could directly connect with the Northwest children over Google Meet. 

Students learning both in school and remotely were able to join in the discussion about kindness. Honor Society members created digital presentations that Northwest students could view on the classroom digital display boards or on their Chromebooks.
 
The middle school students found many creative ways to spread the message of kindness. They included stories such as “A Joy Story” and “Snow White” in their digital presentations and made interactive games with questions about kindness using Kahoot. Honor Society members also asked the kindergartners and first graders to identify ways they show kindness to others either in school or at home, and challenged them to perform random acts of kindness.
 
Northwest Elementary School Principal Kathleen Hyland said that in a typical school year, Honor Society members visit the school to read to the children and to assist with evening events. Because of the pandemic, she and adviser Carlee Brunson wanted to find a new way for the middle school and elementary school students to connect, so they decided on the virtual meet-ups, featuring character education lesson and read alouds.  

Reading is all the rage at Edmund W. Miles Middle School and both students and staff are joining in. This year, the school introduced Drop Everything and Read, commonly known as DEAR, which is a nationwide initiative that encourages students, families and community members to drop what they are doing and spend time reading for a designation period of time. 

Humanities Chairwoman Leslie Ciliotta said that DEAR is held every other day during the morning advisory block for 20 minutes. Because it is a school initiative, it’s not just the students who can be found reading, but also the teachers, administrators and support staff. Ms. Ciliotta announces when it’s time to start and stop. 

“This year we really focused on building a community of readers,” she said, “with the goal of fostering a love for reading that would then translate into improved academic performance.”

Ms. Ciliotta added that students can use both print and digital books. The district has subscriptions to Epic! and myON, where they can access thousands of titles from their Chromebooks. Since DEAR is independent reading time, students are able to choose books and genres of personal interest.  

English language arts teachers collaborated to create the Reader Leaders initiative.  Each month they are encouraged to submit reviews of the books they have been reading for DEAR, which reinforces literary analysis skills. At the end of the month, teachers then recommend students to be recognized as reader leaders. In addition to having their names announced over the loudspeaker, they can earn prizes such as books, Warrior Bucks, candy and McDonalds gift certificates.