The start of the second half of the school year marked a new beginning for eighth grade readers at Edmund W. Miles Middle School. Students went book shopping to launch the unit on dystopian and fantasy literature. 

Dozens of books awaited students as they arrived in Katie Rosario’s and Christina Romeo’s classes on Jan. 21. They were given the opportunity to browse through the selections and pick two novels that they will read over the next several weeks. Some of the popular books and series available were “Among the Hidden,” “Divergent,” “The Hunger Games” and “The Maze Runner.” Reader’s Workshop, through Columbia University Teacher’s College, encourages student choice in reading. 

“Find a book that you’re really going to want to stick with,” Ms. Rosario told students as they sampled different titles. Books came from both the classroom library and the school library, which both have extensive choices for readers.

Ms. Rosario said that her students will be reading several short story “mentor texts” together from the dystopian and fantasy genres to analyze different literary elements. They will then make comparisons to their selected novels. Students will also learn how to identify story themes, which will help them in an upcoming thematic essay writing unit.

Nearly 50 members of the Edmund W. Miles Middle School chorus, under the direction of Debra Koraus, sang for residents of the Dominican Village Long Island Assisted Living Community, as part of the middle school’s ongoing initiative to foster a culture of compassion and kindness. 

Chorus members visited the assisted living facility on Dec. 19 and performed songs from their recent winter concert as well as other seasonal favorites including a “Deck the Halls” medley, the traditional “Dona Nobis Pacem,” “Nutcracker Jingle Bells” and “Feliz Navidad.”  Students gave their time prior to the trip to hand-write holiday cards with personalized messages to Dominican Village residents, which were then handed out at the conclusion of the performance, during which the chorus sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

“It was a truly touching experience for both the students and residents alike,” Ms. Koraus said. “Dominican Village residents and employees in attendance were so pleased with the music and the students’ presence, that an invitation was immediately extended to return.”

The chorus is looking forward to a “Spring Sing” at Dominican Village in the coming months.

The artistic talents of students at Amityville Memorial High School and Edmund W. Miles Middle School will be on full display to shoppers and motorists passing through the Village of Amityville this holiday season. For the second consecutive year, students painted holiday scenes on the windows of several local businesses.

Under the guidance of art teachers Jennifer Dibble, Jayne Grasso, Heather Pickard and Nicole Scoca, more than 20 students spent the morning of Dec. 4 creating the festive holiday displays. The windows of The Cheesecake Spot, Family Dollar and Gerald’s Market on Broadway were covered in designs created by students, as well as the Marks of Excellence child care center on Albany Avenue in North Amityville.

Teachers outlined the designs with white paint a day in advance before students arrived to add color. The displays featured Christmas lights, holly, ornaments, snowmen, wreathes and more. Participating students include members of the National Art Honor Society at the high school and interested art students from the middle school.

Superintendent Dr. Mary T. Kelly, Director of Fine Arts Dr. Fran Fernandez and high school transition coordinator Karen Gross partnered with the Amityville Chamber of Commerce to beautify the community for the holidays. 

Students in Jennifer Dibble’s art classes recently worked on a collaborative project at Edmund W. Miles Middle School. Using watercolor paints, they made colorful feathers that were then used to create a peace dove on a bulletin board, which every student passes by on their way to the cafeteria and gymnasium. 

The middle school is designated as a No Place for Hate school by the Anti-Defamation League, and the creation of the dove is part of the ongoing initiative to foster a culture of compassion and kindness. Ms. Dibble coordinated with social worker Beatriz Offitto on the project.