Several students from the Amityville Union Free School District were selected to All-County Music Ensembles by the Suffolk County chapter of the New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education and the Suffolk County Music Educators Association. Although all of the festivals for the 2020-2021 season have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these students have achieved this honor through their hard work and dedication to their music studies.  

NYSCAME All-County Ensembles:

Amityville Memorial High School – Yaneli Amaya, flute, Division 4 Band; Alexander Diaz, viola, Division 4 Orchestra; Keiry Martinez, vocals, Division 4 Chorus

SCMEA All-County Ensembles:

Amityville Memorial High School – Aysia Francis, trumpet, Division 2 Band; Destiny Harding, vocals, Division 2 Chorus; Katya Ramos-Rojas, baritone horn, Division 2 Band; Madeline Shingleton, cello, Division 2 Orchestra; Melissa Fearrington, vocals, Division 3 Chorus; Kenneth Garcia, clarinet, Division 3 Band; Daniella Henriquez, vocals, Division 3 Chorus; Messiah Marshall, flute, Division 3 Band; Justin Mohan, alto saxophone, Division 3 Band; Kemar Porche, vocals, Division 3 Chorus; Aaliyah Precil, vocals, Division 3 Chorus; Bryant Rivas, vocals, Division 3 Chorus.

Edmund W. Miles Middle School – Kaleb Rivera, vocals, Division 1 Chorus; Aurora Morales, vocals, Division 1 Chorus.

Please enjoy our districtwide virtual art show and our winter concert performances from Amityville Memorial High School, Edmund W. Miles Middle School and Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School. 

"The students have worked extremely hard under very difficult and different circumstances and, as you will see, they continue to thrive within the arts," said Director of Fine Arts and Music Dr. Fran Fernandez. "Special thanks goes out to all of our district’s art and music teachers for putting all of these presentations together."

Districtwide Winter Art Show

High School Orchestra

High School Chorus

High School Band

Park Avenue and Middle School Chorus

6th Grade Orchestra

7th and 8th Grade Orchestra

E.W. Miles Middle School 6th Grade Band and 7th/8th Grade Band

As part of their study on energy, eighth graders constructed and tested bottle cars in their STEAM class at Edmund W. Miles Middle School. The hands-on activity allowed them to see for themselves how potential energy turns into kinetic energy.

Teacher Natasha Lim gave each student an empty plastic water bottle to use as the car’s body. Other supplies included metal and wooden rods as axles and bottle caps for the wheels. Students could choose either a low-tech or a high-tech option to power their cars – a straw connected to a balloon or a small, battery-powered motor. 

Students began the engineering challenge by doing research on their Chromebooks to explore potential solutions, then sketched out their designs before building. 

To mark Veterans Day, students at Edmund W. Miles Middle School and Amityville Memorial High School learned about the brave men and women who served in the United States military and why their sacrifices are important.

At the middle school, social studies teacher Frank O’Brian and hall monitor Sykes Reese spoke to students through a Google Meet videoconference about their experiences in the Navy. They each presented a slideshow with photos and video clips, then participated in a virtual question and answer session with students.

Middle school students also wrote letters to veterans or current members of the military. They had the option of writing a thank-you letter to Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Reese, Amityville graduates Esteban Idrovo and Rene Idrovo who are presently serving in the armed forces, a veteran they know personally, or a generic letter to be sent through SupportOurTroops.org.

At Amityville Memorial High School, three current servicemen participated in a half-hour videoconference with students during their seminar period on Nov. 12. All classrooms tuned in and students learning remotely could also watch from their Chromebooks. 

The speakers included both active duty military personnel and reservists. Assistant Brian Suckle, who coordinated the program and facilitated the discussion, said they talked about their reasons for enlisting, the branches of the military they belong to, their military experiences and career opportunities in the armed forces. They also took questions from students and teachers. 

Earlier in the week, high school students learned about the six core principles of the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious personal military decoration, and watched videos about past medal winners. 

Keeping school buildings clean and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is a vital role, and students at Edmund W. Miles Middle School wanted to recognize that effort. Students in the National Junior Honor Society showed their appreciation for the school’s custodial staff with a special presentation.

Honor society adviser Carlee Brunson said that although the options are limited this year, her students still want to find ways of fulfilling the organization’s community service mission. She met with them over Google Meet to discuss ideas, and they decided to recognize the custodians because their efforts directly impact the students. 

Ms. Brunson created a blank Google Slides presentation, and each student filled one page with graphics and personal messages of thanks. She then printed out the completed project and presented it as a gift to each custodian. 

The eighth grade members of the honor society contributing their messages of thanks were Lizette Acosta, Tiffany Asbell, Jayda Barker, Jesus Barrios, Alani Bosse, Kayla Canales, Melody Cauley, Nyla Epps, Paola Flores, April Kenny, Julina McMeo, Alisson Molina, Nathalia Moreno, Luis Moreno, Janaiya Randolph, Jonathan Ruiz-Chirinos, Janithza Sanabria and Sasha Urias.

“You always ensure that the students can learn in a clean environment, you are friendly with the students, and you make sure everything is safe for not only students, but for faculty as well,” Alani wrote.

Tiffany, the chapter president, wrote, “Thank you so much for keeping our schools safe, comfortable, and clean! Even if you don’t always hear it from everyone, we appreciate all of you!”

“When I come into school I feel relieved knowing that the school will be cleaned and safe,” Jonathan shared in his message. “It takes bravery to do what you do especially when there’s a pandemic going around. You are what is keeping kids able to go to school and get the education that they deserve.”