Port Jefferson’s role in the American Revolution and its relation to the Culper Spy Ring was brought to life for middle school history students during an assembly on Dec. 22 — the actual date on the letter that links the village to the Culper Spy Ring.

During the event, seventh-graders listened as Port Jefferson Village Mayor Margot Garant, Historian Georgette Grier-Key and Earl L. Vandermeulen High School alumnus, Michael Tessler, present an 18th-century letter confirming Port Jefferson’s role in the Culper Spy Ring, which carried secret messages written in invisible ink to Gen. George Washington. Students also watched a short video outlining the significance of the historical document, which was written by a suspected British spy four years after colonists declared independence from Great Britain.     

Prior to the assembly, teachers Monica Consalvo and Deirdre Filippi had the students engage is a series of learning centers where they gained a glimpse into the village’s connection to the American Revolution. Among the activities, were deciphering a spy code and tracing the spy ring’s movements through an authentic map.