Parents got a comprehensive overview of the North Bellmore School District’s wealth of digital learning resources available to their children during an evening program on Jan. 28. Parent University featured eight workshops led by district educators.

Among the online learning tools that were featured were BrainPop, Envision Math, Google Classroom, iReady and Typing Agent. There were three 20-minute sessions so parents were able to learn about multiple resources. Students use these tools on their school devices and can also be accessed at home through the district website.

Introductions by Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Janet Pollitt, Director of Educational Programs and Staff Development Tillie McNamara and Executive Director of Technology, Data and Information Services Jason Fischetti gave parents an overview of the district’s technology program and vision. They explained that digital resources are instructional tools to support learning, that teachers carefully select when and how technology is used, and that the tools are used with intention and balance to avoid excessive screentime.

Teacher expertise, relationships with students and the instructional program remain at the center of learning, Ms. Pollitt explained. Technology enhances the educational program through practice, enrichment and access to resources.

The workshops were led by 14 teachers and instructional coaches, representing all five elementary schools as well as multiple grade levels and special subject areas. Martin Avenue Elementary School’s sixth grade student ambassadors greeted parents as they arrived and helped them find their workshops.

Ms. Pollitt said that the goal of Parent University sessions are to strengthen the home-school connection. The district devoted a night to technology, she said, because there are so many tools can easily be accessed at home to support student learning.

“We’ve built such a robust technology program over the years,” she said. “We want to make sure parents are aware of all of the resources we have for children for use both in school and at home.”

 

Date Added: 2/3/2026

Saw Mill Road Elementary School sixth graders will be ready to ace middle school, thanks to the advice and guidance from their older peers.  

About two dozen students from Mepham High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District visited Saw Mill Road on Jan. 27, the second of three visits through the ACES program – Athletes Compassionately Educating Students. High school athlete leaders are also visiting other North Bellmore elementary schools.  

The topic for the recent rendezvous was civility and sportsmanship. Each sixth grade classroom was visited by a group of high school students, who discussed those two concepts and how students should react in different situations. They presented different scenarios, which led to discussions about treating others with kindness and respect in the classroom, at lunch and recess, and on the field.  

The hour-long program also included several team-building games. In one activity, sixth graders stood in a circle and grabbed hands with someone who wasn’t next to them. They then had to work together to rearrange the circle while keeping their hands connected.  

High school students from ACES will visit again in the spring with a focus on staying drug and alcohol free. The goal of the program is to set students up for success in middle school by forming connections with older peers who have achieved success and are solid role models.  

Click here to view the Mepham Leaders Impart Knowledge at Saw Mill slideshow.

 

Date Added: 1/30/2026

More than 30 students from the North Bellmore School District were selected for this year’s All-County music festival, hosted by the Nassau Music Educators Association. Rehearsals and concerts are taking place from Jan. 7-18. 

Fifth and sixth grade students from the band, chorus and orchestra were selected based on NYSSMA solo performance scores and teacher recommendations.  

Congratulations to the following students: 

John G. Elementary Dinkelmeyer School: Ethan Andreu, Elliana Fidacaro, Arianna Lettieri,Brooke Murphy, Ella Piazza, Brooke Sheehan and Ella Sjoberg. 

Martin Avenue Elementary School: Alex Caba, Isabelle Dang and Lylah Jakubowski. 

Newbridge Elementary Road: Cecelia Barone, Andrew Boylan, Nina Cannistraci, Marion Chelsea DeJesus, Hunter Outsen, Arielle Zhang and Maya Zucker. 

Park Avenue Elementary School: Marco Artale, Veronica Calise, Anaya Chandhok, Caleb Cheung, Hadley Hollander, Elora Rosello and Destiny Zosike.  

Saw Mill Road Elementary School: Sienna Burmann, Ryan Diaz, Judith Guzman, Kerha lorvena, Vincent Merle, Gianna Toledo and Eliana Weissman. 

Five orchestra students will also participate in the Long Island String Festival Association’s Nassau Intermediate festival from Feb. 27-March 1. Those students are Arianna Lettieri (Dinkelmeyer), Marion Chelsea DeJesus (Newbridge Road), Lucia Rodriguez and DestinyZosike (Park Avenue) and Vincent Merle (Saw Mill Road).

Click here to view the North Bellmore Musicians Bound for Regional Restivals slideshow.

 

Date Added: 1/12/2026

 

A trio of toy drives at Saw Mill Road Elementary School District will bring joy to hundreds of children this holiday season. The Students Against Destructive Decisions club and Danielle Brocco’s second grade class both collected toys for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation. Michelle Mittler’s third graders donated toys to Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

On Dec. 18, John Theissen visited the school to pick up the donations. Sixth graders from SADD and Ms. Brocco’s second graders gathered in the lobby to listen to Mr. Theissen as he explained the origins of his organization, based in Wantagh. He talked about a girl, Tasha, who was in the hospital with him and gave him a teddy bear, inspiring him to start his first toy drive in 1992. Since then, it has grown from delivering 800 toys to sick and underprivileged children that first year, to about 130,000 toys last year. Students emptied the donation box, put all the toys in bags and helped load up his car.

“I feel really good about how our school is helping other children and giving them a good holiday,” SADD club member Nathan Smith said. “I hope they know that people care about them.”

“It’s amazing how he started this because of another person’s nice gesture,” Angelina Chen said about Mr. Theissen. “It feels awesome to know that these gifts can help underprivileged children.”

The SADD club, under the direction of Keara McNamara, made several signs by hand to hang around the school to promote the toy drive, which ran from Dec. 1-17. They also made announcements every morning.

Ms. Mittler has been involving her students in a toy drive every year for about a decade. Her family makes an annual holiday donation to Cohen Children’s Medical Center for the care they gave her daughter. Students are encouraged to contribute a new, unwrapped toy, and Ms. Mittler personally delivered the donations on Dec. 15.

“I like to involve my class,” she said, “because it teaches them about generosity and compassion.”

Click here to view the Saw Mill’s Elves Make Big Impact With Toy Drives slideshow.

String students from North Bellmore’s five elementary schools came together for the annual District Orchestra Winter Concert on Dec. 8 at the Brookside School. Proud parents, siblings, teachers and administrators filled the auditorium to enjoy holiday and winter tunes. 

The young musicians learned the concert music together during early morning districtwide rehearsals over the last several months, as well as during their small-group lessons. The fifth grade ensemble was conducted by Patrice Ryan and the sixth grade group was led by Lisa Uckardes. Individual school winter concerts are also taking place throughout December. 

Date Added: 12/9/2025