The 38 students who gathered on the back field of Saw Mill Road Elementary School on Oct. 22 had one thing in common – some pretty good football skills. The North Bellmore School District held the final round of its Punt, Pass, Kick competition, an annual event hosted by the physical education department.  

With sunny skies and temperatures that felt more appropriate for NFL training camp than middle of the season, the young athletes were thrilled to be outdoors and bonding with fellow football lovers. Two long rulers were set up on the turf field to measure, in feet, the distance each football traveled.  

Students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades competed in preliminary rounds at their schools, with the boys and girls winners from each grade earning a spot in the district championship. The young athletes then had their final chance in the three skills events – dropping and punting the football, throwing it down the field and kicking it off a tee. Each student was then able to redo one of those events to try and earn a higher score. 

At the end, the districtwide boys and girls winners were crowned in each grade level. Gabriel Guerriero and Vivienne Ferrie were tops in fourth grade, Brody Hislop and Maya Aruti were the fifth grade winners and Chase Almona and Vittoria DeMarco paced the sixth graders. They received trophies while runners up were awarded medals.  

The event was coordinated by physical education teachers James Breslin, Bill Green, Jim Mulvey, Anthony Novello, Alyssa Parker and Michael Wiener, as well as retired P.E. teacher Tom Steinmuller.  

Click here to view the Football Fanatics Compete in Punt, Pass, Kick Finals slideshow.

Date Added: 10/24/2024

Every fifth grader in Ryan Catalano’s class at John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School has a unique personality, and they were proud to showcase what makes them special. 

Students read “The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig, a story about friendship, inclusion and kindness. They talked about the differences between physical characteristics – what is seen on the outside – and their invisible characteristics within.  
 
In creating their own “Invisible Me,” projects, Mr. Catalano’s fifth graders shared their own interests and passions. It was a way for students to get to know their classmates better and build a strong classroom community.   

Date Added: 10/9/2024

Making good choices in Jennifer McGovern’s kindergarten class at John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School is making students more literature rich. A pair of youngsters recently were rewarded with tokens to the school’s book vending machine for embodying one of the North Bellmore School District’s core values.

To begin their elementary school careers, Ms. McGovern wants students to be aware of the effect their choices have on others. This connects to one of the district’s seven core values, “Each individual is responsible for his or her choices and the impact they create.”

Students Abigail Chan and Lucas Petrizzo became the first two students from her class to receive tokens for the book vending machine in the lobby, which was donated two years ago by the Dinkelmeyer PTA. As the class gathered in front of the vending machine in the lobby, Ms. McGovern commended the two students as, one separate occasions, they each went to join a classmate who was playing alone.

Every day, the choices that they make in class can make others happy or sad, and Ms. McGovern always wants them to make a decision that will make someone’s day better. The two recognized students did just that through their actions, she explained.

The PTA provided each teacher with book tokens for every child, and Ms. McGovern will continue to reward her students throughout the year for demonstrating kindness and being a good school citizen. To vending machine is filled with selections for readers of different ages.

Date Added: 9/26/2024