The smiles and laughter from both children and adults showed that it was mission accomplished for Global School Play Day at Martin Avenue Elementary School on Feb. 5. The North Bellmore School District embraced the annual initiative nearly a decade ago as a reminder that learning can be fun.

Each class at Martin Avenue blocked out time for unstructured play. In many rooms, students played with games and toys they brought from home.

Second grade teacher Mary Carrea said no electronics were allowed as she wanted her students to play the old-fashioned way. She noted the many benefits of playing board games like teaching compromise, fair play and sportsmanship.

Fifth graders in Ashley Vella’s class played bingo and charades before unstructured free play began. All of the desks were pushed to the edge of the room to create a wide-open space for play. Even the back table was transformed into a ping-pong table. In addition to board games, her students could be found drawing and playing with action figures.

“It’s always a fun day,” Ms. Vella said, adding that it’s a good chance for her students to tap into their creativity, bond over common interests and expand their friend groups.

First grade teacher Nicole Huttner had her students rotate through stations with different games that students brought in from home. Rachel Graber’s sixth graders hosted their buddies from Antonietta Fischetti’s second grade class. While the older students usually serve as the leaders, this time it was flipped as it was the second graders who brought in their games and taught others the rules.

“Unstructured play provides students the opportunity to develop their communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Principal Dr. Michael Yannucci said. “It supports the ongoing efforts of our teachers to build caring and compassionate classrooms.”

Click here to view the Learning Through Play at Martin Avenue slideshow.

Date Added: 2/11/2025

It’s award season for school librarians, who every January look forward to the announcement of the Randolph Caldecott Medal winner for the best illustrated children’s book. North Bellmore librarian Yvonne Francolini turned it into a learning experience for her students at Martin Avenue, Newbridge Road and Park Avenue elementary schools. 

Leading up to the Jan. 27 announcement, her students reviewed 12 books that had “buzz” around them as possible Caldecott Medal recipients. They were asked to make predictions on if they felt each book could be a winner. The medal is part of the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards.  

This year’s gold medal winner was, “Chooch Helped” authored by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. Although it did not make the list of the 12 books that students reviewed, a pair of Caldecott Honor Books were there – “Noodles on a Bicycle” and “Home in a Lunchbox.”   

Some of the books that the students reviewed were strictly picture books, while others included both words and illustrations. Before making their judgments, students reviewed the Caldecott Medal criteria and also looked at past winners.  

“I love seeing the students get so excited about books,” Ms. Francolini said. “This lesson exposes them to some of the best picture books. There’s a real-world connection when they get to see the actual Caldecott Medal winners and compare it to their picks.” 

Click here to view the Readers Explore Best Children’s Books slideshow.

Date Added: 2/6/2025

In advance of the holiday in his honor, the contributions of great Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were studied in depth by students at Martin Avenue Elementary School.

Students learned that the third Monday of January is not just a day off from school, but a celebration of the man whose fight for equality led to major changes in the law. First graders studied his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, then did a writing and craft project in which they described their own dreams for the world.

Youngsters from Debra Ferretti and Nicole Huttner’s classes came together on Jan. 16 for an MLK craft project. Each student colored in a graphic of two hands with a heart in the middle, then wrote about what love and peace means to them.

In Tiffany Joosten’s fourth grade class, students paired up to read books about Dr. King and complete a timeline of his life. They also reviewed quotes from his various speeches. Each child then selected one and wrote why that quote was meaningful and how to incorporate the message into his or her life.

Throughout the day, Principal Dr. Michael Yannucci visited classrooms to read “Be a King” by Carole Boston Weatherford, and discussed with students how they could live the virtues of Dr. King.

Click here to view the Martin Avenue Students Celebrate Civil Rights Leader slideshow.

Date Added: 1/17/2025

The North Bellmore School District is proud to announce that 28 students have been selected to participate in this month’s All-County Music Festival, hosted by the Nassau Music Educators Association. Fifth and sixth grade musicians from the band, chorus and orchestra were selected based on their NYSSMA solo performance scores and teacher recommendations.

Ensemble rehearsals take place at schools throughout the county during the weeks of Jan. 6 and Jan. 13. Weekend concerts are held at the LIU Post Tilles Center. 

Congratulations to the following musicians on their All-County selections:

John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School – Band: Ethan Andreau and Nicholas Truglio; Chorus: Jake Duverneau, Charlotte Giannetta, Brooke Murphy, Elliot Renz and Brooke Sheehan; Orchestra: Arianna Lettieri and Alayna Mangels.

Martin Avenue Elementary School – Orchestra: Isabelle Dang.

Newbridge Road Elementary School – Band: Elianna Lopez; Chorus: Nina Cannistraci, Henry Cohen, Marion Chelsea De Jesus and Kyra Devlin; Orchestra: Lauren Corace.

Park Avenue Elementary School – Band: Andrew Udilovich; Chorus: Marco Artale, Xcenia Benden, Veronica Calise, Elianna Macaluso and Micah Millington; Orchestra: Temitayo Otuyemi.

Saw Mill Road Elementary School – Band: Frank Figueiredo; Chorus: Rebecca David, Isabella Rodriguez and Eliana Weissman; Orchestra: Mariam Subhan.

The students learn under the direction of music teachers Skylar Berkley, Christopher D’Orio, Maritza Lopez, Ed McCullagh, Carol Ng, Alexander Roff, Patrice Ryan and Lisa Uckardes.

Click here to view the District Boasts 28 All-County Musicians slideshow.

Date Added: 1/8/2025