Third grader Hayley Dunne stood side-by-side with Amanda Licci, principal of Newbridge Road Elementary School, as cars pulled up to drop off students on Jan. 23. Assisting at morning arrival was her first of many duties as principal for a day. 

Hayley won a PTA raffle to spend the day with her school’s leader. She got to Newbridge Road a little earlier than usual so she could join Ms. Licci out front. Once students were settled into their classrooms, Hayley joined third grade student council members to do the morning announcements, concluding it with a message about good character and a reminder to always show their “Newbridge HEART.”  

The principal pair visited sixth grade classrooms for a read aloud of “Why Not,” followed by a walk-and-talk through the hallways. Ms. Licci answered Hayley’s questions about life as principal in between their visits to classrooms.  

At Newbridge Road, classes that earn 20 hearts by showing good behavior during lunch and recess get special prizes. Hayley joined Ms. Licci for Pause and Play in a fourth grade class and Cub Comedy Corner in a third grade class, where they told corny jokes. She also handed out markers to second graders to write their names on the windows across from the cafeteria, a prize known as Tiger Ink.  

Hayley also got to eat lunch with Ms. Licci in her office, and the PTA provided the food. Her meal of choice was macaroni and cheese with a Sprite and strawberry ice cream. In the afternoon, there were more classroom visits, another announcement and assisting at dismissal. Hayley briefly returned to student status in the middle of the day for recess and physical education with her classmates.  

“I never knew what it is like to run a school,” Hayley said. “It is a hard-working day but a lot of fun. It was really fun to spend a day with the principal because you rarely get to do that.” 

Hayley, who bought a special outfit to look professional, said her favorite part was visiting classrooms and getting know more students beyond her grade.  

Ms. Licci noted that this was the first year of the principal for a day raffle and hopes she gave Hayley valuable insight into the innerworkings of a school. The purpose of the initiative was to give a student a taste of what goes on behind the scenes. 

“Being a principal, you’re constantly moving,” Ms. Licci said. “Hayley got to see a lot of different things a principal might do. I hope she has a memory that she’ll think about for a long time.”

 

Date Added: 1/28/2026

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

 

Two new leadership opportunities are launching for students in 2026 at Newbridge Road Elementary School. Tiger Birthday Boosters started on Jan. 5, followed by Thunder’s Greeting Squad a week later. 

Every day after the morning announcements, Birthday Boosters travels the school with a calendar and deliver birthday greetings. They can sing “Happy Birthday,” give high-fives or fist bumps and deliver handmade cards or posters. The Boosters are tasked with making the moment festive and special for Newbridge Road students celebrating their milestone day.  

“The whole point is to make it really fun and exciting,” Principal Amanda Licci told the first group of Birthday Boosters at an introductory meeting on Dec. 22. 

Students take on the role twice per six-day cycle throughout January and February. There will then be two more groups of Birthday Boosters before the end of the school year.  

Starting Jan. 12, student greeters will be stationed inside the school near the arrival entrances and throughout the hallways. They must get to school by 8:15 a.m. and go to their assigned posts so they can welcome students and staff with a friendly and positive attitude. One of their responsibilities will be offering smiles and kind words to help everyone start the day on a warm note.  

Student greeters will rotate each day of the week. They will support faculty and staff who already greet students outside of the building. One of the benefits of adding student greeters, Ms. Licci said, is increasing child-to-child interactions and ultimately building a stronger school community. 

Thunder’s Greeting Squad and Tiger Birthday Boosters are both named for the school mascot. The leadership groups are open to grades 3-6, and interested students had to complete an application and be recommended by either Ms. Licci or a teacher. To feel like the adult leaders in the building, students in both get ID badges. 

“Reading the applications, you could see how serious they took this process, so it’s very meaningful and impactful for them,” she said. “This is just another step toward growing student leadership.” 

The two new groups are in addition to several existing leadership roles through student council, Beautification Club, Café Club, Junior Librarians, Smile Club, Spirit Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

 

 

Date Added: 1/7/2026

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

JoAnn Belferder’s classroom was filled with energy for a lesson on that scientific concept on Nov. 20 at Newbridge Road Elementary School. Working in groups, students made rubber band racers that helped them understand the difference between potential and kinetic energy. 

The young scientists followed instructions to build the racers from two clear plastic cups and tops, along with paperclips, a pony bead, rubber band, straw and tape. They also need a pencil to help stretch the rubber band through two cups. When complete, they spun the straw to twist the rubber band, then put the racer on the floor and watched it move. 

After the contraptions were complete, the class came together to share the observations. They learned that potential energy was represented by the twisted rubber band, which became kinetic energy once the racer was free to move. Students also understood how it was essentially a simplistic version of a car engine. 

The science project fostered numerous skills including collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving. While every student in each group was assigned a specific role, their racer build wouldn’t be successful without teamwork and efficient communication. 

Click here to view the Swift Scientists Explore Energy at Newbridge Road slideshow.

 

Date Added: 12/4/2025