Fifth and sixth graders at Park Avenue Elementary School are a little more emotionally intelligent following their recent visits to the Coping Skills Café. The program was hosted by North Bellmore School District counselors Keara McNamara and Holly Sugarman to help students manage the intensity of the emotions they naturally feel.

Ms. McNamara and Ms. Sugarman opened each session with a class discussion on regulating emotions and the coping skills students are already using. Then, children rotated through four centers, with each providing different strategies.

At the puzzles and fidgets stations, students could explore different tactile ways to regulate their emotions by using objects such as pop toys, stress balls, wooden block puzzles and word searches. The art and sculpting center featured coloring pages with colored pencils, and Play-Doh.

The breathing and mindfulness center had posters and cards showcasing different relaxation techniques for students to practice. They also made a coping skills toolbox and listed several different strategies they would find effective.

Ms. McNamara and Ms. Sugarman said that they wanted each child to leave with a few new ideas and identify which strategies would work best when experiencing certain emotions. They added that the Coping Skills Café supports the district’s fifth and sixth grade health and wellness curriculum. Each session ended with a class discussion, as students shared the techniques they are adding to their emotional toolkit.

“The Coping Skills Café is interactive and it’s experiential learning because students get to do things hands-on,” Ms. McNamara said. “The goal is for them to take away a few different skills they’ll be able to use in the future.”

Click here to view the Park Avenue Students Learn to Thrive Emotionally 2025 slideshow.

Date Added: 12/17/2025