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

First-year faculty members got a thorough introduction to the North Bellmore School District at new teacher orientation on Aug. 14. The 18 new hires will work across the district’s five schools and include classroom, special education and special area teachers, as well as nurses, social workers and speech language pathologists.

As they gathered in the Park Avenue Elementary School library, they learned about North Bellmore’s mission, core values, instructional program and technology resources. They met with several members of the district’s leadership team including Superintendent Marie Testa, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Janet Pollitt, Director of Educational Programs and Staff Development Tillie McNamara and Executive Director for Personnel Denise Fisher.

The program included breakout sessions for teachers to work on planning and programming with their colleagues. A few of the new hires are familiar faces, having served as leave placement or student teachers in the district.

“New teacher orientation is a special occasion dedicated to welcoming educators into our school district,” Ms. Fisher said. “It’s energizing to see these exceptional individuals come together, having been chosen for our belief in their dedication to supporting the emotional, social and academic well-being of our students. We are fortunate to have this day so that we can begin fostering a strong, supportive community among our teachers, just as we value community building with our students and families."

Date Added: 8/20/2024