From their first day of kindergarten, students in the North Bellmore School District are nurtured to become joyful lifelong learners. Please view the district’s spring newsletter and Kindergarten Experience video to learn more about all facets of the program:

Spring 2025 Newsletter:
https://northbellmoreschools.org/Assets/Newsletters/051425_NBell_spring_NB_Colors.pdf?t=638828186625370000

Kindergarten Experience Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPjapWFkDpY

Date Added: 5/14/2025

The North Bellmore School District celebrates its fabulous educators for Teacher Appreciation Week. Students from our five elementary schools share the qualities that make their teachers special in this video:

Date Added: 5/6/2025

Walt Whitman made his mark on the literacy world right here on Long Island and perhaps the next renowned poet will come from Saw Mill Road Elementary School. Throughout April, which is National Poetry Month, students have certainly been honing their craft.

Fifth graders in Melissa Mignoli’s class captured their personalities in delightful “I am” poems. The three-verse pieces featured statements based on the prompts “I wonder,” “I hear,” “I want,” “I touch,” “I understand,” “I dream” and more. It allowed students to take a deep dive into their feelings while expressing themselves creatively.

In Brandon Rosenblatt’s class, fifth graders wrote acrostic poems out of the school name. Students wrote one line based on each letter in “Saw Mill” to express their feelings about the school.

Third graders from Catherine McDonald’s class wrote Diamonte or diamond poems. The pieces were seven lines long, follow a specific pattern and do not rhyme. Their antonym poems were about one topic for three-and-a-half lines, then changed to the opposite. The project also helped students practice their cursive writing.

Click here to view the Saw Mill Writers Shine During Poetry Month slideshow.

Date Added: 4/30/2025

“The best is yet to come,” North Bellmore School District Superintendent Marie Testa said of the eight educators who officially received tenure at the April 10 board of education meeting.

During a standing room-only celebration at Martin Avenue Elementary School, the newly tenured administrators and teachers were lauded for their hard work and dedication to students during their probationary periods. They reflect the strength, breadth and excellence of the district, Ms. Testa noted.

Receiving tenure were:

Amanda Licci, principal, Newbridge Road Elementary School

Daniel Madden, assistant principal, Saw Mill Road Elementary School

Danielle Calapai, instructional coach

Alexa Cappuzzo, second grade teacher, John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School

Yvonne Francolini, librarian

Kerri Maxwell, first grade teacher, Newbridge Road Elementary School

Alyssa Parker, physical education teacher

Catherine Schlaich, computer science teacher

The night was filled with speeches celebrating each tenure recipient from proud colleagues. They also had the honor of achieving this career milestone with their families in attendance.

“We know the amount of time and effort and care and love that goes into being a teacher or an administrator,” Ms. Testa said. “Tenure reflects our confidence in their ongoing impact and their role in helping all learners succeed.”

Date Added: 4/22/2025

The arrival of spring made the perfect time for a lesson about the growth cycle of plants at Saw Mill Road Elementary School. Students in first through third graders were the beneficiaries of expert knowledge.  

Representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension visited the school on March 28 as part of its Agricultural Literacy Week program. Volunteers read “The Pie that Molly Grew,” a realistic fiction book that educated students on the growth cycle of a pumpkin. As a gift, Saw Mill Road received a copy of the book for its school library. 

Students learned the basics of what plants need to grow, such as water, soil and sunlight. They also took part in a hands-on activity to plant pumpkin seeds. Each child received a plastic cup, a clump of dirt and a pumpkin seed. Students then placed the cups in near the windows and each class can spend the next several weeks observing as small plants begin to grow.  

Judith Wilansky, a volunteer with CCE who is known as “Farmer Judy,” said that the activity supports the elementary science curriculum, which educates students about life cycles. She hopes that children have meaningful scientific discussions as the seeds sprout.  

Click here to view the Saw Mill Students Get Their Green Thumbs slideshow.

Date Added: 4/2/2025