A Message to our Community from Dr. Mark Wiener, Principal
Martin Avenue Elementary School

As we approach Martin Avenue School from the south, the wonderful sign for Bellmore Village , which proclaims "a stroll down memory lane", greets us. For me, that sign suggests an image of a simpler, more peaceful time. It suggests a time when communities were small and close knit; a time when families and educators worked together to instill basic values of academic mastery, respectful behavior, and strong character in our children. Today, although we live in a complex, fast-paced, and challenging world, I am so proud that these values are alive and well in our Martin Avenue community of teachers, students, and families.

The "memory lane" sign, for me, also speaks to a sense of history; something we at Martin Avenue find especially relevant and interesting. Originally opened in 1949 to help accommodate our community’s rapid growth following World War II, Martin Avenue closed in 1978 due to redistricting. Today we are happy to have some second and even third generation Martin Avenue students back under our roof! Fortunately, many of our neighbors, parents, and district employees remember the wonderful early years of Martin Avenue and we hear great stories all the time. One thing we invariably hear when people reminisce about our school is the tradition of caring, nurturing, and excitement about learning that thrived within these walls many years ago.

Here are just a few of the many remembrances by teachers and former students, that I discovered in a 20^th anniversary reunion book published by the "original" Martin Avenue faculty:

"…the many caring, warm, friendly people who welcomed me."

"…the many kindnesses that were bestowed on me by these very special people."

"…the teachers were always wonderful, warm-hearted and willing to help."

"It was a wonderful place, so warm and friendly with exciting things going on."

"The atmosphere was joyous."

"I have great memories as a kid growing up in Bellmore , but none so powerful, so pleasant, so special as the years spent at Martin Avenue Elementary School ."

Since our successful re-opening in September 2001, our students, teachers, and families have been "writing new chapters" in our history. In our very first year of operation, the President of National PTA, Linda Hodge, visited our students and described Martin Avenue as "a truly awesome school." We have been highlighted on national television with a "meet the author" presentation on C-Span’s Book TV, while the official journal of the National PTA, Our Children, featured Martin Avenue School in its cover story. Our students have appeared as the featured writers of the Newsday column, Kidsday. The majority of our students have consistently met or exceeded New York State Learning Standards , and our district supports us in providing extra help for students who need it.

Our PTA and general parent involvement has been a key element in our success. Just a few of the positive results of our family involvement have included: “Community-build” of our new playground; artist-in-residence; poet-in-residence; meet the author night with 20 authors attending; Parents as Reading Parnters (PARP); family fun night and day; snowflake festivals; fundraising auctions, and so many other events.

Our faculty and I have established a positive, supportive social climate, with particular attention to anti-bullying initiatives. This is an absolute requirement for a comfortable, productive learning environment. We have revitalized our district’s long-standing Peaceworks program and created a Peaceful Playground and Levels of Behavior program built around principles of respect, responsible choices, and productive use of recess time. We use a proactive social skills curriculum, Skillstreaming, and we promote peer mediation while enforcing the New York State Project SAVE legislation for safe and secure schools.

Our faculty and I work to make Martin Avenue a place where your child will reach high academic standards, while enjoying a supportive social climate. With your help and with the hard work of our staff, Martin Avenue will be a place where each student’s imagination, sense of wonder, and excitement about learning will thrive.