To celebrate International Dot Day and increase their knowledge of renowned artists, students at Martin Avenue Elementary School created colorful circle paintings.

Students read the Peter Reynolds book, “The Dot,” an inspirational story that focuses on growth mindset and perseverance. Working with art teacher Erica Farley, the young artists then made their mark with their own dot paintings. The pieces mimicked the style of modern artist Wassily Kandinsky who was known for his paintings of concentric circles. They used tempera paint and paint sticks to complete their masterpieces.

Date Added: 9/19/2024

Heroes are often ordinary people who do something extraordinary, a lesson learned by students at Martin Avenue Elementary School to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The district marked the day by observing Patriot Day and the National Day of Service. Throughout all five schools, students and staff were encouraged to wear red, white and blue. At Martin Avenue, it was hard to find anyone missing one of those colors from their attire.

Third graders in Danielle Kalinowski’s and Judie Wakie’s classes came together for a service project. It began with a read aloud of “Fireboat,” the story of a boat that was brought back into commission on Sept. 11 to help pump water to the devasted World Trade Center site. Following a discussion about heroes in their lives and community, each student then penned a letter to a local hero.

Each youngster had the choice of writing to a personal hero in his or her life, or writing to a community hero like a firefighter, police officer, doctor, nurse, lifeguard or someone else who keeps people safe. Ms. Kalinoswki and Ms. Wakie collected the letters to local heroes to deliver.

In Ashley Vella’s fifth grade class, students read “Man in Red Bandana,” a book based on a documentary about Welles Crowther, who sacrificed his own life to help save others from the Twin Towers. Students learned about everyday people who think of others before themselves, then completed activity sheets, “What is a hero to you?” Working in small groups, students discussed the attributes and traits of heroes.

Click here to view the Sept. 11 Spurs Reflection on Heroism in North Bellmore slideshow.

Date Added: 9/12/2024

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