North Bellmore School District

Two new leadership opportunities are launching for students in 2026 at Newbridge Road Elementary School. Tiger Birthday Boosters started on Jan. 5, followed by Thunder’s Greeting Squad a week later. 

Every day after the morning announcements, Birthday Boosters travels the school with a calendar and deliver birthday greetings. They can sing “Happy Birthday,” give high-fives or fist bumps and deliver handmade cards or posters. The Boosters are tasked with making the moment festive and special for Newbridge Road students celebrating their milestone day.  

“The whole point is to make it really fun and exciting,” Principal Amanda Licci told the first group of Birthday Boosters at an introductory meeting on Dec. 22. 

Students take on the role twice per six-day cycle throughout January and February. There will then be two more groups of Birthday Boosters before the end of the school year.  

Starting Jan. 12, student greeters will be stationed inside the school near the arrival entrances and throughout the hallways. They must get to school by 8:15 a.m. and go to their assigned posts so they can welcome students and staff with a friendly and positive attitude. One of their responsibilities will be offering smiles and kind words to help everyone start the day on a warm note.  

Student greeters will rotate each day of the week. They will support faculty and staff who already greet students outside of the building. One of the benefits of adding student greeters, Ms. Licci said, is increasing child-to-child interactions and ultimately building a stronger school community. 

Thunder’s Greeting Squad and Tiger Birthday Boosters are both named for the school mascot. The leadership groups are open to grades 3-6, and interested students had to complete an application and be recommended by either Ms. Licci or a teacher. To feel like the adult leaders in the building, students in both get ID badges. 

“Reading the applications, you could see how serious they took this process, so it’s very meaningful and impactful for them,” she said. “This is just another step toward growing student leadership.” 

The two new groups are in addition to several existing leadership roles through student council, Beautification Club, Café Club, Junior Librarians, Smile Club, Spirit Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions.