More than 30 students from the North Bellmore School District were selected for this year’s All-County music festival, hosted by the Nassau Music Educators Association. Rehearsals and concerts are taking place from Jan. 7-18. 

Fifth and sixth grade students from the band, chorus and orchestra were selected based on NYSSMA solo performance scores and teacher recommendations.  

Congratulations to the following students: 

John G. Elementary Dinkelmeyer School: Ethan Andreu, Elliana Fidacaro, Arianna Lettieri,Brooke Murphy, Ella Piazza, Brooke Sheehan and Ella Sjoberg. 

Martin Avenue Elementary School: Alex Caba, Isabelle Dang and Lylah Jakubowski. 

Newbridge Elementary Road: Cecelia Barone, Andrew Boylan, Nina Cannistraci, Marion Chelsea DeJesus, Hunter Outsen, Arielle Zhang and Maya Zucker. 

Park Avenue Elementary School: Marco Artale, Veronica Calise, Anaya Chandhok, Caleb Cheung, Hadley Hollander, Elora Rosello and Destiny Zosike.  

Saw Mill Road Elementary School: Sienna Burmann, Ryan Diaz, Judith Guzman, Kerha lorvena, Vincent Merle, Gianna Toledo and Eliana Weissman. 

Five orchestra students will also participate in the Long Island String Festival Association’s Nassau Intermediate festival from Feb. 27-March 1. Those students are Arianna Lettieri (Dinkelmeyer), Marion Chelsea DeJesus (Newbridge Road), Lucia Rodriguez and DestinyZosike (Park Avenue) and Vincent Merle (Saw Mill Road).

Click here to view the North Bellmore Musicians Bound for Regional Restivals slideshow.

 

Date Added: 1/12/2026

 

Fifth and sixth graders at Park Avenue Elementary School are a little more emotionally intelligent following their recent visits to the Coping Skills Café. The program was hosted by North Bellmore School District counselors Keara McNamara and Holly Sugarman to help students manage the intensity of the emotions they naturally feel.

Ms. McNamara and Ms. Sugarman opened each session with a class discussion on regulating emotions and the coping skills students are already using. Then, children rotated through four centers, with each providing different strategies.

At the puzzles and fidgets stations, students could explore different tactile ways to regulate their emotions by using objects such as pop toys, stress balls, wooden block puzzles and word searches. The art and sculpting center featured coloring pages with colored pencils, and Play-Doh.

The breathing and mindfulness center had posters and cards showcasing different relaxation techniques for students to practice. They also made a coping skills toolbox and listed several different strategies they would find effective.

Ms. McNamara and Ms. Sugarman said that they wanted each child to leave with a few new ideas and identify which strategies would work best when experiencing certain emotions. They added that the Coping Skills Café supports the district’s fifth and sixth grade health and wellness curriculum. Each session ended with a class discussion, as students shared the techniques they are adding to their emotional toolkit.

“The Coping Skills Café is interactive and it’s experiential learning because students get to do things hands-on,” Ms. McNamara said. “The goal is for them to take away a few different skills they’ll be able to use in the future.”

Click here to view the Park Avenue Students Learn to Thrive Emotionally 2025 slideshow.

Date Added: 12/17/2025

String students from North Bellmore’s five elementary schools came together for the annual District Orchestra Winter Concert on Dec. 8 at the Brookside School. Proud parents, siblings, teachers and administrators filled the auditorium to enjoy holiday and winter tunes. 

The young musicians learned the concert music together during early morning districtwide rehearsals over the last several months, as well as during their small-group lessons. The fifth grade ensemble was conducted by Patrice Ryan and the sixth grade group was led by Lisa Uckardes. Individual school winter concerts are also taking place throughout December. 

Date Added: 12/9/2025