North Bellmore BOE Meeting Covers Multiple Items

Anytime you put a bunch of kids up on a stage, you're bound to get a room full of smiles and belly laughs. And that's just how the North Bellmore Board of Education opened their Jan. 14 meeting.

Superintendent Arnold Goldstein thanked those involved in bringing student and teacher presentations to the board and community.

After a colorful speech on passionate learning (see video 2), Gunther first grade teacher Debra Hannaberry showed a PowerPoint presentation asking students what it means to be a "passionate learner."

One of the more comical answers was from first grader, Brandon who responded, "doing a bubble bath."

Their passionate learning program involved utilizing different activities for each season to learn math.

Then, Dinkelmeyer and Park Avenue kindergarten teachers Lauren LoBello and Robin Obey discussed the Quail Project (see video 1). The Quail Project began three years ago after teachers obtained a grant and involves kindergartners teaming up with fifth graders to incubate and raise quails. The quail are then released once they are old enough. The project spans the entire curriculum and runs from April to June. The North Bellmore Education Foundation has funded the grant for the past two years and the project is offered to every school in North Bellmore.

"We're contributing to the global community," said Obey.

"When the quail eggs hatched, the kindergartners faces just lit up because they were so excited," explained a fifth grader involved in the project.

LoBello added that the project is so much more than just curriculum.

"It speaks to the character of our education," she added. "It reaches the children in more ways than learning the life cycle of an omnivorous animal."

Next up was the tenure approval for an apparently well-deserving special education teacher, Tracy Kelly.

"It's always a pleasure when we can recommend someone for tenure and they so well deserve it," Superintendent Goldstein said. "I can attest to her considerable talent as a teacher and a special education teacher."

"Mrs. Kelly is adept at playing all the roles a teacher needs to play," a Saw Mill teacher said.

A PTA representative added that Kelly is "one of the most passionate teachers you will ever meet. Saw Mill is very lucky to have her."

The North Bellmore Council of PTAs, Special Education PTA, North Bellmore Teacher's Association, Saw Mill faculty and parents all made statements affirming Kelly's tenure approval. Supporters filled three rows in the audience, including a former Saw Mill teacher and family friend of Kelly's.

"Saw Mill is so blessed to have a teacher with Tracy's character and integrity," she said.

The board then approved a bond vote for March 24. Details about the new bond will appear in an upcoming story on Bellmore Patch.

Next up, the business department reported it had received news from Governor Paterson's office that the state would be paying back all of the school aid withheld in December. North Bellmore would receive $70,000 in severance state aid and $900,000 in star revenue.

"There has been no word on when that will exactly happen," said Toni Ann Cincotta,  assistant to the superintendent.

Cincotta continued on about the upcoming school budget vote on Tuesday, May 18. Voting will take place at Newbridge Road School from 6 a.m to 9 p.m. Budget workshops will be held on March 1, 15, 17 and 22. All residents are invited to attend and the board encourages community input.

The buildings and grounds report revealed money due back to the district after change orders were issued for work being done under EXCEL aid.

"This year we did heating and ventilation work under EXCEL [aid]," Cincotta explained.

Very often when the district goes out to bid on a project there are unforeseen problems that arise. The project them comes back to the board as a change. To allot for these issues, an additional $1,000 to $2,000 is added to the bid cost. All in all the district is receiving a $69,000 deduct.

Director of Facilities Frank Russo ran through a list of projects the maintenance and custodial crews were taking care of.

• Saw Mill received a new handicapped accessible water fountain
• Hand dryers were installed throughout the school district
• Paneling was put up in Saw Mill's cafeteria
• Ongoing SmartBoard projects are taking place throughout the district
• The halls at Dinkelmeyer are being painted
• Concrete and asphalt repairs have been made throughout the district
• Hand sanitizer dispensers were installed throughout buildings and in classrooms that do not have a sink

"Pluming repairs are very important this year with H1N1," Russo explained.

As for curriculum, the board noted there would be math workshops featuring a teacher from Columbia Teachers College. These workshops would be available to new teachers, teachers who have had a significant grade change or those interested in math leadership positions. 

After being prompted by a parent's question about the homework policy at a previous meeting, the board decided to create a committee that would meet and discuss guidelines.

There will be a districtwide presentation in the spring on this.

Deputy Superintendent Carol Eskew offered an updated on special education. Members of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District special education department will come to Martin Avenue to share the different progams available to sixth grade students entering seventh grade. They will discuss programs available throughout the year and during the summer.

The next regular meeting of the North Bellmore Board of Education will take place on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. at Martin Avenue School.