North Bellmore Inspires Students To Be Readers

Children and their families came together to celebrate literacy during an evening program earlier this month at the Martin Avenue School.

The first Camp Read A Lot, organized by the school’s Shared Decision Making Team, was a success with more than 140 “campers” attending. Teachers and parents worked together to plan activities.

The special guest was a 16-year-old published author, Yasmine Hamdi, who wrote “Spirit of the Wind.” She discussed the writing process, held a question and answer session and signed copies of her book.

“It was really cool to have the professional author there,” said fifth-grader Lara Ismailescu. “She was only a few years older than us so it was inspiring to see that she is a real author at 16.”

There was a read aloud, which featured new books such as “Finding Winnie” and “The Day the Crayons Quit,” as well as classic stories like “The Giving Tree.” Breakout sessions included literacy games, a primary reader room and video book chats. A popular event was Book Buddies, in which the sixth-graders read to younger students.

“Camp Read A Lot was such a rewarding event to be a part of, and I am immensely proud of the work that was put into making the evening such a resounding success,” said Principal Leyna Malone. “This event is what Shared Decision Making is all about — teachers, administrators and parents working together to make Martin Avenue a great place to be.”

Photos: North Bellmore School District