Melanie Martinez, the Baldwin Senior High School student who electrified Long Island with a fourth place run on NBC’s hit singing contest show “The Voice,” stopped by her alma mater, Plaza Elementary School, last Friday to share some words of wisdom with the students.

According to Theresa Press, a Plaza parent and Herald photographer, Martinez’s drop-in, “sent the kids into a Beatles-esque frenzy,” and coincided with the kick off for a Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) program.

In addition to speaking and signing the occasional autograph, Martinez encouraged her Plaza peers to keep reading and excel in school as a springboard for pursuing their dreams. She said her enjoyment of reading is a key facet in the writing of her songs, and was able to visit with some of her former teachers including Christine Garguilo, Michele Bogusky Kourie, Michael Smyth and Andrew Nadien.