Martin Avenue students perform at Christmas Village

Students from North Bellmore’s Martin Avenue Elementary School brought the gift of music to the new County Christmas Village in Baldwin.

Vocal music teacher Emilie D’Andrilli said Martin’s small vocal ensemble performed at one of the kickoff events for the village, on Milburn Lake behind the Coral House. The youngsters’ performance was one of several that attendees enjoyed at the celebration.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano hosted the opening of the County Christmas Village on Dec. 11. The event was celebrated with a holiday tree-lighting ceremony, in addition to a visit by Santa, arts and crafts, shopping, holiday music, a fire pit and s’mores, bounce castles, horse-and-buggy rides, hot chocolate, cider, food stands, face-painting, balloon twisting and gingerbread building. Attendees also admired the work of to ice and wood sculptors, stilt walkers and carolers in Victorian Era costumes.

The North Bellmore children took the stage on Dec. 14, singing four holiday songs for the audience –– with some songs being filmed by a CBS cameraman. D’Andrilli said the following students performed: Amritha Jacob, Jack Parr, Cassidy Perry, Jacqueline Baker, Sophia Bonilla, Valerie Galfano. Alessia Russo, Sammi Trenkle, Gina Millheiser-Benson, Jessica Pagano, Sierra Quinn and Jaclyn Trapani.

All of the students are sixth-graders at the school who D’Andrilli said have impressed her with their dedication and talent. They were given the chance to sing at the event after Dr. Dominick Palma, the Merrick School District superintendent, told North Bellmore Superintendent Marie Testa that the Dover Group, the Coral House’s catering company, was looking to incorporate student musicians into the “Winter Wonderland.”

“I felt it was an opportunity to showcase their talent, reward their hard work and involve them in this fun community event,” D’Andrilli said. “I feel that any opportunity for the students to take their talents outside of the school not only increases their self-confidence, but teaches them about how much they can impact the world around them.”