North Bellmore School District students are learning the importance of giving back this holiday season. Through food drives, toy collections and other initiatives orchestrated by sixth-grade students, each of the elementary schools have come together in a multitude of ways to give back to their immediate community, the Bellmore-Merrick community, and the wider global community.
The district is comprised of five elementary schools, four in North Bellmore, and one in North Merrick.
At Martin Avenue Elementary School in North Bellmore, many sixth-grade students are involved in class community projects, or individual projects outside of school.
Sixth-grade students in classes taught by Stephanie Speciale, Rachel Graber, Lauren Fleigner and Jenna Mahan’s classes discussed some of the initiatives they’ve participated in with either their classes, or at home.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Martin Avenue students took part in a school-wide food drive, with donations going to the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard, which is the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s food pantry located in North Merrick. Along with students in other North Bellmore elementary schools, sixth graders in Martin Avenue’s SADD Club are leading a toy drive in partnership with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which concludes Dec. 9. Toys will be given directly to families in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
“We’re doing community service to give back to the community,” sixth-grader Lucas Badillo said. “We live in it, and we want to make it a better place. When you’re giving back to the community and doing community service hours, it kind of reflects off of you, showing that you’re a good person and that you care about people that are not as fortunate.”
Mia Rocker said they’ve learned the importance of not expecting anything in return. “It makes you feel good when you give to the community,” she said. “You’re not doing it for money or anything — just because your heart wants to do it.”
The sixth-grade students are currently gearing up to run a drive for the Crayon Initiative, an organization that recycles used crayons and donates them to hospitalized children. Crayon donations will be accepted through February, and Graber said last year’s drive was a huge success.
“What we think is so great about this is we’re recycling also, so we’re helping our environment, and it’s not costing people any money,” Graber said. “We’re not asking people to really spend money out of their pockets — just more like look through their closets, their cupboards, and donate old crayons they’re probably not going to be using anymore.”
Sixth-grader Aryan Labib said learning the importance of community service when they’re younger will help them as they move onto middle school, and eventually high school.
“If you think about,” he said, “our brains are still developing, and if we have this type of experience when we’re younger, it kind of bleeds into when we’re older.”
At Park Avenue Elementary School in North Merrick, principal Lynn Coyle explained that the district’s students learn a set of core values, which intends to help them as they continue their educational journeys.
Coyle said students at Park Avenue have participated in the district’s food drive and are taking part in the district’s winter accessory drive. Earlier this fall, they celebrated “Socktober” — a month-long initiative to collect and donate socks to people experiencing homelessness. Coyle, who started her role with the North Bellmore district in September, conducted sock drives at other schools, and said Park Avenue’s drive was a massive success.
These service projects, she said, really play into the district’s core values.
“I think it teaches them the importance of contributing to the global community with compassion,” Coyle said, “and that’s one of our core values. Really, when we do these community service projects and fundraising for any effort that we participate in, the driving force behind it, is showing that they can make a positive impact on people. It provides the kids with a sense of fulfillment and joy to give to others.”
