A Bellmore second-grade teacher is being praised for her quick thinking after she saved a 7-year-old student who was choking during snack time earlier this month at Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center.
Alessia Hoffman was supervising her class on Jan. 6 when she noticed one of her students, Anderson Forman, appeared to be in distress while eating a fruit snack. Snack time was proceeding as usual, with students listening to a story while Hoffman walked around the room.
“I noticed something was off about Anderson,” Hoffman said. When she asked if he was OK, he was unable to respond verbally and shook his head no. When she asked if he could breathe, he again signaled no.
Hoffman first tried patting him on the back, but when that did not work, she had him stand up and performed the Heimlich maneuver. After three abdominal thrusts, the candy became dislodged.
Hoffman credited annual choking-response training provided by the district’s nurses for allowing her to act quickly and confidently, even though she had never expected to use the technique in a real-life emergency.
“It’s not really something that’s talked about much in graduate programs,” she said. “I’m really lucky to have such wonderful district training. I was able to implement what I learned pretty quickly.”
She also made a conscious effort to remain calm so as not to alarm the rest of the class.
“Children feed off your energy,” Hoffman said. “If they saw fear from me, they would be fearful. That was the last thing I wanted.”
Superintendent Joseph Famularo praised Hoffman’s response and highlighted the district’s emphasis on preparedness and student safety.
“Our teachers are the first line of care for our students, and their preparation and professionalism make a profound difference every day,” Famularo said. “Having both an RN and an LPN on-site allows us to provide an exceptional level of care for Bellmore’s youngest learners, ensuring that all staff are expertly trained in life-saving protocols—from the Heimlich maneuver and EpiPen administration to recognizing allergic reactions and blood sugar emergencies.”
Famularo said that commitment was evident during the incident.
“This dedication to preparedness was on full display when one of our teachers calmly and flawlessly administered the Heimlich maneuver,” he said. “We are incredibly proud of the leadership of our teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, and our nurses, Mrs. Maini and Ms. Costa, and the remarkable composure shown by our student. This moment reflects the safe, vigilant and caring environment we work hard to maintain for our school community.”
Following the incident, Anderson was evaluated by the school nurse and determined to be OK. He remained in class for the rest of the day and suffered no injuries.
Hoffman said the experience reinforced the importance of regular safety training for educators, particularly at the elementary level.
“If I didn’t know what to do, I would have frozen,” she said. “It’s important for educators — and people in general — to have that knowledge in their back pocket.”
As a thank-you, Anderson and his family later gave Hoffman a Chick-fil-A gift card — her favorite restaurant, which she had previously mentioned to her students — along with a necklace.
Hoffman said the gesture was appreciated but unnecessary.
“I was just happy that I was able to help him,” she said.
She encouraged other educators to speak with administrators and school nurses about safety training to ensure they are prepared if a similar emergency arises.
