Dr. Michael Yannucci is now principal of Martin Avenue School

In September, Martin Avenue Elementary School students in the North Bellmore School District will be welcomed back to a new school year by a new face. The district recently welcomed Dr. Michael Yannucci as its new principal. He began his role on July 1.

Yannucci arrives at Martin Avenue with more than 15 years of experience in elementary education.

He began his career as a teacher in the Rocky Point School District, where he later became a coordinator of English and reading, his first administrative role, he said. After Rocky Point, he spent four years in the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District as an assistant principal.

Most recently, Yannucci worked in the Massapequa School District, where he was the principal of Lockhart Elementary School.

“What brought me into education?” Yannucci said. “I grew up having a substantially younger sibling, and I found myself oftentimes working with him, doing activities with him, helping him. I found that I really liked working with him, and engaging with younger kids and helping them reach that ‘aha’ moment.”

Yannucci received his bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Oneonta, a master’s degree in childhood education and literacy from C.W. Post (now LIU Post), an advanced certificate in education administration from the College of St. Rose, and a doctorate in educational administration, leadership and technology from Dowling College.

He’s an active member of the Nassau County Principals Association and the Long Island Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Yannucci also teaches early childhood classes at the College of Mount St. Vincent, on topics such as literacy assessment, literacy for the young learners and integrating play into learning.

Yannucci said he gets excited as an educator witnessing kids learning something new.

“When they learn something new, that they can now do something on their own, that they maybe couldn’t do a day or two before, it’s just exciting to be part of the uncovering or the discovery of something new,” he said.

As a teacher or administrator, Yannucci emphasized the importance of learning the needs of a child.

“I want to be part of education that includes the whole child, and not forgetting about the child’s social and emotional wellbeing,” he said. “We need to remember that children — and teachers and adults and our colleagues — come to work and school every day, and they carry a whole bunch of invisible baggage, that we as a school might not know about.

“We know there is always something going on in people’s lives,” he added. “Some things are really good, some things are a little harder. I’ve always tried to be mindful of that, and give people the time and space they need to learn and grow.”

In a press release shared with the Herald, Marie Testa, superintendent of the North Bellmore School District, said, “Dr. Yannucci brings a wealth of instructional knowledge, talent and enthusiasm to this position. He truly values a collaborative approach, where students, families, faculty and staff work together to create a safe, supportive and engaging learning environment. He will work diligently to build upon the tradition of excellence at Martin Avenue School.”

Yannucci said he wants to take a collaborative approach to learning. “My hope is that I can contribute to fostering an environment where people in our school are empowered to use their voice and feel comfortable contributing to the future of the school,” he said.

Yannucci said he also wants the North Bellmore community to know that he’s a people person.

“I really hope to listen to the people in the community, whether it be our staff, our students, our families — because I think my job is to really understand what’s going in the school,” he said. “Over the first year, I hope to learn more about the goals and the aspirations the community has for fostering a learning environment that embodies caring and passion and dedication to students.”