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Courtesy Vonn Brickmeier
The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s Extended School Year, which serves special needs students during the summer, has supported a drama program for a decade. Thanks to the efforts of Kathy Brickmeier, a paraprofessional in the district, and her son, Vonn, the student-production is turned into a movie.
Extended School Year students shine on stage during annual production By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Every summer, students in the Extended School Year program in the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District, put on “play” — but with a unique twist. For a decade, the production chosen by the district’s summer school program, has been recorded and made into a movie, thanks to Kathy Brickmeier, a paraprofessional at Sanford H. Calhoun High School, and her son, Vonn. The annual production is shown to audiences during the last week of the program. The ESY program is for students with Individualized Education Programs, who have been deemed in need of schooling during the
summer to ensure they do not regress educationally, socially, or emotionally. This past summer, ESY was operated out of Grand Avenue Middle School in Bellmore, for district students ranging from seventh grade through age 21. Kathy Brickmeier, who has worked for the summer program for nine years, said that while ESY focuses on academics, the program also strives to incorporate fun events into students’ schedules that promote socialization and enrichment. The program lasts six-weeks and concluded on Aug. 16. Brickmeier said at first, ESY decided initially to produce a play featuring the program’s students about 10 years ago. “That’s when we realized that the kids loved to act, but ConTinuED on pagE xx
There’s no place like Bellmore — but you don’t need us to tell you that. Whether you hail from north or south of Sunrise Highway, and pledge your allegiance to Mepham or Kennedy High School, Bellmore is a place worth being immensely proud of. Bellmorites come together in times of need, because they want the best for not only themselves, but the people around them — their neighbors, their children and their friends. The Bellmore Herald is your community newspaper. There is no other publication or news outlet that knows this town, its people and the things they care about, more than us. We are there for you in the best of times and the worst of times — no matter what. This week’s Bellmore Herald is being mailed to every home, and includes a copy of our popular annual magazine, Living In Bellmore. It’s filled with great information you can use throughout the year and it features a look at what makes Bellmore such a great community. If you’re not a Bellmore Herald subscriber, we hope a look at this week’s paper will persuade
you that you should be. Each week in these pages — and on our website — we cover the big issues, and you’ll find the local news that you can’t find anywhere else. If you’re not currently receiving the Bellmore Herald by mail each week, please help keep quality local journalism alive in your community by signing up for a subscription online at LIHerald.com/subscribe, or call (516) 569-4000, ext. 7. Also please consider supporting the Herald with a small donation at LIHerald. com/donate. It can be a one-time, or a monthly contribution to help us continue to ensure that nothing but the best in hyperlocal community journalism comes straight to you. If you’re already a Bellmore Herald subscriber, thank you for your support. We hope you are pleased with our coverage. If you’re new to the Bellmore Herald, then you must know that our mission is to cover all the news of your neighborhood — from the schools to local sports, from houses of worship to philanthropic organizations. Enjoy the paper, and thanks for reading! Jordan Vallone, Senior Editor