__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD Coming together for Challenge Day
Remembering and honoring
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Vol. 29 No. 22
MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026
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Helping others find a voice JFK senior to offer free filmmaking program at the Bellmore Library “I figured it’s my time to give back to my community in a way that I felt the most fulfilled to A Bellmore high school senior do,” Stone said. “And in a way is bringing filmmaking to young- that can enable a lot of really er students this summer through young creatives, especially in a a free, hands-on pro g ram time when I feel like people need designed to teach the fundamen- art more than ever.” tals of cinematic storytelling Stone currently serves as the while encouraging creativity broadcasting program director and self-expression. at Kennedy High School, where B e n S t o n e, a he has been involved senior at John F. in the media proKennedy High gram for all four School, will lead a years. He said his five-session filminterest in filmmakmaking course at ing began around the Bellmore Memoage 7 after receiving rial Library begina used camera from ning in July. The a family friend. free program, open “My intro into BEN SToNE to students ages 8 to the film world was Bellmore, 14, will introduce kind of through phoparticipants to cine- John F. Kennedy tography,” he said. matography, editing, High School senior “It didn’t really pick directing and storyup steam with film telling using both until Kennedy, when professional equipment and I was introduced to their broadeveryday technology like smart- casting program.” phones. Stone credits much of his Stone said the idea was growth to recent Kennedy graduinspired by his own experiences ate Preston Bowman, who in film programs over the past helped build the school’s current several summers, including pro- student broadcasting and film grams through the Savannah program before graduating. College of Art and Design, “I am his chosen successor,” where he plans to attend this fall Stone said with a laugh. “It was to study film and television.
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District
the Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting program officially completed its biggest project to date on May 18.
Students wrap up ambitious movie Broadcasting program produces short narrative film By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
The highly decorated Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting program completed production on its most ambitious student film project to date on May 18, marking the culmination of months of work by the program’s graduating seniors. Known as the Senior Movie Project, the highly anticipated production brought together 17 seniors from the broadcasting magnet program in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District to create a short narrative film from the ground up. Students began their work in early October and spent the school year managing every stage of filmmaking, including scriptwriting, directing, scheduling, budgeting and even catering for cast and crew members during filming days. The project was developed over several years by faculty members Matt Russell, Lisa Kalish and Stu Stein, who wanted to
expand the program’s offerings beyond traditional broadcasting and journalism into narrative filmmaking. “The three of us have all had great experiences working on movie sets, and we really wanted to be able to give our students a taste of that world,” Russell recalled. The film stars Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting freshman Elizabeth O’Toole and senior Oliver Mattes. According to the program, the story follows a young girl navigating the challenges of starting out at a new school. All three of the program’s faculty members also make cameo appearances in the movie. The Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting program, housed at Wellington C. Mepham High School, was founded in 2016 and has grown into one of the state’s premier scholastic broadcasting programs. In addition to broadcast journalism, students study digital storytelling, sports broadcasting, Continued on page 7
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figured it’s my time to give back to my community.
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