Dinkelmeyer principal to retire

“I arrived at Dinkelmeyer as its principal in September 2001, just six days prior to 9/11,” Faith Skelos wrote to parents in October. “That day and the days that followed began a relationship that has led to some of the most fulfilling years of my life.”

After 26 years in the district, Skelos, the 17-year principal of the John G. Dinkelmeyer School in North Bellmore, plans to retire on Dec. 31. She will leave behind an elementary school that focuses on artistic expression and community service, Skelos and her colleagues said.

“At Dinkelmeyer, Faith wanted to educate the whole child,” said Lois Peck, a speech therapist at the school and co-president of the North Bellmore Teachers’ Association. “Of course, in school there is a focus on academics as the primary goal, but that’s just one facet. She wanted to spread an appreciation and love for the arts.”

“She created a sense of family — it was the Dinkelmeyer family,” said JoAnn Signorelli, a school social worker. “She created warmth and showed that kindness is important — to lift people up, not put people down.”

As a music and art chairwoman, Skelos, 60, oversaw the expansion of both departments, Peck said. The school’s band, orchestra and chorus play various performances throughout the year, including district events with other schools. Dinkelmeyer’s annual music festival would not have happened without Skelos, Signorelli said.

Music and art enliven every classroom as well, kindergarten teacher Loretta Curcio said, as many lessons are taught through song or other artistic mediums. A recent gingerbread house project in her class had one student putting in extra effort to perfect her edible home. When Curcio showed it to Skelos, she said, her first reaction was, “I have to meet this student,” and then she personally praised her efforts.

Skelos also spearheaded schoolwide campaigns to help the Bellmore community and beyond. The school is home to toy drives and food collections that benefit people as far as Florida.

More than a decade ago, under Skelos’s guidance, the school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club teamed up with the Stephen Siller Tunnels to Tower Foundation to donate toys during the holiday season, helping families affected by Hurricane Katrina, then Hurricane Sandy. Earlier this month, retired firefighters in the foundation drove Dinkelmeyer’s donations to Panama City, Fla., which was impacted by Hurricane Michael. The program will continue annually at Dinkelmeyer.

In addition to the toy drive, the SADD club distributes turkeys to local families before Thanksgiving. Also at Dinkelmeyer, a group of parents and teachers, including Skelos, “adopt” a local family, and personally deliver food and gifts to them.

“We hope to make people’s lives a little brighter,” Skelos said.

“I hope you really know the worth of your soul and the people you have impacted,” Superintendent Marie Testa said at a farewell Board of Education meeting for Skelos. “It’s the moments in your life that matter most, and you are forever part of the fabric that is Dinkelmeyer school.”

“I didn’t do it alone,” Skelos said about the school’s development. “It was a team effort — by the community, the children, the parents, the faculty and staff.”

“We’ve all learned that if you have the trust of the people you work with, you can move mountains,” Skelos added.

Danica Brugge, the previous assistant principal of Saw Road Elementary School, will serve as interim principal for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year.