North Bellmore School District

December 19, 2025

Second Grades Spread Smiles Through Coloring

Children love coloring and they also love making people happy, so second graders found the perfect community service project at Martin Avenue Elementary School.

Students in Mary Carrea’s and Antoinetta Fischetti’s classes partnered with Color A Smile, a New Jersey-based, nonprofit organization that spreads smiles with cheerful drawings. The student-colored pictures are distributed to hospitals, nursing homes, meals on wheels programs and troops overseas.

In early December, second graders colored the drawings with crayons and markers. The pictures of butterflies, flowers, ladybugs and more included cheerful messages like “Have a Great Day,” “Enjoy Today” and “To My Friend.” Students from the two classes completed more than 50 drawings, which will be sent to the organization and distributed to others during the holiday season. While they mostly worked on the projects in school, several students also colored at home with their families.

Ms. Carrea and Ms. Fischetti said that the students will continue their work with Color A Smile several more times, as the organization collects and distributes the drawings year round. They decided to kick it off in December, which is known as the season of giving.

A group of children hold up colorful drawings, smiling for the camera. Four young children proudly display their artwork in a classroom setting. Children work on assignments at desks in a brightly lit classroom. A teacher assists three students at a table in a classroom. Two young students focus intently on their artwork at a classroom desk. Children work on art projects at a table in a brightly lit classroom. A group of children proudly display their artwork of a night scene. Two young girls smile while working on a craft project at a table.