Reinhard Contest Winner Donates Money Back to School

Editor's Note: This article was written by representatives of the Bellmore School District.

During the 2011-2012 school year, Tyler Bissoondial, currently a second-grader at Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center in Bellmore, entered the Samsung Superhero competition.

For the contest, students in grades K-12 must submit a video no longer than three minutes portraying their favorite historical character. Judging criteria is based on presentation performance, character, and content accuracy and quality.

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As a first-grader, Bissoondial achieved his top 10 finalist status in the winter of 2012, in character as Carolus Linnaeas (known as the father of modern taxonomy and considered one of the fathers of modern ecology).

Encouraged by his top 10 finish, he entered the spring 2012 contest as Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (the father of microbiology), and out of hundreds of entries from across the country, he was the grand prize winner! According to the contest website, Bissoondial’s “performance of Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was inspiring, creative and a joy to watch.”

Due to his win, the Reinhard School received a SAMCAM 760 camera and Bissoondial was awarded $500, which he graciously donated to the school.

At the Feb. 12 Board of Education meeting, Bissoondial was honored with a certificate of achievement for his win in the competition and for his donation to the school. According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph S. Famularo, the school used the funds to purchase books for its library.