By Gwenyth Davey
The Harbour Voice would like to congratulate Deanna Besart on being named salutatorian of the class of 2024! In the fall, she will be attending Columbia as a biomedical engineering major. She will also be part of Columbia’s D1 rowing team. Before break, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deanna about her time as a student in Oyster Bay. What advice do you have for students about maintaining good grades? My advice would be to find something you enjoy to balance out your schoolwork. For me, I think being a part of the school band program and rowing competitively helped a lot. It was nice to have a part of my day where I had to take a step back from school. Also – be excited about learning! Be happy to be in an environment where people are willing to teach you and try to find a subject you really enjoy. What motivated you to strive for academic excellence and achieve the position of salutatorian? My family has always emphasized the importance of putting 100% effort in everything you do. They have been extremely supportive, as well as my friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers. I believe the competitive, yet encouraging atmosphere in my sport has also largely influenced me in my studies.
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By Rose Lindstrom
Oyster Bay High School, OBHS, started off the 2023-24 school year with a bang! Spirit week, a week of fun daily themes leading up to homecoming, took place during the first week of school. On the first day, students were encouraged to “dress to impress,” kicking off homecoming week. They certainly did not disappoint, and many students came in looking glamorous and charming. The next day, the theme was “bikers vs. surfers;” many students wore Hawaiian shirts and bandanas. On Thursday, the theme was “patriotic/military,” and red, white, and blue flooded the halls. Finally, following much anticipation, Friday finally arrived, and students wore their class colors. The senior class was white, the junior class was red, the sophomores were pink, the freshmen were blue, and the middle level was purple and gold. It was clear that this was everyone’s favorite day because people went all out. Some wore fluffy tutus and others even used body paint to represent their class color. To allow time for the pep rally at the end of the day, all classes were shortened to 30 minutes. While the abbreviated schedule only shortened each class by ten minutes, it allowed for two hours to be dedicated to this event. As students filed into the bleachers at the end of 9th period, the energy of the gymnasium grew increasingly palpable, as the students fed off of each other’s energy and excitement for this highly anticipated event. After a week, the pep rally was finally about to begin. By Rose Lindstrom
This year’s valedictorian was announced to be Ania Kelly! Ania will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall to study biology and join their D1 rowing team. The Harbour Voice sat down with 2024’s highest achiever and asked her to reflect upon her experiences here at OBHS. What was it like finding out you were valedictorian this year? It definitely felt like an accumulation of all the hard work that I put in for high school. I was even happier to find out that it was me and Deanna because we’ve been best friends for forever, and we’re always together, so I was proud of myself, but I was also proud of her. As the Class of 2024’s valedictorian, how did you remain motivated to do your best throughout your high school career? It’s a lot of intrinsic motivation instead of worrying about the number in the gradebook, or what other people think of my grades or college decisions. It’s kind of like wanting to learn and listen in class, and studying to learn the material. So it’s more of a love for learning instead of caring too much about the grades. Oyster Bay’s Main Street has always been an exciting outlet for students to walk after school, as it houses numerous spots to shop and eat. Many businesses have both thrived and failed on this strip, but the addition of many new restaurants has helped the town of Oyster Bay become a more lively and inviting place for students to explore. Many empty storefronts and short-lived businesses have lined the streets for years; however, the latest businesses seem to be promising as they keep the livelihood of Oyster Bay embedded in the culture of our town.
Due to the recent closing of stores on Main Street, many compelling ones have opened in their place. For instance, a brand new addition to the Oyster Bay community has been Sabrina’s Candy & Creamery, located just off Main Street, which features the selling of all types of sweet treats from candy and baked goods to ice cream. As Stellina Bakery & Cafe has moved to a new location next to Teddy’s Bully Bar, Sabrina’s Candy & Creamery jumped at the opportunity to cater to the Oyster Bay community. It is exciting to welcome the new business as it brings spirit, pleasure, and candy, to those who both reside in and visit Oyster Bay. By Gwenyth Davey
Over the summer, all three schools in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich school district have been under construction. In this installment of our new news series covering all things OBEN construction, we will spotlight Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. One of the most notable aspects of construction over at Roosevelt is the new extension currently being added. According to Ms. Small, Principal of Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, the extension is a necessity, as the students and teachers need more space to learn and to teach. Prior to the building of the new extension, certain classes were held in alternate locations, such as the stage. The new addition to the school will include a total of twelve classrooms. Eight rooms will be full-sized classrooms and the rest will be smaller rooms that will allow for small group instruction, alleviating the space concerns that the students and faculty faced prior to construction. By: Rose Lindstrom
On March 2, 2023 Oyster Bay’s patrons of the arts were pleased to watch this year’s Cavalcade of the Bands. During this biennial tradition, musicians from grades 5-12 perform one-by-one in the high school gymnasium. At the end of the evening, all bands join together to play the finale piece, which is led by a guest conductor. Cavalcade is such a wonderful tradition because it allows younger students to hear what awaits them in the music department at OBHS through the performance of the older musicians. By: Rose Lindstrom
The valedictorian of the class of 2023 is Sophia Dean! Through her hard work, Sophia earned her new title, which was announced this past October 2022. To get to know the high achiever, The Harbour Voice sat down to speak with her about her high school experience. By: Scarlett Shelley
Oysterfest is finally back! After about a two year hiatus due to COVID-19, Oysterfest returned to much excitement and fanfare on October 8, 2022. An event organized by the Oyster Bay Rotary Club and Oyster Bay Charitable Fund, Oysterfest is a great way to get family and friends together for a good cause, as fundraising efforts throughout the day are used to promote and support local charities. By: Holly Emerson
The tradition of putting lights on trees started when Edward H. Johnson put the very first string of electric Christmas tree lights up on his tree in 1882. Although Thomas Edison and Edward Johnson came up with the idea, Albert Sadacca started to sell Christmas lights years later, in 1917. The tradition of tree lighting in public places started on Park Avenue in 1945 when several Park Avenue families wanted a special way to honor those men and women who had died in World War II. These families paid for the cost of bringing the trees, buying lights, putting together a crew of electricians, and holding the annual ceremony. Since the Park Avenue families got together, the tradition of tree lighting is still around. By: Scarlett Shelley
Ever since March of 2020, school has been anything but normal. Students have been in masks, eaten lunch in small cohorts, and piloted hybrid-style classrooms. Along the way most standardized and high-stakes tests were canceled. While some classes at Oyster Bay High School gave midterm exams during the 2021-2022 school year, those exams were given during class time, rather than during a dedicated midterm week, and were counted as a quarter two test. Now, at the start of 2023, midterms are back! |
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