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By Jillian Haguisan
Thanks to his hard work, perseverance, and character, Matthew Wong has rightfully earned his title as Valedictorian of the Class of 2021. In addition to playing 1st trombone in the OBHS Wind Ensemble and playing varsity basketball and baseball, Matthew has garnered praise for his many academic achievements throughout his high school career. He will be attending Cornell University in the fall and plans to study chemical engineering. As this unique year comes to end, Matthew sat down to provide some insight on his time at OBHS. How would you describe your work/study ethic? “Staying self-motivated, disciplined, and not worrying too much about the result, but instead the process.” What will you miss most about high school? “Oh, definitely my friends and teachers. Without the friendships I have made, high school would've been way different. I formed a lot of close bonds and memories.”
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By Beryl Rosenberg
Mrs. DiMaggio, beloved English teacher, has decided to retire after 31 and a half years of teaching at Oyster Bay High School. Students and staff will certainly miss her enthusiastic personality, her love of the written word, and her funny stories. Mrs. DiMaggio recently sat down to share more about her experience teaching here in Oyster Bay. What classes have you taught at OBHS? A wide range over the years - It all began with an RCT (Regents Competency Test) course, and then when I was hired full time, I taught: 9 Honors, 10 Regents and 10 Honors, 11 Regents and 11 Honors, AP Language and Composition, Creative Writing, College Essay, AIS classes, and even a Public Speaking course that was offered in the early 90s. By Stefanie Sadocha
This year’s notorious AP Week was transformed into AP Month for OBHS students as the College Board administered AP examinations from May 3rd- June 11th. AP testing traditionally takes place over the first two weeks of May, during which students across the country who are enrolled in the same course take the same test, at the same time. This year, College Board offered three different testing dates for each course, and it was up to each teacher to decide on which test date they wanted their students to sit for the exam. Administration 1 was an in-person, paper exam, while Administrations 2 and 3 offered digital, at-home exams along with the traditional paper exams. By Ava Aschettino
After years of challenging coursework and sleepless nights, Riya Gupta’s hardwork has earned her the title of Class of 2021’s Salutatorian. Riya’s tireless commitment to her studies makes her worthy of this much sought after title. Balancing her extracurricular obligations while maintaining academic excellence is no small feat, yet Riya managed to secure the second highest GPA in her class, and she will be attending Seton Hall this fall to study psychology. Intrigued by this year’s Salutatorian? Riya recently offered some insight into her high school experiences. What will you miss the most about high school? “I’ll miss the sense of timelessness and cohesion certain classes gave me. For 40 minutes every day, we were individuals driven by each other and our experiences. Specifically in my AP U.S. History class, we would have discussions at the beginning about historical events and its current implications, and each person would have something intriguing to contribute. In these moments, it was like a derealization for me as I was immersed in something that was on a larger scale than myself. I’m grateful to have been part of such great conversations in high school such as the ones held in my history class.” By Kevin Biggiani
With spring in the air, and the vaccine rollout going strong, my family and I recently took a stroll to downtown Oyster Bay and decided to have dinner at an Italian restaurant called Autentico. I am so glad we did. Autentico is located at 124 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York. A sign on the door gave us the chance to wait to be seated outside, but we decided to eat inside instead. Upon entering the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by a member of the restaurant’s staff and seated right away by the open door. The inside was very cozy and comfortable. There were only a few tables, which were generously spaced apart. It was daytime, but the blinds were drawn and the room was dark, lit only by flickering, flameless candles. By Stefanie Sadocha
The Fine and Performing Arts Department at OBHS held their annual production over the weekend of March 12th. Although this year's show looked different from productions of the past, students were still able to impress the audience with their performance of the musical Songs for a New World. Directed and choreographed by Ms. Teriann Chiappardi and produced by Mr. Anthony Femino, the musical was a new experience for all, given the limitations due to Coronavirus. Students had to be 12 feet apart from each other and wear masks throughout the performance, which caused changes in the script that would traditionally have students closer together. By Beryl Rosenberg
Dr. Francesco Ianni, the new Superintendent of Schools here at OBEN, has been a recognizable face around campus ever since he took over for his predecessor, Dr. Seinfeld, in January. Recently, Dr. Ianni sat down with The Harbour Voice to share more about his life and his role as Superintendent. Dr. Ianni comes from a small town in Italy, but he made his way toward the bright lights of Manhattan when he was just 22 years old. He started working in a pizzeria and going to school at night to learn English. Though Dr. Ianni was originally enrolled in law school, he loved math and always enjoyed tutoring his family members. So, he decided to pursue something he was passionate about: a career in education. By Jillian Haguisan
In 1985, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) created the “No Place for Hate” initiative to promote inclusivity and safety within schools. Since then, over 1,600 schools across the United States have implemented the program—including Oyster Bay High School. Mrs. Rebecca Menuzzo, OBHS Assistant Principal for grades 7-9, organized the program. Beginning in late January, Mrs. Menuzzo encouraged students who demonstrate leadership qualities, from all grades, to join. By Caleigh O'Toole
Oyster Bay High School was lucky enough to welcome many new teachers and staff members to our community this year. Among the many newcomers is Mrs. Keegan Harris. The Oswego State University alumnus joined our OBHS family as a 9th Grade Advanced World History and Participation in Government teacher. Mrs. Harris is in her 13th year of teaching and is excited to be working at OBHS. Being that Mrs. Harris has been teaching for so long, I wanted to know what initially piqued her interest in becoming an educator. Mrs. Harris says, “When I was twelve years old, my mother had me watch Schindler's List. I remember crying hysterically after the film and asking her why she had me watch something so sad. She simply said, ‘If you want to change the future, you have to learn from the past.’ That was the moment I knew I wanted to become a social studies teacher.” By Stefanie Sadocha
The OBHS Music Department was pleased to hold their annual winter concert on November 24th. Under the direction of Mr. Sisia and Mr. Gianetta, the Middle Level Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble abided by state regulations in order to put on a virtual, socially-distant concert. This annual performance was moved to a virtual format that enabled students to perform without an audience in the high school gym. A recording of these performances was just released to the community on the Fine and Performing Arts Department’s website on December 17th, the night the concert was originally scheduled for. |
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