@OysterBayStudents Keeps Students, Teachers Connected During COVID-19

By Amelia Hahn and Katherine Pinnock

While quarantined, students and staff members have been looking for a way to stay connected and engaged.The Instagram account @OysterBayStudents has allowed teachers to interact with students through livestreams, takeovers, and more!

@OysterBayStudents is operated by yours truly, Amelia Hahn and Katherine Pinnock. When virtual learning first began back in March, we pitched the idea of creating an Instagram page to the administrators at Oyster Bay High School. Our goal when starting this account was to unite our peers and faculty members, as well as keep school spirit alive while we were stuck at home.

Since launching the account, we have worked hard to keep everyone connected. We have reached out to staff members who we thought would be open to participating. We then brainstormed ideas for interactive events like pizza making and pictionary on live streams, and touring the NYC boroughs on story takeovers. The Instagram then quickly became a hub for the high school community as students began to interact with staff members. 

AP World History teacher Mr. Soper, who participated in an Instagram live last month, says, “I miss the daily interactions inside of the classroom. This was a way for me to connect with current, [and] former students and my colleagues.” Mr. Soper hosted a pizza-making tutorial during his live event.

Ms. Kalamidas is another teacher who participated in an Instagram live. She and Ms. Wink competed in a yoga challenge. “I was able to stay connected to students through live stream events and fun posts and stories on a platform most, if not all, students are very familiar with,” she says.
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Next year, we plan to continue using the @OysterBayStudents account to broadcast information about in-school activities, sporting events, fundraisers, and more! By using this platform, it allows news to reach more people and potentially bring a larger fraction of the school community together.

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