OBHS Drive Through honors Class of 2020

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With sirens blaring and horns honking, Oyster Bay High School seniors drove down Main Street, on Tuesday, in cars festooned with balloons and purple and gold decorations. Slowly, they followed a fleet of fire engines from area fire departments, a stream of red and white metal reflecting brightly in the midday sun. As the motorcade neared Oyster Bay High School, they were greeted by their teachers, parents and community members who wearing masks waved and cheered for them, lifting the posters they created a little higher for the seniors to read as they passed by.

The Class of 2020 Drive Through — coordinated by OBHS Principal Sharon Lasher and Kevin Trentowski, the director of health, physical education & athletics, along with Board of Education President Todd Cronin, who organized the fire companies — kicked off the first of several planned celebratory events to honor graduating seniors safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the coming weeks, graduation signs with a photo of each graduating senior will be erected on the front lawn of the school and teachers will sign students’ yearbooks virtually. Plans are being discussed for an alternative to a prom and for a special tribute on June 28, the class’ original graduation date. A live, in-person graduation ceremony has been rescheduled for Aug. 1, in compliance with state guidelines.

As the procession continued down the high school parking lot, among the laughter and smiles, were a few tears as this was the first in-person reunion for staff and students in over two months.

“If you ask anyone we all just want to be back at school and be together, but this is the best option we have right now,” said senior Marc Iocono. “This is a nice way for all of us to see each other and for us to see our teachers and for them to support the senior class and show they care.”