Oyster Bay H.S. seniors inspire elementary students

Students at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School got a surprise greeting when they arrived at school on Tuesday. Waiting for them as they stepped off their school buses were dozens of Oyster Bay High School graduating seniors dressed in caps and gowns, who gave the children high-fives and handshakes as they made their way into the building.

“And one day,” Theodore Roosevelt Principal Tami McElwee explained to the students, referring to the gowns and mortarboards, “it will be your turn to wear them, too.”

The visit, an idea brought to district administrators by OBHS Student Council President Lindsey Tiberia in 2018, was intended to inspire youngsters to work hard, be kind and focus on school so that one day, they’ll be decked out in school colors for their own graduation.

“It’s so cool they came back to say hi and that they used to go to school here just like me,” said kindergartner Valentina Ruiz de Luca.
The visit was intended to be an annual event, but hasn’t happened since its first year, canceled due to extenuating circumstances in 2019 and by the coronavirus pandemic last year.

“This tradition is so special,” McElwee said, “because it honors our seniors in a special way so they can come back to where they began their [journey] and serve as role models for our youngest learners, inspiring them to follow their dreams.”

Inside the building, the elementary students lined the the hallways as the seniors marched down the middle, greeting and high-fiving them amid the younger students’ cheers of “Congratulations!” and “Happy graduation!”

Commencement is scheduled for Saturday.

The seniors, most of whom once attended Theodore Roosevelt, said they enjoyed going back. “It’s really great coming back, because my mom works here, so it’s really special to have my mom see me walk back through the halls of Roosevelt,” senior Faith Cammarata said, “and it’s really bittersweet to see all of my old teachers again.”

“It’s pretty special to come back here, just knowing all that I’ve learned throughout school,” added senior Anna Silver. “Just knowing that I’m with the same kids that I walked into kindergarten with [and] that I’ll be graduating with and to be back here in our caps and gowns is very special for me.”