Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School English language arts teacher Michele Russo is the recipient of the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Teacher of the Year Award for bringing out the best in her students. Student Olive De Marco nominated Ms. Russo through the restaurant group’s sixth annual Above and BEEyond teacher Essay Contest, which encourages students to nominate teachers who make a difference in their lives.

Ms. Russo received a $500 scholarship, which she can use toward her classroom for the 2022-2023 school year. The OBMS class will also receive an end-of-year party from the restaurant.

Olive said she nominated Ms. Russo because “she is always caring towards us.” Olive also said that she challenges all of her students and she has personally improved as a seventh grade student.

Ms. Russo said she is honored to have been chosen as a recipient of this award. Her main goal is to “make them [students] feel comfortable in the classroom and to build rapport with them.”

Date Added: 5/23/2022

Poetry was alive in Mrs. Always’ sixth grade class at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School. Throughout National Poetry Month, students filled their writing portfolios with various poems including acrostics, cinquains and haikus. Their portfolios served as a visual representation of their progress as writers, as students have noted increased vocabulary and creative figurative language. At the end of the school year, the sixth graders will take their portfolios home as a keepsake of their hard work.

Date Added: 5/9/2022

Eighth graders at Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School got a glimpse into the workforce during Career Day on April 29. Students rotated through different tables in the gymnasium based on their personalized schedules that aligned with careers they are interested in pursuing. Twenty-eight different fields were represented by the guest speakers including doctors, social workers, police officers, firefighters, architects, nurses, teachers and cinematographers – to name a few. Each presentation was unique and interactive, allowing students to ask questions and gain an overview of the day-to-day operations within each career. Additionally, speakers informed students about the paths they took to their current positions.

This marked the first year OBMS held a Career Day for its eighth graders, but the school hopes to make this an annual event. Not only did students gain insight into the workforce, the event connected students with the community and the many jobs available in the region.

Date Added: 5/3/2022

Connetquot High School Italian language students hosted Oakdale-Bohemia and Ronkonkoma middle school Italian students to a day of immersion into Italian culture and language called Dantedi. The daylong activities were based on the Italian government’s designation of March 25 as Dantedi, named for the father of the Italian language Dante Alighieri, as a day to celebrate the richness of Italian life and culture. More than 200 students celebrated the day through diverse activities that gave the students a deeper glimpse into what it means to be Italian.

The College Italian students put on a skit called “Andreuccio! and played an Italian Bingo game called Tombola. They also led the younger students in learning La Tarantella, a famous southern Italian dance. In La Cucina Italiana, students watched food demonstrations and tried pizzelle, cannoli and espresso. They learned about Carnevale and made their own masks for a celebration. There was an opportunity to try their hands at playing bocce in the courtyard and to watch a skit based on “Dante’s Inferno.”

In the Connetquot High School library, students put their Italian skills to the test during games of Kahoot and tried their pronunciation skills at the pronunciation station. Students visited St. Joseph’s Table and learned how to design their own.

Director of ENL and World Languages Cheryl Sosa said the upperclassmen really worked hard to plan a day of activities that the younger students would enjoy and remember.

Date Added: 4/8/2022

Under the direction of adviser Melissa Johnson, the Tri-M Music Honor Society sponsored a talent show, held in the school auditorium on March 25. The talent show showcased music students’ instrumental and vocal talents and skills during 11 individual performances on stage. Additionally, Tri-M Music Honor Society officers, who emceed the event, performed short and humorous skits in between each act to introduce the performers.

The District’s music department and Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School’s music faculty and administration congratulates the following performers:

Mya Delemo – “Pirates of the Caribbean” - instrumental

Aidan Danforth – “Impressions” - vocal

Mikayla Garcia and Kyla Getty – “Lost Boy” – vocal

Dylan Dowdell – “Piano Man” – vocal

Emma Marchetti and Olivia Martinez – “Over the Rainbow” on violin

Madisyn Martinez – “Burn” from Broadway’s “Hamilton” – vocal

Isabella Tanner and Madison Schips – “Firework” – vocal

Samantha DeLuca – “Waiting on a Miracle” – vocal

Noah Huff and Anthony Kauffmann – “Hot Cross Buns…with a Twist” – instrumental

Sydney Stylianos and Ella Feehan – “The Other Side” – vocal/skit

Hailey Priemer – “Never Enough” - vocal

Date Added: 3/31/2022