Oyster Bay-East Norwich school district’s top art students were honored at the Tuesday, June 3 board of education meeting.
The presentation, led by Erica Giglio Pac, the district’s director of fine, performing and media arts, recognized the accolades collected by pupils throughout this school year.
“As educators, we could not be any more proud of your growth, passion and skill in the arts,” she said to the students. “Tonight is a testament to their hard work and the support of their families.”
All age levels from Oyster Bay-East Norwich’s three schools were acknowledged. Kindergartener Anthony Adamo was recognized for his winning submission to a local newspaper’s gift wrap design contest. Three high school seniors, Omar Figueroa, Hayden Mentzinger and Nicoletta Sakellis, had their designs shown at the Art League of Long Island’s Advanced Placement Art Exhibit.
The district’s students also collected media arts accolades throughout the school year. One of these came from the Broadcast Alliance for Senior High, which awarded the high school’s student-run broadcasting channel, Bay News Now, with first place for Best News Package, beating 45 other school districts.
Performers got their share of the spotlight, with Oyster Bay-East Norwich’s many selections to the all-county musician team being invited up on stage for a group photo at the end of the presentation.
Elsewhere on the meeting’s agenda, Superintendent Francesco Ianni gave an update on plans to implement Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “bell to bell” cell phone ban. The policy, passed as part of the 2026 state budget, requires all public and charter schools statewide to have a written policy ready for the upcoming school year by Aug. 1.
Ianni said that the policy would be crafted in consultation with an advisory committee selected in part by Oyster Bay-East Norwich teachers and administrators’ associations, the district’s various parent-teacher organizations and the Oyster Bay High School student government. He added that any questions about the new cell phone policy should be directed to the superintendent’s office.
