2025 – 2026
To celebrate Black History Month, dance educator and choreographer, Oya Bangura introduced 5th grade students at both South Country and Gardiner Manor to African Dance and Drumming and the history of the “African Diaspora.” Bangura’s classroom visits were followed by building wide assemblies featuring performances by Bangura and students.
On March 4, acclaimed double bassist, Nina Bernat performed for Bay Shore Middle School’s orchestra students.
2022 Grand Prize Winner of the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Barbash Bach Competition, Bernat has been recognized as one of the most exciting musicians of her generation. She dazzled students with her performances of the works of J.S. Bach and Giovanni Bottesini. Students had the opportunity to ask Bernat questions about her background and career.
Artist Reginald Laurent inspires Bay Shore’s Second Graders
Contemporary abstract artist Reggie Laurent creates vibrant works of art that explore color, movement, and emotion. During a special Zoom visit, Bay Shore’s second graders had the exciting opportunity to meet him, learn about his creative process, and ask thoughtful questions about his journey as an artist. Inspired by his unique style, students designed their own abstract collages, experimenting with organic and geometric
Broadway icon, Melissa Errico coaches Bay Shore’s thespians.
On February 9, 2026, acclaimed musical theater and cabaret singer Melissa Errico worked with the high school student cast of Stephen Sondheim s challenging musical, “Into the Woods.” Said lead, Tatiana Krummenacker. “Working with Ms. Errico was such a delight and every word of advice she offered was so insightful and intentional. I was so excited to show her my interpretation of the Witch in the opening number of the show. Her note that when the Witch enters the entire temperature of the room changes offered a new perspective that really helped me grow into my character. Her kind presence was greatly appreciated and it was such an honor to get to work with her.”
2024:
Bay Shore Goes to Broadway
The BSSAEF is proud to send our students to see the following shows on Broadway:
- 101 students in the IB HOTA class, Women’s Lives & Lit class, and members of the Women’s Empowerment club will go to see multi-Tony Award winner SUFFS.
- 8 students in the IB Theatre class will attend a performance of Kenny Leon’s Our Town starring Jim Parsons.
Elephant and Piggie come to Bay Shore
We will be bringing the joy of live theater to some of the youngest marauders, with Creative Ministries performing their production of Mo Willems’ award winning children’s book Elephant and Piggie: We Are in a Play in all three of our elementary schools for our district’s Kindergarteners.
The American Songbook & Cabaret Convention at Jazz @ Lincoln Center
Birdland regular Natalie Douglas will conduct a workshop on the American Songbook with approximately 100 BSHS concert choir students. 50 students will then have the opportunity to attend the New York Cabaret Convention at Jazz @ Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.
Dance Residencies for our Middle and High Schools
Our largest program of the fall will be our 13th series of dance residencies for Middle and High School students. All interested students will be invited to participate in workshops in various types of dance, including African, Bollywood, Breakdancing, Hip-hop, and Latin dance. These residencies will culminate in a performance at our ever-popular program, Bay Shore Dances/Bay Shore Baila in Spring of 2025.
Recent Highlights:
Creative Writing for a Bi-Literate World, featuring author/illustrator Eric Velasquez, 2024
The BSSAEF sponsored a residency by bilingual author/illustrator Eric Velasquez, who worked closely with 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students to create illustrated, bi-lingual books, which were professionally printed. Each student received a copy of the book their team created. A complete set of the books will be given to the school library and Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library. Parents of the participating students were invited to celebrate the students’ hard work and view the finished products at an evening event.
Bay Shore Goes to Broadway, 2023-24
BSSAEF sent several groups of students to Broadway in 2023, including a trip for the IB Theatre class to Ibsen’s Enemy of the People, and for our Departmentalized Self Contained program to see Disney’s The Lion King.
Keynote from Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, 2022
The BSSAEF sponsored 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to attend and deliver the Keynote address at Bay Shore High School’s annual Ethnic Pen writers’ conference. Ms. Harjo read the students a selection of poems on themes of resiliency, justice, and identity. Afterwards, she spoke with students about her experiences growing up.
Past Highlights:
Signature Theater: 250 high school students attended a performance by Reuben Santiago-Hudson of August Wilson’s “How I Learned What I Learned.”
Very Eric Carl, performed by the Mermaid Theater at the Y-Boulton Center for the Performing Arts. (for kindergarten students)
Child’s Play Touring Company conducts a series of playwriting workshops culminating in performance of a student-written play by members of the Child’s Play Touring Company (grades 1 and 2)
Musical Lecture/ Performance: Each year the BSSAEF engages a professional ensemble to perform for grades 3, 4, and 5. Assemblies provide students with an opportunity to hear musicians talk about their instruments, training, and influences and also to ask questions. Groups that have performed for Bay Shore students include: Imani Winds, Manhattan Brass, The Amigos Band, and the Ben Flocks Jazz Band.
Poetry Alive: For grades 6 and 7, visiting artists teach students how to dramatize poems including works by Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, and Edgar Allen Poe.
Knighthorse Theater Company: For grades 9-12. This 4 day annual Shakespeare residency has been incorporated into the curriculum of the English Language Arts Department. read more >>
Dance Residencies: Year-long residencies by 4 teaching artists/choreographers prepare students for the annual Bay Shore Dances event. Students master different dance genres including African, Jazz, Tap, Lyric, Broadway, Bollywood, Breakdance, and Hip Hop. (DVD of Bay Shore Dances 2015 is enclosed)
The American Song Book: Composer /arranger Bob McChesney and vocalist/violinist Calabria Foti visited Bay Shore High School for a 2-day residency that included assemblies, workshops, and coaching sessions for students in all high school performing groups and music theory classes. The residency culminated in a public performance featuring the Leon Petruzzi Orchestra, the Bay Shore High School jazz ensembles, and McChesney and Calabria.
To Kill a Mockingbird, performed at the Bay Street Theater Sag Harbor, for AP Literature students.
Exploring the Legend of Sleepy Hollow: for juniors including a special needs “Class within a Class.” Trip to Tarrytown New York to tour sites associated with Washington Irving.