On September, 14th, 2023 Wantagh High School celebrated “Back to School Night”. This night has been a tradition in Wantagh since 1991, and according to many staff and parent-helpers, there has always been an overall buzzingly positive energy.
After school ended that Thursday, teachers were busy in their rooms, preparing for the parents that were to come. While being interviewed, some revealed their nervousness, while others seemed nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Once 6:30 pm came, everyone seemed to be done setting up for the most part.
Soon it was 7 o’clock and it was time for the festivities to begin. In the lobby were the helper parents and the orchestra, which was maintained by Catherine Ibahim, and down the hall was the band run by students Melissa Lento, Aditya Pasricha, and Vito Barretta. If you happened to have your first class upstairs you may have been pleased to find the chorus, which was run by Ashlee Fucarino. Once it was time for first period at 7:24, the talented students earned a break and now it was the teachers’ turn to wow the parents.
All teachers, new and familiar, did an excellent job with the parents, cracking jokes, explaining what a parent should expect from their child with the class, and engaging in small talk. Some of the familiar teachers even got to meet parents that were once students in the same class. “That experience is a bittersweet milestone in every teacher’s career,” lamented veteran English teacher, Mr. Rafferty, “But it certainly is one to give us pause to reflect how much of our lives have been dedicated to Wantagh.”
By 9 PM, “Back to School Night” was coming to a close, parents were tired and yawning, and me, as an introvert, was tired of interviewing people. Despite their tiredness, parents still reported having a wonderful time at the event, stating that now that they have gone through their child’s schedule, they were more prepared to help them if needed- and that they were very likely to come back next year. Overall, Wantagh was given 5 stars for such a warm welcome to the parents.