One year after closing its doors to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bellport High School celebrated the gradual comeback of activities and the students’ and faculty’s resiliency during a tough year of closures and social-distancing. On the evening of March 12, the Bellport Strong event commemorated not only the anniversary of the shut down, but the message that as a community, “We are stronger together.”

Student council adviser Ellen Hoffman said, “On March 13th, we closed the doors to our schools and all that went with them. Now one year later, we’re back and stronger than before.”

As residents and students drove into the high school’s back parking lot, student council members handed out luminary candles in a paper bag. Drivers proceeded to the tennis courts and passengers placed their candles inside the chalk-drawn letters that revealed the message Bellport Strong. In total, 1,400 candles were laid inside the letters to represent each high school student in the return to the “new normal,” Hoffman said. Livestream and drone footage were available on the student council Instagram and the drone footage was filmed by special education teacher Rodney O’Neal. Additionally, at 20:21 (8:21 p.m.), the scoreboard was turned on to recognize the seniors’ and the community’s return.