Bay Haven hosts spirited 90th anniversary

All week long the students and faculty at Bay Haven School of Basics Plus have been celebrating and learning about the school which turned 90 years old this year. 

The celebration culminated with Spirit Day on Friday, Sept. 30 in the school's cafeteria. Students assembled for a brief glimpse into the past through performances by the school's Broadway Club, chorus and percussion ensemble. 

The Broadway Club delighted students while donning red fringe flapper dresses to perform The Charleston dance.  

In preparation for the performance music director Andrea Justiniano wanted the chorus to perform the school's alma mater song. However, Justiniano discovered that there wasn't such a song in place for the historical school.

Justiniano, who has worked at Bay Haven for three years, was tasked with the responsibility of developing a new song to capture the past and embrace the future for the school. She explored with students the music of the 1920s to match the era when the school opened its doors in 1926. 

“I was hit by inspiration from ‘My Blue Heaven,’” Justiniano said. “It fell in with the lyrics poetically and it all worked” 

The song was originally written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by George Whiting in 1928. Artists like Frank Sinatra have since re-recorded the classic.  Justiniano maintained the melody and re-wrote the lyrics to match the memories at Bay Haven. 

“It’s been amazing to kind of go back in time,” Justiniano said. “All of a sudden I feel like I’ve been woven into the historical tapestry at Bay Haven.”