Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
The members of the Senior Class returned to Derryfield last Thursday sporting reminders of their much younger selves. Their usual (mostly) black backpacks were superseded by retro bags adorned with favorite childhood characters–Pepa the Pig, Spiderman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Hello Kitty, and many Minions.
In an email sent in late August by Class Council members Andy Dell’Orfano and Avi Ullal, seniors were encouraged to inject some humor and spirit into their final year of school.
“An idea was passed to Class Council (by Laurie Best and Elma Islamovic) of having everyone in the Senior Class wearing funny or childish backpacks. We thought this would be a very fun idea for everyone to participate in. Obviously, this is completely optional, we just thought it would be great for community spirit.”
When queried about the backpack throwback, several seniors responded with heartfelt enthusiasm:
“It brought us back to being kids.”
“We all did it together.”
“Seeing Tommy Rilee ’25 with his Hello Kitty backpack makes my day.”
All School President Ipeksu Yucel added,
“In all the stress that faces us as we begin our last year of high school, and the realities of growing up, I think it’s a great way to embrace and maybe even hold onto our childhood a little longer. It feels like a very full circle moment, honoring our younger selves while also celebrating the milestone that is senior year. There was also something so great about seeing so many people participate. I think the underclassmen have also enjoyed the humor of it as well, and I have definitely yet to lose my backpack this year!”
The Derryfield School has seven Core Values: Aim High, Balance, Caring, Character, Community, Families, and Individuality. The Senior Class backpack initiative demonstrated both Individuality (“We encourage young people to grow as individuals…”) and Community (“We seek a diverse community defined and sustained by close relationships…”). The Core Value for the 2024/25 school year is Character: “We actively cultivate respect, integrity, compassion, and perseverance in our community members.”
