By Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87
Oh, what a night! On September 30, the school celebrated what was a combination of Friday Night Lights, with shades of Country Fair, and a big splash of community pride as the Class of 2025 brought back the fall Talent Show. Best. Night. Ever!
The afternoon began with a huge fan turnout at the Upper Fields for the middle school cross-country race. That is one TOUGH two-mile race, with steep dirt paths and steeplechase-style twists and turns. There was poster-making and plenty of cheering to spur our young athletes to their best!
A quick trip back down the road to the turf field where JV and varsity field hockey battled for dominance in the pouring rain, cheered on by fans who wore all white (white out!) and plenty of temporary tattoos (compliments of the Parent Faculty Association). Nearby, students, impervious to the weather, set up booths for community fun: face painting, cornhole, ladder ball, cookie decorating, raffles for fun prizes, etc. And if you were hungry? Amazing parent volunteers–the Daltons, Torrezes, and Chiodos–joined the External Affairs team at the turf grill to serve up free fare for ALL of our event guests (friends and opposing team fans).
The finale of the night was the resurrection of the Junior Talent Show. A long-standing fall tradition at DS, the junior class crushed this event, packing the auditorium with students, parents, grandparents, friends, and alumni. For two hours, the high energy crowd clapped, jumped to their feet, shone their phone lights, and waved their arms to the myriad acts which featured diverse talents ranging from Rubik’s Cube solving to magic, from a sixth grader singing her original song to talented violinists.
The Talent Show middle school winner was Emma James who wowed us with her high-kicking Irish step dance. For the upper school, it was the newest boy band, “The Big Forks” (an homage to alumni band “The Tiny Spoons”) who played an original song and took the prize. The overall winners featured sophomore pianist Jeffrey Bartlett accompanying classmate Ella LaFlamme for her soulful, haunting rendition of “Chasing Cars.”
An additional notable act featured thirty-year DS veteran faculty member Michelle Coombes singing one of her classic remakes. In this one, Mrs. Coombes reworked the song “This is the Greatest Show” from the film The Greatest Showman into a version of “This Is the Greatest School.”
A huge thank you to everyone who came to support this day, despite the rough weather. Derryfield spirit was not only not dampened, it was fueled by community attendance and positive energy. #teamderryfield!
