Monday through Friday the Hewitt seniors are required to be in their homerooms by 8:10. They sit together in advisory and get ready for the new day. One block and 12 grades away, the wide-eyed Kindergarteners are sitting down on the rug waiting for their day to begin.
To seniors, the first day of school is a rehearsed tradition. They come in with their old blue pleated skirt, and button down oxford shirt, ready for a new year of tests, quizzes, homework, friends, and even the dreaded (but hopefully not often) ‘late night studying’. This year was their last first day of school. The Kindergartners on the other hand, have a whole new journey ahead of them. With their “fresh out of the box” lands end uniforms and black sneakers, they are ready for their first year in a brand new school. When asked about their first day, many hid their smiles and dug their chins into their necks, only answering to yes or no questions with a small nod or a shake. After a couple of seconds they were fighting to get a word in. Many girls said they were nervous to come into school, but they like now.
When walking into the classroom I was immediately met with open mouths and wide stares. There was a hush and then a murmur of whispers. A couple of girls yelled to their teachers, “Look! Look! A big Hewitt girl!” It then occurred to me that the Kindergartners rarely come into contact with the high school girls. In their eyes we are a great enigma; they only catch small glimpses of us in P.E. or on their walks to the park. This is one of the reasons why the end of the year graduation ceremony resonates in the hearts and minds of the girls in the thirteen year club. Erika Manouselis, a senior, and member of the Thirteen Year Club, said she remembers everything about that day: what her senior looked like, the gym, and feeling like a big girl standing on the stage.
In this year’s celebration, we say goodbye to the class of 2011 and hello to the class of 2023. The seniors at Hewitt are the omega, and the Kindergartners are the alpha. Everything in between is just how you get there. Ms. Beydoun, the head of the lower school, said that as the Kindergartners continue their years through Hewitt, she wants them to be able to move at their own pace and to develop into adults no matter what level of arrival. She said that every girl has the potential to excel. These girls are the future of Hewitt.
So Kindergartners, from our building to yours, have a good first year and enjoy Hewitt while you can, the members of the thirteen year club with tell you, it goes by so fast.