September 5, 2018. My last first day at Montrose School. I can still remember my first first day at Montrose School. It all started with a 35 minute drive in my mom’s bronze Toyota Camry, Room 1 and Mrs. Galasso and Mrs. Keely. I experienced my first handshake line, my first all school assembly, my first student government theme reveal, and my first family advising meeting.

Now, as a Senior (it feels really strange to say that word), I hopped in my Honda CRV and plugged in some throwback One Direction – a seventh grade Mariel’s favorite band – to enhance my ten minute drive to school. Next up was our final homeroom in the Media Center, a tradition reminiscent of Montrose in my middle school days, when every morning started with homeroom. After announcements and protocol, the Class of 2019 proceeded out to the parking lot to celebrate our first day as Seniors with car paint and markers in hand. We decorated our car windows in bold red words spelling “SENIORS” and variations of the Class of 2019. There was no better way to start the year off than to spend time with my classmates and do something that united us all in celebration of our final year at Montrose.

Following the car paint, we arrived at the A&A and claimed our front row seats just in time for Dr. Bohlin’s annual first day of school assembly. With wise words and a mountain climbing anecdote in our heads, we made our way out to the handshake line and greeted new faces – both friends, teachers, and staff – with enthusiasm and a firm grasp.

The day concluded with an introduction to our classes and a collaborative Stud Gov announcement: the theme of the year. This year’s theme is Synergy! Coincidentally, I had tried my first Synergy Kombucha drink that morning; I may be the only person who appreciates this irony, but I wanted to include it to paint a better picture of the day. Yes, synergy is a bit out there, but the Stud Gov team knows that and they prepared a comedic video that vibrated with spirit and teamwork.

I cannot think of a better way to spend my last first day of high school. This article is a continuation of Gabby Landry’s ‘18 article “My Last First Day” that she wrote last September. You can see it here, if you’d like to read about a Montrose alum’s last first day of high school.