Written by Mia Herz

With the start of every new school year, there is a new group of senior students excited to begin their final year of high school. When the upper school started on September 3rd, 2024, the class of 2025 began the school year with an immense amount of school spirit and anticipation for the year ahead. 

After years of waiting to be in their senior year of high school, students are able to engage in age old traditions. There are traditions run by the Rye Country Day School administration and parent association, such as the senior class picture, the Senior BBQ, and the Blue and Gold dinner. However, some traditions which are just as important are unofficial and are run and created by the senior class. 

During preseason, before school starts, seniors participate in car decorating where they use markers to draw and write on cars to celebrate their last high school year. They write expressions such as “honk twice for seniors” or “senior szn”. The “last first day” is also an event that seniors look forward to as it has occurred for a numerous amount of years. Most girls wear white outfits, and seniors use mini backpacks to commemorate their childhood. These backpacks typically have images of children’s tv shows or characters, ranging from Peppa Pig to Sofia the First to Paw Patrol. One of the Spirit Club representatives, Evie Shurslep’s ‘25 favorite senior traditions is “all the senior girls wearing white dresses on the first day because we also wear them for graduation, so it is a cute full circle tradition”.

Although many of the student-led traditions occur in the beginning of the year, there are many school events to commemorate students graduating from RCDS and becoming alumni. This includes seniors receiving “alumni” baseball caps at the senior barbeque, and signing their names on the flag of the college they will be attending in the fall.

Although it is bittersweet for a student to embark on their last year of high school, senior year provides ample opportunities for students to engage in the RCDS community, showcase their spirit, and connect with other students in the senior class.