The way we walk into our first day of school is a matter of seniority. Freshmen enter with wide eyes and a sense of innocence, excitedly and quietly filing into their classes with anticipation of their next chapter. Sophomores are proud to claim their bench, as juniors make the most of their lingering suntans before becoming overwhelmed with the stress of the coming months. Seniors walk in for their very last first day of school, nostalgically recalling their years spent in this model home.

Walking in on day one, everyone seems to remember something in particular. Maybe it’s rushing to the lockers to find out which one you will call home for the next year, or meeting a teacher who may become your new favorite. It could possibly even be the feeling of the crisp autumn air bearing down on what felt like a never–ending summer.

For students engaged and active both in and outside of Parker, the school year is a constant blur of sports, extracurriculars, and social activities. Collectively, it is clear we are hyper-focused on making the most of these precious four years. We often forget, though, that we are not the only ones who’ve walked these same hallways. Since 1901, student upon student has flown in and out of these very doors.

What aspect of Parker do you hope remains the same when you return for your 20th reunion?

• 12 Days (75%, 3 Votes)
• County Fair (25%, 1 Votes)
• Homecoming (0%, 0 Votes)
• The White-Out Game (0%, 0 Votes)
• Cookies (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 4

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Regardless of whether you are a part of the 14-year-gang, or an incoming freshman, the first day is daunting for everyone.

But for the students moving up from Parker’s Middle School to the Upper School, there is always a sense of familiarity, according to Eva Laser ‘90. “Even though it was the same building, there was a fear of the unknown, but having been at Parker for 14 years, the school was like a second home to me,” Laser said.  “So, going back each year felt very much like part of my regular routine.”

For some, there was a sense of comfort seeing familiar faces passing through the halls.  For others transferring into a new environment was a major obstacle. “Everything I had ever known was from this single school,” David Sacker ‘87 said of his previous school Anshe Emet, “and now I was going to go to a considerably larger school, and it was daunting…It was extremely intimidating to attend a new school and know only one person.”

If you attend a Parker reunion, it is guaranteed you will witness the shocked faces of alumni as they take in all that has changed. Back in “the good ole days,” students did not see “FWP” logos showering the walls as they do now. In 2017, you can order yourself a custom shirt of any kind–the jerseys 30 years ago featured a simple “FWP” hand stitched on the back.

It’s difficult for current students to imagine a time before two whole floors were added onto the building, the auditorium was completely reconstructed, and the Draft Gym was built. “The school was a third smaller than it is now, so you really did know everyone’s name,” Catherine Adami ‘90 said. “There wasn’t a security desk as there is now.  However, walking in still felt like you had stepped into a safe and nurturing world.”

As the leaves begin to change color, we gain a picturesque backdrop for what we proudly call County Fair, a favorite tradition among students, faculty, alumni, and parents.  It’s an exciting time to bring everyone together and see even the youngest ones running around with bright smiles.

“It’s always fun to be able to go to all the different booths with friends and see kids of all different ages participating,” Laser said. “As you got into the older grades, it felt good to be independent and navigate the fair without parents!”

The freedom that comes with working at the County Fair is like no other, moreover, and it’s a feeling you may never forget. “I was one of the people in charge of the Junior Tea Room, so I always make sure to eat there first when I’m there as a parent,” Adami said. And although we know the temporary tattoos may be fun, and selling popcorn is a blast, “There’s no greater feeling than being a senior and selling hot dogs!” Adami said.  “You feel like Parker royalty that day. It’s like, ‘I made it!’”

Homecoming is a time that boys and girls alike remember their parents crowding to take pictures to capture their very first high school dance–whether with a polaroid or with an iPhone. “I remember our very modest dances in the cafeteria spilling out into the courtyard,” Adami said, “where filmmaker/ composer David Singer ’87 was occasionally the DJ!”

Adam Laser ‘87 said he cannot recall much about his homecoming dance at Parker.  “Little,” Laser said, “except for a lot of bad, awkward dancing.”  Although Parker’s Homecoming is no longer in the cafeteria, there will for certain be awkward dancing this year and for generations to come.

Nowadays, we are herded into the little gym, and in typical teenage fashion, we quickly become insecure about being too dressed up or too casual. We attempt to have fun, all the while making sure not to dance so much that someone might notice. By the end of the night, all of our worries will have melted down to the DJ shuffling through “Top 50 hits” on Spotify as we dance the night away.

Fall has long been the most popular season to play sports at FWP. With volleyball, tennis, golf, and of course the enormous girls’ field hockey and boys’ soccer teams, fall is the season that almost every student is either on the field or on the sidelines cheering for their peers.

“I played field hockey in the fall,” Laser said.  “It was exciting to play a team sport for Parker and to be on the field, cheered on by parents and friends.”

Some of us may know of Parker’s legendary football team, a team that came to a halt due to concussion hazards and the rising popularity of soccer in the early 1970s. What many do not know is that there were a few stragglers who remained interested in the sport and who created an unofficial and, in part, rogue, “pick-up” football team.

“We played pickup football on Sundays against other schools,” Adam Laser said.  “Being back at school meant that football season and our makeshift games on Ray Field were back on, and our team always fared pretty well against Latin, Lincoln Park, Lab, etc.”

Parker’s rivalries are about as constant as its progressive education, and there is nothing more competitive than the annual Latin vs Parker games. “I remember we had to beat Latin or Lab,” Adami said.  “We were harder on the Latin kids more than the Labbies. The Latin kids were always jealous of our soccer field—isn’t everybody?”  

We’ve all heard the stories of Parker being an original hub of creativity, a place filled with color, art and music — a vision which, for the most part, is pretty accurate.

“I saw students and teachers sitting on the floor or lying down on sofas chatting, singing, and skipping throughout the halls,” Adami said.  “The happy, creative commotion reminded me of a scene from the popular 80s movie, “Fame,” and Parker had a reputation at the time for churning out some of the most famous actors and filmmakers.”  

Although this fairytale version of Parker seems a bit foreign to us as we grind out our daily schedules, we can see tangible reminders every time we walk the hallways. The walls are filled with colorful tiles, each representing a unique student who has the power to create something and make a change. These small pieces of the FWP house have withstood the test of time as some of the precious things that have remained the same.

Like these tiles, some Parker Alumni have stayed close to home. “My favorite back to school memory was the camaraderie and silliness that I shared with my friends,” Sacker said.  “We all really cared about each other and genuinely enjoyed being together. To this day, many of us are in touch and still get together socially. We’re older, chubbier, and have families of our own, but we still very much enjoy getting together, being silly sometimes, and sharing our lives with one another.”