Entering the school to see the drowning sea of people after you finally get past the endless line of cars Thursday morning was a moment to remember forever. 

“The cool thing about the first day of school is that you don’t have to actually do anything,” Carston Werth said. “You just get to sit around and prepare and listen to the rules. One disappointment was that (my homeroom) still doesn’t have good service.”

The first day is here and our dread is back. But this year we can see everyone’s beautiful faces, smiling eyes turn into inviting smiles. 

Something that we didn’t know we needed until now. 

“Today was so fun. I’m so happy to finally be starting senior year with all my friends after everything our class has been through,” senior Marlee Moeder said.

Welcome back to Derby High zoomers. It’s a great day to be a Panther.

“I’m excited about the first day of school. My favorite class would be strength and conditioning because I get to lift weights and have fun,” Jadan Denesongkham said.

Junior Wakati Mathayo added: “Today I am excited, and I can’t wait to see my friends and teachers. At the same time I want to go home because I feel like I’m still not ready for school.”

These past two years have been a blur. Now it’s time to slow down and reconnect.

“I like being able to reconnect with friends again. My favorite class is Madrigals because I like to sing. The freshmen are kind of annoying; they can die down a little bit,” Issak Bowman said.

The first day of the school, a start to an incredible year, even with negative feelings and all.