As we close out November and look toward December, the rhythms of the season begin to settle in around us. This time of year always feels especially alive at Darlington. The traditions that fill our halls and our hearts are more than special events on a calendar. They help children feel connected, grounded, and part of something meaningful. They shape the memories students will carry far beyond their time in Thatcher Hall.
This month, our students poured their energy into the Backpack Buddy Food Drive. They exceeded their goal, collecting an incredible 5,293 food items. Our school family also gathered for the Thanksgiving Feast in the Johnson Field House, sharing a meal filled with warmth and gratitude. Our youngest students created their own traditions, too. Third-graders prepared and cooked Brunswick stew for their Friendship Feast, and pre-K families gathered for the Smith Smartie Thanksgiving Feast, a joyful way to begin the holiday break. These moments have helped our students feel rooted and connected.
When students return from Thanksgiving Break, they will step into a transformed Thatcher Hall. Multiple Christmas trees will glow in the entrance, and the greenery across campus will welcome them back with a sense of wonder. Inside, the hallways will sparkle, inviting students to pause and take in the magic before settling back into their routine.
December traditions will continue to build that sense of community. Kindergarteners will begin preparing for their beloved performance of “The Littlest Christmas Tree,” a highlight for families and a joy for our Upper School students and faculty who come to watch. The Holiday Festival will showcase the talents of our fine arts program, and handmade ornaments and small gifts will start making their way home. Advisory Christmas parties and festive dress days like green versus red and tacky-wacky Christmas sweater day will bring cheerful energy to the building. Third graders will soon travel to The Renaissance to sing Christmas carols, spreading kindness to the residents, and fifth-graders will take their annual trip to the Alliance Theater to see “A Christmas Carol,” a tradition they always remember. Our Lessons & Carols service will bring the entire Darlington Community together for moments of melody, reflection, the real Christmas story, and the lighting of the tree, a true gift during the Christmas season.
Many of these traditions echo the ones that shaped my own childhood. I still remember collecting canned food door-to-door for my school’s Christmas baskets and hanging the dough ornaments I made in first grade on our family tree. Actually, my dough ornaments are still hanging on my tree to this day. I can still picture the red fuzzy stocking trimmed in white that I created in second grade, my name outlined in glitter and Elmer's glue, proudly displayed above our fireplace each December. As a parent, I often think of my own children’s school traditions, especially the morning of Dec. 8, 2017, when a surprise snowfall postponed the Holiday Festival. To my son, that unexpected moment was pure magic, and he still talks about it every year.
Holiday traditions do more than fill our calendars. They teach gratitude, generosity, empathy, and community. When students gather food, sing for others, or create something by hand to give away, they learn that giving is an act of love. These rituals also offer comfort. For students feeling the excitement or stress of the season, familiar traditions provide stability, signaling that school is a place where they are safe, known, and loved.
So what will students remember?
Years from now, students may not remember exactly how many food items they collected or which day they wore their tacky-wacky Christmas sweater. But they will remember the joy of watching Thatcher Hall sparkle after being decorated for Christmas. They will remember the sound of the Holiday Festival, the pride of performing in “The Littlest Christmas Tree,” the warmth of the Thanksgiving Feast, and the moment they realized their efforts in the Backpack Buddy Food Drive helped people in a real and meaningful way.
Most of all, they will remember how these traditions made them feel. Connected. Loved. Part of something bigger.
As we move from November into December, I am grateful for the traditions that shape our community and the people who bring them to life. Thank you for sharing your children with us during this meaningful season. It is a privilege to walk through these traditions alongside them and alongside you.
