CEBU CITY, Philippines— Bells ringing, guards checking up the bags, kids lining up outside their rooms, parents waving goodbye, and some trying their best to make their kids stop crying.
A normal first-day scene in every school.
But one thing stays the same: how kids get excited about what’s inside their school bags, aside from the snacks, of course.
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Zooming back to the early 2000s, or the kids from the 90s, they, too, had colorful things inside their bags.
Ready to go a little retro for today?
90’s kids will surely relate to these things when they, too, were starting school.
Name tags:
The bigger, the better. This was the trend before. Some would have them wrapped in plastic covers, while others would go with having them laminated. Some are filled with glitters, while others kept it simple.
Celebrity-covered notebooks:
If you had a celebrity crush before, then having their face plastered on the cover of your notebook was such a treat. Jolina Magdangal, Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, and the Gimik barkada were the top sellers, remember?
Manila paper and cartolina:
Ready for classroom presentations and decorations. The colorful rolls of cartolina and some art papers would fill the classrooms, while manila papers served as a tool they could use during class reportings.
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Diskette:
Before USBs and hard drives, there were these small square things where we stored soft copies of our reports and had them printed for submission in class.
Pencil box with sharpener:
Barbie and Power Rangers ruled the covers of these boxes. Some would have “two-storey” pencil boxes filled with pens, magic pencils, erasers, and highlighters.
Huge box of crayons:
Going all out meant having a huge box of crayons that went beyond having 24 colors. You got to be one of the best people in the room.
Big water jug:
These big things were heavy but functional. They lasted for the entire day with cold drinks and could sometimes be the source of cold drinks for the entire section.
Walking down memory lane, it’s fascinating to see how the essence of school days has remained timeless, even as the specifics have evolved. Whether you’re a 90s kid reminiscing about your childhood or a new student experiencing the first day of school, the excitement and nostalgia are universal. Here’s to the new school year and the wonderful memories it will bring!