Appreciating the Now: Class of 2026's Colors and Class Song Presentation

For nearly 70 years, Marlborough’s 9th grade classes have carefully selected colors and a song to best represent their cohort. This selection is the first class-wide tradition that sticks with the class throughout their time at Marlborough and beyond–it is not uncommon to see the design of the 50th reunion invitation utilizing these coveted colors selected decades before. On April 11, the Class of 2026 joined in this tradition, unveiling their colors and song choice to the school community.

The Class of 2026 selected Evergreen, Celeste, and Silk for their colors. Evergreen is a rich, jungle green hue meant to evoke the imagery of evergreen trees in a forest and the beauty of nature. The color was chosen to represent the 9th graders’ ability to weather good and bad times with strength and resilience. When speaking about this color, Avery S ’26 pointed out the parallels between the interconnectedness of the natural world and the closeness of their class saying, “Just as all of nature is connected, resilient, and long lasting, we wanted to represent how we as a class have made strong bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime.”

“The word ‘celeste’ means heavenly. It represents the blue sky and how our class is constantly reaching for the moon,” Maddie M. ’26 said to introduce the class’ second color. This peaceful, pale blue was selected to represent the Class of 2026’s limitless aspirations and the bright futures they will pursue.

The final color chosen by the class, Silk, is a creamy, off-white color which evokes the imagery of flowing fabric, which is exactly why this color was selected. The class wanted to highlight their ability to go with the flow and remain flexible. As the class who began their Marlborough journey remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these 9th graders have had their share of unexpected interruptions and last minute changes of plans. Through it all, they have remained positive, kind, and focused on appreciating the joy in simplicity. 

This ability to appreciate small, daily joys also factored into their song selection. They chose “Vienna” by Billy Joel. As the class prepared to sing the song for the community, Addie S. ’26 explained their selection: “We want to internalize Billy Joel’s classic line, ‘Slow down you crazy child,’ so we can enjoy our time together at Marlborough as these years speed by. It’s about living in the present, and appreciating what we have right now.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on a thoughtful and special Colors and Class Song Presentation!