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These seniors start high school with the ‘comfort’ of childhood backpacks
Adrianna Tanaka sports a Peppa Pig backpack. “Her really spunky personality — it really resonates with me because I'm the same way,” Tanaka said.
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Mariana Dale
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While fears of immigration raids clouded the back to school season, some lighthearted student traditions persist.
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These seniors start high school with the ‘comfort’ of childhood backpacks
Tuesday was the first day of school for about 63,000 students in the Long Beach Unified School District.
Seniors at Lakewood High School sported their “kid backpacks,” as an homage to their younger years.
Adrianna Tanaka ordered a pink Peppa Pig backpack from Amazon. “Her really spunky personality — it really resonates with me 'cause I'm the same way,” Tanaka said. “I just grew up with her. … it's comforting.”
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It’s the most powerful school board in the country. And it faces enormous challenges, including funding shortfalls, chronic absenteeism, and safety concerns.
Lakewood seniors told LAist that upperclassmen and social media posts inspired their backpacks.
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“ It's a little bit of a culture within the kids,” said Principal Mona Merlo. “Whatever today's trend is, all the kids are jumping on it.”
Merlo’s son had a Minecraft bag his senior year at an LBUSD school.
"You gotta just have fun," Asher Wilder said of why he joined the senior backpack trend. "It's your last year in school."
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Wilder chose a Pokémon backpack, in part because he shares a similar name to the series' longtime protagonist.
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Tamarah Weston's Hello Kitty backpack came with matching headphones. Her favorite Sanrio characters are Pompompurin and Cinnamon Roll. Weston hopes to become a veterinarian after graduation.
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LAist forgot to ask if this backpack came with a banana.
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Melanie Mendoza said the senior backpack trend brings back "that little kid feeling in you."
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Mariana Dale
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Students across the country have embraced the nostalgic backpack tradition in the years since returning from the pandemic.
Seniors walked through an inflatable tunnel to their first classes with the bittersweet feeling of excitement mixed with sadness.
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Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
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Mariana Dale
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SpongeBob SquarePants, but also his loyal snail Gary, featured on the back of Lakewood senior Victor Rodriguez.
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“ I'm not gonna be able to see my friends like [as] often,” predicted senior Victor Rodriguez. ”It's life. So just stay in touch as much as you can.”
But if he learned anything from SpongeBob, the inspiration for his Gary the snail backpack, it’s “don’t take life too seriously.”
Amid first day excitement, preparing to keep students safe
While students shopped for their perfect backpack, Long Beach Unified educators and administrators prepared to reopen campuses amid increased immigration enforcement actions throughout the region.
There have been no reported interactions with immigration officials at Long Beach schools. However, several Southern California school-age children have been detained and deported since the start of the raids this summer, including a 9-year-old Torrance boy. Last spring, staff at two Los Angeles Unified elementary schools turned away Homeland Security agents who sought access to five students to conduct “wellness checks.”
Lakewood High School Principal Mona Marlo greets students on the first day of the 2025-2026 school year in the Long Beach Unified School District. “ I am everyone's cheerleader,” Marlo said.
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Mariana Dale
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Superintendent Jill Baker said all staff who interact with students and families, including front office and campus safety staff, were trained how to respond to immigration officials on school grounds in the spring and 1,000 employees received additional preparation in the two weeks before the first day.
“ICE is not allowed on our campuses,” Baker said. “Our staff are ready to defend the perimeters of our schools to ensure that families see and feel that inclusive and welcoming environment and the safety that they can expect from Long Beach Unified.”
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
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