Walking through the hallways of Memorial Elementary lately, you might notice a curious new addition to the walls. What started as a simple display has turned into a school-wide sensation: the “Guess Who?” initiative.

For the past few months, faculty members have been dusting off their old yearbooks to share their own school-age photos with the student body. From grainy Polaroids to the vibrant (and often questionable) fashions of the ‘80s and ‘90s, these portraits are first revealed anonymously during the virtual morning announcements, sparking a daily wave of detective work across the classrooms.

While the students certainly enjoy a good laugh at the vintage hairstyles, neon windbreakers, and oversized glasses of decades past, the project serves a deeper purpose: Seeing a teacher as a nervous third-grader or a wide-eyed kindergartner helps bridge the gap between the front of the classroom and the desks. 

"It makes them feel more human," one staff member noted. "It’s a reminder that every adult in this building once sat exactly where they are sitting now."

By sharing these images, teachers are opening up about their own academic journeys. Many have paired their photos with short stories about their favorite childhood books, the subjects they found difficult, or the teachers who first inspired them.

The reaction from the students has been overwhelmingly positive. Every morning, the halls buzz with theories, and as students pass the photo wall, they stop to try their hand at identifying the "mystery" MES staff.

With more than 80 staff members participating, the "Guess Who?" project hasn't just connected teachers and students, it has brought the staff closer together as well. The hallways are now filled with the sound of laughter as colleagues marvel at how much—or how little—they’ve changed since their elementary school days.

It also serves as a gentle, playful reminder that education is a lifelong cycle. It reinforces the idea that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and perhaps even the future teachers who will one day hang their own 2026 school portraits in the halls of MES.

Submitted by Hopedale Public Schools