Durango girl is 17th in family to wear dress on first day of school
Ally Hirt, 5, wears her family’s heirloom dress as she starts her first day of kindergarten Tuesday at Park Elementary School.
Ally Hirt, 5, plays on the playground at Park Elementary School in Durango before the start of the first day of school Tuesday. She wore a dress that generations of girls in her family have worn on the first day of kindergarten.
A yellow dress was originally made for Martha Esch for her first day of school in 1950. It has been worn ever since by girls in the family on their first day of school, including Ally Hirt, who was the 17th girl to wear the dress Tuesday in Durango.
Jenny Hirt of Durango wore a dress made in 1950 for her first day of school. The homemade family heirloom has been passed down ever since. It is tradition for girls in the family to wear it on their first day of school. Hirt’s daughter, Ally, 5, wore the dress Tuesday to Park Elementary School. She is the 17th girl in the family to wear the dress.
Aidan Riley, 9, jumps on friend Netta Johnson, 9, on Tuesday as the two happily start the first day of school at Park Elementary School. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Passing through the “Welcome Tunnel” created by the Durango High School cheer team, Emmy Romero is all grins as she heads toward her first day of classes as a freshman at the school Tuesday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Debi Lorenz, administrative assistant with Park Elementary School, hugs sisters Fatoumata Sow, 8, and Issa Sow, 10, on Tuesday on the first day of school. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
With a good-luck kiss on his first day as a Durango High School freshman, Kerry Doyle sends off her son, Sylas Williams, as Durango School District 9-R schools opens for the school year. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Albert Peña watches as his son, Mario Peña, 5, gets comfortable on the first day of class Tuesday in Allison Handpick’s kindergarten class at Park Elementary School. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Cassie Baier takes a picture of her husband, Nate, and their daughter, Cruz, 5, in Suzanne Cash’s kindergarten class Tuesday at Park Elementary School. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Animas High School seniors start their first day back at school with a early morning hike up the ABC trail to Fort Lewis College in what is becoming a tradition for the school. School staff were at the college to greet and welcome the students. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Animas High School seniors start their first day back to school with a early morning hike up the ABC trail to Fort Lewis College. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Greg Gidney, with Park Elementary School, raises the flag Tuesday at the start of the first day of school. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango High School cheer team lined up in front of the school Tuesday morning to welcome students back as Durango School District 9-R schools opened for the school year. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Elizabeth Bauer, a first-grade teacher at Bayfield Primary School, reads “Yes We Can” during the first day of school Tuesday. One of her students, Matthew Ginnold, said: “My hair’s a mess. I don’t like getting up this early.” Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur/Pine River Times
Annabella Price isn’t quite awake for the first day of first grade on Tuesday. She is the daughter of Robert Candelaria and Jessi Price. Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur/Pine River Times
Miller Middle School sixth-graders Mia Moreno, left, and Victoria Barletta join classmates on the football field, where they were picking up schedules. “Classes, freedom and lockers!” said Victoria, enthusiastically listing the reasons she is glad to be a middle-schooler this year. She and Mia said they were “nervous, but excited to make new friends.” Photo by Jessica Pace/Durango Herald
Doug Miller brings his daughter, Hannah, 12, to Miller Middle School for the first day of classes. Hannah spent her summer at camp and traveling to Costa Rica and Yellowstone, but she was eager for Tuesday, because she “gets to start band.” She hopes to play drums. Photo by Jessica Pace/Durango Herald
Baileigh Foster, who started first grade on Tuesday, poses with her father, James, outside Florida Mesa Elementary. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
First-grader David Woytek poses Tuesday with his mother, Isabel, and brother John outside Florida Mesa Elementary. “I’m excited for different learning, meeting new friends and seeing old friends,” David said. His mom said of David’s younger brother: “And he’s just helping walk his brother to school. “He’ll be getting ready for school next year.” Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Fourth-grader Nathan Mosher and brother, Jacob, who is starting first grade, pose Tuesday with their parents, Robbie and Janet, outside Florida Mesa Elementary. “Unpacking and going home,” Nathan answered when asked what he was excited for on the first day of school. His mother chimed in: “He said seeing his friends earlier.” Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Levi Harding, starting pre-school, poses with his parents, Eric and Kristin, and Conner, his brother, at Florida Mesa Elementary on Tuesday. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Fourth-grader Maizy Nichols and Luke, her brother who is starting first grade, pose with their mother, Kerri, outside Florida Mesa Elementary on Tuesday. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Deb Buck and Cedar Newman, her son, arrive at Miller Middle School on Tuesday. “New teachers and a better year,” are 11-year-old Cedar’s ambitions for the new school year. Photo by Jessica Pace/Durango Herald
Faculty and staff of Animas High School await the arrival of seniors, who started their first day back to school with an early morning hike up the ABC trail to Fort Lewis College in what is becoming a tradition for the school. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Miller Middle School students gather Tuesday, the first day of school, on the football field to get their schedules. Some were anxious, some not, but most appeared happy for their first day back. Photo by Jessica Pace/Durango Herald
New Miller Middle School teacher Jacob Wilson was on the football field Tuesday as students arrived. “Today is going to be crazy. And I’m the new ELL (English language learner) teacher, so I’m anxious, nervous and exicited.” Photo by Jessica Pace/Durango Herald
Jenny Hirt of Durango wore a dress made in 1950 on her first day of school. The homemade family heirloom has been passed down, and it is a tradition for girls in the family to wear it on their first day of school. Hirt’s daughter, Ally, 5, wore the dress Tuesday to Park Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Jenny Hirt
Ally Hirt didn’t agonize over what to wear on the first day of school.
She put on the same yellow dress her great-great grandmother made in 1950 for her daughter’s first day of kindergarten. It has been worn since by every girl in the family – including her grandmother, mother, aunts and cousins – on the first day of school.
Ally, who attends Park Elementary, was among hundreds of children to start school Tuesday in Durango and Bayfield. Kids in Ignacio and at Mountain Middle Charter School started Monday; Cortez starts Wednesday and Pagosa Springs starts Sept. 6. A few districts in the region started last week.
Ally, 5, is the 17th girl in the family to wear the dress, said her mother, Jenny Hirt, who wore the dress in 1981.
“She calls it the special dress,” Jenny Hirt said. “She’s excited to be part of the tradition. ... She’s also really excited to go to kindergarten.”
The bib dress has embroidered purple flowers, puff sleeves, a ribbon that ties in the back and purple and yellow plaid trim. It is in perfect condition, still bright with color.
“Super timeless,” Jenny Hirt said. “It’s held up remarkably well. They don’t make things like they used to.”
The dress has been worn in seven states: Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Ohio and Florida.
The dress next travels to Oregon to be worn by Jenny Hirt’s niece, who starts kindergarten next year.
“It’s something special that we can all share,” she said.
shane@durangoherald.com
