After 14 years of hard work and dedication, Thomas Porcelli, an English teacher here at Danbury High School (DHS), has passed on the DHS yearbook to new hands.
The longtime advisor, who has overseen every photo, caption, and cover design since he began in 2011, is stepping away from the role as he approaches retirement, but he is not leaving without commendable service to our school.
For over a decade, Porcelli ran one of DHS’s most anticipated traditions. As advisor, it was his job to make sure the yearbook came together as a finished product that reflected the spirit of the school. “The job is to facilitate,” he explained. “Setting up picture days, working with clubs and sports, there are a lot of moving parts.”
When Porcelli first picked up this job in 2011, the yearbook process was far from the computer software used today. With the six computers in his classroom, he not only taught himself how to use the programming websites necessary, but also taught his students who helped with the yearbook. Students who worked alongside Porcelli were given real-world skills in computing, “[staying] 2-4 times a week and [working] on this for hours on online layout programs; it’s something they could put on their resumes.”
The best part of working on the yearbook, though, was seeing that final published book. Porcelli’s favorite memory was their annual “end of the year Chinese feast,” during which he would bring in a spread of Chinese food (a little bit of everything) for the students while they read through all their hard work.
As Porcelli prepares for retirement, Benjamin Schultz, DHS’s photography teacher, is currently in the process of creating Danbury High School’s 2026 Yearbook as the new advisor.
While Porcelli is always there for any questions, one of his words of advice to Schultz is “to leave his own fingerprint,” encouraging Schultz to make the yearbook his own, and he cannot wait to see the alterations Schultz makes.
The switch of advisors “was a very natural move,” Schultz explained when interviewed. As the photography teacher, he not only has students interested in the yearbook, but also has access to high-quality digital cameras.
A big change the yearbook staff will face is the development of the academies and the challenges of covering two buildings. Since both Schultz and Higgins are teachers at the main building, getting pictures and “making sure both schools have time to shine” is a task they are still trying to handle. They must also consider the fact that for the 2026 yearbook, the seniors are not a part of the new academy model.
When asked about the new building affecting the yearbook process, Jacey Higgins, the assistant advisor, said her main concern was organizing club photos. “It’s certainly harder now that all members of clubs aren’t in the same building; not everyone can come in for a Saturday picture.”
Yet Schultz and assistant advisor Higgins are fully prepared to take on these challenges, and they cannot wait to publish their first yearbook.
Schultz hopes to showcase the yearbook with more “arts and designs,” giving sneak peek such as “full page photos,” and “a vintage theme.” He wants to emphasize the academies themselves, separating the yearbook into sections to show off this curriculum change at DHS.
“The yearbook is in good hands,” Porcelli said as he ended his interview. The DHS community cannot wait to see how the 2026 yearbook turns out and continue to wish Schultz and Higgins the best of luck.
