Just two weeks before school started, I was asked to take over the elementary school yearbook. The person who had originally volunteered to create it had ended up moving, and suddenly the school was scrambling to find someone to step in. Logan's good friends with the sons of the PTA president, and she knew I was somewhat creative (I had designed the school shirts a few years back) so she thought I might be the perfect person for the job. So, she came to me and practically begged me to consider it.
I figured, why not? I’d made plenty of Shutterfly photo books over the years, so I already had experience putting photos and memories together. I was also sold on the idea of being at school for all the fun events and getting to take pictures throughout the year. And since this was Logan’s (and our family’s) LAST year of elementary school, it felt like a fun way to be involved in his school experience.
So, I said yes.
The woman who had managed the yearbook for the previous four years had really perfected the process. She left me lots of helpful notes about deadlines, what needed to be done, and when. She was incredibly helpful, but after our initial meeting, I definitely felt a little overwhelmed.
I quickly learned that creating a school yearbook is a whole different ballgame from making family photo books. There was a learning curve with the software, A LOT of pictures to sort through, hundreds of pages to design, events to cover, and so many little details to keep track of. It was definitely more work than I had anticipated, and I honestly found myself wondering, What have I gotten myself into?
Thankfully, the school theme was a space theme which made it easy to incorporate the theme throughout the book. Plus I had a helper who took on a few pages and photographed events I couldn’t attend. Having another set of hands made a huge difference, and I was so grateful not to be doing every single thing alone.
Despite the workload, there were so many things I loved about the experience. I spent a lot of time at school, attended events I might not otherwise have gone to (the father son event), and got to know so many members of the administration. I loved feeling more connected to the school community and getting a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into making the school year special for the kids.
And I have to admit, I felt pretty popular with the kids, too! They would run up to me asking for pictures, excited to be included in the yearbook. It was fun to be someone they recognized.
At the end of the school year, the PTA hosted its annual volunteer appreciation brunch. I had never attended in previous years, but this time? Gosh dang it, I DESERVED to be there. 😂 During the brunch, the PTA president highlighted some of the top volunteers and the number of hours they had contributed. Of course, many of them were the moms who served on the PTA board. I’ll admit, I was a little hurt that my work on the yearbook hadn’t been acknowledged. Sometimes the PTA can feel a little cliquey, with recognition going to the people who are part of the inner circle. Normally, I probably wouldn’t have cared, but I had poured SO many hours into this project. After all the time and effort it had taken, I think I was hoping for a little recognition, too.
But then, right at the very end, the principal got up to say a few words. She specifically called me out and thanked me personally in front of everyone for all the work I had put into the yearbook. She knew what a beast of a project it was and how much time it required, and she genuinely appreciated the effort that had gone into it. After months of working behind the scenes, it meant so much to have someone acknowledge all that work.
And then came the icing on the cake. After the yearbook came out, the school’s namesake, Mrs. Shafer, shook my hand and told me it was one of the “best yearbooks ever done, truly.”
WHAT?! 🥹
That comment alone made it all worth it.
I was so proud of how the yearbook turned out! It was a huge undertaking, especially jumping in with only two weeks to prepare before school started. But I learned a lot, made some great connections, and helped create something that families can look back on for years to come.
Of course, whenever people asked if I was going to do it again next year, I reminded them that Logan was a fifth grader.
I WAS ONE AND DONE! 😂
I’m glad I said yes, and I’m proud of what I created. But I’m also VERY happy to hand the job over to someone else! Although Brad kept wondering what in the world I was going to do with all my free time once the yearbook was finished.
It was a lot of work, and a little overwhelming at times, but it was also a rewarding experience that I’m glad I had.
Inside back cover: the outgoing 5th grade class (on the front inside cover was the kindergarteners)
