Treasured Memories
When I was a child in public school my mother told me every
year that if I didn't purchase a yearbook I'd be
sorry later in life. She told me this because she knew that
these would become treasured keepsakes for me as an adult. I
can thumb through the pages and laugh at the funny hairstyles,
pick-out special friends and giggle about those difficult times
in class. My children even enjoy looking through the pages and
asking questions about all of the special clubs and events pictured
among the pages.
We have been members of groups who have produced yearbooks.
These are treasures to us because we have long since moved
away from these families whom we called friends. We are a
military family and small mementos, such as the yearbooks,
are ones that we will value for years. They might not be the
hard-cover, glossy-paged books from my school days but they
are still special keepsakes none-the-less.
Yearbooks can conjure up fun and interesting moments for
your children and these memories become a treasure to them
later in life. As a homeschooler, we do not have the option
of purchasing yearbooks from the school system but we can
create this opportunity for our own homeschool groups by taking
a few simple, small steps. There are many options when thinking
about yearbooks, some more detailed and difficult than others
but I can assure you that it a yearbook is a wonderful tool
for remembering those moments from each school year.
Point, Shoot, Document
For taking those photos your group could purchase several
disposable cameras at a local discount store. Disposable cameras
now come in boxes of 12 for around $25, this is an affordable
option but you also have to consider the cost of printing
the photos. If it's in your group's budget, you
could purchase an inexpensive but quality digital or 35 mm
camera. The digital camera will cut the cost of printing out-of-focus
or terrible photos but might be a more expensive option to
start out with. You could ask the group members if anyone
would like to donate an older camera to use for yearbook photos
or take up a collection to purchase the camera.
In addition to the camera you might want to consider purchasing
a small binder or notebook to use for logging information
about each event. This log can include funny stories, interesting
facts and/or other notable bits and pieces of information
from the event. This will be an important tool when the book
is being put together because it will help to enhance memories
and add a personal touch to the book.
Organizing Your Team
One way to get the yearbook started is to enlist teens to
begin a "Yearbook Committee." This can be comprised
of an adult to supervise and several teens to do the work.
The adult can oversee the project, offer suggestions and assist
later when the book is printed. Once the committee is assembled
they should decide what sort of layout or theme they'd
like to use for the book. They can set-aside pages for: field
trips, meetings, activities, special clubs, sports, and ministries
represented by the group. They may also choose to reserve
space for each family to create a page for the book as well.
These family pages might include: photos of their family,
their children and special events or activities they would
like to share. Look over some old high school yearbooks for
ideas and ask your group members for suggestions.
The teens on the committee can set-up a schedule to ensure
each meeting, activity, field trip, park day, bowling day,
etc is covered with a photographer to capture moments on film.
The event photographer can take a few photos and enter something
about the event into the log book. The log book can be passed
among the committee members to ensure that each event is fully
covered and documented.
Another option for putting together the yearbook is to have
several volunteers collect event photos from families in your
group. Ensure when these photos are submitted, they are clearly
labeled with the family's name and the event name and
date. This will guarantee that photos can be returned to their
rightful owners and each event is placed properly in the yearbook.
These photos can be placed behind titled pages with a short
description of the event. Either option is acceptable, your
group or committee has to decide which option suits them best.
Printing and Binding Options
You have several options in these areas and each can vary
in price and quality. If you choose to go with a commercial
printer, you should contact them before laying the book out.
The printer can offer tips and special papers to help with
this endeavor and they will ensure you have the best options
for your particular situation. Be sure to ask LOTS of questions
before doing the work of laying out the book!
You may choose to use a special copier found in your local
office supply store. You can use this option if you want to
bind each book yourself. This might be a less-costly option
but you'll end up doing much of the work binding the
books and the quality might not be superior.
Shop around before you choose any printing option. You might
find a company or local print-shop that will include a few
color pages and bind the book for a sturdy, longer-lasting
product. Be sure to consider many options when choosing your
printer. Our group printed a 150 page book, with 30 color
pages and comb binding for $12 per book. This was affordable
for each member in the group and the end product was outstanding.
Creating a Keepsake
Your group's yearbook is a simple way to document group
activities and family memories and will be a keepsake for
years. I'm sure whatever method you decide is best for
your group, the yearbook committee will be a wonderful addition
to the volunteer list this year. One thing to remember is…..be
sure to purchase copy for the group library!
For further reading:
Binding a Scattered Community: Md. Home-Schoolers
Put Their Stamp on a Campus Tradition: the Yearbook
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR2005071701164.html
Jostens Yearbooks for Homeschool Support Groups
http://www.jostens.com/homeschool/yearbooks/index.asp
Home Ed homeschool yearbook
http://www.homeedonline.com/yearbook.html
How to Make a Homeschool Yearbook
http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/articles/vol7iss3/vol7iss3
_SchoolYearbook.html
|
