Yearbooks: What are They and What’s Inside?

 Yearbooks: What are They and What’s Inside?   

27th September 2020                                                                             

    

                                                                                                                                       Source: https://www.assetprint.co.za/yearbook-printing/

For many students, school is full of achievements, events, and funny memories. So, what is a better way to keep track of everything you did during your final year at school than with a Yearbook? 

When did it start and where?

Originating in the 1800s, the process of creating a Yearbook for final year students is a popular practice nowadays with people trying to choose the craziest outfit for their photo or competing to invent the funniest quote. Typically, the Yearbook is an American tradition as it forms an important part of school life. However, there are other countries who also create Yearbooks for their graduating students. In the USA, it is most commonly created for High School students however it is also done in Middle Schools, Colleges, and some Elementary Schools.

Why make a Yearbook? 

It’s main purpose is to encapsulate all of the things students have achieved throughout their time at school so that they can have a keepsake of memories to look back on in future years. Generally a Yearbook has an overarching theme to it, for example it might be a sports-based theme, or it could be based on a particular film. This doesn’t mean that all of the content has to relate to this theme, but more that the fonts and graphics used are inspired by it. The Yearbook is designed and created by a Yearbook team of students and staff. They work tirelessly throughout the year to put together hundreds of photos, choose the best events to highlight, and collect messages and quotes from everyone involved. There are even prizes for the best Yearbook!

What’s included in a Yearbook?

So what’s inside a Yearbook? Normally, there are multiple sections or page spreads. You will often find:

-A section on Student Life and some of the projects that have been worked on during the year

-All of the School Club achievements, whether Sports clubs or Societies 

-Class photos of each class and sometimes a whole year group photo

-Individual student photos with their names and a funny quote or phrase they want to include

-Photos and names of the members of staff, ranging from the teachers right to the maintenance and reception staff

-Sometimes there is a section for messages from certain teachers or members of staff

-A general message from the Principal, usually on the first page

-Many pages celebrating the highlights of big events from the year such as performances, competitions, or campaigns 

-Some schools like to include a Student Awards section where they assign certain awards to students such as ‘Best Comedian’ or ‘Best Politician’. Sometimes there is a ‘Most Likely To’ award such as ‘Most likely to end up in jail’ or ‘Most likely to become a millionaire’. 

Yearbooks are a really fun, creative way to celebrate everything that has happened during the year, whilst providing a book full of memories that students can keep. They’re also a great thing to look back on in 10 years time to see which of the ‘Most Likely To’ awards have come true! Let’s face it, those of us who are older, definitely know at least one person from their High School class who’s ended up in jail and another who’s now a popular influencer…

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Related Topics   

Education        School        Young people