Yearbook Exploratory (by Mrs. Gomes and Yearbook Exploratory Students)

Middle school students have the opportunity to put their own touch on the school yearbook. During the third quarter, middle school students signed up for the Yearbook Exploratory and helped put together the yearbook that the whole school will enjoy. Mrs. Fink taught the class and served as the yearbook editor and coordinator this year. 

Participating in the Yearbook Exploratory provided students with an opportunity to engage in learning by collaborating, problem-solving, and working with technology. Serving in the Yearbook Exploratory is also a form of community service to their school. 

The students were excited to work together, share their ideas, and add their creativity to the yearbook. They learned how to use the TreeRing website, the primary platform used to publish the school yearbook. Students were encouraged to use the school cameras to take pictures of school events. The students loved taking pictures during the National Lutheran School Week dress-up days, especially when all the students were dressed as animals!

Working on the yearbook gave students many opportunities to practice their problem solving skills. They had some struggles with the website and had to crop a lot of pictures, but they persevered. 

The best part of the Yearbook Exploratory experience is how it instills a sense of pride, camaraderie, and community in the students. Working behind the scenes gave students an opportunity to interact with other classes and engage with other teachers and students. The yearbook students enjoyed collecting photos and quotes from the teachers. It was fun to see what the students enjoyed about their teachers and what the teachers enjoyed about their classes. Working on the yearbook reinforced the importance of responsibility and meeting deadlines. It made the yearbook students feel good to know that the school administration trusted them with something so important.

The Yearbook Exploratory was such a success that Mrs. Gomes applied for, and received, a TLC Grant for Student Publications. This money will be used to purchase cameras and equipment so that students can be even more engaged in documenting events in the life of the school for future yearbooks and other publication opportunities.

Yearbooks will be distributed to students on May 25 (Day X in the A-Z Countdown to Summer when we will eXchange Autographs!). The Yearbook Exploratory students hope that you enjoy the yearbook and that it is a special memento for St. Paul’s families for years to come!