Yearbook Blog

YourBook Program

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 14:22:25 -0500

This year, the yearbook staff is trying to continue a program aimed at providing deserving students with a yearbook.

I have contacted the faculty asking them to identify worthy students who deserve to have a yearbook but simply cannot afford one. This is not a general aid program, but rather one designed to put yearbooks in the hands of good kids caught in a difficult situation.

Here is the first response I ever received to my request:

If you can't give a yearbook to (name omitted) out of your "needy student" fund, I will probably buy her one myself.

Last spring, (name omitted) moved out of her parents' home. As her grandmother would tell you, she was raising her parents rather than the other way around and it was the best decision for her to make. She moved in with a friend and stayed there until November, when she really felt she needed her own space. Her grandmother and aunt arranged, long-distance, for her to have an apartment and the IB teachers helped her furnish it with things we found in our garages. During her entire senior year, (name omitted) has lived on her own, in her apartment, with no means of transportation, no medical insurance, and, rarely, groceries (when her teachers pooled together money to get them for her from time to time.) Her grandmother comes to stay with her from New York for a few weeks, then leaves for a few months to take care of her own family, then comes back as she can. (name omitted) has had few of the advantages that most kids have their senior years. She spent the is weekend in the hospital with a severe infection, probably the result of an upper respiratory infection she has had off and on all year, but with no medical insurance nor money nor means of transportation to see a physician, she has had no choice but to just be sick. Her grandmother just called me and told me that she took her to the doctor on Friday, then to the ER on Saturday night. Hopefully, she will recover enough to do well on her IB exams. She was accepted to Converse College and has just about enough scholarship and loan to cover her expenses, but she is already stressing out about being homeless this summer after her apartment lease runs out in June. For this poor kid, it's just one thing after another. Most other kids in her position would have just given up on school, found a job, and managed to survive badly. (name omitted) wanted to stay in school, continue to work toward an IB diploma, and has managed to do so despite some of the saddest circumstances I have ever seen. I think she probably is needy enough.

This is just one of many such stories.

We could, of course, turn our back on such students, but we thought there might be a better option. So, we have decided to reach out for help from local businesses or community members who we think might be in a position to offer a bit of happiness to those in need.

Yearbooks currently cost $80. However, we are willing to sell the books at a reduced price to businesses or individuals interested in donating them to the students our staff has identified. The cost per donation would only be $40.

In addition to a reduced price, at your request, we will add a sticker inside the front cover of the book indicating the book was compliments of you or your business. Finally, we will publish information about your generosity on our website (unless you would prefer to remain anonymous), including linking to your site.

If this is a project you would like to help us with or know someone who would be willing to assist, please email me at the link below. The year is quickly closing and we would like to help those we can before it is over.

Thanks,

James A. Roller
FDHS Yearbook

Surprise: We now have extra books to sell

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:40:55 -0400

Due to the binding problem with some yearbooks (see story here), Jostens has printed 150 extra copies of this year’s yearbook.

We will use some of these to replace any problem yearbooks, but we don’t expect nearly that many to be damaged. So....

We have yearbooks for sale!!

We didn’t anticipate getting extra books; in fact, it is quite rare for extra books to be printed. But... since we will have so many being printed, we are able to sell books to those who had not purchased a book before now.

There will be no additional charge for this special run of yearbooks. The price remains $70.

Yearbooks may be purchased from Ms. Harrison in the front office all summer. You can pay with cash, money order, or check. Please make checks payable to FDHS.

Problem Yearbooks: Repaired or Replaced

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:21:03 -0400

Shortly after distributing the yearbooks, we learned that some of them had pages that simply were “falling out.” Considering that this year’s book cost of just shy of $90,000 to publish (yea... that’s right), having any problem is unacceptable.

Jostens has stepped up to the plate and made good on its promise of quality: any book that was not properly bound during the printing process will be repaired or replaced at no cost to the owner.

To explain, the basic issue, as I understand it, was caused during the “binding” step where a sixteen-page section of the yearbook (known as a “signature”) wasn’t fully seated in the proper spot. As the binding stitch attempted fastened this section together, it simply missed a few pages of the signature due to their not being fully inserted as they should have been.

In short, those pages weren’t stitched in place with the rest of their grouping. SInce the stitch is missing, the pages fall right out from among the others that surround them.

Most commonly, I have seen pages 71 and 90 be the culprit pages; however, I have seen a random few toward the back of the book have the same problem.

Again, if this problem occurred in your book, you have the option to repair or replace it -- your choice.

To take advantage of this, come see Mr. Roller in room 109 ASAP.

A forum for those seeking the iPod Touch

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:57:57 -0400

Due to a couple of idiots making inappropriate comments on the previous comment page, I have had to close it down.

I will try again with an off-site forum. It will require that you request membership and be approved before you are allowed to post.

To request membership, you must:

1) Click the link below
2) Sign up with your email address and a password
3) When you get to the next screen (see below), simply write your first and last name, your parent’s/guardian’s first name, and your street number (if your address is 8500 Patriot Blvd, simply put 8500 along with your name and a parent’s name). This way I can try to confirm you actually are, well.. you. No one will be approved without correct, matching info.

1) When confirmed and accepted to the group, you will receive an email state so. At that point, you will be allowed to post.

Anyone posting inappropriate messages will be banned from the forum.

If this doesn’t work, I’ll just quit trying to provide a place to interact.

Sorry for the hassle...

Roller

Here’s the link: Hunter’s Hangout

Your own Space

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 18:21:22 -0400

Make the yearbook yourbook.

The yearbook staff is working hard this year to include as many people as possible. Now, we want to give you a different way to make sure you are included in the book: Personalization Cards.

Personalization cards were distributed in first period on Oct. 10. Design the 4 x 6 index card in any (appropriate) way, and we will publish it in the yearbook --- at no cost to you!

Yes, that’s right. We are giving you your very own space in this year’s book. Do with it what you will: show your artistic side, leave a message, create a collage, whatever you can come up with-- it’s your space.

We suggest you keep in mind the size of the printed version when creating your cards.
Because the printed version will be about half the size of the original card, consider these tips:

*Bright colors show better than dull
*Fewer photos are better than many
*Orient horizontally when creating; vertical designs will still be printed horizontally!
*Don’t have things hang off the edges; they won’t show when printed in the book
*Simple is better than lots of small details
*No photos of celebrities, athletes, logos or other copyright violations will be published
*Avoid writing a great deal of text; may be too hard to see when scaled down to printed size

The Rules:
1) Your personalized card is due in room 109 no later than October 26. Those turned in by October 19 will receive priority placement in the yearbook.
2) Write your first and last name and your 5th and/or 6th period teachers’ names legibly on
the back of your finished card. Your name will be printed in the yearbook beside
your card, so you don’t have to write it on the front of the card.
3) A limit of one card per person at this time. We may allow additional cards later.
4) Cards must be designed horizontally; any designed vertically will be published in a
horizontal orientation.
5) Nothing should hang off the edges of the card; anything hanging off the edge will likely
not be printed in the yearbook.
6) You may not include copyrighted material (pictures of celebrities, athletes, or logos for
example) on your card; Jostens is not legally able to print such things.
7) The yearbook staff reserves the right to determine what is appropriate for publication and
will only print those cards deemed appropriate.
1) Your design will only be accepted on a 4 x 6 index card.

Looking for examples or ideas? Look here to see other great examples.

Have questions? See Mr. Roller in room 109.

Finally, be sure to buy your yearbook this year. Buy here online or purchase in room 109.
$55 online; $60 at school.