Elementary school yearbook back on paper

NORTH CANAAN — The yearbook is back. A traditional hardcover version is in the works after five years of an electronic version at North Canaan Elementary School (NCES).

A staff of students, led by computer teacher Patricia Palmer, is working hard to meet a deadline of their online publisher.

Palmer explained that in 2003 she was approached to do a digital yearbook.

“It had all the features of a traditional yearbook, but everything was on a CD,� she said. “It worked well for the last five years. We even created little autograph books.�

NCES eighth-grade parent Debbie Carroll became involved with producing a yearbook at the Torrington Middle School, where she is employed. She and parent Linda Creedon proposed returning to a hardcopy yearbook and got the go-ahead.

Palmer and her staff have become pros at page design and uploading student and class photos and text. They have spent countless recess and study hall periods grabbing candid student and staff photos. They meet after school to work on page designs. There were play rehearsal and other conflicts for many students, but they came after and worked until 6:30 many a Friday night.

But there were a couple of snags with the online publishing approach.

“The deadline is much earlier than it would normally be,� Creedon said, “and there was a problem with selling ads. We got a lot of support from local businesses, but the company had them mail their ads directly. We didn’t know who had bought an ad, and we probably could have gotten more if we had some control over it.�

The plan now is to launch a community appeal. Letters have already gone out. As the school’s recent 50th anniversary celebration proved, North Canaan Elementary holds a dear place in people’s hearts, especially when generation follows generation through the school.  Ads and donations will help underwrite the cost, allowing yearbooks to be sold for $20 each, below the publishing cost.

With an April 7 deadline to the publisher, the yearbook staff asks that donations be made by March 31. All donors will be listed in the yearbook as sponsors, unless they choose otherwise.

Checks should be made out to the NCES Activity Fund. They may be brought to the school or mailed to PO Box 758, Canaan CT 06018.

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