Every year you hear 6th and 7th graders excitedly chattering about getting into the Yearbook or Newspaper class when choice slips come out.  Many students think that it’s just an opportunity to run around campus and take pictures, but these classes involve much more than just pictures.  Here is a quick breakdown of things to consider before signing up for Newspaper or Yearbook class.

Newspaper

Next year will be the first year that Garner will offer and Newspaper class elective.  It is open to upcoming 7th and 8th graders only.  In the class we study the history of Journalism, digital citizenship, photography, writing, interviewing, polling and much more.  Since so many students, parents, teachers and community members have been visiting the Garner Gazette website since it launched in October, it has become very popular among our Yearling family for information, important topics and fun articles.  To get into the Newspaper class, you have to write well.  You will need to get your choice slip initialed by your Reading or English teacher, not the elective teacher!  You may sign up for the class, but only 15-20 students will be selected for the honor of becoming a Garner Gazette reporter.   If your Reading or English teachers think that you are responsible, creative and possess strong reporting or story-telling skills, they will recommend you.  Keep in mind that since our newspaper is all online, it helps if you are a little tech/online savvy.  If you aren’t sure if you would make a good fit, ask your Reading and English teachers before you select Newspaper class as one of your electives.  If you have questions about it, ask one of our reporters or ask Mrs. White in room 401.

Yearbook

Next year will be the fourth year that Garner will offer a Yearbook class elective.  It is open to upcoming 7th and 8th graders only.  If you have recently purchased a yearbook in the last two years, you know that the Yearbook crew has fun, is creative and gets the amazing opportunity to tell the story of a full year of your life.  Each year we try to create an even better book.  Our hope is that we can create a book that will be award winning.  In order to accomplish this goal, we study the history of yearbooks, story-telling, photography, writing, theme creation, online design, Photoshop elements, interviewing, uniformity and much more.  Next year 15-20 students will be selected for the honor of being on our yearbook staff.  Staff members get to design up to 6 or more pages in the book, help with theme, color and cover selections and they get to attend all of the events so that they can cover all of the stories photographically.  In order to be selected for the Yearbook class, you will need to select it as one of your electives and fill out an application form that will come out around February, 2012.  You will be able to find the form here on GarnerGazette.com.  The application will ask you to write captions for pictures, come up with creative titles and ask you about your availability to attend extra-curricular events for photo coverage.  Yearbook class also requires that we study advertising to drive up sales of the book.  An important part of the application will ask you about advertising strategies.  We are looking for outgoing, well-organized and creative folks for next year.  If you have questions about Yearbook, ask Mrs. White in room 401.