The yearbook allows students to take a glance at the past school year. With photos from activities, sports, and school events, it’s no wonder that many Prior Lake High School students buy this book every year. But what exactly goes into making this book?

The yearbook club consists of students in all grade levels. Students can choose to add to the yearbook by taking photos, editing pages, or both. The staff member who leads the yearbook is English teacher Ms. Elissa Meuwissen.  With the strength of all these members, the yearbook club works together throughout the entire school year to make the yearbook.

Different members of the yearbook have different roles. Some students take pictures at school events and competitions. Others are involved in an editing role. Editors design the specific pages of the yearbook, choosing what pictures to add and what information to include. The leadership team chooses what they want the yearbook to focus on. For example, this year, the yearbook has an emphasis on including pictures of as much of the student body as possible. These students are also responsible for picking and implementing a theme that will be carried out throughout the yearbook.

The process of making the yearbook starts early. At the end of last school year, there were already meetings about planning the yearbook theme and style for this year. In the summer, the leadership team works with Pictavo, the company that makes the yearbook, to finalize the yearbook theme. They decide on page layouts, color schemes, and cover designs during these summer meetings.

Past themes and designs are considered when choosing these items in order to make every yearbook feel fresh and new in contrast to previous yearbooks. Throughout the year, yearbook members add to the pages by taking photos at school events and editing pages. Editors get to choose what pages they would like to work on at the beginning of the year.

There are four deadlines: one in late October, one in early winter around December, one in early spring around March-April, and one in May. Editors must finish designing and adding photos to their assigned pages at this time. For some of these deadlines, editors are able to take advantage of an in-school editing day. This gives editors the opportunity to work on their pages during the school day and collaborate with other members while doing so. Final edits of the yearbook are finished in May. Then the members of the yearbook come back in July to distribute the yearbook to the students here at Prior Lake High School. 

Making a yearbook is no easy task. It takes the hard work and dedication of faculty members and students. But the work is worth it, as the yearbook holds important memories that will be cherished for years to come.

Important Deadlines:
The yearbook is on sale now for $75 until November 22. 

From November 23rd to March 31st the price jumps to $85. 

Finally, at distribution, a limited amount of yearbooks will be available for $100, so make sure to get them early!

Senior pictures must be submitted by January 12th.