Educational End of the Year Memory Book

Educational End of the Year Memory Book Ideas

Are you a teacher searching for a project that will bind your class together throughout the year? How about planning an educational end of the year memory book? It's a project that the entire class can work on. Although it won't be finished until the school year is nearly over, September is the perfect time to begin the project so you can collect things to include all year long.

A memory book can contain anything you want it to, but here are some basic ideas to give you some direction.

Front Cover

You might choose to display:

• A picture of the school
• A class picture
• Original student artwork
• The school mascot
• Blank excepts for individual expression

Inside Pages

The inside pages are the real heart of any memory book. The key to success lies in making sure that each and every student is included. Ideally, no single student or group of friends should be featured more than the others. Page ideas include:

• Student Bios: Allot 1/2 page per student to display an individual photo and a few interesting facts about each student. Better yet, let the students fill out their own bio forms.
• Class of 2---: Include things like a student chosen class motto, class song, class colors, etc. Add a graduation date if applicable.
• My Favorites: This can be a fill-in-the-blanks page with spaces for the children to list their favorite subject, trip, teacher and more.
• Service Projects: Did the class participate in a project to help others? Include details and photos of the kids in action here.
• Class Officers: Be sure to include photos, names and positions held.
• Special Events: This is a great place to feature special events like a school play, dance or Wacky Olympics.
• Fondest Memories: Ask each student to contribute their fondest memory from the school year. Don't forget to attribute each statement, and limit submissions to a few sentences each.
• Last Will and Testament: Here's a chance for graduating students to bequeath their final thoughts and feelings to friends left behind or the school at large.
• Teacher's Final Words: This is an opportunity for each teacher to write an inspirational message to his/her departing class.
• Memorable Moments: This is a good place to include things that don't easily fit into any other category.
• Autographs: This is easily the most popular part of any educational end of the year memory book. Devote two full pages so the children have enough room for all their friends and teachers to sign.

Back Cover

Ideas include:

• A candid group photo or photo collage
• Lyrics to the class song
• Leave the page blank for more autograph space

Balancing the Layout

It's inevitable that there will be odd spaces that need filling throughout the memory book. You can use candid photos, inspirational quotes and clip art to fill in the layout.

Sample School Memory Book

Although there's nothing quite as satisfying as creating a project yourself, A to Z Teacher Stuff does offer an end of year memory book in PDF format. You can download the book as is for personal or classroom use, or you can simply use it to get ideas about pages you would like to include in your own design.

Assembling the Books

The cost of assembling the books depends on how you do it. For younger students, gluing the contents to cardstock while using a hole punch and yarn for binding may be sufficient. However, taking the completed layout to your local Kinko's and having it printed and bound may be a better option for older students, especially those who are graduating.