School Scrapbook Album

Gathering Photos and Memorabilia

Obviously, it’s much easier to make a scrapbook of your child’s school memories if he/she is just starting preschool or kindergarten. However, you can still create a meaningful album even if your son or daughter is about to graduate from high school. All it takes is a little extra organization!

Deciding what to include in your child’s scrapbook will depend upon your child’s interests and his/her feelings about school. For example:

• First day of school candid photos
• Yearly school portraits
• Formal class photos
• Snapshots from assemblies, concerts, and other special events
• Classroom photos (Send a disposable camera to school with your child or ask your child’s teacher if she has any pictures that you can use in your scrapbook.)
• Report cards
• Tests, projects, and homework assignments
• Certificates, awards, and ribbons from school-related activities
• Bumper stickers, buttons, or other items printed with the school’s name and mascot

Quiz Your Kids

When scrapbooking school memories for your child, it’s important to ask him/her for input! Consider including answers to the following questions in your layouts:

• What do you like the most about your school? Why?
• What is your favorite subject? Why?
• What is your least favorite subject? Why?
• Who is your favorite teacher? Why?
• Who are some of your best friends in school? What do you and your friends like to do together?
• What do you want to do when you graduate from high school?

If you ask your child the same questions on a yearly basis, you’ll have an interesting way to document his/her growth through elementary, junior high, and high school. For a creative twist to your layouts, ask your child to print or write the answers to your questions so you’ll have handwriting samples from every year of his/her academic career.

Add a Sentimental Touch

Although your child’s scrapbook should focus on his/her school experience, it’s perfectly acceptable to include a few sentimental words from you as well. Use the following questions to help organize your thoughts:

• How did you feel on your child’s first day of school?
• In your opinion, what is the most important thing your child has learned during his/her academic career?
• How has your son or daughter’s school experience been different from your own?
• What do you think the future holds for your child after he/she graduates from high school?

School Scrapbook Quotes

Quotes about school, teachers, and the value of education will make an excellent addition to any album. Print them out in a decorative font and accent with school-themed clip art to create a fun and inexpensive page embellishments.

• “There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” --James Truslow Adams
• “I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.” --Edith Ann
• “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” --Aristotle
• “Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.” --Walter Bagehot
• “The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind.” --Jacques Martin Barzun
• “The influence of a good teacher can never be erased.” --Author unknown

Supplies for School Scrapbook Albums

When scrapbooking your child’s school memories, you may choose to purchase a kit of school-themed papers and embellishments. Having coordinating supplies at your fingertips makes it easy to quickly create a finished school scrapbook album. Consider the following options:

• Paper Wishes School All-in-One Kit
• Busy Scrapper’s Solution for School Pages
• Colorbok School Mini Album Kit
• K&Company School Days Collection

If you’re looking for free printable scrapbook supplies, check out these links:

• HP School-time Memories
• Mom’s Break School Days Printables
• The Little Pillow Back to School Freebie
• Scrapbook Scrapbook School Daze Printables