In honor of 2021, we asked advisers about New Year’s resolutions—their yearbook ones. Responses came from the Balfour Advisers Facebook group and are included here as part of the Going the Distance blog, an occasional blog about embracing yearbook challenges.
“To produce a book that will transport future readers into a school in 2020, so they really understand what it was like to live through a pandemic. We’re focusing on storytelling this year and using a narrative first-person style to accomplish this.”
–Jill Chumley, Tomball Memorial High School, Tomball, Texas
“My resolution is to cut myself some slack. It’s not a normal year. I need to stop thinking this will be a normal book.” –Katie Dean, Lee High School, Baytown, Texas
“To involve digital students in yearbook and sell out.” –Maritza James, Springstead High School, Spring Hill, Florida
“I have chosen to focus on a word and how that brings change to me and those around me. I am focusing on ‘gratitude’.” –Marilyn Othon, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston, Texas
“To finish a middle school spring delivery book on deadline that I inherited the week of Thanksgiving with the five students who I also inherited (along with no ladder, no assignments, no photos).” –Susanna Jakubik, Thornton Middle School, Missouri City, Texas
“My resolution is to show grace—to myself, my staff, and all things related to yearbook. As some have already said, this is not a normal year; I need to stop demanding myself and my staff to produce a ‘normal’ yearbook. If we don't get pictures, we'll make the narrative work. If events are canceled, it's okay to cut planned spreads. We've got the grit to make this book one for the record books, we just need to cut ourselves some slack when things don't go the way we planned.” –Caron Peck, Riverdale High School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
“To care for myself and for my students more than I care about meeting a deadline or covering every single thing. (That’s not to say those things are not important; they just are what they are, and we’ll do the best we can, but we will prioritize care for ourselves.)” –Danielle Bell, Foster High School, Richmond, Texas
“My resolution this year is to remember it is okay to say no sometimes. This is not the year where I can do everything like I do in past years. I can't be at every single game. I can't be at every single event. I have to take the time to be mom to my own kids too.” –Julie Pasha, Pearland Junior High West, Pearland, Texas
“To not allow COVID to keep us from meeting our deadlines.” –Andrew Aronson, Kraemer Middle School, Placentia, California
“Teach and reteach as often as necessary so we build a strong staff, just like lifting weights. Build, break it down, and build it back up so it's stronger. Every muscle has to be worked and every aspect of yearbook needs to be worked, starting small, spelling, punctuation, grammar as a whole, photo shoots, photo selections, cropping, and the list goes on!” –Regina DeDominicis, Wills Point ISD, Wills Point, Texas
“My resolution is to produce a book by the end of the school year. It will be a different book from others, and I have to remember that. We will not be at every game nor every event. But we will produce a yearbook no matter what COVID says.” –Cassandra Shuptar, Berry Miller Junior High, Pearland, Texas
“My resolution is to survive by keeping the stress levels down by doing what I can do and not worrying excessively over what I cannot do. For example, I hope there will be winter games to photograph, but if there aren’t I will live with having practice photos in the book.” –Pam Willard, Prescott High School, Prescott, Arizona
“Take pride in the quality work we are ABLE to do. Focus on the things we can control, and not stress so much over what we cannot control. We will get this book done!” –Michelle Valenzuela, Kingwood High School, Kingwood, Texas
“Regroup with basics in design and hit the ground running. We don’t have time to fix all these margin errors AND catch up by spring break.” –Katherine Brooks, Clear Brook High School, Friendswood, Texas
“My New Year's yearbook resolution is to be grateful for every small success. We've been through so much this past year, that we deserve to celebrate every tiny victory.” –Stephenie Conley, Bellevue East High School, Bellevue, Nebraska
“My resolution is to find peace within the chaos, serve my staff with grace, love and mercy, and appreciate life whether simple or difficult, for life is a precious gift. Best wishes fellow advisers. May you have a happy, healthful and fully blessed new year!” –Brenda Riley, Inverness Christian Academy, Inverness, Florida
