Does my 1st grader need a yearbook?

[aprilgail2]

I am a 1st grade teacher & I do give the kids time (usually one of the last few days of school) to sign each others yearbooks. Our yearbooks are $21.00/regular & $24.00/personalized with name on front.

Ours are only 14.00- we don't make money on them, we like to keep it affordable so everyone can buy one. Some people have 3 in grade school at the same time so for less than 50.00 they can get yearbooks for all of them!
I dont think I could not buy one- they have pictures of all the class- pictures of the kids at events throughout the year, pictures of all the kids in whatever "club" they are in....my daughter is in there with student council, school newspaper, band and safety patrol...she is proud of all that stuff so years from now she can look and remember it and the kids that were in those things with her.

 

[kinntj]

I haven't bought my girls any so far. I will start in 3rd grade when it becomes popular. So far not so important.

 

[tycopj]

We don't buy the group class photo, we buy the yearbooks instead. Like others have said, not needed, but fun!

 

[Pigeon]

I thought it was a silly idea to have year books for elementary school, but my kids look at theirs a great deal, even many years later.

 

[MosMom]

My daughter is in 5th grade this year and is really starting to develop close relationships with friends so I'm getting her one starting this year. I don't think she really needed one before that and I'll do the same for my son.

 

[Tink888]

My boys got yearbooks all through elementary school (PTO gave them to all the kids for free). They don't look at them too much now but I think they'll get a kick out of them when they're older.

I like going through them myself every once in awhile. All of the kids really start to change right around sixth grade. I used to help out at school and it's really neat to see these kids now that they're in 9th grade and look back through the books and see them in kindergarten. The comments they write to eachother are also amusing.

 

[clh2]

There it is! SOLD! I'm buying one. The form specifically states that none will be available for sale when they come in so order now (that could be a ploy to get me to buy one now, but even still). DD would be heartbroken and I would pay the price . I never thought about 1st graders signing, but I can see her teacher allowing some time for that!

Thanks everyone!

It is very expensive to have a bunch of yearbooks "left over" at the end of school. That is why my DD's elem school did not order extras. 10 books at $23 is basically 230 that is getting tossed away at the end of the year.

I do see that you've decided to purchase one. Great decision IMHO. My DD (now in 10th grade) will still go through her old yearbooks...it usually happens at sleepovers. 4 elementary schools feed into 1 middle school and 1 high school. So in high school - not everyone has seen all the "little kid" pics. They really have fun with this!

 

[Becky2005]

I get my daughter one every year from K-5 so far. They get them the last three days of school and all the kids get to go to all their friends, teachers, past teachers and specials teachers and have them sign them.

Around here, it's pretty much a last day social event. I made the mistake of NOT buying one, one year (actually it was more a misunderstanding on my part, since it wasn't my first kid! ). Literally, all they do the last day of school is sign yearbooks. They did give my kid a piece of paper that said "autographs" so they weren't left out totally but it is a big event in grade school for the yearbooks. It's actually a couple day event since they usually get them 2-3 days before school is out.

Our last day is only 1 hour long though.

HERE'S the weirdest thing -- apparently in High School kids don't sign yearbooks here since they get them the following year. When I was in High School we got them the following year too (so graduation can be included) but still got them signed. Last year my DD was a Freshman, so she got hers early in the year, she thought I was nuts when I asked if they did signings. She told me that was weird since they were last year's yearbook. OK, then, culture shifts apparently.

I personally buy them not for right now's sake but for later on. I hadn't looked at my yearbooks in years but now that I have kids, they have seen more use in the last 2-3 years than they have in the last 10.

It's up to you but I would also ask around to find the culture of the school. I know when my DD went and Kindergarten was talking about yearbooks I thought it was bizarre. They are not the hard bound ones, just soft bound with staples in the middle. It's actually the kind we got in Junior High.

 

[Sleepy]

Back when I was in elementary school, they did not have yearbooks. All we had was a group class picture taken each year with a small plaque that stated the name of the teacher, the grade and the school year.

We never wrote down the names of the kids and where they were in the picture. I regret that we did not do this. My father was in the military and we moved often. As a result, I attended most of these schools only a year...maybe 2. I remember a few of the names of these kids. Mostly just first names, so looking them up on the net to say HI is almost impossible. Of the others, I only remember faces and wish I had names for them because when I look at them, I try so hard to remember and just can't. I can't remember the name of that boy in 1st grade who ate glue and crayons. Don't remember the name of the snotty girl who thought she was so beautiful in 3rd grade. I have not seen these kids in over 30 years. Having a yearbook would have solved the problem of remembering names.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I wish they sold a yearbook back when I was in first grade! I think it would be a great remembrance, especially during the school years.

 

[mamamary]

My kids starting getting yearbooks in Pre K. They weren't very expensive though. I still get sep. yearbooks for both kids since my son used to like to get it signed while my daughter wanted hers not to get signed. My dd will sit and go thru old yearbooks with her friends all the time so I think it is so worth it in my case.

 

[eliza61]

I stopped the year book thing early in elementary school. I just didn't understand why my kid needed one 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc, etc year especially since they are usually hawking yearly school photos at the same time.
My kids get one at middle school graduation and at high school graduation. That's it.

Neither of my kids have cracked opened their yearbooks. My youngest uses his to hold his plate if we allow him to eat in the rec room.

 

[Spinning]

I vote for yes! Purchase the year book....but also make sure you keep it safe for the long term! I wish I had my class pictures from grade school but sadly my mom can't find them. I bought each child their own books...and I will do so all through school.
In high school my parents only bought my sr year. I saved and bought all the other ones including the year after men...crazy now but I had so many friends in that class....now with face book it is very helpful almost 30 years later....

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

no. A class picture does the same thing. You look at it once every 10 years, smile and put it away.

 

[Darsa]

Twenty three bucks for a first grade yearbook?? Wowza. That seems a bit excessive at that age. I believe the first yearbook I got for DD was in the 4th or 5th grade, and it cost under $10...

 

[fairestoneofall]

I get DD one every year. My mom always bought one for me and I enjoy going back through them. DD loves to look through hers. I had to take her kindergarten one away from her because she was close to ruining the spine.

But, she goes to a private school, so the yearbook is K-3 through 12th grade.

 

[coliebird]

Am I the only person who has never heard of elementary school yearbooks? Must be another regional thing

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Am I the only person who has never heard of elementary school yearbooks? Must be another regional thing

I guess. My kids have gone to school in TX and MO and I have never heard of not having an elem. yearbook.

I always buy the yearbooks. In fact I bought 2 of them when they were in elem. school, so I am not one to ask.My kids love their yearbooks.

 

[Snoopymom]

I thought it was crazy, but DS begged for one so I caved, and before he brought it home, he and his friends randomly drew things in it including mustaches and glasses on students and teachers. He was bawling and so ashamed when he showed it to me that I didn't have the heart to punish him, and recently I found it hidden underneath his dresser. I guess we both learned a lesson.

 

[MickeyCrazedMom]

I wish I had one so when someone requests to be my friend on Facebook I could look them up and see who they are!!!!

I bought an $11 yearbook for my K and 1st graders. I was going to by one to share and dh told me to stop being cheap and let them have their own!!!!