When you look back at your school yearbook in many years to come, show it to your family, friends and even your children – wouldn’t it be a shame if there was something in there which you regret including, or are embarrassed to look at? The following paragraphs will help you think carefully about what your future self would be happy for others to see and read.
Ask a teacher to check your yearbook before it goes to print. This is an opportunity for the school staff to check all content thoroughly and request changes / removal of content which they are not happy with – remember that your yearbook also represents your school as well as your school leavers’ year.
Inappropriate photos – that night of partying which seems hilarious looking at the snaps now (the majority of which you wouldn’t be happy to show your gran). Is your school yearbook the right place for these photos? Have the other people in the photos given their permission for the photos to be included? Are you comfortable with your family, friends and teachers seeing these photos? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’, leave them to one side and enjoy them with the others who shared the experience.
Bad language – think carefully about how you want to express yourself when writing your yearbook profile comment, or any comments in the yearbook. Keeping your comments clean and free from bad language or profanities will make for a much more positive read in the future (for everyone).
Inappropriate comments about others – this includes comments about teachers, fellow students and the school as a whole. Concentrate your energy on kind, positive yearbook comments instead of negative and potentially hurtful ones!
