back to school layouts...

while i've always been persistent about taking photos on the first day of school every year, i've never been one to really scrapbook those back to school pictures unless an assignment required me to. i'm not really sure why that is, i just haven't...until now. :)

Little Yellow Bicycle just released a school themed collection called Head of Class and i couldn't resist reaching for some of our older school photos---because we all know i'm not *that* on the ball with printing the new ones. LOL.

(spidergirl: preschool)

after making these projects, i've decided a few things:

• i quite like scrapbooking with this Head of Class collection. :)
• i'm wondering why i waited so long to scrap back to school photos---as they always show such cool growth from year to year.
• i'm going to journal about each year as if i wrote the journaling during the time period that they were in that grade.
• with these layouts i'm starting to build them each their "graduation party" album now. :) (YAY me for being on the ball!)
  

there is nothing really unique about this layout, just lots of layering. the number strip was cut using my Silhouette machine and Bazzill cardstock. the colors in this collection are very much primary colors and i didn't want to reprint the photo as black & white, so i used the number strip to pull in the pink from her outfit. journaling was typed using a typewriter and reads:

My goodness, look at you! You’re getting to be such a big girl now that you’re attending Preschool through (name withheld) at (location withheld) in (city withheld). Ms. Nicole and Ms Angie are your teachers and they tell me you absolutely adore being a preschooler, but can’t wait until you can ride the bus to school with your big sister. You’ve made quite a few friends in Preschool, but we often hear about your favorite friends as being two boys named Michael and Wyatt. You’re learning all the skills you need to become a successful Kindergarten student and you tell me your favorite part of the day is doing centers and you especially enjoy getting to spend time on the computer. I love that you’re excited about learning, Emma. Photo taken: 8/24/2009

(ashlyn: kindergarten)

this layout here is so funny to me because it's of ashlyn on her first day of kindergarten. she has somewhat of a special education history/story, so while her first day of kindergarten was sept 5, she will also have a layout of the first day of first grade on sept 23....the same year. :)

kindergarten lasted a whole 18 days. LOL.

the story of how all that happened will be journaled about on her 'first grade' page and more details of how we arrived at our decision to put her in a special needs class will be put on pages of her preschool year. most likely just copy/pasted right from my blog entries during those times. there really isn't much of a story to her kindergarten days....all two weeks of them.

i loved both of these pictures, but that didn't leave much room for my lengthy journaling, so i adhered the larger photo down both sides and along the bottom with no adhesive in the middle leaving a pocket to slip the journaling card down into.

again, the journaling was typed on my typewriter and reads:

Ashlyn, today is the first day of Kindergarten for you at (school withheld) in Mrs. (teacher withheld)'s class. This day couldn’t have come soon enough, as you love school and are more than ready for another year of learning! Deciding to hold you back from the full-day kindergarten class last year and placing you in a special needs class with Mrs. (teacher withheld) was the best decision we’ve made for your concerning your education. You grew by leaps and bounds both emotionally and socially. Her class also gave you the confidence and assurance that you needed being that you were entering an unfamiliar building and unfamiliar surroundings. I’m confident that occupational therapy at Children’s hospital coupled with the special attention received in Mrs. (teacher withheld) class has prepared you to have the most successful Kindergarten year you could possibly have. You’re one brilliant little girl and I can’t wait to see how well you’ll transition and excel in your new classroom. Photo taken 9/5/2008

if you have other questions that i didn't answer about the layouts, just let me know in the comments. :)