Get the best of both worlds by including more photos with a large photo block on one side of your layout while still having some fun by creating a more traditional scrapbooking design on the other.
Supplies used - Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned papers, brads, stickers, and chipboard pieces: Simple Stories; Embroidery floss: DMC; Computer font: Century Gothic
School for my kids starts next week and it's definitely going to be a strange experience compared to years past. It is for all kids everywhere. We had the choice to select from three options: full seated, hybrid, and virtual school. Even though I felt very confident that we have made the right choice for us, it still was not an easy choice to make. I feel for all of the parents, teachers, and administrators for all the hard choices they are having to make right now and the fact that it seems like no matter what choice you make there's someone that will tell you that you made the wrong choice. It's a crazy world we are currently living in.
No matter what choice you made for your child's school experience this year, it's still scrapbook worthy. Maybe even more so because it's such a different experience this years. Every year we take the same photos to document the first day of school and this year we might add some new in thanks to Covid-19.
Here are a few ideas for must take photos:
• All of the school supplies laid out.
• All of the "new" school supplies that have been added due to the pandemic: masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, etc.
• Your child sitting with all of the school supplies laid out around them.
• Full length photo of your child dressed and ready to go from the front.
• Full length photo of your child from the back with their backpack on.
• All siblings together.
• Close up photos of their clothes and backpack. (For my boys it's always about the new shoes!)
• Take a few photos with their mask on if they have to wear one at school.
• Your child getting ready for school - their breakfast, fixing their hair, putting things in their backpack, packing their lunch, etc.
• Their lunch box and contents.
• Getting on the bus or getting into the car.
• Dropping off at the school.
• Your child's schedule.
If you are doing virtual school don't forget to also take photos of:
• Your child's workspace/desk area.
• Your child sitting in their workspace.
• Your child doing their school work.
Back to school journaling prompts:
• What are you most looking forward to about school?
• What are you not looking forward to about school?
• What was the best part of your first day?
• What was the worst part of your first day?
• Who is your favorite teacher?
• What is your favorite subject?
• What is your favorite thing to have for lunch?
• Who do you eat lunch with?
• Are you glad to be back in school or would you rather be doing virtual school?
• If you are doing virtual school do you wish you were doing seated school?
• Describe what going to school during a pandemic is like. (Seated school)
- Was everyone wearing a mask?
- Social distancing?
- What precautions are in place?
- Does your teacher wear a mask?
- What is different?
- What is the same?
• Describe what going to school during a pandemic is like. (Virtual school)
- Do you think it's easier or harder? Explain why.
- Do you like it more than going to school? Or less?
- What is the best part about virtual school?
- What is different?
- What is the same?
- What do you think about your parents being your teacher?
I included a lot of the photos mentioned above to create a 14-photo layout documenting Jackson's first day of Kindergarten. I used a wide variety of photo sizes from small 2 x 2" detail photos to a large 6 x 8" photo with a few 6 x 4" cards mixed in. I think my favorite detail on the whole layout is his cute, little signature. I look at that and can't believe that this year he's going into 7th grade and Drew's a sophomore in high school! Good grief does the time fly by!
Here's hoping that all kids have a good transition back to school. I wish all kids and parents a great first day back!