Every year Notre Dame Academy students look forward to receiving the yearbook full of memories from the school year. 

Unlike past years, this year the yearbook will be made in a class called Publications run by English teacher Sadie LaJoe.

She said, “The best part about being a yearbook adviser is seeing the progress along the way, watching the staff grow and work together as a team.  I also enjoy seeing students’ reactions when they get their yearbooks on book pick up day.”

NDA senior Mariah Michalski was in the Yearbook Club last year and will help LaJoe lead the group to help create the yearbook. 

“Mariah has done a great job of offering our staff her perspective on last year’s yearbook and works with the publications staff during 5A,” said LaJoe.

Michalski’s first task of the year was remaking the ladder and outline of the book. “She is a wonderful leader on our yearbook staff and we are lucky to have her,” said LaJoe. 

With every new undertaking comes some challenges, and getting everyone on the same page will be a challenge this year. 

“Some staff members take yearbook as a class while others just help out in Yearbook Club outside of the school day. We have to communicate often to make sure everyone is implementing the vision our editor Mariah Michalski and students in the class have come up with,” said the adviser. 

One of the goals for the yearbook this year is to get all students pictured three times throughout the book. 

“We want to get a good representation of the student body,” said Michalski. 

She took the class because she enjoyed being part of the club last year and is excited with what the class has to offer. 

“This class teaches both design and writing skills that can be used in other aspects besides the yearbook,” said Michalski.

“My hope is that we spark interest in the class and students choose to stay on and become editors and leaders in the Advanced Publications class and yearbook club,” said LaJoe. “We are teaching some real life 21st Century Skills that area businesses need employees to have.”

This year the yearbook will be published through Jostens which will be a change. 

“The yearbook this year will be formatted by season, which is different than past Notre Dame yearbooks. This will provide an easy-to-read chronological order of the events from the school year,” said Michalski. 

LaJoe and Michalski recommend students and parents  download the RePlayIt App so they are able to submit pictures for yearbook use. 

“It is an honor to work with students here at NDA and help them produce a great yearbook for students to cherish for many years to come,” said LaJoe. “Don’t forget. Yearbooks are still for sale at http://jostensyearbooks.com/.”