The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

Memories of the view from Overlook

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Libby Ellison often refers to yearbook advisor Mrs. Juleen Thomas as her “mom.”

On my first day of high school, I felt particularly comfortable in one class — Yearbook. Even though I was one of only four freshmen who took the class, I felt loved by the upperclassmen and Mrs. Juleen Thomas.

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Libby Ellison

We had a special relationship since we got to see each other every day. She heard all my problems. She and the upperclassmen in the class fixed anything I thought was a “crisis” at the time.

This year, I learned all about making baby ads, hitting my deadlines and how to write captions and stories. These basic skills developed my sophomore year when I was named the sports section editor. As editor of the sports section, I had to learn how to design templates, make fonts and help the editors with anything they needed.

Mrs. Thomas showed me how to organize and lead the underclassmen. My junior year, there were openings to be editor-in-chief, and there was only one senior on the Overlook staff.

After filling out an application, I was named an editor-in-chief, along with two other juniors. As editor, I had a say on the theme and every page in the book.

My junior year, I also introduced Mrs. Thomas to a “selfie.” Many of my friends started referring to her as my mom. We were always talking and goofing off in the hallways.

Aside from the joking, we produced a yearbook with theme of “Pieces of Excellence.” This book had a unique theme that was very different than themes from the past.

After this book gets passed out, we immediately start working on the next book. The theme gets finalized at the end of last May.

I was thrilled to learn that Mr. Ed Grisamore would be another advisor of my senior yearbook. I knew he would help us improve our writing and help produce the best book yet.

As the only editor-in-chief this year, I have worked to try to provide consistency and our best yearbook yet. Our whole class has working all year to produce a book of which we can be proud.

On the staff this year, we have made the switch from a design program to a totally different one. All of the seniors were very hesitant at first because it is our senior yearbook and we are familiar with the old program.

Although the program required us to relearn many tasks we thought were basic, this book will be more unique and personalized than ever. In the beginning of the year, we start by making the baby ads.

With a slightly smaller staff this year, everyone has stepped up and has taken more pages and work. Since we changed programs, we remade a template for every page of the yearbook. Making each template took a lot of time but makes the yearbook more personalized than usual. To tie everything together, the theme this year includes everyone in the school.

The theme of this year’s book and the book dedication will be revealed during the assembly on Thursday, April 28 at 8:45 a.m.

No one truly knows the amount of effort that goes into this special day. This year, juniors Jensen Bowden and Grace Adams have spent three  weeks in class working on the slideshow. This day would not be possible without them.

The seniors on staff will be reading the opening and closing of the book and the dedication. This assembly will be the fourth and final yearbook assembly for me and Wimberly Dennis.

We would not be where we are today without being on this staff.

Libby Ellison is a senior and editor-in-chief of Overlook.

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Memories of the view from Overlook