Teachers: Mr. Heidenfelder and Mrs. Hetzel
For the first time, JVA’s yearbook is being created by students this school year! This year is the first of many where students can be part of the yearbook class and work together to create the school’s yearbook. Mrs. Hetzel and Mr. Heidenfelder have been kind enough to give us some of their time to discuss this new class and their excitement for it.
Tell us a bit about yourselves.
Mr. Heidenfelder: I live with my awesome wife, Jen, as well as my dog, Rudy, and two cats, Norman and Carol. I grew up in Evergreen and got my B.F.A. in art Education from Metro State University in Denver. When I am not drawing or teaching, I can usually be found at one of the local ice rinks playing hockey.
Mrs. Hetzel: I’m the Instructional Coach for the Educators of JVA and Yearbook Adviser. This is JVA’s FIRST EVER student-created yearbook! In past years, staff members put the yearbook together. Thank you, Mrs. Mitchell and Mr. Self! Our new principal, Renee Williams, was very excited to open the opportunity for the students to create the book. I was apprehensive when she first came to me because it was already December. Previously when I was the yearbook adviser at Arvada High School (for 8 years), I would have the yearbook halfway finished by December, and thinking about starting from scratch in January with a completely new team was a little nerve-wracking. But Ms. Williams and I agreed that the school needed a student published yearbook, and so here we are!
What will students learn in the class?
Mr. Heidenfelder: Students will learn how to edit a yearbook as well as brainstorm different ideas for extra aspects/stories to be placed within the book.
Mrs. Hetzel: This year it is all about getting the basics. We will be establishing the future of the yearbook course this year. Our goal is to complete a 36-page full-color digital and available-to-print yearbook. Our yearbook team is small, but I am excited about the students Mr. Heidenfelder and I have recruited, and we both fully believe in their capabilities to get this book finished before the end of the year!
What does the class cover throughout the semester?
Mr. Heidenfelder: Yearbook will cover a bunch of stuff! Mainly it will focus on the student-led portion of creating and composition aspects. Since this is the first ever class, I think it presents a ton of new opportunities and exciting material to be added. We will cover what goes into a yearbook (cover, stories, what pictures are added etc…) as well as how they get made and the process behind a yearbook “team”.
Mrs. Hetzel: In this course, we will study yearbook organization, the importance of theme, page design, photography basics, capturing the student perspective, and editing skills.
What’s your favorite part of the class?
Mr. Heidenfelder: My favorite part of the class has got to be that we are working in two different “teams”. I think the collaboration aspect is super important when designing something together and having everyone’s voices heard will be really neat!
Mrs. Hetzel: My favorite part of yearbook is the moment when you hit that final “submit” button and the whole yearbook team breathes a collective sigh of relief. I really enjoy helping to capture the spirit and special place that JVA is.
What do you want others to know about the class?
Mr. Heidenfelder: I want others to know that the class is constantly evolving and growing. I hope with each passing quarter we build something better and better, and give more autonomy to the students in the class to build what THEY want.
Mrs. Hetzel: Yearbook is a BIG commitment! We are responsible for capturing the school’s history and telling the student stories from each year. The deadlines are strict, and you will work hard in this course. Communication with teachers and fellow yearbook team members is a requirement, and some in-person time and synchronous live sessions are required.
Thank you to Mr. Heidenfelder and Mrs. Hetzel for their time! As the semester progresses, we’re excited to see where yearbook class ends up and how students will continue to display their school spirit through this amazing project.
