The Fairport High School ‘Hourglass’ yearbook program has been awarded the Jostens 2021 National Yearbook Program of Excellence award. Fairport High School is the only local school to be recognized, and one of only ten schools in New York State to earn the honor.

In the award announcement, Jostens stated that “National Yearbook Program of Excellence recognizes engaging yearbooks that reflect a broad representation of the student body while helping students develop 21st century skills.” In order to win the top echelon of the award, the yearbook must also meet three criteria: at least 50% of the student body must be pictured at least three times in the yearbook, a minimum of 70% of students must purchase or receive a yearbook, and all deadlines must be met.

DonnaMarie Roessel is a teaching assistant at Fairport High School, and has been advising on the yearbook for 17 years. She and this year’s co-advisor, Tony Exton, were notified about the award earlier this month. Roessel said the FHS yearbook has won the award every year since 2015, the first year it was offered. Roessel says this year has presented extra challenges to the yearbook team. Because of the pandemic, she and her student participants have had to “get creative” to fill pages that are usually set aside for events that didn’t happen this year.

Roessel said that students are already working on next year’s yearbook. According to Roessel, putting together one of Fairport’s award-winning yearbooks is a “year-round process” that she has enjoyed working on. Roessel is set to retire from Fairport this summer. Matt Crafts, the local representative for Jostens who works with FHS, said of Roessel: “What’s truly amazing is that Donna and the Fairport yearbook crew have been receiving this award since its existence. She [Roessel] has never missed a deadline in the eleven years I have worked with her.”

“Jostens is proud to recognize those individuals who have created an exceptional yearbook for their school and community,” said Tammy Whitaker, Jostens VP and COO Yearbook Division.

“These schools did an exceptional job on multiple levels, despite the challenges presented by this school year. Yearbooks are a critical part of capturing and telling a school’s story, and Jostens is dedicated to supporting yearbook staff members as they do their important work.”