As the school year draws to a close, students across the nation anticipate the largest school literacy event of the year: the sale and distribution of the school yearbook . Like students elsewhere, students at Fayette Middle anxiously awaited his arrival. Produced by approximately sixty-five students working together with the help of two staff advisors, the yearbook, a fifty-page hardcover document, captured the year through photographs and student-produced artwork. and captions. Sports figured prominently in the yearbook pages: photos of football, wrestling (both of which I proudly represented as team captain), track and field, and baseball events for the boys; and girls' track and field, tennis, volleyball and basketball filled the pages. The book also contained photos of the school mascot, a drug and alcohol awareness club and the drama club. At Fayette Middle School, the yearbook had become a key part of the end-of-year curriculum. For the most part, teachers described the yearbook as a celebration and a well-deserved reward for their hard work. They gave class time to sign and share yearbooks. Perceived as a way to control the behavior of the more than 600 seventh and eighth graders who may not be eager to participate in discussions or complete end-of-semester projects in late May, contract signing was a tool for negotiating with students, often appearing as a tangent. Teachers told students, "If we can get all our work done...", "If you're all good...", or "If you cooperate and we can hurry..." The next teacher received several nods and “really, really?” from wide-eyed middle school students: “The last five or ten minutes I will dedicate to writing annuals depending on how the class goes. It's a reward. It's a privilege. It's their reward for good behavior. “The yearbook played such an important role in end-of-year activities because teachers and administrators believed it conveyed a tremendous sense of belonging. The “x” factor of adolescence and the peer group ““clicks” created filters and This apparently prevented school personnel from viewing the yearbook as exclusive. Although the yearbook was seen as a symbol of equality for all students, only a particular population of students were made to feel like they belonged there. club Other students were left out. A consistent comment from the Fayette Middle staff was “Everyone gets one” and “Everyone loves them.” This reveals that my friends James, Bobby and many others were invisible to the school staff.