I was chatting with a principal who’s opening a new school this fall. He was in the middle of shopping for school picture vendors, and suddenly, I had a flashback to the year I had an entire building full of little angels—at least in pictures!
Picture Day!
Every child gets excited for school picture day. Well, most of them do. And honestly, who doesn’t love getting a free comb? (Okay, but seriously, did anyone actually use those combs after pictures were over? Or did they just sit in desks collecting dust until June?)
The new outfits and slicked-down hair came through the doors that morning, and the photographers were set up and ready to go. School picture day has a strange way of both disrupting the schedule and creating a sense of calm at the same time. It’s hard to get into trouble at recess when you’re dressed like a miniature CEO and feeling like a million bucks.
The Big Day!
Weeks passed, and finally, the big moment arrived—our giant box of school photos. Naturally, we had to take a sneak peek in the office. We loved seeing how adorable our students looked, and, of course, we had to check how the adult versions turned out, too. (Some of us have had a school picture taken every year for the last 51 years. Not that we’re counting.)
We started flipping through the first few packets when I noticed something… unusual. One of my frequent flyers had a halo.
Now, if there was one kid in the entire building who definitely didn’t come with a halo, it was this one. But there it was, glowing above his head like a scene from a Renaissance painting.
Then I looked at the next one.
Halo.
And the next.
Another halo.
Before I knew it, I had an entire school full of little angels! Every single photo had a bright, glowing ring hovering above the kids’ heads. You can’t make it up!
After a moment of disbelief (and brief consideration of whether I was witnessing a legitimate miracle), I called the photography company. They assured me they could fix the issue without an entire retake day. A few weeks later, a new box of photos arrived—this time, sans halos.
I’ve worked with many little angels over the years, but this took things to a new level!
Key Takeaways
- Always check the photos before handing them out. Unless you want parents calling to ask why their child looks like they’ve been canonized or other photo mishaps.
- Have a good relationship with your photography vendor. You never know when you’ll need them to fix a heavenly mistake—quickly.
- Enjoy the fun moments, like picture day. Sometimes, the best school memories come from simple things.
Some picture day surprises are cute—others make you wonder if you just witnessed a miracle. Either way, it’s a story that lives on long after the halos fade!
Jane