Continuing a beloved tradition, Community High School students and staff gathered on the front lawn during lunch on Monday for the annual all-school photo. With everyone already outside because of a fire drill at the end of 3rd block, gathering the whole school by the East Entrance required little more than taking a short walk around the building. Sophomore Daniel Jacob, perched on top of a ladder provided by Kevin Davis, helped Tracy Anderson direct the school and ensure that everyone would be visible in the picture.
This year, Hannah Crabtree took the photo, which featured seniors crouching in the front and freshmen standing in the back.
Many seniors love this tradition because it’s a fun way to look back on the past four years of high school. Eliza Braunschneider, one student in the 2025 class, shares why they love this tradition.
“I remember my freshman year just being randomly in the middle of the crowd, and I didn’t really have any friends around me and didn’t know what to do,” Braunschneider said. “It’s fun because, throughout the years, you get more comfortable with the community and can do silly things with your friends.”
Every year after the all-school photo, a photo is taken of the entire senior class. However, due to some confusion with the ladder, the seniors-only photo had to be postponed.
Lily Eggleston, a senior, recounted a humorous mix-up during the senior photo. Luca Hinesman, a CHS junior, had the ladder, and while everyone kept asking where he was, no one actually contacted him. As a result, the photo will need to be retaken.
“As soon as I walked into the school, who was the first person I saw?” Eggleston said. “Luca with the ladder.”
Freshmen who experienced the all-school photo for the first time felt that it was a bit chaotic. “It’s a lot of stuff happening at the same time. A lot of voices,” said Avery Perry, class of 2028.
Some older students agreed, commenting on the disorganized nature of gathering the entire school in one place. “It was very overcrowded,” said Sophie Goetsch, a CHS sophomore. “It’s a nice idea, but I feel like it could be executed in a better way.”
“I hope I was actually visible this time since, last year, you could only see my hat and my arm,” sophomore Caitlin Dick-Ruíz said.
Lola Yribar, a sophomore at CHS, highlighted how fortunate our school is to hold an annual all-school photo.
“I think it’s really nice, especially for Community, because it’s a smaller school,” Yribar said. “At Skyline, I feel like they could never do a whole school photo because there’s too many people.”
As the students and staff dispersed in groups for lunch after the photo, the sense of community lingered. The annual all-school photo is more than just a tradition. Year after year, this photo captures not only the faces of CHS students and staff but also the connection between students and staff.
