Junk Journaling Class

On November 14th, our Creative Writing class worked with the Special Education class during the fourth period to make junk journals. Junk journals are a craft that requires patience and creativity. They are known as a mixed-media hobby that combines elements of scrapbooking, collage, and journaling. When junk journaling, you use a mix of recycled and unused scraps that helps you create a unique, handmade book page.

After Anastasia Biniasz and Emmaline Elmore wrote their article on Autism, they discussed working with the Special Education class on crafts and a social meet-up with Ms. Finzel. So they planned a craft that would take place on November 14th; the plan was to go into the class and share the craft with them. A group of creative writing students prepared junk journal kits with simple instructions for the students. When it ended up happening, nine creative writing students went and worked one-on-one with the students to make the crafts together.

In the end, the craft turned out amazing, and all the students enjoyed it. The students who went to help the class said they loved it, especially since they got to enjoy hot cocoa. They left extra junk journal kits for the students to take home or use another day at school.

When asked what experiences they got out of this, Kaylee Ecarma said, “I really got an experience to help them and got to experience a really fun time with them.” Kaylee said that she enjoyed doing something she loved with people that might not usually have the chance to get and do that.

The student mentors also enjoyed getting junk journals, and when asked about what they thought about the event, they said:

Amari Sarmiento- “It was really fun, and it allowed the students to be creative and work. I also did one [junk journal] and really enjoyed it.” 

Skyler Saine -“I think it was really creative, and it allowed the students to express themselves based on their creativity.”

All the students who got involved with the event really enjoyed this and said that they got such a good feeling from doing it. We are already planning another collaboration in December!

Written By Emmaline Elmore

Edited By John Stratton