DOWNEY -- Stauffer Middle School has been awarded a national award for its yearbook, "Spartan Evolution."

The yearbook staff was presented the Walsworth "Gallery of Excellence" award, a national recognition that only a small percentage of Walsworth's books get.

"This is my sixth yearbook, and it is the first time we have received an honor such as this," said yearbook advisor Diane Huff, who also teaches English and journalism. "They utilize a myriad of skills from graphic design and photography to writing, interviewing, and marketing."

“The Gallery of Excellence is a showcase of the best yearbooks published by Walsworth.  Yearbooks are selected based on the high quality of their design, coverage, copy and photography," said Don Walsworth, president of Walsworth Yearbooks. "Your staff should be proud to have their yearbook among the small percentage of books selected for the Gallery each year. 

"Yearbooks in the Gallery of Excellence don’t just rest on their laurels. They are used all across the country to inspire staffs. Our yearbook sales representatives show them and loan them to their local schools as idea generators. They are often displayed at regional, state, and national conventions and workshops. Covers and spreads are sometimes used as examples in Walsworth’s educational materials, such as our Possibilities idea book and Idea File magazine.”