So, you’ve taken on the task of a Middle school yearbook company adviser. Fun! We’ve worked with some new and seasoned yearbook advisers over the years, and they’ve given us some great tips to share with our schools about how to keep the process operating well. Here are five techniques for keeping your yearbook organized, whether you’re new to the job or have been doing it for years:
Set deadlines
This may seem like a no-brainer, but deadlines can help a High school yearbook company stay on track. When setting deadlines, consider them as tentative and final. Give members on your team (other parent volunteers, students, or teachers) preliminary deadlines while keeping in mind that the “final” is still a few days away. That way, even if you veer off course a little, you’ll still end up with a fantastic yearbook. The Ladder Diagram is a chart that we use as a simple yearbook to help you arrange your yearbook content. Combining this diagram with your deadline schedule might be a winning combination for yearbook success!
Group page content for ease of completion
It’s the standard checklist scenario: We make one and then prioritize the activities that are quick/easy to finish (since the satisfaction of checking things off our lists is equally worthwhile!) Your yearbook pages can be created in the same way. Group your pages based on the material you know you can complete first, and then set continuous deadlines for the ones that will take longer (things like spring sports pictures, community ads, etc.) Rather than trying to finish everything at once or in sequence, be content with grouping content out of order in a way that makes it easy to knock things off your to-do list.
Think outside the portrait box
When placing student pictures on portrait pages, additional white space may make the pages appear empty. This is also true for other internal pages in the High school yearbook printing. Please take a look at our ideas page for some ideas to get you started. Another excellent piece of advice from Northeast School’s Joanne Kaminski: “Instead of having white space on portrait pages, I use any excess space is forming collages’ of images relevant to that classroom.” What a creative idea to fill space while also including some candid shots throughout the year!
Balance the student to picture ratios
Speaking of candid shots, we know that those can be daunting to keep track of throughout the year—and how do you know if one student has been used 1 or 15 times in a single yearbook? Kristin Hayward of Meadow Park Middle School has developed two great ways to keep track of her student ratio in yearbook pictures:
No duplicates
“I print out the portraits, and when a student has been placed on a page, they are crossed off and cannot be used again (with a few exceptions). This way, I have different kids in every picture and rarely have to worry about duplicate photos being used.”
Most wanted
“We have a ‘most wanted’ list that the teachers generate. The kids on this list are typically those who never get noticed by the camera. We work hard to get images of those kids in the yearbook, too, for a healthy balance.”
Set an approval process
Teamwork makes a goal a reality, but you must ensure that everything in your yearbook is flawless at the end of the day. We propose a few rounds of internal editing, followed by a final review in which you get the ultimate say on proofreading and modifications before sending to production.
Inclusivity impacts students
An inclusive yearbook does more than properly represent the school; it makes students feel good about themselves. They feel they are a part of the community and are connected to their class. It also boosts school spirit. Furthermore, years from now, when each student flips through the yearbook to reminisce, they’ll be reminded of all the good times they had and the experiences that helped mold them into adults.
Are you looking for some extra guidance and advice to get you through your yearbook journey? To keep the momentum rolling, contact us or visit our ideas page.
