Email/Memo to Staff

Send an email or memo to all teaching staff that you are the Yearbook Advisor and that you look forward to including their classes, teams, clubs and activities in the yearbook. In order to do that you will need their cooperation. Request that they give you advance notice about upcoming events, games, etc. that require a yearbook photographer, not just the day of. Also remind them that they may be called on to name students in pictures and provide a short write-up and that you expect this information to be returned to you in a timely manner.

Make a List of Activities

Once you start getting information back from the staff on all the teams, clubs and activities happening in the school, you should mark them all down in one location. Ultimately, this information should be added to the Yearbook Planning Calendar (available in your kit) Suggestion: Mark down practice times for sports teams and any plays or concerts in case you’re unable to take pictures at the actual game or event.

Plan for Portraits

It is a good idea to know your school photographer and when they will be in the school for picture day and back again for re-takes and grad pictures. Make arrangements with the photographer for how and when they will supply you with digital portrait files for all students. You can then schedule time to get your portrait/grade pages finished. Ask the photographer to ensure your photos meet PSPA guidelines; your Print Consultant can assist you with this.

Brainstorm Your Theme

Try to establish a theme early prior to starting layout and design. The purpose of a yearbook is to tell the story of a particular year. The staff’s job is to capture the mood and flavour of the school year and to tell the story so that it is believable, real and remembered. Each staff should endeavour to come up with that perfect word, phrase or expression that sets this year apart from other years. The theme should enhance the yearbook to tell the years’ story. Remember that the theme, the design and the coverage need to make sense together.

Make sure the theme can be represented throughout the entire yearbook.
• Cover
• Endsheets
• Opening and closing pages
• Divider pages
• Design elements (fonts, colours, folio tabs, and graphics)