Adviser Assistance Checklist 4

CHECKLIST 4 of 12:
October-November

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ESSENTIALS

• Work backward from your final deadline and decide which spreads to finish last. Then double-check your other deadlines.
• By the way, mini-deadlines are the key to the good life.
• Keep up with coverage reports (InDesign users, run your index) and ensure you are interviewing a wide variety of students.
• Apply fonts, paragraph styles and headline packages consistently.
• Every page or spread needs a folio.
• Keep checking your school’s master calendar. Don’t miss photo ops.
• Put your club picture plan in play. Enlist club sponsors by running dates past them and asking for club rosters.
• ’Tis the season for portraits sections. Flowing portraits is easy. Ask your rep. Not to brag, but Herff Jones was the first company to offer portrait flow, so we know a thing or two about a mug or two.

NEXT LEVEL

• Rally the troops for your big sales push. Posters, banners, bulletin boards, staff-made YouTube commercials, staffers wearing sandwich boards, sidewalk chalk. All are fair game.
• Are you using lead-ins for captions? If so, make sure they are not all -ing words. Mix it up with prepositional phrases and other structures giving clear cues to which captions go to which photos.
• Grab your master calendar and find some workdays. When winter break drags on or snow days are really slush days (if you live where it snows), staffers might be up for a work party.

EXPERT

• Plan a staff party. Share kudos for first semester successes.
• If you live where winter weather affects school calendars, plan how your staff will make up missed time.
• Review your critiques from last year. Did you meet your goals? Are there last-minute fixes you can implement?

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Adviser Assistance Checklist 5

CHECKLIST 5 of 12:
November-December

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ESSENTIALS

• Beware! With holiday breaks, deadlines are closer than they appear.
• Keep spirits high and staffers focused. Balance work time with fun time and start a staff tradition.
• Assign a veteran staffer to lead quality control. And, make sure new eyes are seeing finished spreads before they’re final. Spellcheck early and often.
• It’s time to think about next year’s staff and start recruiting. Go to herff.ly/ybk-recruiting for resources.

NEXT LEVEL

• Do you have photo retakes? Upload the new photos and include a not-pictured list in your portraits section to create a complete and accurate record.
• Make sure eBusiness is updated with all in-school sales. Check books sold against your order. Did you order the right number?
• Look for opportunities to up your coverage. Can you fit a mod in that space? Ask your staffers, “How many books have you sold on this spread?”

EXPERT

• Taking photos inside can be difficult, and outside, it’s getting darker and darker. Whether you’re covering basketball or parades, pre-plan your hardest shots and camera settings.

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Ring Care and Cleaning

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Countdown Craftiness

‘Tis the season to take a step back from the computer.

That’s right. Put down the spreads. Take one step back. Now another. Now a deep breath.

You can keep editing until every word loses meaning, or you can take Alicia Luttrell’s advice.

The yearbook adviser and librarian from Maryville Junior High in Maryville, TN, knows we all get antsy before the big holiday break.

“There’s a time when we all have to buckle down and work on yearbooks,” she said, “but there’s a time to have fun and get creative.”

Last year, Luttrell put her creativity to work.

“I had an old tabletop tree and decided to give it a new home in the yearbook room. I also had four small Herff Jones ornaments to display and wanted to create more to take home.”

Luttrell’s staff was thrilled, she said, to see art supplies.

“My students were excited when they walked in and saw glue, tinsel, clear ornaments, yearbook pages and paint brushes on the table. I love to get them working on something different. To get them away from the everyday activities of looking at spreads. Things get a little messy, and that’s okay with me.”

They made mini paper chains and decoupage ornaments from old yearbook spreads as well as “swirly” and tinsel ornaments to add color and sparkle to the tree.

She suggests, “When ornaments are ready, tie a piece of jute or other string on the cap loop and include a cute tag with students’ names. This is a way to remember students who created these ornaments.”

Take on the Christmas ornaments or make an activity of your own. It might just spark the creativity you’ve been hoping to find in the void of the computer screen.

Read more blog stories like Getting to Know Your Team and The Future Starts Here.

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Show Appreciation from the Beginning of the Year

Let’s face it, no matter what you teach, your class time is valuable. You have lots of material to cover and a short period of time to get it all in and the last thing you need is someone asking if they can talk to Tyler for just a minute or if they can take pictures in your class. As yearbook advisers, you get it and the last thing you want to do is to cause unnecessary interruptions, but — in order to do your job and tell the stories that make this year unique — you will need to interrupt classes. So, if you want to ensure that the rest of the faculty and staff are more willing to help, you need to do everything you can to let them know from the start of the school year how much you and your staff appreciate their help and understanding.

Here are a few acts of appreciation that your teachers are sure to enjoy:

• During their pre-planning week, have doughnuts, bagels, coffee and OJ for the teachers to enjoy. If that’s no longer an option, offer them on a teacher workday or deliver them early before school starts.
• Find out favorite beverages and snacks at the beginning of the year and surprise them during the year especially if you find that you need to interrupt them more often than others.
• Give them the “write” stuff and let them know you care by giving them what they need and who doesn’t need pencils or pens in their classrooms?
• Put some Reese’s peanut butter cups into a small baggie tied with a ribbon and a note that says “Have we told you “Reese”-ently how much we appreciate you?”

No matter how you decide to show your appreciation, it shouldn’t be a one-and-done deal.

We’re sure you have some of your own fantastic ways to let the faculty and staff know that you appreciate their support and would love to hear about them in the comments below so please share.

Read more blog stories like Marketing Your Yearbook and Getting to Know Your Team.

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Getting to Know Your Team

A well-trained yearbook staff is a finely tuned machine where everyone chips in to help so that deadlines are met and the book is the best it can be. Done well, it is a true testament to the power of working together as a team. Unfortunately, most yearbook staffs don’t start their year with a complete group of seasoned members — and while some do — they still have new staff members who will need to become contributing members very quickly. It’s not uncommon for staffers who have been together for a while to have their share of inside jokes or to know each other’s favorite Starbucks order, which can be unsettling. How can you, as the adviser, help your newbies become acclimated and accepted more easily and level the playing field? Enter the team building icebreaker.

Used properly, these icebreakers can serve several purposes: introducing everyone, seeing quickly who takes the lead and who prefers to follow and, during the assessment/discussion time, you can share how that activity relates to being on staff.

Team building icebreakers like these can also be used to alleviate stress during deadlines. Allowing staff members to blow off steam will help to keep things moving along productively instead of grinding to a halt because of negativity and frustration.

How are you using icebreakers and team building activities in your classroom? What are some of your favorites? We’d love to hear from you.

Read more blog stories like Marketing Your Yearbook and The Future Starts Here.

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How to Crop a Photo for Maximum Impact

With recent advancements in digital SLR cameras, 10- and 12-megapixel cameras make it easier to capture the perfect image. Even without spending $6000 on huge lenses, you can make one of these megapixel wonders produce images with significant impact.

Choices in cropping can improve the images that were not composed perfectly in the camera, completely change the format of an image to better fit its usage, or even tell an entirely different story. Closely cropped images are a trend in the general media, and we’re definitely seeing these kinds of images in yearbooks as well.

On a technical note: when you place your images into InDesign, pay close attention to the Info tab so you do not crop images to lower than 300ppi effective resolution. In eDesign, you’ll be warned with a red triangular alert if your resolution is insufficient.
 

Look at these pep assembly photos. See how cropping away the distracting rainbow colors on the black shirt and most of the teacher’s red vest brings the focus where it should be? Your attention goes to the intense look on the boy’s face right before the Dash for Cash, and the girl watching so she can try to get a head start. The girl in black and the teacher were both looking out of the frame. The image started at 998ppi on the left and is 548 ppi after we zoomed in and cropped to the same exact shape.
 

Here’s another example of changing the orientation of a photo to increase the impact. The body copy was about the girl in the glasses, and her thoughts surrounding graduation. In the image as it came out of the camera, the blond to her left is staring off into space, and that’s a little distracting. By cropping close, this photo really tells a very specific story rather than the more general story of graduation.
 

Cropping to improve composition allows you to remove “dead space” in a photo. By removing significant portions of the background and the running back’s legs, this image jumps right into your face. The photo on the right is the shot as it came out of the camera. It’s one most high school photographers could get with a consumer-grade 70-300mm lens during the bright early evening of a football game. If we crop it close, his helmet and his elbows help define the shape. Keeping just a small part of the defenders in the image helps frame the subject and add context.

Contributed by:
Tim Morley, yearbook adviser
Inland Lakes High School, Indian River, MI

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Conquering Group Photo Day

A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN

To conquer this day successfully, you will need the help of your school faculty. Keeping them informed of the process will help you succeed. Give them plenty of warning and communicate clearly when the group photo day will occur and what you need them to do.

SAMPLE EMAIL TO SCHOOL FACULTY MEMBERS

The following is important information to include regarding group pictures for the yearbook.

ALL FACULTY MEMBERS:
1. We will be taking all the club/activity pictures on [enter date here].

2. Please release students at the VERY BEGINNING of the hour. We take pictures right after the bell and need all students in the gym immediately.

3. All students should return to class within 15 minutes.

4. It is IMPERATIVE that you allow students from your class to leave. Last year we had several teachers who refused to release students. For many, their club photo will be the only place besides their portrait where they are pictured in the yearbook.

5. Final details will be e-mailed on [enter date here].
SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR CLUB SPONSORS (NOT SPORTS TEAMS):
1. The yearbook staff will provide you with special passes to distribute to your club members the week before photos are scheduled. We fill in the name of the club and hour of the photo. We need you or a club officer to NEATLY print the student names on the passes and sign the pass.

2. We will make an announcement the week of [enter date here] letting students know about yearbook photos and letting them know they must have a pass from you to be included.

3. The yearbook staff will NOT issue any passes on the day of the photo. If a student in your group loses/did not receive a pass, it will be up to you to provide a new one so that we can make sure only members of your club appear in the photo. We will give you a few extra passes. We will NOT permit any student without a pass in your photo.

4. Please make every effort to ensure all group members have their passes neatly filled out. If we can not read the names, we wind up bugging you for help!
RIGHT NOW:
1. If you sponsor a club, check the attachment (list of all club and activity groups).

2. Is there a group listed that is not active this year and needs to be removed?

3. Has the sponsor/contact person changed?

4. How many passes do you need this year?

CLUB SPONSOR DIRECTIONS FOR YEARBOOK GROUP PIC DAY

Please distribute these passes to club members during the week of [enter date here]. We need you or a club officer to NEATLY print student names on the passes and sign the pass. We will make announcements [enter dates here] letting students know pictures are [enter date here], and that club members will receive a pass from you.

The yearbook staff will NOT issue any passes on the day of the photo. If a student in your group loses/does not receive a pass, it will be up to you to provide a new one so we can make sure only students you approve of will appear in the photo. We will give you extras, but we will not permit any student in the photo if he or she does not have a signed pass from you. Please make every effort to ensure all group members have their passes neatly filled out. If we can not read names, we wind up bugging you to help us ID the photo.

We will make an announcement at the start of each class hour on [enter date here] asking teachers to release students scheduled for photos that hour, and we also need you to report to the gym as quickly as possible to help get your club members lined up for the photo. If you have any questions/concerns, please e-mail me.

YEARBOOK STAFF – GROUP PICS STEP-BY-STEP

TWO WEEKS BEFORE GROUP PICTURE DAY
1. Get an accurate list of all clubs/sponsors, the adviser/moderator’s prep period and the approximate number of students in the club.

2. Make a schedule with each group pic being taken during their sponsor’s prep/conference hour if possible so they can help get their group organized. Make sure NOT to have all your largest groups the same hour!

3. Make Photo Day passes for each club. Have the yearbook staff fill in the name of the club and the hour of the photo and deliver the passes to the sponsor. Include about 10 extras for each club. The sponsor is responsible for signing each pass, filling in the name of the club member and delivering the passes to the students in the club.
ONE WEEK BEFORE GROUP PICTURE DAY
1. Post picture schedules around the school for students to see. Put a copy in each teacher’s mailbox and/or send them an electronic copy.

2. Run announcements reminding students to get passes from their sponsors if they want to be included in the group picture.

3. Confirm time/date/location with your photographer.
THE DAY BEFORE GROUP PICTURE DAY
1. Prepare an 8 ½ x 11 sign for each club. Use the LARGEST size possible for the name of the club. Purchase some dowel rods (super cheap at most home improvement stores) for the signs. You can just make the first group and then bring tape and the rest of the signs. Have a staff member re-do the signs before the start of each class hour.

2. Meet with your staff and make club assignments for each hour. If they are in a club, that is perfect as they can get their group organized then jump on the end of a row. Make sure they all understand the SHAPE the groups must be in . . . is it square? A strong horizontal? This is based on what your group photo layout design is in the yearbook.

3. Go over the whole procedure with the staff. Explain that they must be professional and courteous, but firm. I tell my staff to think of themselves as cowboys on a cattle drive.

4. Enlist an administrator or secretary to make an announcement the next day at the beginning of each hour for students to be released (i.e. Teachers: Please release students in the following groups to report to the gym for pictures . . .)
PICTURE DAY
1. Bring supplies to the gym. A large envelope with each hour marked on it, extra pens, paper clips, rubber bands, your signs, tape and put some extra passes (50) in your pocket.

2. At the start of each hour, your staff will spread out along a horizontal line in the gym facing the empty bleachers. They should have their club signs held high.

3. Have a staff member announce (repeatedly) over the microphone for students to find their club, line up tallest to shortest behind the sign and have their passes out. If they do not have a pass, they MUST get one from their sponsor. YEARBOOK STAFFERS DO NOT GIVE OUT PASSES!

4. Your staff members must go up and down the line to check passes to make sure they are SIGNED and that the name is readable. This is VITAL to ensure that only club members are included in each photo and that an accurate caption can be included.

5. If students are in more than one picture that hour, tell them to go to the smallest group first, but to keep their eyes open to make sure the other group does not go first.

6. Your staff has to work QUICKLY to get the group lined up and ready. We do tallest to shortest to reduce the space between rows. As soon as the group is ready, the yearbook staff member(s) walks them to an open spot on the bleachers and gets them in the appropriate shape. The photographer(s) then moves to the group. You can probably get three to four groups on the bleachers at a time.

7. Once the photo is taken, tell the students to remain in their spots and the passes will be collected. Have the yearbook staff member in charge of that group begin with the bottom row and collect the passes IN ORDER from the left (facing the group) with each pass being placed UNDER the one before. After the bottom row, they return (like a typewriter) to the left end of the next row and so on. When all the passes have been collected, rubberband them and place them in the envelope for that hour. Those staffers can then move on to help with another group.

8. It is VERY hectic for the first five minutes, but once groups are ready to go, they move on and off the bleachers in a hurry! You can shoot about 10-12 groups in 15 minutes if you have two photographers and a staff of 20 helping out.

9. After all the pictures have been taken that hour, send most of the staff to a computer lab to type in the captions. Though they will not have the rows divided yet, they can get all the names in. Have the photographer(s) upload the pics in a folder marked for each hour.

10. If you can spare a staff member or two, have them insert the group pic on the Word file with the caption and add in the row indications. Have them COUNT each student in the row to make sure you have the correct number of names. You can even give a printout to the sponsor that day and ask them to check it as well.
THE FINAL STEP
1. Reward your staff the next day with a pizza party or something while they spell check all the names!

2. Show your appreciation to the school by putting a treat in faculty/staff mailboxes with a thank you note (i.e. Lifesavers etc.).
GROUP PICTURE PASS
This is a sample group picture pass. You can find a printable full page sheet of group picture passes here.
Contributed by:
Nancy Smith, yearbook adviser
Lafayette High School, Wildwood, MO

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Dream Big

Hear it From Ann

It’s always fun to study the new releases, noting what staffs are doing well and how trends are shifting. Whatever time I allot to reviewing books, I always wish I had more.

During summer planning, it’s easy to imagine ambitious additions.

Gatefolds galore? That’d be cool.

Theme-related coverage strategies you know would be a lot of extra work? Might be a challenge you could accept.

Personalizing each book? Wow! They’d love that.

But then, as production begins, reality sets in and those workshop dreams can get hazy. If you plan from the start to make those special extras happen — and commit to making them important — the impact can be as significant as imagined. If your kids are excited and willing, you have the power to make those dreams come true.

If the plan involves adding pages, foldouts, special-order papers or inks, cover and endsheet upgrades, work with your rep to manage your budget. Then, your business team can determine how to offset those expenses.

Set reasonable dates for progressive goals to ensure you’re working to stay on budget. Not meeting those sales goals may mean you won’t be able to afford the extras.

If your ambitious idea does not become someone’s assigned responsibility, there’s a greater chance it will fade into the hustle of production.

Make the project a priority, and watch it flourish.

I know you face the challenge of serving many audiences. You want the students to love your book when it arrives and to cherish it more as the years pass. It’s also important for parents and the greater school community to see you’ve created a comprehensive and accurate record of the year.

You can make sure that happens by dreaming big as you plan for your next masterpiece, putting plans in place to ensure success and following through to delight your readers.

Your efforts will be remembered every time those readers grab their yearbooks — whether it’s over the summer, in five years or 50. And your staff will be remembered, not just for preserving the memories of the year, but for the extra efforts you made to create a book that stands out.

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL • Tiger

Texarkana, Texas

Even though its first century as a school was ending, staffers focused on the future with the theme “To be continued.” Each of the 10 sections open with a fold-out divider introducing a student profile on the following spread. In the middle of the book, a short-trimmed magazine of school history shows all 100 book covers and provides news from each year.

TOBY JOHNSON MIDDLE SCHOOL • Jamboree

Elk Grove, California

The coverage spanning the bottom margin was perfect for the theme “Eventually everything connects.” Staff members linked students to one another with attributes like “who lives on the same block as,” “whose favorite place in the world is Italy like” or “who has braces like” until the final entry, that linked back to the first name in the opening. With six students per spread, nearly 400 became part of the theme development.

WESTFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL • The Scrapbook

Westfield, Indiana

Themed “It’s ours and it’s everything,” this book included a personalized tri-fold tipped onto a theme-driven spread inside. Completing almost 750 individualized tip-ins meant every early buyer had a one-of-a-kind book. With several full-color images, a quote from a friend, a six-word memoir the students shared (not knowing how it would be used), the special feature pleased students and parents alike. Those who were waitlisted received a similar tip-in with spaces and instructions on how to personalize so their books had extra coverage as well.

ANN AKERS, MJE
Manager, Yearbook Customer Engagement

Read more Hear it From Ann articles:
Yearbook is for Life

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Marketing Your Yearbook

It’s not enough to create a beautiful yearbook and hope it sells so you can pay your final bill. It takes strategic planning and implementation of the plan to experience a sell-out and true success.

There are a variety of successful strategies that can be used to sell yearbooks so you’ll want to consider all of them and choose the one(s) that best fit your school. Next, you’ll want to use many different ways to get information about sales into the hands of the people buying the books — the parents.

Don’t forget about social media which is playing a larger role than ever in helping to boost sales. While Facebook may not be the most popular site with the students at your school, it is still a very popular site with parents and if used correctly, can help drive more sales. Other sites like Instagram, Twitter and even Pinterest can be used by your staff to get the word out that books are on sale by giving sneak peeks at images that are actually being used in the book. Don’t worry if you’re not a power user of all of these social sites, yet. Use this social media guide to get started today or better yet, assign one of your savvy staffers to the post of social media manager.

For even more great videos to help you make the most of your marketing efforts, you’ll want to log in and watch these Yearbook Academy Marketing videos. If you’re not currently a Herff Jones customer, contact your local representative who would be happy to share these with you.

And, no matter what you do, always remember that students really only want to own a book if they know that they are in it so you’ll want to do everything in your power to have as many of your students featured in the book at least two to three times.

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