Treering Blog

Congratulations! The yearbook is done… Now what? I remember the years before I found Treering Yearbooks, when my publisher called in the pages at the end of February. A whole quarter of yearbook students with “nothing” to do was a pedagogical nightmare. Even with a three-week turnaround, Treering advisers everywhere need inspiration, motivation, and a few learning outcomes to finish the year. After talking with several advisers, we compiled this list of things to do to make the end of the year even more meaningful.

1. Keep, Change, Stop

This is a conversation to have with your printed proof in hand. Thumb through as a team, project some spreads on the wall and complete a matrix. What aspects of your program are proverbial home runs and should be keepers? What needs to be changed? (Use this time to brainstorm solutions.) What needs to be stopped?

How it worked in San Diego, CA

After ten years at a K-12 private school, the yearbook staff said they wanted to stop having a purple yearbook. It was a sacred cow we were ready to take off the altar. We color-coded the book in warm reds for the upper school and cool blues for the lower school. When we did the reveal, some of the lifers were enraged until the editor explained, “Blue plus red equals purple.” Cue tears. 

It was another five years before we did a purple book again. Had we not had the Keep-Change-Stop conversation, the journalism program would continue to limit its creativity and every book would essentially be a spirit book.

2. Honor the Yearbook Heroes

Grab a stack of thank you cards from the dollar store and take time to recognize the people who helped you create the book, from the office team who gives you the roster at the start of the year to the mom who tirelessly uploads photos from the pick up line. If you are not acknowledging the yearbook heroes on your campus in your colophon, think of a public way to do so:

• School marquee
• Social media post
• Special luncheon
• Send a THNKS a latte

How it worked in Olathe, KS

Being unable to set foot on campus last year was certainly an obstacle, but with the help of our amazing PTO members, school staff, yearbook committee, and community of parents, we were able to still capture the year in a holistic way. We worked with parents to showcase our year in and outside of school.

Because it was a collaborative effort, and we really do have such an awesome community of parents who make this all possible, it was easy to make a video and celebrate our yearbook coordinator through Treering’s #YearbookHero Contest. 

3. Make Time for Fun

How many of us Type-A advisers focus on business and forget to play? When the yearbook is finished, it’s the best time to celebrate. Some ideas for stress-releasing fun include:

• Craft time
• Digital escape rooms
• Potlucks
• Game nights
• Sundae bars

How it worked in Clarksville, TN

All of us brought in a board game to play. Our adviser made us rotate for a week and try one another’s. I learned Exploding Kittens, Sequence, and Mancala. It helped us break down the stress of finishing the book and focus on celebrating as a team. After the week, we went back to business and got ready for our signing party.

4. Hold a Social Media Bootcamp

The period between going print-ready and distributing your yearbook is the ideal time to teach new skills, such as social media marketing. If your school has a social presence, adding yearbook-related content is one idea to keep what you and your committee are doing top of mind.

Tweet

Before you bring in a marketing professional or check out a professional course, set the goals and expectations with your team. Do you want to

• Recruit volunteers?
• Sell more yearbooks?
• Crowdsource content?

How it worked in Arlington Heights, IL

Going social was the best thing we did for our yearbook. When I saw the social media calendar, we adopted it, and it increased our followers, which increased our yearbook sales and crowdsourcing efforts. 

We also created a hashtag for our yearbook, so if any parents posted a photo—if they used the hashtag—we would consider it for publication. This helped us get a bunch of photos we wouldn’t normally have: boarding the bus, friend groups at events, and cultural events.

5. Brainstorm Evergreen Ideas

Evergreen content for yearbooks is a collection of interview questions, infographic topics, and story ideas that can be used throughout the year. (Here are 40+ to get you started. You’re welcome.)While we want to have a yearbook that reflects the current year and trends, having a timeless collection for reporters and designers serves two purposes:

1. Something to do: in that first-of-the-year lull, students can build out evergreen modules and work hard to incorporate less involved students.
2. Fill coverage holes: sometimes an event doesn’t happen (hello 2020). Sometimes a student doesn’t cover an event. Sometimes you just have holes. By having a collection from which to draw, you will always have usable content.

How it worked in Williamstown, KY

I remember the first time a student missed an assignment. As a second-year teacher and rookie adviser, I felt like a failure because I didn’t have a contingency plan. My editor actually came up with the idea to have a question of the day. She would text the question in the morning and everyone would ask three students. They would then input the responses into a Google Form. 

We kept all the questions related to our theme, Give + Take. They were simple like “Give us your top three songs” or “If you could take a class on anything, what would it be?” Since they were thematic, it was a perfect complement to our book. If we needed a student for coverage or had a blank spot on the spread, we had the material for an instant quote bar. Using Google Forms also allowed us to track and sort the answers by the respondent.

6. I Do, You Do, We Do

I Do, You Do, We Do is a teambuilding idea as well as a way to add in professional growth. It works like this:

1. I pick a skill to teach the class and demonstrate it
2. You learn and apply the skill
3. We do it together

How it worked in Miami, FL

We decided we wanted to use Doodle as our theme for next year and wanted to create coloring book-style pages in the book for dividers and such. None of us are Photoshop pros, so our adviser suggested we learn. Each of us on the editorial team for next year picked a video on YouTube to watch. Then we taught our classmates how to do it. Teaching my friends to do something I just learned made me proud and they listened well. 

7. Practice Interviewing

It’s easy to fire off a text that says, “Give me a quote for yearbook,” but yearbook staffs don’t do easy journalism. Spend some time refining your reporting using the yearbook storytelling module of Treering’s free curriculum.

How it worked in Lakeside, CA

Our district hired a branding company to re-do the website, marketing materials, and our social presence. They brought in a photographer to capture student life and take professional headshots of the staff. When the final products came out, they were incomplete. No one knows the Warriors like the Warriors, so I seized an opportunity: hire out my yearbook students.

We wanted to improve our writing, so we created a list of questions to ask teachers and re-wrote all the staff bios for the website.

Your Turn

With these seven actionable ideas, you can find a place of rest going into summer. If you want to get a head start on planning for the fall semester, check out six weeks of yearbook lessons, including rubrics and a yearbook class syllabus.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

Meet Abby, Treering’s Community Advocate Team (CAT) Director. Not only does she advocate for schools and parents who need support, but she also advocates for the team she leads by creating a positive, proactive environment.

Do you have a yearbook story for us?

In 7th grade, I won the athlete of the year superlative. The photographer set up her photoshoot after a workout and expected me to do a chin-up. I was a swimmer. The resulting image showed me with my tongue out, hair in disarray, and shirt pulling from my shorts. It told people, “I’m a great athlete, but a mess everywhere else.” I always wondered why they didn’t photograph me in my element, the pool.

And thus, you began fixing yearbook issues! You’re in the midst of our busiest season because April through May are when our spring deliveries go to print.

Yes, this is my favorite time. I started hyping up the team in January by letting them know we are approaching the final stretch. It’s now, in the 11th hour, when customers are putting the final touches on their masterpieces and inevitably things are going to go wrong.

Last summer, we increased our permanent staff to better serve customers. We also increase seasonal help during this time and extended the hours phone and email support are available.

What other new initiatives have you begun?

We are constantly evolving. In fall, we started Welcome Walk-Throughs for new yearbook editors so they are ready to cheerlead their own book. During these one-on-one sessions, an advocate goes over page count, shipping, dates and deadlines, yearbook promotion, and how to engage the school community, set up folders/photo storage, complete portrait autoflow, and go print ready. It’s a lot! We really want to build confidence.

Every day, we learn from customers, and many updates to the app or new themes have come from them! 

How does it feel to see your ideas in motion?

We are just scratching the surface! Last year, I wanted to do something fun for our customers and recognize our community by rewarding them for doing a great job and for all the hours they put in. The #TreeringMemoriesMatter came from that. I’m excited to see how it expanded to the #YearbookHero and #TreeringMemoryMaker contests.

There are always things we can do along the way to help people smile. Whether it’s these large-scale contests or telling yearbook editors what looks great in their books—it’s about kindness. Our customers put hours they don’t have into their craft.

When people think of “support,” they probably envision a cube farm with a bunch of headsets and scripted responses. How is Treering Yearbooks different?

The work culture at Treering Yearbooks is what attracted me to the company in 2012. Our focus has always been on customer service. When most help centers have a “turn and burn” philosophy, Treering doesn’t monitor call times. Our advocacy team is trained to anticipate future needs and educate editors. I tell them, “Answer the unasked questions.”

Every year, satisfaction surveys consistently mention how much yearbook editors and parents appreciate the focused time they receive on the phone from our agents. 

If you could tell a Treering yearbooks customer anything, what would it be?

The CAT team is here to help you every step of the way in your yearbook journey and we are here to help you when you are overwhelmed. There’s no limit to what we won’t do for them (in the yearbook).

Operative phrase: In the yearbook. Visit/favorite/bookmark help.treering.com for more.

May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week and it’s time to plan your strategy! An attitude of gratitude can propel the faculty through the last weeks of school. While it’s generally not the yearbook team’s job to organize Teacher Appreciation festivities, we know there are parent contributors and class-act students who love to spread joy. 

Yearbook Donation Drive for Teachers

Treering’s donation option makes it easy for families to gift yearbooks to the school. Advisers and coordinators then share the love by distributing yearbooks to staff. Some schools even do an online auction for the principal’s yearbook. Since donated yearbooks won’t arrive during the week, make sure your yearbook team has a card or certificate to present to recipients.

Staff Tributes in the Yearbook

If your yearbook deadline is mid-to-late May, Teacher Appreciation should have coverage. Even if Teacher Appreciation Week comes after your final deadline, you can use the yearbook to showcase your on-campus heroes by:

• Leaving space for staff candids
• Interviewing the Teacher of the Year, department heads, and new members of the faculty
• Highlighting pregnant teachers with a “Future [Mascot]” module

Last-Minute Teacher Appreciation Ideas

We know you’re busy [finishing the yearbook], so here are some no-prep appreciation strategies you can do with your yearbook staff.

• Print and write a postcard (aka a social science lesson on what a postcard is)
• Hold a mini supply drive to replenish teachers’ stock⸺ it can be as simple as cracking open a Costco pack of Expo markers and sharing them among the faculty
• Compile a list of all the free food in your neighborhood so your teachers know where to grab dinner each night
• Create a hall collage with classmates by each bringing in a thank you drawing; if you start small Monday, it could create a movement by Friday
• Use an e-gifting platform such as THNKS to digitally send an  'I Appreciate You' A Latte or a You're Spec-Taco-ular Lunch. It takes seconds.
• Go social: record a video or upload a photo of you and your favorite teacher(s) using #thankateacher, #teacherappreciation, #teacherlove, #weloveourteachers, #thankyouteachers, #teachersrock, #treering
• Download photos and create a slideshow of staff members to display on a screen in the office, on your morning broadcast, or share it with the school community in the May newsletter.

What did you do? Tag us on Facebook and Instagram to share your successes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Treering offers the opportunity for users to share their stories behind inclusive custom pages and layout designs.

Treering, a digital yearbook software company, recently hosted a contest for their dedicated users to showcase their custom design pages and tell their stories behind a yearbook spread. The contest lasted two weeks and offered enticing incentives including Amazon and Spa gift cards, and a spotlight on their online blog! The contest was split into two groups, one for their end-users - parents, and one for school chief editors. 

14 total winners were chosen across 8 different states throughout the country. Winners were chosen based on the quality of their submitted yearbook design and story, and spanned across elementary, middle, and high schools. One of the chief editor winners shared a heartfelt story behind their layout as her school combined with another school following the pandemic this last year. Her layout was inspired by blending two very different school cultures into one school family. 

“Two small public-school populations combined into one: a Mandarin school, and a parent co-op school, called Orion Alternative. Using the Treering cosmic theme with custom images, the contents are arranged in the shape of the Orion constellation, while floating Chinese lanterns soar into the night sky.”

Many of the winners also shared their stories behind their custom pages and how they were able to savor their memories, inside and outside of school. Treering’s custom pages are one of the incredible highlights behind the software. They offer inclusivity to every student, allowing an opportunity to highlight personal accomplishments and memories. 

One of the winners, a father, used his custom spread to showcase a series of first-day-of-school photos taken by the same tree each year, to show not only his son’s growth over the years, but also his memories and interests at each age! 

Treering is a company that specializes in the design, creation, and printing of quality yearbooks. The traditional yearbook only includes a few photos of each student. In today's smartphone world student's have thousands of photos of themselves and their friends. This makes the traditional yearbook a lot less relevant. Treering brings the yearbook into the internet generation with custom pages, online signatures, and more while operating at zero cost to schools, only printing books parents decide to purchase.

You did all the work. You submitted it. And boom: boxes arrive, filled with memories and awaiting signatures. You could deliver a stack to each classroom, wipe your hands, and prep for next year. Or, you could create an epic yearbook distribution and signing party to further cement the yearbook’s role on your campus. Yearbook distribution doesn’t have to be a total mic drop moment (it can), but rather a unifying event to help close the year.

Make Unboxing a Moment

Unboxing the yearbook can help build excitement for yearbook distribution because it tells the campus community the yearbooks are here! A few ideas for social media posts are:

• Put a GoPro or tape your cellphone on the boxes as they get wheeled into the building
• Film your team cracking open the first box (make sure they smell the ink!)
• Photograph a box of yearbooks in various “seats” around campus: the principal’s chair, a student desk, a key locale in the caf
• If your yearbook company doesn’t label your books individually by buyer and organize them by class, do a time-lapse video of your team organizing the books for distribution

Start Distribution with the Yearbook Team

Being on yearbook staff has to have perks, and one is a fancy-pants dinner before yearbook distribution. (Please note fancy is a relative term: if an Oreo shake is your thing, you’re our kind of people.) 

Think of your typical sports banquet: the coach (adviser) stands and speaks a few remarks on the team then hands out the awards. Traditionally, the yearbook staff unwraps their yearbook and shares it with their family. It’s special because they have the first copies and it’s an individualized time for parents to see all the work their child accomplished. Do you have parents creating the yearbook? Celebrate these yearbook heroes!

Distribution Parties

The last month of school is full of events and celebrations, yearbook distribution should be one of the reasons your community comes together. Here are three ideas for yearbook distribution parties our advisers hold, and since we’re all lovers of a good theme, we put together some end-of-the-year playlists for you. 

The Extended Lunch

Work with your school’s faculty and administration to add 15-25 minutes to the end of lunchtime for yearbook signing. Create designated areas for each grade with class color-coded pens to distribute the yearbooks and then play music while students mingle. 

The Afterschool Special

When yearbook distribution and singing are a family event, you build even more community. Meet at a public park’s gazebo and pass out books and play. Moms hang, kids hang, and the teachers breathe easier because they didn’t have to plan it. 

The Bundle and Save

For anyone thinking, “I don’t need one more thing to do,” this is for you: add a yearbook signing party to an existing end-of-the-year event such as award night or an all-school carnival. All you need to do is make a cluster of tables (velvet ropes optional) and have an organized distribution center. 

Want to make it next level? Have your distribution area next to a bounce house. Students get their books at the bottom of the slide as they celebrate bouncing to the next grade.

How will you celebrate? Be sure to tag @treering on Facebook and @treeringcorp on TikTok and Instagram to show us.

Some of these ideas originally appeared in our yearbook traditions blog.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook adviser (and in this case, student editor) tips and tricks.

This year we at Treering called on all our schools’ parents, teachers, and students to nominate yearbook heroes in a first-ever peoples’ contest: #YearbookHero. The yearbook callout contest was prompted by our empathy and true appreciation for our yearbook editors.

Klamath Union High School senior Bailyn Amos won first place in the high school division; her team nominated her because she led them in problem-solving how to produce a yearbook in the 2020-2021 school year. From collecting photos from students to gaining valuable skills that will stick with her for years to come, Bailyn shares her experience leading her staff in creating a beautiful yearbook Klamath Union High School students will treasure for years to come. 

What does it mean to you to be Klamath Union High School’s Yearbook Hero?

Being a Yearbook Hero means that I have the ability to give back to my school and express how the school year was and all the good times we had. 

How did you go about getting the photo submission for the yearbook? How did you motivate your peers to get involved, especially those that weren’t involved in the media design class?

I motivated my peers by making every minute spent working a fun experience. We turned work into a mini party and played lots of music and watched lots of movies! With some of my friends who weren't in media design classes, I spent a lot of time on calls with them working at home. Treering made it really easy to work on the yearbook anywhere and at any time.

What advice would you give to students for gathering photos from parents? In your opinion, what are some tips for talking to parents about yearbook needs as it could be viewed as intimidating for some students? 

The school sent out a lot of notices and emails to not only students, but the parents as well informing them on deadlines and such. Treering was a great tool to help gather as many quality photos for the yearbook as possible. We also leveraged social media to ensure we had plenty to choose from!

What kind of leadership skills do you feel you implemented during the past year when leading yearbook creation? 

Starting off, I felt like I didn't have much leadership skills other than being loud. But by the end, I picked up so many different skills. I learned how to better communicate what needs to be done and how it can be done. I also feel more comfortable being in a leadership position and am so much more confident in my work, which is something I struggled with in the past.

How has being involved with the yearbook inspired your career choices? 

Being involved with the yearbook inspired me to pursue a career in teaching because it showed me how much I enjoyed teaching how everything worked and how to build up skills. Overall it was a lot of fun and something I can see myself doing in the future.

Official Contest Participation Rules and Steps to Enter

1. You must be a student, teacher, or parent at a Treering school to participate.

2. To participate, fill out this submission form and include a screenshot of your favorite 21-22 yearbook spread and also a short paragraph (250 words max) about your school’s story. (This part is SUPER important!) Double-check everything for accuracy, especially your email and phone number (this is how winners will be notified and prizes will be distributed) and your school name and address (city and state only are ok). Incomplete entries will not be accepted.

3. Share your spread on social media via:

• Facebook: Submit the post using your personal Facebook account or your school’s Facebook account.
  Include the screenshot of your personal page(s) in your post.
  Tag @treering in your post.
  Use the hashtag #TreeringMemoriesMatter in your post.
  Make sure this post is shared publicly so we can see it and include your submission.
• Instagram: Submit the post using your personal Instagram account or your school’s Instagram account.
  Include the screenshot of your personal pages in your post.
  Tag @TreeringCorp in your post.
  Use the hashtag #TreeringYearMemoriesMatter in your post.
  Make sure your profile is public so we can see it and include it in your submission.

Note: You don’t need to share on both platforms, you can if you want, but you only need to share it on one platform (Facebook or Instagram) to get credit.

4. Submissions are due by Wednesday, March 30, 2022, by 8 PM PT.

Winners

The winners of the #TreeringMemoriesMatter Yearbook Design Contest 2022 will be notified via email and phone on Monday, April 4. The Amazon gift cards will be sent electronically to the email provided in the form. Free books coupons will be loaded into the school's Treering Yearbook account and may be used in the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 school year.

There will be a first, second, and third-place winner in separate elementary, middle, and high school categories. Yearbook parents may also enter their personal pages to win the #TreeringMemoryMaker parent contest!

Judging will be based on the entered custom page spread and storytelling ability. A panel of yearbook professionals, graphic designers, parents, and journalism educators will select the winners.

Ownership

By submitting your yearbook spread, you have verified the approval of others pictured and you approve Treering to use your name, write-up, and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to showcasing on www.Treering.com, sharing on social media, and sharing with media.

Enjoy yourself! We love this journey for you. If you have any questions, contact us at marketing@treering.com.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

*No Purchase Necessary. A Purchase Will Not Increase Your Chances Of Winning.*

1. Eligibility: The Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are at least eighteen (18) years old. Employees of Treering, LLC (“Sponsor”) or PeakActivity (“Administrator”), as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter.

2. How to Enter

3. Message and data rates may apply to entries posted from a mobile device.

4. By entering, you indicate your full agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions regarding the Giveaway, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements in these Official Rules.

5. Potential Winner Requirements: Except where prohibited, a potential winner will be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and a liability/publicity release. If a potential winner fails to sign and return these documents within three (3) business days, Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place according to the Judging Criteria.

6. Prizes: first place - 10 free yearbooks, $100 Amazon gift card, and blog profile; second place - five free yearbooks, $50 Amazon gift card; third place - three free yearbooks, $25 Amazon gift card

7. General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prizes based on the Judging Criteria from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the operation of the Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any person who seeks to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

8. Release and Limitations of Liability: By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, PeakActivity, Facebook, Instagram, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; or (g) injury or damage to persons or property. You further agree that in any cause of action, in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’s fees. You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

9. Privacy and Publicity: Any information you submit as part of the Contest will be treated in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. Except where prohibited participation in the Contest constitutes an entrant’s consent to Sponsor’s use of his/her name, likeness, voice, opinions, biographical information, and state of residence for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

10. Disputes: You agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Palm Beach County, Florida. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Florida, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Florida or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Florida.

11. Winner Information: Winners will be notified via email and phone after the Contest ends.

12. Sponsor and Administrator: The Contest is sponsored by Treering. The Contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook and Instagram.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook adviser tips and tricks.

This year we at Treering called on all our schools’ parents, teachers, and students to nominate yearbook heroes in a first-ever peoples’ contest: #YearbookHero. The yearbook callout contest was prompted by our empathy and true appreciation for our yearbook editors.

Students Izzy Stewart and Lila Viselli from Richmond Middle School, located in Richmond, Maine won first place in the middle school division of our nationwide contest; they were nominated by their adviser Becca Redman for their work in restarting the yearbook after a six-year hiatus—even when the pandemic hit and the girls had to work on the yearbook from home!

What does it mean to you to be Richmond Middle School’s Yearbook Heroes? 

We all think it’s important to get recognized for the work you’ve done when the opportunity presents itself! And in this case, it was Treering’s #YearbookHero Contest. It was quite the surprise to get awarded for the yearbook, and it feels great to be recognized for all of the work that was put into it.

What was it like to bring the yearbook back after six years?

We were thrilled to bring the yearbook back and learned so much as a team - about design, collaboration, communication and time-management. It was a really rewarding experience that hopefully will help students in their other activities and classes. I think it would have been exciting under any circumstance, but we all felt even more satisfied with our work because we put it together during a pandemic, when we were all at home. We had to be creative. I think last year's book reflected lessons we learned the first year, and we see the book getting better with every edition.

How did you gather photos when you were at home? How did you involve and motivate your classmates to contribute to the yearbook? 

Ms. Redman: I sent a LOT of emails and contacted parents on Facebook to ask permission to use their photos of school activities in the fall, and to contribute to the quarantine collage. At one point I also gathered the entire team of middle school teachers in a Zoom meeting and took a screenshot of all our smiling faces. It was captioned with a "We Miss You" message. I think that was special for the students, and will definitely be a memento from an unprecedented year.

Izzy and Lila: When we were at home, we’d email a lot of people consistently, including classmates and coaches, in order to motivate them to send us pictures. We also contacted parents to see if they could send us pictures that they’d taken of students and events.

Ms. Redman, how is Richmond Middle School’s Yearbook Club going?

This year, things are going really well! We are still in the planning stages, but definitely learning from the past. For example, after taking photos during Spirit Week and Halloween, we created those pages immediately at the following meeting. I’m sure this will pay off in the spring. One of our past mistakes was definitely leaving a lot of the actual book editing until the end. I'm glad to have a lot of 6th graders expressing interest in the club this year and hopefully they will stay with the club through middle school and be leaders in the future. 

I am also lucky to have some really proactive team members who take initiative to take photos during important events—I don't need to remind them! Since Izzy and Lila have graduated from 8th grade, they are definitely missed this year! With that said, I have plans to bring them on board to come and help me teach the current middle schoolers a few key Treering skills. We’ll be working on portraits soon, so that’s definitely something we’ll be focusing on with Treering in the near future.

Izzy and Lila, now that you’re in high school, what advice would you give younger students who are involved in the yearbook? 

Never give up and push through obstacles the best that you can. It’s always ok to ask questions and get help! For us, it was very rewarding in the end to bring back the yearbook by using Treering and for everyone to give us positive feedback. It feels good to leave middle school knowing that we brought the yearbook back and left them with a solid foundation to build off of this year and for years to come. 

Official Parent Contest Participation Rules and Steps to Enter

1. You must be over 18 years old and a parent at a Treering school to participate.

2. To participate, fill out this submission form and include a screenshot(s) of your custom pages spread and also a short paragraph (250 words max) about your child’s unique story. (This part is SUPER important!) Double-check everything for accuracy, especially your email and phone number (this is how winners will be notified and prizes will be distributed) and your school name and address (city and state only are ok). Incomplete entries will not be accepted.

3. Share your spread on social media via:

• Facebook: Submit the post using your personal Facebook account or your school’s Facebook account.
  Include the screenshot of your custom page(s) in your post.
  Tag @treering in your post.
  Use the hashtag #TreeringMemoryMaker in your post.
  Make sure this post is shared publicly so we can see it and include your submission.
• Instagram: Submit the post using your personal Instagram account or your school’s Instagram account.
  Include the screenshot of your custom pages in your post.
  Tag @TreeringCorp in your post.
  Use the hashtag #TreeringYearMemoryMaker in your post.
  Make sure your profile is public so we can see it and include it in your submission.

Note: You don’t need to share on both platforms, you can if you want, but you only need to share it on one platform (Facebook or Instagram) to get credit.

4. Submissions are due by Wednesday, March 30, 2022, by 8 PM PT.

Winners

The winners of the #TreeringMemoryMaker Parent Contest 2022 will be notified via email and phone on Monday, April 4. The Amazon and spa gift cards will be sent electronically to the email provided in the form. Parents who also serve on the Yearbook Committee can also enter the #TreeringYearbookMemoriesMatter Contest!

Judging will be based on the entered custom page spread and storytelling ability. A panel of yearbook professionals, graphic designers, parents, and journalism educators will select the winners.

Ownership

By submitting your custom pages/spread, you have verified the approval of others pictured and you approve Treering to use your name and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to showcasing on www.Treering.com, sharing on social media, and sharing with media.

Enjoy yourself! We love this journey for you. If you have any questions, contact us at marketing@treering.com.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

*No Purchase Necessary. A Purchase Will Not Increase Your Chances Of Winning.*

1. Eligibility: The Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are at least eighteen (18) years old. Employees of Treering, LLC (“Sponsor”) or PeakActivity (“Administrator”), as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter.

2. How to Enter

3. Message and data rates may apply to entries posted from a mobile device.

4. By entering, you indicate your full agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions regarding the Giveaway, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements in these Official Rules.

5. Potential Winner Requirements: Except where prohibited, a potential winner will be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and a liability/publicity release. If a potential winner fails to sign and return these documents within three (3) business days, Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place according to the Judging Criteria.

6. Prizes: first place - $300 spa card, $200 Amazon gift card, and blog profile; second place - $200 Amazon gift card; third place - $100 Amazon gift card

7. General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prizes based on the Judging Criteria from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the operation of the Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any person who seeks to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

8. Release and Limitations of Liability: By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, PeakActivity, Facebook, Instagram, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; or (g) injury or damage to persons or property. You further agree that in any cause of action, in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’s fees. You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

9. Privacy and Publicity: Any information you submit as part of the Contest will be treated in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. Except where prohibited participation in the Contest constitutes an entrant’s consent to Sponsor’s use of his/her name, likeness, voice, opinions, biographical information, and state of residence for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

10. Disputes: You agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Palm Beach County, Florida. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Florida, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Florida or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Florida.

11. Winner Information: Winners will be notified via email and phone after the Contest ends.

12. Sponsor and Administrator: The Contest is sponsored by Treering. The Contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook and Instagram.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook adviser tips and tricks.

This year we at Treering called on all our schools’ parents, teachers and students to nominate yearbook heroes in a first-ever peoples’ contest: #YearbookHero. The yearbook callout contest was prompted by our empathy and true appreciation for our yearbook editors.

Jill Sundgren of Cedar Creek Elementary School, located in Olathe, Kansas won first place in the elementary division for the nationwide contest; she was nominated by parent and PTO president, Barb Hendricks, for spearheading the school’s yearbook and inspiring a yearbook committee to work collectively and creatively to capture and preserve the important stories of the year—even when parents weren’t allowed to be on campus!

What does it mean to you to be Cedar Creek Elementary's Yearbook Hero?

I am so honored (and a little shocked) to be named Cedar Creek's Yearbook Hero. But I do feel like this honor really should be extended to my entire committee. This yearbook was definitely a team effort from the design to the brainstorming of pages to layouts to photo gathering. It's so sweet that I am being recognized, but as I'm sure you all know, a yearbook is a huge undertaking and I don't do it alone! I think it's amazing that Cedar Creek is getting recognized for our efforts and creativity because we really do have such an awesome community of parents who make this all possible. 

I especially want to thank Barb Hendricks for nominating me and getting me involved in the yearbook in the first place. I absolutely love being involved in the yearbook committee and can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. I think we learned a lot creating the yearbook last year and we are going to try and incorporate some of the ideas that came out of it into future books. I'm hoping to keep up the momentum and produce an even better product this year!

How have you been getting photos when parents aren’t permitted on campus?

Being unable to set foot on campus last year was certainly an obstacle, but with the help of our amazing PTO members, school staff, yearbook committee and community of parents, we were able to still capture the year in a holistic way. 

First, we had to get creative on the types of pages we wanted to showcase. A lot of the programs and activities that we normally feature weren't happening last year, so we had to look at some things that happened outside of the school walls to fill the yearbook. We featured seasonal pages (summer, fall, winter and spring activities), sports teams and remote learning, among other activities. Our PTO has a private Facebook page where we solicited photos for some of these activities from parents - and our parents sure did deliver! 

Our school still tried to make the year fun by continuing spirit weeks, outdoor photo ops and off-campus activities (for instance, our father/daughter activity was an in-home movie night); so again, we asked parents to snap photos prior to school of their kids dressed up and share with our team. Our principal also let us take photos (outside and masked) as kids arrived at school so we could fill in some holes for our dress-up spirit days. And, of course, we enlisted the help of the teachers to try and capture some photos inside the classroom as well. This all resulted in showcasing our year in and outside of school. 

Our ultimate goal was to show that while the pandemic may have changed our way of living, it didn't damper our spirits or ability to have some fun!

As sad as it is, a lot of communities experience natural disasters, and their people must come together and rebuild. Sometimes it can be a struggle as a yearbook adviser, student editor, or team to decide whether or not to capture this historic event in your school’s yearbook, especially if you have younger students who may not fully grasp what happened. To help alleviate some of the back and forth and uncertainties, we’ve laid out a guide of best practices when covering natural disasters in your yearbook. 

Are Natural Disasters Yearbook-Worthy? 

Including current events is typically a staple for every school’s yearbook, since it is essentially a snapshot of what life was like that year. However, determining the best way to cover natural disasters, which are also considered events, isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind for yearbook editors. Or the easiest. And it’s not something for which one can completely prepare. Natural disasters can shape a school year and have an impact on everyone. Because of this, it is worth including it in the yearbook. It’s important to find uplifting ways to cover these stories when interviewing school members while respecting the boundaries of those who were impacted. 

The right words and tone can emphasize how a school showcased perseverance in the face of a tragedy.

Include Accurate and Approved Information in your Coverage 

Be it wildfires, tornados, hurricanes, or earthquakes, it’s critical to provide accurate information about the event. When looking back at a yearbook years from now, you don’t want the wrong date, for example, to be in print. The goal is for students to be able to look back to remember this part of their history. And ideally, the way it’s covered in the yearbook can show how the school and community overcame the crisis. 

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a copyright lawyer on your yearbook committee, it’s critical to understand the basics of trademark and copyright laws when deciding on if/when to use professional photos to cover a natural disaster. You always want to make sure it’s an image you are allowed to use and that it’s free to the public. If this seems like something you don’t have time to research, instead it might be worth considering stock images that are available online, licensing images from your local newspaper, or using—with permission—photos your community has captured.

Along with photos, you should also consider the statistics to highlight. It’s important to remain sensitive and not include mentions of a death toll, for example. Instead, you can focus on other hard facts like the date(s), time, location, the scale of the natural disaster, etc. in your yearbook. If your school community collected donations, include those numbers.

When it comes to deciding on what information to include, a great tip is to make sure that your yearbook committee has an editorial policy in place that can be shared with the community. Covering any kind of crisis can be difficult, and some may always disagree with the way you did it, so it’s best to have a written policy so that teachers, students, and parents can be aware of how the yearbook team will plan to cover a crisis like a natural disaster or a death in your school community. Get your administrator's signature on it.

Lessons Students Can Learn from Natural Disasters

A tragedy is not something anyone can overcome easily. It’s worth highlighting the hope of people within a community when they’re facing hardship together. Experiencing something of this nature becomes a part of one’s story and while it may take some extra dedicated time to determine how to showcase the lessons learned in a positive way, it’ll be beneficial to capture an impactful time such as this in a yearbook. 

Interview Questions for Students and Teachers Impacted by Disasters

• How did the [natural disaster] impact the community? 
• What was, or is currently, being done to help rebuild?
• Are there any stories you’re comfortable sharing about the [natural disaster’s] personal impact?
• Where were you and what were you doing as this event unfolded?
• How has the [natural disaster] impacted how you view your day-to-day life at home and at school?
• What advice would you give to students who may face a similar natural disaster crisis in the future?
• What are you grateful for after this? 
• What changes did you see within the community during and after this event?

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook adviser tips and tricks.

Schools like Kate D Smith DAR High School of Grant, AL, build momentum by gathering motivated teachers and students to gather photos, draft content, and design spreads. Dr. John Finley is a business teacher for grades 9-12 at Kate D Smith DAR High School and also spearheads the creation of the yearbook with the assistance of his students. With his background in videography and photography, he inherited the role of yearbook sponsor and this is his second year leading the development of student journalists.

What’s unique about John’s role within yearbook is that he really lets the students run with creativity and he owns his role of adviser. This allows the students to take near-complete ownership of the book, learn how to utilize the Treering app, and motivates them to be confident in their abilities in the classroom.

John and part of his yearbook team were excited to share how they plan to develop the yearbook this year, which will include KDS DAR School’s 2021 Dedication Day, which occurs every October.

What’s something unique about the school’s yearbook team?

Last year, we started a mentoring program where the seniors who have experience with yearbook get to share their knowledge with junior and sophomore students. We realized that the students who were involved with yearbook were primarily juniors, so when they eventually graduated, we didn’t have students on board who could guide the underclassmen.

So now, all seniors and juniors involved with yearbook choose one younger student to teach everything they know about yearbook. And then when the seniors graduate, the younger students are prepared to take the reins. A lot of the “yearbook” training actually takes place at events when students are taking photos for the yearbook. It’s a great hands-on opportunity for upperclassmen to show and explain their process for securing content for the yearbook.

What stands out to you from last year’s book, which was created during the pandemic?

What stood out to me the most was the theme, A Year Like No Other. This really rang true to everyone at school be it teachers, students or administrative staff. The yearbook team took the approach that they were writing the first history book of the pandemic for our entire community. The book was dedicated to the memory of those we lost and the families that were affected.

What was nice about using the Treering app, especially during this time, was that it gave us the ability to share photos right into the folder in an easy way. Because we weren’t able to be together in person, we were able to get a variety of photos from at-home learning. We’re currently back in the classroom this year, but a lot of lessons were learned last year—some heartbreaking—that were beautifully expressed in the book.

What’s something unique your school adds to the yearbook?

Dedication Day is a two-day event set to take place October 21-22 that only takes place in our community and is something we always take time to cover in the yearbook because of how much it means to all of us at the school. This will be the 97th year the school celebrates the patriotic education made possible by the Daughters of the Revolution (DAR). During the Dedication Day celebration, DAR chapters from across the U.S. travel to Grant, AL, and pledge funds for school projects.

In the yearbook this year, for example, we’ll capture photos of the two-day event highlighting student musical performances, speakers and the overall history of the DAR and how they began their mission in 1922 to build schools in remote areas of the U.S. KDS DAR School, which sits atop Gunter Mountain in Grant, was selected based on the will and dedication of the Daughters of the Revolution to give the people in this area a path to education.