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Attention yearbook advisers: 10 ways to keep your committee motivated!
Image source: Flickr user Jirka Matousek[/caption] The unsung heroes of any great yearbook are the dedicated members of the yearbook committee. A yearbook committee is generally comprised of students and staff alike, with an adviser to bring everyone and everything together to share ideas and make an awesome book of memories. The main goal of the committee is to be innovative, creative, and produce a yearbook that everyone can cherish for many years to come. Okay, sure... no big deal, right? Only it’s no small feat to continuously one-up a product that has been produced for so many years! It’s the duty of each committee member to create a unique yearbook, complete with an unforgettable theme, picturesque layout, and beautiful design, in addition to staying on budget, marketing and selling ads, attending events, taking pictures, proofing/editing content… not to mention chasing down people for materials and submissions! Phew! I’m exhausted just writing that sentence. With all of these tasks, deadlines, and what-ifs, it’s no surprise that sometimes the committee can run out of steam. As a yearbook adviser, it's your job to keep the committee on track, dedicated to the product, and staying positive. But fear not! You are not alone in this - here are some great ways to keep your committee, well... committed! 1. Support new ideas. Everyone is there to help and move the yearbook forward, and therefore everyone should have the opportunity to be heard. So give people a chance to explain their ideas, and hear out even the most far-fetched ones. Allowing people to share their ideas keeps them feeling involved and engaged. 2. Give equal treatment. The yearbook is a reflection of both students and staff, so don’t make the yearbook committee a hierarchy. Give everyone equal share of the responsibilities and equal say in the product, and you'll see that it keeps everyone equally committed to the yearbook. 3. Make people comfortable. Don’t meet only in the library or classroom. Have a meeting outside in the grass or at a local coffee shop, for example. When people are relaxed, they are more willing to share their ideas, and nothing gets the brain going like a nice change of scenery. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="517"] Take your committee meeting outside of school walls.
Image source: Flickr user Tulane Public Relations[/caption] 4. Make it interesting. Setting up a contest or raffle will encourage friendly competition and keep people’s eye on the prize. This is a great idea when students are making a final push for advertisement. 5. Give credit where it is due. Don’t let people bulldoze one another. If someone has a good idea, attribute that idea to that person to make sure everyone stays eager to share and participate. Nothing kills motivation like seeing your ideas appropriated by someone else. 6. Boost morale. Host a group-bonding outing – go bowling, take a cooking class, or do some volunteer work. Having fun in a group activity will not only make people feel good and appreciated, but will also get the creative juices flowing. Not to mention, it can help participants get to know each better, which allows for everyone to work together more smoothly. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="517"]
Group bonding boosts morale and promotes teamwork. Image source:Flickr user University of Exeter.[/caption] 7. Be flexible. Yearbook guidelines and deadlines can be stressful, and don’t always go as planned. Staying positive and going with the flow will keep stress levels down, so students can stay focused on their goals without feeling too overwhelmed. 8. Keep everyone in the loop. No matter what happens – good or bad – let everyone know. Open communication will make everyone feel valued, and help the yearbook overall. Additionally, people do their best work when they're aware of everything that's going on. 9. Get creative. Encourage people to bring in their favorite music, movies, books, art, etc. Sharing interests will help boost creativity, bring fresh perspectives, and allow people to bounce ideas off one another. 10. Bring snacks! Simply put, people are happier when they are fed, and they're more productive on a full stomach! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="486"]
A committee enjoying the fruits of their labor with some well-deserved snacks. Image source: Flickr user COD Newsroom[/caption] Most importantly, remember that a yearbook is a reflection of the year, the committee, and the school overall. Keep the energy high and the ideas flowing, because a happy committee will produce a fantastic yearbook. And of course, Treering's amazing tools will transform those ideas into a collection of fond memories for years to come!
The benefits of joining yearbook committee for students
Getting Involved
Not every student is into sports or possesses musical talent. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t get involved with their school. Joining the yearbook committee gets students involved on all levels – from mingling with students, to attending school events, and actively participating in something that benefits the entire school body. Students benefit from yearbooks just as much as the schools do in creating a positive school spirit. And when kids have school spirit, they perform better as students.Teaches Crucial Life Skills
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. A yearbook staff is never short on deadlines. But even though they sound stressful, deadlines can be very beneficial in helping students learn skills that they will use through school, college, and the rest of their lives. Time management, prioritizing, reliability, and the responsibility of following through on tasks when others are depending on you are just the tip of the iceberg of skills that students learn when working on a yearbook.Provides Writing and Journalism Experience
Writing copy for yearbooks is a lot harder than it might originally appear. When students are forced to use rules of proper attribution, go through an in-depth interviewing process including follow ups, or are crafting a creative piece, they build upon the fundamentals that they learned in English class. Practice makes perfect and the more you write, the better you get at it.Provides Creative Experiences
Photography, Photoshopping, page layouts, yearbook themes, design ideas – putting together a yearbook from start to finish is full of tasks that get the creative juices flowing. It’s very rewarding for students to have the physical proof to show for all of that hard work they put in over the course of the year. When anyone first starts a project, it’s easy to get lost in all of the details. But being able to look back at the end and see your creation is a great feeling that gives students a strong sense of pride.Great Addition to a Portfolio
Whether they are trying to get into AP English classes in high school or they’re sending out applications for college, being able to have yearbook committee included in your portfolio gives you that much needed edge. Schools can be a very competitive business and often good grades alone aren’t enough to get into the school that students are hoping for. When a student is able to show that they were an active member of a hard working team, it helps showcase their overall skills in multitasking, socializing, developing ideas from concept to execution, and everything in between. A well-rounded portfolio is very important in whichever direction students choose to move forward in their academic careers. For students who are looking for a creative outlet, looking to learn the pressures of deadlines, or looking to learn the basics of reporting, your school's yearbook club or committee is the place of them to be. They might need to be recruited, and they might even need to fill out a yearbook staff application, but what they need to know most is how much joining a yearbook committee will benefit them. Sell them on that, and your yearbook will be better because of it.
A simple recipe to create a better yearbook
Yearbook photography laws: etiquette vs. Legal rights
Have you ever wondered about yearbook photography laws and whether you can take pictures somewhere? Fun fact: photographing the Eiffel Tower is legal during the daytime, but things get more complicated at night. Learn what is okay and what's not in our list of photographers' rights.
Everyone has a camera in their pocket these days, don't they? It’s good to know that we can capture the moments that mean the most to us. But few of us think about or even know our rights or limitations in being able to do so.
I didn’t either until a store manager approached me one day. I was attempting to take a picture of my daughter and her friend in front of a display in the middle of the mall. The manager nicely explained that their store carries a stringent "no photography" rule and I would not be allowed to post my photo anywhere online.
I immediately complied with the manager for a few reasons. First, I didn’t consider it to be a big deal. It was just a posed photo - and I had taken a dozen more that day - so there was no importance to that particular shot. Also, I didn’t want to make more of a scene in front of the kids than had already occurred. And lastly, I needed to familiarize myself with yearbook photography laws and my rights as an amateur photographer.
To prevent finding yourself in a similar situation, read up on your rights to take and publish photographs. You can use this information to determine what is acceptable in your school's yearbook.
THE LAWS
Not all "no photography" signs are clear, so always be on the lookout.
The general rule is that if you’re in a public place and can see it, you can shoot it. So, if you’re at the park or beach, whatever you see is open for photographing. Taking pictures on government property is mostly considered okay but prohibited on military bases and inside government buildings. (So, photos at the Washington Monument are fine, but taking pics inside your local courthouse isn’t.)
The line blurs a bit regarding what is called expected privacy. You’re not allowed to take pictures on public property if there is an expectation of privacy. For example, public restrooms are off-limits from photography. Similarly, taking photographs inside someone’s windows while standing on the sidewalk on public property is unacceptable.
When you’re on private property, the rules are more defined. The property owner can dictate what you are and aren’t able to photograph. You can be cited for trespassing if you do not adhere to these rules.
You can take pictures of strangers in public places without their consent. However, you cannot sell them without their knowledge or permission. For example, you can’t snap a picture of a stranger walking past you on the street and then sell it for profit as an advertisement to Coca-Cola. But, when you take a picture of someone at the science fair, publishing it in your yearbook is okay.
ERR ON THE SIDE OF ETIQUETTE
Many public places like zoos and museums have photography rules posted directly on their website. But if you’re out on a school trip and can't find information about the photography regulations, ask someone who works there. Some locations allow and even encourage photography. Others allow photography as long as you don't use flash. Still others prohibit all photography, whether you intend to publish it or not. In the case of banned photography, management can ask you to leave the premises or, in extreme cases, have the authorities called. Again, save yourself the hassle and ask an employee.
When photographing other people, especially children, even though it’s legal to take their pictures in public, it’s still better –and more polite– to ask first.
At the beginning of the school year, students should receive a photography waiver for their parents to complete and return. This form allows families to decide whether their child’s photo can be taken and placed in school publications such as the yearbook. Make a list and keep it with you to avoid cross-referencing later.
The ACLU also recommends carrying this printable pocket guide of photographer’s rights with you in case someone approaches you despite being within your legal rights. Had I had such a document when that store manager spoke with me, I could have politely explained that malls are open to the public and I was within my rights.
HASSLE-FREE YEARBOOK PUBLISHING
Educating yourself on what is and isn’t acceptable in the world of yearbook photography laws can save you a lot of headaches when creating your yearbook. You’re already using Treering to make designing and publishing your yearbook easier, so following these simple rules will ensure you spend time on the fun aspects of yearbook creation rather than time-consuming hassles.
Are you still wondering what's up with the Eiffel Tower? The twinkle lights that come on at night are considered their own art installation and are still under copyright. Want the full coq au vin? Click ici.
Please note: this is not a legally binding guide. Photographers should always check the rules and regulations of all establishments and with parents before taking pictures.
Ideas for creating student yearbook class assignments
Create A Yearbook Company
In order to achieve the goal of preparing my students for the real world, I organize my yearbook class as if it was a company. This structure allows for the students to practice skills such as collaborating, communication and organizational skills. In addition to these soft skills, organizing your class like a company allows the students to participate in the way that they are most comfortable and, hopefully, in a way that keeps them engaged. In this “company,” my students will each have two jobs: 1) The production and editing of the book. With this job, I break each student up into groups and each group is in charge of editing the section to which they are assigned. 2) The promotion and selling of the yearbook. For this yearbook ideas post, we'll cover the aspects of producing and editing the yearbook.Organize By Editor Type
In my class, I broke down responsibilities by two different editor types: Chief editor and staff editor.Chief Editors
For the Chief Editors, I recommend two Design Editors and two Text Editors. With this structure, each editor will have a partner to work with and collaborate with. Any more than two students and the tasks get a little crowded and the work is harder to manage.Design Editors (2 Students)
Edit pages for design accuracy and consistency. Maintain a consistent design and theme for each page as they are turned in.Text Editor (2 Students)
As each deadline comes up, the text editors ensure each page is submitted and then edits them for language usage, sentence structure and tone.Staff Editors
For each group of Staff Editors, I recommend no more than four students. For instance, if there are four Sports Editors, two students can be in charge of taking photos and formatting the design for the pages and two students can be in charge of writing the text for the page. These four-person teams allow for an organized collaborative group. Each group is responsible for organizing the calendar of events, attending the various events to capture photos, stories and results, communicating with their respective groups and finally, creating the pages and text. Here are the types of staff editors on my team:- Sports Editors
- Class Editors
- Activities Editors
- Club Editors
Nurture Your Team
This requires some nurturing, but it provide the opportunity to teach the students those soft skills we mentioned at the beginning of this post. In addition to teaching the students these skills, you can show them the importance of using certain technology platforms they will encounter in their adult lives as well. If they are going to save documents, they should make it a reflex to save their documents on Google Drive, for instance. If they have a smart phone, it is important to show them the benefit of using their calendars. If they do not have a smart phone and prefer a journal or paper calendar, the same value of writing down deadlines can be reinforced.Give The Students Ownership
Once instructions are provided, the systems are in place and the students have begun their work, you will see that your yearbook will develop into an organic, student-driven project. Putting the time into this organization will pay off in the end and, most importantly, will make your students more successful.
How much does it cost to make a yearbook? (price calculator)
2025 theme cover winners
In Treering’s inaugural Cover Design Contest, which—if we’re being real—was three concurrent contests, schools submitted their covers to one of three categories:
- School Spirit – mascots, school colors, and anything else that shows off your community
- Theme Development – an introduction to your visual and verbal theme
- Elementary Student Art – original art by K-6 students
Our team explored over 300 submissions, and the ones that stood out introduced their theme on the front and back cover, then expanded it inside throughout the book. Each of the themes below are specific to the time and place in which they exist. While the concept may work for the school across town, the execution would not.
Grand Prize Winner: Easterbrook Discovery School, San Jose, CA
Theme: Once Upon a Time
This year was extra special. It’s EDS’ 20th anniversary and the tenth year in its building. These once in a lifetime moments became an obvious connection for the yearbook theme.
Pre-pandemic, a middle school yearbook club produced the book. The PTO wanted to continue to showcase student perspectives with a cover contest. “It celebrates creativity, individuality, and the shared ownership that makes our yearbook and our school so special,” said Bai-Lim.
This year, they gave little guidance: “Your design should relate to the ‘Once Upon a Time’ theme (e.g. fairy tales, dragons, fairies, wizards, enchanted creatures, etc.).” The faculty and staff chose the winning cover in an anonymous vote.
Winner Helena Kao created a design rich in symbolism:
- Castle: community, teachers, and parents that made our school a story worth telling
- Bricks: depicted fundraisers, music concerts, and field trips that were the building blocks to a safe and welcoming space for students to learn and grow
- Flags: the husky spirit that defines EDS
- Closed door: an end of a chapter for the graduating class of 2025
- Howling Husky: singing and celebrating the school it proudly represents
The cover art contest led to another “once” moment: ninety pieces of student art throughout the yearbook. “Each piece felt like part of the story of the school year,” said Bai-Lim, “and we didn’t want to leave that out.”
Bai-Lim’s team used a Treering vintage blue background, various story-inspired borders, and the lunchbox font for titles. She said, “Treering made it so easy to bring our ideas to life.”
The Final Five Six
Blue Grass Elementary School, Knoxville, TN
Theme: A School of Pure Imagination
The sweet cover made us melt. (It’s a contest for a back to school ice cream bash with cool puns, how could we not go there?) What’s more, is the yearbook theme and the school’s theme were one.
The team at Blue Grass used “a school of pure imagination” to guide their year. It was a “perfect match for capturing the magic, curiosity, and creativity that define our school community,” yearbook chair Becky O’Hatnick said.
She and her team of parent volunteers sprinkled each page with “candy-colored hues” and created titles on candy wrappers and golden tickets.
“From cover to cover, our yearbook is a vibrant celebration of childhood wonder and the boundless possibilities of imagination,” O’Hatnick said.
Coronado Middle School, Coronado, CA
Theme: Golden Hour
This coastal school embraced their SoCal vibe by using the colors of the golden hour to progress through the book. The students studied the sun, and used it for theme copy: “At the end of each day, and each Golden Hour, the sun must set. This is an opportunity to begin anew, never forgetting the last chapter, but anticipating the beauty of the next.”
“The edges of the book had a gradient,” adviser Heidi Frampton said, “so that as you flipped through the book you would see the sunset colors.”
Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, Maywood, CA
Theme: A Piece of Us
Every single one of us has a mosaic of experiences that makes us who we are,” adviser Nora Torres said. Her team built on that concept by piecing together textures and colors to create the layered cover. The more you look at it, the more details emerge.
They brought their theme into the book by using graphic pieces, such as scrap paper, tape, and cut-out letters to accent the content. Divider pages, especially, looked as if they were hand-designed. To make it even more personal, the yearbook staff added “yerd* doodles” throughout the book.
*Yerd = yearbook nerd
Mt. Everett Regional School, Sheffield, MA
Theme: Ripping Through Tradition
Students chose to blend nostalgia and tech by using newspaper graphics at an angle to chronicle their year. It’s a “blend of past, present, and future,” said adviser Kari Giordano.
“This theme visually represented the senior class ‘shredding expectations,’” said Giordano, “and boldly stepping into the next phase of their lives.”
Philip Reilly Elementary, Mission Viejo, CA
Theme: Dive Into Learning
Yearbook chair Kristin Keller said she “created an underwater world where our theme could truly swim.”
From using circular photos as bubbles to adding sea-sational puns, her designs were focused. Keller used design hierarchy and contrast to keep each afloat in a sea of color.
Wilson Creek Elementary School, Duluth, GA
Theme: Wildcats Stick Together
At first glance, this cover was familiar. Then, we looked closer.
“This hybrid theme enhances the Treering-designed theme ‘Stick Together’ with totally unique Wilson Creek graphics and vibes that show off how Wilson Creek Wildcats learn, live, and laugh,” said yearbook co-chair Holly McCallum.
She designed the sticker pack to include interactions of the wildcat, WCES, and their anniversary crest. The brown paper background takes us back to the first day of school, when you’d cover your textbooks with grocery sacks. Considering this is Wilson Creek’s 20th anniversary, it’s an emotive design decision.
McCallum also added frames to photos to make them look like stickers and she added positive messages “to emphasize the creative spirit and collaborative dynamic” of her school community.
Camera pros and cons
A digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera is what our minds associate with photographers. It’s the tool of the trade. But is it the best thing for our yearbook teams? Cell phone cameras have their own pros and cons–we’ll explore both sides so you can choose what’s best for your team.
Benefits of a DSLR
When using a DSLR, you generally* get high-quality images due to full control of the exposure triangle. These features offer greater versatility to adjust for lighting conditions, like gyms and choir concerts. (I say generally because a con of DSLR cameras is the blind faith amateur photographers put in them. The camera alone does not make the shot.)
A DSLR also has interchangeable lenses for various scenarios:
- The nifty fifty for classroom shots
- A telephoto lens for concerts, assemblies, or sports events to capture shots without needing to be up close
- The all-purpose 18-135mm
Using a DSLR camera may help yearbook creators feel more professional—after all, you are selling the yearbook. It may unleash a new passion in students and volunteers as they master different settings.
A major con is the additional expense associated with the gear. Lenses and camera bodies do not intermingle, so if you have Nikon, Sony, and Canon in your equipment cabinet, you’ll need to take additional precautions to keep them separate.
Additionally, they can be bulky, and if you’re carrying multiple lenses, it can feel like lugging a small suitcase. Plus, not all models have Bluetooth, so transferring photos requires connecting to a computer, which can be time-consuming. Some students may feel intimidated by large cameras, so it’s worth considering if this is the best option for close-up situations.
Using a Cell Phone for Yearbook Photos
Alternatively, using your phone or tablet camera has benefits. Compact and always at hand and ideal for capturing moments on the go, cell phones are usually in the back pocket of yearbook creators. (And unless your kid is on the yearbook team, you didn’t pay for it. Score!) They are convenient and much less intrusive than their DSLR counterparts—plus when photographing camera-shy students.
The main con is that phones don’t offer as much control over camera settings. While cell phones are continuing to improve portrait and low-light modes, they may still look over-edited or may lack quality. Digital zoom is also destructive (it easts pixels) and can reduce resolution.
Tips for Using Cell Phones
When using a cell phone to take yearbook photos,
- Shoot in well-lit conditions (natural light is always best).
- Avoid digital zoom–like my yearbook adviser always said, “Zoom with your feet.” move closer instead.
- Tap the screen to focus and adjust brightness manually by using the slider.
Can I Use a Tablet To Take Pictures?
Some schools are switching to tablets for yearbook photography because of school policies on cell phone usage. Like cell phones, they are familiar devices, especially for younger yearbook creators.
While tablets can be used for yearbook photography, they typically lack the camera quality and features found in smartphones. Using a tripod (image stabilization) and photographing in HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting will improve the crispness of photos if you don’t have a “pro” model in your budget.
Quick Tips to Improve Your Yearbook Photos
Bottom line: whatever tool you use, you can take better photos by improving your composition skills. Practice by taking lots of photos at events. You’ll soon apply those framing and lighting techniques instinctively as you learn where to stand (and move) to get the best shot.
Teachers and club leaders should make a weekly habit of practicing composition techniques to improve students’ skills. We created a BINGO card to help. Play a class-wide game of coverall, have sections compete against one another (e.g., student life vs. athletics), or make it an individual activity.
This blog is adapted from Sandra Violette’s Photography session from TRL 24 POV: I’m on the Yearbook Team. Violette, a professional photographer and PTO mom, serves on the Onboarding and Engagement Team at Treering Yearbooks.
Happy New Year from Treering
Since 2009, you’ve trusted us to capture and print your priceless memories, and we reflect on this honor every holiday season. Thank you for trusting us with this invaluable task. We wish you all the best this holiday season, and we can’t wait to get to work in 2024. Happy holidays!
Some quick 2023 stats:
- School communities donated over 7000 yearbooks
- Through yearbook sales, schools raised over $2 Million
- Families customized nearly 500,000 custom pages
15 Years of Treering: It is our Birthday
Here’s what you can expect in 2024: from January through December, we will celebrate our 15th birthday with goodies for you. You are the reason Treering Yearbooks continues to grow and innovate.
Giveaways Galore in 2024
Since we can’t hand out plastic goodie bags with sticky hands and noisemakers to every member of the Treering community, coffee, gift cards, custom pages, and other freebies will have to do.
Spoiler alert: Treering’s annual design contests are not going anywhere.
“Treering in the Wild”
Last year, at the PTO Today conference in Chicago, IL, an editor said she loved seeing “Treering in the wild,” and it stuck with us. In 2024, we’re leaving our home offices and Google Meets for more IRL conversations and celebrations.
New Ways to Capture and Share Memories
Personalized memories are here to stay. How families and yearbook coordinators collect and share them once again will get a shake-up at our hands.
2024 Growth Opportunities
From new Yearbook Club webinars for yearbook coordinators and advisers to multi-day virtual events and mini-tutorials, we pledge to continue supporting you by answering your questions and simplifying the design-to-print process.
To learn more about how you can be involved in Treering’s 15th birthday celebrations,
- Engage with Treering Yearbooks on Facebook, Instagram, X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok
- Read the monthly editor newsletter
- Subscribe to the blog
Staff pictured
Top: Sara C. (Sales), Jordan O. (Community Advocate Team), Ali J. (Sales), Gia W. (Sales), Ed G. (Product Evangelist), Liz T. (Customer Success Manager), Dara A. (Sales), Kate H. (Sales)
Bottom: Dustin A. (Community Advocate Team), Katie P. (Customer Success Manager), Shannon H. (Sales/Social), Sandra V. (Engagement and Onboarding), Louise Kate L. (Community Advocate Team), Aisa A. (Community Advocate Team)
Yearbook hero Emily Wilson’s lessons learned and achievements earned
Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.
Uncertainty. That was the word of the year in 2020. Just two weeks before the school year began, Emily Wilson unexpectedly stepped into the role of yearbook advisor.
At the time, Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy (CSPA) was one of the few in the area offering both in-person and virtual classes. Like many, they faced challenges: masked students and staff, strict social distancing, limited outside visitors, and restricted volunteer involvement. These constraints forced a complete reevaluation of traditional yearbook creation methods.
To meet these challenges, the school switched to Treering, drawn by its intuitive software, online support, and the ability to crowdsource photography—a feature that became essential with reduced staff and student participation. Now, five years later, the school is producing its fifth yearbook using Treering.
How did you become the Yearbook Adviser?
Before becoming the yearbook advisor, my career focused primarily on teaching English, literature, and creative writing. Journalism and yearbook production were never areas where I expected to excel, but I always admired our previous advisor for the award-winning program she built. Her accolades still hang in our hallway, a constant reminder that there is always room to grow. Over the years, I’ve gained confidence as an advisor, building relationships with our student staff, and producing yearbooks we’re proud of. The experience has been transformative for both me and my students.
How has your involvement with your state’s journalism association impacted your skills and opportunities in the field?
In 2022, I was honored when the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) invited me to serve as a judge for their yearbook competition. It was a valuable opportunity to see what award-winning yearbooks looked like up close and personal, and it gave me insights into how our own yearbook could evolve. To my surprise, we were much closer to hitting the mark than I had anticipated. That experience gave me the courage to submit our book for critique, and we anxiously awaited feedback from MIPA.
After three long months, the results came in: we had earned a Bronze award for our 2024 yearbook, with a commendation for excellence in photography. The recognition was a testament to my students’ hard work and dedication. But what stood out most to me was their reaction. Rather than getting too comfortable with their achievement, students immediately started thinking about ways to improve for next year.
One of my editors-in-chief said, “We were only 47 points away from earning a Silver Medal,” and immediately began brainstorming ways to improve. That mindset—that focus on what we can achieve next—is what makes this journey so rewarding.
Let’s talk about that critique. How did it benefit your team?
One of the most valuable aspects of submitting our yearbook for critique is the detailed feedback we receive, which helps us grow. We are focusing on a unifying concept and improving coverage.
To be more competitive, we need to create more original graphics and artwork for the yearbook rather than relying on pre-made designs. Fortunately, Treering’s platform makes this process straightforward. For instance, last year, one of our International Baccalaureate Art students designed the cover art, which we seamlessly integrated as the background for the cover.
Additionally, we learned that carrying the theme throughout the book is essential—right down to the headlines and titles. Last year’s theme was “Our Stories,” but we could have done more to tie the theme together by using idioms or expressions related to storytelling across different sections of the book.
Design consistency is one of the easiest ways to make a bigger impact. MIPA suggested that we choose one unifying style for the entire book—colors, patterns, and layouts should be consistent throughout. This allows us to maintain a cohesive aesthetic while allowing for flexibility in layout design.
While we did a solid job covering our school’s 11 non-athletic clubs and 17 athletic teams, we need to focus more on individual stories—highlighting specific student achievements and weaving in features that reflect the times, like the cost of living. We’re also working on improving our balance of academic content; as MIPA pointed out, “Not every student is in a club or plays a sport, but every student sits in a desk in class.”
What is your area of strength?
We were thrilled to receive commendations for our photography, an area where we truly excel. Our focus on candid photos and capturing moments of excitement paid off. Moving forward, we’ll continue to refine our photography skills, paying more attention to cropping, editing, and ensuring that photo credits are included on every image.
What will be your focus this year?
Writing is where we have the most room for improvement. Every photo needs a caption, and those captions should follow journalistic writing standards—using active voice, varied sentence structures, and avoiding overly descriptive language like “is running” or “is playing.”
We also need to use secondary headlines to draw readers in and provide additional context. The critique also reminded me that, as an English teacher, I’ve been teaching students to write like English students, not like journalists. This is an area where I plan to invest more time, learning more about journalism standards so we can elevate our writing to meet those expectations.
What is the role of a yearbook adviser at CSPA?
Our yearbook, “The Sentinel,” is a labor of love produced by a small but dedicated team. I advise a staff of four students. We serve a high school with approximately 320 students. Every year, we produce a 150-page yearbook that covers everything from the start of school through prom, delivering it to students during the last week of school.
Additionally, we create a 28-30 page supplemental softcover book for the senior class, which includes coverage of senior-specific events like Senior Sunrise, Senior Awards, and Graduation. This supplement also features graduation speeches and letters from teachers to the graduating class. Design-wise, it complements the theme of the main yearbook. We print the student commencement speech in this supplement.
To bring our yearbook to life, we rely on a combination of Treering’s software, Canva, and Adobe Lightroom. Our resources are modest—one laptop, one large monitor, and two Rebel cameras—but we make the most of what we have. Fundraising through Treering has helped us pay for essentials like new camera lenses, a journalism camp for our editors, and lighting equipment for portrait photography. This year, our goal is to raise enough money for a new camera and upgraded lenses to continue improving the quality of our work.
What’s next for “The Sentinel?”
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue improving. We’re going to hang our Bronze Medal plaque on the wall as a reminder of how far we’ve come, but our eyes are already set on the next challenge. We’ll keep pushing ourselves to tell more meaningful stories, refine our writing, and produce a yearbook that our school can be proud of. Ultimately, it’s not just about winning awards but about creating something our students, staff, and community will cherish for years.
