Treering Blog

Treering Yearbooks is pleased to announce the winners of our 2022 #TreeringMemoriesMatter Design Contest. Yearbook editors from across the US submitted their favorite yearbook spreads from the 2021-2022 school year.

First place winners

Elementary school: Del Norte Heights Elementary School, El Paso, TX

The blended coverage of a teacher-organized remembrance ceremony of 9/11's 20th anniversary and a celebration of one of America's most popular children's books captured the "return to normalcy," Yearbook Coordinator, Elyse Hernandez said.

The Del Norte Team earned second place in our 2021 contest with their spread on face mask fashion.

"As we returned to our classrooms in person, students embraced the return to normalcy, and being able to create traditions and celebrate our students is one of the many facets that make Del Norte Heights an amazing learning center," Hernandez said. "That is why our Treering Memories really matter!"

Middle school: Edison Regional Gifted Center, Chicago, IL

This show-stopper spread is a strong example of inclusivity and trends (hello botanical design and pop culture). Notice how each student has individualized interview questions. We also love that the cutouts aren't true COBs, which adds to the magazine feel.

High School: Grandview High School, Grandview, WA

Student editor Jazmine Richey created this spread which incorporates both theme elements and the here-and-now of the campus: a state-tournament appearance, the return of fans in the stands, and a new building. We love the modular look.

"The [red] line represents not only the presence of the Red Line of Equity in our everyday lives but the beginning of the creation of traditions here at GHS," Lilly Kassinger, the student who nominated Richey's work, said.

And the QR code? It links to a highlight reel of the season.

Each of the first-place winners will share their tips and tricks in upcoming blogs.

Second place winners:

Elementary School: Lois Lenski Elementary, Littleton, CO

Middle School: Lennox Middle School, Inglewood, CA

High School: Pennyroyal Area Christian Home Educators of Kentucky (PACHEK), Hopkinsville, KY

Third place winners

Elementary School: Orion Alternative and Mandarin Immersion, Redwood City, CA

Middle School: Mountain School, Soquel, CA

High School: Freedom High Magnet School, Albuquerque, NM

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

2022 #TreeringMemoriesMatter Runners Up

Abington Friends School
Ardrey Kell Band Booster
Blue Ridge Academy
Bremerton High School
Cetronia Elementary School
Chateauguay Valley Regional
Chester W. Morrison Elementary
Christ Lutheran
Evergreen Valley High School
Gregory-Portland High School
Lakeside Christian School
Lyman High School
New Traditions
North Elementary School
Okaloosa Stem Academy
Orange County Classical Academy
Perry Lecompton Middle School
Premont I.S.D./Premont Collegiate High School/Premont Early College Academy
Presidio Middle School
Sky Ranch Middle
Southeast Academy High School
St. Cloud Christian school
St. Xavier Catholic School
The Learning Connection (TLC)
Thomas Rivera Elementary
Villagers
Virginia's Governor's School for the Arts

The judges, a panel of yearbook professionals, graphic designers, parents, and journalism educators, thank everyone who entered the 2022 #TreeringMemoriesMatter Design Contest.

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.

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.

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.

Celebrating the students on campus—all of them—is what we love most about inclusive yearbooks. This year, the theme for Scholastic Journalism Week is “Amplifying Voices.” If you’re participating, or here for inspiration, here are some ways to integrate Scholastic Journalism Week into your school and get more students heard.

Monday: participate in #makingconnections

From PTA/PTO councils to journalism teachers, there are people willing to share best practices. It’s one of the reasons we love to share about Yearbook Heroes. Identify:

• Who is doing what I want to do?
• What can I learn from them?
• Who can inspire my students?
• What similar stories do we have on campus?
• Who is disconnected? How do we amplify their voice?

You may be the one to teach others—share your story! 

Tuesday: #teachmeTuesday

Because this is a celebration of scholastic journalism, take some time to teach journalism. Start with a writing lesson or practice interviewing. Collectively, you could tackle intorduce media literacy or a difficult reporting assignment such as covering the recent wildfires or tornadoes. 

Wednesday: be about the business of #sharingstories

Take advantage of our pre-planned social media calendar to jumpstart your shares. Make sure your posts feature diverse grades, activities, and subjects. This way, you show students the value individuals make to the whole of your school community.

In your yearbook, you may want to include quote packages or fill-ins to amplify voices and give students the means to share their stories.

Thursday: always fit in a #throwback

Throwback Thursdays are fun because you can do nearly anything:

1. Feature stories from alumni (don’t forget to use their yearbook photo!)
2. Collaborate with a social science teacher on campus to integrate journalism's impact on history
3. Print and display favorite yearbook spreads or covers from the previous years

Friday: #democracyinaction

JEA encourages schools to use the last day of Scholastic Journalism Week to share how their schools and communities value the freedom of the press. Here are some ideas on how to participate:

Elementary schools

• Memorize the First Amendment
• Start student-led media projects

Middle and high schools

• Have a conversation with school administration over the Principal’s Guide for Scholastic Journalism
• Learn to evaluate sources
• Memorize the First Amendment

Your participation in Scholastic Journalism Week 2022, be it one day or all five, will show your journalism students their voices matter as well as the responsibility they have as campus advocates to be the voice of others.

In honor of the season of giving, Treering will match up to five yearbook donations per school account. From November 29 through December 31, one community book donation equals one Treering book donation. Editors can reassign these books to teachers, promoting students, the principal, or students in need.

How the donation match works

1. Enable the Book Donation option on the dashboard
2. Let your campus community know ’tis the season to share the (yearbook) love
3. Re-assign the yearbooks so recipients can customize or order non-custom books to hand out

This promotion ends at 11:59 pm PST on December 31, 2022. Matched yearbooks will automatically be added to your account by January 30, 2023.

How to get the word out

Think about how your school communicates: social media, TalkingPoints, or email. One of the best ways to share this information with your school community is to use our email notifications which are found in the promote section of the application.

Download and share these images to share on social.

The fine print

• Promotion ends at 11:59 pm PST on December 31, 2022.
• Matched yearbooks will automatically be added to your account by January 30, 2023.
• Donations may not be combined with any other promotions.
• Donated yearbooks cannot exist on ship-to-home, invoiced, or PO orders. Credit card or PayPal orders only.
• Ordering donation books will not be available for After Deadline Orders.

This is the time we often find ourselves reflecting on moments or trends that defined the year: countdowns dominate TV and radio, your Insta feed is filled with top nine collages, and influencers hype up-and-coming trends. Because the yearbook has the potential to be a campus influencer, below are just a couple of things to consider documenting in yours so students can look back and reminisce. It's easy to add trends and events that defined the year in the definitive archive of academia: your yearbook.

Current events

Add a trend timeline or spread so students can remember historic events, recall how most students chose to tuck in their t-shirts, or laugh at the social media craze during that time.

When it comes to including historic events to include in your school’s yearbook, it can be overwhelming about which ones to choose. When considering a year-defining moment, consider the impact it had on your local student body.

Natural disasters are also worth including in your year-end coverage. However, editors must do so while also keeping the sensitivity of the issue in mind. Did your school set up a donation drive to help victims of a tornado or hurricane that devastated another area of the country? Was your campus directly impacted?

Finding a local angle is a technique journalists often use when deciding how they plan to cover a specific event and it’s a tool yearbook editors can use as well. After all, you are a journalist who is documenting each school year!

Fashion trends

Historic moments aren’t the only element that defines a school year. Fashion is another key component that can help illustrate a certain time period as many students use this as an outlet to express themselves. To help determine the latest trends, a great first step is turning to Pinterest or Instagram. From there, have your yearbook staff find students who emulate some of those fads.

You could also assign an Outfit of the Day (#OOTD) photographer to capture students walking into school. Then, in your yearbook, you could feature seasonal styles. (Parents also love to submit these photos, so ask away!)

If you do a more traditional fashion spread, be sure to include:

• Mom jeans
• Chunky soled shoes, especially Dr. Martens
• White shoes
• Athletic gear
• Graphic Ts
• The return of the mullet
• Bucket hats (which we hear will be "out" come summer)
• Over-sized sweaters
• 90s style: neon, flannel, wide-legged pants
• Friendship bracelets

Social media trends

In addition to fashion, you can also consider incorporating social media trends that were popular over the past school year. Who knew TikTok would take off like it did? Remember when customizing your background and picking out songs for your MySpace page was all the rage? We do! Be sure to include some of the dances, trends, or popular songs students may be using on their own TikTok pages.

Students will love looking back at these memories 10 years from now, and their kids will love it even more!

All that and a bag of chips

We started the night Clueless about yearbooks, and then with a Full House on October 6, 2021, we got Jiggy Wit It: from theme brainstorms to marketing plans, and photo and collaboration tips in between, this is how we do it!

Watch our first-ever live training event for five questions to help develop your theme. Also, you’ll hear actionable ideas to get more photos from your community as well as how to get more yearbooks in more people’s hands. Lastly, learn to take one subject and get eight photographs.

With Proclamation 5703, former President Ronald Reagan made yearbooks even more celebration-worthy by setting apart the first week of October for “appropriate ceremonies and activities” to recognize the creators and the power of a yearbook program. Nearly 30 years later, National School Yearbook Week remains a time to reminisce and a time to look forward.

Monday: celebrate the heroes

For two weeks, we at Treering have been collecting stories of advisers, grandparents, parents, students, and school staff who make their yearbook successful. From collaborative efforts on original cover designs to timely communication on ever-changing school events, the positive contributions of many are making yearbooks happen.

Treering will announce the winners of the #YearbookHero contest. Schools can celebrate their own heroes by:

• Making banners to post on teacher’s doors to say thank you
• Sharing on social media photos yearbook heroes have shared with your team or a photo of a yearbook hero with a description of why he or she saved the day
• Hosting a pizza luncheon for your yearbook team, because pizza and yearbook are a clutch combo (Was that too cheesy?)
• Decorating your yearbook students’ lockers

Tuesday: celebrate the product

Just like VH-1’s Behind the Music series, you can do a Behind the Yearbook and showcase the story behind previous years’ themes or a yearbook staff member’s journey. Other fun ways to show off the importance of yearbook on social media include:

• School staff show off their old yearbooks photos
• Highlight important events such as State Championships or famous alumni in previous yearbooks
• Record a teacher or student reading encouraging messages from his/her yearbook

If you haven’t yet branded your book, National School Yearbook Week is the ideal time to do a theme reveal! Some schools make a video to share, others reveal just a theme element or two to tease buyers.

Wednesday: celebrate growth

Mid-National School Yearbook Week, yearbook lovers will unite. For the first time (in forever) Treering is inviting yearbook coordinators and advisers to gather for an epic evening at Treering Live!  In addition to breakout sessions for Elementary and middle/high schools, attendees will glean practical ideas on how to

• Sell more yearbooks
• Create an epic yearbook theme
• Overcome common objections
• Take newsworthy photos... on a cellphone

Follow #TRL2021 for Tweetable takeaways your fellow yearbook advisers shared, and work with your team to apply a few this year. We always say, try one or two new things (Treering loves yearbook advisers too much to let you try and do it all!)

Thursday: build on the momentum

Now that a few days were filled with celebration, take some time to use National School Yearbook Week to propel your team. Collectively, identify what is going well and why. Check your progress towards your goals for the year and ask:

• What is working?
• What needs improvement? How can our strengths help in this area?
• Do we need to refine any goals?
• How will we celebrate reaching our goals?

Schools that see success with goal-setting and achievement monitor progress and also make their goals attainable. Instead of sell more books, try something like if we increase our yearbook sales by the end of December, we will have an ice cream party when we return to school in January.

Fri-yay: #feelgoodFriday

You celebrated. You learned. You strategized. As you prep for some #weekendvibes, take one more opportunity to build unity among your team. Whether your YB teamis made up of students in an after school club or for class credit, or your shepherd a super squad of parents, create a feel-good moment to close out National School Yearbook Week.

With students, a chain of strength is a way for students to self-assess their team contribution. After a brief period of individual work, the group discussion is where the magic happens: students encourage and build up one another. (Pro tip: get paper in your yearbook theme colors to make your team’s chain.)

Parents too need edification. A quick trip to Dollar Tree for some fun thank yous will go a long way: incense for the wise moms, a skein of yarn for the dad who holds it all together, or a trivia book for the parent who is a lifelong learner. Focusing on the strengths of each team member, and celebrating their individual contributions, created a culture of support. This is key for collaboration.

Whether you're excited to get the kids out of the house and into the classroom or kind of dreading the hussle that back-to-school season brings, another year is here! Fear not, we’ve got your yearbook back, cover, custom pages, and everything in between. We’re a yearbook company after all! The first six weeks of school are the best time to set up your yearbook for success.

This might sound overwhelming given you already have to absorb a million new routines, teachers, rules, and other back-to-school rituals, so we’ve simplified it to 5 simple steps to yearbook success this school year.

Set the yearbook's tone: enthusiasm is contagious

The first six weeks of school are when everyone is ready to take photos. Welcome back Moma-razzi! It’s a new year, with new friends, new teachers, and new pencils. Bringing this energy into the yearbook can set the tone for the entire year (with rough patches, obviously. We’re all human). The more excited you are to start the book, take and collect photos, the more excited everyone around you will be. Enthusiasm is contagious and engagement is demonstrated by leaders. If the yearbook editor and/or committee is excited, then it’s way more likely everyone else will join in.

Be in the know: reboot your inner Gossip Girl

Ok so maybe not exactly like the Gossip Girl reboot, but you get the idea. If you’re editing the yearbook, this is the time to know what’s going on. Since most yearbooks show the year in chronological order, be prepared for the first day of school photo opportunities like the car line, opening assembly, and bus drop-offs. You can even reach out to teachers (who are yearbook editors’ best friends) and try to either get inside a couple classrooms for first-day activities or ask them to share all the amazing photos from the day.

You’ll want to know all the back-to-school plans from the school —including the PTA calendar of events. Once you’re in the know, you can work with other parents and/or teachers to take some photos so you don’t feel like you have to be everywhere. If you’re working with students in yearbook creation, make sure you’re in the know about what you’re going to be teaching with an updated staff syllabus and curriculum.

K.I.S.S.: keep it simple silly

Alright, you’re excited and you know what’s going on the first day of school! You’re almost ready for a fantastic year of yearbooking fun, but we highly recommend getting ready for yearbook by setting up an easy photo system for contributors, whether they are coming from teachers, parents or students. Yearbook can be hard and stressful, so that’s why setting up a system where parents can upload pictures, like a Google Drive, or using a hashtag that’s specific to your school can be beneficial. By using a hashtag, you can tell parents that if they use it, it gives yearbook staff permission to use the photo. This can really take some of the burden off. Your unique hashtag can help you categorize the photos, and, since we’re all on social media these days, possibly get more photos than past years.

Another easy system to think about: Set up a regular posting cadence on the parent Facebook page, PTA group or the school’s main social media to encourage anyone with great photos to submit to the yearbook. Setting a realistic schedule up front makes it easier to stick to, and contributors get used to hearing from you. Starting a bi-weekly schedule up front instead of reaching out after the first six weeks of school will likely result in more photos. After all, it’s a lot less intimidating to send a couple photos at a time versus the “photo dump” some parents or teachers may have from the first six weeks.

Pay attention to your yearbook provider: they're your friends

Pay attention to “getting started” emails from your trusty yearbook company friends. The friendly yearbook companies - the ones with excellent customer service, not to name any names - will help you get your yearbook started, you just have to pay attention. Keep an eye out for email blasts to help kick off yearbook creation by walking advisers through back-end aspects of yearbooking. (Yes, it IS a verb!) Depending on what you’re looking for, you can get a mini-course on how to create a yearbook, more advanced design resources, marketing assistance and more. For a #MarketingMoment, brainstorm with your yearbook team on capturing your theme in your group photo. For example, if your theme is an anniversary book, you may want to photograph each member with a past yearbook. Another #MarketingMoment idea: Hype up your last yearbook to the PTA, students and teachers, and sprinkle in all the new plans you have for the first six weeks to build excitement!

Find Your yearbook crew: even if it’s just one other parent

Finding someone that can help you manage shot lists, reach out to teachers and come up with ideas is so important. As you know, and it bears repeating, yearbook is a lot, but it’s also a treasure for kids growing up. That’s what’s most important and what makes getting involved so worth it.

Food-for-thought on where and how to get involved:

Get in with the teachers. Classrooms can become like second homes to students, and their teacher is always there - that’s why they’re your best friend for photos. Ask to bring food and drinks to a staff meeting in exchange for 15 minutes to talk about the yearbook. Give teachers and administrators easy blurbs, talking points and material about the yearbook to include all of their back to school communications. There are some teachers who will not allow us to pull kids for interviews EVER, and some who prefer the first or last 15 minutes of class, so be prepared.

Start a "gotcha!" list. Using the early enrollment roster from the front office, make a card for each student with their name and grade. Once a week or so, go through your coverage report/index and mark off the students you’ve captured. Set a goal to interview or photograph every student at least three times with questions of the day or activities they’re involved in.

Celebrate! Set easy wins to give yourself, your crew, the PTA or school a reason to celebrate. Oh, you received 50 photos from the first day? BAM! Let’s go get dinner. This classroom submitted the most photos after the first six weeks of school? BAM! Reward that teacher and students with a little prize. Even small milestones deserve a celebration, and each celebration will motivate more people to participate.

Have questions on how to start building a better yearbook? Check out our Help Center for customer support.

UPDATE: see 2023-2024 yearbook theme ideas. For more post-pandemic design trends, keep reading.

Using nostalgic designs, organic colors, and handmade elements, check out how you can harness the design and color trends for your 2021-2022 year(book) themes. The design world is unanimous: joy is back!

Treering has pre-released 15 new on-trend yearbook themes for 2021-2022! Log in to the app (for free) to see the full line of backgrounds, fonts, layouts, and artwork included in each theme to find some inspiration for your yearbook this year. Whether you're a Treering user or not, you can always look and use our ideas no matter who is your yearbook provider.

Trending now: new yearbook theme sneak peek

Check back in late August for the full collection of new themes joining the Treering catalog. In the meantime, check out our top on-trend themes below.

Our top five yearbook themes and trends

2022 yearbook theme design trend: nostalgia, color

Nostalgic design is synonymous with retro and vintage with the caveat it evokes emotion. Research shows pieces from the past produce positivity in the present! Pair nostalgic elements such as colors, fonts, and images with old school photos from past yearbooks for a complete blast from the past.

Get the look with Treering:

The 90s are back and with it memories of Lisa Frank binders, Zack Morris phones, and NSYNC songs. As you rock your acid wash jeans and baby doll Ts, check out the vibrant colors and iconic graphics in the Back to School yearbook theme that have as much pop as your fav boy band. Outdoorsy colors—think sunshine, spring water, and wildflowers—brighten up this design with drag-and-drop school supply artwork and backgrounds.

2022 yearbook theme design trend: organic, illustrative design

In a year when we’re going back-to-basics in the classroom, you can bring them into the yearbook room. Celebrating living things is a tenet of organic design. Flora and fauna pop up in many of the new themes for 2021-2022 (hint, hint).

Hand-drawn images and line art continue to dominate the illustrative graphic design trends. Outlines, line art textures, and freeform shapes get their inspiration from the natural world.

Get the look with Treering:

Now and Zen is an airy collection of crisp lines, layers, geometric shapes set in this yearbook theme's neutral color palette. Like flannel, this design trend is meant to be layered.

2022 yearbook theme design trend: nostalgia, symbols

We’ve established nostalgia gives us all the feels. Neon’s century-long presence in the US conjures memories from riding in classic cars and drinking malts with grandparents to wearing Electric Youth perfume and sweating through skate nights.

Symbols can do the same. A thumbs up or a heart means you’re getting noticed. A border means READ ME! Arrows tell you to keep going because exciting things are forthcoming! And we all have our go-to emoji for wearing our feelings on our screens.

Get the look with Treering

We modernized the look of neon by adding emojis and icons you can use to divide academics, extracurricular, and personality pages. Because of this, Neon Lights is a complete theme package that will lighten the load for your yearbook team.

2022 yearbook theme design trend: organic, illustrative design

After a year inside, the outdoors are calling! Natural textures, shapes, and colors are hot in the interior, industrial, and graphic design. They soothe. While it may not be as sappy as the nostalgic design trend—see what we did there—being in nature boosts creativity and reduces stress. And we need those two things for a budding yearbook program!

Get the look with Treering

The Beyond BeLEAF yearbook theme has illustrative, organic shapes and neutral colors that echo Treering’s commitment to sustainable business practices (shameless plug, I know...). Leafy borders, overlays, and frames hug your photos.

2022 Yearbook Theme Design Trend: Illustrative Design

The glory of illustrative design is its many manifestations: cartoon illustration picks up where the seriousness of the line art design trend leaves off. It’s whimsical and potentially nostalgic. It’s bold and bright. It’s fun and funky. If a playful yearbook theme aligns with your team’s vision, this is the trend to implement!

Get the look with Treering

By taking inspiration from popular games (that’s plural for a reason, people!), we created options for those who want their book to be timely, on-trend, and totally relatable to tweens. Start with the Crewmates theme, then Level Up.

If you'd like more help selecting a yearbook theme and design trend for your community this year, check out these five questions to ask your yearbook team.

As the student rising to the call of leadership, the teacher who is a champion of her students, or the parent hero stepping in, you should have a say in your schedule. You can work out on-demand, watch TV on-demand, why not publish on-demand? Adhering to multiple deadlines while committing to book sales and page counts is impossible when you don't even know how many events will take place this year. At Treering, we believe that schools, parents, and students should be given the flexibility and freedom to build a yearbook without the stress of ANY commitments.

Flexible Deadlines: Finish Your Book When You're Ready

With Treering there's only one deadline: the day you want to finish your book. Three weeks from that day, your books will arrive to your students. Period. Want to change that date, no problem. The date can be moved at any time, to any date you need. The choice is yours.

Flexible Distribution: Ship Your Yearbooks to Your School, or Directly to Each Student's Home

We offer free sorting (alphabetical, by grade, by classroom) and free bulk shipping to the school. If you want more time to capture prom or graduation, you can have the books shipped directly to each student's home for a flat-rate shipping fee. It's your choice!

Flexible Details: Decrease (or Increase) Your Pages or Even Cancel Your Book

Should something change and you need to decrease your page count, we will let you do that anytime before you hit print ready! Need to cancel your school's book altogether (we hope not), you can do that without worrying about incurring any fees. Your school never pays us anything, and your parents only pay if they decide to buy a book.

No contracts and no minimums mean no worries and no stress.

Flexible Collaboration: Collecting Content from your School is Easier than Ever!

For the sake of inclusivity and to capture all aspects of school, it's important to get photos and help from your community. (Repeat after us: "I can't do it all!") Our shared folders and mobile app make it extremely easy to collect content from your school. By making it simple for everyone to submit photos, you're guaranteed to have everything you need to build a unique book this and every year.

Flexible Designing: Thousands of Innovative Page Ideas at Your Fingertips

Complete book looks, including layouts, fonts, graphics, and color palettes, are free for all Treering customers. Don't worry, they are flexible enough that you can make them even more to your liking. You can even upload your own spreads.