The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - AUGUST 18, 2019
AWAY WE GO: It's Time For a New Round of Yearbooking!
Hello! Welcome back to school. Some schools and districts are starting classes this week, most everyone else next week, just a few after Labor Day. The first week of classes is always a little crazy. But starting a new yearbooking effort - now that's just FUN!
I've had many folks ask about my new grandson Colton, who is now a precocious three month old full of energy. I wish I could visit him more near Tunkhannock but when I visit my friends in Bradford County, little Colton lives just down the road.
If you are a Twitter user, why not follow my feed? Just enter @yearbookScott to read many of my thoughts as well as forwards and quotes from other pertinent and informative tweets of others.
I'm also again looking forward to my role as an Ambassador of our Jostens Renaissance Education division in holding a number of our exclusive Commitment to Graduate (C2G) assemblies with freshman classes across the region. Getting that high school diploma is CRUCIAL to a student's future success. I helped 16 schools last year, would love to expand that this year.
And our character online video series called The Harbor is positively changing culture and climate in schools across the country. If you're a Jostens school and not using The Harbor, PLEASE contact me because this is just too good NOT to use, a real game changer, and it's all at no charge for Jostens schools. Find out more at www.jostensrenaissance.com, just scroll down to the section on The Harbor. Watch a sample episode and you'll be a believer. We have over 100 archived episodes for your use right now, none dated so they can be used anytime, all brief but impactful. And we'll start Season 5 in just a couple of weeks.
Time to get started. But doing what exactly??
As things get rolling, many advisers and staffs aren't quite sure WHERE to start. Here are some ideas to tackle over these next couple of weeks...
WITH YEARBOOKING NOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE STORYTELLING: Please note my quote near the top of this page. Take that as your staff motto all year long and your effort will always be on the right course. And a great staff song might be "Don't You Forget About Me" from Simple Minds.
This is where our terrific ReplayIt.com website and app allow your staff to do much of that storytelling: tell as many stories as you wish in multimedia fashion. For my advisers I'll be sharing more great ideas on how your staff can now tell more stories than ever before - stay tuned.
And here's an interesting perspective on why STORYTELLING and not just PAGEMAKING is the ultimate key to yearbooking success this year - click here to read a story from the Journalism Education Association (JEA) Digital Media website. Discuss it with your staffers and impress upon them that telling stories about as many people as possible, in pictures and words and short videos in your book and your ReplayIt website/app, is the ultimate sign of respect for your audience and the best memory keeper of the school year.
START TAKING PICTURES AND VIDEOS ASAP: Don't wait, start on Day One and keep on going, Make it a goal to get at least a few fresh images every single day. And don't forget short videos, part of our new digital storytelling. Upload pictures right away via Yearbook Avenue to the Image Library and for viewing on your ReplayIt site and app. And advisers, upload short videos via YBA to the ReplayIt info page for viewing on ReplayIt.
CUSTOM COVER DESIGN: If this is something we haven't done yet, or if you would like to do one sooner rather than later, please let me know now or on my first visit to you. We'll hook you up with one of our veteran State College cover artists, the best in the business. Either in-person at a regional workshop event or live online on your big screen.
But let's handle this sooner rather than later - then you'll have your theme and basic look to utilize all through your new yearbook.
WATCH MY EXCLUSIVE TUTORIAL VIDEOS: Check out my exclusive online videos and let me do the teaching on a series of yearbook topics from design and writing to photography to sales. Click on the link in the left column, turn on your speakers and watch away. I've now compiled over three hours of material for use to utilize either as a tutorial for yourself or with a group. You won't find this ANYWHERE ELSE and I'm proud to offer it to you.
CHECK OUT MY YEARBOOKING REPORT VIDEOS AND PODCASTS: And I'm restarting my fun monthly video and podcast series with this update. Note the quick views here on the home page in the right column. The new August edition features news, ideas, and a feature interview on teambuilding with great tips from a veteran local adviser. And once again have fun with my monthly trivia question and a chance to WIN a nice prize!
And last year's videos and podcasts are still available for viewing/listening with great generic material on my yearbooking aspects. Videos on YouTube, search for "Yearbooking Report," and podcasts on Podbean or via Apple.
Last year I had just two yearbook staffs who watched my videos every month. Most of my trivia winners were from one of those two schools. Advisers, I urge you to show my monthly video to your class or club when you meet, only 10 minutes or less. Encourage them to enter to win with the trivia question via email. And especially for you but also for the kids, listen to my podcast to hear the entire interview with my monthly interview subject.
USE THE DIGITAL CLASSROOM ON YBA: Your Yearbook Avenue website is pretty amazing - you can use it to make the best pages and the best yearbook around, and you can setup and keep track of both your yearbook and advertising sales, and get plenty of promotional ideas and tools to help you throughout the school year.
But the Digital Classroom is beyond amazing - it's your one stop for educational materials to use with your staffers, with more material added all the time. In particular check these two great items...
Our Starters for Success series is simply incredible - everything you need to lead your class and teach yearbooking skills is all there, an entire seven week class session to start your year by teaching your staffers all of the basics. You'll have a well trained and focused staff by mid October.
The Seven Minute Starters are great single lessons to use literally every day, nearly 200 now in the collection complete with exact Common Core and 21st Century Skills tie-ins.
And our growing list of Videos in the Digital Classroom are easy ways to share training, ideas and inspiration with your group from some of the best yearbook advisers and experts in America. Take advantage of their experience at the touch of a button.
When in doubt - use the search bar on the Digital Classroom home page. Just enter a keyword and watch what comes up.
START YOUR BOOK SALE EARLY: For many schools I've already setup your book sales campaign for the year starting with the fun back to school sale offer once again featuring our cool free icons promotion. But this is a limited offer until mid September so let's start promoting your sale ASAP on Day One. If you're receiving any back to school sale flyers please distribute those to every student right away to take home to the folks.
With the school year now underway, this is the time of year to get plans made, get the staff organized, take lots of pictures and videos and start having fun gathering and telling stories. Let's go!