The Yearbook World of Scott Geesey
from Jostens Yearbooks of central/northern Pennsylvania
ARCHIVE - NOVEMBER 1, 2020
A HOLIDAY SEASON LIKE NO OTHER: Some Notes to Prepare for the Coming Weeks
Hello! As I write this in mid November, here's a wish for a very happy Thanksgiving, or as happy as we can make it during this crazy year. The question is whether students will return to school after Thanksgiving break - could learning go all remote in December?
It's been the most challenging year ever for so many people. School administrators and teachers have been struggling from the beginning and that will only continue. Add in sports teams, groups and clubs that had their schedules disrupted or even canceled and the problems have only grown.
But it's also the most historic school year ever, and that means your yearbook should be the most historic ever. THAT is our goal for the rest of the year.
What are some keys for the next few weeks to Christmas break?
With the uncertainty of the coming weeks it's important to cover some key things to make sure we're staying on course for a good year.
KEEP TAKING PICTURES: Never stop doing this, especially if the school year gets disrupted again...and again.
But be sure to diversify your images - for high schools it's not just seniors but all grades. Different people, different groups, as many images as you can get. Stockpile them for later or immediately upload them to Yearbook Avenue.
FINISH FALL SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES PAGES: With those events finished or wrapping up let's not wait to complete those pages. If the education calendar gets disrupted it might be more difficult to handle those pages later. Take care of them as soon as possible so you don't hit any lulls later.
Every year I see football pages completed in January or later. Often those designers then forget key elements and information because of the delay. Don't wait, finish them up right away while the details are fresh.
FINISH PORTRAIT PAGES: Some schools have already received their portrait images while others should get them shortly. Here's another section of the book that can be completed before Christmas break and it's a sizable part of your book.
Be sure to get an updated name list from the office and check over every class for accuracy. Look for misspelled names but especially for missing people. Do your best to take your own headshots of those missing people and include them in their class by uploading and naming them.
For those Jostens schools using our new Yearbook+ digital feature this year, where EVERY student can tell their own story with their own pictures, all that storytelling is tied to their headshot in your book. That's another reason why an accurate portrait section is always important.
DON'T JUST CUT PAGES: That was the urge back in the spring when spring sports didn't happen - just pretend like those events and others never happened.
But they WOULD have happened, and students were still involved. Be sure to give them at laest SOME coverage - there will still be basketball players and wrestlers and other athletes, and those who would have taken part in cancelled events. Get quotes from those people on what might have happened and remember them.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA: This is something to start or more fully develop no matter the situation. But if all students are tossed home for remote learning then social media could be your best way of staying in regular touch with them.
Remember that Facebook and Instagram are both controlled by Facebook - one update could go to both platforms to save time. But Snapchat and TikTok are the most popular one with kids right now, consider how they can be used.
And advisers, don't do this alone. Think about it - your students have more knowledge of social media than you do. Find one or two students to be your social media coordinators and put them to work, even if everything goes all remote.
USE ONLINE SURVEYS: And on that subject, Jostens schools need to check out our cool Story Starter Surveys on your Yearbook Avenue website. Using Google Forms or something similar, cast a wide net with lots of fun and interesting questions, gather information from your audience and use this on vacant pages.
PLAN AHEAD: My credo this year is plan for the worst, hope for the best. And yes, this situation could get worse. But don't let that get you down - instead don't get surprised by anything that could happen this year.
The goal is to create that historic yearbook this year, perhaps like no other before it. One that will be remembered forever, no matter what happens.
It's the craziest year ever, so let's remember with lots of stories to cover as many students as possible.