High School Yearbook Staff and Assembly Process

Creating a high school yearbook is a long and difficult process. Planning and organization are essential to the successful creation of a well-produced high school yearbook. Managing the staff and the material is an important aspect of yearbook creation.

The first step in creating a high school yearbook is to assemble a yearbook staff. There needs to be a staff advisor as well as several students in different roles. You need people to write copy for the yearbook pages, photographers, people to do graphical layouts, and people who can run the administrative aspect, making sure the budget stays balanced and printing deadlines are met.

Having the students meet with the outgoing seniors to discuss the challenges and successes of previous yearbooks is highly advisable. Setting up a yearbook workshop the summer prior to the school year is also essential, as you will need that time to determine the yearbook's theme, page layouts and cover design.

The editor in chief is responsible for managing the sectional editors and making sure that all deadlines are met. The photography editor must make sure that all students are equally represented. Candid shots are a good way to make sure students who are less active in student activities are pictured in the yearbook.

Setting timelines for specific sections is crucial to the success of a yearbook project. Make sure you have the ability to meet the printer's deadlines and the school deadlines. Also make sure you take into account school breaks and testing periods, as it may be difficult for students to complete assignments during those times.

Make sure the school computers are compatible with the yearbook software you have to work with. Also, make sure all the students on the yearbook staff are familiar with the software and are able to use it effectively. Give the students the best possible quality cameras, because the better the cameras are, the better the pictures will be.

Once you have achieved all these things, meet weekly with the staff to make sure that all deadlines are being met and the schedule is being kept. The sooner you can catch problems with deadlines or schedules, the better chance you have of fixing it. Consider having deadlines far in advance of when you actually need the specific sections, to guarantee that you will have all material in time for printing.

Following these simple steps will help make your yearbook a success. Creating a high school yearbook is an important service to the school. People keep their yearbooks forever, and it becomes for some a prized keepsake in their homes. Doing an excellent job on the yearbook is a gift that you will give to the entire school, for the rest of their lives.