Although school yearbooks may vary by design and size, they all share similar content and structural characteristics. A school yearbook is essentially a “memory book” that highlights the students, teachers and events of the school year. A yearbook also gives students the opportunity to ask their friends and teachers for their autographs and allows them to add comments, “inside jokes” or other personal messages. When all’s said and done, a yearbook allows students to have a physical reminder of the school year.
So What Should a Yearbook Include?
A traditional yearbook should include a few pages for the school administrators, faculty & other staff members, class or student portraits, several pages for clubs, teams or other group photos, a section for special awards & superlatives, event pages usually containing a collage of school events, and graduating class coverage.
What are the Main Parts of a Yearbook?
- A Yearbook Cover: The cover makes the first impression of any book and usually sets the theme for the entire yearbook.
- A Title Page: This is the first page of the yearbook which usually includes the school name, year, city, state, and any other related information.
- An Opening Section: This section introduces the theme or explains the concept of the yearbook and often includes the Table of Contents.
- Coverage Sections: These parts of the yearbook include student life, academics, sports, school organizations, special events, and more.
- Dividers: These pages help introduce new sections and provide continuity throughout the yearbook.
- Endsheets: This refers to the heavy paper between the cover and first and last pages of a hard bound book. They are decorated to reflect the theme of the book or may be solid color to reflect the school’s colors.
- A Closing Section: This section finishes the story of the year, usually with a message from the editor.
- An Index: The index is a complete alphabetical listing of all students, teachers and staff tagged in photos in the yearbook and on what pages those photos can be found.
STANDARD CONTENT TO INCLUDE IN A YEARBOOK:
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SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS (titles, photos & messages)
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FACULTY / STAFF PORTRAITS (teachers, office staff & other school personnel)
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STUDENT PORTRAITS (head-shots or class group photos)
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SPECIAL AWARDS / SUPERLATIVES (students & teachers)
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SPECIAL CLASSES (music, art, P.E., theatre, etc.)
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SCHOOL EVENTS (field day, spirit day, spelling bee, grandparents day, school plays, class trips, etc.)
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CLUBS, TEAMS & OTHER STUDENT GROUPS (safety patrol, book club, basketball team, soccer team, etc.)
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GRADUATING CLASS COVERAGE (8th graders moving on to high school, 12th graders moving on to college, etc.)
OTHER COMMON / OPTIONAL ITEMS TO INCLUDE:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (a guide to help readers find specific topics easily)
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AUTOGRAPH PAGES (blank pages for student signatures and personal messages)
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BUSINESS ADS (advertising purchased by businesses which can help reduce the sales price of the yearbook or generate a profit)
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PERSONAL DEDICATION ADS (advertising purchased by families recognizing their student)
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YEAR IN REVIEW PAGES (a section to highlight memorable events that happened throughout the school year)
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FILL IN THE BLANK FEATURES / SURVEYS (for example: “My favorite memory _____” or “I’ll never forget _____”)
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FOLIO TABS / PAGE NUMBER TABS (page numbering that appears on the outside portion of the page)
What is a Yearbook Theme?
The Theme is the Foundation of a School Yearbook
A yearbook theme is the central concept or idea around which the coverage and design of the yearbook are built. The main purpose of a yearbook theme is to capture the uniqueness of the school year while setting the tone for the story the yearbook will tell. READ MORE
*Don’t forget to request information from your yearbook publisher about the different features & design options that you can include in your school yearbook.
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