Creating the Perfect Elementary School Yearbook
An elementary school yearbook is very different from the yearbook you would distribute to high schoolers. When you’re making an elementary school yearbook, you’ll want to keep text to a minimum, and be sure that every class gets its fair share of ink. Here are some tips for making your students’ elementary school yearbook shine:
Customize the book for each class
While high school yearbooks typically focus heavily on extracurricular groups and sports teams, elementary school yearbooks are usually broken down by class. In fact, some schools even prefer to offer books that are customized based on grade levels. This way, parents can order a book that specifically focuses on their son or daughter’s educational experience, and kids get to enjoy recapping how they spent their year. Featured items could include shots from class plays, holiday concerts and science fairs.
Don’t include features that promote favoritism
While high school students may enjoy superlatives like “Best Dressed” and “Most Athletic,” for elementary school students these features can be devastating. Students are too young to see the entertainment in these sections, and may have hurt feelings should they not get selected. Skip the features that highlight certain students over others, and stick to yearbooks that display everyone equally.
Make sure every student gets his or her time
Students delight over the school yearbook, and get a thrill out of seeing themselves inside the pages. While featuring candids of kids in class, on the playground and at school events helps to give the yearbook personality, it’s important to proceed with caution as you add in these shots. If you’re going to include pictures outside of just the traditional class portraits, you’ll want to make sure to give each student their time to shine. Remain sensitive about who you feature and how often you do it, thus ensuring that no one feels left out.
Get everyone involved in the process of creating the book
Since elementary schools don’t have full yearbook staffs like high schools, you’ll need to get parents involved in the process of creating the yearbook. They can gather images, proofread the book and make sure they’re distributed properly. Getting the young students to take part in the process is a great way to up the excitement levels surrounding the book. It can also prove to be a valuable learning experience.