Adviser and Staff Fall 2006 - Jostens

adviser&staff
fall 2006 number 58
A DESIGNER’S DOZEN
Twelve concepts that will
result in fresh, content-driven
designs that connect with
readers. Turn to page 7.

adviser&staff
fall 2006 number 58
CONTENTS
World Beat has a whole new rhythm.
There’s never been a better time to include World Beat in your yearbook!
As an adviser, you get what you’ve come to expect from World Beat:
• The easiest way to include 16 pages of fun, educational content
in your book because we do all the work for you
• A vibrant reminder of the year outside your school and how
these events and items impacted students’ lives
And with World Beat’s new “time capsule” fill-in format, students can:
• Remember the year’s national and world events
• Have fun guessing where they'll be in 10 years
• Jot down their “Top 10” movies, songs and TV shows of the year
• Capture their personal take on the issues in their own words
Editor in Chief:
Gary Lundgren
Managing Editor:
Mary Saracino
Project Coordinators:
Melanie Brown
Stephanie Wiegert
Art Director:
Scott Kneeskern
Production Artist:
Leslie Dimond
Contributors:
Jessica Ably
Rick Brooks
Tom Crow
John Cutsinger
Michelle Dane
Christine Dennis
Mike Doyle
Becky Ekeland
Kristen Finley
Mark Herron
Jane Hutchinson
Nancy Jappinen
Tina Klecka
Sandra Pennekamp
Susan Peterson
Karen Samboy
Colleen Sanders
Laura Schaub
Shannon Williams
Contact:
Send correspondence,
change of address,
subscription requests and
article manuscripts to:
asmagazine@jostens.com OR
Adviser & Staff Magazine
ATTN: Stephanie Wiegert
Jostens
3601 Minnesota Drive
Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55435
All rights reserved. Limited
non-commercial reproduction
for education and classroom
use is allowed with
appropriate credit to Jostens.
Jostens, the Jostens logo,
ItPays, Jostens Direct
Solutions, Jostens Yearbook
Avenue, Jostens YearTech,
Jostens YearTech Online are
either registered trademarks
or trademarks of Jostens, Inc.
Adobe InDesign, PageMaker
and Photoshop are registered
trademarks of Adobe
Systems Incorporated.
© 2006 by Jostens, Inc.
[06-0406, Item # 3158]
W
elcome to Jostens Adviser & Staff — the largest-circulation
magazine in the world devoted entirely to producing and
marketing yearbooks. Your subscription is provided compliments of
your local Jostens representative.
2 fall
Back to school means it’s time to get down to business and our fall
checklist provides a yearbook to-do list to get you started.
4 business
From creating marketing campaigns to selling page sponsorships,
advisers share success stories.
7 feature
Twelve concepts that will result in fresh, content-driven designs that
connect with readers.
14 technology
The redesigned Yearbook Avenue Web site will turn a few heads and
make it easier to complete tasks and find important information about
your yearbook.
16 gallery
Checkout the winning designs from the Jostens/Adobe Yearbook
Design Contest.
18 from the experts
Jostens creative accounts managers share inspirational ideas.
20 advisers
From expanding coverage to keeping the yearbook room organized,
experienced advisers share their secrets to success.
24 over & out
A wide array of additional content is available to Jostens customers
on the Web at YearbookAvenue.com.
On the cover
The cover photograph,
titled “Unity,” is by
Ryan McAllister, a
student at Calvary
Chapel Christian
School, Moreno Valley,
CA; Geralynn Gorham,
adviser.
To experience the new and improved World Beat tradition
in your school, contact your Jostens Yearbook representative.
Get into it.
fall 06 adviser & staff 1

“The yearbook business manager must be very
organized and dependable. If the job is well done, it’s
a full-time job.” • SANDRA PENNEKAMP
adviser & staff
FALL
BACK TO SCHOOL
Getting down to yearbook business
Back to school
is the best time to
tap into the energy
and excitement
to market the
yearbook.
Anticipation ripples
through the
hallways.
Classrooms hum
with students.
Teachers’ hopes are
high. There’s no
better time to build
yearbook buzz.
While the yearbook editor is busy barking
out story assignments and hounding
photographers to carry a camera with them
everywhere — the business manager is
thinking MONEY— how to generate it,
how to spend it wisely, how to attract it,
track it and put it to good use.
Without sufficient revenue, even a
superstar editor won’t be able to produce
that once-in-a-lifetime yearbook. Want a
four-color book this
year? An embossed
cover? Extra pages of
coverage? As they
say, money talks and
the business
manager needs to
speak fluent
“financial-ese.”
They’ll rock your
bottom line
With an eye to a
yearbook’s bottomline,
a business
manager is as
creative with numbers as editors are with
words, ideas and images. Though they often
work “behind the scenes,” the business
manager’s position carries the same respected
status as the editor-in-chief.
The many skills that a business manager
brings to the team are vital to a yearbook’s
success.
In addition to finance-specific duties, the
business manager works with the adviser and
the editor to plan and create the yearbook,
stimulate demand for the product, and
manage resulting sales.
That’s no small feat.
After all, without avid buyers there
would be no need for a yearbook.
Mentor an entrepreneurial spirit
The business manager position offers an
enterprising staff member the opportunity
to run a small business. While gaining
real-life
experience, they’re
also building a
résumé that
reflects valuable
real-world
expertise in
accounting,
marketing and
sales. Think of it
as mentoring
tomorrow’s
entrepreneurs.
More and more
advisers are
coming to see the
benefit in assigning the business of
yearbook to a trustworthy, detail-oriented
student business manager. While this
student CFO focuses on expense/income
spreadsheets, sales tracking lists and
promotional campaigns, the adviser is
able to more effectively focus on the
bigger-picture details. Relieved of the task
of financial micromanaging, the adviser
is freed to advise and lead the staff on this
epic journey called yearbook.
Learn to write it
right with popular
textbook
In the past decade,
countless high school
publications students have
learned the art of
journalistic
writing
from The
Radical
Write, the
popular
textbook
written by Bobby
Hawthorne.
By popular demand, a
second edition of The
Radical Write was
released in 2004.
Hawthorne teamed with
Jostens to publish a new
edition with updated text
and a fresh, new design.
The hardbound, 216-
page text covers writing
for all student publications
and features an extensive
chapter devoted
exclusively to yearbook
writing.
The Radical Write
[item 2000] sells for
$22 per copy. Call
Marketing Services
at 1.800.972.5628.
Purchase orders are
accepted.
The dollars-and-cents of yearbooking
A business manager is part financial whiz,
part promotional guru. Equally at home
crunching numbers and developing headturning
marketing and sales campaigns, the
yearbook biz whiz takes aim at beating last
year’s book sales mark.
To accomplish that, you have to think
outside the financial spreadsheets and
increase cash flow through:
• Book sales
• Recognition ad sales
• Business ad sales
• Add-on sales such as Personalization,
Clear Protective Covers, Hear The
Year, Photo Pockets, Autograph
Sections and more
To biz or not to biz
The right student business manager can
be a great asset to any yearbook program.
Ultimately, only you can decide if you’re
ready for a new addition to your staff
organizational chart.
When considering your options,
remember that it takes more than
indefatigable creative energy to run a
successful business.
As your right brain spins with ideas and
images, it’s also important to honor the
valuable contributions of its left-brain
counterpart.
If you’re ready, willing and able to make
room on your yearbook staff for a student
business manager, solicit referrals from your
school’s business department, marketing
teacher, or its DECA and FBLA adviser.
Ideally, the new business manager should
be announced in the spring, when you select
the yearbook editors, and should be ready to
take the financial helm in the fall. a&s
FALL CHECKLIST
As school bells welcome students back for another action-packed school year, hit the ground running in
the yearbook room. While the first deadline might be weeks away, advance planning and organizing is the
key to a successful publishing year. Refer to this checklist for a guide on how to begin the exciting task of
reporting the year in words and photos.
Evaluate last year’s book making a list of strengths and areas for
improvement.
Establish plans for first week of school coverage.
Finalize ladder diagram.
Select all yearbook staff positions, announce the key editors and the
business manager if this wasn’t done in the spring.
Distribute information to parents on how to purchase and
submit content for Recognition Ads.
If using PageMaker or InDesign to create
pages, install Jostens YearTech 2007 on all
computers used for yearbook production.
Obtain the master list of teacher schedules
and keep on file for reference.
Obtain the master student list and refer to
this for correct name spellings.
Conduct teambuilding and icebreaker activities.
Train staff on basic policies and operating procedures.
Ask your representative for the Jostens Yearbook Business
Manager Kit.
Register your student business manager on YearbookAvenue.com.
Familiarize yourself with YearbookAvenue.com; if you do not have
log-in information, watch your mail for a back-to-school packet
from Jostens or call your plant consultant.
Preview the ItPays program on YearbookAvenue.com.
Meet with your yearbook representative to discuss deadlines,
color placement, budget planning and cover specifications.
Fill in staff information and the ladder diagram on
YearbookAvenue.com.
Purchase new supplies, especially CDs and camera batteries.
Study and organize the content of the Yearbook Kit while
discarding yearbook company production materials from
previous years.
Conduct or arrange for YearTech or YearTech
Online training.
Meet with business manager to plan sales campaign.
Begin teaching yearbook skills using Jostens
1,2,3 Yearbook Curriculum with emphasis
on caption writing, headline writing, story writing
and design.
Assign beats to staff writers and photographers for
routine coverage.
Obtain schedules for all fall sports.
Post an accurate school events calendar for the
first nine weeks in a prominent location in the
yearbook room.
Make sure that all fall sports and activities
are covered by reporters and photographers.
Conduct back-to-school book sales campaign.
If not already using, visit with representative about
Jostens Direct Solutions [JDS].
If applicable, run JDS campaign.
Check on portraits scheduling and contract
[seniors, faculty and administration, underclass].
Finalize retake portraits and make-up days.
Begin work on first deadline pages.
Set up system for organizing photos.
Order staff T-shirts or sweatshirts.
Prepare to attend a one-day fall workshop; contact your yearbook
representative for information.
Collect scores and statistics from all fall athletic events.
Finalize all section templates.
Create “hit list” — check off student names as they appear
in the book.
Prepare advertising pages.
Complete and submit all color pages early.
Schedule club/group picture day.
If using YearTech Online, print page previews and review them
carefully before submitting first deadline to the plant.
Submit pages for first deadlines.
If using YearTech, make a back-up of each submission disk that is
sent to the plant.
Celebrate completion of first deadline.
Meet and greet parents of yearbook staff members at school open
house or host a yearbook parents’ night.
2 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 3

“We spent about $75 on good posters and marking pens,
but recovered that with the sale of two yearbooks.”
• MIKE DOYLE
adviser & staff
BUSINESS
SUCCESS STORIES
Creating a buzz is good for biz
From creating
marketing
campaigns to
selling page
sponsorships,
advisers share
success stories
for increasing
yearbook sales and
generating income.
Page sponsorship makes room for
great coverage and alternative ad sales
As a small school whose campus includes
junior and senior high students, Ocosta
Junior/Senior High School, Westport, WA,
relies on business and community
involvement to generate revenue for its
yearbook.
Even so, the ad space is limited in their
116-page yearbook. Five years ago adviser
Jessica Ably came up with an inventive way
to sell and integrate advertising space into
their yearbook. Instead of the traditional
approach that places businesses in the back
of the yearbook, her staff sells page
sponsorships.
“Since we have a small yearbook we can’t
afford to have an entire page devoted to a
business,” said Ably. “And while selling ads is
important, it’s also important that we make
sure everyone in the school is included in the
yearbook. That requires us to utilize all 116
pages for coverage.”
When a business opts to buy a full-page
sponsorship, it receives a headline
announcement at the bottom of the page.
Small business logos are added, as well, if a
business requests it.
Multifaceted campaign
translates to increased book sales
After attending a yearbook marketing
presentation, adviser Mike Doyle, and the
Belvidere High School, Belvidere, IL,
yearbook staff, decided it was time to develop
a multipronged approach to marketing.
Their goal was to send a clear, consistent
message through a variety of marketing
vehicles. Doing so would help build
awareness of the yearbook, expand the
circle of potential buyers and increase
sales.
One component of their multifaceted
approach included a special sales campaign
targeted at families of freshmen. The
purpose of this mailing campaign was to
provide parents who hadn’t yet placed an
order with the opportunity to purchase a
book, and to remind those parents who
had made only partial payments to
complete their orders.
“We were successful because we reached
many non-traditional parents, such as
foster parents and grandparents,” Doyle
said. “I had people tell me how glad they
were to get the letter and, of course, their
son or daughter had to order a yearbook.”
Doyle’s staff also implemented
additional marketing components to target
their general student body.
They set up a table at the choral
concert, the band concert and parentteacher
conferences. They displayed two
posters at the parent-teacher conference,
one in English and one in Spanish.
The staff also created an advertising
campaign with six sets of teaser posters
integrating their theme: “Singling Out.”
They placed the posters in strategic areas
in the school building. And they targeted
specific areas, such as placing posters,
depicting music students, in the band area.
Doyle said the theme effectively created
buzz because yearbook staffers overheard
All the right stuff:
Choosing your
business manager
An ideal business manager
candidate should:
•Excel at paying
attention to all the
details.
•Possess strong followthrough
skills.
•Be an entrepreneur:
self-motivated,
responsible,
personable, driven and
extroverted.
•Easily and confidently
direct others and
oversee tasks to make
sure they’re
implemented.
•Be trustworthy and
dependable.
people asking: “What is this Singling Out
stuff?”
Their marketing ideas paid off. They
sold nearly 50 additional books. Most of
these were purchased by freshmen, which of
course instills in them the tradition of
buying a book.
Grad Ads boost book sales
It was a match made in yearbook heaven.
Thirteen years ago Nancy Jappinen, a
business teacher at Oconomowoc High
School, Oconomowoc, WI, approached
Larry Crawford, English teacher and
yearbook adviser, with the idea of teaming
with him to advise the yearbook.
The English teacher and business
education teacher combination resulted in a
diverse skill set that benefited the yearbook
operation.
While Crawford has since retired, the
business and marketing practices the duo
implemented are still yielding financial
rewards.
Crawford came up with an idea to target
the parents of graduating seniors that came
to be known as the Grad Ads campaign.
In its first year, the campaign generated
two spreads of ads. Twelve years later, the
yearbook incorporates nine spreads of Grad
Ads.
“As you can tell, the response has been
continual, steady and profitable,” Jappinen
said.
Each year Jappinen divides her staff of 60
students into four teams. From these, the
editors select one team to head up the Grad
Ad sale. They design and produce an
11 x 17 tabloid-size brochure that is mailed
to every family with a graduating senior.
The Grad Ad brochure features an
attractive cover, a page of sample Grad Ads
from the previous year’s book, an order form
and a mailing panel page.
In addition to the Grad Ad brochure,
reminder “stuffers” are sent along with
students’ first-term progress report grades.
Another reminder accompanies the first-term
final grade mailing.
Although the Grad Ad program helps the
budget break even, yearbook sales still
generate the majority of the staff’s revenue.
During the year, as the new yearbook is
undergoing production, the staff showcases
completed spreads on the bulletin board
posted outside the yearbook room. As time
draws near to the final ordering deadline,
Jappinen’s staff designs posters, usually tied
into the book’s theme, and hangs them
throughout the school.
They also post a list of non-buyers on the
library window, allowing students to check
to see if they have purchased a yearbook.
A letter is sent to families of non-buyers,
inviting them to purchase a book for their
student. Jappinen said the letter resulted in
the sale of 55 additional books.
A personal note on neon-colored paper is
also delivered to each student who hasn’t yet
bought a book. The message reads: “Did you
order your yearbook yet? The yearbook staff
promises it will be worth 100 Grand!” A
miniature 100 Grand candy bar, taped to the
note, sweetens the opportunity.
It’s not just her yearbook students who
go the extra mile; Jappinen believes in being
an enthusiastic and high-profile yearbook
adviser.
“My student body at Oconomowoc knows
who I am,” Jappinen said. “I am out in the
hall or at school functions with my camera
catching fun shots.
“I’m called Happinen Jappinen because I
am everywhere!”
JOSTENS RESOURCES
New business manager guide
provides selling, marketing tools
An exciting, new Jostens Yearbook Business
Manager’s Guide offers everything you need for
managing sales and marketing the yearbook.
The Sell It! Kit in the Jostens Yearbook Kit also
offers a host of tools and publications.
The Yearbook Business Manager’s Guide
contains a comprehensive, 40-page Guidebook,
a CD containing dozens of working files and a
DVD featuring yearbook promotional
commercials. The tools are packaged in an
attractive notebook portfolio.
To receive a copy of the Yearbook Business
Manager’s Guide, contact your Jostens yearbook
representative.
Also, check out the Budget BOOSTER$ and
the Marketing Guide in the Jostens Sell It! Kit for
even more helpful ideas to help finance the
creation of your “dream book.”
4 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 5

PHASE ONE
Cash in on back to school
excitement to market
yearbook
Without a doubt, the best time to grab a
potential yearbook buyer’s attention is at the
beginning of the school year, when energy and
excitement is HIGH.
Start by displaying posters from your Sell It!
Kit. Follow up with a customized campaign that
zeros in on your yearbook theme. For maximum
impact, be consistent in your messaging.
Determine when, and where, to launch your
campaign. Choose the approach that affords
the greatest impact — summer mailing, backto-school
registration, parent open-house
or homeroom.
Design fun and colorful displays to place near
your yearbook ordering table. These draw
attention to your table and pique student
interest.
Non-JDS schools might offer discount
coupons. Include an expiration date and ordering
information.
Ask to post information on your school’s Web
site announcing when yearbooks are for sale or
send yearbook-buying direct mail reminders to
families at home.
JOB CHECKLISTS
A tale of two leaders
In yearbook-land the old adage, “What’s yours is mine and mine is yours,” definitely rules. While producing
a yearbook is truly a team effort, editors and business managers each bring a decidedly specialized set of
skills and talents to their respective roles. These checklists are meant to provide a quick overview of the
key distinctions of each position.
Checklist for Biz Managers
•Manage the financial side of running the
yearbook as a business.
•Track all incoming and outgoing expenses.
•Review financial information with your
adviser on a regular basis.
•Oversee and sell business ads, recognition
ads and add-on sales to generate revenue
for the yearbook.
•Develop and implement marketing and
sales campaigns.
•Plan and oversee the yearbook
distribution event.
SUCCESS PROFILE
Checklist for Editors
•Work with your adviser and staff to develop
the yearbook theme.
•Oversee the yearbook content and production.
•Assign stories to writers and photo
assignments to photographers.
•Edit content.
•Work with designers to create a
compelling yearbook.
•Manage and motivate the entire staff, building
a sense of teamwork and pride.
Business managers earn an A+ for assets
To survive life in the harried financial fast lane, the successful yearbook manager must:
•Set revenue goals with your adviser regarding yearbook, advertising and personalization sales.
•Collaborate with your adviser and school bookkeeper to establish and maintain a balanced budget.
•Create a process to track yearbook and ad sales.
•Conduct research to uncover the wants and needs of potential buyers for staff planning
and production.
•Set up and manage yearbook order day.
•Inspire successful yearbook promotional marketing and sales campaigns.
•Lead the business staff in articulating and executing plans.
•Manage all yearbook sales and keep orderly, accurate records.
•Monitor the financial standing of the yearbook and conduct regularly scheduled financial updates
for the staff.
•Work closely with the advertising manager to help set advertising goals.
•Organize an ad sales campaign, produce customer-approved ads, send invoices and collect/post
payments for advertising.
•Ensure complete customer satisfaction with advertising and book sales.
•Plan and oversee the yearbook distribution event.
It’s not about picas and pixels. It’s not about eyelines and rule
lines. And, it’s not about you.
It’s pure and simple. It’s all about the content. And, it’s all about
the reader.
Take a step back from all the rules that micromanage yearbook
design. They mean well, but they often cloud the big picture.
Let’s examine 12 concepts that will result in content-driven designs
that connect with readers.
by Gary Lundgren
6 adviser & staff fall 06 fall 06 adviser & staff 7

Tell a story with photos and words.
An effective design delivers a compelling
story to your readers. Designing the spread
is the final step of a process that begins
with content brainstorming and planning.
Plan for a variety of photographs that show different
aspects of the story. Utilize different story presentations
to make the text inviting.
Finally, when the visual and verbal content is
finalized, the photographers and writers should work
with the designers to build a spread that maximizes the
power of the photos and words.
Use an ample framing margin.
The framing margin acts like a picture
frame around the spread. Because spreads
are often packed with content, an ample
frame of white space around the spread
adds a pleasing finishing touch.
For best results, keep content, with the exception of
bleed photos and folio tabs, out of the framing margin.
Caption blocks especially have a tendency to creep into
the margin area.
When building templates, some staffs add a little
extra room to the framing margins.
Display content in modules.
Professional newspaper and magazine
designers discovered long ago that
designing in modules didn’t just make their
job easier; it also resulted in organized
designs that readers could easily understand and follow.
A visually interesting spread results when a variety
of modular shapes and sizes are used. Modules might be
small or large, vertical or horizontal.
The size and shape of a module should be
determined by its content. A vertical photo fits best in a
vertical module. The most important content usually
deserves the largest module.
Modular design doesn’t mean that dynamic shapes
such as photo cutouts or circles can’t be used; however,
for best results these shapes should be anchored within
a module.
• Packed with photos, this spread delivers plenty of content to its readers. From the centerpiece
photo to the smaller, square images, there are 24 photos on this spread. Graphic trademarks
include the use of the “{ }” characters and the concept-related, unifying graphics running across
the top of every spread, dividing the coverage into “Plan A” and “Plan B” components.
[Bay High School, OH]
Place modules on a grid framework.
A framework of narrow vertical columns
and horizontal grids makes it easy to
arrange content modules on the spread.
For a true modular approach, the width
of the columns and the height of the grids should be
the same, resulting in a framework of squares.
Depending on the size of the page and the number
of grids and columns used, the grids and columns will
be approximately 1.5 to 3 picas. Leave one-pica spacing
between the columns and grids.
Once the vertical and horizontal guides are locked
in, this framework can be used effectively for every
section of the yearbook.
• A picture-perfect design begins with strong, storytelling images, and this spread delivers. A high-energy dominant photo serves as a powerful centerpiece. The repetition of bold, red lines creates unity by
following a three-peat strategy. Expanded spacing, created by using a horizontal rail, skillfully sets apart the “play by play” content module from the photos above it. [Westlake High School, TX]
• Three levels of spacing are thoughtfully incorporated into this design. Tight spacing is used
between the related photos in the main module. Expanded spacing, in this case a rail, is used
to emphasize the headline/story module by isolating it from the large module. Within the
headline/story module, traditional one-pica spacing is employed.
[Middletown High School, MD]
Create a visual centerpiece.
A visual centerpiece grabs the reader. To be
effective, the centerpiece should be the largest
content module on the spread, at least twice
the size of the other modules. For dramatic impact, the
centerpiece on some spreads might be super-sized.
In some cases, the centerpiece might be an actionpacked
and technically flawless dominant photo.
To maximize coverage, many staffs display a
collection of photographs as the centerpiece.
8 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 9

When selecting photographs for the centerpiece,
be aware of the gutter, taking special care to
avoid placing faces or other important content in the
area where the yearbook is bound.
Employ three levels of separation.
“Space everything one pica apart.” This
cardinal rule has served yearbook designers
well for decades. And, it still works well to
use traditional, one-pica spacing between
content modules on a spread.
However, one-pica spacing isn’t ideal for every
situation. Sometimes tight spacing is perfect. For
example, a collection of related photos might “touch.”
This would tell the reader that the photos belong
together.
In other instances, expanded spacing might be used
to set apart a module by leaving a vertical column or
horizontal grid empty to create a rail. Since the rail
separates the module from the other modules on the
spread with expanded spacing, this would signal to the
reader that the content might be special in some way.
Contrast creates visual interest.
Opposites do attract. In design, opposing
elements add contrast or visual energy, if you
will, and this keeps the reader engaged.
Some examples of contrast:
Content: verbal/visual
Size: big/small
Format: horizontal/vertical
Shape: modular/circular/cutout
Lines: thick/thin
Weight: bold/light
Width: wide/narrow
Fonts: serif/sans serif
Alignment: justified/unjustified
Color: black and white/process color
Typography is for reading.
Don’t be seduced into using artsy, decorative
fonts because in small point sizes they are
difficult [or impossible] to read. After all,
• An ample framing margin on this spread avoids a cluttered look. Expanded spacing sets the headline/story module apart from the rest of the spread for emphasis. The “food fact” content module
communicates information at a glance in a dynamic visual package. A three-peat strategy is reflected in the graphic bars, fonts and color used on the spread. [North Side High School, IN]
• Using a three-peat strategy, the repetition of shape, color and fonts unifies the spread. Green
is used as a unifier for the feature presentation on this spread, while red defines the continuous
content that appears on every spread within the section. While traditional one-pica spacing is
used across the spread, tight spacing and expanded spacing are also employed.
[Loudoun Valley High School, VA]
• A lot of fonts aren’t needed for a creative look. In fact, this staff used just one font throughout
its entire yearbook. To pull this off, the designers used many weights of the font including light,
medium and bold. The stylish headline uses an outline version of the font. The spread’s
centerpiece features six photos of different sizes and shapes built around a dominant photo.
[Whitney High School, CA]
you didn’t struggle to write those stories and captions for
them to go unread.
For stories and captions, a traditional, serif font works
best. Examples include Times, Palatino and Garamond.
Because they are displayed in larger point sizes, there is
more freedom to use creative fonts for headlines.
However, readability still must be considered. A goofy
lettering style detracts from the message the headline is
attempting to deliver.
Make a verbal and visual connection.
Study professional magazines and notice
how the headlines coordinate verbally and
visually with the photos, especially the
dominant photo.
Headline writers need to brainstorm a list of words,
phrases and ideas inspired by the photos prior to
writing a catchy, primary headline that makes a verbal
connection.
When designing headlines, consider emphasizing
the key words by using a larger point size, or
perhaps bold or color, so they scream for
attention and make a visual connection.
10 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 11

• A tightly cropped dominant photo forms the centerpiece of this fairly traditional yet dynamic
spread. The placement of the dominant photo and a strong, horizontal bar guides the reader
directly into the main headline. The design of the smaller, sidebar headline on the right nicely
mirrors the design style used for the main headline on the left. A verbal and visual connection is
made between the words in the main headline and the content of the centerpiece photo.
[Wheeling High School, IL]
Graphics unify, separate and highlight.
Graphics include lines, tints and color. And
while they are fun to use, graphics shouldn’t
be used to decorate. Like everything else on
the spread, graphics must serve a contentdriven
function.
Graphics unify. A box placed around a photo and a
quote links the two related elements.
Graphics separate. A line divides unrelated content.
Graphics highlight. With this in mind, use the
power of graphics to call attention to the content while
remembering that the graphics should never steal the
show from the content.
incorporate a series of three circles. The exact same
arrangement of circles might be used, in a reduced size,
behind the headline on a sidebar story. A single circle
might be used to accent the caption lead-ins across the
spread. Finally, a series of three small, circular photos
might be used in a quote box.
Take creative risks.
Don’t allow your sections, and ultimately
the entire yearbook, to fall into a
predictable pattern. Surprise your readers
by incorporating a handful of special
feature spreads throughout the yearbook.
Select relevant and interesting topics for the feature
spreads and build the spreads to reflect the content.
Take creative risks. Creatively adapt, not copy, ideas
from professional publications. Push yourself to the
limit. Not only will you become a better visual
journalist, but you’ll also give your readers a fresh and
engaging content-driven yearbook. a&s
• This headline presentation incorporates different colors, fonts and point sizes for impact.
The super-sized “save or spend?” primary headline grabs the reader and the smaller, secondary
headline follows-up with specific information. The font, colors and writing style are repeated for
the smaller “cash or credit?” secondary headline. Super-sized headlines are popular in
professional magazines and can be incorporated effectively into yearbook spreads.
[Iowa City West High School, IA]
• The “on the clock” presentation, on the left, serves as the visual centerpiece module, grabbing
the reader. Three levels of spacing are employed. In the centerpiece module, tight spacing is
used. Expanded spacing, created by a horizontal rail, lightens the look of the spread and sets
apart the four content modules on the bottom. Consistent graphic trademarks such as fonts and
colors visually unify the content modules. [Rocklin High School, CA]
Incorporate a three-peat strategy.
With some strategic planning, the
repetition of lines, color, textures, patterns,
shapes, space and typography gives a spread
continuity and personality.
Designers call this strategy the “three-peat” approach
because a graphic technique must be used at least three
times for a repetitive pattern to emerge.
For example, a primary headline design might
• A personality feature provides a nice reader surprise in each section of this yearbook.
Contrast is achieved by using a huge photograph along with smaller photos. A cut-out
background [COB] photo also contrasts the modular shapes used for the other images. To further
reflect the student’s personality, his signature is reproduced adjacent to the COB photo.
[Bryant High School, AR]
12 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 13

Rest assured, there’s powerful functionality behind
Yearbook Avenue’s flashy new look. The site is
updated frequently, so check it often.
adviser & staff
TECHNOLOGY
NEW LOOK FOR ’07
On Yearbook Avenue, you own the street
If you’re new to
Yearbook Avenue,
log on and
familiarize yourself
with the site. Check
out the breadth and
depth of this
powerful resource.
Visit the staff page
to set up student
logins and
passwords so
everyone on staff
can tap into the
power of this
inspiring
yearbook tool.
Take a stroll down Yearbook Avenue and
enjoy the exciting, colorful new look for
2007.
The redesigned Web site will turn a few
heads — and make it easier to complete
tasks and find important information about
your book.
Rest
assured,
there’s
powerful
functionality
behind the
flashy new
look.
Check out
the Common
Tasks and
Tools area and
cruise the
quick links. In
no time you’ll
be face-to-face with
the site’s most commonly
used features.
Get timely information on a variety of
topics in the Ideas and Tips section. Be sure
to peruse the monthly Creative Corner.
With the power of Yearbook Avenue you’ll
have fingertip access to educational resources
and creative ideas.
The unique tracking tools also allow you
to see how on target you are with deadlines
and how staff members are doing on their
assignments. You can even check book sales
with the click of the mouse.
Yearbook Avenue is “open” 24/7 so it fits
your schedule, whether you’re a night owl
or an early bird. Get superior access to
everything you need to know to stay on top
of your yearbook’s production.
Organize the details of your yearbook
with the online Page Ladder. Plan page-bypage
content, allocate staff assignments, note
due dates, and even specify if
a page will be printed in color
or black and white. Give new
meaning to the term
“teamwork” by assigning
individual logins to students
so they can gain easy access,
too.
If you are using Page
Surfer designs, you can
also select templates.
Great sales tools
also make
it easier to
market
your yearbook.
Create yearbook sales materials, get tips on
selling books and ads, and track your sales
progress.
Yearbook Avenue’s online Calendar keeps
everyone organized. And it’s a “real time”
way to communicate important yearbookrelated
details.
The site is updated frequently, so check it
often.
With so much flexibility and control,
yearbook is bound to be more fun and easy
for everyone on your staff.
When you tap into the Yearbook Avenue
power zone, you own the street. a&s
• The Yearbook Avenue
Home Page has been
redesigned to make it easier
to complete common tasks
and find important
information about your
yearbook. The Common Tasks
and Tools area provides quick
links to the most commonly
used areas of the site. Unique
new tools allow you to see
how you are tracking to
deadlines, how individual staff
members are doing on their
assignments and how book
sales are going, all with the
click of the mouse.
14 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 15

“The creativity and the sophistication of the winning
designs are amazing. There are some very talented
designers working on yearbooks.” • CONTEST JUDGE
adviser & staff
GALLERY
2006 DESIGN CONTEST WINNERS
Dazzling yearbook spreads focus on content
• FIRST PLACE DESIGN
Daniel Mason. Arrowhead Christian Academy, Redlands, CA
Crystal Kazmierski, adviser
Prize: Adobe Creative Suite 2 software
• SECOND PLACE DESIGN
Jennifer Marshall. Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka, MN
Judith Thomas, adviser
Prize: Adobe InDesign CS2 software
• GRAND PRIZE DESIGN
Autumn Bauman. Arrowhead Christian Academy, Redlands, CA
Crystal Kazmierski, adviser
Prize: Laptop computer with Adobe Creative Suite 2 software
• THIRD PLACE DESIGN
Amber Loerzel. Central High School, Davenport, IA
Erin McConnell, adviser
Prize: Digital camera
Special recognition
designs are
showcased at
jostens.com/
yearbook.
Judges carefully studied the approximately
700 entries in the 2006 Yearbook Design
Contest before recognizing 15 middle school
and high school students for their creativity.
The contest, in its second year, is jointly
sponsored by Jostens and Adobe. Each
participant submitted a complete yearbook
spread designed using Adobe InDesign
software.
The winning designs displayed an
awareness of accepted yearbook design
standards while effectively presenting visual
and verbal content in a creative, readerfriendly
way.
Jostens and Adobe will co-sponsor the
Yearbook Design contest again in 2007.
Entry information will be available in
November 2006.
16 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 17

EXPERTS: John Cutsinger, Shannon Williams, Tina
Klecka, Laura Schaub, Mark Herron and Rick Brooks
travel the country working with yearbook staffs.
adviser & staff
FROM THE EXPERTS
RICK BROOKS JOHN CUTSINGER MARK HERRON TINA KLECKA LAURA SCHAUB SHANNON WILLIAMS
Make it all ‘ad’ up
A quality business plan can lead to many
unexplored advertising sales avenues.
lthough a seemingly simple idea, even
the best yearbook programs need a
well-conceived advertising goal to succeed.
Financial goals should be established at the
onset. As each financial goal is achieved,
another part of the plan can be realized. If
goals are not met, the yearbook must be
altered to fit the reduced budget.
Advertising dollars are as important as
creativity; a great-looking, trendy book makes
no difference if lack of financing doesn’t get it
to press. A great number of staffs have
supplemented typical business ad sales with
reader-focused recognition ads.
Try this: Promote your ad sales to a greater
audience. Most schools focus primarily on
seniors and their parents. However, consider
expanding your opportunity with ads focused
on groups of friends, clubs and teams.
However, do not forget business ads; failing
to market ad sales to business groups is a
financial mistake.
A cool way to positively impact business ad
sales is to combine book advertising with a
coupon distribution. Printed coupons are
distributed at the time the students purchase
the book.
Your student body will appreciate the
coupons knowing they are receiving more
than just the yearbook. It’s a win, win, win
sales strategy.
For questions or comments, e-mail
rick.brooks@jostens.com.
All for one, one for all
Get everyone involved in the reporting
of every yearbook story.
oing to the source is simply not good
enough. Go to the sources, plural. The
more information with which you have to
write and design, the more complete and
pleasing your coverage will be.
Try this: To prevent reporters from being
overwhelmed, consider having more than
one staff member report each activity and
event to provide more information and
insights. This is especially advantageous for
a new adviser and staff who are learning
basic skills.
Throughout the year, reporters/writers
compile a series of storytelling, meaningful
quotes with facts and figures to weave a
unique story of readers’ lives.
Follow these four steps to make the process
easier for everyone.
Step 1: Brainstorm story ideas that have
mass appeal and high interest value.
Step 2: The spread reporter creates a set
of questions that everyone on the staff will
ask of five different people with different
perspectives.
Step 3: As a staff, read the quotes aloud
and decide which ones best illustrate the story
idea. Each selected quote must contribute a
different viewpoint for the story.
Step 4: Repeat the process if there are not
enough quality and quantity quotes.
For questions or comments, e-mail
john.cutsinger@jostens.com.
Easy as A,B,C!
Start the year off right by serving up
a heaping helping of “Alphabet Soup.”
new year and a new staff requires
a new set of recipes for successful
teambuilding. On the first day, start making
the old staff and the new staff become THE
staff and help ensure a year that is full of just
the right ingredients to make the most
successful and cohesive staff yet. Mix up the
same old ice-breakers with one or all of these:
Try this: 1st Letter Fun [get to know your
staff names and characteristics]
Step 1: Sit all staff members in a circle.
Step 2: Tell each member to use the first
letter of his/her name to choose an adjective
that best describes him/her [Dependable
Dan].
Step 3: Go around a circle with each
person sharing his/her adjective and name.
Try this: M&M Microphone [opportunity to
learn non-yearbook traits about each staff
member]
Step 1: Prepare a large bowl of M&Ms.
Have each student take some candy [do not
set amount or limit].
Step 2: Ask students to stand and share one
fact or characteristic about themselves for
each M&M they took.
Step 3: Make facts correspond to the color
of the M&M: red = school activity, blue =
family, green = summer fun, yellow = food,
brown = career interests.
For questions or comments, e-mail
mark.herron@jostens.com.
Creating a buzz
Promote your yearbook staff and
have fun at the same time.
pple, Target and Abercrombie do it, so
why shouldn’t yearbook staffs join the
retailers who sell, sell, sell?
With a little creativity, your staff can
generate a “wow” factor that promotes the
work you are doing as well as generate
excitement around the delivery of the
yearbook.
Try this: To generate a yearbook buzz among
your staff members and your student body,
design a back-to-school marketing campaign,
such as Yearbook Olympics, that reflects the
theme of your book.
Step 1: Design a cool staff t-shirt that
teases your potential buyers with the theme or
cover of the book. As a staff, wear the t-shirt
every Friday during the Yearbook Olympics to
publicize the book and the work of the staff.
Step 2: Brainstorm creative activities that
will become part of a Yearbook Olympics
event. For example, a milk drinking contest.
Step 3: Ask your student government to
partner with your staff. Go to your
administration to obtain permission to host
one activity during each Friday lunch period.
Step 4: Contact local radio stations and
food retailers to be a part of the Friday events.
The DJ encourages students to purchase a
yearbook.
It’s a win-win for everyone!
For questions or comments, e-mail
tina.klecka@jostens.com.
Keeping in touch
Production management requires that adviser,
editors and staff members communicate.
A G A A C P
onstant staff communication is critical
to meeting deadlines and creating the
greatest yearbook ever!
Try this: Mailboxes are a great organizational
tool. Staff members can communicate by
leaving messages for team members and can
use them as storage facilities for work in
progress.
One way to personalize each mailbox is to
encourage each staffer to create his/her name
label in a font that reflects his/her personality.
This practice will strengthen “ownership” of
the mailbox.
In addition to the mailboxes, the staff
might want to create a special bulletin board
to call staff attention to more urgent
messages. Staffers should also be encouraged
to check the board each day for special
communications.
E-mail reminders can also be effective,
but never depend solely on the electronic
media. Bulletin board messages and marker
board alerts are all excellent ways of updating
staffers. They’re also great ways to build
morale when we let our students know
they’re doing a great job.
For questions or comments, e-mail
laura.schaub@jostens.com.
Photo ops, not oops!
Great photos in your book can be a total trip.
Great photography doesn’t happen by accident.
hotographers should work with writers,
designers and editors to ensure that the
story is told accurately and completely for the
reader. The best rule for any photo
opportunity is to be prepared.
Try this: First, review your ladder and create a
quick list of places where events will be held.
In the first weeks of school visit each location
to make a list of the best places to stand, sit
and shoot. Keep your eyes open for great
photo effects including leading lines, shadows,
repetition and patterns.
On paper, brainstorm the types of photos
that will be possible and how each photo
might be used on the spread.
1. Know your stuff: Learn how to use your
camera. Be familiar with the settings
adjustments and be prepared to change the
needed settings when necessary.
2. Arrive early: Make sure that you have
plenty of time to find your spot.
3. Be equipped: Take enough film,
memory cards and, most of all, batteries.
Most digital cameras devour batteries.
4. Fill it up: You can never have too many
good photos. Fill your digital card and use all
of your film.
For questions or comments, e-mail
shannon.williams@jostens.com.
18 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 19

“Take as many pictures as you can, whenever you
can! You never know when you’re going to need
more photos.” • KRISTEN FINLEY
adviser & staff
ADVISERS
YEARBOOK CHATROOM
Experience is the best teacher
team’s grade, it helps keep everyone
productive. There is a lot of pressure to
work together, to be dependable, and to
be accountable to your teammates.
new ideas, perhaps something you wish you
had known about earlier!
When autumn rolls around you’ll be
ready to hit the ground running.
From expanding
coverage to keeping
the yearbook room
organized,
experienced
advisers share the
secrets to their
success.
JANE HUTCHINSON
Our goal is to have every upperclassman
and the majority of the lower classmen in
two candids.
At the start of class, sometimes daily,
sometimes twice a week, we sit down with
class lists. As a group, we review which
students have been featured in candids,
and for what sections.
Once a student is listed twice my staff
shifts gears and begins to focus on other
students who aren’t already covered in the
book.
We also include a specialty section, similar
to a mini-magazine, in our book. In 2006,
we called the section “We Are.” It covers
fashion, cars, consumerism, media, cell
phones, jobs and friends. We always
complete this section last so we can include
any students who have not been adequately
covered.
Last February, we found 128 students that
we needed to include more thoroughly in
our coverage. The staff succeeded in getting
each one into our specialty section.
Our students feel that our coverage is
balanced and fair. Our sales have risen
dramatically and the student body is quite
cooperative with requests for pictures or
quotes. It has a positive effect on the student
body. After all, the book is for all of them,
not just a select few.
BECKY EKELAND
The first few weeks of school the focus is
on learning yearbook terms, design,
YearTech, photography tricks, story and
caption writing.
Before my staff starts working on the
actual yearbook, I have them use all these
skills to create a “minibook” about
themselves.
First, staff members are paired up. Next,
they interview each other and write stories.
They also take pictures of each other and
bring photos from home to scan. The
editors design “minibook” master pages and
the paired teams use them to complete their
layouts.
Then I print the “minibooks,” bind them
and give each team member his or her own
copy. It’s a fun practice activity before the
real work begins, plus it’s a pretty nice
keepsake!
CHRISTINE DENNIS
I organize my yearbook staff into four staff
teams. I also have two editors, a photo
editor and a business manager.
Each staff team has a leader and two
additional staff members. Every team is
assigned pages.
This approach has been great because it
holds all students responsible for their part
of each layout and it really teaches them to
work together.
The team leader is responsible for rotating
the duties among team members so that
every person has the opportunity to work
on and complete a variety of tasks.
Students get hands-on experience in
more facets of the yearbook and since each
student’s production grade is based on the
With sales to about
80 percent of the
student body in
2006, Jane
Hutchinson,
yearbook adviser,
Omro High School,
Omro, WI, says that
increased coverage
leads to increased
book sales.
Before launching
into full-blown
yearbook deadline
mode, Becky
Ekeland, yearbook
adviser, Brookings
High School,
Brookings, SD,
turns book-learning
into hands-on fun.
COLLEEN SANDERS
The first thing to remember when school
begins is that fall sports have already started
— stats are piling up! Why the emphasis on
sports? I have found that no one, including
the athletic office, is doing a comprehensive
roundup of scores and stats.
Our athletic conference Web site only
records varsity stats and even that can have
missing information. To stay ahead of the
game, so to speak, I give each staff member
a worksheet for each sport, which they fill in
with the schedule. Every day, they check for
games played and record the stats. I
spot-check this randomly for major points!
The fact is, if our yearbook doesn’t offer a
historical record of these stats, one won’t
exist. And our readers expect to see the
scores.
KAREN SAMBOY
A mini-yearbook overview is a great way to
start planning for next year’s book. First,
select a theme. Develop it thoroughly by
selecting an idea that unfolds with more
details as the book progresses.
Tie the theme into your cover and
endsheets. List headline ideas, angles and
sidebars to fully integrate the theme
throughout the yearbook.
Now’s the time to think of new story
and coverage approaches or even adding a
new section to the book. Start developing
theme-related layout ideas. Generate ideas for
endsheets, title pages, opening and closing.
Be creative and fun. Rely on the tools you
have used this year, but don’t forget to add
Creating effective
staff teams plays a
major role in
yearbook success for
Christine Dennis,
yearbook adviser,
Las Cruces High
School, Las Cruces,
NM.
Sports stats are key
to maintaining the
historical accuracy
of a yearbook and
Colleen Sanders,
yearbook adviser,
Centerville High
School, Centerville,
OH, makes it a
point to stay on top
of her game.
SUSAN PETERSON
I keep a small basket on my desk [the
dollar store variety] that is wide enough to
hold manila folders. Anything related to the
yearbook that is “thrown” at me throughout
the day goes in there until I have yearbook
class. This way nothing gets lost and I don’t
forget about anything because it’s all in the
basket until I get to it.
Students have their own individual
“baskets” in the yearbook room, too, in the
form of bins with hanging files. I place
messages, reminders, photos, printed-out
e-mails with important info and assignments
in these so students can stay organized!
We also use a little three-drawer plastic
organizer to organize our digital camera
memory cards and batteries. One drawer
holds small sticky notes for kids to put on
disks that contain photos. These, in turn, let
me know where to save the photos on our
network. Another drawer contains empty
digital photo cards. The third drawer is
stocked with charged batteries, ready for use.
KRISTEN FINLEY
Take as many pictures as you can,
whenever you can! You just never know
when you’re going to need more photos.
Assign trustworthy staff members to take
pictures.
Once you have the candids, assign the job
of caption writing to as many people as
possible. This helps vary the writing styles
and results in better captions.
Stay organized, keeping ahead of schedule
whenever possible. There is no greater
Springtime means
getting a jump-start
on next year’s
yearbook for Karen
Samboy, yearbook
adviser, Ponderosa
High School,
Shingle Springs, CA.
Staying calm, cool
and collected is
definitely possible
with these
organizational tips
from Susan
Peterson, yearbook
adviser, Grandville
High School,
Grandville, MI.
20 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 21

“It is so important to have weekly meetings with your
editorial staff. When we don’t meet, miscommunications
abound!” • MICHELLE DANE
frustration than pulling an all-nighter, the
night before a deadline, after a week of
relative inactivity.
Work hard to create the best yearbook
that you possibly can.
TOM CROW
To help orient new staff members, we hold
a two-hour new staff meeting in mid-March
or April.
We obtain prior approval to let students
out of class, then gather during the last
lunch period of the school day. We also
invite next year’s incoming freshmen
[currently in Middle School].
We start the orientation with an
ice- breaker, with lots of prizes for winners.
It’s fast and furious and allows people to put
faces to names. We serve pizza and drinks.
I introduce myself and talk about the
yearbook program.
Our yearbook rep talks about the business
aspects. I show books from prior years and
discuss the printing process. We review the
ladder diagram already created by the next
year’s editors. We discuss multiples and
signatures using lots of sample books.
We discuss our “wish list” — ideas and
trends for the new yearbook. We review our
camera needs, computer needs and changes
we want to make in the yearbook.
We also review the budget — including
all income and expenses. We talk about
book and ad sales. We hand out detailed
deadline dates for each section.
My editors and I select section leaders and
distribute assignments for each new student.
Lastly, we discuss how important it is to
make a great book that always reflects the
positive side of our school. This has a
profound effect on the new staff and sets a
great tone for the entire year. a&s
Kristen Finley,
yearbook adviser,
The Wheatley
School, Old
Westbury, NY, shares
hard-won insights
gleaned from her
second year advising
the yearbook.
New staff members
are well prepared
every fall thanks to
an immersion
meeting held each
spring by Tom
Crow, yearbook
adviser, Evans
High School,
Evans, GA.
CURRICULUM
• The 1,2,3 Yearbook
Journalism Curriculum
is packaged in a
convenient Classroom
Kit containing 20
copies of the 1,2,3
Student Yearbook
Guide and one copy
of the 1,2,3
Teacher’s Guide.
Teaching is easy as 1,2,3
Award-winning
curriculum offers
cutting edge
training in yearbook
journalism.
Teaching a yearbook class or training an
extracurricular staff is as easy as 1,2,3 with an
innovative curriculum produced by Jostens.
The award-winning 1,2,3 Student Yearbook
Guide textbook is the foundation of the 1,2,3
curriculum:
The 1,2,3 Teacher’s Guide provides tools an
educator requires to teach either a yearbook
course or a unit within a journalism,
communications or graphic arts course, or to
train an extracurricular yearbook staff. Teaching
materials in the 1,2,3 Teacher’s Guide include:
• One CD with quizzes, worksheets and
grading rubrics coordinating with the 1,2,3
Student Yearbook Guide.
• A second CD with PowerPoint presentations
to coordinate with the 1,2,3 Teacher’s
Guide.
For more information or to order for immediate
shipment, call Jostens Marketing Services at
1.800.972.5628. School purchase orders are
accepted.
BY MICHELLE DANE, CHINO HIGH SCHOOL, CA
Technology creates a love/hate relationship
With staffers glued
to computers with
iPods jammed
into their ears,
teambuilding and
communication in
the yearbook room
takes on a new
urgency.
Technology is one of those things you can’t live with and you can’t live without.
It’s a love/hate relationship.
Today’s students are technologically leaps and bounds ahead of us advisers, which
can be an exciting time within our staffs. But since the arrival of technology, I’ve
seen a breakdown in communication among staff members, and less teamwork.
Students walk into our yearbook rooms with iPods jammed into their ears and
fingers feverishly text messaging on their cell at the same time.
So how do our staffs work effectively as teams with good communication skills
while interacting with technology every day?
Get rid of the iPods and cells
Out of the blue, I had staffers check all cell phones,
iPods and other electronic gadgets at the door. That got
students’ attention! Then we discussed the problems the
gadgets created and we agreed to not use those things
during class.
Playing music during class is fine, and it builds
camaraderie. We found out what types of music everyone
likes and took turns with different styles. We found out
who could sing and who thinks they can sing. The key is,
doing it together rather than being wired to an iPod.
The first five minutes
Talk together as a staff about the day’s goals, reminders
and upcoming events. This gets everyone on the same
page, before breaking up into tasks.
Team up!
Pair students on assignments so they find a need
to communicate with each other. This builds in
accountability with their fellow staffer and they can’t play
the “blame game” if work does not get completed. My
students like sharing the work and it relieves stress.
Weekly roundup
It is so important to have weekly meetings with your
editorial staff. When we don’t meet, miscommunications
abound! Let the editor in chief decide the agenda.
Take a recess
Work on teambuilding exercises or activities. Students
who get to know each other develop friendships that are
real and before you know it, they are a team.
Educate and train
Before school reconvenes, I train my editors in
communication and leadership skills. It is worth the time
to train, shape and guide them in how to approach each
other throughout the year. Then when conflicts arise, and
they will, they are more equipped to handle the situation.
The bottom line is this: We are preparing our students
for the “real world” where there are deadlines, stresses,
pressures, conflicts and consequences. We need to teach
and model these interpersonal skills that are so needed in
their future careers. Technology is just a tool in making
that happen. a&s
22 adviser & staff fall 06
fall 06 adviser & staff 23

From Academics to Free Style Skiing,
we’ve got you covered.
adviser & staff
OVER & OUT
!
Hotlink!
These “Hotlinks!”
highlight additional
articles and images
available online. A
wide array of
additional content is
available to Jostens
customers on the
Web at
YearbookAvenue.com.
• NEW YEARBOOK BUSINESS MANAGER CONTEST
Think you’ve got what it takes to be the best yearbook business
manager in the country? Put your management and promotional skills
to the test and you could win a $1,000 college scholarship and a
computer for your yearbook staff. A contest entry form containing the
rules can be found by clicking on Contests. Entry forms must be
postmarked by April 2, 2007.
• JOSTENS/ADOBE YEARBOOK DESIGN WINNERS
Flip through a “virtual book” showcasing the 15 spreads recognized in
the Yearbook Design Contest sponsored by Jostens and Adobe by
clicking on Educate > Design Ideas.
• CSPA GOLD KEY AWARD
“Dare to be remarkable.” This powerful
statement appears on every e-mail that Jostens
representative Bonnie Blackman sends to
the yearbook editors and advisers she works
with in New Jersey and New York.
Blackman’s passion for education and
scholastic journalism is evident to everyone
she touches and was recognized recently by
the Columbia Scholastic Press Association
[CSPA] Gold Key award. Click on Awards.
• CSPA CROWN, NSPA PACEMAKER WINNERS
Jostens is proud to work with many of the outstanding advisers and
staffs who produced yearbooks named as top journalistic publications
for 2005. To checkout the list of CSPA Crown and NSPA Pacemaker
winners, click on Awards.
• COOL IDEAS ABOUND ON CREATIVE CORNER
Each month, a colorful, five-page PDF document is posted on Yearbook
Avenue packed with creative ideas featuring: concept, coverage, content,
design and good advice. These documents are created and shared
each month by Jostens team of creative account managers. Click on
Creative Corner.
• BUSINESS MANAGER RESOURCES
Checkout Sell [ItPays] > Promote for helpful tips and tools that can
assist you with your yearbook and advertising sales.
• Gold Key winner
Bonnie Blackman
[center] receives her
plaque from CSPA
officials Shirley Yaskin
[left] and Edmund
Sullivan [right] at a
special recognition
luncheon during the
CSPA Scholastic
Convention in
March 2006.
Colophon
Adviser & Staff magazine
was produced by Jostens using
state-of-the-art digital prepress
technology featuring
computer-to-plate imaging
combined with Komori Super
Perfector offset presses.
Adviser & Staff pages were
submitted to the Jostens plant
as press-ready PDF files.
The 24 inside pages are
printed in process color on 80#
gloss paper stock. The cover is
printed in process color on 80#
cover stock.
Different typographic
weights and variations of the
Adobe Helvetica and Garamond
families are used throughout.
All color tints are created by
electronically mixing the
process colors.
Send inquires regarding the
production of Jostens Adviser &
Staff magazine to:
asmagazine@jostens.com.
With 70 icons to choose from,
students are sure to find the perfect
way to express their personality.
And by selling personalization at
our suggested retail prices, that
means a bigger budget for building
your book.
24 adviser & staff fall 06
Get into it.

Contact your Jostens Yearbook representative or visit www.jostens.com for more details.
Printed in USA. ©2006 Jostens Inc. 06-0406 [3158]
3601 Minnesota Drive, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55435
ATTENTION: Yearbook Adviser & Staff
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
JOSTENS