In the world of yearbooks, the basic components have always been there, but when you want to provide some fresh content, it’s time for unique spreads on the things that make your school special. By brainstorming creative ideas for yearbook spreads, you will set your yearbook apart from the rest. That’s why this week, we’re sharing distinctive yearbook spread ideas to get your creative motor running to help you and others see your school in a new light.
One thing to focus on in any school yearbook is its wide variety of records, and how those help to identify a particular school. A school should be challenging itself and pushing to increase records and set standards. A yearbook is a great place to record these past and present accomplishments, and light a fire under talented and passionate individuals. They will be able to see how others have performed in the past, and try to reach for those same goals.
Most schools have an athletic program – and whether those sports include football and soccer, or water polo and shuffleboard – each holds records worth mentioning in the yearbook. In an especially sports-centric school it can be helpful to focus on the past as well as the present. For example, your school’s football team may think they’ve had a killer season, but compared to what? If the team has defeated every other local school, that is a tremendous accomplishment, and they should be proud of themselves.
But go beyond that. Was the running back pushing himself to beat the school’s record for rushing yards in a season? Did the “boy with the golden foot” match up to the points kicked way back in ’77? It can be fun to offer in-school records for each sport, and highlight current students who beat, matched, or came close to those records. After all, the yearbook is all about celebrating hard work!
Use unique yearbook spreads to demonstrate past and present school records.
Image source: Flickr CC Philip Shoffner
For the younger grades that may not be participating in school sports, focus on academic records (although these can apply to the higher grades, too!) and records associated with other school events. Was a new record set in this year’s Read-a-Thon? Maybe one class went above and beyond in the annual Christmas toy drive, bringing in more toys than any preceding class. The highest-ever score on a state-wide math and reading test? Make sure they’re all covered in this yearbook spread!
Don’t set your sights too narrowly on sport-related and academic records. Records exist in a wide variety of places. Chances are that different awards, recognitions, or goals will mean different things to every school. Just because one school holds a state-championship in girls’ basketball, doesn’t make it any more important than another school holding the record for most twins in the same academic year.
So feel free to cover those quirky achievements. Perhaps this past year the student body set out to construct the world’s longest straw. Or the English teacher took on the daunting task of teaching a 79 hour class. Whatever it may be, the yearbook is a great place to acknowledge these achievements. Records may be set on a world, national, state, community, or individual basis – and each deserves its own place to show off.
