Advance Planning Pays off
R
ita Mortenson, yearbook adviser, Verona High School [WI], and her yearbook staff hold a yearbook distribution event every year. “We think that the distribution of yearbooks should definitely be a celebration, not only for all the hard work that the students put into making the book, but also all the cool events and things that happened throughout the year.” They hold their event in the school’s main commons area on the last hour of the school day on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. They make sure they log the date in the calendar at the start of the school year, so all the staff knows about it. “We have it down to a science,” Mortenson said, “and depending upon some variables, we can pretty much distribute books to every class — freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors — within 10 minutes for each class. It is crazy fun!” To promote the event, Mortenson and her staff post banners throughout the school, paint the school’s front windows, chalk the sidewalk, run a video segment on the school’s TV channel and display some of the yearbook pages around the school. The yearbook staff also makes several music CDs and, during the week preceding the
event, they set an anticipatory tone by playing the music during the school lunch hours. “Everyone starts asking themselves, ‘What is so special about this week?’ and then it dawns on them — yearbook distribution is on Friday! — that’s what’s so special.” On the day of the event, to help ensure that everything is organized and ready to go, all the yearbook staff members join Mortenson around 1:30 p.m., about two hours before the school day ends at 3:35 p.m. “We organize things ahead of time and have the custodians help with some movement of the books, so this works slick,” she said. “Everyone loves it. We have special T-shirts made up and everyone wears them for the day.” Three years ago, Mortenson mounted speakers in the main commons area so the yearbook staff has a DVD player, a projector and a speaker system all set to go, and they play music during the distribution event. The festivities begin at 3:00 p.m., when the seniors are dismissed from their classes. They’re followed by juniors at 3:10 p.m., sophomores at 3:20 p.m., and freshmen at 3:30 p.m. “The kids are so excited, they go running to the tables,” Mortenson noted. One of the most beneficial
At Verona High School, book distribution stations are organized alphabetically to save time. Students sign for their books upon receipt.
things about holding a distribution event is the sense of community it creates. “The event and the success and the accolades are not just about our yearbook staff,” Mortenson said. “They are about celebrating the success that we have had as a school, a student body, a community.” The challenges she and her staff have encountered in planning and implementing the event have been minimal. “To be really honest, this is so
much fun organizing and not a lot of work. The kids sometimes have these really neat/crazy promotional ideas.” She also noted that her principal is very supportive of the school’s yearbook distribution event. “This is no different than students missing class for an assembly or homecoming. I think everyone sees the value in celebrating success.”
Rita Mortenson’s TOP 3 DIstribution event tips
1
Talk with your principal and have a nice simple plan in place.
2
Work with things to your advantage. For example,
since I knew that many seniors
3
Make it fun and something that the school really can’t
say no to if they value a community
had 7th hour off, I let the principal
of learners and want to celebrate
know that it would impact each
success!
class for only about 10 minutes.
spring 2014 |
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