With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to take a little yearbook break and share a lot of love for your staff.
February 14th is a good excuse to show affection and thankfulness for the yearbook staff. It’s a staff bonding opportunity and a potential motivator to get the current deadline finished. Here are six ideas to show the love.
1. Go old school. Take your staff back to their elementary years when they giddily exchanged valentines with their classmates. Whether they use premade cards or make them from scratch, give staffers a chance to write messages to each other. Clear Brook High School adds an personal touch with staffers writing on the valentines what they appreciate about each classmate. Before the exchanging begins, take time to craft Valentine mailboxes or decorate bags from scratch, like Westwood High School and Glacier Peak High School do. Make the exchanging even more fun by turning it into a full-fledged party. At the Maclay School, the staff saves the exchanging valentines for a luncheon party.
You can add more than butter and syrup to waffles. Consider asking students to bring a host of fruit and candy toppings to accent your heart-shaped waffles.
2. Make it sweet. Add a sweet tie-in to your celebrations. Add candy to the valentine exchange or taste test morsels from heart-shaped candy boxes, guessing each type of sweet. In addition to sharing valentines, Brenham High School decorates heart-shaped sugar cookies. Memorial High School puts on their baking hats, making heart-shaped waffles. Staffers bring different toppings and refreshments.
3. Decorate the door. Adorn the exterior classroom door with red, white and pink paper hearts, featuring the staffers’ names. Or if you want a marketing twist, put yearbook buyers’ names on the hearts and include order information.
4. Let Cupid strike. Take a twist on the Secret Santa gift exchange and hold a Valentine’s Day version, Secret Cupid. Consider setting the gift limit at $5 or asking staffers to make the present.
5. Post it. Ask every staffer to write down what they love about yearbook on a Post-it note. Place the sticky notes on a classroom wall (or door) in the shape of a heart.
6. Show a little yearbook love. Advisers, don’t miss out on the fun. Give each staffer a valentine, whether it’s a premade card or a handmade one. At Klein Forest High School, adviser Sue Blackmon makes valentines for staffers, taping a piece of candy to each. She includes a yearbook version of a beloved nursery rhyme:
February 14th is a lovely opportunity to share a little love with your yearbook staff. It’s a fun chance for staff bonding, and the good vibes just might be the needed catalyst for spread completion. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your staff!
