Halloween costumes and Santa hats. Turkey stuffing and Menorahs. The holidays are a time for food, fun and celebration. Let’s sprinkle some of that joy into the yearbook.
Holiday coverage isn’t always included in the yearbook. But it has all the elements of a great yearbook spread: dynamic photos, storytelling opportunities and inspiring design. Let’s look at how schools incorporated goblins, pilgrims and elves into their books.
Halloween
With a policy change to allow Halloween costumes, Canyon Vista Middle School seized the opportunity to feature dressed-up students. Snagging pictures in the hallways, the staff featured ogres, queens, superheroes and other creatures. For an additional layer of coverage, the page was designed with an A to Z angle, showcasing a different costume for each letter of the alphabet.
Etiwanda High School dedicated a spread to Halloweentown, an event in its second year. The staff featured coverage of the setup, costumes and activities, including a costume contest and a maze. The spooky tone was set by a full-bleed photo of a junior in a bloody costume, who applied his own makeup and worked in the maze.
In Colorado, Rocky Heights Middle School divvied up their Halloween coverage to feature four different aspects. The main package showcased costumes worn Oct. 31 while a secondary coverage showed academic teams’ elaborate door decorating. The bottom third of the spread was focused on students’ reflections; one asked about candy preferences while the other had students weigh in on trick-or-treating versus watching scary movies.
Thanksgiving
Holy Trinity Episcopal School incorporated a number of events and charity drives in their Thanksgiving coverage. As a K-12 school, the spread included photographs of younger students dressed as turkeys, pilgrims and Native Americans. A story, sidebar and additional photos provided coverage of an annual tradition to donate gift card, food and toiletries to a nearby community center. An additional sidebar included mugs and quotes from students about what they’re thankful for.
A Texas school had an unusual twist to Thanksgiving coverage, featuring well-known community event. Westwood High School dedicated half their spread to the Turkey Trot, an annual race on Thanksgiving morning that several students competed in. The right page included two packages: a feature on IB students gathering during the week-long break and a holiday package on social media photo postings.
Rock Canyon High School took a different take on the holiday, featuring family cooking traditions and favorite Thanksgiving foods. An additional sidebar focused on Black Friday, adding mugs and quotes from students about their best deals. A final package on the bottom third of the spread included pictures and captions for various students’ Thanksgiving break, from cruises to mystery rooms.
Christmas
As they did with their Halloween, Canyon Vista used a noteworthy event to propel their winter holiday coverage. Construction was completed on the school’s new gym in December, just in time for their Winter Social. Decked out in ugly sweaters and Santa hats, middle schoolers held their first dance in the newly opened gym. The staff replaced the story space with alternative copy, mugs and quotes about the event.
At St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, holiday coverage centered around events the week before Christmas. The main package focused on the annual seventh vs eighth grade football game while other photos showcased a winter concert and a volunteer toy drive.
Holiday Season
Two schools opted to combine holidays on one spread. At Minnetonka High School, their holiday coverage featured coverage from October and December. They included sidebars on costumes worn for Halloween and spirit week. The main package focused on a volunteering opportunity at Christmas, a holiday event for a local children’s hospital. The students dressed as elves, decorated the event space, and danced with the patients.
Little Rock Central High School provided a unique approach to their holiday coverage. They included eight different holidays, giving equal space to events in different cultures. From Chinese New Year and Hanukkah to Dia de los Muertos and Holi, the Pix staff used an all-encompassing approach for their diverse population. The holidays included photos of food and students, and each featured a student quote.
Holiday coverage can be a fun and innovative addition to your pages. With everyone in Halloween-mode right now, Turkey Day around the corner, and Menorahs and Christmas trees in the near future, this is an ideal time to plan seasonal coverage. We all could use a little holiday cheer in our yearbooks.
