Chase Jacob
Yearbook Coordinator
Room Number:
Email: ctjacob@bellvillebrahmas.org

Meeting dates, times, and location still need to be confirmed with Mr. Jacob.

Yearbook documents the people, activities, accomplishments, and memories that define the school year. Staff members photograph events, interview students and employees, write stories and captions, design page layouts, organize content, and work toward publication deadlines. Contact the Yearbook coordinator for information about coverage needs, photo assignments, submission deadlines, sales, and publication.

Student, faculty, and staff portraits
Campus events and everyday student life
Clubs, organizations, academics, and fine arts
Athletic teams, competitions, and accomplishments
Interviews, feature stories, and student profiles
Photography assignments and event coverage
Captions, names, grade levels, and identifications
Page design, themes, graphics, and layouts
Yearbook deadlines and production milestones
Yearbook sales, ordering information, and distribution
Staff roles and student leadership
Awards and staff accomplishments
Opportunities to submit photographs or story ideas

Covering the Yearbook Beat

Start Here

Introduce yourself to Mr. Jacob and explain that you are covering Yearbook for the BVP Newsroom.
Ask when and where the Yearbook staff meets and works.
Ask how he prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews and coverage should be arranged.
Request the current Yearbook calendar, including photography assignments, page deadlines, sales, submission dates, and distribution.
Ask for the names, grade levels, positions, and contact information of Yearbook editors and staff members.
Ask which sections, events, teams, clubs, and campus activities the staff is currently covering.
Ask how BVP and Yearbook can coordinate coverage or share photographs when appropriate.
Ask which parts of the Yearbook’s theme, design, or content may be discussed before publication.
Check with Mr. Jacob and student editors regularly for updates, deadlines, and possible stories.
When you discover a possible story, submit it as a pitch before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Your Responsibilities

Check for Yearbook updates at least once each news cycle.
Maintain contact with Mr. Jacob and the student editors.
Keep track of photography assignments, page deadlines, sales periods, ordering deadlines, and distribution plans.
Watch for important milestones such as completing a section, submitting pages, revealing the cover, or receiving the finished books.
Look for student features involving photography, writing, editing, design, leadership, or behind-the-scenes production.
Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
Coordinate photography and video coverage in advance.
Confirm names, grade levels, staff positions, dates, prices, deadlines, sales totals, and distribution information before publication.
Follow up after major deadlines and events to document progress and obtain photographs and student reactions.
Include student voices by asking staff members about their assignments, creative decisions, challenges, deadlines, and contributions.

Important

A page being designed or submitted does not necessarily mean that it is final. Clearly distinguish between an idea, a working draft, a completed page, and a page approved for publication. Confirm production milestones, ordering information, prices, deadlines, and publication details with Mr. Jacob before reporting them.

The Yearbook may contain photographs, personal information, unpublished designs, and surprises intended for the finished book. Do not photograph computer screens, page layouts, cover designs, student information, or unreleased content without permission. Coordinate coverage so you do not interfere with Yearbook photographers or duplicate their assignments unnecessarily.

Reporting Your Yearbook Stories

Possible Story Ideas

The Yearbook staff announces the year’s theme
The cover design is officially revealed
Staff members begin photographing the new school year
Portrait day or picture retake day is approaching
Students begin work on major Yearbook sections
A student photographer captures an important or unusual moment
Staff members complete or submit an important group of pages
The staff reaches a major production deadline
Students create a new layout, design element, or type of coverage
Yearbook sales begin or an ordering deadline approaches
The staff needs students to submit photographs or information
Students work behind the scenes to identify people in photographs
A staff member takes the lead on an important section
The Yearbook staff covers a major school event
Students overcome a photography, writing, design, or production problem
The finished Yearbooks arrive
Yearbook distribution or signing activities are announced
The publication receives an award or recognition
A student or staff member reaches an important accomplishment
The Yearbook documents a historic change, milestone, or memorable school event

Signs There May Be A Story

Pay attention when:

Portrait day, a photo assignment, sales deadline, or page deadline is approaching
Staff members begin developing the theme or cover
Photographers are assigned to a major event
Students begin work on an important section
The staff needs photographs, names, quotes, or information from students
A page or group of pages is completed and submitted
Students are working under pressure to meet a deadline
A technical, photography, design, or printing problem develops
Staff members create an unusual layout or new type of coverage
A student takes the lead on an important assignment
The cover or another major design element is officially revealed
Yearbook prices or ordering information changes
The final purchasing deadline is approaching
The finished books arrive on campus
Distribution plans are announced
The publication or a staff member receives an award
The Yearbook captures an important moment in school history

Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H

You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.

Who was involved?

Which Yearbook staff members participated?
Who photographed, interviewed, wrote, edited, or designed the material?
Which editor or staff member led the assignment?
Who developed the original idea?
Which students, employees, teams, or organizations were featured?
Were administrators, teachers, photographers, designers, or publishing representatives involved?
Who reviewed or approved the finished work?

What happened?

What page, section, assignment, deadline, or publication milestone was involved?
What was the staff trying to document?
What responsibilities did each staff member have?
What photographs, interviews, stories, captions, or designs were created?
What problem or challenge did the staff encounter?
What changed from the original plan?
What was completed or submitted?
What should students know or do next?

When did it happen?

When did work on the assignment or section begin?
When were the photographs or interviews collected?
When was the page completed or submitted?
What purchasing, photography, submission, or production deadlines should students know?
When will the cover or theme be revealed?
When will the finished books arrive?
When will Yearbooks be distributed?

Where did it happen?

Where did the staff photograph or report the story?
Where does the Yearbook staff meet and work?
Where can students have portraits taken or retaken?
Where can students submit photographs or information?
Where can Yearbooks be ordered?
Where and when will books be distributed?
Where can students find official updates?

Why does it matter?

Why was this subject selected for coverage?
Why is this moment important to the school year?
Why did the staff choose this theme or design?
Why was a change made to the original plan?
Why should students submit information or photographs?
Why should students order before the deadline?
What does this page or section preserve for the school community?
Why is this accomplishment meaningful to the staff?

How did it happen?

How did the staff plan the coverage?
How were assignments divided?
How were photographs and interviews collected?
How were people in photographs identified?
How was the page designed and reviewed?
How did staff members solve production problems?
How was the theme developed?
How are completed pages submitted and approved?
How can students contribute photographs or information?
How can students purchase or receive a Yearbook?

Questions for Yearbook Editors and Staff Members

What is your role on the Yearbook staff?
Which pages, sections, or assignments are you responsible for?
How did you approach this assignment?
What was the most difficult part?
How did you decide which photographs or quotes to use?
What changes did you make during the design process?
How do you verify names and information?
What have you learned about photography, writing, editing, or design?
What part of the finished work makes you most proud?
What still needs to be completed?
What happens next?
What would you like students to understand about producing the Yearbook?

Questions for Student Photographers

What event or subject were you assigned to photograph?
What moments were you trying to capture?
How did you prepare for the assignment?
What made the assignment difficult?
How did you choose the strongest photographs?
Did anything unexpected happen?
How did you identify everyone shown?
What makes a photograph suitable for the Yearbook?
Which image are you most proud of, and why?
What would you do differently on your next assignment?

Questions for the Coordinator

What is the staff currently working to complete?
How are assignments divided among staff members?
What production deadlines are approaching?
Has this information or design been approved for release?
What may be shown before the finished Yearbook is published?
How are names, captions, dates, and other details verified?
What ordering information should students know?
When will books arrive and be distributed?
What skills are staff members developing?
Is there anything about the production process that students might misunderstand?

People You May Need to Interview

Depending on the story, consider interviewing:

Yearbook coordinator Chase Jacob
The editor-in-chief or lead student editor
Section editors
Student photographers
Writers and interviewers
Page designers
Students responsible for captions and identifications
The student who proposed or led the assignment
Students featured on the page or in the section
Teachers, coaches, sponsors, or staff members whose activities were covered
Administrators involved in approving information
School photographers or publishing representatives
Students purchasing or receiving the Yearbook

Do not interview only Mr. Jacob or the lead editor. Include the students who took the photographs, conducted the interviews, wrote the material, and designed the pages.

Do not reveal unreleased themes, covers, layouts, photographs, or other surprises without approval.

What You Need to Collect

Before writing or producing the story, collect:

The complete and correctly spelled names of everyone involved
Each student’s grade level
Each staff member’s official position, role, or assignment
The official name of the Yearbook, section, project, or event
The date, time, and location
The purpose of the assignment or production milestone
An accurate description of what staff members completed
The current stage of the work
Important photography, submission, sales, and production deadlines
Official prices, ordering instructions, and distribution information
Verified numbers of pages completed or books sold, when relevant
Information about the theme or design that has been approved for release
Details about any problem and how the staff solved it
What happens next
At least one useful quote from a Yearbook staff member
At least one useful quote from Mr. Jacob
Quotes from students performing different production roles when appropriate
Photographs or video of staff members working
Identification of everyone shown in photographs
Examples of work that have been approved for publication
Relevant schedules, flyers, order forms, page proofs, or official announcements
The name of the person who confirmed the information

Before You Leave

Ask yourself:

Do I have the correct spelling of every name?
Do I know each Yearbook staff member’s grade level and role?
Do I know exactly what was completed?
Do I know the work’s current stage?
Did I distinguish between an idea, draft, submitted page, and approved final page?
Did I confirm that the theme, cover, layout, or other content may be revealed?
Have all prices, deadlines, sales totals, and distribution details been confirmed?
Did I interview the students who actually completed the work?
Did I give proper credit to the photographer, writer, editor, and designer?
Do I have strong quotes—not merely “It was fun” or “I’m excited”?
Do I understand why the work matters?
Do I know what happens next?
Do I have usable photographs or video?
Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
Did I avoid showing private student information or unreleased content?
Did I coordinate with Yearbook before using its photographs?
Is there another editor, photographer, writer, designer, or featured student I should interview?

The Bellville Herd

NEWSROOM

A Brahma Video Productions Student Newsroom