Welcome to Yearbook!
Congratulations on being chosen for the 2017-2018 DMS Yearbook Staff!
I hope you are as thrilled as I am to begin our journey creating the best yearbook Discovery Middle School has seen! You will have to put your best paw forward to create a book every DMS Panther can be proud of. With so many deadlines to meet and tasks to complete, this year may seem a little overwhelming. However, each of you has been chosen because I know you will do a fantastic job. The yearbook you produce will be remembered for years to come by the students, faculty, and community.
Course Overview
· This is a yearlong course to create the Discovery Middle School yearbook.
· The first quarter will be “Yearbook Boot Camp.” During this time, students will learn communication skills, ethics, yearbook terminology, publishing software, and journalism.
· After “Yearbook Boot Camp”, the staff will work to create their chosen/assigned spread.
· During the fourth quarter we will stay together and have occasional yearbook duties.
Course Objectives
· Students will learn the basics of yearbook layout, design, copy writing, and photography.
· Students will conduct interviewers as needed for their pages and have interviewees sign off on their quotes.
· Students will meet all required deadlines.
· Students will be responsible for taking pictures at school events and activities.
· Students will attend events as needed to learn about their spread assignments.
· Students will organize and distribute books in May.
Yearbook Staff Guidelines
· Staff Members are expected to act in a professional manner at all times, especially when representing the yearbook staff.
· Staff Members are expected to inform and gain permission from any teacher before taking pictures in his or her class.
· Staff Members are expected to work together to make all deadlines.
Classroom Rules
· Respect the teacher, your classmates, and yourself.
· Treat our classroom and equipment with care.
· Honesty is always the best policy.
· Abide by all school rules.
Grading Policy
· Grades will be based on completion and quality of assignments.
· The most important part of your grade is meeting your deadlines with high-quality completed pages. Your grade will break down as follows:
o Completed page grades*
o Attitude and work ethic
o Daily work and projects
o Classroom activities
*Page Grades
Once a page has been submitted for a deadline, you will be graded on the quality of your work. This includes layout design, pictures/captions, use of color, writing (content, style, and conventions in particular), and ethics. You must have fair coverage of grade levels, gender, and the student body. Putting just your friends on your assigned page is unethical and unfair to all who buy the book. In addition, each error on a page (spelling of words and/or names, grammatical errors, format errors) will result in lost points.
Meeting Deadlines
It is imperative that you meet your page deadlines. Not making deadlines not only means there will be a delay in production at the Balfour plant, but your grade will greatly suffer as well. Set weekly goals to ensure that pages are finished in a timely manner. ALWAYS ask for help from the editor, teacher, or other staff members if you need help.
Sponsor Contact Information
· Leigh Shergy-
Should questions or concerns come up, please talk to me or email me immediately. There are no “dumb” questions and I appreciate you taking an interest in making this the best year possible!
Verification
I have read and reviewed with my teacher, Ms. Shergy, the Yearbook class syllabus:
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Student Signature Date
I have read and reviewed with my son/daughter the Yearbook class syllabus.
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Parent Signature Date