Timescales

We have now created a timescale for receiving the finished yearbook.
We would like the books to be delivered in the week begining the 19th April. This will allow ourseleves time to distribute the books before pupils start to break up for exam leave.
Mr Young has asked us to deliver the inside content to the Homework Diary Company 3 to 4 weeks before we wish to have the book delivered. We have asked them if we would be able to hand the files over personally on the 22nd or 23rd of March.
This leaves us only 4 short weeks to get everything prepared.
Final confirmation from pupils who wish to order are being collected today, this will allow us to start printing the front cover.
10:12:04 AM  #    comment []

Finalised Front Cover

The front cover of the yearbook has now been finalised.
We created two different layouts and asked the Homework Diary Company to print some sample pages for us.
This has allowed us to choose the design we wanted.
This part of the yearbook will be going to print some time next week.

10:11:49 AM  #    comment []

General Update

The CD with our front page design has been posted to Derek for them to design our posters.

We have received a telephone call from the Westerwood Hotel, one of the possible sponsors. I have to get in touch with the Sales Manager.

Several pupils have now paid for their copies of the yearbook in full. An account has been made with the school to keep our funds together. All money received gets deposited in the school immediately for security.

Pupil photographs are almost complete, around 14 are still to be taken, however the quotes are not doing as well with 44 still to be handed in. The teachers' photographs will start to be taken next week.

1:55:51 PM  #    comment []

Progress Report

Following the meeting with Derek and Mr Mulheron, the questions I set out to ask were answered:

• We have agreed to hand the finished yearbook to Derek for publishing for around the last week in March. The sooner we hand it in, the quicker we will get it back. Derek and his team should take approximately 3 weeks to create the finished product.
• All files that are being sent to Derek will be in Pagemaker 7.0 format as well as pdf for comparison of layouts and to determine if anything has gone wrong with the transition between our computers to the Homework Diary company's. Derek also offered a group of 3 in the committee to visit their offices and to go through a final check list.
• The printer margines were discussed. He reccomended 15mm for the inside of the page and 10mm for the outside.
• Our front page design is available on CD and will be sent out today to Derek. It will be included in promotional posters to be supplied by the Homework Diary Companyl.
• Derek mentioned advertising again. Based on his reccomendations, I have sent out some more offers for advertisment space in the yearbook to local companies. We hope that we can raise some money to allow for a decrease in price of the yearbook.

10:41:40 AM  #    comment []

Preparing for Meeting on 16th Jan

Preperations for the meeting with Derek Young of the Homework Diary Company are under way.

An up-to-date version of the yearbook will be printed nearer the time to have a paper copy of the book to allow us to get a clearer idea of what the book will be like.

Points for the agenda of the meeting with Derek:

• Up-to-date mock version of the yearbook for viewing and comments
• Deadlines for forwarding data and payment
• Data formats
• Delivery procedures
• Submission of data
• Receipt of Yearbooks
• Clarification on exact printer margins
• Availability and type of advertising posters
• Any other requirements from the Homework Diary Company

10:24:11 AM  #    comment []

Returning in the New Year

Returning from the Christmas break, the yearbook is back into motion.
Posters are now being displayed around the school asking for quotes to be placed below each student's photograph as well as a note in our bulletin giving the information at registration times.

A meeting has been scheduled with Derek Young of the Homework Diary Company on Friday the 16th January to discuss what deadlines will have to be made to insure the Yearbook will be published in time for 6th year breaking up before the exams. Derek will also give our comittee information on how to create a succesful yearbook with proper procedures on all aspects of its design.

Mr Mulheron will be sitting in on the meeting to be kept up to date with our developments.

10:10:34 AM  #    comment []

Initial Yearbook Template

Over the weekend, I have came up with an initial template for the book detailing its contents and all pupils which will be in the book.
Please feel free to have a look. Your comments are invited.

10:17:57 AM  #    comment []

Return of the Forms

After issuing the year with a form asking them for the quote they wish to have under their name, I am now finally getting a response.
With 75 people interested in buying the yearbook, and around 40 quotes handed in, thre is a long way to go.

10:05:31 AM  #    comment []

The Homework Diary Company

I  scheduled a meeting with Mr Derek Young, the sales director of the Homework Diary Company Ltd., last Friday in our school.
Before he arrived, we had our minds set on the previous quote we had received jointly from Exactaprint and Cameron Book Binders.

Derek brought with him his portfolio of previous publications. Dalziel High School's yearbook which is their biggest production. Derek also mentioned it was the biggest yearbook in Britain. His company's work was excellent.

The meeting was professional, though informal. Derek was concise and to the point, he did not comment on the other quote's we had received, rather he showed what his company could offer.

The Homework Diary Company already have excellent links with St Maurice's as they publish all of our homework diaries and teachers’ diaries as well as 2003's yearbook.

He mailed us when he returned to his company on Friday which arrived on Tuesday. The price he quoted for his production of 80 copies of full colour hard back has dramatically reduced from the initial quote of £23.50 per copy, down to £17 per copy as we are producing the pages ourselves.

After a quick meeting with our yearbook committee, we decided to reply straight away to Derek to accept the offer. We drafted a response letter which was signed by Mr Mulheron which was dispatched on the 25th November.

3:20:07 PM  #    comment []