Write a few words about what the past year has meant to everyone. This will be your opening statement encapsulating how you have grown as people. If your school is in an exotic place like Las Vegas you could bring up how this has affected your time by affording you the chance at interesting opportunities not seen at other schools.
Display a wide range of photos with captions that explain campus life. Action shots of kids eating or studying work well. Include all classes and faculty. The idea is to show the unity of the institution. This section ranges from 30 to 50 pages.
Place class photos next. Begin with color shots of all seniors. Then proceed with black-and-white shots of all juniors, sophomores and freshmen, in that order. The length of this section will depend on class sizes but usually runs about 50 pages.
Lay out the order of the photo montages for these themes: academics, sports, clubs and organizations, and special features. The order is up to you, but make sure each school sport and each club are represented. Action shots are key here. Players scoring touchdowns and students in lab coats doing experiments in physics class would be appropriate.
Put the senior index next. In this area seniors pay to have the right to print photos and messages from family and friends. Not every senior will participate, but large numbers often do. This runs about 25 to 30 pages usually.
Address the ads situation next. Most likely several top businesses in the community have helped pay for the yearbook by having ads placed in it. List these now. Depending on the number of ads and the various sizes, this runs 10 to 15 pages normally.
Compile an index and closing statement. The index should list students alphabetically by last name for convenience. The closing statement should be reflections on the year that has fostered the growth of some and prepared others to step out into the world.