OFFICIAL USAGE AND STYLE GUIDE - cdn.wdmcs.org€¦ · lessons learned, and develop creative solutions. Our community thrives in the dynamic environment innovation creates. Collaboration

DISTRICT BRAND SYSTEM

OFFICIAL USAGE AND STYLE GUIDE

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About this Guide ..................................................................................................4

West Des Moines Community Schools Brand ................................................ 5-6

Organizational Level: Brand Platform .......................................................... 7-10

Identity Level .....................................................................................................11

Messaging Platform .................................................................................... 11-14

Lexicon and Editorial Styleguide ................................................................ 15-34

Visual Identity .............................................................................................. 35-64

Academic Logomark .........................................................................................37

Primary logomark ....................................................................................... 38-39

Secondary logomark .........................................................................................40

Primary logomark — without positioning line .......................................... 41-42

Secondary logomark — without positioning line ............................................43

Primary logomark — acronym .................................................................... 44-45

Secondary logomark — acronym .....................................................................46

Primary logotype — school specific ........................................................... 47-48

Secondary logotype — school specific ....................................................... 49-50

Primary logotype — New Tech ................................................................... 51-52

Secondary logotype — New Tech ....................................................................53

Primary logotype — Staplin Performing Arts Center ................................. 54-55

Common misuse and violations ......................................................................56

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Primary color system ........................................................................................57

Primary color system — tints ............................................................................58

Secondary color system ....................................................................................59

Secondary color system — tints .......................................................................60

District fonts ................................................................................................ 61-63

Locating Files .....................................................................................................64

Email Signature .................................................................................................65

Contact ..............................................................................................................66

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This style guide provides standards for working with the West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) brand system.

The purpose of these standards is to support a unified approach to the district’s brand, ensuring its relevance and integrity.

The guide also provides:

• an explanation of our brand system• direction on when to use the academic logomark versus the athletics and

activites logomark• instructions for creating materials that reflect the WDMCS style• a process for requesting a logo• standards for writing• guidelines for formatting text• tips on when to contact the School/Community Relations Office about

projects• checklists for preparing files for print

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The West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) is known for having high standards.

From outstanding teachers to state-of-the-art facilities, we strive to offer our students the best education our state has to offer.

Our brand reflects this excellence and is an asset to be embraced, protected, and cultivated.

WHAT IS A BRAND?A brand is more than a logo or a brochure.

It is how we express our mission, vision, and values when we connect with our students, our families, our community members, and each other.

Consistently aligning all communications and interactions with the district’s brand adds to the value of each school, program, and department while reinforcing our collective reputation as a district.

It is particularly important that we are disciplined in articulating one clear and consistent brand identity.

COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL BRANDThe School/Community Relations Office worked with families, students, teachers, administrators, and West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education members to develop the district brand platform. The office referred to the model (on page 6) as a guiding structure.

SOURCES: Share Marketing and “Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Connections”

WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BRAND

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ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELThis includes the core elements that drive an organization’s work.

• Vision: The “big ideas” written down in a way that can be shared.

• Mission: The expression of what an organization does.

• Values: The organization’s belief system, which guides its approach.

• Positioning: ❒ Brand Essence: The single idea we hope to own in the minds of our

target audiences. ❒ Brand Promise: The expectation we are setting. They must be true,

believable, and sustainable.

• Personality: It is a list of attributes that reflect the way the organization wants individuals to experience it. It sets the tone and style—or attitude—for communications.

IDENTITY LEVELThis includes the pieces most people think of when they hear the word “brand.” This level is a reflection of the components of the “Organizational Level.”

Messaging Platform: The written brand, includes the name of the organization and its programs, tagline(s), key messages, boilerplate, an elevator pitch, and lexicon.

Visual Identity: This includes the organization’s logos, color palette, typography, imagery, and preferred use of graphics. These elements commu-nicate on a deeper level and are foundational to establishing consistency and connection.

EXPERIENTIAL LEVELThis defines the ways in which audiences interact with the organization— everything from our email signatures to our customer service. It is how our organization is discovered, understood, and experienced.

WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BRAND

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Shared VisionThe West Des Moines Community Schools will be a caring community of learners that knows and lifts every child. We will inspire joy in learning. Our schools will excel at preparing each student for his or her life journey. Brand VisionWe believe students should be able to select from countless excellent opportunities that enable them to explore interests and help them achieve their potential. We believe that every child can learn and every student can find their place in the West Des Moines Community Schools. We will know every student and create a personalized education experience that inspires a joy for learning and prepares them for their life journey. Our students will thrive in a caring, dynamic community where learning is interactive, creative, challenging, and relevant.

MissionWorking in partnership with each family and the community, it is the mission of the district to educate responsible lifelong learners so that each student possesses the skills, knowledge, creativity, sense of self-worth, and values necessary to thrive in and contribute to a diverse and changing world.

Guiding Principles• Continuous Improvement—We continuously develop new ways to

measure and assess our effectiveness and the quality of our programs and services. Ongoing communication among students, staff, and families and the community results in new learning and improvement.

• Personalized Learning—We commit to knowing each student as an individual, providing meaningful and appropriate learning experiences in a caring environment.

• Optimum Use of Resources—We value every person, place, and thing as a resource for building our learning community. We maintain accountability and responsibility while encouraging the creative and flexible use of these resources to support learning.

• Integration—We create and strengthen relationships that support learning. The interrelationships among our programs, services, people, and other resources are vital to the success of our learning community.

• Diversity—We seek ways to learn about and understand the uniqueness of each person. We need differences to enrich our relationships, our community, and our quest for continuous improvement.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL: BRAND PLATFORM

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Values• Innovation• Collaboration• Community• Growth• Excellence• Authentic Learning Values DefinedInnovationThe West Des Moines Community Schools integrates technologies and methodologies in developing new opportunities and diverse paths for learning.

Our drive to continually improve sparks creativity.

We encourage and support team members to explore new approaches, share lessons learned, and develop creative solutions.

Our community thrives in the dynamic environment innovation creates. CollaborationUnderstanding the needs of our students and community is the cornerstone of our mission. We actively seek feedback, opinions, and ideas from students, parents, and community members—they are part of our shared decision- making process. We listen to understand differing perspectives, ideas, and opinions to reach the best decisions. Teamwork is imperative to delivering an excellent educational experience. CommunityAll students can find their place to belong, connect, and explore in the West Des Moines Community Schools. We build relationships with students by believing in them, providing opportunities, and encouraging discovery. With caring hearts and a focus on students, we embrace diversity and inspire the best in our students, our colleagues, and ourselves. We provide opportunities for community and business leaders to share their experiences and knowledge with students—in the classroom and workplace—and offer service-learning opportunities to enrich the WDMCS education program.


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Values Defined (continued)GrowthWe will inspire every student to achieve his or her greatest potential. We advance learning by understanding our students’ differing strengths, interests, and challenges. We connect each student to educational experiences that ignite and nurture their individual passions. We work with every student and his or her family to create a personalized education plan based on the student’s individual abilities and interests. We invest in professional development for our teachers and staff. ExcellenceWe are passionate about delivering excellence in all that we do, resulting in outstanding educational opportunities. We take time for thoughtful, critical analysis. Our inclusive approach informs optimal strategies and solutions. We look for ways to continuously improve and innovate to ensure our programming is best-in-class for our profession. Authentic LearningOur educators are outstanding in their disciplines. They actively seek and implement forward-thinking and innovative teaching methodologies. We deliver relevant programming that integrates field experiences and applies project-based learning to real-world challenges. We nurture connections with our communities to best prepare our students for their life journey.


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PositioningBrand EssenceExcellent Opportunities Brand Promise to StudentsYou will find where you belong in the West Des Moines Community Schools. You will have many opportunities. Our countless activities offer you many ways to meet friends, discover new interests, practice talents, and develop a drive to succeed in a competitive world. You will gain knowledge and develop skills to prepare you for life. Your personalized educational path will help you achieve your potential. Your teachers will give their best to provide challenging academic experiences, relevant and project-based programming, and nearly limitless opportunities. You will have a voice. We will encourage your input and listen to you and your family in order to understand your individual needs and interests. Personality• Competitive• Caring• Welcoming• Proud• Passionate• Intelligent• Dynamic


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We express the West Des Moines Community Schools brand visually and through the voice, tone, and style of our written and verbal communications.

MESSAGING PLATFORM

Editorial Voice and ToneIn general, the tone of the West Des Moines Community Schools’ communications to our students, families, and community members must reflect our brand personality. It should be dynamic, concise, intelligent, and bold, but also caring and personable.

We express our welcoming and caring nature by using engaging, everyday language. We want to use the correct terms, but education-speak and jargon create a barrier between us and our students and their families.

• What is an assessment? Is it a test, a portfolio, an essay? • What is the LRC? • What does ESEA mean?

We want to avoid sounding institutional or overly authoritative, while not being too casual. When communicating about rules, policies, and procedures, think about the reader’s takeaway instead of repeating legal jargon.

A dynamic communicator is active and engaging. When writing, use an active voice with strong verbs, and avoid using a passive voice. Try, “The principal will consider the new program,” versus the weaker version, “The new program will be considered by the principal.”

Striking the right balance in a message requires flexibility. When writing on behalf of the district or a school, there are times to use “we” or “us.” Other times, it is best to use the third person and use “the district” or “the school.” Always consider your audience, your message, and the district brand to create the best communication.

Every time you connect with our families, students, and community members, you are contributing to the district’s voice and brand. Before writing the first sentence, ask yourself:

1. What is the purpose of this communication?2. Can I state the purpose in one sentence?3. Who is the audience?4. What matters most to the audience?5. Is there a chance I could use jargon?6. Is there a more common term or word I can use instead?7. What action do I want my reader to take after reading this communication?

How do I want them to feel?8. How can I connect my messages to the district brand and bolster the

district’s reputation?

IDENTITY LEVEL: MESSAGING PLATFORM

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Our NameUsing the district’s name consistently and correctly is important to our brand.

Always use “Community” in the full name because our district covers parts of five cities. Do not use West Des Moines Schools, either in writing or verbally. Omission of the word “Community” neglects our mission, vision, and guiding principles and excludes our students and families who live in the cities other than West Des Moines.

West Des Moines Community SchoolsThis is the common reference to the district, to be used in the majority of written communications. • Always treat as a singular noun. In this reference, “schools” refers to one

singular group of buildings or a community of schools. ❒ Correct: The West Des Moines Community Schools is the ninth-largest

school district in Iowa.• References to the district should only be capitalized when the full name is

used. • WDMCS is acceptable as a second reference after the district’s full name is

introduced. WDMCS may also be used in socail media. In addition, “district” may be used on second reference. Do not capitalize.

West Des Moines Community School DistrictThis is the formal name of the district only to be used in state and federal reports, legal documents, and policies. References to the district should only be capitalized when the full name is used. • Do not use West Des Moines School District.• On second reference, “district” may be used. This should not be capitalized.

The only exception to this rule is in legal documents, where the word may be capitalized. ❒ Correct: All buildings in the district will be closed.

• Do not use WDMCSD.


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Tagline/Positioning LineInnovative spirit. Inspiring success.

The tagline can be used with the main district logo, as a wordmark graphic, and as text in copy.

The tagline must not be used in conjunction with the activities logo.

The tagline wordmark can be used adjacent to, or separately from, the district academic logo. The tagline does not replace the district or school academic logo when it stands alone as a graphic element. The district or school academic logo must be included in the document to indicate the communication comes from the West Des Moines Community Schools.

The tagline may be used in text verbatim or it may be referenced, as long as it is used in a positive context and aligns with the district brand. For example, “Teacher Pam Graham inspires her students every day to succeed.” The tagline should never be used as an acronym or initialism and should only be expressed in complete words. Shortening the tagline to its initials is incorrect usage and does not represent the district.

Key MessagesThe following key messages are ideas we want to express to establish our position in the minds of prospective families and community members. While you won’t find these verbatim on our website or in a publication, they are to be woven into everything we write about the district.

The West Des Moines Community Schools is the district of choice for:

• students who want a place to belong, connect, and explore their interests through a diverse selection of outstanding extra- and cocurricular activities

• students who want to make a difference in their community and experience authentic learning that connects them with business, nonprofit, and civic leaders

• families who want their children to have customized learning experiences available through one of the largest selections of excellent academic courses and programs

• families who want to develop their children’s potential by working as partners with highly-educated, experienced teachers trained in innovative, proven methods

• parents and guardians who want schools with a family feel where teachers care about students and students can safely learn, explore, and play

• families who want their children to graduate with the essential skills and integrity to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems as a confident person, embracing our diverse and changing world


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BoilerplateA boilerplate is the “About Us” copy sometimes paired with the mission state-ment and is often used at the bottom of news releases.

The West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) is a highly-ranked accredited public school district in Iowa with approximately 9,000 students in grades K-12.

The district offers one of the largest selections of excellent academic courses and programs in the state, allowing students a customized learning experience. Caring, experienced teachers partner with families to develop each child’s potential through innovative, proven methods. Through authentic learning that connects them with business, nonprofit, and civic leaders, students can make a difference in their community.

A WDMCS school is a family, where teachers care about each student and students can safely learn, explore, and play. Students can find a place to belong, connect, and explore their interests through a diverse selection of outstanding academic programs and extra- and cocurricular activities.

WDMCS graduates possess the essential skills and integrity to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems as confident people, embracing our diverse and changing world.

Elevator Pitch The elevator pitch is a two-sentence description of the district. Every staff and School Board member should know the pitch by heart and be able to share it when asked about the district.

The West Des Moines Community Schools is a highly-ranked public school district where students find a place to belong, connect, explore, learn, and launch their future. We offer personalized learning through one of the largest selections of excellent academic programs and activities in the state of Iowa.


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This section sets writing standards for the employees of the West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) when creating a document, publication, or form of communication.

The purpose of these standards is to help our students, their families, community members, and other customers understand what we are trying to communicate. We do this by

• having a consistent, unifying style within a document, across multiple documents, and from building to building;

• using engaging and clear writing;• avoiding education-speak or institutional jargon; and• reducing an alphabet soup of initialisms and acronyms.

As the Yale University style guide states, “The hallmark of any style is consistency, which allows publications to avoid conflicting usage that, while not absolutely incorrect, can make a poor impression—especially for publications originating at an institution of higher learning.” These words also ring true for public school districts.

The following resources were referenced in developing this style guide:

• The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2010. (Used for newspapers, media, etc.)

• The Chicago Manual of Style Online• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition) Springfield, MA

Merriam-Webster Inc. Merriam-Webster’s online version as a quick, updated reference

• The style guides of several colleges and universities, including Boston University, Mount Holyoke College, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Vanderbilt University, and Yale University.

• The National PTA® Style Guide

Editorial style references often contradict one another. The WDMCS School/Community Relations Office staff worked with teachers, administrators, and staff members in the district to determine preferred styles that fit the district.

This editorial guide is not comprehensive.

The editorial guide does not set standards for student work related to academic courses or curriculum. When writing for an academic journal or specialized audience, please reference the style appropriate to the discipline.

LEXICON AND EDITORIAL GUIDE

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Abbreviations and Acronyms• In general, avoid “alphabet soup”—unnecessary use of acronyms and

initialisms—whenever possible.• An informal reference or acronyms/abbreviations may be used as a

secondary reference after they are introduced. ❒ Correct: The West Des Moines Education Association met at the

Learning Resource Center. The association’s members wanted to re view the district’s employment agreements. ❒ Correct: The West Des Moines Education Association (WDMEA) met at

the Learning Resource Center. Members of the WDMEA wanted to review the district’s employment agreements. ❒ Incorrect first reference: The WDMEA met at the LRC to review the

agreements.• Use periods in two-letter abbreviations: U.S., U.N., Ph.D. (even though it has

the small “h”); exceptions include AP, as in the Advanced Placement exam, because this is a registered trademark; and ID.

• Use all caps, but no periods, in longer abbreviations: BSE, YMCA, CIA• Use the abbreviated form of a unit of measurement; use the same symbol

for both the singular and the plural forms.• Clarify an unfamiliar abbreviated form within parentheses following its first

use in a document.• Spell out abbreviations that begin a sentence (except for abbreviated words

that, by convention, are never spelled out, like Mr. and Mrs., or are widely known, like SAT or NASA).

• Spell out rather than abbreviate words that are connected to other words by hyphens: ❒ Correct: 6-foot gap ❒ Incorrect: 6-ft. gap

• Do not abbreviate the names of months and days when they stand alone within normal text.

• Avoid the symbol form of abbreviations except in charts, graphs, illustrations, and other visual aids.

• Use a single period when an abbreviation ends a sentence.

Academic Degrees• Avoid abbreviations when possible; the preferred form is to spell out

degrees.• Formal Use: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in

Engineering, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy ❒ There is no apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, etc.

• General Use: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree ❒ Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc.; note the

apostrophe before the “s.” ◆ Correct: She has a master’s degree in education.

• Abbreviated use: B.A., B.S., BSE, M.A., Ed.D., and Ph.D.


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Academic Degrees (continued)• Use abbreviations only

❒ when the need to identify many people by degree on first reference would make the preferred method cumbersome, and ❒ after a full name and set the abbreviations off with commas.

• The word “degree” should not follow an abbreviation. ❒ Correct: She has a B.A. in education. ❒ Correct: Samuel Cotton, Ph.D., lectured yesterday on bioethics.

• Do not use Dr. unless the individual is a medical doctor. According to the Associated Press Style Guide, the public frequently identifies Dr. only with physicians.

Academic Subjects• Academic subjects are not capitalized unless they form part of a

department name or an official course name or are themselves proper nouns (e.g., English, Latin). ❒ Incorrect: She teaches Math. ❒ Correct: He is taking a history class. ❒ Correct: She is taking Introductory Chemistry.

• Please see more under “Capitalization.”

Academic Years• Use the full year, a hyphen, and the last two digits of the second year to

refer to a period of time within the same century, but full years joined by a hyphen when the range crosses into another century. ❒ Correct: 2016-17; 1999-2000 ❒ Incorrect: 2016-2017; 1999-00

• Graduated classes should be referred to as the “Class of 2002,” where “Class” is capitalized and the year is not abbreviated. Using ’02 is incorrect and can be confusing. ❒ Correct: Jane Jones, a member of the Class of 2012, spoke to the class.

• Terms designating academic years are lowercased. (Please see the “Num-bers” section for further guidance.) ❒ ninth-grader, sophomore, junior, senior

◆ Correct: Jane Jones, who is a senior, serves as the club’s president. ◆ Correct: Jane Jones, a 12th-grader, is the club’s president.

• Because it is preferable to avoid gender-specific language, use “ninth-grade student” or “ninth-grader” in place of “freshman” if it does not change or make ambiguous the meaning of the sentence. (“Freshman” is used in the formal name of Valley Southwoods Freshman High School.)

• See further under the “Grade Level” section.


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Ampersand (&)• Use the ampersand when it is part of a formal company or department

name or a composition title. ❒ Teaching & Learning Services Department, Athletics & Activities

Department• The ampersand should not otherwise be used in place of “and” in running

text. Exceptions may include replacing “and” in charts, graphics, headlines/titles, and lists.

Apostrophe (’)• Use to show possession.

❒ For plural nouns ending in “s,” add only an apostrophe. ◆ Correct: The boys’ basketball team won the state tournament.

• For singular common nouns ending in “s,” add “’s.” ❒ Correct: the hostess’s invitation, the witness’s answer.

• For singular proper names ending in an “s” that is unpronounced, use only an apostrophe. ❒ Correct: Descartes’ theories.

• For singular proper names ending in “s” and “s” sounds, use “’s.” ❒ Correct: the Adams’s, Cox’s vote, the prince’s life.

• For plurals of a single letter, add “‘s.” This includes letter grades. ❒ Correct: Valley High School has a long tradition of excellence in

academics, activities, arts, and athletics. We call these the Four A’s. ❒ Correct: She earned A’s in most of her classes.

• Do not use “’s” for plurals of numbers, or multiple letter combinations: the 1980s, RBIs

• Do not use “’s” for the possessive form of the pronoun it. ❒ Correct: its ❒ Incorrect: it’s

Associations • When referring to an organization with the word “association” in its title,

spell out the name of the organization on first reference.• lowercase “the association” on second reference.

AthleticsPlease refer to the sports guidelines in the Associated Press Stylebook for guidance on athletics-related content.


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Board of Education• Use the formal name on first reference and always capitalize when referring

specifically to the West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education. ❒ Correct: West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education

• Second reference should be capitalized when used alone and referring specifically to the West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education. The second reference may be either the School Board or the Board.

• The Board is led by a president or vice president; do not use chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson.

• Do not capitalize president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, members when the titles stand alone or come after a name. Please see the “Capitalization” section for further guidance.

• Do not hyphenate vice president.• An individual who is elected to the Board is a “member”; “director” is

acceptable in policies and legal documents, but not preferred.

Buildings and Spaces• References to specific buildings/programs should be as follows. The full

proper name should be used the first time it is referenced; a shortened version may be used thereafter. The preferred shortened versions are in parentheses below.

• Avoid “alphabet soup”; do not use initials (i.e. CSI, VHS, LRC). The only exception to this is when buildings are referenced in a condensed tabular form or charts with limit space. This should be of limited use and only for internal audiences. For this use only, acceptable initials are listed below. ❒ Clive Learning Academy (Clive, CL) ❒ Crestview School of Inquiry (Crestview, CV) ❒ Crossroads Park Elementary (Crossroads Park, not Crossroads; CR) ❒ Fairmeadows Elementary (Fairmeadows, FM) ❒ Hillside Elementary (Hillside, HD) ❒ Jordan Creek Elementary (Jordan Creek, JC) ❒ Western Hills Elementary (Western Hills, WH) ❒ Westridge Elementary (Westridge, WR) ❒ Indian Hills Junior High (Indian Hills, IH) ❒ Stilwell Junior High (Stilwell, ST) ❒ Valley Southwoods Freshman High School (Valley Southwoods,

not Southwoods; VSW) ❒ Valley High School (Valley, VHS) ❒ Walnut Creek Campus (Walnut Creek, WC) ❒ Learning Resource Center (Resource Center) ❒ Operations Center (Operations) ❒ Valley Stadium ❒ Staplin Performing Arts Center (Staplin Center, not PAC) ❒ Tiger Field


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Capitalization In general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Use a capital letter only if you can justify it by one of the principles listed here or it is otherwise determined by the district style guide.

Proper NounsCapitalize nouns that constitute the unique identification for a specific person, place, or thing: John, Mary, America, Boston.• Proper Names: Capitalize common nouns such as party, river, street, and

west when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place, or thing (Crestview School of Inquiry Media Center, Mississippi River, Fleet Street, West Virginia). Lowercase these common nouns when they stand alone in subsequent references (the media center, the river, the street).

Administrative and Academic Titles• When used alone or without a name, titles should be lowercase.• When preceding a name, titles should be uppercase; however, please note

that teacher and administrator are occupational titles and are not capitalized.

• When following a name, titles should be lowercase.• When used in constructions that set them off from a name by commas,

titles should be lowercase. ❒ Correct: Lisa Remy, superintendent, is in a meeting. ❒ Correct: Superintendent Lisa Remy is in a meeting. ❒ Correct: The principal of Valley High School is Tim Miller. ❒ Incorrect: The Principal of Valley High School, Tim Miller,

led the session. ❒ Incorrect: Tim Miller will serve as Principal of Valley High School.

Committee Names• Capitalize only when using the full formal names of committees.

❒ Correct: Superintendent’s Human Resources Advisory Committee ❒ Incorrect: the HR Committee

• See further guidance under the “Committees” section.

Course Names• Official names of courses should be capitalized (e.g., Statistics), but never

italicized or put in quotation marks.• Informal descriptions of courses or academic fields should be lowercase

(e.g., “a statistics course” or “She teaches music.”).• See further guidance under the “Academic Subjects” section.

Department Names• See guidance under the “Departments” section.


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Program Names• When cited in full, capitalize a program’s proper name. In subsequent

informal references, lowercase “program” when used alone.

Other Capitalization Rules• Avoid writing in all capital letters, especially in headings and page titles.• Never capitalize sophomore, junior, or senior, unless used in a title.• Capitalize the title of a web page or form if the full title is used. Otherwise,

the partial title should be written in lowercase letters. ❒ Correct: More information can be found on the “Student Activities” page. ❒ Correct: More information can be found on the activities page. ❒ Correct: Families must fill out and return the “Do Not Release Form”

when registering for school.

Colon (:)• Use to link related thoughts, one of which must be capable of standing

alone as a sentence.• Emphasize the second thought (unlike semicolons, which emphasize both

thoughts equally, and dashes, which emphasize the break in the sentence and can emphasize the first thought). Most of the time, if you can replace a colon with the word “namely,” then a colon is the right choice.

• Introduce lists or examples. For further guidance see the “Lists” section.• Never use a colon after a preposition or a verb.• Separate hours from minutes, volumes from pages, and the first part of a

ratio from the second. ❒ Correct: The deadline is 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

• Separate titles from subtitles: “Government Architecture: Managing Interface Specifications”

Code/Law References• The numbers associated with the titles of state codes (compilations) for

laws and municipal ordinances are set in Roman numerals.

Contractions• Use contractions to establish a personal, informal tone. • Do not confuse contractions with possessive pronouns: It’s (it is) a

regulatory issue. ❒ Correct: The company lost its lease.


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Comma (,)• When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series of three or more,

a comma—known as the serial or series comma or the Oxford comma—should appear before the conjunction. ❒ Correct: The members of the Beatles were John, Paul, George, and

Ringo. ❒ Correct: The high school buildings in the district are Valley High School,

Valley Southwoods Freshman High School, and Walnut Creek Campus.• Exception: When writing for the news media and following Associated Press

style, do not use a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. • Use commas to set off a person’s hometown and age.

❒ Correct: Jane Doe, Clive, was absent. ❒ Correct: Joe Smith, 14, was absent yesterday.

Commencement/Graduation• Capitalize when referring to the district’s events. Lowercase general

references. ❒ Correct: Valley High School Commencement ❒ Correct: Walnut Creek Campus Graduation ❒ Correct: A school’s commencement is a special event.

Committees• Capitalize the formal name of a group, committee, association, task force.

❒ Correct: The Westridge Parent-Teacher Association ❒ Correct: The ABC High School Student Government Association ❒ Correct: The Superintendent’s Finance and Facilities Advisory

Committee• Lowercase the informal name of a group, committee, association, and task

force. ❒ Correct: The school’s parent group will bring dinner for the teachers. ❒ Correct: Student government members are volunteering to help. ❒ Incorrect: Student Government will vote tomorrow. ❒ Correct: The finance and facilities committee is reviewing the bills. ❒ Incorrect: The F&F Committee is reviewing the bills.

• Use lowercase for the words “committee” or “association” on second reference when they stand alone.

• See further guidance under the “Capitalization” section.

Copyright Notice• All printed materials and published web pages are considered copyright

protected. Designation of copyright on all published material should read: © West Des Moines Community Schools 2016. All rights reserved.

(The year cited should change to reflect the current year.)


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Credit Hours• Use Arabic figures to refer to credit hours.

Dates• Always use Arabic figures, without “st,” “nd,” “rd,” or “th” for dates.• When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate the month

according to the Associated Press Style Guide: Jan., Feb., Aug. Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. The others (March, April, May, June, and July— five letters or fewer) should always be spelled out. All months should be spelled out when using alone or with a year alone. ❒ Correct: He was born on Oct. 4. ❒ Correct: She was born on April 13. ❒ Correct: Her birthday is in September. ❒ Correct: February 1980 was his best month.

• When a phrase refers to a month, day, and year, set off the year with commas. ❒ Correct: He was born on Nov. 1, 1964, in Clive.

• When including a day of the week with the date, use a comma after the day and after the date. ❒ Correct: The reception will be Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5 p.m.

• Do not use a comma when a phrase refers to a date but not a year or when referring to just the month and year. ❒ Correct: The student presentation will be held on Feb. 15 in the

Staplin Center. ❒ Correct: The program began in April 2009 with 10 people.

• Use the full year, a hyphen, and the last two digits of the second year to refer to a period of time within the same century, but full years joined by a hyphen when the range crosses into another century. ❒ the 2011-12 academic year ❒ the 1999-2000 academic year

• When writing a span of dates, do not combine a preposition, such as “from” and “between,” with a hyphen, which implies “through”. ❒ Incorrect: Spring break will be from March 7-14. ❒ Incorrect: Finals will be held between May 26-27. ❒ Correct: Spring break will be March 7-14. ❒ Correct: Spring break will be from March 7 to March 14. ❒ Correct: Spring break will be March 7 through March 14.

• Military and European dates should not be used.


24

Decades• Decades should be expressed in numerals. Use an apostrophe to indicate

numerals that are left out. Show plural by adding the letter “s” without an apostrophe. ❒ Correct: The book was published in the 1920s ❒ Incorrect: The book was published in the 1920’s. ❒ Correct: ’60s fashion ❒ Correct: She is in her 70s.

• When a century is a noun, there is no hyphen; there is a hyphen when it is an adjective. ❒ Noun: the 20th century ❒ Adjective: 20th-century literature

Departments—Academic and Administrative• Capitalize department names when referring to a district-level or

school-level department. ❒ Correct: the Business Services Department, the Human Resources

Department, the Nutrition Services Department, the Operations Department, the Teaching & Learning Services Department, the Technology Department, the Transportation Department, the Registrar’s Office, the School/Community Relations Office, the Superintendent’s Office ❒ Correct: the History Department, the Art Department, the Social

Studies Department• Capitalize the department name when it is used with a title that precedes

an individual’s name. ❒ Correct: Nutrition Services Department Director Willow Dye gave a

presentation to the third-grade students about healthy eating. • Do not capitalize the words department, committee, program, division,

center, ad-hoc committee, task forces, or office when not part of the official name. ❒ Correct: the department, the office ❒ Incorrect: the Department, the Office

• Capitalize program only when it is part of the program’s official name. See the “Capitalization” section for further guidance.

Ellipsis (...)• An ellipsis is the omission of a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a

quoted passage. • Indicate such omissions by the use of three periods rather than by another

device such as asterisks. ❒ Use a space, the ellipses (three dots), and another space when words

are missing from the middle of a sentence. ❒ Ellipses are normally not used (1) before the first word of a

quotation, even if the beginning of the original sentence has been omitted; or (2) after the last word of a quotation, even if the end of the original sentence has been omitted, unless the sentence as quoted is deliberately incomplete.


25

Faculty and Staff• Use “faculty” when referring to employees with academic rank or a teaching

certification in an educational institution. The word “staff” or “employees” refers to all individuals working for an organization.

• The words “faculty” or “staff” can be used with either singular or plural verb agreement. When faculty means the teaching staff as a collective whole, it takes a singular verb. When “faculty” is used to mean faculty members it takes a plural verb. To avoid confusion, use faculty members. ❒ Correct: The district’s faculty is committed to excellence in teaching. ❒ Correct: The staff have received several awards and honors. ❒ Correct: The faculty members are participating in the professional

development session.

First/Second Reference• Use a person’s full name and title the first time you mention him or her. For

example: Superintendent Lisa Remy, Ed.D., not Superintendent Remy. On second reference and after, refer to the person by last name only.

• When an abbreviation or acronym cannot be avoided due to the length of the name or reference, spell out abbreviations or acronyms on first reference followed by the abbreviation or acronym within parentheses. For example, use West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS), the first time you refer to the district. You may use WDMCS after that within the document or section of a longer publication.

Fiscal Year• The district’s fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30, and carries the

numerical designation of the latter year. For example, the fiscal year running July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017, constitutes fiscal year 2017.

• FY and the last two digits of the year are acceptable on second reference. ❒ Correct: FY17

Freshman• Because it is preferable to avoid gender-specific language, use “ninth-grade

student” or “ninth-grader” in place of “freshman” if it does not change or make ambiguous the meaning of the sentence.

• “Freshman” is used in the formal name of Valley Southwoods Freshman High School.


26

Grade Level• When a grade reference stands alone, use this construction:

❒ Correct: first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, and so on. ❒ Incorrect: grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 ❒ Incorrect: grade one, grade two, grade three, and so on.

• Hyphenate in combining forms. ❒ Correct: He is a fourth-grade student. ❒ Correct: She is a 12th-grade student. ❒ Correct: Manuel is a first-grader, and his sister is a 12th-grader.

• For grade ranges, use figures and a hyphen (not through or to): grades 5-6 ❒ Avoid: 10th-12th grades; ordinals below 10 are spelled out, resulting in

awkward constructions such as fourth-10th grade ❒ Ranges and kindergarten

◆ Incorrect: From kindergarten through sixth grade, the classroom teacher determines needs. ◆ Correct: In grades K-6, the classroom teacher determines needs.

• Lowercase “preschool” and abbreviate only for charts, graphics, and tables (use pre-K or PK)

• Lowercase “kindergarten” and “kindergartner” and abbreviate only for charts, graphics, and tables (use K)

• For other grade levels, see the “Numbers” section.

Grades (Letter Grades)• Capitalize letter grades used for courses and grade names such as

Incomplete and Pass (A, B, C, D, F, I, P). Do not put quotation marks around grades. When referring to a plural letter grade or more than one, use apos-trophes: A’s and B’s ❒ Correct: She received an A on the assignment. ❒ Correct: He received three B’s last semester.

Homecoming• Not capitalized except when preceded by the school’s name or used with

the year as part of the name of a specific homecoming. Lowercase other uses. ❒ Correct: Valley High School Homecoming is Oct. 10. ❒ Correct: The alumni plan to attend Homecoming 2017. ❒ Correct: They have a float in the homecoming parade. ❒ Correct: She is going to homecoming.


27

Hyphen (-) and Dash (—) ❒ Use a hyphen for compound adjectives before the noun: well-known

actor, full-time job, 20-year sentence. ❒ Do not use a hyphen when the compound modifier occurs after the

verb: The actor was well known. Her job became full time. He was sentenced to 20 years. ❒ Do not use a hyphen to denote an abrupt change in a sentence—use

an em dash. ◆ Correct: He listed the qualities—intelligence, humor, and

independence—that he admires. ❒ There are no spaces before/after a hyphen (full-time job, 4-6 p.m.) or

before/after a dash (see above).

Honors and Awards• Names of awards and prizes are capitalized when part of the official name

of the award, but lowercased when used as a generic term with the official names. ❒ Correct: National Merit Scholarship awards ❒ Correct: Academy Award

International Students• Use international student or international exchange student.

Lists Guidance on lists and their punctuation vary. The following are general guidelines. • Lists may be either run into the text or set vertically (outline style).

❒ Short, simple lists are usually better run in, especially if the introduction and the items form a complete grammatical sentence. ❒ Lists that require typographic prominence, that are relatively long, or

that contain items of several levels should be set vertically.

Outline-Style Lists (Bullets or Numbers)• Use a bulleted outline-style list if the order of the items is not significant;

use a numbered vertical list if the items are to be considered in a particular order.

• Terminal punctuation for bulleted items is optional for phrases, and de-pends on the style of the document. Consistency is the key.

• A period is required at the end of entries if at least one entry is a complete sentence, in which case a period should be used at the end of all the entries.


28

Outline-Style Lists (Bullets or Numbers) (continued)• Use a colon to introduce a list only when the text following the colon does

not flow naturally from it. ❒ Correct: The students in the Monday class have three assignments:

◆ Read a chapter in a novel from the 18th century. ◆ Write an essay comparing it with a chapter in a novel from the 20th

century. ◆ Complete both projects by 5 p.m.

• If a list completes the sentence that introduces it, then an introductory colon is not needed. The items begin with lowercase letters. Use commas to separate each item unless the listed items already have commas, in which case a semicolon should be used. The last item ends with a period. ❒ Correct: A coach may be interested in recruiting a player if the athlete

◆ displays a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the sport, ◆ has sufficient academic preparation to meet the requirements of the

school’s classes, and ◆ maintains a positive attitude.

• Items in a list should be syntactically similar. ❒ Correct: The coaches look for several characteristics when recruiting

players: ❒ Talent and skill in the sport ❒ Sufficient academic preparation ❒ Positive attitude

Run-in Lists• If the introductory material forms a grammatically complete sentence, a

colon should precede the first item. Otherwise, a colon is not necessary. ❒ Correct: The qualifications are as follows: a doctorate in physics, five

years’ experience in a national laboratory, and an ability to communicate technical matter to a lay audience.

• If numerals or letters are used to mark the divisions in a run-in list, enclose them in parentheses.

• Generally a comma is sufficient to separate the items listed. Use a semicolon if the items themselves contain commas. ❒ Correct: Compose three sentences to illustrate analogous uses of (1)

commas, (2) em dashes, and (3) parentheses. ❒ Correct: Students are advised to bring the following items: (a) warm,

sturdy outer clothing; (b) a scarf, a hat, and a pair of gloves or mittens; and (c) a pair of boots and extra socks.


29

Names• On first reference, refer to a person by his or her full name (John Doe). On

subsequent references, you may use only the last name (Doe). Never use the first name alone.

• A person who prefers to use a middle name may be listed with his or her first initial followed by the full middle name (e.g., R. John Doe).

• When listing two initials, use periods but do not include a space between the initials (e.g., R.J. Doe).

• Middle initials should be used in names when provided and/or when the individual prefers it that way (e.g., John J. Doe).

• If the person prefers a nickname, it may be included in quotation marks between the first and last names (e.g., William “Bill” Doe). In less formal documents, the nickname may be used without the full first name.

• Do not set off Jr., Sr., II, or III with commas ❒ Correct: John Doe Jr. ❒ Incorrect: John Doe, Jr.

• Name spellings are important. If in doubt, call the office, department, or person directly to verify the spelling of a name before publishing it.

Non-Discrimination PolicyThe following equal opportunity statement must be included on all printed documents produced by the district, its schools, and programs. The statement must be printed in a font size no smaller than 8 point:

The West Des Moines Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator Carol Seid, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50265; Phone: 515-633-5037; Email: [email protected].

Numbers• In general, spell out the numbers zero through nine. Use Arabic numerals

for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure, in all tabular matter, and in statistical and sequential forms. Use the same rule for first through ninth and 10th and up. ❒ Correct: The ninth-grader had 15 late assignments. The 10th-grader

had three late assignments.


30

Numbers (continued)• Always use figures when referring to ages of people, animals, events, or

things. ❒ When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is

presumed to be years. ❒ Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as

substitutes for a noun. ◆ Correct: A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. ◆ Correct: The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. ◆ Correct: The brother, 15, has a sister 5 years old. ◆ Correct: The race is for 3-year-olds.

• See below for usage in dates.• Use Arabic numerals for academic course numbers:

❒ Correct: Photography 1, Chemistry 2, History 6• Spell out numerals that start a sentence. If the result is awkward, recast the

sentence. ❒ Correct: Twenty-seven students took the exam yesterday. ❒ Correct: Yesterday, 993 ninth-graders attended the assembly.

• Use Roman numerals for wars, monarchs, certain legislation, and popes: World War II, King George VI, Pope John XXIII.

• For large numbers, use a hyphen to connect a word ending in “y” to another word when needed. Using Arabic numerals is preferred. ❒ Correct: twenty-one, one hundred forty-three, seventy-six thousand five

hundred eighty-seven• Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses.

❒ Correct: The nation has 1 million citizens. ❒ Correct: I need $7 billion. ❒ Correct: Thanks a million.

• For proper names, use words or numerals according to an organization’s practice. ❒ Correct: 3M, Twentieth Century Fund, Big Ten

• Be consistent. Treat numbers of the same type equally within a sentence, paragraph, or section.

Parent/Guardian (Family)Use “family” whenever possible instead of “parent” or parent/guardian, respecting that our students have individuals in their family support structures who may not be their parents. Using parent/guardian is often awkward. An exception is parent groups, such as Parent-Teacher Associations, which are often affiliated with national organizations. See the “Parent Groups and Booster Clubs” section for further guidance.

Parent Groups and Booster ClubsThe West Des Moines Community Schools has wonderful support from our students’ families. Our schools have groups and organizations that engage families in supporting school activities and academics. In addition, several of our cocurricular and extracurricular areas have booster clubs or guilds.


31

Parent Groups and Booster Clubs (continued)Please refer to the specific school’s family organization for its preferred style. If the group is affiliated with the National PTA®, refer to the national organization’s style guide. When no style is defined, please use the following.• Capitalize the group’s proper name on first reference.

❒ Correct: The Apple Creek Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization holds several fun, family-friendly events throughout the year.

• Use lowercased “organization” or “parent organization” on second reference.

• Because the district has several family groups with differing names—parent teacher association, parent teacher organization, parent faculty club, parent advisory committee—another acceptable second reference for any of these is the general term “parent group” or “family group.” ❒ Correct: The parent group has volunteered more than 1,000 hours for

the event.

Parentheses ()• Enclose explanatory sentences within a paragraph.• Enclose references, examples, ideas, and citations that are not part of the

main thought of a sentence. ❒ Correct: Our course covers all essential skills included in the core

curriculum (energy, motion and stability, waves, and human activity).• Enclose numbers in a paragraph list: The district values we will discuss

below are (1) authentic learning, (2) innovation, and (3) growth.• Enclose acronyms, abbreviations, definitions, and figures that have been

written out: The students studied for the Advanced Placement (AP) exam.

Period (.)• Use a single space after the period at the end of a sentence.• Do not put a space between initials or abbreviations: C.S. Lewis; G.K.

Chesterton; B.A.

Quotation Marks (“ ”)• Put quotation marks around the names of all composition titles (books,

articles, lectures, and works of art), except religious texts and reference material (dictionaries, encyclopedias).

• Periods and commas always go within quotation marks, except when using a parenthetical citation. In this case, the punctuation comes after the parenthetical citation, rather than being enclosed by the quotation marks.

• Place colons, semicolons, and dashes outside quotation marks. Place question marks and exclamation marks inside or outside quotation marks, depending on whether they are or are not part of the quotation.

• In dialogue, each person’s words are placed in a separate paragraph, with quotation marks at the beginning and end of each person’s speech.

• Use single marks for quotes within quotes: She said, “He told me, ‘I love you.’”


32

Seasons• Do not capitalize winter, spring, summer, or fall, unless part of a formal

name: Winter Olympics.• Do not capitalize seasons as part of an academic period: spring semester,

spring break, winter break, spring 2016.

Semester • Semesters should be referred to as “fall 2009” or “spring 2013”; the season

should not be capitalized and the year should not be abbreviated. ❒ Correct: The course will only be held during the spring semester. ❒ Correct: The first assignment of the fall 2015 semester will be an essay.

• Do not use “term”; use “semester.”

Semicolon (;)• The semicolon has two primary functions—linking thoughts and separating

thoughts.• Use semicolons to link complete thoughts that are related, but could

otherwise stand alone as separate sentences. ❒ Correct: The West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education

has held more than five policy hearings in the last five years; in three of those hearings, the policies were adopted.

• Typically, the complete thoughts linked by a semicolon are equal in struc-ture and importance. Writers could separate the complete thoughts with a period and create two sentences; however, the semicolon shows a closer relationship between the thoughts than a period does.

• Use to separate items in a series when one or more of the items has a comma. ❒ Correct: The high school’s new program demonstrates its innovative

spirit; its desire to partner with community businesses, especially high-tech firms; and its commitment to ensuring all students succeed.

Spacing• Leave ample white space on your pages, especially around important ideas

or data.• In single-spaced text, double-space between paragraphs.• Use one space after any mark of punctuation that ends a sentence.• Leave no space before a semicolon and one space after it.• Leave no space before a colon and one space after it within a sentence.• Leave no spaces before or after a hyphen or dash.• Use one space before and one space after an ellipsis.

Spring Break/Winter Break• Lowercase.

❒ Correct: This year, spring break will begin on March 14.


33

States• Spell out the names of all the states in text.• Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another after

the state name, unless at the end of a sentence. ❒ Correct: She traveled from San Diego, California, to go to school in

Kansas City, Missouri. Now, she’s thinking of moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Superscript• Do not use with ordinals.

❒ Incorrect: 12th, 22nd ❒ Correct: 12th, 22nd

TeacherSee “Capitalization”

Telephone Numbers and Extensions• Complete telephone numbers should be provided in any written copy with

the area code and seven-digit number separated by hyphens. • Phone extensions are for internal use only. Therefore, an extension alone

should never be listed as a person’s or department’s official number. ❒ Correct: Call 515-633-5023 for more information. ❒ Incorrect: (515) 633-5023 ❒ Incorrect: Please call the Registrar’s Office at extension 5101 to enroll

your child in school.

Titles Administrative and Academic Titles• When a title comes before a person’s name, use the school or department’s

name, the title, and the individual’s full name name. ❒ Correct: Valley High School Principal Tim Miller ❒ Correct: Nutrition Services Department Director Willow Dye

• An exception to this rule is associate superintendent. In this case, use associate superintendent, department name, and individual’s full name. ❒ Correct: Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Carol Seid

• At the secondary level, use associate principal.• At the elementary level, use assistant principal. • Do not abbreviate a title.• See the “Capitalization” section for further guidance.

Time• Use numerals except for noon and midnight (used alone—not 12 noon).• Extra zeroes are not necessary for events that start on the hour (9 a.m.).• Use a.m. and p.m.—not AM and PM, am and pm, etc.


34


Upperclass Student• Use instead of upperclassman. A specific classification (sophomore, 10th-

grader) is preferred.

Miscellaneous Troublesome TermsThe following is a quick reference on how to treat some common problem words. • Advanced Placement (AP) (See the “Abbreviation” section for further

guidance.)• ACT (This stands for the American College Test, but the organization does

not use the full reference as its formal name. It is known as the ACT.)• AppliTrack• before- and after-school care (not before-and-after-school care)• cocurricular (Do not hyphenate. Generally speaking, cocurricular activities

are an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or academic program.)

• CogAT (This stands for the Cognitive Abilities Test. The organization has trademarked the abbreviated form, which it regularly uses.)

• coursework• department chair (Do not use chairman, chairwomen, or chair person)• districtwide (Do not hyphenate.)• eBoard Solutions• email• extracurricular (Do not use hyphenate. Extracurricular activities may be

offered or coordinated by a school, but may not be explicitly connected to academic learning.)

• homeschool, homeschooling, homeschooler, etc.• GPA• lifelong• login (but two words in verb form: She asked to log in to my computer.)• NutriSlice• parent-teacher conferences (Use hyphen between parent and teacher;

consider using “conference” alone or “family-teacher conference” for more inclusive language)

• P.E. (not phys. ed.)• Program of Studies (capitalize)• SAT (This stands for the Scholastic Aptitude Test, but the organization does

not use the full reference as its formal name. It is known as the SAT.)• substitute teacher (lowercase, do not abbreviate by using “sub”)• TimeClock Plus

If you have further questions, please contact the School/Community Relations Office at the Learning Resource Center.

35

VISUAL IDENTITY

Our brand identity primarily follows a “branded-house” strategy. The district’s academic logo is the primary identifier for nearly all schools, departments, programs, areas, products, and services. The collective power of our unified brand strengthens each area of our district.

Under the district’s academic logo and within our larger district community, each school has a unique identifier, reflecting its community at the building level and its distinct location.

The district also has corresponding identity suites for athletics and activities, the Staplin Performing Arts Center, Valley Stadium, and WDMCS Community Education, all of which serve the greater metro community in a specialized manner.

Much like a college or university has an athletics logo based on a mascot, the majority of schools in the district have the trademarked tiger or paw activities logo. This mark is used in conjunction with athletics, extracurricular activities, and cocurricular activities, and is used for spiritwear.

All logos under the branded house were professionally designed by local agencies. The district’s academic and activities logos were designed by Love Scott & Associates, an Iowa agency that has 40 years of experience in branding and marketing and works with leading companies and nonprofit organizations in the state. Each design was created through a feedback and review process involving district families, students, teachers, staff members, administrators, community members, and School Board members.

The district logo and its configurations detailed in this style guide are the only acceptable graphic identification for the district, and its schools, departments, programs, and areas. No other logos, symbols, or type treatments should be developed or used. Exceptions are granted under extreme circumstances if an area is not central to the district’s mission.

Policies, Administrative Rules, & Usage AgreementsAll logos must comply with WDMCS Board of Education policies and with trademark and copyright laws. This is to maintain the district’s brand integrity and maximize the effectiveness of each identity logo. All logos must be applied as indicated in this manual without modification and comply with all School Board policies and trademark and copyright laws.

Do not alter designs. Standard designs for logo marks and logotypes may not be altered in any way, except to enlarge or reduce size proportionally. Any alterations must be approved by the WDMCS School/Community Relations Office.

IDENTITY LEVEL: VISUAL IDENTITY

36

Board Policy—Code No. 911: District and Schools Names/Logos UsageTo view the most current version of the board policy, please visit our website at www.wdmcs.org.

Administrative Guidelines for the Distribution and Approval of Logo Licencing AgreementsTo view the guidelines, please visit our website at www.wdmcs.org.

Trademarks and CopyrightsThe West Des Moines Community Schools is the trademark owner of all its logomarks. The following activities logos are registered trademarks of the district on file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. • Valley wordmark• Valley “V”• Tiger Paw Print mark• Tiger with V mark

IDENTITY LEVEL: VISUAL IDENTITY

37

ACADEMIC LOGOMARK

Reminiscent of a jubilant individual with arms outstretched in triumph, this logo signifies the opportunities for academic achievement, innovative leadership, and unique paths West Des Moines Community Schools provide for its students. The “open arms” also lend to a welcoming feel—WDMCS has a place for everyone.

The design is comprised of a “W” for West Des Moines Community Schools, and integrates a “V” for Valley. The hash marks on either side of the “V” are a fond and playful reference to the former Valley logo.

The logo uses school colors—orange and black to represent energy and sophistication, respectively—and introduces blue to symbolize quiet strength. The three color blocks also stand for the families, employees, and community members who support each student’s success. This color system can be implemented and branded specifically to WDMCS, making the logo adaptable for individual school destinations while maintaining a consistent look.

As a whole, the logo’s modern design and colors evoke a technological feel that lends itself well to the innovative possibilities of the future.

• Primary Logomark • Secondary Logomark• Primary Logomark—without positioning line• Secondary Logomark—without positioning line• Primary Logomark—acronym• School-Specific Primary Logotype• School-Specific Secondary Logotype• Primary Logotype—New Tech• Secondary Logotype—New Tech• Primary Logotype—Staplin Performing Arts Center

USING THE LOGO All logos must be applied as indicated without modification so WDMCS can maintain the brand integrity of its identity logos and maximize each logo’s ef-fectiveness as an identifier.

Do not alter designs. Standardized designs for logomarks and logotypes may not be altered in any way except to enlarge or reduce. Any alterations must be approved by the School/Community Relations Office.

Size — The logo may not be reproduced smaller than (1/2 inch). There are no limits to how large the logo may appear, but sizing should be appropriate for the finished product.

Space — Clear space surrounding the logo is required. Only approved versions of the logo showed be used.

ACADEMIC LOGOMARKS AND LOGOTYPES

38

PRIMARY LOGOMARK

Full color on light or white backgrounds

Full color on dark or patterned backgrounds

™

™

39

PRIMARY LOGOMARK (CONTINUED)

One color on light or white backgroundsFor gray shading, use 45 percent tint.

One color on dark or patterned backgroundsFor gray shading, use 45 percent tint.

™

™

40

Full color on light or white backgrounds Full color on dark or patterned backgrounds



SECONDARY LOGOMARK

™

™

™

™

41

PRIMARY LOGOMARK — WITHOUT POSITIONING LINE



™

™

42

PRIMARY LOGOMARK — WITHOUT POSITIONING LINE (CONTINUED)



™

™

43




SECONDARY LOGOMARK — WITHOUT POSITIONING LINE

™

™

™

™

44

PRIMARY LOGOMARK — ACRONYM



™

™

45

PRIMARY LOGOMARK — ACRONYM (CONTINUED)



™

™

46




SECONDARY LOGOMARK — ACRONYM

™

™

™

™

47

PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — SCHOOL SPECIFIC





Elementary and junior high schools are represented with the logomark, the school name, and school designation. They are also associated with unique colors for that school. The icon uses the same proportions as the primary logo; the school name is 2.5 times bigger than the school designation. The school designation sits on the axis of the two interior hash marks flanking the “V.” The word marks are always right-aligned as depicted.

HILLSIDEELEMENTARY

HILLSIDEELEMENTARY

2.5X

1X

48

PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — SCHOOL SPECIFIC (CONTINUED)





INDIAN HILLSJUNIOR HIGH

INDIAN HILLSJUNIOR HIGH

STILWELLJUNIOR HIGH

STILWELLJUNIOR HIGH

49

SECONDARY LOGOTYPE — SCHOOL SPECIFIC





2.5X

1X

1.5X

50

SECONDARY LOGOTYPE — SCHOOL SPECIFIC (CONTINUED)





51

PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — NEW TECH



™

™

52

PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — NEW TECH (CONTINUED)



™

™

53




SECONDARY LOGOMARK — NEW TECH

™

™

™

™

54

PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — STAPLIN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER



™

™

55


PRIMARY LOGOTYPE — STAPLIN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (CONTINUED)


™

™

56

COMMON MISUSE AND VIOLATIONS

So WDMCS can maintain the brand integrity of its identity logos and maximize each logo’s effectiveness as an identifier, all logos must be applied as indicated without modification.

Do not alter designs. Standardized designs for logomarks and logotypes may not be altered in any way except to enlarge or reduce. ANY alterations must be approved by School/Community Relations Office.

NEVER use unapproved colors.

West Des Moines

NEVER alter typography.

NEVER distort the logomark. NEVER resize elements of the logomark.

NEVER flip or reverse logomark. NEVER rotate the logomark.

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COLORS

PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS)

165 PANTONEBLACK 278 295

RGB

R = 245 G = 132B = 38

R = 0 G = 0B = 0

R = 150 G = 192B = 230

R = 0 G = 68B = 124

CMYK

C = 0 M = 59Y = 96K = 0

C = 0 M = 13Y = 49K = 98

C = 39 M = 14Y = 0K = 0

C = 100 M = 57Y = 0K = 40

When used consistently, colors build brand identity and help coordinate our marketing efforts. Colors have personalities, and our colors have been selected to reflect our personality. It is not acceptable to substitute other colors.

PRIMARY COLOR SYSTEM

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25%

PRIMARY COLOR SYSTEM – TINTS

75%

50%



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RGB

SECONDARY COLOR SYSTEM

PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS)

WHITE 123 429 151

168384

C = 0 M = 0Y = 0K = 0

R = 0 G = 0B = 0

R = 159 G = 166B = 23

R = 255 G = 196B = 37

R = 126 G = 67B = 0

R = 176 G = 183B = 188

R = 231 G = 229B = 211

R = 248 G = 151B = 40

R = 231 G = 210B = 111

C = 18 M = 0Y = 100K = 31

C = 0 M = 24Y = 94K = 0

C = 0 M = 57Y = 100K = 59

C = 3 M = 0Y = 0K = 32

C = 9 M = 6Y = 17K = 0

C = 0 M = 48Y = 95K = 0

C = 9 M = 15Y = 34K = 0

CMYK

467454

Secondary colors are solely used as accents in designs. It is not acceptable to substitute other colors.

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WHITE 123 429 151

168384 467454

WHITE 123 429 151

168384 467454

25%

SECONDARY COLOR SYSTEM – TINTS

75%

50%

WHITE 123 429 151

168384 467454

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Our fonts have been specifically selected to reflect the district’s personality and provide further brand recognition.

Inconsistent or arbitrary implementation of typographic style creates visual confusion. This undermines our graphic identity and hinders our branding efforts.

Below are the approved fonts for the WDMCS district. These fonts best fit the needs of our graphic standards system. Please contact the School/Community Relations Office to request the fonts be placed on your computer.

Primary Fonts—for external use - collateral, advertising and signage

Secondary Fonts—only when the primary logos are not available

DISTRICT FONTS

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Source Sans Pro

Source Sans Pro LightAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Source Sans Pro RegularAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Source Sans Pro SemiboldAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Source Sans Pro BoldAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

RobotoRoboto ThinAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Roboto RegularAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Roboto BoldAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Roboto Black AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

DISTRICT FONTS – PRIMARY

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Arial Arial RegularAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Arial ItalicAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Arial BoldAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Arial Bold ItalicAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Century GothicCentury Gothic RegularAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Century Gothic ItalicAaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Century Gothic Bold AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

Century Gothic Bold Italic AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz1234567890

DISTRICT FONTS – SECONDARY

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Locating FilesThe brand toolkit has been developed to provide easy accessibility and management of the WDMCS brand resources. The brand toolkit can be found in your Google Drive.

The brand toolkit will contain:• logos (.jpg and .png files)• letterhead• presentations • templates

Choosing the Right File TypeFile Types• .ai—Adobe Illustrator File• .eps—Encapsulated PostScript File• .tiff—Tagged Image File Format• .psd—Adobe Photoshop Document• .jpg—JPEG Image• .png—Portable Network Graphic

Professional Printing (digital printing, offset printing, screenprinting, etc.)Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files are vector-based and will maintain quality at any size. These file formats should always be used when sending logos to outside vendors. Specific software is needed to open these files. The School/Community Relations Office will work directly with vendors regarding requests for vector-based files.

Office Software ApplicationsJPEG (.jpg) image files are raster-based and will lose quality when enlarged. These file formats should be used for office software, and printing should be limited to an inkjet or laser printer and the district print shop. These file formats should never be sent to outside vendors.

Choosing Black vs. Grayscale• Black is best for:

❒ very small uses ❒ items that will be photocopied

• Grayscale is best for: ❒ larger black and white uses (over one inch) ❒ items that will be printed directly

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Email SignatureIt is important that all email communications are consistent in appearance. Below is the approved email signature for all West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) employees.

EMAIL SIGNATURE

First Last Name | Department/School and Title515-Phone Number | EmailWebsite | Social Media

• Font Type: Arial• Font Size: 10• Font Color: Black• Left Aligned

All WDMCS employees are asked to use this structure for all email communications. School building logomarks may be used in place of the district logomark.

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CONTACT

All logos and artwork included in this guide are trademarks of West Des Moines Community Schools. Reproduction without the expressed written consent of West Des Moines Community Schools or its licensing agent is strictly prohibited.

For information about the specifications included in this guide or questions regarding specific use, please contact:

West Des Moines Community Schools515-633-5000

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The West Des Moines Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator Carol Seid, associate superintendent of Human Resources, 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50265; Phone: 515-633-5037; Email: [email protected].

Documents

OFFICIAL USAGE AND STYLE GUIDE - cdn.wdmcs.org€¦ · lessons learned, and develop creative solutions. Our community thrives in the dynamic environment innovation creates. Collaboration