The way I do it is with "paste into".
Open one of your images, Select All, Edit > Copy
Open the template, go to the layer with the 'place' you want to use for the selected image, Ctrl-Click the thumbnail of that layer, that selects "the place"
Edit > Paste into selection
Your pasted image will not properly fit the selection into which it has been pasted. Use the Move Tool to fit it as you like. You are, in effect, resizing and cropping as you do this.
Now, keep repeating this with your other images to move into the other places on the template.
That's what works for me.
Rusty
Open one of your images, Select All, Edit > Copy
Open the template, go to the layer with the 'place' you want to use for the selected image, Ctrl-Click the thumbnail of that layer, that selects "the place"
Edit > Paste into selection
Your pasted image will not properly fit the selection into which it has been pasted. Use the Move Tool to fit it as you like. You are, in effect, resizing and cropping as you do this.
Now, keep repeating this with your other images to move into the other places on the template.
That's what works for me.
Rusty