Senior Portraits and Write-Ups - Yearbook - McDonogh School
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Yearbook

Senior Portraits and Write-Ups

Fall 2025 Deadlines and Submission Instructions

  • Monday, December 8: Senior Quotes / Write-Ups Due
  • Monday, December 15: Senior Portrait and Childhood Photo Due

All materials should be emailed to the Legacy team at legacy@mcdonogh.org. Please include "SENIOR" in the email subject line.

Senior Portraits and Other Photos

Seniors are asked to submit a senior portrait for the Legacy yearbook each fall semester. Please note:

  • Portraits do not have to be taken by a professional studio and may be black/white or color, although color is recommended.
  • Any appropriate high-resolution photo in JPG or PNG format is acceptable.
  • Portraits may also be any size but may be cropped by the yearbook staff to fit the allotted space, which is 13" x 8" in a landscape orientation.
  • If a portrait is not submitted, the student's twelfth grade school ID photo will be used.

Irvin Simon, the School's professional photographer, typically offers an individual, casual fall senior portrait session by appointment only in early October. If you wish to use Irvin Simon, schedule an appointment and see what you should do to prepare. Please contact Brian Minkove at 410-654-0300 with questions.

Childhood Photos

Along with a senior portrait, please submit ONE baby or childhood photo (birth through fourth grade). Please note:

  • Any appropriate high-resolution photo in JPG or PNG format is acceptable.
  • The photo may also be any size, but may be cropped by the yearbook staff to fit the allotted space, which is 8" x 8" in a square orientation.

This will be used in the senior section of the yearbook as well as in the senior slideshow presented at the end of the year.

Students Being Students

Finally, please send pictures capturing any student activities to legacy@mcdonogh.org.

Senior Write-Ups and Quotes

Please Note: Legacy staff members will edit submitted write-ups and/or quotes without the submitting student's consultation if the deadline or guidelines related to length or appropriate content are not met.

Length

650 characters maximum, including spaces, for both your write-up and quote. You can use this online character counter tool to check the total length of your submission.

Drafting Your Write-Up

If you are unsure as to what to write, you may look at past yearbooks. Here is a general example, which is 454 total characters in length:

Mom and Dad, you are my inspiration. I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. Thomas, thank you for being the best big brother I could ever ask for. Mr. Smith, I found my love for learning in your classroom. Varsity Football, thank you for welcoming me with open arms. I will miss you. Lastly, thank you, McDonogh, for giving me the best 13 years of my life. I owe it all to you.

"The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self." —Fred Rogers

When drafting your write-up and choosing your quote, please consider the following:

  • Public Space: Senior write-­ups are not your own private space to do what you wish, but a public (and published) space. Most yearbooks across the country have eliminated senior write-ups because some students have used the space in inappropriate ways, leading to hurt feelings and lawsuits. Please pay close attention to the guidelines so both you and future seniors may continue to enjoy this privilege.
  • Audience: Our yearbooks are distributed K–12 and beyond. Younger siblings and cousins read this book. Parents, grandparents, and other adult relatives read this book. Alumni read this book. Your write­-up needs to be appropriate for all ages. Your family will immediately turn to your write-­up to see what you wrote.
  • Legacy: After you finish writing your write-­up, read it again. Does it pass the test of time? Will it make sense to you 20 years from now? 40 years? This is part of the legacy you leave at McDonogh. Don't be impulsive, be thoughtful.

Unacceptable Content

If any of the following is included, it will be edited out or your senior write­-up and/or quote will be excluded altogether.

  • References to drinking alcohol, drugs, or sex.
  • Profanity or descriptions of bodily functions.
  • Attacks on or criticism of other people.
  • Suggestive language.
  • Abbreviations (the only exceptions are: Mr., Mrs., Dr., Ms., SAT, AP, JV, ESPN, LAX, XC, GVS, YNWA, YO, WON).