Last Saturday was a beautiful autumnal day to celebrate our Fall Festival with families and faculty members. From the squeals of delight, smiling faces, extended conversations and the amount of food consumed, I think it is safe to say that a great time was had by those who attended. Thank you to the parents who popped popcorn, assisted with grilling, baked pastries or supervised different activities and sporting events. This was our second year of offering flu shots and our first time conducting onsite voter registration. From the silly to the serious, we could not have done this without the leadership of the Parent-Faculty Association and a team of passionate parent volunteers.
Whether they attend PFA meetings, chaperone field trips, mentor students or provide access to internships and community service opportunities or bakes their favorite dish for a Parent-Teacher Conference Day, Washington Latin is graced with highly involved parents. Among the efforts to which many contribute time and energy is our annual Latin Pride campaign which also kicked off this past Saturday. This fundraiser, on which the school depends, to fund the PFA and close the gap in general operating expenses was founded by volunteers and continues to be powered by volunteers.
When I speak to Washington Latin parents, I am struck by two things: their gratitude for the hard work of the teachers and their interest in making this school the best it can be for all children, not just their own. We know that as a public charter school, it is more challenging to organize parents because we pull from all eight wards of the city, so it is not always easy to get to campus. This makes it even more challenging for parents who put the extra time in to attend meetings, to sew costumes for our theater productions, or offer up their homes for performances by our choir and jazz band.
When a parent volunteer emails or calls you in the next few days, we urge you to share what makes you proud of Washington Latin. And thank you for your ongoing contributions – as a volunteer and a financial supporter – to our success.
On Thursday the junior class took an overnight trip to New York City as part of their study of American history. Stops on the trip include the Tenement Museum, the World Center Memorial, and the Broadway Show Come From Away, which deals with the aftermath of September Eleventh attacks. Mr. Hagerty, the US American History teacher helped organize the trip with Field Trip Coordinator Ms. Kolb. Later in the year students will visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the last plane crashed on September 11, after the passengers forced the plane out of the sky to avert a final attack.
Seventh grade teacher Mr. Green and middle school assistant director Ms. Chall took eighth graders to see the movie The Hate U Give Thursday at the theatre in Silver Spring. The students had participated in Mr. Green’s Book Club from previous year that focused on the book by Angie Thomas. The group then had a book/movie discussion over dinner. In English classes teachers use book groups to discuss high-interest texts and promote small group discussion and critical thinkings.
Over the weekend nine middle school students participated in the Model UN conference at Holton Arms School. Three Latin students were recognized at the Closing Ceremony for their excellent debating skills. Seventh Grader, Tomas Portilla-Marchiori was named the “Outstanding Delegate” on his committee, UN Environmental Program ( UNEP). Tomas represented the country of Russia and debated the topic, ” Island Ecosystems.” Eighth grader, Liam Murphy, was named the “Outstanding Delegate” on his committee: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian ( SOCHUM). Liam represented the country of the Dominican Republic and debated the topic, “Drug Trafficking.” Seventh grader, Ganesh Bhojwani, received a “Verbal Commendation” from the chairs of his committee while serving on the Disarmament International Security committee (DISEC). Ganesh debated the topic, “Chemical Weapons.” Other student participants included Nico David-Fox, seventh grader, represented the country of Japan and served on the Disarmament and Security committee ( on the topic of “Chemical Weapons.” Shreya Kelly, Josie McCartney, and Mackie Boone, all seventh graders, served on the UN Women committee. Shreya represented the country of India, Josie represented the country of Jordan, and Mackie represented the country of Oman. Their committee debated the topic of “Women Refugees and Women Migrants.” Elias Baldwin, seventh grader, represented the county of Lebanon, while serving on the committee of the UN Security Council. His committee debated the topic ” Russia in the Ukraine.” Ben Yarkin, seventh grader, represented the country of Iran, while serving on the UN Educational, Scientific , and Cultural committee ( UNESCO). His committee debated the topic: “Journalism Under Attack.”
Ms. Jost’s Science Research Methods class will be visiting the National Institute of Health on Wednesday. The class will lear about how research is conducted about all aspects of public health and diseases. The class is a senior elective for students interested in furthering their interests in scientific research.
