Poet in Residence
Washington Latin freshman Vivian Claire won second place in the DC Poetry Out Loud finals. She took first place in the school wide competition with Wendell Berry’s “Enemies” and “Famous” by Naomi Shihab-Nye.
Underground Hero
Seniors visited the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Church Creek, Maryland for English 12. Students viewed the bronze sculptures of the famous Civil War hero, and learned about her military service to the union, her childhood injury, and her multiple trips North. They participated in a field trip and earned special Harriet Tubman patches for their new knowledge. They are currently reading Colson Whitehead’s book Underground Railroad and watching the WGN show Underground.
Much Ado About Shakespeare
Eighth graders in Ms. Kolb’s Theatre class performed scenes from “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre on Tuesday. The play centers around the tortured love affair between Hero (Aimee Crozat) and Claudio (Charlie Fox-Whelpton), which is thwarted by the dastardly plans of the evil Don John (Max Burton). Their love is complicated when her ladies in waiting (Claire Emanuel and Kayla Schifferle) Meanwhile frenemies and lovers Benedick (Adelaide Pfeuffer) and Beatrice (Paulina Inglima) provide comic relief. Claire, Aimee, and Kayla earned the “Terrific Trio” prize at the play, and Adelaide and Paulina snagged the “Distinction in Acting” prize. Max was awarded the “Convincing Conspirator” for his villainous portrayal.
All American Athlete
Sophomore Zoe Edelman and junior Luke Tewalt both traveled to New York City to compete in the High School National Indoor Track and Field Championships with coach Jamille Callum. This was the final meet of the indoor season and athletes from all over the country had to qualify to compete. Both Zoe and Luke competed in the Championships 5000m (5K). They each ran a personal record, with Zoe running 17:44.98 and Luke running 15:23.00. The top 6 finishers are named All-Americans. Zoe earned All-American status, Latin’s first ever All-American and the only All-American in Washington, D.C. runner for Indoor Track and Field this season.
Junior Scientists
Our science fair winners at the annual upper school science fair last week included freshmen Ashay Amam, who studied the Life Straw and the Brita Filter for their effectiveness at purifying water. Vivian Claire studied the effects of road salt on bioretention. Changa Anderson measured the impact on G-force on gymnastics, and Ife Akinsanya and Vivian Pittard studied a hybrid water filter. Ja’Niece Austin-Lindsey evaluated the start of gender-based stereotypes. Runners up included Luke Lowenfish, Camsey Noonan, and Lana Coulon and Juliette Warga. Honorable mentions included Lily Smeltzer, Luca Camponovo and Owen Nadler, Morgan Leary, Nina Jobanputra, Casey Montrey, Molly Parker, and Sheridan Easterling. The winners will move on to the STEM fair in the spring and will compete against students from other Washington, D. C. high schools to showcase their research and public speaking skills.