The middle school girls’ basketball team left school early on Thursday, so they could travel to the PCSAA playoff game against Basis DC at the Rosedale Rec Center. Coach Mozie coaches the team. The girls beat Basis 20-18, and proceed to the championship game on Saturday at Washington Latin at 11am in the gym. The varsity boys’ team beat Capital City Public Charter School 45-39 in regular season play. Mr. Eleby-El coaches the varsity boys. The varsity girls lost a nail biter against SEED Public Charter School. Their coach is Coach Vaughn.
Students in the Red Hearts club created valentine’s day cards with the Beautification Club to give to seniors at Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home. The Red Hearts club, advised by Ms. Foster, provides community service by upper school students to improve life at the school and the broader community.
Eighth graders in Ms. Haywood and Ms. Breitman’s classes began their poetry and research unit on Langston Hughes on Tuesday, not knowing that it was actually the poet’s birthday! Students will read several of the Harlem Renaissance poet’s works and complete a lengthy library research essay on how Hughes depicted his own experiences through his writing, and what experiences he chose to omit or fictionalize. Connecting history to literature through research is a key component of the work done by Latin’s literary librarian Ms. Hamm, who helped cultivate and organize the research assignment and will assist students in their research and citation skills this month.
Seniors read William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and watched the recent adaptation with Denzel Washington of “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Students in Ms. Seid’s classes reflected on the “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…” soliloquy for an essay. The final words of the tragic hero, Scottish general Macbeth, who slays King Duncan in pursuit of power, is a haunting warning about the dangers of unmitigated ambition and the lust for power and blood.
Poetry Out Loud is back in the Upper School, as students prepare to memorize a poem and present it to their class! This past week and next, teaching artists are coming in from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, coordinating with Engllish teacher Mr. Hotchkiss, who is the school’s liaison for the national poetry recitation competition. Students in grades 9 through 12 will be participating in their English classes other than those in Advanced Placement and Honors Humanities.
