What a busy week it has been at Washington Latin! Monday, administrators met on campus, Tuesday the teachers who are returning to in-person learning had orientation, and Wednesday we were thrilled to see students in the building for Covid tests and orientation. Students had a chance to view our beautiful outdoor tents for the classes that would be outside, found out about our new safety protocols, and changes in classroom locations and scheduling. We also showed students how stairways would change to unidirectional usage, with the stairway in the library going up exclusively, and the stairway leading to the gym being used to go down. The stairway by the parking lot will also go down, and the stairway on the Ingraham side of the building will go up. We understand this is a lot of new information for students and teachers and that this has been a year full of transitions. The teachers feel enormous gratitude for the resilience and support we have received all year from the families who make up our school community. We are excited to start hybrid learning this week and begin anew!
Schools and universities may plan for in-person graduation ceremonies this spring as long as attendance sizes are limited and physical distancing is observed, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday.
For outdoor ceremonies, pre-K to grade 12 schools, colleges, and universities must limit crowds to 25 percent of a venue’s capacity or 2,000 people, whichever is smaller, according to new guidance from D.C. Health.
Indoor ceremonies are limited to 25 percent of capacity or 250 people, whichever is smaller. After May 1, indoor gatherings may host up to 500 people if a venue does not reach more than one-fourth of its capacity.
The guidance comes as planning for spring commencement festivities across the District is well underway. Last academic year, many ceremonies were canceled, held online, postponed, or drastically modified because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, city health department officials set a number of strict guidelines, including requiring face masks, maintaining at least six feet distance between audience members, and restricting groups of guests to six people or fewer.
Ms. VerCammen introduced the winter concert with a description of how hard students have worked during their time this year to master the challenges of choir during distance learning. Eighth graders Belle Steinberg and Sophia Smith introduced the song “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Eighth grader Ella Schmidgall sang solo and played violin on the song. Eighth graders RubyRae McCants and August Heim introduced a song called “Give us Hope” by Joe Papoulis, a four part harmony, which Ruby-Rae performs a solo in. August Heim, sophomore Omare Omatete and freshman James Tate introduced a song from the upper school Men’s Choir a capella called “Connected,” by Brian Tate, featuring a solo by senior Graham Evans. Eighth graders Heim, Liam Saxon, and Wes Freed sang along with the upper school Men’s Choir, augmenting the Choir with their voices. Sophomore Samantha Martinez and freshman Devyn Scott introduced the “Sweet Honey and the Rock” song, “Shout Hallelu,” which included American Sign Language translation.
Ms. Seid’s senior English class completed a recitation before spring break of Hamlet. Seniors are required to recite a poem or reading as part of their classwork. Kianei Brown, a graduate from the class of 2014 assisted Ms. Seid in helping students to memorize their scenes. Taking on the challenging roles of young Hamlet, a prince beset by indecision, Polonius, the chief counsellor of King Claudius, and the emotionally fraught Ophelia, Hamlet’s girlfriend and Polonius’s daughter, among other characters.
Eighth graders started their new Shakespeare unit for the fourth quarter. Students in the eighth grade English classes will read the comedy Much Ado About Nothing and will be acting out scenes of the story in class, writing a sonnet from the point of view of one character to another, and writing an original script using Shakespearian vernacular. This week, students looked at the legacy of Shakespeare and considered the question: is the Bard, whose writing is particularly edgy, bawdy, and occasionally full of strife “too hot to handle!”
