Two seniors in the class of 2021 earned the Posse scholarship, a four year full-tuition scholarship. Seniors Ishmael Cabading and Helena Ikenberry earned the Posse scholarship to Bucknell University and University of Wisconsin-Madison respectively. Ishmael plays on the school’s basketball and track squads and is part of the conflict resolution program. Helena is a member of the Capitol Rowing Club and earned the “Spirit of Growth” Award in the 2019 DC Summer Youth Employment Program. She also has participated in the Honors Choir. They join a longstanding crew of Washington Latin students who have earned this selective scholarship. In 2012 our first graduating class saw Fariss Nabih earn the scholarship to Bucknell University, and Anaka Osborne earn the scholarship to Pepperdine University. In 2013 Desmond Miller earned the scholarship to Lafayette College, and in 2015 – Olivia Boyd won it to Lafayette College and Maddie Galvez to Bucknell University. The following year Conor Moore won for Bucknell University. In 2017 Serena Jones won to Bucknell University, and Alex Hagan, University to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2018 Isaiah Smith won the scholarship to the University of Rochester, and in 2019 Nathan Cobbs, won for University of Rochester, and DJ Okuleye won for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The scholarship is offered for 63 colleges and universities and is for students in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, D.C., Houston, LA, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, as well as veterans nationwide. Each city selects 10 to 11 students to win the scholarship, creating a “posse” or cohort of students to attend the schools together. You can find more information at www.possefoundation.org
Seventh grader Ruby Churches was quoted in a Washington Post story over break about women in baseball. Ruby is a member of DC Girls Baseball and was interviewed for her reaction to the news that Kim Ng would be the next general manager of the Miami Marlins, as Major League Baseball’s first general manager. Ruby, is a utility player who prefers the middle infield or pitching. The article reads, “Ruby, a seventh-grader at Washington Latin, planned to try middle school baseball this past spring. Then the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the season. She has considered switching to softball but is wary of learning new rules and equipment, which would change her swing and the way she throws. Plus, the strategy of baseball is her favorite part. She’s not ready to give that up.”
Eighth graders worked on poetry in English class this week as the students wrap up their justice unit. Students have read various texts on standing up to injustice, from the Holocaust, the Salem Witch Trials, food justice, coerced confessions, police brutality. Students wrote poems from the point of view of characters in the book who they believe stood up for justice, either through political protest, marches, disseminating information, leading court cases or legal appeals against unfair decisions.
Teachers will be offering new and exciting electives for the spring semester in the upper school. Offerings include Studio Art, Government, Financial Literacy, Introduction to World Literacy, Creative Writing, Community Art, Mindfulness and Meditation, Spanish for Heritage Speakers, Economics and Performance Studies for Theater. One brand new course is the co-taught interdisciplinary class Trials of Odysseus and Invisible Man, which looks at the works of Ralph Ellison and Homer to understand the classic concept of the literal and metaphorical journeys involved in an Odyssey. While many of these electives fulfill requirements, others are offered for further academic adventure, investigation, and creativity.
Several weeks ago, an all-female STEM team consisting of sophomores Adelaide Pfeuffer, Genet Tewalt, Elizabeth Campbell and Katherine Reyes-Hernandez competed against teams from all around the US by presenting to Audi executives. The challenge was to improve the car buying process for women and their strategy was the creation of a Women’s History Month event in March where women would lead all components of the experience from car sales and virtual vehicle tours to women showing women how to change a tire. It earned them 2nd place prize in the Audi contest.
