For Pi Day, middle school students took part in the annual competition to see who could memorize the greatest number of digits for this never-ending irrational number. The winners in each grade competed for the title. In fourth place was sixth grader Charlotte Lin, who memorized 28 digits, and fifth grader Sophia Smith memorized 107 digits. Second place finisher and repeat finalist was eighth grader Bruno Bakel, who recited 113 numbers, and in first place was repeat finalist Audrey Kim, who memorized 121 digits. For each winner, and a few lucky individuals who bought raffle tickets, they had the ultimate reward: a delicious pie baked by the teachers to bring home and the chance to hurl whipped cream at their math teachers and other brave volunteers. Bottoms up!
Last week while the rest of the Upper School took part the PSATs, seniors went on various field trips and took part in community service projects. One group visited the Harriet Tubman Museum at Church Creek, MD. Another visited a Food Bank, and another went to the African-American museum. A final group took part in Latin Soul, the soup and sandwich distribution to the homeless that Ms. Foster organizes each week.
Last week twelve biology students joined Ms. Jost to attend the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at Georgetown University. At the symposium, students heard from faculty speakers including a neuroscientist and an astrophysicist, toured different science labs, and evaluated peer research presentations.
Sophomore Felicity Ryan won the 2018 D.C. Poetry Out Loud citywide competition. Latin’s champion competed against 9 other finalists to take the title, and she will now proceed to the national Poetry Out Loud Finals April 23-25. Her stunning renditions of “A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky” by Lewis Carroll, “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied” by Edna St. Vincent Millay earned her a first place finish for the city along $500 in poetry books for the school and a $200 cash prize for herself. We wish her continued success in the finals!
The Arabic II students took field trips with their teacher, Mr. Hamd, to local restaurants this week, along with a visit to an Arab market in Northern Virginia. Students used their language skills to order and pay for food and also had the chance to sample a variety of Middle Eastern delicacies like dates, eggplant dip, pomegranates, and baklava.
