Later this year, the country remembers 400 years since the first Africans were forcibly brought to this country. In August of 1619, a Dutch frigate landed in Point Comfort (site of modern-day Hampton, VA) with a cargo of “20 and odd Negros,” originally from southcentral Africa. These people were traded to English settlers, who desperately needed labor for their plantations. Students often read about this event in history books as the beginning of the slave trade in colonial North America and the beginning of African American history. The significance of this transaction in Jamestown notwithstanding, there is more to the story than most of have been taught.
When teaching 8th grade U.S. History, as I did the past two years, one of the essential questions I ask my students to consider is this: “whose story is being told?” Often the narratives that get written in textbooks are incomplete. As a “deeply racialized society,” stories of different groups are not equally acknowledged, affirmed, or valued. At Latin, we often ask students to imagine hidden or lost stories of and by diverse groups. Where possible, we try to bring to light perspectives not always considered. Our attention to this is not limited to one time of year (such as February) or to special event assemblies. This is just a part of what we do as a school.
We teach about Anthony Johnson, an African indentured servant who secured his freedom in Virginia in the first part of the 17th century. He owned land and livestock and had servants of his own. We teach about the interactions between Africa and the Western World, which date back as early as the time of the Mycenean civilization in Crete. We explore the Greek and Roman interest in and engagement with human diversity. We discuss prominent black classicists. We teach works by James Baldwin, Ta-Nahesi Coates, Langston Hughes and others. We do this because our understanding and appreciation of American history and culture is incomplete if we fail to consider the experiences of all our people — whether Caucasian, African American, Native, Latinx, or Asian-American.
To name 1619 as the beginning date for slavery in America oversimplifies the complicated history of Africans in this part of the world. Not all Africans were slaves for life. Some, who were brought over as indentured servants, were able to buy their freedom (just as was the case for many European indentured workers). Some, such as blacks who worked in Bermuda in 1616, were consulted for their expertise with cash crops. And, African slaves visited America, as members of Spanish expeditions, as early as 1526. Not all these facts can be included in our regular curriculum. And so, to expose more of our students to this information, last year students and faculty collaborated on the launching of an educational high school club called “Black Facts.” Through this and other efforts, we hope to gain a more complete picture of who we are as Americans.
For Washington Latin teachers, a commitment to reading is not limited to the books we assign in class. For many years we have assigned books for our whole faculty to read over the summer. And often groups of teachers will decide to form book clubs. This year we are continuing to build on this tradition, with monthly books that teachers commit to read as part of a Faculty Reads Initiative. The purpose of the monthly book clubs is to find common ground and a lens to dig deeper into some of the challenging aspects of teaching to better inform our practice. Just like the discussion-based book groups which engage our students in English and history classes, our teacher groups are full of lively discussion and thoughtful reflections.
In August, some of us read The Trauma Informed School: A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide for Administrators and School Personnel. This book gave faculty the chance to think about how to address some of the challenging lives students may lead and build community systems and rules that respect their experiences. My leadership team also read Leadership is an Art by Max DePree. We followed up in September with Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations About Race. This book, by Beverly Tatum, sparked complex and thoughtful discussions about race and segregation, and helped us better approach the idea of diversity and inclusion.
In December, we launched two groups. Some read Teaching with the Brain in Mind, a book by Eric Jensen about neurological development, which helped teachers re-consider how we plan lessons and activities, based specifically on the most current research on the developing adolescent brain. Others read Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had by Tracy Johnston Zager.
At the end of this month, we will start two new groups. Some will read Why Don’t Students Like School, a book by psychology professor Daniel Willingham. Others will tackle Make it Stick, a book written by psychology researchers and management consultants that focuses on memory acquisition. If time permits, we will read The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall. an education professor. Finally, we will end the year with Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School.
This semester we also kicked off book groups for parents. Dr. Smith is facilitating a study of The Teenage Brain. And, two of our faculty members are leading a study of Wendy Mogel’s The Blessing of a B Minus. See below for more information on this. There will be more to come after spring break. And even if you don’t participate in a school-sponsored club, we encourage you to dive into a good book. Happy Reading!
At Washington Latin, we have always valued athletics as central to our approach to learning and developing young adults. As part of the classical tradition, the challenges of physical strength and endurance were highly valued, and part of leading a balanced life. Like the soldier Pheidippides who raced from a battlefield in Marathon to the city of Athens, in 490 B.C., and the competitors in the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Greece, feats of skill and speed were highly prized.
In the past two years we have grown our sports offerings and we look forward to being able to add even more programs in the future. Each year we are highly competitive in our league in multiple sports, most notably soccer, cross country and track and field. Under the leadership of one of the city’s most capable coaches, Mr. Jamille Callum, we have had an impressive showing in track, with two of our athletes – Luke Tewalt and Zoe Edelman – breaking records and distinguishing themselves at meets in the local area and beyond.
While many of our students bring their talents each season to the fields, courts and arenas where we compete, others pursue their athletic passions outside of our school. While we cannot highlight all these athletes, we want to pause for a moment here to celebrate some of these hard-working young people. Last year, freshman Changa Anderson, an ardent gymnast, placed first in the 13-14 year-old age group in both trampoline and double-mini trampoline at the USA Gymnastics Championships. He has also competed internationally at the World Competitions in St. Petersburg, Russia as part of Team USA in his age group. His athleticism was lauded in this article by Citypaper. Senior Daud Gantt-Bey, who competes in tennis outside of school, is one of the highest ranked players in the city and has a bright future in this sport.
Freshman Ja’Niece Austin-Lindsey participates in competitive cheering and stunts. Freshman Dylan Paglee takes part in competitive sailing. Sophomore Griffin Smith participates in a crew program. Sophomore Jia Fleming practices karate. Eighth grader Eleanor Ashdown is at a competition this week for figure skating. Fifth grader Eliza Lowenfish is a ballet dancer performing at the Kennedy Center this week. Sophomore Ella Norlen is also a serious ballet dancer, who studies with celebrated coaches after school and in the summer. Junior Aya Salem is a competitive horseback rider. Junior Ryan Bradley excels in Irish dance. Sophomore Katharine Roslof enjoys rowing. Junior Felicity and senior Miranda Ryan and sophomore Aviel Honey have all honed their skills in Jiu Jitsu. Junior Zoe Crute has skied competitively.
The self-discipline to participate in rigorous athletic competition and maintain high levels of physical fitness outside of the classroom is a source of pride to many students. We encourage students to learn more about each other’s extra-curricular passions and attend a friend’s athletic event afterschool or on the weekend. We will continue to honor their achievements and hard work in the Legenda and on the website! So, please send us more information.
Washington Latin students have busy days, complete with rigorous classes, electives, and clubs. Whether students choose to play sports, participate in the school musical, “The Music Man,” write for the newspaper Sumus Leones, or the literary magazine, “Open Mic,” or prepare an act for the middle school talent show, there are many creative outlets for students during lunch and after school. However, many students eagerly pursue outside endeavors, despite their heavy workloads.
Sophomore Miles Tiller is one of those students. Besides a full slate of honors and AP classes and his volunteer hours in the makerspace, Miles has indulged an interest in screenwriting and video production for several years, producing several movies of his own. As an eighth grader, a project that he worked on with his classmates Ketan and Lucien, called “99 cents,” won an award at the environmental film festival. Since then, he has worked on lengthier efforts, including the 48-minute movie “Green” – the product of his company “District Pictures” and featuring several other sophomore actors like Nick Mazza, Ketan Mampara, and Lucas Roemer as actors. You can view his movie here.
Many other students participate in creative writing activities outside of school and have won awards for their work. Junior MK Wilson and freshman Kayla Freedman were both honored by Writopia. High schoolers Chloe Cattaneo, Christina Spraggins and Micah Gans and sixth grader Clarke Oglesby all had original work published last year in an anthology of young writers.
While for some the arts awaken their passions, others pursue athletics in a variety of arenas outside the school. We will talk about some of these students in a future Legenda. I am awed and excited by the hard work of our students each day, but always amazed to find students who find the time and energy to continue to pursue and cultivate their passions outside of the classroom. If your child has a unique hobby or interest, feel free to drop me a note about it! Our diverse and talented student body help build the unique and rich culture of our school.
One of the exciting additions to our school last year was an area of the library called the Makerspace, which is a laboratory and technology center for constructing physical objects. This has been described as “DIY meets education.” It is a “workshop space” that provides students with a variety of different materials, which can act as “provocation for inquiry,” and various technological tools, with which they can invent. The space, curated by science teachers Ms. Dobler and Ms. Shapiro and librarian Ms. Hamm, features a variety of tools and kits, including Spheros, Arduino electronics kits, Legos, and a 3D Pinter.
Last year, the Makerspace was housed exclusively in the library. This year, students and teachers may access the supplies and tools from a mobile Makerspace cart. Students may use these items to design products for the science fair, explore concepts in the Robotics elective, or to complete projects in a variety of different disciplines. Before break, students used the Makerspace to decorate the hallways for the holiday season, using copper tape, lights, and art supplies to create cards and origami decorations.
The 3D printer has been an exciting addition for several students and is probably the highlight of the Makerspace. Students have used it to create plastic strands, called filament, and mold them into 3D designs.
A 10th grade student, Miles Tiller, was named earlier this year as an intern for the Makerspace program. Called a “Maketern,” he assists students in using the materials for their classes or to explore personal interests. He is also one of a small core team of students who has also helped repair broken supplies and order new parts to keep the materials and tools working well.
For the teachers and students who use the Makerspace, it is exciting not just to have this dynamic technology, but to be using our library as a place for creativity and production. The library in many ways is one of the most dynamic and actively used spaces in our school, and we are thrilled to have it as a space for great young minds to meet, discuss, analyze, build, and solve problems.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life and legacy we celebrate a week from Monday, believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all. He encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place in which to live. How do we create the beloved community of which Dr. King dreamed? We engage in community action that helps solve social problems. We set aside our needs and personal ambitions, even if only for a short period of time, so that we may serve. That service may meet a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. But we hope that January 21st will not just be a day to sleep in, binge watch or tune out. Rather, we trust that families will commit to participating in projects that will strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions.
As our partial government shutdown enters its third week, students in many of their classes have been discussing the stalemate in Washington and the direct impact this is having on their lives. Some of them have talked about an important lesson that they have learned from all of this: we need each other. And the more that we look out for each other, the better and stronger we are together. From cleaning up a street to reading to shut-in seniors to teaching kids at a soccer clinic, we can enhance our own lives by making things better where we work, live and play. A strong community with a high quality of life means safer, healthier lives for us and those around us.
There are practical payoffs to volunteering as well. Decreasing the risk of depression, instilling a sense of purpose, providing opportunities to learn valuable skills, allowing participants to be mentally and physically active, and reducing stress levels are all cited in the research as some of the benefits. Individuals who volunteer have lower mortality rates than those who do not, even when controlling for age, gender and physical health. Doing service with others is a great way to build trust and strengthen relationships. And those who engage in meaningful service activities enjoy a positive feeling sometimes referred to as “helper’s high.”
Whether you participate in one or more of the school-sponsored activities or you opt to do something else, we hope that each family will engage in meaningful community action during the upcoming Schoolwide Community Service Day. For ideas, please visit the National Service site. Also, see below for more information about what will be happening at Washington Latin on the 21st
