Sixth graders had their Ancient Egyptian Festival on Tuesday, complete with Pharaoh’s costumes. Kids wrote their names in hieroglyphics and played Egyptian games. They made traditional masks and name plates and learned Egyptian riddles, and watched a documentary on the pyramids. The event was an interdisciplinary activity day lead by social studies teacher Mr. Staten, who of course came in full Pharaoh regalia.
This past Saturday’s Parent-Faculty Social was a smashing success, complete with delicious food, entertaining music, and lively conversations. The event featured the music of Mr. Trask, a Latin parent, who performed with his band. This is one of several events that encourage a sense of community at Latin between the people who work here and the families whose children attend the school. Join us at the Fall Festival on October 13, where families will be invited to a barbecue and bake sale, with outdoor games, a bounce house, and an obstacle course, all organized by our intrepid Parent Faculty Association.
The 12th grade overnight trip to 4-H Western Maryland Education Center is happening Friday the 21st through Sunday the 23rd. This annual event starts the year out for seniors by building esprit de corp through collaborative work, games, campfires, hikes, songs, scavenger hunts, and more. The trip encourages students to work with their advisory and get to know one another on a deeper level. As a bookend to the year, seniors will visit Camp Letts in the spring before graduation and pass the mantle of leadership on to the juniors.
Tuesday September 25th will be Study Abroad Night. Students and parents are invited to hear from students who have studied abroad and from various programs that sponsor our children’s journeys. In the past, students have studied abroad with the help of Qatar Foundation International, The National Security Language Initiative for Youth, The Paideia Institute, and the Finland-US-Future Leaders Scholarship. Students have visited China, Italy, Greece, India, Finland, Morocco, and many other countries to pursue language and cultural immersions.
Once again students will have visits from PEN/Faulkner Award Winners this year. The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is a national prize for works by American citizens in a calendar year. Three selected writer judges choose five books as finalists for the award. All finalists are invited to Washington, D.C. for the PEN/Faulkner Award Ceremony. On September 24, James Hannaham will visit Ms. Seid’s class in the morning to discuss discuss Delicious Foods, winner of the 2016 PEN/Faulkner Award. On Monday, October 29, Mark Z. Danielewski will visit another class to discuss his horror-love story called House of Leaves, which won in 2000.
Middle School parents attended Back to School Night on Thursday. Teachers presented an overview of the curriculum, complete with discussions about the essential questions that govern each class. Back to School Night is a great chance to learn about what happens inside the classroom and get a sense of the long-term goals and objectives for each classroom. Upper School Back to School Night is next Thursday.