Washington Latin Class of 2013 graduate St. Clair Detrick-Jules was featured in the Washington Post (For a bullied girl, a book about beautiful Black natural hair – The Washington Post) and Washingtonian Magazine (Black Hair Is the Star of a Buzzy New Book | Washingtonian (DC) for her new book My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories From the Sisterhood. The photo book chronicles the experiences of African American women and their hair, inspired by her younger sister Khloe’s experiences being bullied for her natural hair. Detrick-Jules is a D.C.-based documentarian, who made the 2017 movie DACAmented.
Latin teacher and avid runner Mr. Whitchurch secured a spot in the Athens Authentic Marathon in Greece in November to go run the original Marathon route. He will be mixing his interests in athletics, distance running, history and culture.
At Washington Latin, the teachers are like a family, so when people move on to other neighborhoods and schools, they remain close to our hearts. Both Ms. Kolbs visited former seventh grade math teacher Ms. Lee in New York City, where she is teaching, and spent time with her two young sons. Mr. and Ms. Eleby-El visited Ms. Figueroa in the Dominican Republic in Samaná. Math teacher Ms. Raskin visited former biology teacher Ms. Lamb when she visited DC from Massachusetts, where she now teaches.
Joining the already intrepid team that includes Physical Education and Health teacher Ms. Smith, counselor Ms. Griffiths, Latin teacher Mr. Starnes, and coaches and assistants Mr. Coleman and Mr. Walters, Washington Latin is excited to welcome back even more graduates as teachers. Fifth grade math teacher Ms. Jones graduated in 2015 and sixth grade Latin teacher Mr. Keita graduated in 2016. Over the summer Micaiah Guthrie, also a 2016 graduate, served as a teaching assistant in summer school before starting public health graduate school. It is a joy to have familiar faces in the school building and watch these teachers, counselors, and coaches put to work their education for the next generation of Latin students.
Senior Jazz Band member Jonah Spiva released an original album of his own music this summer entitled Volution Suite. Spiva designed the album around the concept of his personal journey over the last year. He has released it on numerous musical platforms under his name. Last year Spiva helped orchestrate and performed vocals for the song “God Bless the Child” by Billie Holiday for the winter concert.
Junior Luca Camponovo’s documentary “BeBop’s Blare: How Modern Jazz Communicated the Protest of Black Americans in the Middle of the 20th Century” was chosen by the National Museum of African American History and Culture to participate in the 2021 documentary showcase presented by National History Day. Luca is also a member of the school Jazz Band. He developed his documentary through an elective course called “Real World History” through the Center for Inspired Teaching.
