Ms. VerCammen introduced the winter concert with a description of how hard students have worked during their time this year to master the challenges of choir during distance learning. Eighth graders Belle Steinberg and Sophia Smith introduced the song “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Eighth grader Ella Schmidgall sang solo and played violin on the song. Eighth graders RubyRae McCants and August Heim introduced a song called “Give us Hope” by Joe Papoulis, a four part harmony, which Ruby-Rae performs a solo in. August Heim, sophomore Omare Omatete and freshman James Tate introduced a song from the upper school Men’s Choir a capella called “Connected,” by Brian Tate, featuring a solo by senior Graham Evans. Eighth graders Heim, Liam Saxon, and Wes Freed sang along with the upper school Men’s Choir, augmenting the Choir with their voices. Sophomore Samantha Martinez and freshman Devyn Scott introduced the “Sweet Honey and the Rock” song, “Shout Hallelu,” which included American Sign Language translation.
Ms. Seid’s senior English class completed a recitation before spring break of Hamlet. Seniors are required to recite a poem or reading as part of their classwork. Kianei Brown, a graduate from the class of 2014 assisted Ms. Seid in helping students to memorize their scenes. Taking on the challenging roles of young Hamlet, a prince beset by indecision, Polonius, the chief counsellor of King Claudius, and the emotionally fraught Ophelia, Hamlet’s girlfriend and Polonius’s daughter, among other characters.
Eighth graders started their new Shakespeare unit for the fourth quarter. Students in the eighth grade English classes will read the comedy Much Ado About Nothing and will be acting out scenes of the story in class, writing a sonnet from the point of view of one character to another, and writing an original script using Shakespearian vernacular. This week, students looked at the legacy of Shakespeare and considered the question: is the Bard, whose writing is particularly edgy, bawdy, and occasionally full of strife “too hot to handle!”
Patrice Rankine, author of Ulysses in Black, spoke with faculty and upper school students in the Trials of Odysseus class this week. The class is co-taught by Latin teacher Mr. Clausen and English teacher Ms. Seid, and includes comparisons between Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and Homer’s The Odyssey. Rankine’s writing focuses on black writers engaged in the classical tradition of story-telling and philosophy and focuses on Ralph Ellison, Toni Morison, and Countee Cullen. Rankine is a professor at the University of Richmond. Mr. Wills and Ms. Rose helped bring her to the school to participate this spring in our ongoing discussions of diversity within the classical tradition.
Washington Latin class of 2020 graduate Kim Montpelier earned the Linda S. Montross New Latin Educators Scholarship this year for $2000. Kim, who is a freshman at Cornell University is continuing to pursue the study of the classical tradition. The National Latin Exam also will cover the cost of her attending the American Classical League Institute this year. While at Latin she studied both Latin and Greek. Last year she presented at the annual Paideia conference in New York City on Faltonia Betitia Proba, a 4th century female Roman poet in spoken Latin! Kim participated in previous summer activities in Latin and Greek in Europe through grants from the Paideia Institute.
Upper school students in the Environmental/PLANET Club have kept their hands busy and their hands dirty this spring. Juniors and seniors Vivian Claire, Kayla Park, Ife Akinsanya have been gardening while juniors Luca Campanova and Juliette Warga have shoveled 100 buckets worth of compost into Washington Latin’s garden. Freshman James Figueroa fired his homemade potato cannon from the garden and it landed on the field! Physics and Environmental Science teacher Mr. Torrence advises the club, which focuses on environmental goals, activism, and keeping the city and school building thriving with green life.
