In Ms. Goldstein’s seventh grade science class students conducted visuals/models to help them understand the key organs involved in the respiratory system. Students drew and labeled the nose, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, and labeled each part of the diagram to get a stronger sense of how the body takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. Creating charts and visual diagrams is a useful memory device, because as they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”
Several Washington Latin seniors celebrated winning scholarships this week. Oliver Krisetya won the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg scholarship, which provides a comprehensive full ride to George Washington University. Previous Washington Latin winners of this scholarship include Jenesis Duran in 2017, Nathan Hanshew in 2015, Coumba Gueye in 2014 and Timothy Hursen in 2013. This week seniors Erick Rivas and Chima Ukaegbu also won the David M. Rubenstein/Economic Club Scholarship. Previous Washington Latin winners include Justin Burgon and Damian Hanshew in 2020, Goodness Ukaegbu and Jania Clare in 2019, and Kyra Redman in 2018.
Latin’s Certamen team showed their skills with Latin language and culture at the annual Thomas Jefferson tournament on Saturday, March 16. Three teams from the middle school competed. Sixth graders Orode Omatete, Madelyn Zeller, Zane Wood, Miles Johnson, and Sadie Greenhalgh competed and made it to the Finals, earning a second place finish overall. Eighth graders Sarah Schifferle, Lucia Claire, Alice Pittard, Ben Blier, Sophia Smith, and Max Aaron competed against high schoolers and performed well.
Eighth graders will enjoy an outing on the 13th of March to various outdoor escape rooms. The event, chaperoned by teachers and parents, will involve students working together to answer questions to “escape” various park settings by cracking codes and solving puzzles. Students will be gathering at Dumbarton Oaks, Tregaron Conservancy, and National Arboretum. The combination of teamwork, the outdoors, and masks makes this a safe and fun way to reconnect with peers. The 9th grade and 12th grade will have various outings on the 17th of March, some on campus and some off.
Upper school students in Mr. Janick and Mr. Liu’s U.S. Government classes participated in the DC Circuit Court Historical Society’s Mock Court Competition on Friday, March 12. Students argued First and Fourth Amendment cases before District Judge Randolph Moss. They responded to challenging questions about search and seizure law of students’ homes by schools with a mock case. Sterling Marchand, a partner at the Baker Botts law firm, also gave students direct individualized feedback on their performance in “court,” evaluating their argument, their use of supporting evidence, and their ability to answer questions. Washington Latin sophomores Michaela Irving and Cooper Davenport were awarded “Outstanding Advocate” titles.
The program was done virtually this year and allowed students to develop public speaking and rhetorical skills while learning about the workings of one of the key branches of government. Many of these students visited courtrooms as eighth graders for a field trip to the D.C. Superior Court.
On Saturday March 6, 14 upper school students in the Chinese language classes were up bright and early to volunteer with the Capital Area Food Bank to pack and distribute food to a mostly Chinese-speaking population in downtown DC. Participating in the event were Tyler Davis, Micah Gans, Ellie Anderson, Janiyah Basil, Simone Campbell-Hayes, Nina-Skye Johnson, Charlotte Lin, Isabelle Charles, Kayla Park, Cian Fitzgerald, Elias Baldwin, Kayden Kidd, Will Paxson, and Aidan Fitzgerald. The students showed great teamwork in checking in residents and diligently packing bags and boxes of food and loading them into residents’ carts and bags, all while eagerly practicing their Chinese. These students truly embodied the spirit of service at Latin. The students were joined by their Chinese teachers, Mr. Liu and Ms. Han, and parent, Ms. Paxson.
