Middle schoolers decorated their advisory doors for our Halloween Door Decorating contest! During advisory lunch, freshmen visited each advisory to judge the work. Doors were adorned with skulls, flowers, mummies, and Dia del Muerto images.  Happy Halloween!

Middle School students gathered for an assembly this week on the theme of Being Yourself. Sixth grader Ruby Churches read an original speech about following your inner voice, full of comedy and honesty. Sixth grader TJ Chandler also read a poem. Seventh grader Liam Saxon was the MC, introducing the various speakers. Fifth grade English teacher Mr. Bane spoke about how his identity has changed over time, growing up in his native Ireland, traveling to America after getting married and becoming a citizen, working as a teacher, an athletic director, and principal, and now finally coming to Latin to become a Lion. Teachers awarded students merits for positive attitudes, friendliness, hard work, and citizenship. Meanwhile, students awarded merits to Mr. Bane and seventh grade math teacher Ms. Thompson for their upbeat and spirited classrooms.

Ninth grade English and upper school art hosted a speaker in the library Wednesday to talk about his journey through the justice system and the role that art has played in his life.  Halim Flowers is an author and entrepreneur who served a double life sentence in Washington, DC. As a 16 year-old, Flowers was arrested and tried and sentenced as an adult for murder. His experience as a youth in the adult penitentiary system was documented in the Emmy-award winning documentary, “Thug Life in DC.” In 2005, he founded his own publishing company, SATO Communications, through which he has published 11 books. In 2018, he co-founded a social entrepreneurial media company to challenge mass incarceration through the stories of people affected by the criminal justice system. This year, Halim was released from prison after 22 years of incarceration. You can learn more about him at www.unchainedstories.org. Mr. Baum’s class is currently working about the justice system through the play “Twelve Angry Men.”

Students in the middle school met this week for small group discussions about identity. The program, devised by the middle school directors and several teachers, involves students in a year-long conversation about identity and how people relate to each other.  Small groups met with a teacher and an upper school student, using curriculum created by Facing History, Facing Ourselves.

On Sunday, ten middle school students attended the Battle of the Books competition in Maryland.  The team included Belle Steinberg, Amal Buba, Brooke Roberson, Niamh O’Donovan, and Evan Kendall. They named themselves “Team Da Hippies.” Meanwhile Allison Benitez, Mira Soskis, Sophia Showalter, Lena Webb, and Bethel Gebreyesus formed “Team Perseverance.” In the event, students competed using their knowledge of specific books they had read. Both Latin teams earned high scores in the following areas: Q&A, spelling, costumes, and intro chant.