On Thursday, juniors spent the day climbing and zipping through the trees on the first school field trip since March 2020. Don't fret - we have more trips on the horizon for the other grades!
Dear Latin families,
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of September 11th, an orchestrated series of events that will forever have an indelible impact on our community and American history. My own memories of the day remain vivid two decades after the fact. At the time, I was working as the principal of a small parochial school in New Jersey, and when my mother called to see if I was safe, I looked out my window and could see the smoke from the Towers rising in the sky from the other side of the Hudson River. I had no idea what had happened less than an hour earlier and just a few miles away. Families at the school lost loved ones in the tragedy, and everyone living nearby felt these losses personally. I imagine there are some in this community who may have been similarly affected, and I still grieve for the loss of life and for the myriad ways in which the world has changed since then.
As we reflect on this dark memory, teachers at Latin note the tragedy but also the incredible heroism that accompanied it. In previous years, the 11th grade history class has had teachers speak about their experiences that day, hearing about the New York and DC residents who helped save lives, whether as firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, or volunteers in the cleanup and search and recovery at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. History teachers like Tom Hagerty and Peter Findler brought students to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania where the “fourth” plane went down because passengers took action to prevent an even bigger tragedy. The class of 2020 also visited New York during their junior year, and students had the chance to see the September 11th monument at Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower. For students who were born after this historical moment, speaking to survivors and visiting these memorials helps enhance their understanding and make it more than just something they read about in a textbook. This week Mr. Staten's 6th grade Civics class did a special mini-lesson on September 11 using BrainPop and writing letters of thanks to the American military to be sent to the charity “A Million Thanks.”
As I reflect on what transpired in 2001, unity and community are uppermost in my memories. While it was the darkest day experienced by so many Americans, it was also a day that inspired profound generosity and awareness of the interconnectedness of the human experience. In New York City, people helped carry their neighbors to safety, helping one another walk hundreds of blocks home through city streets strewn with the debris of the towers. People opened their homes to others who could not make it home and took the time to support strangers. New Yorkers looked each other in the eye on the street, noting the shared fragility of their existence and the need for community support. This idea that people of different backgrounds were able to connect as human beings and support each other was also on my mind today as I spoke at our annual beginning of the year convocation.
Convocation each year affords us an annual opportunity to reflect; we need to remember who we are. Our pursuit is more than that of college or career. What we seek is a fuller humanity. Our ambitions are not for ourselves alone. We aspire to contribute to the public good. We think before we act. We do what is right rather than what is expedient. We consider the views and needs of others. We are a community for whom and in which words matter, ideas matter, and people matter. And while it sometimes takes the worst of times to bring out the best in us, I hope that this year we will commit ourselves to building a stronger community, one grounded in radical love and a belief in the power of what we can accomplish when we are united.
Valete!
Peter
Peter T. Anderson Head of School
MAGIS Afterschool Program
Starts on Monday!
Magis (Latin for more) is our afterschool program for middle school students in grades 5-8. It offers a range of options for each six-week session, most led by Latin community members (teachers, alumni, etc.) This first session for 2021-22 begins on September 13 and continues through October 31 with four options: Outdoor Sports, Indoor Games, Art, and Study Hall. More choices will be added to future sessions. Magis runs every afternoon EXCEPT Fridays, from dismissal until 6:00 pm. Students may participate for a single day or everyday.
Financial assistance is available!
Any student may participate and Latin lowers or waives fees for families who qualify for free meals. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Martita Fleming, Director of Operations.
Please complete the registration form using the blue button. This form and initial payment, if applicable, are due by Monday, September 13. Visit the Magis page of latinpcs.org for more information and payment options.
Our founding program coordinator, Caroline Coleman, is running this first session of Magis as interim coordinator. Latin, however, is looking for a permanent coordinator of Magis. This is a part-time position and we welcome referrals and applications from parents, alumni and anyone who loves kids and is interested in joining our team at Latin. Read more on the Magis page below.
Thank you to all who were able to join the MS grade teams at the Back to School Night Zooms last night. Someday soon, we hope to get back to in-person BTSN! If you were unable to join us on Zoom, we are processing the recordings and will post to the Parents page soon, so keep checking back.
Upper School - Coming up Tuesday 9/14
Mark your calendars!
The Upper School Back to School Night will take place next Tuesday, September 14, at 6:00 pm. There will be a brief meeting on Zoom, then you will be able to view video recordings of each of your child/ren's teachers. We will share the Zoom link and teacher recordings in a separate email by Tuesday afternoon, so please keep an eye out!
We are looking forward to seeing music fans for this year’s special outdoor concert experience, supporting the Latin Music Program. Join us at this outdoor for performances by Jazz Band and Honors Choir at a new venue, Club Camponovo (home of a Latin musician). RSVP with the button and then make your donation in support of Latin music today!
You can make a donation via PayPal(use the microphone button on this page). Contact usto join the host committee for this year’s concert and ensure we can keep our music program both wonderful and accessible to all our students.
A doctor's note is required to excuse absences or tardies due to DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS
If students arrive at school late or are absent due to a medical appointment you must submit a note from the physician's office to attendance@latinpcs.org. Without a note, the absence will be UNEXCUSED! This has long been our policy, so this is just a reminder of the requirement.
We do NOT require a doctor's note if your child is simply home sick for a day or two. This is not our policy, nor has it ever been. If your child is not well, please DO keep them home! Please review the full Attendance Policy on the Parents page.
We apologize for not communicating this more clearly last week!
When can I donate? Any time! You can drop them off at the front desk during the school week.
When can I buy?At PFA events! Uniforms are available at all in-person PFA events.
What if I need it now? G-land! You can visit them at their storefront in Georgetown or their online store.
What if I’m desperate? Well, we aim to please but are not set up as a store. If we can, we will try, but generally we ask that you wait for a PFA-organized sale or shop retail!
To read more about the Uniform Policy, please visit the Parents page.
Kids Ride Free
If your child has not yet picked up their Kids Ride Free pass at orientation or in advisory this week, please send them to the front desk with Ms. Flores and Ms. Nunn at break, recess, lunch and after school. There will be a line, but that's how students know they are in the right place!
Don't miss out on any communications!
We have heard from some parents that they don’t always receive our all-school emails. Emails are sent through PowerSchool, so the issue is usually over-zealous spam filters, which even block our emails before they get to your junk folder!
But we won't give up!
You may opt in for text notices for every communication, such as Legenda and other all-school emails. Please use the button below!
To commemorate 9/11, join the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships, AmeriCorps, Voices for National Service, and With Honor to pack 200,000 meals for the Capital Area Food Bank. The event is being hosted by 9/11 Day, the non-profit organizing the national September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. (Saturday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center; 8 a.m. – 7p.m.; FREE)
College Night for Juniors & Parents, 6:30 pm (virtual)
9/14 -US Back to School Night, 6:00 pm (virtual) 9/15 - 12th Grade to Adventure Park at Sandy Spring 9/17 -
9th Grade to Adventure Park at Sandy Spring
Cocktail Concert to support Latin Music! 6:30 pm (see above)
9/21 - Latin Cafe, 6:30 pm - Join via Zoom for updates and Q&A 9/22 - 10th Grade to Adventure Park at Sandy Spring 9/24 - 26 - 12th Grade to Western MD 4H Education Center 10/2 - Parent-Faculty Social, 6:00 pm 10/11 -Indigenous People Day - NO SCHOOL
