We enjoyed seeing the beautiful Nutcracker performance at the Warner last week!
Dear Cooper Families,
We are in the final week before our longest break of the school year! Between today and next Friday, we have a number of events and special activities planned for our Cooper students. We are all looking forward to this week's festivities! Please read on for reminders and some new details, particularly the important note about our activity preceding tomorrow's 6th grade field trip - a viewing of the movie Anne Frank. This is related to the field trip the entire grade will go on that day to the Holocaust Memorial; 6th grade families can read about this and may opt out by emailing me.
Please also remember that Friday, December 16 will be a half day - all students dismiss at noon!
I have written to you before about Cooper milestones, and reaching this point is among them. Next Friday marks the end of 16 weeks of the 2022-23 school year. What an ride! - full of firsts, some challenges, and definitely a great deal of joy working with each of your children. I want to express my deep gratitude for the all members of the community who have been part of the launch of Cooper and partners with me in this work.
Over the break, I hope that all members of our Cooper family are able to do those things that bring us joy, to rest and recalibrate bodies and minds, and to strengthen the habits that will allow us to return to Cooper in 2023 refreshed and ready for the second half of this school year. If that is food and drink, may you enjoy. If it is sun or snow, may you soak up that favored weather. If it is friends and family, may you bask in the warmth of their company.
I wish you all the joys of this break, whatever shape it takes for you and your family, and a festive week before then!
This trip relates to the English 6 unit Heroes in History.
Note that students will watch a movie about the life of Anne Frank before leaving campus at 10:00 am. If you do not want your child to watch this movie, please email Ms. Roberts by no later than 8:00 am Wednesday.
IMPORTANT: students will ride the Metro for this field trip! Metro Fare Options - $5 cash OR use the Kids Ride Free card
If your child does not currently have a Kids Ride Free Card, please send them with $5.00 to cover the Metro fees (round trip) on 12/12.
Does your child have a Kids Ride Free Card? Then all set - please just make sure your child brings the card on Wednesday!
For all the details, costs etc., please see the email from Ms. Spiegel!
The Latin Way
Classical Reading Group for Parents
December 12
6:45 - 8:00 pm
Diana E. Smith Library
2nd Street Campus
Join our first parent classical reading group of 2022-23, led by Diana Smith with other members of our faculty.
Ever wish you could jump into a class and discuss the enduring ideas of the Latin Way and our classical education? Here's your chance! Join our first Classical Reading Group of this year to discuss a work of ancient literature: Sophocles' Oedipus the King with members of the Latin faculty and your fellow parents. Known usually as the play about the man who marries his mother and kills his father, this play is far more than this popular synopsis. It introduces several enduring ideas: How free are we? What does it take to pursue the truth? What are we blind to?
This is the first of two sessions on the play; we will read the play aloud and then discuss as we go. There is no need to have read the play beforehand!
If you want to get started anyway, please be sure to find a copy of Robert Bagg's translation (pictured above and available on Amazon and other booksellers (ISBN # 9780062132086), Please try to get that one, if possible. We will have copies available that evening, as well.
Please visit The Latin Way page to view the recording of the first virtual discussion, see the full calendar of discussions this year, and RSVP for our first Classical Reading Seminar on December 12.
How do families learn about a snow closure for the Cooper Campus? Read on, and we will repeat this in January!
We hear from The Capital Weather Gang that there MIGHT be some winter weather on Thursday. While a full-blown snow event seems unlikely at this point, we are taking advantage of this possibility to share our weather closure communications procedures. Please read on - just in case we need it this week.
Washington Latin makes decisions independent of DCPS. We are paying attention to what they do, but we make our own decision about opening or closing schools. Related point: Washington Latin makes the call for BOTH campuses.
We will make a call by no later than 6:00 am, earlier if possible. In an ideal scenario, we will even be able to let families know the night before.
Latin will inform families of a delay or closure through several forms of communication. This includes email, text blast and website banner on the home page at a minimum. We also inform the DC Charter Board, which then shares a list of all closures/delays publicly, including with the news media. We generally also post the news on our social media sites.
Our communications will include the details - closure or delay. Any weather announcement will include details about whether it is a day off or an asynchronous day, or a delayed start (the standard is a two-hour delay) and the adjusted start time. Also note that if the school campuses are closed, so too are all extracurricular activities.
If we do not contact families, that means a regular school day! Please note that we do not send out all the communications if there is no delay or cancelation. So if you do not hear from us, that means to show up on time!
Students may stay after school until the show begins, and then MUST be picked up at 6:00 pm (through the parking lot door).
Students can purchase $5 tickets from their Community Council representatives on campus. Snacks and drinks will be on sale (between $1-3).
Employment at Latin
We welcome your help identifying candidates for Cooper!
Substitute Teachers Wanted Send candidates our way today!
We are looking for folks to join our substitute teacher pool! If you know of someone who could be a good fit, please have them apply on the Careers page of our website. The role comes with a good bit of schedule flexibility.
We are looking for candidates who have experience working with young people and who have finished at least two years of college; a bachelor’s degree is preferred.
Questions? Please email Sam Spiegel, Dean of Academic Operations.
Reminder! Saturday, January 7, 2023
6:00 pm
Be sure to join our first Parent-Faculty Social to after the break!
