JUNE 20

Salvete Parentes,
This is the final update of the year.  We have accomplished so much in our time together: from our Fall trip to the MET to the Medusa Myth Exam projects to Latin Day to simply deepening our knowledge of the Latin Language and Roman culture.  To my students who are leaving (many of whom I have had three years), it has been an honor and privilege to be their teacher.  I wish them all the best in their future endeavors; I have every confidence in them and I'm always here if they need support through the inevitable rough patches that come with change.  To the students who are returning, I look forward to continuing our adventures next year!  Have a safe and fun-filled summer.

Latin I
Grammar:  All six noun cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, and vocative cases.  Four verb tenses: present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect.  Preposition personal pronouns.
Culture:  The amazing cultural and scientific center of the ancient Greco-Roman world: Alexandria, Egypt.

Latin II:
Grammar:  All grammar reviewed with a focus on the dependent uses of the subjunctive (purpose, result, cum clauses, indirect commands, and indirect questions)
Culture:  Desktop catapults and Roman inventions with a focus on architecture.  This is a springboard into one of our first lessons for next year in Latin III/IV: The Legacy of Greco-Roman Architecture.  Click HERE to see students making and firing their catapults.


Latin III/IV
Grammar:  All grammar reviewed with a focus on the independent uses of the subjunctive (may, let’s).
Culture:  The poems of love and loss by Catullus and creating board games based upon the Julio-Claudian and Flavian Emperors.  Click HERE to see students creating and playing each other’s board games.

HALL'S 16th ANNUAL LATIN AWARDS CEREMONY
This occurred on Tuesday, June 5th between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.  I was very pleased by the turn out.  We had over 100 attendees of parents and students.  Throughout the year, all 130 Hall Latin students took the National and Connecticut State Latin Exam.  Furthermore, students also took the National Classical Etymology Exam and the Medusa Mythology Exam.  On these exams, Hall students earned 118 medals and 106 certificates.  78% of all Hall Latin students earned a certificate or medal on one or more of these exams!  Click HERE to see pictures from the event. Click HERE to see awared winners. NB: If you took pictures of this event, please share them with me. I am looking for more to include in a newspaper article that I am writing.



LATIN BLING:
Our Latin t-shirts and sweatpants orders should be ready by Thursday. Go  NERD PRIDE!

2019 APRIL TRIP TO ROME AND ATHENS WAITLIST:
While the spots are currently full, if you would like you can enroll on our official waitlist.  You can do so by calling into EF at 800-665-5364.  You will not need to pay any money to do so, simply you will secure your spot on the waitlist should another space open up.
NOTA BENE:  In order to be on the official waitlist, you will need to call in to do so.  We will be in contact should more space open up.  Hall’s tour # is 2142579FW. Click HERE for more details

MAY 20

Salvete Parentes,

AP exam week is over! Thank the gods. It’s all downhill from here. Overall, I am very proud of my seniors for hanging in there so far. As I often say to them, “Are you putting as much effort now as I did into writing your letter of recommendation?” There are always a few who ask: “Was that much?” I don’t respond. Sometimes ambiguity is powerful.

IN THE CLASROOM:
Latin I
- Roman Britain and the wonderfully beautiful ablative case

Latin II
- Masada and creating desktop catapults

Latin III/IV
- The love (and bitter break-up) poetry of Catullus writing in the age of Julius Caesar

OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM:

HALL'S NEW LATIN TEACHER:
I am pleased to introduce Hall's latest addition to the Latin Department, Meghan Kebernick.  She is currently teaching at the Woodstock Academy.  She is certified in both Latin and Spanish.  Next year she will be teaching three sections of Latin at the high school and two sections of Spanish at KP.  I am very excited about having a new colleague.  This old dog (me) can benefit from learning some new tricks as well. Read Ms. Kebernick’s “SALVE” below.

“Hello, Hall High School!
My name is Meghan Kebernick and I will be joining Hall next year as a Latin teacher and King Philip Middle School as a Spanish teacher. During the 2017-2018 school year, I taught Spanish and Latin at the Woodstock Academy and Eastford Elementary School. I enjoy teaching all ages and have equal passion for both languages.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Classics and Spanish from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2016 and my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut in May 2017. The week after my graduation I became a long-term substitute Spanish teacher at King Philip Middle School. KP is a great school and I am very excited to be teaching in West Hartford again.
When I’m not teaching, I enjoy traveling, reading, spending time with my friends and family, and cheering on the New England Patriots during football season. I also love coffee, purple, and butterflies.
I can’t wait to meet you all next year and join the Hall High School community!
- Ms. Kebernick"

AWARDS CEREMONY:
In the past year, many of our students have earned various awards on the National Classical Etymology Exam, The Medusa Mythology Exam, and The National Latin and State Connecticut Latin Exams. On Tuesday, June 5, we will have a continental breakfast and awards ceremony that will start in E131 and end in the auditorium. The time is from 7-8 AM.  I am proud of my students’ accomplishments.  Anyone who earned a certificate or medal is invited (ALONG WITH ANY OR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS).  I will be giving invites to students.  HERE IS A LINK to the recipients.  NOTA BENE:  If your student is not on one of the lists, no worries.  I hated Latin so much when I was in high school.  I did not do well.  No judgement! Click HERE to see awared winners.

LATIN BLING:
This year the Latin Club is offering three different types of t-shirts and for the first time sweatpants.  Click HERE to see pricing and order. Friday is the last day to order. Support NERD PRIDE!

WEEKEND STUDENT-PARENT TRIP TO NYC:
Sorry to say that I dropped the ball on this.  Spring is such a crazy time of year.  Let's shoot for the fall of 2019.

2019 APRIL TRIP TO ROME AND ATHENS:
Our trip to Rome and Greece is a go!!!  We will have a meeting this Wednesday, May 23 in Conard’s cafeteria at 6:30 pm.  The itinerary that Mr. Coleman and I originally proposed has changed to save at least $400 + dollars.  As the kids say these days, this trip is going to be “lit”!  Click HERE for more details.

NEWSWORTHY FORMER LATIN STUDENTS:
Alannah Boyle - Manhattan College – Double major in Philosophy and Peace Studies
Alannah Boyle earned the Gunn Medal for her on-campus leadership and service. "...The Joseph J. Gunn ’30 Alumni Medal is known as Manhattan College’s most prestigious undergraduate award."

Matthew Houpert – Georgetown University – BA in Classics and BS in Neurobiology
Matt earned the McKay Medal given to a student who writes the best essay on a Classical subject in a competition open to any undergraduate student of any discipline.  Matt was also Georgetown’s center for the football team.  In the picture, it must be noted that his brother Alex currently teaches Latin.

APRIL 28

Salvete Parentes,

Violent volcanoes, military machinations, and poetic passions…

IN THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN I
Culture: We have encountered the devastation of Vesuvius. Our surviving characters will leave Italy for adventures in Egypt and Britain.
Grammar: The ablative case.

LATIN II
Culture: We have explored the military Roman machine and rapidly moving through the next four stages of our text to get in line with the Latin III/IV curriculum. Also, I want to get to the most interesting part of textbook this year. By the end of the week we will begin the passive voice, travel to Rome, and learn the amazing story of Masada.
Grammar: Subjunctive verbs in dependent clauses (e.g., cum clauses, purpose clauses, and indirect questions); the passive voice.

LATIN III/IV
Culture: We have read the whimsical and witty poems of Catullus for the past couple of weeks. We are now heading into the murkier emotional waters of his love poetry.
Grammar: Present subjunctive verbs used independently.

NATIONAL AND STATE EXAMS:
NLE:
Hall high students did a terrific job this year on the 2018 National Latin Exam. Congratulations to all those who earned certificates and medals. WAY TO GO LATIN IIs! 60% of my Latin IIs earned an award. As a result, they got to choose my hair color for the spring. Out of the entire spectrum, they chose yellow. Go figure. See results HERE.

NCEE:
I just received the results for the National Classical Etymology Exam which we took in December! Overall we earned 42 medals. WAY TO GO LATIN I FIRST YEARS!!! See results HERE.

CT STATE LATIN EXAM:
We took the CT State Exam a little over a week ago. We should get the results in May.

MEDUSA MYTHOLOGY EXAM:
Medusa Myth Exam results HERE.

We will have our 16th annual awards ceremony for all certificate and medal winners at the end of May. As soon as the date is set I will notify all.

LATIN "WORD OF THE WEEK" FOR THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS:
~ cado, cadere, cecidi, casus, fall accident
accident, cadence, cadaver, cascade, casualty, coincide, coincidence, decadent, decay, deciduous, incident, occasional, occidental (the west), recidivism (falling back to bad behaviors)
~ verto, vertere, verti, versus, to turn
adversary, adversity, advert, advertise, anniversary, avert, averse, converse, convert, divergent, divert, inadvertent, incontrovertable, obverse/reverse, controversial, invert, inverse, pervert, perverse, subversive, transverse, traverse, revert, reverse, introvert, extrovert, universe, versatile, verse, version, versus

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

NATIONAL LATIN HONOR SOCIETY:
These young women did an awesome job inducting the 2018 National Latin Honor Society inductees. Gratias maximas tibi ago, Sophia, Jackie, and Leann!


LATIN DAY:

"A rainy Latin day is better than a sunny day of school." - Jim Crabb
Latin Day was great.  I laughed and talked with colleagues.Even though our chariot didn’t win, Latin Club did a great job sanding and painting it. See chariot pics HERE.
For the first time we won an award for art, not just one but THREE! See artwork HERE
PAINTING
Katherine Plotkin (freshman, Latin I): 2nd Place for “The Revenge of Clytemnestra.”
SCULPTURE
Grace Percival (former Latin IV): 1st Place for “Grumio” (never entered before)
Aeva Silverman (sophomore, Latin II): 3rd Place for “Scylla and Charybdis - Stuck between a Rock and Hard Place”
See artwork HERE.

MARCH 31

Salvete Parentes,

After our early April break that is coming up, it's going to be a rapid downhill run to graduation on Tuesday, June 19 and the last day of school on Wednesday, June 20. In the past month, we took the National Latin Exam on Friday, March 16. In April, we will take the CT State Latin Exam after break.

IN THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN I
~ We are learning about the destruction of Pompeii and the fascinating archaeological evidence encapsulated by Vesuvius.
~ Grammar: conjugating verbs in the present and imperfect tenses; continuing to master nominative (subject), dative (indirect object), and accusative (direct object) ending in the singular and plural; learning the vocative case (case of address)

LATIN II
~ Traveling from Roman Britain to Rome
~ Mastering important Latin verbs (and their principal parts) that give us many English derivatives
~ Grammar: present and perfect active/passive participles; subjunctive constructions (e.g., cum clauses, purpose clauses, indirect commands, indirect questions, etc.)

LATIN III/IV
~ We have begun reading the poet Catullus, who is writing in the age of Julius Caesar.
~ Grammar: the perfect passive system in the indicative and subjunctive mood.

LATIN "WORD OF THE WEEK" FOR THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS:
~ humus, humi, m., ground, earth
humiliate, humble, humility, exhume, posthumous
~ nascor, nasci, natus, to be born
nascent, nation, native, nativity, nature, natural, natal, prenatal, innate, naive???, renaissance
~ v ox, vocis, f., voice
vocal, vocation, evoke, evocative, invoke, irrevocable, revoke, equivocate, convoke, convocation, evoke, evocative, provoke, provocative, voice, vowel, vocabulary, vociferous, advocate

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN DAY: FRIDAY, APRIL 27
~ Click HERE to read more about it.
~ I no longer have any spots available. However, no one is on the wait list and there are usually last minute openings due to sports.

LATIN CLUB:
~ Latin club is prepare for Latin Day. We are currently painting our chariot.

APRIL TRIP IN 2019
I am sharing with you a VERY amazing tentative itinerary to our planned 2019 April Trip to Rome and Athens. Click HERE to see it. The planning is in its infancy so expect changes.

TRIP TO NYC
I haven't given up on a trip to NYC. I'm thinking about a Saturday in May or June. Same setup as I wanted before.  I envision leaving Hall at 7 am and returning by 8 pm.   This gives us around 6 hours in the city. Email me back with a couple of dates that work for you and your family.

GREAT NEWS ABOUT HALL'S LATIN PROGRAM:
The numbers for next year look great. There is definitely an increase in all levels, especially Latin I. In fact, we are currently looking for someone to teach three section of Latin at Hall next year.

FEBRUARY 24

Salvete Parentes,

As February moves into March, we are beginning to prepare for the National Latin Exam which we will take in school on Thursday, March 15. BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!

IN THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN I
~ We are learning about politics and daily life in Pompeii.
~ Grammar: conjugating verbs in the present and imperfect tenses; continuing to master nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) ending in the singular and plural; learning the dative case (indirect object)

LATIN II
~ We are continuing to learn about Roman baths and magical curses. In particular, our story is taking place in ancient Aquae Sulis (modern day Bath, England).
~ Mastering important Latin verbs that give us many English derivatives
~ Grammar: present and perfect active/passive participles

LATIN III/IV
~ We are finishing up our readings in Martial. Soon we will begin the poet Catullus, who is writing in the age of Julius Caesar.
Zoile, quid solium subluto podice perdis.
spurcius ut fiat, Zoile, merge caput.
Zoilus, you ruin you bathtub with your submerged bottom,
In order to make it filthier, submerge your head.
~ Grammar: participles, ablative absolutes; reviewing all indiciatve verb tenses; deponent verbs.

NEW IN EACH CLASS: A LATIN WORD OF THE WEEK
To boost English vocabulary, I have introduced a new Latin word of the week on Mondays. I have chosen Latin words that give us a rich and useful number of English words. I have done the following two so far:
grex, gregis, herd, flock.
gregarious, egregious ("outside the norms of the flock"), Gregory, segregate, congregate, aggregate
caro, carnis, n., flesh
carnage, carnal, carnation ("flesh colored"), carnival ("farewell to flesh"), carnivore, incarnate, incarnation, reincarnation, carrion, carnifex "executioner"), chili con carne

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN DAY: FRIDAY, APRIL 27
~ There are only have 3 spots left.
~ Click HERE to read more about it.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10thTRIP TO NYC
Thank you to those who contacted me. Currently, I need about 25 more people to fill up the bus. Since the bus will cost $1,500, I have to charge $30 per seat. Please email me back if you were on the fence, but can definitely make it. I have opened this up to the faculty and will ask the PTO to send the invitation out to all parents at Hall.

LATIN CLUB:
~ This past Valentine's day, the Latin club gave all students the opportunity to buy Lupercalia Valentine's Day cards. See a sample card HERE
~ Latin club is beginning to prepare for Latin Day. We are soon going to work on painting our chariot.

LUPERCALIA: THE ORIGIN OF VALENTINE'S DAY 

Valentine's Day has a very strange origin in ancient Rome. Click on the above image to learn more from Stephen Colbert.

GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE LATIN PROGRAM:
Preliminary numbers for next year look great. There is definitely an increase in all levels, especially Latin I. Both Mr. Coleman at Conard and I have a full time job for next year. This was a concern that has been gnawing at me all year, especially since there had been a significant drop in the past three years, as evidenced by the loss of 200 students and 2 full time teachers. The numbers are on the rise again. Thank you for your support!!!

FEBRUARY 4

Salvete Parentes,
January flew by quickly. Exams went well. I find that exams don't affect student averages too much in Latin. I would prefer to get rid of them all together. Maybe a final exam or project at the end of the year (to reflect a college-like situation) would be best. In other news, I received the results of the Medusa Mythology Exam. This year's theme/curriculum focused on magnificent and maleficent women. You can view the results HERE. I was pleased with the results, especially with our freshman. I find that results are best when enthusiasm is high. I don't know many Latin teachers who give this exam in the Connecticut area, but I find it a valuable use of our classtime. Even though mythology is not a personal strength (keeping the names and relationships straight can be confusing!), I do this because there is always student interest in classical myths and the Medusa Mythology Exam allows for some different students to shine (i.e., those who may struggle with Latin grammar).

IN THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN I
~ We are learning about Roman baths, exercise, and daily life in Pompeii.
~ Grammar: mastering nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) ending in the singular and plural; learning the dative case (indirect object)

LATIN II
~ We are learning about Roman baths, health, and hygiene. In particular, our story is taking place in ancient Aquae Sulis (modern day Bath, England).
~ Mastering important Latin verbs that give us many English derivatives
~ Grammar: present and perfect participles

LATIN III/IV
~ We are still reading the witty epigrams of Martial.
languebam: sed tu comitatus protinus ad me . | "I felt a little ill: but to me at once
venisti centum, Symmache, discipulïs. | you came, Symmachus, surrounded by 100 medical students.
centum me tetigërunt manus Aquilone gelatae; | One hundred ice-cold hands touched me.
non habui febrem, Symmache: nunc habeo. | I didn't have a fever, Symmachus, but now I do."
~ Rhetorical devices and poetic meters (dactylic hexameter and elegiac couplet)
~ Grammar: participles, ablative absolutes, infinitives, and indirect statement.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

A REQUEST
If you know a bright and/or inquisitive student (or the parent of such a student) who likes to learn something new and interesting, please tell them about the Hall Latin program! Latin is so much more than a "dead" language. Below is a link that I had 8th grade English teachers share with their students. Feel free to share it with the parents of students who may be interested in taking Latin. Check out the promotional flyer I made HERE.


NEXT YEAR
I have met with all my students who are continuing next year. I have recommended all for the next level of Latin. Some are excelling, some could be working harder, and a few are struggling a little, but all are putting forth varying degrees of effort which I appreciate.

JANUARY 14

Salvete Parentes,
I hope that you enjoyed your holiday break. Currently, we are preparing for midterm exams which start on Friday.  I am attempting to make my exams low key with as little stress as possible.  I am only assessing the last two chapters that we have studied in both Latin I and II.  In Latin III/IV I am only testing the poems of Martial that we have done in the last month and this week.

IN THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN I
~ Mastering nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) ending in the singular and plural
~ Present participles
~ Gladiators and the Colosseum
FUN FACTS:  Gladiators were not chiseled athletes and their diet consisted of very little meat.  Read more HERE. 
~ Click HERE to learn the top 5 myths about gladiators.

LATIN II
~ Mastering all case endings for the first three declensions
~ Examining the fascinating and sophisticated world of ancient Roman and Greek medicine
FUN FACTS:  Roman doctors performed successful cataract surgeries and trepanation (drilling into the skull to relieve pressure) as well.

LATIN III/IV
~ Reading the witty epigrams of Martial
Nuper erat medicus, nunc est vispillo, Diaulus:
Quod vispillo facit, fecerat et medicus.
“Diaulus, just recently a doctor, is now an undertaker: what he does as an undertaker, he had done as a doctor.”
~ Rhetorical devices and poetic meters (dactylic hexameter and elegiac couplet)
~ Ask your student how amazing Roman poetry is and how challenging it was to compose.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN CLUB
This past Friday, Latin club made candles in the Foods Room. It was simple, fascinating, and scented!  It was a belated celebration of a Saturnalian tradition. Click HERE to see pictures.

NEXT YEAR
I have recommended all my students for the next level of Latin next year. Some are excelling, some could be working harder, and a few are struggling a little, but all are putting forth effort which I appreciate. After midterm exams, I will be meeting individually with each student to give them feedback about their progress and talk to them about next year.

A REQUEST
If you know a bright and/or inquisitive student (or the parent of such a student) who likes to learn something new and interesting, please tell them about the Hall Latin program! Latin is so much more than a "dead" language.

DECEMBER 24

Salvete Parentes,
Happy Holidays to all! IO, SATURNALIA! Saturnalia was a pagan Roman winter solstice holiday gave many traditions to the Christian holiday of Christmas, such as feasting, revelry, and gift giving. It was a weeklong festivity celebrated from December 17-25th.

IN THE CLASSROOM:
~ All class have spent the last few weeks preparing for the Medusa Mythology Exam which we took on Friday, December 15th. 
~ This year's theme was "Magnificent and Maleficent Women" (e.g., Arachne, Medusa, Callisto, Circe, Medea, etc.). Click HERE to see some of the project visuals that a few students created.
~ On Monday, December 17, many Latin students showed their nerd pride (and earned 5 points on their midterm exam) by wearing a toga or tunica all day.  Click HERE to those who participated.
~ On Thursday, December 21, we had a small classroom celebration of Saturnalia with traditional ancient Roman foods (e.g., pomegranate, breads, cheeses, dates, apples, etc.). Thank you to all the families that sent in food. There was plenty of food for all the classes. Period 8 was particularly enthusiastic with their selection of outstanding cheeses and abundance.

"May the Force Be with You!"

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN CLUB
Latin Club will next meet on Friday, January 5th to make canldes. Apparently, I recently learned that candles (unbeknownst to me) were a part of Saturnalia. Therefore, the Latin club wanted to make candles. We wanted to do this before the holidays.

APRIL BREAK 2019 LATIN TRIP
Currently, Mr. Coleman (Conard's Latin teacher) and I are working on the itinerary for a trip to Rome and Athens for the 2019 April break. For students who are interested, it's a good time to start saving up. Partial scholarships are available for those in need.

DECEMBER 3

Salvete Parentes,
The end of November has been busy and December is turning out to be an be an even busier month.

IN THE CLASSROOM:

NATIONAL CLASSICAL ETYMOLOGY EXAM:
~ On Thursday, November 30, over 130 Hall Latin students took the National Classical Etymology exam online.  This is VERY challenging exam, usually comprised of: 75 percent Latin derivatives and 25 percent Greek derivatives. 
~ In past years, students who average in the 50s (out of 100) or higher earn a medal.  This year, an impressive 38 Hall students earned 58% or higher.  Click HERE to see who they are.
~ Clear HERE to see how you would do on one of the older exams.

MEDUSA MYTHOLOGY EXAM:
~ On Friday, December 15th, all Hall students will take the National Medusa Mythology exam.  Every year the theme changes.  Four years ago, it was Monsters (in Corporibus). Three years ago, it was Hercules.  Last year, the Titans.
~ This year's theme is the best:  magnificent and maleficent women.  Be sure to ask your child what their assigned topic was.
~ Over the next couple of weeks, students are showing their visuals and presenting to the class the strange stories associated with such women as Arachne, Medusa, Callisto, Circe, Medea, etc.

LATIN I
~ Roman dining and beginning a unit on gladiators.
LATIN II
~ Finishing up Alexandria and beginning a unit on ancient Roman medicine.
LATIN III/IV
~ Reading the witty epigrams of Martial

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN CLUB:  SUPPORTING CANCER RESEARCH AND MR. ZITTOUN
~ Latin club is proud to announce that they raised $1,018 dollars this past No-Shave November (a.k.a., Grumiovember)!  Thank you for all of your very generous donations.  Hall’s faculty were the most enthusiastic participants in this event. Click HERE to see pictures of those who participated.
~ Latin club usually meets every Monday.  We are meeting this Monday to write thank you notes and to prepare for Saturnalia celebrations.


PAVO MANUS ("Turkey/Peacock Hands"):
~ Students channeled their grammar school years by making Turkey hands, but with a Latin historical and mythological spin.  As always, my students impressed me with their creativity.
~ Click HERE to see pictures of those who created the most interesting PAVONES MANUS.

SATURNALIA (A Precursor to Christmas):
This pagan Roman winter solstice holiday gave many traditions to the Christian holiday of Christmas, such as feasting, generosity, and gift giving. The following link is a great little read about this holiday because it sites many primary sources for examples.  Click HERE.
~ On Monday, December 17, I am encouraging all Latin students to show their nerd pride by wearing a toga or tunica all day.  They are easy to make.  No worries.  The student who wears it all day (except during gym) may earn bonus points on the midterm exam.
~ On Friday, December 22, we will have a small classroom celebration of Saturnalia with traditional ancient Roman foods.

NOVEMBER 12

Salvete Parentes,

1. I am embarrassed to say that I'm still working on sending emails to the parents of my Latin III/IV students. Rest assure, you would have heard from me by now if there were any issues.
2. In all classes, we will take the National Classical Etymology Exam on Thursday, November 30. In addition to all the vocabulary that we have studied, I will focus on Greek and Roman prefixes to prepare us for this exam.
3. In all classes we will start projects to prepare us for the National Mesa Mythology Exam. This year's theme "Mythological Women: Magnificent and Maleficent.” I will provide student with a detailed rubric with various deadlines.

IN THE CLASSROOM
LATIN I:
- We are currently working on subject verb agreement and three verb tenses (present, imperfect, and perfect).
- We wrapped up our unit on Roman theater by watching "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Our textbook stories now turn to the fantastic with Roman beliefs about ghosts and burial customs.
LATIN II:
- We have finished our complete study of noun cases in Latin. We will start to review verbs again.
- In our textbook, we are still in Alexandria, Egypt where we will examine the diversity of the ancient Roman world along with cultural assimilations (e.g., Romans worshipping Egptian gods).
LATIN III/IV:
- We have finished Aesop's fables. We greatly enjoyed Wes Andersons's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" as entertaining closure!
- Grammatically, we have reviewed/learned all the major subjunctive constructions in Latin (e.g, purpose, result, indirect command, etc.). We are reviewing/learning the active vs. passive voice for all indicative verbs.
- This week we are starting the witty and fierce epigrams of Martial. An epigram is a witty little (i.e., 2-4 line) poem that ends in a surprising and often humorous twist. This is not unlike the one liners of comedians. Rodney Dangerfield comes to mind. Be sure to have your son/daughter share some of the well written two plus liners from Martial with you.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN CLUB:
"No Shave Novemeber" is upon us. We have at least a dozen teachers participating. This event is for cancer awreness. The Latin Club has set up a donation page for cancer research (3rd year in a row) HERE. Any donation is welcome.

TRIPS ABROAD:
It's unfortunate that I had to cancel our trip to Spain. There has been a marked drop in travel in WEHA this year. Cost is definitely a big factor. Unfortunately, to provide a trip more cheaply without a company would sacrifice safety and safety. FYI: Mr. Coleman and I are focusing on a Rome and Athens trip for next year. If students are interested, there is no time like the present to start saving up that baby sitting money!

PARENT CONFERENCES:
- Wednesday, November 15, 2017 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm
- Thursday, November 16, 2017 from 7:30am - 9:40am
I am already booked up. If you see that I am not meeting with anyone, be sure to say hello. If you want to talk, you can reach me at 413-427-6954.

OCTOBER 21
Salvete Parentes,
I am still in the process of sending out individualized emails to all families about the progress of each of my students. I hope to have this done before the end of October, since I have 136 students this year. I am currently working my way through Latin II and III students.

IN THE CLASSROOM
Latin I:
Culture: Roman entertainment, especially the theater
Language: Subject (singular and plural) and direct object (singular) endings; English vs. Latin word order; vocabulary for Stages 1-5
NB: Latin Is played Scrabble this week on Wednesday. I encouraged Latin dictionary useage and Latin words were doubled. Click HERE to see pictures from the periods 5 and 7. Their enthusiasm impressed me!!!
Latin II:
Culture: Life in Alexandria, Egypt where our main character had visited prior to arriving in Britain
Language: Reviewing both verbs and nouns; neuter nouns; famous prepositional phrases in Latin
Latin III/IV:
Aesop's Stories in Latin: The Peasant and His Plow, the Boy Who Cried Wolf
Mythological Stories in Latin: Aurora and Tithonus, Nisus and Euryalus, Echo and Handsome Narcissus, Europa and the Bull, and Picus et Canens
Language: Reviewing nouns and declension endings, personal pronouns, famous phrases about animals, and subjunctive constructions this week in the Cambridge textbook!

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

LATIN CLUB:
Latin Club is this Monday. The first order of business in doing a cancer fundraiser for "No Shave Novemeber." Think about participate by ditching the Gilette for a month. We will encourage as many teachers to particpate and will send out requests for donations soon.

OCTOBER TRIP TO THE MET IN NYC:
This Wednesday, October 25th, a few Latin students will head to the MET in in NYC and will have lunch in a beautful food court benath the Plaza hotel.

APRIL TRIP TO SPAIN:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: This trip may be cancelled if we do not get at least 10 more participants by the end of this week. I have sent out emails to the entire sophomore, junior, and senior classes. I have asked Spanish teachers of juniors and seniors to mention this trip to their classes. This week, I will visit Spanish V and AP classes as a reminder. At this point, students do not have to be in Spanish or Latin. Besides Chinese, this is the only other trip this year for the high schools. Click HERE to see how parents "travel" with their students in years past.
Hall-Conard 2018 April Latin Trip to Spain (Barcelona • Madrid • Segovia • Mérida • Italica • Sevilla • Cordoba • Granada

OCTOBER 9
Salvete Parentes,
I am in the process of sending out individualized emails to all families about the progress of each of my students. I hope to have this done before the end of October, since I have 136 students this year. Latin I students take priority. I had mentally committed myself into making phone calls home but I feel that I sound like Jerry Lewis from one of his movies in the 50s/60s. I'm totally serious. I get so nervous. Therefore, please look for an email in your inbox.

IN THE CLASSROOM
Latin I :
Culture: Roman life in Pompeii: the roles of men, women, slaves, trades, (i.e., money lending), etc.
Language: Subject and direct object endings in the singular; English vs. Latin word order; vocabulary for Stages 1-4
IMPORANT ADVICE: At this point in the year, I am encouraging all my students to study vocabulary a little bit each day. Latin I material will start to build quickly. Our current material must be mastered to make the rest of the year go more smoothly.
Latin II:
Culture: Roman occupation and influence in Britain during the 1st century CE
Language: Reviewing both verbs and nouns; the ablative case; famous prepositional phrases in Latin (e.g., sub poena, in flagrante delicto, e pluribus unum, etc.)
Latin III/IV:
Aesop's Stories in Latin: The Birds and Quadrupeds, The Fox and the Leopard, The Peasant and His Plow
Mythological Stories in Latin: The Trojan Horse, Laoccoon and the Trojan Horse, Ulysses and the Cyclops, and Nisus and Euryalus
Language: Reviewing nouns and declension endings, personal pronouns, and subjunctive constructions this week in the Cambridge textbook!

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:
LATIN CLUB:
Latin Club is usually meets on Monday. In the past we have done activities to prepare for Latin Day in May. This is a field trip to Holiday Hill in Cheshire where 2,000 nerds converge to compete and learn new things about the ancient Roman world. Since we have new leadership in the Latin club this year, I look forward to maybe making school tunicas for this day, or perhaps, doing some hands on after school activities at KP this year. Hall Latin students are already overbooked. I will gleefully follow them into whatever endeaver they wish to pursue.

OCTOBER TRIP TO THE MET IN NYC:
At this time there is a waiting list for our October, 25 trip. For those students who have paid foth trip first, I will get the West Hartford parent permission form out by the end of the week.

APRIL TRIP TO SPAIN:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Sign-up for our trip to Spain is at a critical juncture right now. We need to get a definite number of sign-ups (with a $95 check) by the end of October. As of right now, I have two checks in hand and 15 students who have the sign up form and have expressed "great" interest. Mr. Coleman, the Latin teacher at Conard, is in the same exact boat. If your child or his/her friend, is truly interrested, please have them get me the commitment form with check ASAP.
Hall-Conard 2018 April Latin Trip to Spain (Barcelona • Madrid • Segovia • Mérida • Italica • Sevilla • Cordoba • Granada

SEPTEMBER 23
Salvete Parentes,
It was a pleasure meeting so many of you at Curriculum Night on September 13th. As promised, I have links to the PowerPoint that I showed for each level that I teach.
Latin I • Latin II • Latin III/IV

IN THE CLASSROOM
Latin I :
Culture: Roman life and homes in Pompeii; the roles of men and women
Language: Subjects and direct object endings in the singular; English vs. Latin word order
Latin II:
Culture: From Latin I we follow our surviving characters from the destruction of Pompeii to Britain where Quintus discovers how the Romans have inserted themselves into ancient British culture
Language: Reviewing Verbs
Latin III/IV:
Aesop's Stories in Latin: The Mountains Give Birth to a Mouse, the Dog in the Manger, the City Mouse and the Country Mouse, and the Crow and the Pot
Mythological Stories in Latin: Pandora, Phaethon, the Adventures of Io, and the House of Atreus, and Midas
Language: Reviewing nouns and declension endings, especially neuter nouns.

APRIL TRIP TO SPAIN:
I M P O R T A N T: I'm excited for our trip to Spain. Mr. Coleman (Conard's Latin teacher) and I are currently signing students up. Last year, we had to turn away students when the maximum was reached. This year, we are opening up the trip to all Spanish students as well. As always, current Latin students may also invite a friend who is not currently enrolled in a Latin class.
Hall-Conard 2018 April Latin Trip to Spain (Barcelona • Madrid • Segovia • Mérida • Italica • Sevilla • Cordoba • Granada

FUN FACT:

Our modern ampersand symbol evolved from the Latin conjunction (et, and). Furthermore, the word ampersand comes from "and per se and." Apparently, "&" used to be the final letter in the alphabet. When recited, the alphabet ended with "&" by itself and." Watch Merriam-Webster's "Ask the Editor" explanation of "ampersand" HERE.

SEPTEMBER 10

Salvete Parentes,

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Jim Crabb and I am your son/daughter’s Latin teacher this year. This is my 23rd year teaching and my 16th at Hall. I live in Easthampton, Ma. and have two kids: Quincy has just entered 10th grade and Chloe is beginning her sophomore year of college. Where does the time go? I love teaching, especially at Hall. It’s worth the commute. I work hard at not only teaching Latin as a language, but also as an historical anchor for our modern world: history, mythology, word origins, etc. The Classics are a living museum and a home for the nerdy!

I will be emailing you twice a month with a link to this website with updates about what we are doing in class and interesting facts about how Latin is still alive today. I look forward to seeing you at Curriculum Night this Wednesday, September 13th.

Parent update link: http://www.crabbylatin.com/Parentes1718.html
My website: http://www.crabbylatin.com/

Jim Crabb

Hall-Conard 2018 April Latin Trip to Spain (Barcelona • Madrid • Segovia • Mérida • Italica • Sevilla • Cordoba • Granada • Baelo Claudia)

Itinerary
Itemized cost list coming soon.