April 17, 2024

Last month, PCS students from the second year Latin class sat for the annual National Latin Exam (NLE) “a test given annually to Latin students across the United States and around the world. The NLE is not meant to be a competition but rather an opportunity for students to receive reinforcement and recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom. Depending upon their score, students may earn certificates, medals, and may even qualify for scholarships.” (nle.org)

Latin teacher, Mrs. Rachel Humphrey shares with the school, “Although not all my students got awards, they all worked really hard and their knowledge of and proficiency in Latin has improved dramatically over the course of the year.  I am very proud of them all!”

Sarah Zallee and Kyra Schleining chose to take Latin because of their interest in the sciences and the medical field. And as Sarah listed the choices of languages offered at PCS, she said, “Latin is just better!” William Loffink (who received a perfect score!!) shared that he likes to learn about history in Latin. Ben Antonov agreed, “It’s interesting to learn about the history behind the language.”

For this second year class, they noted the progression of studying Latin – “it’s harder with a more in-depth sentence structure,” says Susan Asaya.

“It’s easier when you memorize the vocabulary, and you can use context clues,” chimed in Sarah Zallee. She’s one of the several students who plan to take Latin 3 next year.

No matter which language our students choose from the PCS offerings (Latin, Spanish, Japanese and French), we are thrilled for the opportunities and commitment our students and teachers bring to their classes.

Gold Medal (summa cum laude – with highest distinction) recipients
(Last year, the following three students took the Latin 1 exam and each received a gold medal.)

Susan Asaya  (11th grade)
William Loffink (11th grade) - received a perfect score
Sarah Zallee (10th grade)

Silver Medal (maxima cum laude – with very great praise)

Ben Antonov (11th grade)

Magna Cum Laude (with great distinction)

Emery Nunn (9th grade)
Kyra Schleining (10th grade)

From left to right:  Emery Nunn, Sarah Zallee, Kyra Schleining, Ben Antonov, Susan Asaya, William Loffink.

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Written by Grace Dugger