Keep Latin in HCMS and WRMS next year and beyond
Announced 4/11/24: Latin will no longer be offered at HCMS and WRMS starting next year. Kids can only start Latin 1 in High school. (Only Spanish and French will be offered in middle schools going forward.)
Reasons for the cancellation: due to low enrollment (20+ rising 6th graders elected to take Latin next year.)
Why we need to keep Latin
It is the flagship program that puts Eanes at par with the other private and magnet schools in the area (e.g. St Andrews, St. Stephen’s, and LASA).The student teams are doing extremely well in area/state/national competitions and bring home tons of awards and trophies. Great PR for Eanes ISD(The novice team comprising the two Eanes middle schools was the #1 middle school team in the nation at NJCL last summer!!!)Without feeder programs in middle schools, our high school students will not be able to stay competitive against the other top schools. The height WHS Latin enjoys today will be things of the past.It is a small investment for huge bragging rights for the district. Other than staffing (a single MS Latin teacher), cost is minimal. Competitions, conferences, and training sessions are self funded and staffed by volunteers.Latin offers a unique opportunity to learn not only the language, but also the history, and literature. Kids do better at SAT, ELA, and medical fieldsUnique language option in addition to Spanish and French. After Chinese was cancelled in middle schools last year, there is tremendous value in keeping Latin and making Eanes’ language offering as diverse and world class as possible.Extremely dedicated group of educators training the kids, leading them through competitions, and traveling with them to national conferences. We are not just canceling the language in middle schools, we are also dissolving the pathway that took years to build.Enrollment number fluctuates from year to year. Current Latin 7th grade is a large size, and there are currently two sessions of Latin2 in 9th grade. Enrollment number should not be used as the sole factor in determining class offerings. We are making a short term decision that will have long term negative impact on the students and the district
Possible solutions: based on current enrollment numbers
Option 1: Keep offering Latin at both middle schools. With more wins and excitement around the program, the enrollment can go up next year. Option 2: There are plenty of kids who are interested in Latin this coming school year. If enrollment is not high enough to justify Latin for both schools, perhaps we can consolidate and offer Latin on one middle school campus only. With some creativity, transportation can be organized.
Keeping Latin in middle schools will be a win-win for the kids and the district for generations to come.
Awards from the most recent State comeptition:
From: David Finkelstein <dfinkelstein@eanesisd.net>Date: April 7, 2024 at 3:00:38 PM CDTTo: HCMS All Staff <hcmsallstaff@eanesisd.net>Subject: Latin Club Happenings
salvēte v'omnēs,
It's with great pleasure that I share the remarkable accomplishments of our Hill Country Middle School team at the TSJCL State Convention 2024. Our students' dedication, talent, and hard work truly shined throughout the competition, earning us well-deserved recognition and accolades.
Here are the overall school results:
Catapult (Small): 1st placeGeneral Sweepstakes Points: 78
Let's also celebrate the outstanding individual achievements of our students:
William Cannon - Greek History: 2nd place - Pentathlon: summā cum laude - Roman History Empire: 6th place
Hudson Cherry - Latin Derivatives: 5th place - Pentathlon: summā cum laude - Roman Life: 1st place
Isaac Herbert - 100 Meter Dash: 1st place
- 200 Meter Dash: 1st place - 40 Meter Dash: 1st place - Long Jump: 1st place - Ancient Geography: 7th place - Mythology: 9th place - Pentathlon: magnā cum laude
Luke Jackson - Pentathlon: magnā cum laude - Roman Life: 4th place
William O'Neil - Mottoes: 2nd place - Pentathlon: magnā cum laude
Reid Parker - Pentathlon: cum laude
Themistocles Plevris - Ancient Geography: 5th place - Greek Derivatives: 2nd place - Pentathlon: maximā cum laude
Max Rozek - Grammar I: 6th place - Latin Derivatives: 4th place - Pentathlon: summā cum laude
Vardhaan Seshadri - Pentathlon: magnā cum laude
Cody Wright - Pentathlon: magnā cum laude
Additionally, William Cannon served as an alternate for the Area F (Central Texas) Novice Certāmen Team. With a 2nd overall finish at the state level, this team will represent the Lone Star State at the National JCL Convention this summer at UT Knoxville.
Please join me in congratulating all our students for their outstanding achievements and in recognizing their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. Our students' successes are a testament to their talent, perseverance, and the support they receive from our school community.
As we celebrate our accomplishments at the TSJCL State Convention 2024, let's continue to support and encourage each other as we embark on new adventures and challenges.
cūrāte ut valeātis,David Finkelstein, M.A.T.
Latin/M.A.P.S. Teacher West Ridge Middle School/Hill Country Middle School
