A coeducational day school serving students JK-12

Middle School Participates in First-Ever Builder Day

The day focused on creating and the goal was for students to try things they had never done before, explore topics outside of their regular day and engage in each session with hands-on activities.

Offerings included "Yeah, right, let's build an app - App building for sarcastic people with PowerUp Tech Academy," "Go Ahead, Scratch that Itch – Game Building with Ms. Hansberry and US Students" and "String's the Thing! String Art with Ms. Manning."

The day was a blast for everyone involved - and it also promoted growth mindset for the students. Be sure to check out the photos from the day!

If your students want to learn more, below is some information about the organizations that partnered with us:

Power Up Tech Academy offers coding classes, private lessons, events, camps and parties for ages 6-13. Class sizes are small, with a 4:1 ratio, and focused on creating working projects. The curriculum starts from the very basics, and progresses to advanced concepts and professional programming languages like Python and Javascript. Along the way, kids learn to make video games, apps, websites, Minecraft mods and more.

Bit Space is Chicagoland's premier youth-only maker lab--a place where students can learn to use real tools to build real things. Kids work with our guides to learn how to use hand tools, power tools, electronics, robotics, 3d printers, laser cutters, CNC milling machines, computer modeling and design software, computer game development software, virtual reality, and new media to design and build just about anything. We try to live up to our goal of inspiring and guiding the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers by teaching children to be producers rather than consumers of technology. Our guides are experts from the fields of architecture, design, engineering, and computer programming. Bit Space offers after-school classes, day-off camps, birthday parties, summer camps, and more. We've been in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago for three years, and we opened our second location in Wilmette in the spring of 2017.

FreeGeek Chicago is a not-for-profit organization that recycles used computers and parts to provide functional computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those who want them. Check out their site to find out ways you can help further that mission.

  • middle school
Middle School Participates in First-Ever Builder Day

Latin teachers, upper school students, parents and tech companies, including BitSpace, FreeGeek and PowerUp Tech Academy, teamed up to create a wide variety of courses for middle schoolers in the first annual Builder Day.

The day focused on creating and the goal was for students to try things they had never done before, explore topics outside of their regular day and engage in each session with hands-on activities.

Offerings included "Yeah, right, let's build an app - App building for sarcastic people with PowerUp Tech Academy," "Go Ahead, Scratch that Itch – Game Building with Ms. Hansberry and US Students" and "String's the Thing! String Art with Ms. Manning."

The day was a blast for everyone involved - and it also promoted growth mindset for the students. Be sure to check out the photos from the day!

If your students want to learn more, below is some information about the organizations that partnered with us:

Power Up Tech Academy offers coding classes, private lessons, events, camps and parties for ages 6-13. Class sizes are small, with a 4:1 ratio, and focused on creating working projects. The curriculum starts from the very basics, and progresses to advanced concepts and professional programming languages like Python and Javascript. Along the way, kids learn to make video games, apps, websites, Minecraft mods and more.

Bit Space is Chicagoland's premier youth-only maker lab--a place where students can learn to use real tools to build real things. Kids work with our guides to learn how to use hand tools, power tools, electronics, robotics, 3d printers, laser cutters, CNC milling machines, computer modeling and design software, computer game development software, virtual reality, and new media to design and build just about anything. We try to live up to our goal of inspiring and guiding the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers by teaching children to be producers rather than consumers of technology. Our guides are experts from the fields of architecture, design, engineering, and computer programming. Bit Space offers after-school classes, day-off camps, birthday parties, summer camps, and more. We've been in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago for three years, and we opened our second location in Wilmette in the spring of 2017.

FreeGeek Chicago is a not-for-profit organization that recycles used computers and parts to provide functional computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those who want them. Check out their site to find out ways you can help further that mission.

Explore Our News & Stories

First Grade Flag Project

Latin first grade students started the year building their community. It was important to establish to ensure all feel safe and comfortable taking risks, making mistakes, asking for help and supporting one another. 

As students listened to some of their favorite songs, they got inspired. The song, “Wave your Flag” by K’Nann, in particular, sparked a lot of inspiration. Some may be familiar with this song as it is the anthem of the World Cup. As the first graders listened to the song, they thought it might be fun to create their own flags. 

As students began to explore their identities and community, they discovered that flags often represent groups of people who are related in some way. For example, city flags can represent folks who live in the same city. Team flags can represent fans of a particular team. State/country flags represent people who come from those places.

Each student then created their own flag to represent pieces of their identity. The process started with the exploration of identity, authenticity, symbols, and flags. A lot of time was spent considering the difference between things we like/love, and pieces of our identity. As an abstract concept, teachers worked with students in small groups to help them understand the differences. Students then filled out an identity bubble map and began the process of designing their flags. Each student received a planning sheet to select important colors, symbols and shapes they wanted to include in their flags. 

After each individual flag was created, the grade level came together as a community, to explore how they could create one class/community flag to represent all individuals in the group. This process worked on skills such as compromise, collaboration and communication. The students problem-solved and suggested ways to include everyone in the community. The outcome being one community flag to represent the Latin first grade communities. 

Take a look at the flags students made to reflect their voices and choices. 

  • Academics
  • Around School
  • DEI
  • lower school
US Marine Science Uses the City as the Classroom

New to the upper school Science course offerings this year, is a Marine Science course taught by Mr. Wisnieski. 

Students in this course are exploring the aquatic environments near Latin and around the city. In September they took a kayaking trip to the Wild Mile, a portion of the Chicago River that is being rehabilitated by the Urban Rivers organization.

Students toured the river on kayaks and studied the organisms living in the new habitats that have been constructed. More recently, students monitored the water quality in Lake Michigan. 

Take a look at the #opportunities found inside and outside the classroom at Latin.

  • Academics
  • Around School
  • upper school
Do You Know? René Moreno

Get to know René Moreno, Lower School Visual Art Teacher.

FAVORITE QUOTE
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -Pablo Picasso

EDUCATION
I earned a BFA from RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) and majored in Illustration.

Position and title at LatinI am the Visual Arts teacher in the Lower School. This is my 5th year at Latin. I was here as an assistant art teacher for 3 years while I worked on my teaching certification, and I am so happy to be back!

I also find a lot of joy in working with the kids. I love their eagerness to try new things and their enthusiasm for learning.
What are your favorite things about Latin? I am constantly inspired by my colleagues, who are excellent at what they do and are so passionate about their work. I also find a lot of joy in working with the kids. I love their eagerness to try new things and their enthusiasm for learning.

Why did you decide that you wanted to work at a school? As an illustrator, I visited schools and libraries to promote my books and I usually taught a little art project at those visits. I loved working with kids, so I decided to get my teaching certification.

Who is your favorite artist?
It’s a tie between Frida Kahlo and Vincent Van Gogh.

What was the last good book you read?I am currently reading a wonderful book called Everything Sad is Untrue, an autobiographical novel about an Iranian refugee growing up in Oklahoma. It’s funny and heartbreaking at the same time.

What are your hobbies and interests?I enjoy collecting children’s books, walking outside, listening to music, and practicing yoga.

What was your first job?After college, I worked several jobs all at once: I worked as a freelance illustrator for children’s books, worked as a waitress and barista, and also painted silk for a fashion designer.

What is one piece of advice you would want to tell your lower school self? You can do hard things!

Our Voices

  • Do You Know
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Our Voices
Tray White

New Middle School Director Tray White joined the Latin leadership team in July. While Tray is new to Latin this year, he is well-versed in the implementation and support of social emotional learning for middle school students. 

In a recent email Tray noted middle school faculty and staff are engaged in the daily process of nurturing and guiding the development of essential academic and social-emotional skills, building classroom culture and community, and reinforcing key classroom routines and procedures. All of these culminate to center around the joy and fun that comes with learning with a community of peers in an environment that promotes each student’s academic, social-emotional, and physical growth and well-being.

At the October Board of Trustee meeting, Tray expanded on some of Middle School’s practices regarding student wellness. 

He spoke about the Affective Education program’s purpose of nurturing students’ social-emotional growth and curating learning opportunities for students to explore a variety of topics that enrich the student experience. Several of the topics are facilitated by the MS Counseling Team, Dean of Students, Director of Student Life, and Computer Science faculty. 

Another example of social emotional learning in practice is through Middle School Affinity Groups. The purpose of these groups is to provide opportunities for students to share and explore life and experiences within safe and supportive spaces defined by membership and/or connection(s) to specific identity group(s). The Middle School has expanded from one Affinity group to many, including the Gender & Sexuality Alliance, South Asian Women Alliance, Girls in Math, and Students of Color affinity groups.

Take a look at Tray’s presentation to the Board. 

 

  • Academics
  • middle school