Lower School

At Latin we are trying to create an atmosphere that makes the children feel engaged and challenged at the right level. I want them to know that it is o.k. to make mistakes and that it is o.k. to learn from them.

The lower school is a place where children are treasured, where eager learners are encouraged to take the next step, to ask the next question and to discover the next truth.

Our students publish their own books, put on plays, host art shows, participate in interscholastic athletics, and work on community service projects, all while building the educational foundation that will prepare them for the rest of their lives.

Our lower school faculty are extensively trained in early childhood and elementary education. Our teachers use a team approach, gathering input from parents and on-staff learning resource specialists—as well as their own close observations—to customize their teaching methods and content to address each child’s strengths and interests.

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Around the Lower School

PHOTOS: Homecoming Week at Latin

It was a fun-filled Homecoming Week at Latin. Check out how our amazing community celebrated school spirit with dress-up days (e.g., On Wednesdays We Wear Pink Day, College Sweatshirt Day, Pajama Day, Jersey Day and Spirit Day), buddy activities, the pep rally, and our all-school Convocation.

During Convocation, we heard from student speakers in 4th, 8th and 12th grade including the senior prefect, Asher S. '25. Below is an excerpt of his speech that reminded our community of our "Mindfulness" theme for the year.

"Part of being a Latin student is being a kind and respectful community member. Manners are how we show people we respect them. When I ran for junior prefect I interviewed students in Ms. Katz’s junior kindergarten. That’s you, 1st graders! You seemed to have the basics down. 5 and a quarter years old Adam said Romans should be kind. And 4-and-a-half-year-old Vivian defined a good Latin as one who supports people and makes sure no one gets left out. We could learn a thing or two from our younger Romans. It’s the little things: hold a door open, clean up after yourself and greet security with a smile. And put your phone in the phone bin during class because as I know, Nothing’s more embarrassing (or rude) than having your phone ring from your pocket while your teacher is speaking."

The excitement continued over the weekend with several home games for our sports teams, events such as Romans Fest and Romans Run, and reunion activities for the classes ending in '4 and '9.

Click here to view our Homecoming Week photo gallery.

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Celebrating Latin's school spirit at Romans Fest

The Latin community is invited to participate in the annual Romans Run, enjoy food from a selection of food trucks, take part in a multitude of family-friendly games, and cheer on the home teams at the Upper School athletic games during Romans Fest on Saturday, September 28.

Romans Fest will be held from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Wilson West Turf Field and the Montrose Turf Field in Lincoln Park.

We look forward to spending the day celebrating our school with students, faculty and staff, families, friends and alumni. This event is part of a fun-filled Homecoming Week that also features dress-up days, a pep rally, a community engagement event, and the Upper School Homecoming Dance and Alumni Reunion Cocktail party.

Below you can find more information (e.g., lists of activities, times, locations, etc.) about Romans Fest. You can also click here to access a map, directions and details about parking and public transportation.

Romans Run (at the Wilson West Track)

Tots Dash, 50 meters on the track, 11 a.m.
JK run, 1 lap on the track, 11:10 a.m.
SK run, 1 lap on the track, 11:20 a.m.
1st grade run, 1 lap on the track, 11:30 a.m.
2nd grade run, 2 laps on the track, 11:40 a.m.
3rd grade run, 2 laps on the track, 11:50 a.m.
4th grade run, 2 laps on the track, 12 p.m.
MS and Adult Run, 4 laps on the track, 12:15 p.m.

Activities and food
Enjoy food trucks, inflatables and family-friendly activities/games in the park. Be sure to bring water bottles and sunscreen.

10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Bounce House, Hair Spray Table and Tattoo Table at the Wilson West Turf Field.
1 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Mechanical Bull, Cornhole Game, Tug-of-War, Limbo, Hockey Goal Challenge, Inflatable Sumo and Curling at the Wilson West Turf Field.
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Food Trucks: Aztec Dave’s, Billy Bricks, Cheesie’s, Mey Delicias and Pretty Cool Ice Cream.

Upper School Athletic Games

8 a.m. JV Orange Boys Soccer vs. Francis W. Parker, Wilson West Turf Field
8 a.m. JV Orange Field Hockey vs. Oak Park and River Forest, Montrose Turf Field
9:30 a.m. JV Blue Boys Soccer vs. Francis W. Parker, Wilson West Turf Field
9:30 a.m. JV Blue Field Hockey vs. Francis W. Parker, Montrose Turf Field
11 a.m. Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Francis W. Parker, Montrose Turf Field
1 p.m. Varsity Field Hockey vs. Francis W. Parker, Montrose Turf Field

Alumni
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Latin student reports Chicago weather forecast on TV

A Latin School of Chicago student took to the airwaves to help her fellow Chicagoans get ready for their day!

Alana W. ‘33, who is a 4th grader at Latin, reported the weather with meteorologist Paul Konrad on WGN Morning News for the “Friday Forecaster” segment.

Konrad asked how she found out she was going to be on TV and Alana replied, “I was walking to school with my dad and he asked me if I wanted to be on TV, telling people the weather, and I said sure!”

Alana told Konrad she does both ballet and the martial art Aikido. Her mom, her sister and her grandmother supported Alana off the set in the studio.

Alana said hi to her dad and did shoutouts to her class, Four-Orange, her teachers, Ms. Brodski and Ms. Schirmacher, and her friends.

Alana then gave the weather for the Latin School. “At the Latin School, the temperature is currently 71 degrees, the wind is moving zero miles per hour and there is a zero percent chance of rain. In Chicago, it is mostly cloudy, and there is no rain. However, there is rain in Louisville, St. Louis and Kansas City. Today is mostly cloudy, and the high is 85 degrees. East winds moving 5 to 15 miles per hour. Tonight, mostly cloudy, the low is 66. East winds moving 5 to 10 miles per hour. On Saturday it is partly sunny, 86 degrees and on Sunday partly cloudy, 87 degrees,” Alana said to a huge round of applause from inside the studio.

“Boy, that was fantastic, that was really good Alana, you’re good at this. If you want you can fill in for me for the rest of the day, week, year, whatever, however long you want!” said WGN’s Konrad. “You’re fantastic, thanks for coming in, you did a marvelous job, good meeting you.”

Click here to watch Alana’s forecast. And to watch her extended interview, click here.

Around the School
lower school

Latin welcomes back students for the '24-25 school year

There was a lot of energy and excitement across the Latin campus as we welcomed back our students! We can’t wait to see what the 2024-25 school year brings for all our Romans.

Click here to check out photos from the first weeks of school.

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Windows & Mirrors at Latin

We provide children with opportunities to see not only themselves, but also other people, cultures, perspectives and ideas.

Manners, Kindness, and Civility

We value the potential that Latin will provide our children with the determination, resilience and curiosity to be successful in the world.

Latin's excellent caliber of teachers, coupled with strong resources, allows us to implement the best of research-based practices. At Latin, we understand that learning is not linear, and that often mistakes are the most important learning opportunities. We allow students to lead you in their own wonder, challenges and resilience.

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How We Approach Teaching and Learning

In a responsive classroom, the exercise of naming hopes and dreams is critical to feeling personally connected to and engaged in learning.

Lower school students took the school's theme of action to heart and defined things they hoped to accomplish over the course of the school year.

The value lies in the well-formulated question rather than on the right answer.

Singing the praises of Singapore math

As part of the lower school Singapore Math curriculum, fourth grade teacher Amanda Schirmacher noted that her students love sharing their methods, which she can project on a screen after taking a picture of the method with her tablet. "They are getting more comfortable with their speaking and presentation skills," she said. "It enables them to be confident in sharing their thinking," a skill that will serve them well as they enter middle and high school. "The earlier you find your voice, the better," she said.

Latin 360°

Latin 360° provides before- and after-school programming for lower school students in a fun and safe environment where they can try new classes or to engage in activities they love within the school building.

Families enjoy the opportunity for their child to engage in extracurriculars without having to organize extra transportation!

Please email asr@latinschool.org or extendedday@latinschool.org for more information on these programs offered at Latin.

Before and After School Care Options

What is the Extended Day Program?

Before school - 7:15 a.m. earliest drop off
After school - 6 p.m. latest pick up
Grades JK-4

Extended Day provides a balance of organized activities as well as free play. Quiet reading space is also available for older students if desired.

The program is available every full day that the Lower School is in session.

There are four sessions of Extended Day throughout the school year. The cost of the program is based on the pick-up time frame (3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6 p.m.) decided by the family. Drop-in care is not permitted. With advanced notice, arrangements can be made for flexible, less consistent, use of the program.

What is the After School Resources (ASR) Program?

After school - 3:30-4:30 p.m.
(Extended Day available after 4:30 p.m. if later pick up is needed)
Grades 1-4

ASR offers a variety of after school classes for students covering a wide range of activity types including, but not limited to: sports/movement, STEAM, strategic thinking/problem solving-based options, and other sought after theme-based classes. A complete list of offerings is available prior to each session.

There are four sessions of ASR throughout the school year. Class offerings vary depending on the session.

Students can participate in an ASR class in conjunction with Extended Day if they need to be at school later than 4:30 p.m. The cost of the program is calculated by session.

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FAQ

How much homework will my child have?

While the assignment of homework doesn’t officially begin until fourth grade, all lower school students are expected to engage in activities outside the classroom that will help support the growth and development of their skills, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. In addition, teachers in junior kindergarten through third grade will occasionally assign a project for students to work on with family members.

How are the students graded?

We do not use numerical or letter grades to assess lower school students. Instead, the parents/guardians of junior and senior kindergarten students receive reports from teachers at the end of the school year that provide detailed information about their child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.

For students in grades one through four, reports are sent home twice a year that feature formal, written assessments of each child’s progress. Teachers and parents/guardians also have two scheduled conferences per year to discuss how students are doing. With that said, teachers meet with parents/guardians at other times throughout the year to talk about various issues related to the growth, development and success of our students.

How regularly do lower school students get physical activity?

Physical activity and exercise are integral parts of Latin’s lower school curriculum. Students in junior kindergarten through second grade participate in structured physical education classes every day for 30 minutes, while third and fourth grade students attend physical education class every other day for one hour. Lower school students also have recess on a daily basis.

In addition to the scheduled physical activity that is built into the school day, lower school students can join the Rising Romans athletics program starting in third grade. This program includes cross country, intramural basketball, volleyball and soccer. There are also After School Resource opportunities that involve sports and games.

Some students have food allergies. Do you have an allergy policy?

Latin is a peanut/tree nut allergy aware school, which means we do not purchase, produce or provide food items in any of our cafeterias that contain these types of nuts. Additionally, every effort is made to keep peanuts, tree nuts or derivatives (nut butters, nut oils) out of our buildings. With this in mind, we ask that faculty, staff, students, parents/guardians, vendors and other visitors not bring these items into the lower, middle and upper schools.

What role can I play in my child’s school day?

What supports are available for students who need additional academic help?

We recognize the importance of providing students with access to differentiated instruction and assistance. Our classrooms are structured so that students receive whole-group, small-group and one-on-one time with teachers. Our Reading Resource and Math Intervention programs are designed to ensure that students have the support they need to be successful. In addition, we have a Learning Resources program that serves students with diagnosed learning differences.