Our goal is to make new students feel at home before they even start at Latin. In the spring prior to ninth grade, we hold a course registration information session for students and families. In August, we host a two-day orientation for incoming freshmen that is focused on helping them make the transition to high school. We also organize retreats at the start of the school year to build and strengthen bonds between students, and utilize our advisory system to ensure that every student has an adult they can go to for assistance or advice. Additionally, our Roman2Roman mentor program pairs students in grades 10-12 with ninth graders so that the newest members of our Upper School community have the chance to connect with and obtain support from their peers during their first year.

All Upper School students are assigned an advisor who serves as their advocate, is the primary contact for families, and acts as a bridge between students and faculty/staff/administration. Advisees are paired with the same advisor during their four years of high school. Advisory groups meet twice out of the eight-day cycle.

The Student Support Team, which includes deans, counselors, learning specialists, nurses and the Director of DEI, provides assistance to students and families. The members of the team help students navigate academic, personal, or social concerns or challenges. They also work together to develop support plans that meet students’ needs.
 

We view parents/guardians as partners in their child’s education. With this in mind, our faculty can be contacted via email and phone if parents/guardians have questions or concerns about their child’s progress.

Beyond individual conversations, there is frequent communication between school and home. Students receive two sets of narrative report cards at the end of the first and third quarters. A grade report is shared at the end of first quarter, first semester, third quarter, and second semester. We hold a parent/guardian-teacher conference in the fall and a parent/guardian-advisor conference in the spring. In addition, faculty will send progress reports or reach out to students/families to express any concerns within the classroom.

The Student Support Team reviews grade reports and collaborates with faculty and students/families on the development of support plans. The team also works internally and partners with external resources to provide each student with any additional support they need. 
 

Our schedule operates on an eight-day rotation, with each day having one 90-minute block and five 50-minute blocks. On each of the eight days, students experience a different rotation of classes so that all classes will be equally distributed among the time slots. Students have short morning and afternoon breaks and a longer lunch break on a daily basis.

The size of our classes varies. For example, a freshman Global Cities class may have 16 students in it, but an English elective such as African American Literature may only have five. In our Independent Studies Program, students work one-on-one with a faculty member on a self-designed program for a semester.

We currently offer seven Advanced Placement (AP) courses; however, our honors classes and electives generally cover material that is on the AP exams. So, even though we do not offer AP courses in our English or history programs, our English and history classes provide college-level content and many of our students sit for those AP tests.

Yes they do. When students (generally juniors or seniors) have completed all of their graduation requirements, they, with the guidance of their advisor, can choose to concentrate on subjects they are passionate about, such as the arts, sciences, languages or English.

There are instances where students receive college credit for courses they completed. More importantly, many of our alumni tell us that their Latin experience made college easier because they were accustomed to college-level content, discussion and expectations.

There are more than 64 clubs and organizations that offer leadership opportunities for students, including the student newspaper and yearbook. Students can also participate and direct student-run programs such as Latin’s Initiative for Ethics (LIFE), and/or hone their leadership skills through our teams (athletic and academic) and community outreach efforts. In addition, we offer numerous co-curricular opportunities in the performing arts that take place before and after the school day, including theater, dance, and multiple a cappella singing groups where students help lead and collaborate with their peers on performances and productions.