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First Grade Builds Community with 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

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

Around School

First Grade Builds Community with 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

Welcome to Our New Faculty and Staff 2023-2024

Each fall Latin welcomes many new faces to its community. We are pleased to introduce a dedicated group of teachers and staff members who have chosen to make Latin their home. Visit the Directory to discover more faculty and staff members.

	Ryan Allen '95 Assistant Head of School Ryan joins Latin School of Chicago as an alum, after spending a number of years at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, as a Dean of Students and then a Division Director. Ryan also has experience in Charter Schools here in Chicago, as well as in administration at the college level. Ryan holds a B.A. degree in Psychology with a minor in Black Studies from the College of Wooster and a Master's in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University. When he is not working, Ryan spends time with his family and friends exploring all that Chicago has to offer.		Amara Ball Lower School Assistant Teacher Amara is excited to join Latin as a Lower School Assistant Teacher. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in history after spending two years in New York City. Originally from Northern Indiana, she is happy to be moving back to the area. In her free time, Amara loves to sing, watch football and basketball, and explore restaurants in the city.
	Lauren Beatty Lower School Assistant Teacher Lauren grew up in Georgia and moved to Chicago to earn a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is very excited to join the Latin team this year as an assistant teacher for third grade. Beyond work, she spends her time making comics and reading on the train.		Laura Bronson Lower School Assistant Teacher Laura is from Anchorage, Alaska and could not be more excited to join the Latin team as an assistant teacher. She has previous experience working as a preschool teacher and camp counselor. She is currently pursuing her MA in Elementary Education at Roosevelt University, where she is the founder and President of the Roosevelt Art Club. Aside from working with children, Laura is passionate about art, animals, music, and food.
	John Brown Upper School History Teacher John comes to Latin from The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio, the most recent stop in a teaching career that has spanned most of the last two decades and included an extended stay in the Tampa, Florida area. His family includes an amazing spouse, two daughters and a son. When he is not in the classroom, John enjoys the occasional round of golf and all kinds of puzzles, especially the NY Times Spelling Bee. He is a self-proclaimed trivia nerd and a baseball aficionado who supports the Rays and every OSU sports alum (like Chicago’s own Justin Fields).		Viviana Castellano Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher Viviana was born and raised on the east coast and moved to Chicago in 2013. During her undergraduate career, she had the opportunity to join the AmeriCorps program, Jumpstart, where she volunteered in a low income neighborhood. It was then that she realized she found her passion and calling to become a teacher. After graduating from DePaul University with her BA in Psychology, she returned to complete her masters in Early Childhood Education. She began her teaching career at Lincoln Park Preschool where she was a lead teacher for the Two's classroom. She is thrilled and excited to be joining the Latin Community. In her free time, you can find her at her favorite coffee shop-Hip Hop Coffee and Mental Health, running by the lakefront or boxing!
	Justin Clarke Assistant Director of College Counseling Justin is very excited to join Latin as the newest member of the College Counseling Office. He grew up in the Chicagoland area and is a proud alum of Northwestern University - Go Cats! In addition to experience in undergraduate admissions at his alma mater, Justin also brings a skillset in graduate admissions from Depaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and, most recently, served as the Director of Recruitment for Thrive Scholars. When he's not working with our amazing juniors and seniors, Justin enjoys taking his dog Mojo for a run, exploring new restaurants in the city, and catching any concerts whenever he can.		Perla De La Torre Upper and Middle School Counselor (8th and 9th Grade) Perla is a proud graduate of Chicago Public Schools and a lifelong Chicagoan. Perla is fluent in English and Spanish. She has decades of experience working in non-profit organizations and hospitals. Perla worked in Chicago Public Schools for 20 years. During her time in Chicago Public Schools, she primarily worked as a social worker, social work manager and assistant principal. In her free time, Perla enjoys reading books and being outside in nature. Finally, spending time with her family, and friends and volunteering to give back to the community is another important component of her life.
	Kendall Gallagher Lower School Assistant Teacher Kendall was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and has resided in Lincoln Park, Chicago since her graduation from Saint Mary’s College in 2020. She worked for a year in the Venture Capital industry before she learned her true passion for working with children. She will be earning her Master of Teaching in Early Childhood Education in 2024, and she is looking forward to starting her teaching career at Latin!		Chris Gollmar Third Grade Lead Teacher Chris comes to Latin from New York, where he taught Kindergarten through third grade at independent schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Before teaching in schools, he was a museum educator, designing and leading educational programs for museum visitors of all ages. When he's not teaching, Chris enjoys cooking, running, making art, and coding. He is looking forward to getting to know Latin learners and families!
	Ariel Gomez Lower School Assistant Teacher Ariel was born and raised in Chicago. While earning her bachelor's degree at Denison University, she served as a childcare provider for underprivileged families during a summer internship in Memphis, TN. It was then that she discovered her passion for working with children. Ariel continued to work with children by working at a daycare during her last year of college. In 2022, she graduated from Denison University with a double major in Anthropology/Sociology and Black Studies. While earning a master's degree in Early Childhood Education, she also worked as a lead teacher at a daycare for young children.		Pedro Gonzalez Upper School English Teacher Pedro was born and raised in Chicago, IL, so the diversity of food, arts, and culture has had a great impact on their life. Pedro grew up writing and performing spoken word and poetry for several years, which led him to pursue his passion in literature. Pedro has been teaching for 10 years working with youth from all over the city, developing curriculum, and taking on leadership roles to work with teachers on interdisciplinary work, coaching, and curriculum design. Pedro has also coached JV and Varsity Volleyball. Pedro loves playing volleyball, exploring the arts in the city, music, food, travel, singing, and writing. Pedro will be being their 11^th year of teaching at Latin is excited to embark on this new chapter.
	Cory Graef Middle School Science Faculty Cory is a Wisconsin native (Green Bay Area) and Minnesota Gopher Alum. After spending 9 years in Colorado he moved back to the Midwest to be closer to his parents, 3 older siblings, and 6 nieces and nephews! He is happy to be in Chicago! As a marathon runner, there is no race that can top the energy or excitement of the Chicago Marathon!		Maggie Kmiecik Lower School Counselor (2nd - 4th Grade) Maggie is thrilled to join Latin the Latin Lower School. She grew up in Glenview, Illinois and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergrad before going on to earn her Master of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. Maggie's professional background ranges from case management to individual psychotherapy, and she has experience working with children, adolescents and adults. In her free time, she enjoys live music, 1000-piece puzzles and reading.
	Serra Kook Lower School Assistant Teacher Serra comes to Latin as an assistant teacher and is very eager to join the community. She has lived on two ends of the county—in Los Angeles and New York—and is recently making her way back to her hometown, Chicago. She is ecstatic to be joining the team and excited for a good year.		Marley Kotler Fourth Grade Lead Teacher Marley is thrilled to be joining the Latin community. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area she has been teaching since she graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Indiana University in Bloomington. She brings 17 years of teaching experience with her. She has taught everything from 3 year olds to second grade. She is so excited to be teaching fourth grade this year. Marley loves nothing more than being in a classroom full of students doing her thing! When she is not in the classroom she loves cooking, reading, and walking around Chicago.
	Rachel Lewis Lower School Assistant Teacher Rachel is excited to join the Latin team as she starts her second year in the field of education. Last year she served as a paraprofessional at Donald J. Marquez Elementary School. Family and friends are her world. Vacations to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina and running on the lake path in Chicago are two of her favorite pastimes.		Jamie McInerney Athletics Operations Coordinator Previously a coach and part-time employee at Latin, Jamie is thrilled to be back as a part of the Athletics department and Romans community. They were born and raised in Naperville, Illinois, and have lived in Chicago since 2016. They attended DePaul University and achieved a B.A. in Communications & Media with Summa Cum Laude honors. Jamie's background includes non-profit communications, content writing, and marketing. Outside of work, they enjoy playing basketball, yoga, biking, and doing improv around Chicago.
	Lo Miles Lower School Assistant Teacher After two years living in Japan, Lo is excited and grateful to find themselves at Latin. When not in the classroom, you can find Lo on stage or in some sort of rehearsal space. They love acting, writing, knitting, and their two cats!		Lauren Minga Lower School Assistant Teacher Lauren is thrilled to join the Latin community while she completes her Master's degree in Elementary Education at Grand Canyon University. Originally from the south suburbs, Lauren completed her BA in American Studies and Art History at DePaul University. She is passionate about creating validating and positive educational experiences. From birdwatching to swimming in Lake Michigan, Lauren loves to explore all that nature has to offer in her free time.
	Kyler Sanders Lower School Assistant Teacher Kyler was born and raised in Chicago. She just graduated in May from Northeastern Illinois University. They are excited to begin their first year at Latin as a lower school assistant teacher. In her free time, she enjoys capturing moments and landscapes on her camera as well as taking any opportunity to stick her nose in a book, explore new places, and meet new people.		Karl Sissman Director of Philanthropic Strategy A Chicago native, Karl is very excited to be joining Latin's Development team and returning to the world of education. Prior to Latin, Karl spent many years as a practiced fundraiser across Chicago's performing arts sector, most recently serving as the Associate Director of Individual Giving at the Grant Park Music Festival. Karl began his career as a licensed educator following the completion of a BM in Music Education from Miami University. Additionally, he is nearing the completion of his MBA at The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Outside of work and school, Karl loves exploring Chicago's rich food and beverage scene, seeing live theater and musical performances, and traveling to see friends and family around the world.
	Tania Smith Upper School French Teacher Bonjour! Tania is a French teacher passionate about learning foreign languages, Francophone culture and teaching. She has a bachelor's degree in teaching Foreign Languages English-French and a Master's Degree in French and Francophone Studies. Tania likes hiking, biking and photography. During this new school year, she will be teaching French in the Upper Latin School. Tania is very happy to start teaching at Latin!		Elizabeth Underwood Upper School Learning Specialist (11th and 12th Grade) Elizabeth is thrilled to join the Latin community as an Upper School Learning Specialist. She was born and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and attended Clemson University. Elizabeth then attended Northwestern University to pursue a Masters in Learning Disabilities. Her program allowed her to work in both the remediation and diagnostic clinics, which provided a rich foundation in the field. Since 2011, Elizabeth has worked as a learning specialist and a special education teacher in Chicago. She was most recently the Head of Learning Support at DePaul College Prep and looks forward to continuing her work with high school students. Elizabeth is energized by helping students develop strategies to support their learning, self-awareness, and advocacy. She currently lives in Lincoln Park with her husband, daughter, and beloved Goldendoodle. Elizabeth has a love of the arts, having danced for 18 years all the way through college. She always enjoys any opportunity to see a live performance!
	Chantel Urquiza Lower School Division Assistant Chantel is a Chicago native and loves to try new cuisines and explore the outdoors. One of her absolute favorite hobbies of all time is going River walking. This is where she finder her most peaceful state and can observe nature and intake the beautiful Chicago Skyline. She also enjoys going to Pilates! Chantel has been in the education system for 8 years and is excited for the upcoming school year to start!		Faye Wells, Upper School Science Teacher Faye is a Chicago native who has been teaching science at the high school and collegiate level for the last couple of decades. Faye has had the privilege to teach at Latin School of Chicago from 2009-2021, and is excited to return for the interim science position for the 2023-2024 school year. She will be teaching 3 sections of Biology and 1 section of Chemistry this year, as well as continuing to teach for Global Online academy (i.e. Global Health, Organic Chemistry, Medical Problem Solving).
	Tray White Middle School Director Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Tray dedicates his upbringing and values to his grandparents, Herbert and Ella White, who raised him and instilled the love of learning, power of family/community and dreams of achieving liberation through education. Tray’s grandparents believed in the structure and overall effectiveness of Catholic and Independent School education and he is grateful for the sacrifices, commitments and foresight that they had to invest their belief and resources then, so that he could be in the space and position that he is now. With over 15 years of experience in parochial and independent schools, Tray’s background and training spans across several educational domains including classrooms, courts, fields, and clinical and therapeutic settings. Prior to joining Latin, Tray served as the Assistant Principal and Academic Dean at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. Tray spent three years as Dean of Student Life of Intermediate and Middle Schools at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to his role as Dean, he also served as a diversity-equity-inclusion coordinator, student advisor, mentor and basketball coach. Additionally, before his move to Chicago, Tray spent seven years at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Augusta, Georgia where he served in various teaching, counseling and coaching roles. During his time in Augusta, had experience as a Middle School Counselor, Academic Services Coordinator, Student Advisor and Coach. Tray also served as a Lower and Middle School Physical Education teacher, Upper School History instructor and Varsity Football and Middle School Basketball Coach. Tray loves all things fitness, reading, podcasting and is a self-proclaimed high school and college football fanatic.		Tressa Wilde Upper School Science Teacher Tressa grew up in Colorado, but has lived in and loved other places including Lawrence, KS, Budapest, Hungary, Northwest Cameroon, and New York City (& now Chicago!). She obtained her B.S. in Civil Engineering, after which she joined the Peace Corps and taught secondary physics and math in Cameroon. Upon returning to the United States, she continued working in the realms of youth development and education. Tressa graduated from NYU in 2020 with her M.A. in International Education. She loves a lot of things, including wandering through the woods for days at a time, running, biking, eating delicious food with good friends, both reading and smelling books, and social justice. Tressa and her partner are the proud mothers of two cuddle-loving cats, Belly & Bodega, & a sassy, fluffy dog named Arlo.

Not pictured, but we are also pleased to welcome:

Hannah Bannec, Lower School Assistant Teacher
Jordan Nelson, Middle School French Teacher

Our Voices

Around School
Our Voices
lower school
middle school
upper school

Upper School Athletics Spring Season 2022-23 Round-up

The upper school athletics teams had a successful spring season! Check out their highlights and accomplishments.

Boys Baseball

Independent School League Champions
All League: Ben Flerlage '23 (1st Team), Patrick Shrake '23 (1st Team), Dillon Romano '24 (2nd Team), Ashton Seymore '24 (1st Team & Player of the Year), Karim Patterson '25 (1st Team)

Girls Lacrosse

All Sectional: Reese Benford '24, Sanya Arora '25

Boys Lacrosse

ILBLCA All State: Cole Goodwillie '24 (Honorable Mention Midfield)

Girls Soccer

Illinois High School Association Regional Champions
All League: Ava Falk '23 (2nd Team), Eden Raviv '23 (1st Team), Carly Warms '23 (1st Team), Lauren Rosenberg ‘26 (1st Team)
All Sectional: Alena Brandt '23 (Sportsmanship), Carly Warms '23 (1st Team), Lauren Rosenberg '26

Girls Softball

All League: Katie Hallinan '24 (1st Team) , Maggie Zeiger '24 (2nd Team)

Boys Tennis

Independent School League Champions
Illinois High School Association Sectional Champions
Illinois High School Association State Champions (3rd year in a row)
All League: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23 (Player of the Year), Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Rowan Ing '24, Cole Silverman '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26
All Sectional: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23, Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26
All State: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23, Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26

Boys Track & Field

All League: Akili Parekh '23, Alika Lugo Inciong '24, Paul Silvani '25
All Sectional: Jackson Ballard '23, Will del Hierro '23, Matthew Kotcher '23, Akili Parekh '23, Alika Lugo Inciong '24, Charlie Steffen '24, Benjamin Gibson '25, Wyatt Parr '25, Paul Silvani '25
All State: Akili Parekh '23

Girls Track & Field

All League: Kimiko Darcy '23, Alice Mihas '23 (Player of the Year), Makenze Humphrey '24, McLean Moroney '24, Alina Ballard '26, Vivian Lee-Yee '26, Teagan Moroney '26
All Sectional: Alice Mihas '23, Ellie Anderson '25, Tatum Kamin '25, Alina Ballard '26
All State: Alice Mihas '23

Girls Water Polo

All Sectional: Ava Tse '24

Boys Volleyball

lHSA Regional Championship Finals appearance, losing a close match against Oak Park River Forest who took 3rd in the state.

Athletics

Around School
Athletics
Community & Traditions
upper school

Academics

First Grade Builds Community with 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

Tray White, New Middle School Director

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

Avi Vadal '22 Publishes Research in Peer-review Journal (opens in new window/tab)

Academics
Alumni

Arts

Alexander S. and Stella Tate R., middle school students heading to the ILMEA

Eighth Grade Choir Students Selected for Illinois Honor Choir

Eighth grade choir students, Stella Tate R. ’27 and Alexander S. ’27, were recently selected for the 2022 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) District 1 Junior Chorus, an auditioned and highly selective honor choir.

Students went through a rigorous and competitive audition process where they sang different prepared selections as well as demonstrated their tonal skills and overall vocal tone with other middle school students in Chicago and most of the south and west suburbs.

This experience will culminate in a music festival that will take place on Saturday, November 5, at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Way Central High School in New Lenox, IL, where these two students will get to work with a fantastic collegiate choral clinician and sing with more than 250 talented students from over 60 surrounding schools.

Arts
Student Life
middle school

Claes Oldenburg '46 Debuts New Art Installation (opens in new window/tab)

Talk about lifelong learning! At the age of 93, Claes Oldenburg '46 just unveiled his exciting new installation, “Plantoir, Blue,” in place this spring at the entrance to the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center. Learn more about this groundbreaking installation and Oldenburg's work.

Alumni
Arts
In the News

Building Critical Skills in Middle School Drama Students

This year’s middle school production, “Starry Messenger,” told the story of one of the world's greatest scientists, Galieo Galilei. Participating in the play is not only a fun after school activity for students, it also helps them build critical skills that will benefit them in high school, college and beyond.

The drama program in middle school encourages collaboration with others as they create the production together. Students also gain proficiency in articulation, projection, and confidence to perform before an audience in the future.

See them in action!

Arts

Academics
Around School
Arts
middle school

Elevating Creativity in Upper School AP Studio Art

The upper school AP Studio Art class provides students with the opportunity to synthesize the knowledge that they’ve gained from other art courses and focus on the skill of idea development. The class is centered around a review-critique-revise process in order to produce a more compelling piece of work. Learn more about this community of artists in Art Teacher Christine Holloway’s class.

Academics

Academics
Around School
Arts
upper school

Athletics

Upper School Athletics Spring Season 2022-23 Round-up

The upper school athletics teams had a successful spring season! Check out their highlights and accomplishments.

Boys Baseball

Independent School League Champions
All League: Ben Flerlage '23 (1st Team), Patrick Shrake '23 (1st Team), Dillon Romano '24 (2nd Team), Ashton Seymore '24 (1st Team & Player of the Year), Karim Patterson '25 (1st Team)

Girls Lacrosse

All Sectional: Reese Benford '24, Sanya Arora '25

Boys Lacrosse

ILBLCA All State: Cole Goodwillie '24 (Honorable Mention Midfield)

Girls Soccer

Illinois High School Association Regional Champions
All League: Ava Falk '23 (2nd Team), Eden Raviv '23 (1st Team), Carly Warms '23 (1st Team), Lauren Rosenberg ‘26 (1st Team)
All Sectional: Alena Brandt '23 (Sportsmanship), Carly Warms '23 (1st Team), Lauren Rosenberg '26

Girls Softball

All League: Katie Hallinan '24 (1st Team) , Maggie Zeiger '24 (2nd Team)

Boys Tennis

Independent School League Champions
Illinois High School Association Sectional Champions
Illinois High School Association State Champions (3rd year in a row)
All League: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23 (Player of the Year), Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Rowan Ing '24, Cole Silverman '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26
All Sectional: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23, Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26
All State: Akshay Garapati '23, Kiran Garapati '23, Zuhair Alsikafi '24, Jake Goldstein '25, Kiyan Alsikafi '26, Mark Tismensky '26

Boys Track & Field

All League: Akili Parekh '23, Alika Lugo Inciong '24, Paul Silvani '25
All Sectional: Jackson Ballard '23, Will del Hierro '23, Matthew Kotcher '23, Akili Parekh '23, Alika Lugo Inciong '24, Charlie Steffen '24, Benjamin Gibson '25, Wyatt Parr '25, Paul Silvani '25
All State: Akili Parekh '23

Girls Track & Field

All League: Kimiko Darcy '23, Alice Mihas '23 (Player of the Year), Makenze Humphrey '24, McLean Moroney '24, Alina Ballard '26, Vivian Lee-Yee '26, Teagan Moroney '26
All Sectional: Alice Mihas '23, Ellie Anderson '25, Tatum Kamin '25, Alina Ballard '26
All State: Alice Mihas '23

Girls Water Polo

All Sectional: Ava Tse '24

Boys Volleyball

lHSA Regional Championship Finals appearance, losing a close match against Oak Park River Forest who took 3rd in the state.

Athletics

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Latin Welcomes the 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

Latin inducted the 2023 Hall of Fame athletes on Friday, January 27. The Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes and honors outstanding teams and individuals throughout Latin’s history.

View photos of the celebration.

2023 Inductees:

Andrew Bail ’02
Soccer, Basketball, Baseball

Javon Coney ’07
Basketball

Catie Cronister ’16
Volleyball, Soccer

Nikki Dizon ’12
Volleyball, Basketball, Softball

Lilli Falconer Deering ’07
Swimming, Water Polo

Greg Baker*
Swimming Coach
1973-1993

*posthumous induction

Alumni
Athletics

Upper School Student-Athletes’ Next Chapter

Latin’s Athletics Department celebrated the following seniors who have committed to the next chapter of their athletic career:

Alice M. ˈ23 will be running track & field at Harvard University
Carly W. ˈ23 will be playing field hockey at the University of New Hampshire
Akili P. ˈ23 will be running cross country and track & field at University of Michigan
Megen S. ’23 will be playing basketball at University of Illinois at Chicago
Ago G. ˈ23 will be rowing at Yale University

Congrats and Go Romans!

Athletics

Around School
Athletics
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Through the Lens of Athletics: A Mental Approach to Sports

Latin School of Chicago · Through the Lens of Athletics: A Mental Approach to Sports

Join Latin’s Director of Athletics, Kirsten Richter, to learn about the mental approach to sports and how students can take these skills from basketball court to Wall Street.

TRANSCRIPT

I think athletics is such a powerful learning environment. It has the feeling of high stakes. Individuals can learn so much about themselves while also learning how to interact with their teammates.It feels high stakes. We want to win. We really want to achieve competitive excellence. But when we fall a little bit short of that, we can redouble our efforts and learn from that and get even better. A lot of times in sports will say we got to be resilient or be gritty. 100% agree. But how do we actually do that? We want the students who have learned these skills in this setting where we can take time and get better and learn and grow. And now we want that student to be able to take this forward with them when it is high stakes, high risk. Brain surgery, Wall Street trader, you name it. But they've developed this and they can use this to the benefit of their career and the benefit of those around them.

My name is Kirsten Richter, and I am the director of athletics here at Latin. The bulk of my professional background is in higher ed. I was fortunate to coach college basketball for 17-18 years. For seven years, I was an assistant at two different institutions. I spent ten years as a head coach and I got to do a lot of different administrative things and take on different administrative responsibilities, both in athletics and broader across campus, including some leadership development work.

I think athletics is such a powerful learning environment. It has the feeling of high stakes. Individuals can learn so much about themselves while also learning how to interact with their teammates. I could rattle off a whole list of things I think you can learn through competitive sports, but resiliency communication skills, giving and receiving feedback, the way in which you interact with someone, verbally, body language. There are so many nuances to it. And I think really what makes it special and unique is that it has the feeling of high stakes but with relatively low risk. So you get to practice all these skills and make mistakes and learn and do better and fail, really without too much on the line. So it feels high stakes. We want to win, we really want to achieve competitive excellence. But when we fall a little short of that, we can redouble our efforts and learn from that and get even better.

So I just think there's so much learning that can come from athletics participation. I think a big building block to the mental approach to sports, and that really fuels all that. Learning through sport is the approach outcome response cycle. So we all control how we approach a task. We don't always control the outcome, but then we always control how we respond to that outcome.

We want to win, we really want to achieve competitive excellence. But when we fall a little short of that, we can redouble our efforts and learn from that and get even better.So when you think about it through the lens of athletics, we want to think about it sort of in the smallest pieces. So not how I approach the game. Win, lose, how do I respond to winning or losing much smaller? So within a game, that cycle is happening dozens and dozens of times. So they start feeding each other. So how I approach something, the outcome doesn't go my way. Okay, now how am I going to respond? Because that's going to feed into the next approach to the next thing.

So in more tangible terms, a simple example is like a foul shot. So there's a thing called a foul shot routine. So everybody is the same thing before foul shot. That's controlling the approach outcome doesn't always go in, right? So in a big moment that's going to sting. But then what's the response? And then that feeds the next approach. So you can sort of play this out and see how this happens over and over and over. And then how a student can control that really then starts to affect their performance in a positive or negative way. And then think beyond that. I'm doing this for myself and my individual tasks. But now think about those around me. So how my approach and my response? If I'm doing that well, that's going to affect the approach and the response of the people around me.

So you start to see the team dynamics and how that's at play. And it's just a powerful concept because it can affect so much change. And I think that's important because a lot of times in sports will say how we got to be resilient or be gritty. 100% agree. But how do we actually do that, being resilient? How? So I think this is a great building block to that because this is how we can be resilient and how we can be gritty and how we can persevere. This mental approach I think has so many applications outside athletics.

So I think some of my proudest moments as a coach when I saw students really grow and learn in that mental approach, whether it was I can think of a student who sort of grew tremendously over four years and found her voice and gained confidence.Think about a student in an academic setting, the approach, how I'm studying for an exam or how I'm preparing to write a paper. The outcome. Maybe I fall a little short of my goal in that test or I didn't sort of nail that paper. How do I respond? Same concept, even smaller. Like within a class setting. I go to the board. I think I have this math problem figured out. I didn't quite get it. This happened to me all the time in high school, right? Okay, so now how do I respond? Am I embarrassed? How am I going to feel about doing the next problem? Right? There are so many applications of that. And then as students enter college and then the workforce, this certainly has applications professionally, professional, day to day setting, meetings, interactions with colleagues can go on and on. But you can see how this sort of building block of the approach outcome, response cycle can easily be put into effect in those settings as well.

And I think, again, going back to the learning environment, that's why this is such a special learning environment because as students can practice this in that setting and then 20 years from now be so well versed at it that they can take it into their professional setting. And really too, you can perform at a high level because of their ability to do this. When you're learning this in athletic setting, again, it feels high stakes, relatively low risk. So you really have the opportunity to build this and grow this skill and it translates into the workplace. So picture of student 20 years down the line now in brain surgery, super high stakes, super high risk, right? So we want the students who have learned these skills in this setting where we can take time and get better and learn and grow. And now we want that student to be able to take this forward with them when it is high stakes, high risk, brain surgery, wall street trader, you name it, but they've developed this and they can use this to the benefit of their career and the benefit of those around them.

A coach can have a profound role in teaching the mental approach to sports to students. Certainly coaches are adapted teaching sports specific skills to their students, but to really maximize students' ability to perform those skills, we want to have that parallel track of that mental approach.

So I think some of my proudest moments as a coach when I saw students really grow and learn in that mental approach, whether it was I can think of a student who sort of grew tremendously over four years and found her voice and gained confidence. And a lot of that was because of the mental approach that she developed. I can think of another student who is always confidence was not her, she was not lacking confidence, right? But it was her ability to sort of navigate team dynamics and communicate with teammates that had to grow in nuance. And she was able to do that tremendously by her senior year in the way that she knew how to sort of respond to some things one way, how to respond to something else a little bit differently, how she approach something with one teammate would be different from how she approached something with another teammate. And so much of that is just the mental approach to team dynamics in sport. And now they're young adults and they can take that with them into their professional careers.