Newsletter  

Spring 2005

In This Issue

• Opera Memories
• Science Day
• Art Show
• National Latin Exam

Opera Memories

This March, Princeton Latin Academy staged an original opera based on the novel Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. Each year, the senior class at the School participates in an opera workshop with the School’s headmaster and the music teacher. The novel is chosen by the headmaster, and the students work with him retelling the story through lyrics. The lyrics are set to music selected by the School’s music teacher. The workshops last about two hours a day for about one month. When the seniors emerge with a finished opera, usually about 45 songs worth, the entire School is brought into the process. Each child from the smallest to the oldest has a part. For two weeks, rehearsals take place. During rehearsal time, the faculty becomes involved, taking on costumes, sets, sound, lighting and other elements of the production, all of which come together at a breakneck pace.

This year’s performance was a great success. Next year’s opera will be based on the George Eliot novel Daniel Deronda.

Science Day

This April, students prepared timelines representing scientific achievements throughout history. Each class created a different timeline, with each student in the class assigned to one or more of the scientists represented. Each class was assigned a timeline for a different field of science: astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, cosmology, etc. The timelines were completed and presented in a single day.

The school’s annual science fair, Giordano Bruno Day, will be held on May 18th at 1:00 pm. All are welcome!

Art Show

On May 18th, Princeton Latin Academy will host the opening of its annual Art Show. The show will begin immediately after the Spring concert performance, which starts at 1:00 pm and lasts about one hour. The show will feature work from students in both Princeton Latin Academy (k-8) and Princeton Science Academy (9-12). After the premier, the students' work will remain on display for an additional week. All are invited to attend.

National Latin Exam

This April, our students received the results of the National Latin Exam – a test which they had taken in February. Although the test is traditionally intended for high school students, 31 of the 40 students who sat the exam were in the grammar School. “That in itself is impressive,” noted the School’s Latin teacher, Alissa Vaillancourt, “but what is even more remarkable is that this year we had an unprecedented number of students who earned gold and silver medals – not only for introductory Latin, but for Latin I, and II as well.”

People who are not familiar with the test, which is taken by students around the world, may not recognize the magnitude of this achievement, but it is something akin to an amateur competing with Bobby Fisher in an international chess tournament.

Of the 40 students who took the exam, 15 achieved medals or honorable mentions. They are as follows:

• Certificate of Acheivement: Matteo Neri for Introductory Latin.
• Cum Laude: Laura Murphy for Latin I , Natalia Naples for Latin I, and Abigail Whitley for Latin II.
• Magna Cum Laude: Marcus Healey for Latin I, Melissa Iorio for Latin I, Matthew Cintron for Latin I, and Robert Recine for Latin I.
• Maxima Cum Laude (Silver Medal): Dylan Hume for Latin I, Jonathan Markowitz for Latin I, and Caitlin Solano for Latin I.
• Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal): Valerie Halsey for Latin I, Lauren Kennedy for Latin I, Kevin Miller for Latin I, and Cimarron Sharon for Latin II.

Well Done!