letter from the head
Dear Latin Community,
As Latin School celebrates Earth Day 2009, I look out my window
into Lincoln Park, and see signs that spring is finally, once again,
coming to Chicago.
Although in the middle of a major city, my view – the trees and
grasses of the park and the blue waters of Lake Michigan – reflects
the beauty of our natural world. At the same time, as inhabitants of
an urban campus, we at Latin are direct witnesses to the many
environmental challenges our planet faces.
From an educational perspective, the study of nature and our
environment is a wonderful multi-disciplinary topic. It touches the
lives of our students in real and important ways, and it is a subject
that provides us with a wealth and variety of approaches and learning
activities. Whether it is our middle school science classes studying
the issues associated with pollution; lower school students reading
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss; or a student debate in the upper school
on the costs and benefits of various energy sources, these are rich
and relevant ways of addressing the unique realities that face
this generation.
On the following pages you will find inspiring stories about Latin
students, alums, faculty, and staff members whose personal passion
for sustainability and the environment are moving us along the
goals set out in our Long Range Plan. These individuals, though vastly
different in their approaches, are united by a common sense of
purpose – preserving the world we live in for generations to come.
As a school, a community and as inhabitants of a common
planet, we at Latin are considering our footprint, and resizing it one
step at a time.
Best regards,
Don Firke
2
Latin Magazine
