Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/510699
2 Words from the Head Dear Latin Community, Do you remember learning to make a paper airplane? e task, once mastered, brings immediate gratification. ere is nothing like watching your plane soar – even if just for a moment. At Latin, our goal is to help kids soar. Not because they have mastered a particular task, but because they have the confidence to take on any task, any charge, any endeavor. In order to do this, the most powerful thing is for students to learn how to learn. We achieve this through our commitment to the study of the liberal arts, which has been the core of Latin's identity for 126 years. As we state in the strategic plan under Priority 1: Educational Excellence, "We introduce our students to the variety of ways we understand our world and encourage them to challenge themselves at the highest levels in humanities, mathematics, sciences, languages and arts. Yet we also honor our liberal arts foundation by adapting to the changing world." An increasingly important area of life is technology. And, in the 2014-15 school year, "adapting to the changing world" meant the introduction of computer science instruction in all three divisions of the school. As director of IT, Shandor Simon says, "Computer science requires logical reasoning, collaborative problem solving and critical thinking." And as in other more traditional academic disciplines, our teachers foster a learning environment in the computer science classrooms that allows for failure, feedback and hands-on experiences that help kids develop authentic connections to the material. At the end of the day, our pursuit of a liberal arts education results in paper airplanes that fly, yes, but also in much more intangible measures of success. I invite you to find proof here in this magazine. e outcomes vary greatly – meaningful relationships with people across the globe, hilarious and haunting self-portraits, intricate computer code and entrepreneurial business ventures. All represent the same foundational ability to make connections that require deep, broad thinking about yourself and the world around you. Without doubt, students soar at Latin and beyond...and not just for moments at a time. Whether they use the arts, athletics, literature or technology to propel them, it is knowing how to learn that sustains them. My best, Randall Dunn