Latin School of Chicago

Letter from the Head of School up front Dear Latin Community, In my 18 years at Latin, there has never been a year that has not been about growth. And although this has been a transitional year, it has also been a transformational year; a year of wonderful progress; a year of looking toward the future. The major initiatives that will come to life next year are evidence of this. As our Long Range Plan states, Latin���s first and most important goal is: ������to sustain the school���s outstanding educational program and continuously ensure its relevance for the 21st century.��� The upper school science center and our new fifth-eighth grade middle school are exciting changes to our physical surroundings, but, more importantly, they reflect important enhancements to our academic program and our school as a whole. Throughout all three divisions we are changing our habits and our habitat to allow for and encourage more hands-on learning, greater amounts of collaboration, increased experimentation and all kinds of communication ��� skills that are so critical for 21st century students. By thoughtfully integrating technology and embracing project-based learning our goal is to create a teaching and learning environment that will best prepare our students for the world they will live in well after leaving Latin. This magazine is full of just some of the ways we are doing this. In our science curriculum, students are learning critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Whether it is by measuring the dehydration of a potato mummy, building a compost bin for worms, or observing open-heart surgery, they are learning the processes of science by doing science. By taking an active part in the learning process, they become the architects of their own learning experience. 2 Latin Magazine

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