Latin School of Chicago

⚽ Latin’s summer athletic camps continued with the upper school soccer team! The students engaged in drills while having a good time on the pitch.

🏑 Latin's summer athletic camps are in full swing! Our middle school field hockey team is having a ball forging friendships and fine-tuning their skills. Go Latin!

Latin third and fourth graders in our Extended Day program took on an exciting art project inspired by the historic 2024 emergence of two broods of cicadas in Illinois! Check out these vibrant cicadas they created, combining creativity and scientific curiosity.

Hats off to the 2024 Latin Upper School graduates! 🎉🎓 Your hard work and dedication have paid off. As you move on to new adventures, please know that you will always be important and valued members of our Latin community.

🎉 Congrats to our incredible eighth graders on their graduation! Your middle school journey is complete. We can’t wait to see what you achieve in high school! 👏🎓👏🎓

A huge congratulations to our fourth graders on their promotion to middle school! 👏👏👏 Great work, Romans! 🎓🎉💯

Each year, English 9 culminates in a project where students explore a theme and symbol from Macbeth using a medium of their choice, and then share what they create with the entire grade during a gallery walk.

This year, the students’ finished products included scene recreations, a movie trailer, jewelry designs, sculptures, paintings, board games, an album cover, a diss track and cakes...lots of cakes. Check out a few photos that English teacher Katie Jones Espinales shared of the gallery walk.

Great work, everyone.

The incredible talents and amazing artwork of eighth grader Jacob H. were celebrated during a reception at the middle school on May 24. During the event, students, faculty and staff had the chance to check out some of Jacob’s creations and talk to the artist himself about a variety of topics (e.g., inspiration, methods, future projects, etc.).

Great job, Jacob. We can’t wait to see what you do next.

It’s another big weekend for our spring sports teams. The boys track team, boys tennis team and ultimate frisbee team are all competing in their respective state tournaments. In addition, the boys volleyball team, fresh off its straight set victory over Von Steuben in the regional championship, will be taking on Payton in the sectional semifinals.

Good luck, Romans!

We want to congratulate middle school students Michah W., Gavin M. and Hunter D. on their success at the recent IESA track and field state tournament.

Micah turned in an outstanding performance at the 3A eighth grade level for boys that included winning state titles in the 800- and 1600-meter runs.

Meanwhile, Hunter and Gavin had incredibly strong showings at the 3A seventh grade level, with Hunter taking second in the 800-meter run and third in the 1600-meter run for the girls and Gavin taking second in the 1600-meter run and seventh in the 800-meter run for the boys.

Great job, Romans. We are proud of you and your accomplishments.

It's another exciting game day for Latin athletics, with three big postseason matchups scheduled for this evening. Boys lacrosse will be taking on New Trier in the sectional quarterfinals (5 p.m. at DePaul College Prep); girls lacrosse will face off against DePaul College Prep in the sectional quarterfinals (7 p.m. at Evanston Township High School); and, boys volleyball will be hosting its regional quarterfinals match against Noble Academy (6:30 p.m. in the Field Gym).

We wish all three teams the best of luck. Let's Go Romans!

Our JKers gained valuable knowledge and some new friends during their recent study of the life cycle of chickens. Check out these photos of the students enjoying circle time with Pippa, Latin, Rainbow, Abigail, Love, Clumsy, Strawberry and Donut.

Latin Pride was on full display as student-athletes Alika L. and Laine R. signed their college letters of intent. Alika will be running track for Marquette University, while Laine will be playing squash for Haverford College.

We want to congratulate Alika and Laine on this amazing achievement, and wish them continued success at the collegiate level.

It’s a big 24 hours for our spring sports programs. Today, the girls soccer team will face off against IC Catholic Prep in the sectional semifinals (6 p.m. at IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst), while the girls softball team will battle Francis Parker for the regional title (4:30 p.m. at Roberto Clemente Community Academy in Chicago). Tomorrow, the boys baseball team will travel to Chicago Hope Academy to take on the Eagles in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. In addition, the girls track and field team will compete at the 2A state tournament, which is being held at Eastern Illinois University May 17-18.

Let’s Go Romans!!!

More great news from our spring sports teams. Our varsity girls soccer team (pictured here) captured the regional championship with a dominant 7-0 victory over Lycée Français de Chicago. Meanwhile, our varsity girls softball team claimed its spot in the regional title game with a thrilling 15-13 win over Rickover Naval Academy.

The two squads will continue their march through the playoffs on Friday when the soccer team takes on either IC Catholic Prep or Ida Crown in the sectional semifinals (6 p.m. at IC Catholic in Elmhurst), while the softball team will battle Francis Parker for the regional championship (4:30 p.m. at Roberto Clemente Community Academy in Chicago).

We want to congratulate both teams on their big wins, and wish them continued success in the postseason.

Check out these photos of the dress rehearsal for the 5/6 play "Blather, Blarney and Balderdash: Folk and Fairy Tales from the Emerald Isle." The cast and crew have been working hard on the show, and will be ready to bring the house down when the curtain goes up.

There will be a pair of performances on May 16 in the Wrigley Theatre. The first will be at 4:30 p.m. and the second will be at 7 p.m. Both shows are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Please come out and show your support for these burgeoning superstars.

We are excited to share that middle school students Gavin M. (800-meter and 1600-meter runs), Hunter D. (800-meter and 1600-meter runs), Micah W. (800-meter and 1600-meter runs) and Noa W. (shot put) have qualified for the track and field state tournament being held in East Peoria May 17-18.

We want to congratulate Gavin, Hunter, Micah and Noa on their accomplishments, and wish them the best of luck at state.

As we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to recognize our senior kindergartners for the outstanding job they did stepping into the role of teacher and educating us about the animals they have been researching. During today’s lower school assembly, which was themed “Going to the Zoo,” the students used their knowledge and singing talents to teach faculty, staff, parents/guardians and their classmates what they learned about animals such as lions, snakes, gorillas, penguins, zebras and flamingos. Awesome job, SKers.

We also want to thank the incredible SK teachers and fourth grade buddies for all they did to help prepare our future teachers, zoologists, etc. for their big presentation, and the families who packed the gym to show their support.

The Parent Association's celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week has continued with summer survival kits and sweet treats for the various "rolls" our faculty and staff play in the lives of our students.

Check out the incredible murals that our upper school students saw in the Pilsen neighborhoods during recent field trips for their Latin American Literature and Latin American Revolutions classes.

Upper school student Malia C. earned the bronze award in the sculpture category at the 11th annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition. Below is what the judge said about her entry.

"The design engages the viewer through placement and structure. It is a nice springboard from the reference evident in the book-base- the Bocioni paintings. In addition to the arching dragon form lunging out in space at us, you have repeated some of the color and sharp edges from the Bocioni paintings. Are YOU as fierce as your dragon? Good, unobtrusive craftsmanship carries the message effectively."

We want to congratulate Malia on this tremendous achievement.

Our incredible Parent Association has been helping to make this year's Teacher Appreciation Week truly special for our faculty and staff. Their messages of thanks, personalized gifts and delicious treats are just some of the ways in which we are honoring and celebrating the amazing individuals who foster the learning and support the success of our students both in and out of the classroom.

Our third grade classes had a special visitor for their Chicago Bird Watchers unit. Upper school student Owen W., who is an avid birder and is doing an independent study project about owls, talked to the classes about a variety of topics, including how he got into birding, what migration is and how weather impacts it, and how he tracks different sightings. He also showed the students images of some of the birds he’s photographed.

We want to thank Owen for sharing his knowledge with the third graders. We also can’t wait to see the results of his project.

On May 16, our amazing middle school students, under the direction of the equally amazing Laura Steenveld, will take to the stage in the Wrigley Theatre for two performances of the 5/6 play "Blather, Blarney and Balderdash: Folk and Fairy Tales from the Emerald Isle."

The shows, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., will feature a trio of leprechauns who are trying to help tongue-tied shepherd Fin O’Grady learn to tell a story and win the hand of his one true love.

Please join us for the play and help support our talented young performers.

Latin's sailing club is headed to nationals following its second place finish at the district qualifier in Grosse Pointe, Michigan April 27-28. The Romans will now set their sights and sails on the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, where they will face off against 19 other teams June 1-2 in their quest for the 2024 High School Championship.

We want to congratulate the members of the club on their success this year, and wish them the best of luck at the national competition.

The Latin East Asian and Latin Laddos Parent Affinity Groups are inviting the entire Latin community to join them for an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration on May 10 at 6 p.m. in the upper school’s Field Gym. The event will feature food, performances and culture stations.

Please visit https://bit.ly/4a7A909 for more information or to RSVP.

We want to congratulate the incomparable Michael Teolis on receiving the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from the VanderCook College of Music. Mr. Teolis, who earned a master's degree in music education from the college, is a beloved member of the Latin community who joined our school in 1989 and proudly served our students until he retired in 2018.

In its recognition of Mr. Teolis, VanderCook said that he is "an exemplary and inspirational model for our students as they prepare for their careers."

Bravo, Mr. Teolis.

In honor of National Volunteer Week (April 21-27), we want to give Habitat for Humanity Chicago a long overdue thank you for partnering with us during Upper School Project Week and giving our students and staff the opportunity to experience the profound impact of volunteerism and the joy of giving back to the community.

As part of their 4@45 experience, the fourth graders utilized the middle school staircase to perform the always popular egg drop experiment.

After checking out Lincoln's Home, the Illinois State Military Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the sixth graders wrapped up their day in Springfield with some bowling.