Tag: 5th Grade

Notes from Magistra: Welcome to Latin class!

~ magistrahall ~ Leave a comment

Helpful Outline of Post:

I. Who is Magistra Hall?
II. Why Latin?
III. Homework
IV. Materials needed for class


Dear third through fifth grade parent,

I. If we have not had the chance to meet at a back to school event, please allow me to say hello and introduce myself. I am the new 3-5 Latin teacher at Archway Lincoln, and I could not be more excited to teach this beautiful and significant language to your student! I studied Latin throughout high school and while home educating my own children for eight years and founding/directing a classical education homeschool tutorial. My children now attend Archway Lincoln (K, 3, 5) and Lincoln Prep (7), and we feel right at home among families striving for a excellent classical education focused on the development of the intellect and the heart. I live in north Mesa, and I enjoy staying active, reading, setting and achieving goals, and spending time with my family. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your students this year!

II. In our Latin class, we will focus on primarily on Latin grammar and vocabulary, with a secondary emphasis on Roman history and culture. A sustained and diligent study of the grammar of a highly inflected language such as Latin affects the developing mind in a profound way. By learning to conjugate verbs and decline nouns, students develop an deep understanding of how the language works. This learning spills over into English and any other languages the student may someday study. To quote Cheryl Lowe (classical educator and founder of a curriculum company), “Latin provides the missing component in modern education, the systematic language training comparable to and balancing the mathematics side of the curriculum. (https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/latin-develops-mind/) It really is that impactful!

III. I had the pleasure of having your son or daughter in Latin class today. We enjoyed starting off an excellent year of Latin learning by greeting one another in Latin, discussing classroom procedures, and reading a Latin version of a familiar nursery rhyme. For homework over the weekend (as I will next teach this class on Monday), I asked each student to glue the copy of the nursery rhyme that we studied into the first page of the Latin composition book, and circle the Latin words for which they could think of English derivatives. We completed this activity in class, but not all students had their composition books with them. If they did not, gluing the nursery rhyme in is their only homework. (Please print off attached document if your student misplaced their copy of the nursery rhyme.)

IV. Every day your student will need to bring the following items to class:
1. Latin for Children Primer A (revised edition) for 3rd-4th grade ONLY. 5th grade students will learn from the Cambridge Latin I book in class only.
2. Letter size clear plastic velcro-closure envelope
3. Black wide-ruled composition notebook
4. Agenda
Your student’s teacher will facilitate the habit of bringing these items to class, but please make sure your student has them at school. 

Thank you very much the support you provide your children in the pursuit of the beautiful education Archway Lincoln offers; I look forward to developing a partnership with you in this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Magistra Hall

Welcome to Latin with Magistra Hall!

Featured ~ magistrahall ~ Leave a comment

Latin is not dead… it is immortal.

-G.K. Chesterton

Salvete! Magistra Laura Hall here. I am excited to teach Latin to the 3rd through 5th grade students of Archway Lincoln this year. I am looking forward to an excellent year full of discovery about the wonderful Latin language, as well as the culture and history of Ancient Rome. We will learn Latin (and English!) grammar, converse in Latin, and read stories of the rise and fall of the ‘eternal city’. It is going to be a wonderful year!

As the first day of school draws near, I look forward to getting to know each student, and parents as well. For now, please allow me to introduce myself.

I studied Latin throughout high school, and loved the orderliness and significance of the language. It was in choir class that I really fell in love with the language, however, singing requiems, masses, and modern pieces written in Latin. The reverence, power, timelessness, and resonant beauty of the language captivated me!

I studied family sciences (BS) and Family Therapy (MS) at Brigham Young University while participating in the Great Books-inspired University Honors program, and enjoyed teaching throughout my time there. After college, I began classically homeschooling my own children, now ages 12, 10, 8, and 5. What a wonderful adventure that was. I also founded and directed a classical, Christian homeschool tutorial, and loved building that community around classical education. Over the past decade I have studied Latin anew alongside my own children and students, and now look forward to teaching this beautiful and timeless language to even more students at Archway Lincoln.

Studying Latin offers so many benefits to the young mind: an understanding of word roots, exposure to the history of the great Roman civilization, and a deeper comprehension of grammar (the rules that govern a language) that spills over into English and any languages your student may subsequently study. The greatest benefit, however, is the way that Latin, as a regular and highly inflected language, orders the mind. The study of Latin requires diligence, precision, and a focus on mastery that parallels the study of arithmetic. Latin does for the “language” side of the brain what math does for the “numbers” side of the brain.

It really is that impactful! I look forward to beginning the journey with your student.

Sincerely,
Magistra Hall