Latin at Hackley is a lively combination of traditional grammar instruction and textual analysis with 21st century tools such as Quizlet, Prezi, podcasts, and Flipped Classroom videos.
The Classics Department is dedicated not only to training its students to navigate the vagaries of Latin grammar, with an eye to the reading of ancient authors, but also to engaging with the history, art, myth, as well as the language, in competitive, nationally recognized academic contests.
The study of Latin emphasizes mastery of vocabulary, facility with the nuances of an inflected language, command of complex grammatical constructions, accuracy in translation, as well as familiarity with the history, myths, customs of daily life, and culture of the ancient Romans. Particular attention is paid to increasing the students’ English vocabulary through the study of derivatives from Latin.
Students are introduced to and encouraged to use the many and varied online resources which complement traditional textbooks. Students finishing the three-year Latin sequence in eighth grade are credited with two full years of language study and will go on to the Latin 3 course in ninth grade.