Corporation Of The Washington Latin School

THE MISSION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS TO PROVIDE A RIGOROUS, CLASSICAL EDUCATION TO PUBLIC SCHOOL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WASHINGTON LATIN PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (WLPCS OR LATIN) PROVIDES A CHALLENGING, CLASSICAL EDUCATION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CHALLENGING, CLASSICAL, AND ACCESSIBLE ARE FUNDAMENTAL WORDS IN THE MISSION OF OUR SCHOOL. OUR TALENTED AND CARING FACULTY AND STAFF CHALLENGE STUDENTS WITH HIGH ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS. OURS IS A SCHOOL WHERE WORDS MATTER, IDEAS MATTER, AND PEOPLE MATTER. WASHINGTON LATIN IS A SCHOOL WITH A PARTICULAR CULTURE AND A CLEAR MISSION. WE BELIEVE THAT ALL STUDENTS DESERVE A QUALITY EDUCATION THAT GOES BEYOND PREPARATION AND FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND HUMANITY. WE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS A TRAINING OF CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER IS THE INTERSECTION OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND MORAL INTEGRITY. WE AIM TOWARDS AN IDEAL IN OUR PROGRAM: DEVELOPING STUDENTS TO BE THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PUBLIC GOOD AND CONTINUE A LIFE-LONG QUEST TOWARDS A FULLER HUMANITY. OUR PROGRAM FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING EACH STUDENT'S ABILITY TO BE THOUGHTFUL, TO CONSIDER THE VIEWS AND NEEDS OF OTHERS, AND TO ACT WITH INTEGRITY. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE COMES IN OUR EXPECTATION THAT STUDENTS WILL THINK BEFORE THEY ACT AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT RATHER THAN WHAT IS EXPEDIENT. OUR CLASSICAL CURRICULUM PROVIDES A STRONG FOUNDATION IN READING, WRITING MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND CRITICAL THINKING, AND IT GIVES EACH STUDENT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIS, IN HISTORY, OF WESTERN DEMOCRACY. AS A CHARTER SCHOOL, WE ARE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND IN EACH YEAR OF THE SCHOOL'S EXISTENCE, WE HAVE ENROLLED STUDENTS FROM EACH OF THE EIGHT WARDS. ANY STUDENT, IN GRADES 5 THROUGH 12, WHO IS EAGER TO LEARN AND WILLING TO WORK FOR AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION WILL FIND OUR PROGRAM REWARDING AND WILL, UPON GRADUATION, BE PREPARED FOR WORK AT THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY LEVEL. THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S PRIMARY SOURCES OF SUPPORT ARE LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT FUNDING THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, ALONG WITH STUDENT FEES AND ACTIVITIES. THE CHARTER SCHOOL ALSO RECEIVES GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS. AS A CLASSICAL SCHOOL, WE ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE ESTABLISHED WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS, PARTICULARLY THE CULTURES OF GREECE AND ROME. WE BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THE TENETS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD REMAIN RELEVANT IN THE MODERN WORLD. OUR STUDENTS STUDY THE LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND HISTORY OF THE ANCIENTS. WE FURTHER BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS A TRAINING OF CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER IS THE INTERSECTION OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND MORAL INTEGRITY. WE SEEK TO DEVELOP EACH STUDENT'S ABILITY TO BE THOUGHTFUL, CONSIDER THE VIEWS AND NEEDS OF OTHERS, AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY. A "CLASSICAL EDUCATION FOR THE MODERN WORLD" EMPHASIZES THE REALITY THAT ANY CURRICULUM GROUNDED IN THE CLASSICAL TRADITION MUST HOLD SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE TIMELESS TRUTHS OF THE TRADITIONS OF GREECE AND ROME, AND THE TIMELY PRESSURES OF LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. AT WLPCS, WE STRESS FUNDAMENTAL LEGACIES OF THE CLASSICAL TRADITION: EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP IN A DEMOCRACY; THE LATIN LANGUAGE AND THE HERITAGE OF THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD; AND PUBLIC ORATORY. IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING THREE HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS OF LATIN, STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE TWO LEVELS OF FRENCH, CHINESE, OR ARABIC. THIS REQUIREMENT IS DESIGNED TO FOSTER THE STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER CULTURES AND TO PREPARE EACH STUDENT FOR SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. WE STRIVE TO CONVEY THESE LEGACIES IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE BEST OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE: A COMMITMENT TO A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY AND A VARIETY OF PEDAGOGIES. WE AIM TO USE BOTH THE ANCIENT METHODS OF REPETITION AND SOCRATIC DIALOGUE, AS WELL AS THE CONTEMPORARY INNOVATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING. OUR CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO INFORM, PROVOKE, CHALLENGE, AND INSPIRE OUR STUDENTS SO THAT ULTIMATELY, THEY HAVE A MORE IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE BOTH OF THEMSELVES AND OF THE WORLD THEY ENTER AS ADULTS. THERE ARE FOUR CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CURRICULA OF WLPCS AND ARE WHAT GUIDE THE CURRICULAR AND INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS OF SCHOOL LEADERS AND TEACHERS. "MORAL ISSUES - TEACHERS IDENTIFY THE MAJOR MORAL QUESTIONS THAT ARISE WITHIN THEIR CURRICULA, AND STUDENTS RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS THROUGH CLASS ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SOCRATIC SEMINARS. "ACADEMIC INDICES - THESE INDICES ARE THOSE FACTS AND IDEAS THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR WLPCS STUDENTS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND BEFORE THEY GRADUATE. INDICES ARE CONTINUING TO BE IDENTIFIED AND DEVELOPED BY CONTENT AREA. "COMMON CORE STANDARDS - COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARE THE STANDARDS RECOGNIZED BY SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THEY ARE ALSO TAUGHT WITHIN THE CURRICULA OF WLPCS CLASSES AND ASSESSED BY PARCC. "TEACHER CHOICE - TEACHERS IDENTIFY THEIR AREAS OF STRENGTH AND INTEREST, AND THEY TEACH FACTS AND SKILLS TO STUDENTS IN THE CONTENT OF THEIR CURRICULA. WASHINGTON LATIN'S TOP-NOTCH FACULTY IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR OUR SCHOOL'S SUCCESS AND ALLOWS FOR A PERSONAL, SUPPORTIVE AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT. THE ONLY WAY TO BRING STUDENTS ALONG ON THEIR OWN PATH OF EDUCATION IS TO KNOW THEM. LEADERSHIP INSISTS ON SMALL CLASS SIZES AND AN ACTIVE ADVISORY PROGRAM TO ALLOW TEACHERS TO KNOW THEIR STUDENTS AS ADOLESCENTS AND AS LEARNERS. ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SCHOOL FACILITY, ITS FACULTY AND STAFF, AND ITS COURSES OF STUDY IS WOVEN INTO WASHINGTON LATIN'S CULTURE.