Latin
Latin prepares students for the modern world by emphasizing 1st Century skills: attention to detail, hard work, and perseverance. At Edgemont, Latin studies typically begin in 7th grade, but students of all grades may enroll. Using the textbook series Ecce Romani, as well as a significant amount of teacher-produced material, students quickly cover the basics of Latin grammar and syntax. By the third quarter of Latin 2, students are reading unabridged Latin written 2,000 years ago. Over the course of the six-year sequence, students read works from a variety of ancient authors, including Cicero, Vergil, Pliny, Caesar, Horace, and Ovid. The Latin 4 Advanced Honors class follows the prose portion of the College Board Advanced Placement curriculum. The Latin 5 Advanced Honors class focuses on the poetry portion of the AP curriculum and supplements the required texts with selections fromLatin lyric poetry. Students have the option of taking the AP exam at the end of the 5 Honors course.
Latin - The College Advantage Booklet.pdfBecause Latin is for the most part no longer spoken, the complexity of the grammar taught in our program is greater than what is covered at similar levels of the modern languages. This does not mean that Latin is more difficult to learn; it's simply different, and that's one of the key advantages to learning Latin. Its very nature forces students to approach language in a way that is not familiar to them. It helps students become more focused and disciplined readers and writers, not only because of their extraordinary grounding in grammar and syntax, but also because of their knowledge of English vocabulary derived from Latin and Greek roots. Their understanding of history, law, government, and philosophy is strengthened when translating the works of Cicero, Eutropius, and Caesar. Their appreciation of English literature and poetry, including rhetorical and poetic devices, is enhanced through reading Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, and Ovid. Their general knowledge of art, architecture, Greco-Roman mythology, and the sciences is broadened by class discussions on ancient culture.
Jacob Weiss, Edgemont Class of 2014, published this piece in Education Week. According to Jacob, who took Latin at Edgemont for six years, "Latin teaches one how to think effectively, how to really grasp the rudiments and essentials of all language, and how to become a more culturally adept and interesting person. Latin truly is the essential ingredient—the sine qua non—of a superior education."
Carol Condos came to teaching after a career in business, including international aviation, as well as the arts, including theater administration. She received an undergraduate degree in Classical Studies and English Literature from New York University and Hunter College, where she also received a Masters in Adolescence Education (Latin). Ms. Condos is a member of the American Classical League (ACL) and the Classical Association of the Empire States (CAES), whose annual Institutes she attends when time and funds permit; the Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS) at whose annual institute she has presented; the New York Classical Club (NYCC); and the Westchester Latin Colloquium. She joined the Edgemont faculty in 2008. Ms. Condos currently teaches Latin 8/1B, Latin 2, Latin 4 Advanced Honors, and Greek and Latin Roots.
Jonathan Hansonbrook is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, and received his MA in Classical Languages from the University of Buffalo. He has been teaching since 1997 and joined the Edgemont faculty in 2002. Before coming to Edgemont, he taught briefly at Pelham Memorial High School, Sweet Home High School, and Cleveland Hill High School. He has presented multiple times at the American Classical Leagues (ACL) Annual Institute and the Classical Association of Atlantic States (CAAS) Annual Meeting, and he has received three Incentive for Innovation Grants from the Scarsdale Teachers Institute. Mr. Hansonbrook is a member of the ACL, CAAS, the Classical Association of the Empire State, the New York Classical Club, and the Westchester Latin Colloquium. During July of 2021 he was one of sixteen teachers chosen to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar on Daily Roman Life in the ancient world. He has taught every level of Edgemont Latin but typically teaches Latin 7/1A, 4 Advanced Honors, and 5 Advanced Honors. Mr. Hansonbrook also co-advises the Model UN club with Mrs. Cecere.