What are the benefits of taking Latin?
A benefit of taking Latin is that 60% of English words come from Latin. Students' grades have also improved in classes such as English and
science. Latin is the universal language of scholars so many scientific terms originate from the Latin language. Romance languages, such as
Spanish, also become easier to study because of their Latin origin.
What is JCL?
JCL stands for Junior Classical League. It is a great way for students to meet other students of Latin. It is an extra curricular activity for
students who wish to learn more about Roman culture, life, or history. JCL gives students an opportunity to participate in contests, travel, and win
awards. Membership also is pre-requisite for the Latin National Honor Society.
What is interesting about Latin?
Most students' answer would be mythology. It is also interesting to see how common our society and that of the Romans, who were very advanced for their
time, are.
What is the National Latin Exam (NLE)?
The National Latin Exam is a comprehensive test given nationwide. Students take the test for the level in which they are currently enrolled. The
highest possible score is a 40. 7th - 12th graders receive medals and/or special certificates of recognition for scores that are above the national average.
Is Latin hard?
Latin is no harder than someone learning English as a second language. Latin gets easier once you understand how the language works.
What volunteer opportunities are there for parents?
We can use your help with fundraising, transportation, food deliveries, copying, and quiz bowl (certamen). If any of these are of interest to you,
please e-mail Magistra Marable. She will be glad to provide more information.
What is Certamen?
Certamen, pronounced care-tah-men, is a Jeopardy-like academic quiz bowl. Three teams of four compete at one time. Each school can have one team of four for each level of Latin offered. One person on the team is selected team captain. The captain is the person who gives the answer to the moderator on bonus (group) questions. There are twenty questions in a round. Each question is called a toss-up and is worth ten points. Each toss-up has two bonuses (group questions), which is worth five points each. The individual on the team that answers the toss-up question correctly gives his/her team the
opportunity to answer the two bonus questions. Once one person on a team "buzzes in" on a toss-up, the other team members are not allowed to
buzz in. The team with the most points wins the round.
What, where, and when are the competitions?
Mid-state is a regional level competition. It is a day long competition held at a local high school. Mid-state is usually the end of February/early
March. State Convention is held in one of the three regions of Tennessee. It is sponsored by an area high school or college/university. The
organizers of the competition try to rotate it among the regions so as to not put undue burden on any particular region. State is the Friday and
Saturday nearest April 21st (Rome's birthday). National convention is held in one of the regions of the United States at an area college/university.
Nationals is usually the last week of July/first week of August. Both public and private schools participate in all levels of competition.
How much do the competitions cost?
The registration fee for Mid-state is $8.00. There is an additional cost for lunch (about $10). The registration fee for State is $50. There is
an additional cost for lunch (about $10) and possibly additional food, transportation, and lodging (if State is out of town). The registration fee
for National Convention is around $500, which covers the cost of food and lodging for the week long event. There is additional costs for
transportation, lodging to and from convention, and sightseeing (about $250).
How much time does JCL take?
There are no regularly scheduled meetings for JCL. There may be one meeting to hold officer elections. If student chooses to go to Mid-state, it is an
8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. commitment. Mid-state certamen usually is held on the Saturday after Mid-state. State is a Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon commitment, if the competition is held outside of middle Tennessee. Nationals is a week long event during the summer.
What can I do if I make a bad grade?
If you make a bad grade, it may be possible that you can get a higher grade. You will need to get a parent signature on the original, make corrections including explanations, turn all these papers in, and take the retake, if required. Retakes must be completed within ten days of the returned assignment.
What do I do if I did not turn in an assignment?
Complete it and turn it in as soon as possible.
Is there extra credit?
No, with standards based grading, extra credit does not demonstrate mastery of material.
A benefit of taking Latin is that 60% of English words come from Latin. Students' grades have also improved in classes such as English and
science. Latin is the universal language of scholars so many scientific terms originate from the Latin language. Romance languages, such as
Spanish, also become easier to study because of their Latin origin.
What is JCL?
JCL stands for Junior Classical League. It is a great way for students to meet other students of Latin. It is an extra curricular activity for
students who wish to learn more about Roman culture, life, or history. JCL gives students an opportunity to participate in contests, travel, and win
awards. Membership also is pre-requisite for the Latin National Honor Society.
What is interesting about Latin?
Most students' answer would be mythology. It is also interesting to see how common our society and that of the Romans, who were very advanced for their
time, are.
What is the National Latin Exam (NLE)?
The National Latin Exam is a comprehensive test given nationwide. Students take the test for the level in which they are currently enrolled. The
highest possible score is a 40. 7th - 12th graders receive medals and/or special certificates of recognition for scores that are above the national average.
Is Latin hard?
Latin is no harder than someone learning English as a second language. Latin gets easier once you understand how the language works.
What volunteer opportunities are there for parents?
We can use your help with fundraising, transportation, food deliveries, copying, and quiz bowl (certamen). If any of these are of interest to you,
please e-mail Magistra Marable. She will be glad to provide more information.
What is Certamen?
Certamen, pronounced care-tah-men, is a Jeopardy-like academic quiz bowl. Three teams of four compete at one time. Each school can have one team of four for each level of Latin offered. One person on the team is selected team captain. The captain is the person who gives the answer to the moderator on bonus (group) questions. There are twenty questions in a round. Each question is called a toss-up and is worth ten points. Each toss-up has two bonuses (group questions), which is worth five points each. The individual on the team that answers the toss-up question correctly gives his/her team the
opportunity to answer the two bonus questions. Once one person on a team "buzzes in" on a toss-up, the other team members are not allowed to
buzz in. The team with the most points wins the round.
What, where, and when are the competitions?
Mid-state is a regional level competition. It is a day long competition held at a local high school. Mid-state is usually the end of February/early
March. State Convention is held in one of the three regions of Tennessee. It is sponsored by an area high school or college/university. The
organizers of the competition try to rotate it among the regions so as to not put undue burden on any particular region. State is the Friday and
Saturday nearest April 21st (Rome's birthday). National convention is held in one of the regions of the United States at an area college/university.
Nationals is usually the last week of July/first week of August. Both public and private schools participate in all levels of competition.
How much do the competitions cost?
The registration fee for Mid-state is $8.00. There is an additional cost for lunch (about $10). The registration fee for State is $50. There is
an additional cost for lunch (about $10) and possibly additional food, transportation, and lodging (if State is out of town). The registration fee
for National Convention is around $500, which covers the cost of food and lodging for the week long event. There is additional costs for
transportation, lodging to and from convention, and sightseeing (about $250).
How much time does JCL take?
There are no regularly scheduled meetings for JCL. There may be one meeting to hold officer elections. If student chooses to go to Mid-state, it is an
8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. commitment. Mid-state certamen usually is held on the Saturday after Mid-state. State is a Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon commitment, if the competition is held outside of middle Tennessee. Nationals is a week long event during the summer.
What can I do if I make a bad grade?
If you make a bad grade, it may be possible that you can get a higher grade. You will need to get a parent signature on the original, make corrections including explanations, turn all these papers in, and take the retake, if required. Retakes must be completed within ten days of the returned assignment.
What do I do if I did not turn in an assignment?
Complete it and turn it in as soon as possible.
Is there extra credit?
No, with standards based grading, extra credit does not demonstrate mastery of material.