News
Bolles Hosts Latin Forum
The Bolles School was the host for the 46th Regional Latin Forum on January 31. Forum is an annual event hosted by a local school in the area on a rotating basis. Students from all levels of Latin, from introductory programs to the advanced classes, come together for a morning of friendly competition in a wide variety of contests. Each student may enter three events from a list of 62 total contests in 18 different subject areas and a wide selection of sports, creative, and team events.
Academic tests are offered at the level of study and include: grammar, vocabulary, derivatives, history, mythology, geography, art history, daily life, phrases, literature, and Greek derivatives.
Creative contests- projects designed and made by students in a variety of categories- include: models, graphics, sculpture, maps, charts, games, mosaics, and needlework.
Costume contests, in which students research and then depict a mythological or historical character, offer another creative outlet for student interest and talent.
For the athletic interests, the Olympic events include: the annual chariot race, with four girls pulling a life-size chariot driven by a boy; the softball throw, Nerf javelin throw, and a variety of running events and team relays.
Team contests also include Certamen, a Jeopardy-like game, with questions covering all of the topics of the academic contests.
Prizes are given to the top five scores of each contest.
This year, 10 schools, 400 students, and 100 parents and teachers attended. The Forum is an event for students, teachers, and parents to talk to other people who share the fun and varied study of Latin and all of its related cultural subjects. Many make new, lifelong friendships.
Bolles has been fortunate to have a number of alumni return to become Latin teachers and join the ranks with their former teachers. This year, three teachers attended their first Forum as teachers after a number of years as student competitors. Other Duval County school graduates have been teachers for a number of years. They include: Marie Girardeau, a Fletcher teacher, and former student of Nancy Allen at Sandalwood; Ritchie Raulerson, a Wolfson teacher, and former student of Linda Gaskin at Ed White; Meredith Sitz, a Bolles teacher, and former student of Casey Carpenter-Smith at Stanton; Ryan Moorhead, a new Stanton teacher, and Steven Stam, a new Bolles teacher, who attended Bolles together as students of Ginny Greenland. Several other new teachers have recently joined the ranks of Duval County Latin teachers this year: Evan Kell at Ed White, Lizz Gentry at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Victor Ravelo at Baker Country, and Jim Kavanagh at Darnell Cookman.