Highlights

Upcoming Events

Students go to China!

The China trip was a great success!

Ms. Marshall’s article about the trip was published in the Huffington Post!

Candace, a 9th grader, was a celebrity in China…

Q: Something amazing happened to you in China because of your blond hair. What was it?

A: In America I’m just a regular girl, but traveling in China with blond hair, it was like being a celebrity! I guess celebrities have that feeling every day of fans being so excited to see them, so maybe they get used it, but I thought it was so awesome to feel famous!

In China, random strangers would come up to me and ask me for a picture just because I have a different skin and hair color! It happened on the Great Wall of China, on the airplane, and once at the Temple of Heaven.

I liked the Great Wall “celebrity moment” the most because that’s where I got the most pictures taken with me. It was just a wonderful thing. I can’t explain it. It made me all happy inside!

For more student stories, read Ms. Marshall’s blog.

Give to BLA!

In addition to the marathon fundraiser, there are other ways to support the school.

The Hapgood Library is also hosting its’ annual fundraiser. The website is www.funds4books.com. Please enter code 8613 and thank you!

In addition, starting Nov. 8, families can register their Stop & Shop card to give a percentage to BLA. Just go to www.stopandshop.com and register your card. Our Stop & Shop school code is 10333.

Finally, Boston Latin Academy is collecting Box Tops for Education. Coupons can be sent to the Main Office (attention: Marcia Canale).

Mr. Wurman in the news:

WINNING FORM: Barbara Okafor runs the anchor leg of the 4?x?200 for Latin Academy on February 8, 2011 at the Reggie Lewis Center. (Photo by Patrick Whittemore, Boston Herald)

The BLA Boys’ and Girls’ Track teams are City Champions!

Latin Academy boys and girls both finished first in the two-day city championship meet at the Reggie Lewis Center, defeating O’Bryant for the first time in years.

According to Latin Academy coach Brian Leussler, “It’s a big accomplishment, I really owe it to the team. A lot of dedicated kids who do indoor, outdoor, who have been running since seventh grade — they deserve it this year.”

Go Dragons!

Read more in the Boston Herald, or the Boston Globe.

Boston Latin Academy has been named a National Blue Ribbon School!

Last school year we worked hard to submit a strong application that highlighted all the professional development work we did in the last two years including:
• An active Instructional Leadership Team that plans professional development
• The use of Instructional Rounds to examine teaching and learning

•    The optional professional development that focused on 21st century learning skills/ active learning
•    The addition of a thematic curriculum map to our some of our major courses
•    The active planning of grade level teams (clusters) that work towards improving 21st century learning in the classroom

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that are either high performing or have improved student achievement to high levels, especially among disadvantaged students. The program is part of a larger Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.

On Thursday, September 9, 2010, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the nation’s Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010 at School Without Walls Senior High School, a 2010 Blue Ribbon School, in Washington, D.C. The schools—254 public and 50 private—will be honored at an awards ceremony on November 15 and 16 in Washington, D.C. In the past 28 years, more than 6, 000 of America’s schools have received this coveted award.

Although the honor does not have a monetary award it is a prestigious recognition of the work we do. It further proves that we are not only the best school in the city but one of the best in the nation.

View the announcement on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoqwkg8ZU34

More about the Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Boston Latin Academy band students received $25,000 worth of musical instruments, thanks to Fidelity’s FutureStage Program and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. In a February 9 ceremony at Boston Symphony Hall, BLA students were one of only four schools in Boston to receive the grant.

Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops was the host in Boston, while actor and singer Jamie Foxx and other celebrities took part in the nationally simulcast event, which gave instruments to 1,500 students in four cities.