Washington Latin Public Charter School provides a challenging, classical education that is accessible to students throughout the District of Columbia. Challenging, classical, and accessible are key words in the mission of our school. Our talented and caring faculty and staff challenge students with high academic and personal expectations.

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 for western democracy. All students take Latin beginning in fifth grade and, in addition, begin either French or Chinese in eighth grade.

As a charter school we are open to all students who reside in Washington, D.C., and in each year of the school’s existence we have had students from each of the city’s eight wards. Any student who is eager to learn and willing to work for an excellent education will find our program rewarding. We believe that the connections made between adults and students are tremendously important in the growth, success, and happiness of students. To foster those supportive relationships, each student has an advisor or homeroom teacher whose job it is to oversee the progress and development of each young scholar and to work in concert with parents and guardians. Students spend time with these adults each day, and our hope is that students see them, as well as other teachers and coaches, as advocates and adults who want them to be successful and are at the ready to help them as needed.

We also have a Student Support Team in place, comprised of special education teachers, an academic dean, a counselor, a director of multicultural affairs, and a dean of students. This group is designed to make sure that the proper support systems are in place not just for students with special needs but for any student who may be faltering.

Washington Latin opened in 2006 with 179 students in grades five through seven; we will add a grade each year and graduate our first class of seniors in June of 2012. Our first location was in Christ Church of Washington at 3855 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. (two blocks west of Washington National Cathedral). In 2008 we added a second campus for our eighth and ninth graders at 4715 16th Street, N.W. (just south of Carter Barron). Our goal is to have the entire school on one campus by the time we reach our maximum enrollment.

Our school’s motto is Discite, Servaturi! It means: Learn, those who are about to serve. We educate students for effective citizenship in the hope that they will play a positive, productive, and contributing role in their community as adults. We encourage you to read more about our school by reading further, by visiting our website at www.latinpcs.org, or by calling us and arranging a visit. We look forward with pride to telling you more about Washington Latin.