“Salvete, y’all!”  At Our Redeemer Lutheran School of Dallas, located at Park Lane and Boedeker, this is actually a common greeting among the students!  This year, in addition to the outstanding K – 6^th Spanish program, ORLS piloted a new co-curricular Latin class.

In the 4th - 6th grades, Latin is taught twenty minutes a day, four days a week.  The Latin program is designed to help students understand and speak Latin, as well as impress upon them the classical world's impact on art, architecture, government, law, religion, and medicine.  Latin sessions are lively and full of student participation:  students converse with the teacher in Latin, memorize quotations from Roman authors, learn about Roman customs and Roman mythology, sing songs, and act out skits.  

Since more than half of all English words are derived from Latin, an additional benefit from the program is a wider English vocabulary.  Students also strengthen their grasp of English syntax and grammar and enjoy a leg up in studying any of the Latin-based languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.  The studies culminate in a field trip to locations such as the zoo or aquarium to see the Latin words “in action”.

The classes are taught by Pastors Brent McGuire and Adam Douthwaite, both of whom are trained in classical languages, Pastor McGuire having delivered the Latin oration at Harvard's Commencement Exercises in 1995.  

For more information on this program or for admission and scholarship information, please contact Carol Blackwood at carolb@orlcs.com or 214-368-1371.  Our Redeemer is located at 7611 Park Lane at Boedeker.  Visit us at ORDallas.org or https://www.facebook.com/OurRedeemerLutheranSchoolOfDallas/