Here at Holy Family, there is a requirement for language classes for at least 3 out of the 4 years. We can choose between French, Latin, and Spanish. If you were new to Holy Family and had not yet made your decision, I would absolutely recommend that you take Latin. I am in Latin Honors 3 this year, and I’ve loved every year of Latin.
To start off, the Latin teacher, Dr. Gumerlock is just a gem of a teacher. He is so passionate about his role here at HF, and he’s always excited for us to learn more. Dr. G knows just about everything about the Latin language and Ancient Roman Culture. Throughout your experience in Latin class, the amount that you learn about the Culture and the Language itself is remarkable. Whether that be translating vocabulary and stories, or studying the first triumvirate, you never stop learning in this class!
Now, some people say that Latin is dead, and there’s no point in learning a dead language. However, our English language is about 50% derived from Latin. Because of this, the words (most of the time) are pretty easy to know, just by looking at them.
For example, what do you think “Spiritus” means? Or “Bonus”? Words like these, (Spirit and Good) are the reason Latin is just so great, because most of the time you know what the word is at first glance.
A bonus to knowing Latin is the expansion it gives on your vocabulary. If you are interested in the Law or medical field, understanding this language will take you far in some careers, as many words they use daily are Latin.
Dr. Gumerlock’s class is overall a pretty chill one. If you show up to class ready to learn, you’ll go far. Normally, we don’t have assigned homework, and we have a test over the chapter once a month. We watch Cleopatra and other Roman culture films, and sometimes Mrs. G makes us sandwiches!
