Classical Greek and Latin used to be a major part of a well-rounded education. However, elementary programming in those languages is disappearing from area schools. In some schools, it has to do with budget. In other schools, it has to do with the teacher shortage. Yet in other schools, it has to do with a shift to having just one language offered, or options that include Chinese, a worthwhile language, of course, instead.

However, there is much to be said about the value of learning about the Classical Greek and Latin language, history, and culture, as it is so formative in creating our culture, and so key to English mastery. These ancient languages are still very much relevant today.

If your school does not offer exposure to the classical language, we have good news. MAGE will offer a solution, our latest program, Classics Club. The program will be offered on Sunday mornings starting in September, as three ten-week sessions. Students will engage in exploring ancient civilizations through art, music, projects, and story, while strengthening their knowledge of the English language and world history.

The sessions will build on each other and a large amount of vocabulary will be covered. In the first session, we will introduce the students to an informal competition called Cretamen. Students may also choose to participate in several formal competitions in the second session. In the third session, after the formal competitions, we will dive into a third classical language, Sanskrit. We will also visit the mythology of other cultures throughout the year.

An excellent article from Stanford explores the relevance of studying classics in the 21st century further.