Eastside Seattle students get a perfect score...in Latin!

May 13, 2011 - PRLog -- (Redmond, WA) The National Latin Exam Committee bestowed honor on students from The Bear Creek School for their performance on the Introduction to Latin National Latin Exam this past March. This year all fifty-three grade 8 students from The Bear Creek School took the Introduction to Latin exam with fantastic results. Two students (nearly 4% of the students tested), Rebecca Carlson and Emily Huston, both from Redmond, received a perfect score as determined by the National Latin Exam committee. This was no small feat as the committee noted that only 328 students (just 2%) of the 18,100 students from 15 countries taking this particular exam achieved a perfect score.

Twenty-one  students scored between a 99-88% on the exam and are thus recognized by the committee and received an outstanding achievement award. These are: Daniel Assumpcao of Woodinville, McKenna Boit of Sammamish, Grace Carruth of Redmond, Colin Diamond of Redmond, Jesse Domingo of Redmond, Kenny Dyer of Redmond, Annika Hoiem of Sammamish, Whitney Hom of Kirkland, Wendy Hsia of Redmond, Whitney Isbell of Woodinville, Miwa Ito of Bellevue, Jessica Kirker of Preston, Gracie Matthews of Clyde Hill, Darryln McDonough of Woodinville, Michael Lau of Redmond, Lars Laundrup of Woodinville, Benjamin Lee of Sammamish, Sammy Olson of Redmond, Reeham Salah of Sammamish, Adam Worley of Redmond, and Megan Wurden of Redmond. In addition nine more students were given a certificate of merit for their scores.

“We have found that students who learn Latin–aside from having a fun and educational experience–gain untold benefit in their other subjects too. In English, for example, students with a Latin background have increased understanding of vocabulary words that are derived from Latin and have a better grasp of grammar. It’s no coincidence that students who learn Latin in school get higher test scores” said James Woollard, Middle School Division Head at The Bear Creek School.

The exam originated in 1977 with about 6,000 students participating. Since then it has grown to approximately 140,000 participants in 2010. It is sponsored by the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League, both organizations that are devoted to the study of Latin and promotion of the Classics. It is open to all students enrolled in Latin during the academic year and offers seven levels of exams. Students from all 50 states and 13 foreign countries participate annually.

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The Bear Creek School, a leader in classical education for preschool–grade 12 in the Pacific Northwest, offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum from a Christian worldview. The Bear Creek School challenges students to reach their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual potential through academics, athletics, fine arts, community service programs, and many other educational and social activities.