The Beginnings of Latin in Pentucket

Pentucket’s Latin program was started many years ago by none other than the current Latin teacher, Ms. Villani. The program was previously a big hit. She used to  have up to seven latin classes a day, and now she only has one. At one point, another Latin teacher, Magistra, Latin for female teacher, was hired to support the middle school Latin program, so Villani could focus on the high school side of things.

It all started when Villani was asked to come out of retirement by a colleague, Mr. Carlo. He wanted more people at Pentucket to take Latin and knew that if he did not change something there wouldn’t be any Latin class at Pentucket.

She was chosen because, “Only [she] [could] light a fire” as said by Mr. Carlo.tudents needed a fun and exciting teacher to teach middle schoolers Latin, so they would not leave the class for its Spanish, German, and then French counterparts.

Latin’s Current State ownfall

As it stands, all that was left of the once glorious Latin program is fifteen students and one teacher. Although, three of those students now take Latin online during their study halls. Remote learning is not the same as being in the classroom.

The decline in the popularity of Latin can be traced back to 2018, when Villani had to retire from teaching for medical reasons. At the time she left, she handed down 200 Latin students from grades 7-12 to two other teachers, one of whom was named Magistra., The current Latin five students or Latin V’s as they call themselves (after the Roman numeral), had her for both exploratory Latin in seventh grade and Latin one freshman year before she ultimately retired in 2021.

Villani’s absence meant that a lot of the passion behind Latin was gone. Magistra and the other teachers did not lack good teaching methods by any means, however, they lacked the cheerful mood that Villani radiates everyday for her students.

Some of the current Latin V’s started taking Latin as early as seventh grade, while the current juniors were not offered the opportunity to take Latin. The school wanted to shift focus of their languages at the expense of Pentucket’s Latin program, which led the current juniors being unable to take the language at an early age.

Is This the End of Latin at Pentucket?

“As it stands this is the last Latin class that will be graduating within a five year cycle,” Villani said. Pentucket will likely revisit Latin as an option for high level German and Spanish students who will have the option to take it in a two-year course, where the current Latin curriculum is compressed into a shorter class. This is not a change that will be rolled out quickly, though. Students who aren’t currently enrolled in Latin shouldn’t have their sights set on taking Latin within the next five years. The school chose to shift focus to the dying German program instead of nourishing the language that students have loved for years. Villani and her fifteen current scholars, as well as hudreds of graduates from the Pentucket Latin program, would all agree that Latin needs to still be a part of Pentucket’s education.

The Latin V Field Trip to the MFA

On Thursday, March 14th, the Latin V class took the train into Boston and spent the day touring the Museum of Fine Arts. This marked the final field trip for the Latin program, ending the yearly tradition.  The feeling around the group was one of disappointment as it could not carry on after our grade, but it was also very appreciative that we were able to take the trip at all.

During this trip, our main focus was to analyze specific aspects of the Roman Empire’s history by looking at statues, paintings, sculptures, and other forms of art and physical history. This was fascinating for everyone on the trip, especially when w were able to share our experiences afterwards and see how each sculpture may relate to the topics we studied in class.

After we finished at the museum, we spent some time at the food court next to the North Station before eventually taking the train back home, satisfied from an explorative and intriguing trip. Ms. V hopes that the trip will live on, potentially when the students taking Spanish become Seniors, but she also keeps it in mind that it will never be the same without her Latin scholars being present.

Prime Latin

Right now, the Latin program stands on unstable, collapsing grounds. But it was not always this unstable, in fact the Latin program once thrived as the best language program in the entire school just a few short years ago. Ms. V talked about night field trips being a regular activity, taking trips to Rome and Greece, as well the presence of an established Latin club, separate from the class.

A lot of what is described here can be called ‘Prime Latin,’ indicating there was a time before now that was better than today. From a Latin student’s standpoint, this is blatantly untrue, as the Latin program is simply what the students choose to make of it. 

Ms. V does wish that the program was able to go back to what it was once, but she is also extremely happy for the current opportunities she has: the students who still show a passion for it. 

Why should Latin still be around?

As it stands, the current seniors in the Latin V class will be the last ones to be able to take Latin at Pentucket. The school has decided to end the program with the class of 2024 and focus on growing the other language programs such as Spanish and German.

When speaking with Amelie Higgins, a Senior and Latin student at Pentucket, she spoke on how the language will help her later in life. She stated, “I am looking to go into the medical field, so the roots and words will help me with terminology there. It has also been such a fun experience where I am always learning life lessons, so it will help me there as well.”

This is much to the dismay of its students and teacher Ms. Villani, as many think that Latin is a language that deserves to stay within the minds of those at Pentucket. 

However, Ms. V and her students remain hopeful that one day, Latin will make its well deserved comeback at Pentucket, and the greatest language program to ever come to the school will continue to parade forward.