February we had a Lupercalia event where we played a fun mafia-style game and learned more about the Roman holiday. Not only are these events fun activities that could expand your Latin club and nurture a sense of community, but they’re also great opportunities for students to learn more about classics.
• Use Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or any other video conferencing software to run meetings. Consider the specific activity you plan on doing, and find a video conferencing software that works for you!
Service Projects: This past school year, I organized a service project where TJ Latin students made cards for children in hospitals. The project was a huge success, and we donated a total of 109 cards! Service projects are a great way to unite your Latin club and give back to your community.
• Service projects can be tricky to organize virtually, so get creative! For example, two service projects NJCL held at national convention were drawing coloring pages for kids and writing a letter to a representative in Congress.
• Video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype can be used to run service projects, but it’s not necessary.
Certamen: Certamen is a great way to be interactive and learn more about Latin and classics. If your Latin club doesn’t already have a Certamen program, try to start one! Study materials, practice Certamen questions, and the schedule for VJCL’s certamina can be found on VJCL’s website (www.virginiajcl.org) under the “Academics and Certamen” tab.
I recommend organizing practice sessions on Discord or Zoom, both of which are commonly used platforms for Certamen.
Tutoring, Study Groups, and Lectures: These sessions can be counted towards your COTM submission and are a great way for students to sharpen their Latin skills!
Tutoring sessions and study groups can be run with break out rooms on different video conferencing softwares, such as Zoom and Discord.
Fundraising: With the pandemic, it’s especially difficult to collect funds for your Latin club. Get creative and find ways to raise money, like selling merchandise or having socially distanced bake sales!
Social Media: Start a social media account for your Latin club! Having a social media presence is a great way to promote your chapter. Check out TJ Latin’s official Instagram account @tjlatin for ideas!
If you have any further questions or ideas, or are new to submitting to Club of the Month, feel free to contact me
at 2021jliu@tjhsst.edu!
written by Jing Liu,
Thomas Jefferson HIgh School for Science and Technology
21