Charlotte Latin School
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Latin School is an independent, coeducational, non-sectarian, college-preparatory day school
, founded in 1970, serving 1,391 students in transitional kindergarten
through twelfth grade
and located in Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States. In 1977, Charlotte Latin was the youngest school in the nation to be granted a Cum Laude Society
charter, and has been named three times as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
. The school is jointly accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
.
Charlotte Latin's mission is "to encourage individual development and civility in our students by inspiring them to learn, by encouraging them to serve others, and by offering them many growth-promoting opportunities." Charlotte Latin is committed to nurturing the whole child by providing a balanced learning environment that promotes the growth of each student's mind, body, and spirit.
Latin graduated its first senior class in 1974. During 1974–75, an addition to the Lower School was built and the football field was completed.
Latin was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 1975, and in 1976–77, Latin was honored as the youngest school in the nation to receive a Cum Laude Society
chapter. It was during the 1976–77 school year that the Middle School building also was completed.
During 1980–81, the school expanded with the addition of 42 acres (169,968.1 m²), which makes up the South Campus. In 1988, Latin's Upper School received the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the United States Department of Education
.
The Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC) opened on the Latin campus in 1990. This 22-lane natatorium is operated by MAC, as it is called, but also serves as Latin's pool. MAC has produced several Olympians, and has enabled Latin to win numerous swimming titles.
In 1998, Charlotte Latin won the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award a second time, this time for the Lower School.
During the 1999–2000 school year, Latin purchased an additional 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), bringing the campus to 122 acre (0.49371692 km²). It is during this time that the Middle School also won the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.
The Science, Art and Technology Building and the Beck Student Activities Center opened during the 2000–01 school year. At the conclusion of the 2000–01 school year, Dr. Edward J. Fox, Jr. retired after serving 25 years as the school's headmaster. Mr. Arch N. McIntosh, Jr. was named as Latin's new headmaster. Mr. Mark Tayloe is Head of the Lower School; Mrs. Debbie Lamm is Head of the Middle School; and Mr. Lawrence Wall is Head of the Upper School.
The Honor Code reads:
“As a member of the Charlotte Latin Community, I am responsible for upholding and promoting honesty, trust, respect, fairness, and justice in all
venues of School life. To maintain personal integrity, I will not cheat, lie, steal, or plagiarize. I will do my best to raise awareness of the importance of
honor for the purpose of making Latin a better place to learn and work. I understand the Charlotte Latin School Honor Code and will uphold my
HONOR ABOVE ALL.”
One hundred and twenty Latin students have been named National Merit Finalists since 1989.
Eighteen Latin students have been named Morehead Scholars in the school's 40-year history.
Among the prestigious scholarships Latin's students have been offered are the AXA Achievement Scholarship, the Park Scholarship at NC State University, the Morehead-Cain
and Pogue Scholarships at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Reynolds and Poteat Scholarships at Wake Forest University, the Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia, the Belk and Bryan Scholarships at Davidson College, the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship at Duke University, the Danforth Scholarship at Washington University, the Chancellor's Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, the Woodruff Scholarship at Emory University, and the Robertson Scholarship
at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University.
Typically, between sixty to eighty-five percent of the seventh grade class qualifies for the Duke University Talent Identification Program
on the basis of standardized test scores.
The Lower School's standardized test scores are some of the highest in the nation among both public and private schools.
Charlotte Latin maintains sister school relationships with schools in Argentina, China, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa and Spain.
The U.S. Department of Education has three times named Charlotte Latin a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. In 1977, Charlotte Latin also became the youngest school to have received a Cum Laude Society
charter.
More than 30% of the Upper School students perform with the CLS Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, or Orchestra. More than 300 students in fifth through eighth grades participate in performance-based music ensembles. Latin's ensembles regularly receive superior ratings in district festivals. Latin's music students have participated in goodwill music tours to China and Russia, and have performed at Carnegie Hall
.
Latin students refine their acting and production talents by presenting quality stage works, such as the annual student directed one-act festival and mid-year musicals, which feature orchestral accompaniment and professional choreography, costumes, and sets. At the Lower School level, the school sponsors a drama club and visits by traveling theater companies as well as a Broadway workshop, while the Middle School presents two plays and a musical each year. The Upper School theater program is rich and varied, including plays, a musical, and theater classes that focus on theater craft, both on and behind the stage. In 2010, the Upper School presented "The Wiz", which included a company of 44 performers and 20 backstage workers who managed lights, sound, sets, props, make-up, and costumes.
The Friends of Music and the Friends of Theater Arts support the performing arts programs. The Latin Arts Association serves as an umbrella organization and supports the School's fine and performing arts programs.
In 2008, Latin's football team was recognized as the "Sweet 16" champions by The Charlotte Observer. The team received this recognition primarily because of its undefeated 2007 football season. The 2007 championship was the team's fourth consecutive state championship.
Twenty members of Latin's Class of 2011 will participate in athletics at the following colleges and universities: Bucknell University, Centre College, Clemson University, Elon University, Hampden-Sydney College, Hillsdale College, Indiana University, McGill University, Middlebury College, NC State University, Susquehanna University, Texas Christian University, The University of Miami, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of the South (Sewanee), Virginia Tech, Washington and Lee University, and Wesleyan University.
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
, founded in 1970, serving 1,391 students in transitional kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through twelfth grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
and located in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States. In 1977, Charlotte Latin was the youngest school in the nation to be granted a Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
charter, and has been named three times as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. The school is jointly accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
Southern Association of Independent Schools
The Southern Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 340 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 180,000 students...
, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction oversees the public school system in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The DPI is headed by the State Superintendent and the North Carolina State Board of Education...
.
Charlotte Latin's mission is "to encourage individual development and civility in our students by inspiring them to learn, by encouraging them to serve others, and by offering them many growth-promoting opportunities." Charlotte Latin is committed to nurturing the whole child by providing a balanced learning environment that promotes the growth of each student's mind, body, and spirit.
History
In 1969, a group of Charlotte parents decided to found a new school, modeled on New England's seventeenth century "Latin" schools. These parents wanted to make sure their children received a strong, traditional academic foundation, which they felt was being sacrificed by the public schools in favor of largely unproven teaching fads. In September 1970, Charlotte Latin School opened its doors for the first time with 425 students in grades one through nine. The 50 acres (202,343 m²) campus consisted of two buildings: today's Lower School Building and the Administrative Building, which is now Fennebresque Hall. The campus continued to grow with the construction of the 100/200 building, the library (which is now Founders' Hall), and Belk Gymnasium in 1972 and 1973.Latin graduated its first senior class in 1974. During 1974–75, an addition to the Lower School was built and the football field was completed.
Latin was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 1975, and in 1976–77, Latin was honored as the youngest school in the nation to receive a Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
chapter. It was during the 1976–77 school year that the Middle School building also was completed.
During 1980–81, the school expanded with the addition of 42 acres (169,968.1 m²), which makes up the South Campus. In 1988, Latin's Upper School received the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
.
The Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC) opened on the Latin campus in 1990. This 22-lane natatorium is operated by MAC, as it is called, but also serves as Latin's pool. MAC has produced several Olympians, and has enabled Latin to win numerous swimming titles.
In 1998, Charlotte Latin won the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award a second time, this time for the Lower School.
During the 1999–2000 school year, Latin purchased an additional 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), bringing the campus to 122 acre (0.49371692 km²). It is during this time that the Middle School also won the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.
The Science, Art and Technology Building and the Beck Student Activities Center opened during the 2000–01 school year. At the conclusion of the 2000–01 school year, Dr. Edward J. Fox, Jr. retired after serving 25 years as the school's headmaster. Mr. Arch N. McIntosh, Jr. was named as Latin's new headmaster. Mr. Mark Tayloe is Head of the Lower School; Mrs. Debbie Lamm is Head of the Middle School; and Mr. Lawrence Wall is Head of the Upper School.
Honor Code
Honor is an uncompromised standard at Charlotte Latin School. The Honor System, implemented and monitored by the students and faculty, reflects Latin's emphasis on personal integrity, trust, and respect for one another. The principle of honor is sustained throughout the School community by encouraging honorable behavior through example and by the School's willingness to acknowledge and promote that commitment among its peers. Students adhere to the School's Honor Pledge as a condition of enrollment.The Honor Code reads:
“As a member of the Charlotte Latin Community, I am responsible for upholding and promoting honesty, trust, respect, fairness, and justice in all
venues of School life. To maintain personal integrity, I will not cheat, lie, steal, or plagiarize. I will do my best to raise awareness of the importance of
honor for the purpose of making Latin a better place to learn and work. I understand the Charlotte Latin School Honor Code and will uphold my
HONOR ABOVE ALL.”
Academics
Charlotte Latin subscribes to an educational approach that is traditional in design yet progressive in implementation. The average pupil-teacher ratio is 10 to 1. The teachers at Charlotte Latin are very strictly chosen ensuring students the best quality teaching possible.One hundred and twenty Latin students have been named National Merit Finalists since 1989.
Eighteen Latin students have been named Morehead Scholars in the school's 40-year history.
Among the prestigious scholarships Latin's students have been offered are the AXA Achievement Scholarship, the Park Scholarship at NC State University, the Morehead-Cain
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and Pogue Scholarships at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Reynolds and Poteat Scholarships at Wake Forest University, the Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia, the Belk and Bryan Scholarships at Davidson College, the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship at Duke University, the Danforth Scholarship at Washington University, the Chancellor's Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, the Woodruff Scholarship at Emory University, and the Robertson Scholarship
Robertson Scholars Program
The Robertson Scholars Program is a joint full-ride merit scholarship and leadership development program at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...
at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University.
Typically, between sixty to eighty-five percent of the seventh grade class qualifies for the Duke University Talent Identification Program
Talent Identification Program
The Duke Talent Identification Program is a gifted education program based at Duke University. Its purpose is to identify gifted children and provide them and their parents the resources for them to reach their full educational potential....
on the basis of standardized test scores.
The Lower School's standardized test scores are some of the highest in the nation among both public and private schools.
Charlotte Latin maintains sister school relationships with schools in Argentina, China, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa and Spain.
The U.S. Department of Education has three times named Charlotte Latin a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. In 1977, Charlotte Latin also became the youngest school to have received a Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
charter.
Fine and Performing Arts
Artwork by Latin students is continually exhibited throughout the school's campus, as well as in the Charlotte community, including exhibits at The Mint Museum of Art, The Children's Theatre of Charlotte, and the McColl Center. Over the past 23 years, Latin students have received more than 1,600 regional honors and 34 national awards in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and Congressional Art competitions. In the last eight years, Latin students have won eight American Vision Awards and 20 Pinnacle Awards for Best in Category. Seven pieces of art by Latin students have been featured in a national magazine and other national publications.More than 30% of the Upper School students perform with the CLS Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, or Orchestra. More than 300 students in fifth through eighth grades participate in performance-based music ensembles. Latin's ensembles regularly receive superior ratings in district festivals. Latin's music students have participated in goodwill music tours to China and Russia, and have performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
Latin students refine their acting and production talents by presenting quality stage works, such as the annual student directed one-act festival and mid-year musicals, which feature orchestral accompaniment and professional choreography, costumes, and sets. At the Lower School level, the school sponsors a drama club and visits by traveling theater companies as well as a Broadway workshop, while the Middle School presents two plays and a musical each year. The Upper School theater program is rich and varied, including plays, a musical, and theater classes that focus on theater craft, both on and behind the stage. In 2010, the Upper School presented "The Wiz", which included a company of 44 performers and 20 backstage workers who managed lights, sound, sets, props, make-up, and costumes.
The Friends of Music and the Friends of Theater Arts support the performing arts programs. The Latin Arts Association serves as an umbrella organization and supports the School's fine and performing arts programs.
Athletics
Latin athletic teams continue to enhance the school's winning record, which includes 145 state championships and recognition four times as runner-up and 16 times as winner of the Wachovia Cup, which the school most recently won in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.In 2008, Latin's football team was recognized as the "Sweet 16" champions by The Charlotte Observer. The team received this recognition primarily because of its undefeated 2007 football season. The 2007 championship was the team's fourth consecutive state championship.
Twenty members of Latin's Class of 2011 will participate in athletics at the following colleges and universities: Bucknell University, Centre College, Clemson University, Elon University, Hampden-Sydney College, Hillsdale College, Indiana University, McGill University, Middlebury College, NC State University, Susquehanna University, Texas Christian University, The University of Miami, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of the South (Sewanee), Virginia Tech, Washington and Lee University, and Wesleyan University.
Notable alumni
- Chris CantyChris Canty (defensive end)Christopher Lee Canty is an American football defensive tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, NFL Defensive End for the New York Giants - Anthony MorrowAnthony MorrowAnthony Jarrad Morrow , nicknamed A-Mo, is an American professional basketball player for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association...
, NBA Shooting Guard for the New Jersey Nets - Jim Rash, Currently as dean in NBC's community