Latin Archives | BASIS Independent Schools

Dear Families and Staff,

The summer months bring reflection that offers a vital pause—a time to transform our hindsight into foresight. Today, we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our students in our annual reflection, and we honor or Class of 2025 graduates from BASIS Independent Brooklyn as they embark on their university journeys.

Academic excellence unites every corner of our school. We harness data from across our BASIS Independent Schools network not just to measure progress, but also to illuminate paths forward. This is how we master both the art and science of education—turning insight into inspiration and potential into achievement.

This past school year, nearly 70% of our students earned the AP Scholar designation (scoring a 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams). This impressive result is consistent with year-over-year scores, showcasing our program’s strength. Also, in high school, we celebrated our National Merit Scholarship Finalists, Maxwell H. and Gustavo P., and we proudly celebrated three Commended Scholars: James R., Maxim S., and Ryan T. ’25.

We cheered on Gustavo P. ’25 for being named a Presidential Scholarship candidate, joining a total of nine seniors named to the distinction across our network. At the end of the year, we were thrilled to learn that Maxim S. ’25 won the Fellows Scholarship for the best Senior Project across our network. The award is an honor in and of itself and comes with a $10,000 scholarship to college.

Let’s also take a moment to reflect on our seventh graduating senior class! More than 60% of students were offered seats at universities in the top 30-ranked national and international institutions. Today, we can share that our students will matriculate at the following universities and colleges (listed by U.S. News rankings for national universities, liberal arts colleges, and then international universities):

Stanford University (2), Duke University, Northwestern University, Cornell University (3), Washington University in St. Louis, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, New York University, University of California-Irvine, Boston University, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, Purdue University (2), Northeastern University, American University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Hamilton College, Haverford College, and McGill University (2).

*Our Class of 2025 posed with Mr. Harmon, Mr. Brauch, and Mr. Yoon during the start of school last year.*

Celebrating Accomplishments

Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, one thing remained the same—student accomplishments across all grades reaffirmed the vision to hold ourselves to the highest standards. Our educators took pride in providing structure and stability to support content mastery.

Our students excelled in their studies, and their accomplishments outside the classroom made us incredibly proud. An overview of 2024–2025 student accolades and significant developments follows.

Fine Arts

Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition: Eight of Mr. Opirhory’s Digital Photography students were honored in the 2025 awards. Students were recognized with the following regional awards: 3 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, and 2 Honorable Mentions in photography.
Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again!
Band student Nicole J. ’28 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her solo flute audition, performing Sicilienne, Op. 78 by Gabriel Faure at Level 6, the highest degree of difficulty.
Choir student Katha A. ’30 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Our Spring Musical, Shrek, was a rave hit. Upper School drama performances in elective classes were a wonderful celebration of creativity all year long.
Our entire Fine Arts team at the Lower and Upper School hosted wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.

*Scholastic Arts Gold Key Winning Photo “Old and New” by Henry B. ‘28*

Chess/Social Sciences/Languages

Our Bears won the 3rd-place team in the very competitive U1400 division at the Chess Super Nationals! Our K—Gr. 6 U100 team came in 9^th place, and Gr. 3 Milo S. went undefeated with 6 points to medal for second place in K—Gr. 3 Championships. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
Our Bears earned 6^th place in the 2025 All-Girls National Chess Championships in Chicago.
Our inaugural DECA Club headed to the NY State Competition in Rochester, making our school proud.
On the National Latin Exam, our students were decorated with honors: 6 students received Gold Summa Cum Laude, 9 students received Silver Maxima Cum Laude, 12 students received Magna Cum Laude, 13 students received Cum Laude recognition, and one Blue Certificate of Merit for the School.
Nearly all the students in Mr. Bedes’ High School French classes sat for and passed the French DELF (certification) A1, A2, or B1 exams through L’Alliance NY.
Mr. Bedes was proud to induct 16 members into our newly established French Honor Society.
In the Chinese Bridge Competition, Gr. 4 Scottie F. won 3^rd place in the Eastern Region. Two of our Gr. 3 students, Isabelle L. and Bathazar R., also received recognition!

*French Honor Society Induction Ceremony*

Math/Science

Our school won the New York State Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) competition for High School. Thank you to Physics teacher and coach Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.
Our High School Robotics team Ori-Gen went to the Super Qualifier round of the FIRST Robotics Challenge after winning the Inspire Award 3^rd place regionally. It was their first year of competition, and we look forward to another great year ahead.
Once again, a large group of students sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses and comprised one of the largest groups yet to receive accolades from the organization.
NOETIC Math accolades poured in with national winners across several grades across both of our campuses!

*Our High School Science Team won 1^st place in the New York State TEAMS competition!*

Sports

Our Varsity Boys and Middle School Girls Tennis teams won the inaugural CPSAL Tennis Championships!
Our Middle School Flag Football team won the CPSAL League Championships after an incredible season. Go Bears!!!
Our Gr. 4-5 Co-ed Soccer Team won the CONSAT Championships. We are proud of our young student-athletes!
Our Middle School Boys won the CPSAL Indoor Track Championship, and our Middle School Girls came in 3^rd! High School Student Talia L. took first place in the Varsity Girls 1 mile and 800m.
CPSAL Boys and Girls Cross Country Team: Our Bears had a great season, and the High School Boys team took home 2nd Place, High School Girls placed 3^rd overall, and Middle School Boys placed 3^rd overall.
Our High School Flag Football and High School Boys Soccer teams made it to the league semi-finals
CSAA Varsity and JV School Volleyball Team, as well as High School Flag Boys Flag Football, made it to the league playoffs.
Our Varsity Girls Soccer Team had its first season, winning 2^nd place in the CPSAL Spring Classic Tournament.

Community Involvement

This year, our high school team arranged a Fourth Annual Day of Service in the fall to bring our community together and make a difference locally with nonprofits around Red Hook.
Our National Honor and National Junior Honor Society students dedicated more than 2,000 hours to service projects this year!
Our Lower and Upper school community donated hundreds of coats, scarves, hats, and more to our local Coat Drive in the fall.
Our community created more than 200 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
Students in our High School Program conducted a Red Hook Clean Up before Earth Day. They picked up 169 pounds of trash around the neighborhood.

These awards and examples of community involvement are an amazing testament to the school and the power of the curriculum and teachers. Most importantly, they are an incredible representation of our creative, diverse, driven scholars. It is important to us that as a school we prioritize opportunity, finding opportunities for students to showcase their skills, define their interests, and pursue their passions.

Looking Ahead

Without community, academic success is temporary and limited. We have made significant growth as a community this year, and it is our priority to support and grow in the year ahead under the guiding principles of BEARS–Belonging, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Service. Cultivating mutual respect and trust is key for our school after eleven years in Brooklyn.

Teachers continue to express to us that they love this school because they are allowed to teach the subjects they know best, the way they know best. They are allowed to share their passion for their subjects with their students, and this builds engagement. We are excited to bring new faculty into the fold and continue supporting veteran teachers returning to our campus.

As we close our thoughts on the year, we want to salute our Class of 2025 for shaping our sense of community and traditions at our school. What we want to ask from our alumni and parents is to help provide professional advice and even connect our students after they graduate to internships and opportunities as part of our expanded mentorship program.

Overall, we want our students to look back, feel a great sense of pride in their school, and share in the school’s success that they helped create. We have much to celebrate, and we are in an exciting position after eleven years of educating students in Brooklyn. We truly look forward to the year ahead!

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year, please click here.

“Why Latin?” is a common question we receive every year when families look at our curriculum. The study of Latin as a World Language course starts in Grade 5 and continues through Grade 6. Beginning in Grade 7, our students choose their own World Language course and those interested in advancing their Latin understanding can continue to take it from Grade 7 to their senior year of high school.

There is no one better equipped to answer the question, “Why Latin?” than one of our own Subject Expect Latin Teachers, and Teacher Mentor, Ms. Odell.

Ms. Odell received an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and also earned the Wilson Medal in Classics from Victoria College. Receiving her Master of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia, her research was funded in part by a Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She joined BASIS Independent Silicon Valley in 2016.

When asked, “Why Latin?” Ms. Odell responds, “As a Latin Subject Expert Teacher, my goal is to instill a love of Classics and Latin language learning in my students,” says Ms. Odell. “There’s a perception that Latin no longer has anything to offer students in our technology-driven world, but the Latin texts my students read have been copied and preserved for two thousand years for a reason! They have lasting wisdom and values for my students to read, learn, and question.”

Why do we teach Latin in Grades 5 and 6? What is the benefit?

“Students at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley study Latin in Grades 5 and 6 because it helps shape them into well-rounded students with a strong knowledge of western history, literature, and language. Western society has been shaped by Roman ideas and ideals for two millennia; learning the language, history, and mythology of the Romans helps our students to understand the structures Romans have contributed to our own society. It also aligns with their history curriculum in Grades 5 and 6, which focuses on ancient cultures.

In BISV’s middle school courses, students learn Latin using the reading method: students are presented with scaffolded readings to illustrate new concepts, and they’re able to deduce the meanings and structure from the context. This inquiry-based method nurtures critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as teaches students Latin.”

How does Latin elevate critical thinking and creativity?

“The way we study Latin elevates critical thinking by forcing students to think precisely about the way words interact with other words. In English, we are deeply reliant on word order to render the meaning of a sentence–if I scrambled up all the words in a given clause, it would mean something completely different! But in Latin, that isn’t the case–Latin instead uses noun endings (called cases) to indicate what each word does in a sentence.

All this means that students can’t necessarily translate by reading a sentence straight across–they need to consider each word and what its ending tells us about its role in the sentence. They get very quick at this precise kind of thinking as they read more and more Latin throughout the year. This helps students appreciate the detail of language, and the different ways languages can express similar ideas.”

What inspired you to learn Latin and teach it?

“I took Latin for the first time more or less on a whim–originally I had wanted to be an English major, but I could only get into one English class in first year university. I picked Latin just to fill out my course load because I had always been interested in the Romans and also because I’m not very practical (my dad said to take economics instead). I fell in love with Latin over that first year of study in part because I loved how clear and precise Latin could be. It’s very rule-based and predictable, which is so nice compared with all the shenanigans English gets up to. I took additional Roman culture and history classes in my second year, and that additional pursuit crystallized for me that I wanted to study the Romans.

I think it’s amazing that our students have the opportunity to study Latin at such a foundational age, rather than waiting until college, as I did.”

How does Latin connect with the other subjects that students are taking in Grades 5 and 6?

“Latin connects primarily with students’ history classes in Grades 5 and 6. Grade 5 students take a course in Classics three days a week, where they learn all about Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. Grade 6 students take a class in world history, which covers those time periods in greater scope. Meanwhile, in Latin class, we learn about Roman culture and mythology. This cultural and linguistic context helps flesh out their history learning, while the history shapes their understanding of where Latin fits in the ancient world.

Latin also connects with students’ English curriculum when it comes to grammar and vocabulary. I love that my Grade 6 students already know all about the difference between simple, progressive, and emphatic aspects so that we can use that knowledge to help us with our Latin translations; I like to think I reinforce that knowledge by using it in our classroom as well.

In terms of English vocabulary, the overlap is enormous! More than half of English words have Latin roots; by learning the Latin words, my students become better at learning new English words, and at deducing the meaning of new words for themselves (like deduce, which comes from duco lead, and de from–when you lead an idea from something, you’ve deduced it).”

What field trips, projects, and fun things are you planning this year?

“Together with our high school Latin teacher, I advise the BISV chapter of NJCL–National Junior Classical League. We prepare our club members to write the National Latin Exam in March by learning all about the Romans. Since students get the grammar study they need in class, we reserve our monthly club meetings for exploring extra topics related to Roman culture and history.

At a typical meeting, for instance, we might learn all about what a day at the ludi (games) would look like for a Roman: beast fights in the morning, executions at lunch, and gladiator fights in the afternoon. We might talk about the different kinds of beast fights Romans enjoyed: Romans might see a staged hunt, where the arena is transformed into a forest, and riders on horseback hunt a deer, or they might see a lion and a bear fighting one another on the sands. We could also talk about all the different types of gladiators and the most popular match-ups: Romans loved to see equal-but-opposite fighting pairs, like a heavily armed secutor (with a heavy helmet, shield, and sword) facing off against the lightly armed retiarius (with only a trident, a net, and a shoulder guard).

Over 85% of our National Latin Exam students received a certificate or medal on their exams in the 2021 – 2022 school year, and four students earned book awards for having 4+ years of gold medals.

We are so proud of our Bobcats and all their accomplishments in the field of classics!”

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bobcat community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

2024-2025 Year-in-Review: BASIS Independent Brooklyn

Why Latin? A Conversation with Teacher Mentor, Ms. Odell