Modern Classics

In the Upper and Middle Schools, a challenging classical curriculum and inclusive approaches to texts keep ancient languages fresh.

Story by Cheryl Alkon

Since its earliest days, Milton Academy has offered students the opportunity to study Latin and Greek as a means to understand culture, mythology, history, philosophy, and the structure of language. More than two centuries later, the classics still hold a special place in school life, but the approach to teaching continues to evolve. 

From Middle School classes where students converse in Latin as if it were a modern language to clubs and games designed to engage and excite, Classics Department offerings are reaching more students than they have in over a decade. 

For senior Andria Laitadze ’26, “Latin feels like solving highly rewarding puzzles. When you finally crack a tricky Virgil sentence or catch some clever wordplay, you feel the rush of understanding something that was written 2,000 years ago.” Milton peers who have become hooked on the study are drawn to the challenge of unlocking meaning, or might have loved the stories of ancient mythology as younger kids, Laitadze adds: “There’s something special about connecting with the ancient world.” 

Witnessing students make connections across centuries is inspiring, says Jeanna Cook, the department chair. As Milton teachers challenge students to observe classical influences in their everyday lives, the stories from thousands of years ago come alive. By studying them closely, students see that language systems, political and class conflicts, and the philosophical search for meaning are eternal struggles. 

“They have a whole new way of understanding things that have always been with them,” Cook says. “They see it in advertising, in books and movies, and they’re interpreting them in new ways because now they have context from the classical world.” 

“It’s kind of an interesting thing to think about, how humans have wrestled with tough times way back when,” says Cook. “The problems have changed a little bit, but not the feelings associated with them. So, how do we do our very best and thrive in difficult times?” 

The classics program spans both the Middle and Upper Schools. Students who attend both divisions can begin in Grade 6 with Latin 1, eventually advancing through the Upper School with advanced courses such as Latin Literature, Roman Historians, or Intensive Classical Greek, among others. 

Some of the most exciting classroom discussions occur when students make connections to Latin and Greek literature from their own cultures—Cook notes that students have recognized similarities to Asian mythology and folklore—or from materials they’re studying in other classes. They begin connecting universal themes, such as heroism, wealth, and family dynamics, in everything from Homer to The Epic of Gilgamesh to F. Scott Fitzgerald and beyond. They also relish the chance to see the lasting influences of classical architecture as nearby as the Milton campus. 

Cook also stresses the value of studying ancient texts with a focus on different perspectives, such as the historical story of Homer’s Iliad told from the point of view of an enslaved character, a minor character, or a goddess, rather than that of a nobleman. In a Latin 5 course Cook designed this summer, students are asked to consider what Roman life was like using not just favorites from classic literature, but epigraphs, inscriptions, coinage, frescoes, and authors of later Roman times. It’s a course designed to help students analyze not just what Cook calls “this really narrow band of authors in a time, but a much bigger experience, including different source material.” 

“We’re pushing in this world, in universities, colleges, high schools and middle schools, to say that this is for everybody,” she says. “Anyone can study it. There’s a range of different learners that come through our doors, and anybody can do this. You don’t have to be a particular type of kid to enjoy this or get something out of it, and you certainly don’t need to be of a particular background to find meaning in it.” 

Milton’s Classics’ “reputation is incredibly strong, and there’s lots of excitement about it,” says Middle School Principal Steven Bertozzi. “It’s seen as a real gem.” 

Offering classics across the Middle and Upper Schools helps ensure continuity as students learn from the same group of four instructors over several years. Students new to Milton in the Upper School also have the opportunity to reach the advanced courses by completing an accelerated Latin 2/3 class. In the early years, the curriculum takes a spiral approach, which uses different textbooks to both introduce and reinforce grammar and language elements in multiple ways. 

“It really helps us level the field,” says Sarah Weiskittel, who teaches Latin in Grades 6 and 7. In the spiral approach, students become accustomed to viewing and analyzing classical texts and language structure through multiple lenses—excellent preparation for how they will engage with literature in more advanced study. 

Weiskittel teaches Latin as if it were a modern language, addressing students in Latin and hearing their responses, despite Latin being a language that no one typically speaks aloud. “While the goal of Latin is to be able to read things written by ancients and access it without translation, active Latin tries to use what we know about second language acquisition because it’s how our brain is prepared to learn a language,” she says. “So, I speak in Latin and they answer back in Latin. They’re not just reading and translating, they are speaking and listening.” 

Cook is energized by the number of students who stick with classics beyond their graduation requirements, as well as those whose excitement goes beyond the classroom. The Classics Club has organized a series of lectures by guest scholars on topics ranging from classical Latin poetry in late antiquity to Greek mythology related to birds, says Classics Club co-head Max Weil ’26. Students compete in Certamen, a quiz bowl-style competition through the National Junior Classical League, and they participate with peers from other independent schools through colloquia and other speaking opportunities. A vibrant Linguistics Club also meets regularly at Milton, bringing together students interested in the mechanics of different languages. 

In the spring, Cook will lead a trip for Upper School students to Rome and Pompeii, where they will trace the footsteps of the historical figures and characters they have studied. They will spend time at the Villa Vergiliana, an institution that traditionally hosts college-level scholars; have access to the villa’s expansive library; learn about archaeology in the region; and study the architecture of their surroundings. 

Part of the appeal of studying Latin and Greek is the rigor of doing so, says Sarah Wehle, who led the Classics Department for decades before retiring in 2024. Students learn to read closely and investigate the structure of language, and the study skills they develop transfer to other classes. 

“Milton has a wonderful program, marked not just by the rigor and variety of the advanced courses, but by the way the program is accessible to students of different interests and abilities,” says Wehle. “In all cases, we are deliberate and explicit in teaching students how to study and to understand the most effective means for them, as individuals, to learn.”  “It surprises kids,” says Wehle. “It’s hard work, but it’s really fun, and that’s something we want kids to learn. You get out of it what you put in.”

Cheryl Alkon is a seasoned writer based in Massachusetts. Her articles have appeared in alumni publications for Emerson College and Salem State University, among others. She is the author of Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby.