Latin

At Resurrection Catholic Parish School, our goal is to give students a strong academic foundation that prepares them not only for high school, but for a lifetime of learning. That is why we have intentionally chosen Latin as our language of study.

Latin Strengthens English

Latin is at the root of much of the English language. A significant portion of English vocabulary—particularly the academic vocabulary students encounter in literature, history, science, medicine, law, and theology—comes from Latin.

Through the study of Latin, students deepen their understanding of vocabulary, word roots, grammar, sentence structure, and the mechanics of language. Rather than competing with English Language Arts instruction, Latin reinforces it.

This is especially important during the elementary and middle school years. Time devoted to foreign-language instruction comes out of English Language Arts hours. We believe students are best served by first developing a strong command of English, the language in which they will do the majority of their reading, writing, analysis, and communication throughout high school and college.

A Foundation for Future Language Learning

In conversations with local Catholic high schools about foreign-language preparation, we learned that students generally begin their chosen high school language at the introductory level, regardless of their middle school foreign-language experience. A student who studies Spanish in middle school, for example, will often still enter Spanish I as a freshman.

Knowing this allows us to ask a different question: What language study will provide our students with the greatest academic benefit during these foundational years?

For RCPS, the answer is Latin.

Because Latin provides a foundation for the Romance languages—including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian—it prepares students to recognize vocabulary, patterns, and grammatical structures when they begin another language in high school. Students are not simply learning one language; they are learning how language works.

Latin Connects Students to History

Latin also gives students greater access to the history and ideas that have shaped Western civilization. For centuries, Latin was the language of scholarship, literature, philosophy, law, science, and education. Studying it helps students make meaningful connections across subjects and better understand the roots of words, ideas, traditions, and texts they encounter throughout their education.

Latin Connects Students to Our Catholic Faith

For a Catholic school, Latin has an additional significance. Latin is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church and is woven throughout the history, prayer, sacred music, liturgy, and intellectual tradition of our faith.

When students encounter Latin prayers, hymns, responses, and theological terms, they are connecting with generations of Catholics who have prayed and worshiped before them. Latin helps students understand that our faith is both ancient and universal—uniting the Church across cultures, countries, and centuries.

Building a Strong Foundation

Our choice to teach Latin is ultimately about foundation. We want RCPS students to enter high school with strong English vocabulary and grammar skills, an understanding of how languages are constructed, greater readiness to learn a modern foreign language, knowledge of the historical roots of Western civilization, and a deeper connection to the traditions of the Catholic Church.

Latin is more than a foreign language course. At RCPS, it is another way we intentionally prepare students to become thoughtful readers, capable writers, confident learners, and young people who understand and appreciate the richness of their Catholic faith.