The primary goal of the Latin Department is to enable students to read Latin prose and to translate it into coherent English. Other goals of the Latin Department are: (1) to promote verbal precision, logical thought, and simple grammatical and etymological analysis, and (2) to foster an understanding of and appreciation for the Greco-Roman influence in Western literature, philosophy, political science, and art.

The study of Latin is introduced in Grade 6, and thereafter this fundamental language is a required component of the BCD course of study. Greek mythology and Roman history are reviewed each year, and the students in Grades 7-9 take The National Latin Exam. The members of the Latin Department work closely with their colleagues in the English and Art departments, in order to have an integrated curriculum whenever possible.

• Grade 8 students take a tour (with study guides) of the newly renovated Greco-Roman section of The Metropolitan Museum in New York City in April
• Grade 8 and 9 students participate in The Pioneer Valley Association.s Classics Day
• Students in Grades 7-9 take The National Latin Exam