On This Page
Who Are We?
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Why Take
Latin at Leon?
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Officers+Bios
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Who Are We?
----------------
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Why Take
Latin at Leon?
----------------
-------
Officers+Bios
-----
Who Are We?
Salve! Rebus Gestis is the Leon High School Latin Club and chapter of the National Junior Classical League and Florida Junior Classical League. Rebus Gestis is open to past and present Latin students and is an integral part of Leon’s Latin program! We have long been one of the nation’s top and most active Latin programs. In fact, in 2009-2010, we had ~230 members, making us the largest in Florida and one of the largest in the nation.
Rebus Gestis is an active club with tons of opportunities to get involved! From our beginning of the year Ice Cream Social, to our end of the year Awards Banquet, there’s usually at least one activity per month. Our events aren’t just focused on “doing Latin,” either. We look at them as a great way to relax and hang out with friends! Our activities may involve simply hanging-out, eating, playing soccer, swimming, Ultimate Frisbee, football, or card games.
Still worried about not having enough time to have fun or talk in Latin? Never fear! Become an officer – there are plenty of leadership opportunities in the club (elections usually occur in April). Also, get involved in Certamen, Regionals, State, and Nationals! There is a lot of fascinating material to learn! Leon has had a strong presence in “competitive Latin” for decades. Over the past three decades we have only lost Regionals once. We won our first State Latin Forum Overall Sweepstakes Championship in 1993, and continued to win for the next sixteen years! Our streak came to an end in 2009, but we finished 2010 once again with a strong showing - a 3rd place finish Overall and in Academics.
Rebus Gestis is also a strong service club. We have led the school in canned food donations for the “Can the Principal” canned food drive for the past several years. Last year we collected around 8,000 cans, far more than any other club at Leon. We also participate in the Buddy Walk held by the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee as well as the Poker Run to raise money for the cancer ward at TMH. In addition, we donated time and money to Habitat for Humanity. In the past, we have also held Caesar’s Palace, a gaming event to benefit Big Bend Cares, a local AIDS relief charity, and participated in club clean-up events, the Cancer Walk, and the Heart Walk. In 2010, for the third year in a row, we won the Hall Decorating Contest for Homecoming. Finally, in 2009, we presented the most humorous and well-received skit at Leon’s annual Lion’s Lark event. (We were disqualified for not adhering to the theme.) This is just a small sample of the what we’ve been up to. Rebus Gestis, we hope you’ll agree, is obviously very active, and we are always on the lookout for more ways that we can help Leon High School and the surrounding community.
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Salve! Rebus Gestis is the Leon High School Latin Club and chapter of the National Junior Classical League and Florida Junior Classical League. Rebus Gestis is open to past and present Latin students and is an integral part of Leon’s Latin program! We have long been one of the nation’s top and most active Latin programs. In fact, in 2009-2010, we had ~230 members, making us the largest in Florida and one of the largest in the nation.
Rebus Gestis is an active club with tons of opportunities to get involved! From our beginning of the year Ice Cream Social, to our end of the year Awards Banquet, there’s usually at least one activity per month. Our events aren’t just focused on “doing Latin,” either. We look at them as a great way to relax and hang out with friends! Our activities may involve simply hanging-out, eating, playing soccer, swimming, Ultimate Frisbee, football, or card games.
Still worried about not having enough time to have fun or talk in Latin? Never fear! Become an officer – there are plenty of leadership opportunities in the club (elections usually occur in April). Also, get involved in Certamen, Regionals, State, and Nationals! There is a lot of fascinating material to learn! Leon has had a strong presence in “competitive Latin” for decades. Over the past three decades we have only lost Regionals once. We won our first State Latin Forum Overall Sweepstakes Championship in 1993, and continued to win for the next sixteen years! Our streak came to an end in 2009, but we finished 2010 once again with a strong showing - a 3rd place finish Overall and in Academics.
Rebus Gestis is also a strong service club. We have led the school in canned food donations for the “Can the Principal” canned food drive for the past several years. Last year we collected around 8,000 cans, far more than any other club at Leon. We also participate in the Buddy Walk held by the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee as well as the Poker Run to raise money for the cancer ward at TMH. In addition, we donated time and money to Habitat for Humanity. In the past, we have also held Caesar’s Palace, a gaming event to benefit Big Bend Cares, a local AIDS relief charity, and participated in club clean-up events, the Cancer Walk, and the Heart Walk. In 2010, for the third year in a row, we won the Hall Decorating Contest for Homecoming. Finally, in 2009, we presented the most humorous and well-received skit at Leon’s annual Lion’s Lark event. (We were disqualified for not adhering to the theme.) This is just a small sample of the what we’ve been up to. Rebus Gestis, we hope you’ll agree, is obviously very active, and we are always on the lookout for more ways that we can help Leon High School and the surrounding community.
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Why Take Latin at Leon?
~Improve your test scores
~Improve your English
~Develop a strong foundation for further language study
~Be part of one of the most active clubs at Leon
~Be part of a winning tradition
So, now in detail...
~Improve Test Scores~
Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service have shown that Latin students consistently outperform other students on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
~Improve your test scores
~Improve your English
~Develop a strong foundation for further language study
~Be part of one of the most active clubs at Leon
~Be part of a winning tradition
So, now in detail...
~Improve Test Scores~
Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service have shown that Latin students consistently outperform other students on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
“Latin helped me immensely with the PSAT and SAT. I credit part of my being a National Merit Scholar to taking Latin.”
-Josh McLawhorn, UF Class of 2012
~Improve your English Grammar~
A student’s reading, writing, and speaking of English is improved by studying Latin. Because a large percentage of English words are derived from Latin words, a student’s English vocabulary is enriched by taking Latin. Additionally, learning the rules of Latin grammar makes a student more careful in English.
“I am much more aware of how sentences work. Since taking Latin, my PSAT scores have improved, and English has become a piece of cake.”
-Tori Bradley, Leon Class of 2011
“Latin expands your vocabulary and knowledge of English. I know more English grammar from Latin class than from English class."
-Evan Anderson, Princeton University Class of 2010
~Improve Classroom Experience~
Because of it’s non-English word structure and syntax, Latin (and Greek) sharpens the mind by forcing students to focus on details of the language. This results in students becoming more analytical and logical, which helps their performance in other classes. Studying Latin also helps a student’s reading comprehension.
“…[T]he study of Latin does foster precision in the use of words. Since one reads Latin closely and carefully, often word by word, this focuses the student’s mind on individual words and their usage.”
-Prof. William Harris, Middlebury College
“Latin is the only reason I know English grammar. The knowledge of grammar constructions and word derivatives has been very beneficial in Brain Bowl, Mock Trial, and my upper level English classes.”
-Alex Holtom, Leon Class of 2010
“If it wasn’t for Latin, I wouldn’t be going to Leon. It has helped me on the PSAT, SAT, and LSAT. It has also helped me in other classes, including Physics and Psychology. Taking Latin also strengthens the other languages you’re taking (French, Spanish, English, etc.)”
-Celia Garthwait, Leon Class of 2011
~Improve Modern Languages~
A foundation in Latin will help students wishing to take any of the Romance languages: French, Romanian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Because these languages developed directly from Latin, students familiar with Latin will immedicately notice similarities between Latin, the Romance languages, and even English! Consider, for example, the word fructus in Latin gives us fruta in Spanish, fratto in Italian, fruit in French, and fruit in English.
Furthermore, other modern languages, including northern European languages, have grammatical structures similar to Latin with the use of cases and declensions, something that doesn’t really exist in English any longer. A familiarity with Latin gives students the tools they need to be able to assimilate these new structures.
~Improve Understanding~
The history of Greece and Rome is the history of Western Civilization. Taking Latin will expose students not only to the language, but also to the culture, and how it still influences us today. Modern civilization owes much to the Greeks and Romans, including drama, literature, laws, philosophy-even science and math! Things that you see everyday, e.g. concrete, roads, and running water, were first developed by the Romans. Students will come to understand that the Romans and the Greeks, two peoples far removed from us in time, are really not so different from us!
As we study the culture, we also see how the Greeks and Romans differ from us. We will try to understand their strange customs, promoting acceptance of different cultures and traditions.
~So what are you waiting for – Get involved!~
By taking Latin, you become part of one of the largest youth organizations in the world, the National Junior Classical League, and you become a member of Rebus Gestis, Leon’s Latin club. Rebus Gestis has been one of the largest Latin clubs in the nation and the largest in the state of Florida for more than a decade.
Rebus Gestis holds monthly activities at which we get together just to hang out and have fun. We are one of the most active clubs on campus! We hold an annual ice cream social, a Rock Band night, and a bowling night, as well as many other events. We also participate in school-wide events such as Winterfest, the Hall Decorating contest for Homecoming, and the Can the Principal! Canned Food Drive to help Second Harvest Food Bank (for which we collected nearly 10,000 cans!).
“Through Latin, I have gotten to know a lot of people and have shared a lot of memorable experiences.”
-William Tsai, National Merit Finalist
“Some of my best times at Leon have been in Latin.”
-Sheterica Holloman, FAMU Class of 2013
“The legacy of competition as well as the community service that we perform enrich an individual’s character.”
-Erin Malone, Leon Class of 2010
As a large, active club, there are also plenty of leadership opportunities.
Finally, Leon Latin is also very competitive. If you want more than just the social aspects of the club, you can always join Certamen (like Brain Bowl, but with Latin) or try out for the State team. Leon’s State Team won the State Forum Overall Sweepstake for sixteen years (1993-2008), a feat unmatched by any other school in the 60 years of the Florida Junior Classical League.
~Please feel free to contact us!~
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us via the contact information found on this webpage! We are also usually available to answer any questions as well as to preview our textbooks at the annual Leon High School Spring Curriculum Showcase, usually held in early April. Please do check us out!
===============================
-Josh McLawhorn, UF Class of 2012
~Improve your English Grammar~
A student’s reading, writing, and speaking of English is improved by studying Latin. Because a large percentage of English words are derived from Latin words, a student’s English vocabulary is enriched by taking Latin. Additionally, learning the rules of Latin grammar makes a student more careful in English.
“I am much more aware of how sentences work. Since taking Latin, my PSAT scores have improved, and English has become a piece of cake.”
-Tori Bradley, Leon Class of 2011
“Latin expands your vocabulary and knowledge of English. I know more English grammar from Latin class than from English class."
-Evan Anderson, Princeton University Class of 2010
~Improve Classroom Experience~
Because of it’s non-English word structure and syntax, Latin (and Greek) sharpens the mind by forcing students to focus on details of the language. This results in students becoming more analytical and logical, which helps their performance in other classes. Studying Latin also helps a student’s reading comprehension.
“…[T]he study of Latin does foster precision in the use of words. Since one reads Latin closely and carefully, often word by word, this focuses the student’s mind on individual words and their usage.”
-Prof. William Harris, Middlebury College
“Latin is the only reason I know English grammar. The knowledge of grammar constructions and word derivatives has been very beneficial in Brain Bowl, Mock Trial, and my upper level English classes.”
-Alex Holtom, Leon Class of 2010
“If it wasn’t for Latin, I wouldn’t be going to Leon. It has helped me on the PSAT, SAT, and LSAT. It has also helped me in other classes, including Physics and Psychology. Taking Latin also strengthens the other languages you’re taking (French, Spanish, English, etc.)”
-Celia Garthwait, Leon Class of 2011
~Improve Modern Languages~
A foundation in Latin will help students wishing to take any of the Romance languages: French, Romanian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Because these languages developed directly from Latin, students familiar with Latin will immedicately notice similarities between Latin, the Romance languages, and even English! Consider, for example, the word fructus in Latin gives us fruta in Spanish, fratto in Italian, fruit in French, and fruit in English.
Furthermore, other modern languages, including northern European languages, have grammatical structures similar to Latin with the use of cases and declensions, something that doesn’t really exist in English any longer. A familiarity with Latin gives students the tools they need to be able to assimilate these new structures.
~Improve Understanding~
The history of Greece and Rome is the history of Western Civilization. Taking Latin will expose students not only to the language, but also to the culture, and how it still influences us today. Modern civilization owes much to the Greeks and Romans, including drama, literature, laws, philosophy-even science and math! Things that you see everyday, e.g. concrete, roads, and running water, were first developed by the Romans. Students will come to understand that the Romans and the Greeks, two peoples far removed from us in time, are really not so different from us!
As we study the culture, we also see how the Greeks and Romans differ from us. We will try to understand their strange customs, promoting acceptance of different cultures and traditions.
~So what are you waiting for – Get involved!~
By taking Latin, you become part of one of the largest youth organizations in the world, the National Junior Classical League, and you become a member of Rebus Gestis, Leon’s Latin club. Rebus Gestis has been one of the largest Latin clubs in the nation and the largest in the state of Florida for more than a decade.
Rebus Gestis holds monthly activities at which we get together just to hang out and have fun. We are one of the most active clubs on campus! We hold an annual ice cream social, a Rock Band night, and a bowling night, as well as many other events. We also participate in school-wide events such as Winterfest, the Hall Decorating contest for Homecoming, and the Can the Principal! Canned Food Drive to help Second Harvest Food Bank (for which we collected nearly 10,000 cans!).
“Through Latin, I have gotten to know a lot of people and have shared a lot of memorable experiences.”
-William Tsai, National Merit Finalist
“Some of my best times at Leon have been in Latin.”
-Sheterica Holloman, FAMU Class of 2013
“The legacy of competition as well as the community service that we perform enrich an individual’s character.”
-Erin Malone, Leon Class of 2010
As a large, active club, there are also plenty of leadership opportunities.
Finally, Leon Latin is also very competitive. If you want more than just the social aspects of the club, you can always join Certamen (like Brain Bowl, but with Latin) or try out for the State team. Leon’s State Team won the State Forum Overall Sweepstake for sixteen years (1993-2008), a feat unmatched by any other school in the 60 years of the Florida Junior Classical League.
~Please feel free to contact us!~
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us via the contact information found on this webpage! We are also usually available to answer any questions as well as to preview our textbooks at the annual Leon High School Spring Curriculum Showcase, usually held in early April. Please do check us out!
===============================
Officers
Click on a name to get to know your officer!
Presidents: Emily Hartlage and Johnathan Woodruff
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Vice Presidents: Megan Lieblong and Katie Payne
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Treasurers: Jinchi Liu and Jack Vickers-Davis
-----------------------
Secretary: Sarah Prentice
-----------------------
Sergeant-At-Arms: Jackson Graham
-----------------------
Media Specialist: Celia Garthwait
-----------------------
Head Aediles: Nina Rodriguez and Anna Teagle
-----------------------
Head Historian: Yushan Wang
------------------------
Special Advisor: Erich Totter
Back to Top
Click on a name to get to know your officer!
Presidents: Emily Hartlage and Johnathan Woodruff
-----------------------
Vice Presidents: Megan Lieblong and Katie Payne
-----------------------
Treasurers: Jinchi Liu and Jack Vickers-Davis
-----------------------
Secretary: Sarah Prentice
-----------------------
Sergeant-At-Arms: Jackson Graham
-----------------------
Media Specialist: Celia Garthwait
-----------------------
Head Aediles: Nina Rodriguez and Anna Teagle
-----------------------
Head Historian: Yushan Wang
------------------------
Special Advisor: Erich Totter
Back to Top
Please contact the webmaster with any comments, concerns, compliments, and/or questions at webmaster@leon-latin.org! Thank-you and have a great day!
To contact the Rebus Gestis sponsors/Latin teachers:
Leon High School Mr. Satriano: satrianoj@leonschools.net
550 E. Tennessee Street Click here to visit Mr. Satriano's classroom blog!
Tallahassee, FL
(850)488-1971 Ms. Tucker: tuckerc2@leonschools.net
Click here to visit Ms. Tucker's clasroom blog!