Caldwell High School Students Win Etymology Awards

Two students from James Caldwell High School earned a unique combination of awards this February when they became the first students from JCHS to earn medals in the National Junior Classical League Etymology Exam, and a silver key and honorable mentions in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition.

The National Junior Classical League Etymology Exam is designed to test a student's ability to handle both Latin and Greek derivatives and their usage in the English language. This is the fourth official year in which the National Junior Classical League sponsored the examination.

The exam, which consisted of 50 multiple choice questions about Greek and Latin word roots in the English language, included 37 Latin derivative and 13 Greek derivative questions; common Greek prefixes and suffixes, numbers, and basic verbs; and Latin common prefixes and suffixes, numbers, body parts and basic verbs. The awards were divided into two divisions of three levels each. Students were first divided into two divisions, those who have taken Latin or Greek in school and those who have not. Each of these divisions was then separated into Novice (all grades through 8), Intermediate (9 and 10) and Advanced (11 & 12).

JCHS juniors Tina Janulis and Daniel Mattei competed in the online exam. Janulis earned a gold medal and Mattei earned a silver medal.

“These students deserve recognition for not only doing well, but for choosing on their own to take part in this exam,” said World Languages Department Coordinator for Classical Languages, Latin teacher and club advisor Christopher Trause. “They chose to take on the extra work and time necessary to participate and do well.”

At the same time, Janulis and Mattei also received recognition in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards at the regional level. Janulis received an honorable mention for her Grecian vase Hercules vs. Hydra, a silver key for her story The Telescope in the short story category, and an honorable mention for her story An Unlikely Cinderella in the humor category. Mattei won an honorable mention for his story The Dubious Dichotomy in the short story category.

The National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards began in 1923. Today, more than 90,000 teenagers nationally in grades 7 through 12 submit more than 185,000 works of art and writing in 28 categories. Winning students earn opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships.

Janulis presented her award-winning vase to Trause in a custom-designed case built by student Spencer Wielgus.  Added Trause, “I am proud of these students, and I am honored to be the recipient of this work of art.”

For more information on James Caldwell High School, visit www.cwcboe.org/jchs. For more information on the National Junior Classical League Etymology Exam, http://www.njcl.org/pages/on-line-tests-ncee, and for more information on the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, visit http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/artwriting.htm.