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Inspired by their studies in Advanced Latin class, four Upper School students, Erin Bourque ‘27, Ella Christian ‘27, Catherine Linton ‘27, and Mati Melodia ‘27 designed a class trip to Rome, Italy. Classroom discussions imagining what it would be like to see ancient sites in person quickly evolved into a serious idea. After researching historical sites, museums, housing, meals, and creating a budget, the class crafted a proposal presentation grounded in the Five Goals of Sacred Heart education. Impressed by the thoughtful proposal, Associate Head of School Ms. Nicki Noel approved the idea and guided them in refining their itinerary, ultimately paving the way for their trip. 

Accompanied by their Latin teachers, Mrs. Erin Russo and Ms. Emily Berardi, the class enjoyed a private tour of the Capitoline Museums—Centrale Montemartini, prayed before the Mater Admirabilis in the chapel at Trinità dei Monti, and attended a Latin and a Philosophy class at Istituto Magistrale Statale "G. Caetani." The group also dined at Trattoria de Gli Amici, a restaurant staffed by individuals with intellectual disabilities, where all profits support the Community of Sant’Egidio, a global Catholic lay movement founded in Rome and dedicated to social service. 

Russo reflected on how seeing Rome firsthand deepened and transformed what the students had been studying in their Latin classes. “This opportunity allowed students to synthesize a lot of disparate information. For five years, they have been studying the Latin language and associated Roman cultural practices as if in a vacuum—that is, one day's assignment might be to study vocabulary, and another day's lesson would be to study facts about Roman culture. Seeing sites like the Forum Romanum allowed students to bring these two elements together by visualizing what daily and political life might have been like for a typical Roman.” 

Russo also noted the students’ enthusiasm throughout the trip. “The students were curious—constantly asking thought-provoking questions, spending time reading Latin inscriptions in detail, noticing and wondering about everything they saw. It was enormously rewarding to see the students so engaged in their learning and willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone.”

Melodia ‘27 shared how her cultural background helped inspire her to plan the trip. “As someone who is from Rome and visits frequently, I can see how the city and the language have helped my understanding of Latin, and I wanted to share its beauty and history with the rest of my class, as well as give them an authentic Roman experience.” 

Christian ‘27 also reflected on her years studying Latin and how that inspired the group to create this trip: “We wanted to see the city that we have been learning about since 7th grade and try to apply our knowledge of the Latin language to translate ancient texts. Visiting the historical sites that we have learned about deepened my understanding of what it would have been like to live in the Roman Empire.” Linton ‘27 had similar sentiments: “I think I truly got to see what it was like to be an Ancient Roman. The cool thing about Latin class is that it focuses on so much more than just the language. When we visited the Roman Forum I felt like I got to see their way of life.”

Bourque ‘27 spoke about how the Goals felt present during their trip: “I especially connected with Goals I and V on this trip. Sitting in the churches, reading the Latin translations, and observing the artwork made me feel truly connected to my faith and grateful for how Sacred Heart education has shaped my faith journey. We also got to visit Mater Admirabilis, which was a surreal experience after having seen pictures of her throughout my time at NCDS. In the chapel that she was in, there were inscriptions from Sacred Heart schools all around the globe. It made me feel connected to something bigger than myself. I also connected with Goal V. In organizing and planning an iti

nerary, growing in intellectual curiosity, and connecting with students at the Caetani School and at Scout Group, I grew personally and interpersonally.”

This immersive, international travel experience brought students’ Latin studies to life, deepening their understanding of language, culture, and history. The trip exemplified the power of experiential learning and allowed the students to demonstrate their independence, collaboration, and global awareness.