Junior Classical League is an amazing club that gives you the opportunity to compete in trivia competitions (A.K.A Certamina), learn about Latin, Ancient Greece, and Rome, and make new friends. At the JCL meetings, we often play fun games to practice for upcoming competitions such as Classics Day at Boston University and a Certamen at Yale. Junior Classical League is run by Ms. Troitski and Mrs. Demirjian, who teach us a lot about the history of the ancient world. 

At our most recent event, the Massachusetts JCL Kickoff at Winchester High, we participated in many fun activities. Some of the events included skits, Certamens, assemblies, presentations, games, and more! 

Once we had arrived at the High School, we made our way to the massive auditorium. There, we watched a funny skit by the heads of the Massachusetts JCL. We then dispersed to our Certamina, one of which was moderated by Ms. Troitski! The trivia was really fun and interesting. I learned quite a bit about Greek Mythology and Latin. After that was over, we headed to the cafeteria to enjoy a pizza lunch. The food was delicious and pretty much everyone loved it.

When we were all done with lunch, the various school teams assembled on the field. It was finally time for the games! Some of the activities included gladiator fights, worm races, and best of all, the marshmallow catapults! Students fiercely fought each other using pool noodles at the gladiator fights, and small teams made up of kids from different schools competed in the worm race, a slow-paced race where you try to make it across the field while sitting down in a chain of people.

Once everyone had completed the worm race, the schools took out their catapults. We named our catapult Hector! Before the competition actually started, we practiced shooting marshmallows across the field. For being such a small catapult, ours went surprisingly far. The heads of JCL handed out marshmallows to each group, and we prepared to shoot ours. The Montrose catapult was truly the best in our division, and we ended up winning! It was REALLY hot out, so as soon as the event was done, everyone ran back into the building for the final assembly of the day. Overall, this kickoff was a great start to my JCL journey as a 6th grader.

You should definitely join the Junior Classical League! We meet in Room 13 every Thursday after school, so please come to our next meeting. I bet you’ll love it!

By Lily Crowley ‘30, Staff Writer

30lcrowley@montroseschool.org