SARAH WEINSCHENK

Upper Middle School Latin Teacher

Magistra Weinschenk grew up in the borough of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, in an ideal environment for cultivating a deep and abiding love for learning. The McCurdy family dinner was instrumental in this cultivation, extending beyond an hour every night and filled with lively conversation, covering myriad subjects. Equally contributory to Sarah’s lifelong passion for learning were family trips to the Harrisburg Public Library, taken frequently and treated with some measure of ceremony. Mr. McCurdy required the girls to wear dresses or skirts for the occasion, sending the message that going to the library was an important event. If you could step into this beautiful old limestone building on the banks of the mighty Susquehanna River, surrounded by the warmth of woodwork and breathing in its wonderful, evocative smell, you would hardly wonder that she grew up thinking that everyone always had a great book in progress. When it came time for Sarah’s education to extend beyond Hummelstown, she embarked on a pilgrimage across the Susquehanna in (successful) pursuit of her B.A. in Latin from Dickinson College. But she didn’t stop there! Her path took her east to Fordham University in Bronx, NY, where she completed her formal education and received a M.A. in Latin. Sarah was contentedly teaching Latin classes from her home and raising her son, Ethan, when SLOCA found her in 2005. Founders Susie Theule and Lisa Lewis convinced her that it would not be all that different from teaching at home. Well . . . it has become much more than that! In her 10+ years teaching Latin to SLOCA’s Upper Middle School and High School students, she has come to love Classical Education for its interdisciplinary nature and unapologetic emphasis on great books and western culture. Likewise, she appreciates working among inspiring colleagues and being part of building an excellent school from the ground up. When there is no Latin lesson to be taught, or Virgil to be discussed, you might just spot Sarah pedaling her way along one of SLO’s many scenic roadways or soaking up a good book. In the year ahead, she would like to deepen her understanding of the crisis of the Republic in Roman history; knowledge which she will no doubt bring to her beloved students at SLOCA.