Madeleine Choir School students earn national recognition in classics competition

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Pictured are 12 of the 14 students at The Madeleine Choir School who won awards from the National Latin Exam and the Pegasus National Mythology Exam.

SALT LAKE CITY — Latin students at The Madeleine Choir School demonstrated excellence in classical studies this spring, earning national recognition in two prestigious contests: the National Latin Exam (NLE) and the Pegasus National Mythology Exam.

Offered by the American Classical League, the National Latin Exam assesses students on a wide range of classical knowledge, including Latin vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, Greco-Roman mythology and Roman history. This year, 14 Madeleine Choir School students in grades seven and eight received top honors for their outstanding performances: five were awarded cum laude, one was awarded magna cum laude, four were awarded maxima cum laude (silver medal), and two were awarded summa cum laude (gold medal).

In addition, students from grades 5 through 8 participated in the Pegasus Mythology Exam, a nationwide competition focused on Greco-Roman mythology. The Madeleine Choir School students earned five awards: two were awarded cum laude, one student was awarded magna cum laude, one student was awarded maxima cum laude (silver medal), and one student was awarded summa cum laude (gold medal).

To celebrate top scorers, the school has a tradition of giving the “Golden Pigasus” awards – flying pigs hand-knit by Latin instructor Claire Oberle. But this year, two special awards had to be given: 

The “Royal Pigasus” was awarded to eighth-grade student Anders for not only having the highest score on the National Latin Exam, but this was also because it was his  second time receiving the honor. 

Additionally, the “BIGasus” was a special award created for three-time winner, seventh-grader Mason, who once again took top honors in the Pegasus Mythology Exam.

Courtesy of The Madeleine Choir School