TESTIMONIALS
Here's what colleagues, families, and students say:
STUDENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT: BUILDING LEADERS
Camille
United States Air Force Fuel Logistics Non-Commissioned Officer
“I was introduced to Latin as a freshman in high school. The first thing I noticed was the passion that Mrs. Reaves brought to teaching her students. It never seemed like she was just there to clock in and clock out, nor did it feel like teaching was a chore for her. She was patient and taught us not only the importance of Latin, but also how to use it to break down and understand words.
Learning Latin helped me become a better reader. It gave me context for words I was unfamiliar with, allowing me to infer their meanings because of what I learned in Mrs. Reaves’ class. She used an abundance of teaching aids to cater to nearly every student’s learning style.
As an active student, I witnessed the dedication, compassion, and hard work that Mrs. Reaves put into educating her students. Her attitude was joyful and contagious. She fostered an environment that made you want to learn. I have personally carried this method into my own workforce experience in the military while guiding my troops. When you create a safe environment for the people who work for you, they want to work for you—and they produce good work.
Her classroom was a safe place for many students. No matter how my day was going, when I walked into Mrs. Reaves’ Latin class, I knew I would be met with a smile and motivation to learn whatever she had prepared for us that day.”
PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENT: A COLLEAGUE’S PERSPECTIVE
Sarah Wright
Former Latin Teacher, Colleague, and Cooperating Teacher
Over many years of teaching Latin in the NC public schools I have had a good number of student teachers, but none so outstanding and pure fun as Patrice (Todd) Reaves.
Her Latin skills were (and are) strong, but probably more noteworthy was the easy rapport she established with students.
She was creative, open to new ideas, and ready to listen when a student had a crisis, real or imagined. Her great sense of humor and willingness to laugh, even at herself, made her a hit with everyone. Thus I was thrilled when, a few years after her student teaching, Patrice joined me in the foreign language department of my high school.
I heard glowing, enthusiastic reports of her classes, so it came as no surprise that when she left that position many students shed real tears. I well remember one girl coming to me in anguish saying, "She's the best teacher I've ever had!"
Since those days Patrice and I have stayed in touch, and I have been constantly impressed with her passion for Latin with all ages. She once taught at the elementary school level, but is also acquainted with high school and AP-course work, having obtained an M.Ed. in Latin. I have heard her vividly discussing her online students as well as those she meets with face to face. She is professional, conscientious, and a joy to work with. I am pleased that she has decided to spread her wings further with this new endeavor.
Of course, I strongly recommend her for any family or school seeking a Latin teacher.
Chloe Anderson, LMBT
I highly recommend taking Latin to anyone considering a career in the medical field or anything related to it. I would especially encourage taking Latin with Patrice. Not only is she an excellent instructor, but she truly gets to know her students on a personal level. She connects with them in a way that makes Latin not only enjoyable but also practical in everyday life.
Brooks Parker, Corporate Pilot 2019
Mrs. Reaves turned Latin into my favorite class by making every sentence feel like a puzzle worth solving. The discipline of parsing complex structures and spotting patterns trained my brain. I feel it made dense aeronautical textbooks, Aviation Law, and even FAA medical terminology feel familiar. I still smile when I recognize Latin roots in aviation terms like ‘altitude,’ ‘vector,’ or ‘cumulus.’
Megan, Class of 2021
Mrs. Reaves made Latin not only simple to understand, her overall teaching style was engaging and student centered. She sincerely cares about each student’s success both in her classroom and in the outside world. My favorite day each year was Saturnalia! We’d all bring food and have a little feast before Christmas break! Latin was a great choice for me in high school; it set me up with a lot of foundational vocabulary knowledge to take with me in my science and nursing college courses!
Kelly Kerr, Former Colleague
Ms. Reaves is always “student first” when it comes to classroom instruction. She focuses on individual needs and works with students to build their confidence.
Mom of Megan, Class of 2021
Latin helped tremendously when Megan took anatomy for her nursing school. The thing that I believe impacted Megan the most was your kindness, consistency, and interest in each student. Not only did Megan learn so much in your class, but she thrived because you took the time to get to know and support each student.
Sheldon McCollum, Engineer
I took Latin because it was the only foreign language offered at my school other than Spanish, which I had already failed. But I never could have guessed that I was going to meet one of my favorite teachers and subjects! The environment Mrs. Reaves created made Latin engaging and fun! She created an atmosphere that pulled me into the fun that the puzzle of conjugations and translation could be, making Latin come alive in a way I never would have thought possible. Latin has helped me more than I ever thought it could, building and expanding my understanding of prefixes, suffixes, and root words that have helped me gain an intuitive understanding of complex words in my career. I would recommend Latin to anyone using the English language and would insist they learn it from Mrs. Reaves!
Brooke Bandy, Class of 2021
Latin has been useful in almost every part of my life since I started studying it in middle school. As an English major, I was able to work through difficult texts without struggling terribly, especially Shakespeare and other early playwrights. Having the understanding of Latin roots helped me decipher older language and words to quickly comprehend the text. I have such an easy time figuring out what words mean based on my knowledge of Latin roots that I find myself less likely to google what something means than my friends who don't have that background. It's been incredibly helpful in everyday vocabulary, and it's a great base for learning other Romance languages. It's also nice to have a basic understanding of it for medical and legal terminology.
One of my favorite memories is learning early on that "astronaut" could translate to "star sailor"—I thought it was so incredible how beautifully Latin influenced our language. Later, I remember translating the story of Daedalus and Icarus all the way through. I remember how proud I was to have fully translated a story, but also being able to read such a beautiful piece of literature in a similar way to how it was read in the past.
Mrs. Reaves has such a real passion for Latin, and it motivated us to find that same passion. She truly cares about her students succeeding and understanding, and creates an environment of mutual respect in the classroom. Her teaching style is super engaging and hands-on—very lively and interactive while keeping us on track. Latin class was always fun! It was exciting when the class would begin to understand one of the more difficult concepts and pieces started coming together. Everyone was always excited to know more, whether it was Latin itself or its history or the history of Rome. There was always something new to discover, and it was incredibly exciting.
I would absolutely want my own children to study Latin, and I'd tell any parent considering it for their kids: it's worth it.
Heather Hoff, Former Colleague