Xing Wu
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Riverhead’s Latin language program returns this school year.
The Riverhead Central School District has hired Aidan Walsh as the district’s new high school Latin teacher, according to a district statement. According to his LinkedIn page, Walsh is a freelance tutor at Varsity Tutors and editor and database manager for the Universal Peace Federation. He has an Advanced Certificate in Latin Teaching and a BA in Classical and Classical Languages, Literatures and Linguistics from Hunter. University. He also holds an MA in New Testament and Early Christianity from the University of Chicago.
“Mr. Walsh is committed to developing the Latin program for our current students and the next generation of Latinists in Riverhead,†a district statement read.
The future of Riverhead’s Latin program has not been clear since the two longtime Latin teachers at Riverhead retired. Lorene Custer unexpectedly retired last year after learning she would be teaching high school instead of mid-level Latin. Her husband and former high school Latin teacher, Dr. Jeff “Doc” Greenberger, retired in December 2019 and remained on contract until the end of this school year. The program had been without a teacher since the start of last school year. Students who remained in the program last year were educated through Sterling Academy, an online institution.
The apparent imminent demise of the program has drawn fire from the community.
Administrator Colin Palmer, who made restoring the Latin curriculum one of his main goals when applying for the school board this spring, said he was excited about the hiring in a phone interview with RiverheadLOCAL Tuesday.
Palmer said the revival of the Latin program was brought about by a “mix of the community keeping the pressure on the district and also having a new superintendent who understood the importance of the program.”
“The next big step is just to make sure the program gets all the support it needs,†Palmer said, adding that his goal going forward was to bring the program back to the college.
Students interested in participating in the program should contact their guidance counselor, the district said.
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