A Letter from MCA President Ross Shaler

On account of the public health concerns posed by COVID-19, the MCA Executive Board has voted to cancel the MCA Spring Meeting, formerly scheduled for May 2nd. Although the current situation does not permit us to convene physically, the MCA is committed to supporting our state’s Classics community by offering digital resources and professional development opportunities to help mollify the abrupt transition we have made to the digital classroom. Our close-knit community is one of the things that makes Maine Classics so special, and as we–tossed like helmsmen on a strange sea–try to navigate our courses through these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for us to come together–at least digitally.

In an effort to foster collaboration and provide a venue for teachers to share and learn about the possibilities and opportunities for teaching Latin and the Classics digitally, MCA will organize a series of free webinars in the near future. Please complete this survey to give feedback on any specific topics you are interested in or to share resources. Anyone interested in running a webinar should contact Ross Shaler. You can also follow this link to view a spreadsheet listing free digital resources. This “database” is very much a work in progress and will be expanded over time.

Latin didn’t fall with Rome and has survived into the twenty-first century through the dedication and hard-work of a tradition of teachers, scribes, and scholars who had to brave the stormy seas of their own times, just as we do now, and just as future generations will.