On 25, 26 and 27 April, a sports Latiniad under the slogan Mens sana in corpore sano was organised for Savremena’s students at the sports fields and courts at Ada Ciganlija.

The beautiful weather allowed Year 10 and Year 11 students to compete in unusual and original disciplines and, apart from practicing the “dead” language, this was an opportunity for Savremena’s students to be physically active.

Interdisciplinary Latin and PE lesson

All the sports Savrenena’s students participated in were symbolically named after Latin phrases.

Therefore, a game called Citior, altior, fortior required not only the speed to carry pieces of paper with Latin words from one part of the court to the other, but also the skills to use those words to form grammatically correct sentences.

The students strived to hit the hoops in the intense game called In medias res, after which they formed a sentence about a person they learnt about in Latin lessons. The students tested their good fortune in the Fortunae rota discipline, and their stretchability in the Twister game, by placing their arms and legs to the right or to the left, according to the instructions Dexter – Sinister, Pes – Manus.

A challenging relay race Veni, vidi, vici awoke a competitive spirit in Savremena’s students who gave their best to transfer a hidden, secret task from one part of the field to the other. Speed, comprehension and combinatorial skills were necessary to unveil sentences they successfully mastered.

During these three days, wise proverbs could be heard throughout the sports fields and courts, such as: Hoc facias homini quod cupis esse tibi, Qui ventum seminat turbinem metet, Amicus, certus in re incerta cernitur, Lupus pilum mutat non mentem... Savremena’s students were reminded to do unto others, as they would have them do unto them, that he who sows the wind, will reap the whirlwind. They confirmed that a friend in need is a friend in deed, and that it is easier for the wolf to change his coat, than his disposition, and so on.

Ad infinitum – limit of Savremena’s students

Lessons like these develop both the students’ team spirit and desire to accomplish more. Every day they proved that Latin is not an insuperable obstacle while mastering the challenges created by their teachers, including the visit to Ada Ciganlija.