Matthew MacFarline, Latin Teacher here at HBHS, runs the after school writing club, as well as being a coach, writing a book, being a father, and a doctorate student. One of the most beloved teachers here at HBHS, MacFarline strives to be an uplifting and fun teacher for all of his students. 

As the one and only Latin teacher at HBHS, MacFarline has quite the responsibility on his shoulders, especially since next year, he has a new class he will be teaching. There were formerly only two Latin classes at HBHS, Latin I, and Latin II; however, MacFarline will be teaching the first group of Latin III students next school year, making the 2027 seniors the first participants of this class.

MacFarline is also an archaeologist, spending his summers digging in Greece for ancient artifacts, temples, and cities in an attempt to learn more about our history. Despite his inability to dig during the summer of 2025, he is hopeful that he might be able to dig this summer, although he is still skeptical.  

Beyond teaching Latin, MacFarline runs Young Writers Club, one of his many commitments and ways of furthering his connection with his students, is held in the Latin room, 174, every other Monday. He encourages his students to write, and provides them with prompts and ideas so that they may further their writing expertise. Although there are students of many grades and ages in the writing club, the freshmen are the stars of this year. “I am totally blown away by the role the freshmen have played in the club this year. They have really taken the initiative and are not afraid to share their work and be vulnerable in their writing at all!” MacFarline said, excited that the new arrivals have shown so much initiative in the club. 

For the students not so enthusiastic about writing, he still encourages them any way that he can, and he is prepared to take on more students as well. He understands that some may have a difficult time starting to write, but he is prepared to help. MacFarline said, “Start small. Pick a topic you’re passionate about. Put words on paper. Revise. Share. Revise again. Learn. Grow. Accept constructive feedback. Rinse and repeat. The only important thing is that you start.” MacFarline is hoping that more students will join Young Writers Club next year, and is prepared to help them take on the challenge of writing.

MacFarline is an author as well, not just a teacher to young writers and his other students. Due to his vast amount of experiences: teacher, latin scholar, and archaeologist, he has been able to find many inspirations for his work. MacFarline said, “My archaeological and historical travels over the years–particularly to Ireland, Scotland, and Greece–have provided me with a rich tapestry from which to draw both visual and textual inspiration. The literature of Ancient Rome and Greece has also influenced me as well as more modern authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian Jacques, and John Halderman.” With so many inspirations, his book is bound to be a wonderful and fantastical blend of mythology and history from countries all over Europe. 

However, he has also found inspiration right here in America, as a Latin teacher. Since English, and many other European languages are derived from a late form of Latin, it provides a massive advantage to individuals, especially writers, who are fluent or at least well educated in the near-dead language. Some of his inspiration for his book comes from Latin. MacFarline said, “My writing is absolutely influenced by Latin, insofar as Latin has provided me with a rich underlying knowledge of English via word etymology/morphology. I also have extensive exposure to the Classics in both languages, which has influenced my personal style–which has been described as heavily inspired by J.R.R Tolkien (who was himself a Classicist!).” 

Despite working on his book for many years, he has been temporarily prevented from publishing it due to a new endeavor many of his students are supporting him in, getting his doctorate in Latin. Despite the constant juggling of teaching, learning, coaching, writing, being a father and a husband, he has managed to finish his book. MacFarline said, “It’s been an on-and-off-again process spanning many years. I want to say I first put pen to paper perhaps shortly after I graduated from Brandeis in 2016. In the footsteps of Vergil, I have probably written, erased, and rewritten more parts than I care to admit. I’m constantly dissatisfied with my own work and toil endlessly to improve it. Let’s hope I don’t follow Vergil all the way and demand the manuscript to be burnt upon my passing! (Shout out to Vergil’s friends for ignoring him and preserving the Aeneid!!!)”

MacFarline is an inspiration to students and teachers alike. He is one of the most ambitious individuals in the school, and yet he has never stopped to reach for his goals and continue working on both himself and his students. Due to the new Latin IIIcourse, sophomores can now enroll in Latin I and continue to be taught by MacFarline until their senior year if they continue to Latin III.

Overall, MacFarline is an upstanding and determined member of the HBHS family, one some people overlook due to the popularity of other languages. However, he does put in the work to help the students who do know and respect him, and he will hopefully be here for years to come.