BIO 20: Don’t forget to click on the attachment to see the Crossroads celebrity highlighted in this week’s BIO 20 page!
News from the Admissions Office
We had a very successful first Discover the Difference morning. Nine families attended. The second grade wowed the audience with a performance of the Crossroads South American song and a recitation from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Terry Samwick, Margaret Rightmire, and Jolin Kish were wonderful representatives of the parent/board community. A.J. Barre and Meade Avery were invaluable in answering questions about life as a student at Crossroads. Our next Discover the Difference morning is Tuesday, March 6th from 9:00–11:00 am. If you have the opportunity to invite your friends or neighbors, I would appreciate it. The #1 way we attract new families is through the good stories you share with your friends. Thanks for all your help! —Betsy
Head’s Note
Dear Parents,
It seems fitting that on Valentine’s Day I am writing to you on a matter of the heart. Our touchstone is Strong Minds Kind Hearts. And, as you know, we’ve created a new mission statement. It reads as follows:
Crossroads Academy is an independent, co-educational day school committed to academic excellence and moral integrity. We inspire our students to love learning, act honorably, and contribute actively to intellectual, cultural, and civic life.
Our mission speaks to the critical importance of knowledge and virtue. Virtue is the result of habits, and habits require practice and lots of it. At Crossroads we are keen on thinking about, talking about, and practicing virtue on a daily basis. One of the ways we practice is through community service. We provide opportunities to serve our local, regional, and world communities. You have told us that you support this goal, and you show your commitment by participating with your children in community service opportunities within our school community as well as outside of school. I know that you and your children would like more occasions to engage in hands-on community service during the school day. Through community service, children learn that they can make a difference, and that in doing so, one often gains more than one gives.
To this end, we are instituting a new program at Crossroads. Afternoons previously devoted to faculty workshops will now become community service afternoons. School will be in session all day. Beginning in the fall of 2012, we will be dedicating three afternoons (from 12:30-3:00 pm) each year to community service. Students will engage in projects on campus, take trips to local organizations to offer service or deliver goods, and participate in hands-on projects off campus. Faculty members will lead these annual efforts, and the school will provide all materials and transportation. Over the years, students who experience a K-8 education at Crossroads will have the opportunity participate in up to twenty-seven different projects!
I am so excited about this addition to our program and look forward to being a part of the action. I’ll let you know more as the time draws near. — All the best, Jean
Community Service, Virtue, and Psalm for This Month
February Virtue: Diligence is doing what needs to be done with devotion, dedication, and determination. Perseverance is pushing on despite difficulty and hardship. Psalm 139:1-5, 23-24
School News
Re-enrollment: In preparation for the 2012-2013 school year, our administrative team will be distributing re- enrollment contracts at arrival and dismissal on February 28 and 29. Families who use the bus should check in backpacks for re-enrollment packets!
Parent Association News
We had a lot of fun at PA Night Out last month! Despite dicey, icy weather a few intrepid souls made it out to 6 South Street for the evening and we had a great time hanging out and getting to know one another. We’ll definitely do that again in March, but this month we’ll try something different. For those of us who prefer a morning get-together, we’ll be doing a PA Coffee on February 29th at 8:30 am at the Dirt Cowboy Cafe in Hanover. We hope to see you there!