Dear Parents,
Our mission is simply extraordinary, and during the past twenty-one years we have developed a program that is worthy of this mission. On Monday our faculty devoted an entire day to collaboration as a part of our efforts toward continual improvement of our program. It is through these consistent efforts to collaborate and improve our program that we keep polishing the jewel that is Crossroads.
One of the most fascinating workshops of the day was entitled, “writing across the curriculum.” Faculty members from K-8 gathered together to share how writing is used across all content areas. On the surface, it seems rather straightforward, doesn’t it? We write in English, in history, in science, and yes, even in math. But how do Crossroads teachers approach and support writing in these various content areas? How do writing skills vary from one subject area to another? How do we build these skills in a systematic way from grade to grade? What is the role of Core Knowledge in the development of writing skills? How does writing help students to take the leap from concrete thinking to abstract reasoning? How does writing support the virtues? How do the virtues support writing? How does one become more flexible and resilient through writing? What is the “end product” in grade 8 in the various content areas?
I wish you could have been there to hear the discussion. Teachers described not only what they teach but how they teach it. In doing so, the role of knowledge as starting place became, again, fundamental to the discussion. Without the knowledge, how can students engage in high level writing that requires them to “compare and contrast?” How can students effectively research using the Internet and library reference materials without a solid knowledge base? And then there are “skills.” How does scientific writing differ from fictional writing, and how do we help our students to master both? Across all grades, teachers spoke of breaking complex writing tasks into manageable “bites” for the students. Exemplars are shared with students. Whole class, small group, and individual lessons are offered in order to help students become masters of various forms on writing needed for various content areas. Each lesson supports the next, year after year until in the end, our students are creating poetry, plays, short stories, historical and scientific research papers, persuasive essays, and speeches. They become masters of the written word. And all the while, the virtues are supporting their efforts and their efforts are reinforcing the virtues. They learn that diligence pays off. They learn that in order to write a persuasive essay, they must have the courage to jump in and have an opinion. As they practice the virtues, their skills become stronger. The culmination of this marvelous process is witnessed at graduation, where student speeches illustrate the impact of a Crossroads education.
My best,
Jean
