Weekly News
4/4/2016
* Head’s Note
As I was saying goodbye to children at the end of the day a few weeks ago, one of our youngest students summoned up the courage to ask, “Why can’t first graders play wall ball like everyone else?”
“Good question,” I said. “Let me look into it.”
“But you’re the Head of School,” he reminded me. “You should be able to decide!”
But communities like ours have history behind their decisions, and it’s always wise to find out why choices are in place. So that afternoon, I spoke with some colleagues in the Lower School and learned that in fact, wall ball is permitted for our youngest students as long as they follow a few simple rules on the playground. I’m delighted to report that now all of our students can enjoy this game during recess, a well-timed new privilege as spring starts to take hold.
While this request was happily easy to grant, the real gift was the wonderful learning moment gained from our interaction. The game of wall ball may not loom large for adults, but big feelings of fairness and justice lie behind this student’s question. And in this case, I was able to deliver what I hope will be an empowering result that encourages even our youngest students to observe what’s happening around them, take stock of their feelings, and share their perspective on what they believe is right. Whether it’s saying goodbye, saying good morning, or passing each other on the path to Bancroft, we can make ourselves available to listen, respond, and hopefully, in the right places, say an enthusiastic yes.
—Yours truly, Brad
Follow me on Twitter @CrossroadsHead
* To read Brad’s recent Valley News article “Schools Can Teach Creativity, and Every Child Is Going to Need It,” please click here.
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* Head’s Note
* Virtues for this Month: Self-control, Self-discipline
* Crossroads Annual Fund
* Admissions Office News
* Parent Association News
– Lunch Program
– April PA Meeting (4/7)
– Parents’ Night Out/Northern Stage (4/28)
* School News
– Snack Friday
– Lost and Found
– Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart
– Summer Programs 2016
– Classroom Clips
– Hats Off
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* Virtues for this Month
* April: Self-control, Self-discipline
Self-control is stopping to think about my actions before I enact them.
Self-discipline is giving the best of ourselves and saying “no” to our weaknesses.
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* Crossroads Annual Fund
Thank you, Steve!
Our kids are so lucky to have teachers who extend their learning beyond the classroom with events such as last week’s celebration of Robert Frost’s birthday at the Howe Library. Please show your gratitude for our teachers and all that they do; support this year’s Crossroads Annual Fund.
Click here to make your gift now.
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* Admissions Office News
Greetings from the Admissions Office! Happy April…and may the sun soon warm up the earth to uncover all the vibrant life and color lying beneath the brown. This time of year is a tease, but we’re hearty folk here in New England. We can handle the coy nature of spring, knowing full well that the loveliest of summers awaits us. We can proudly say that we have it “made in the shade” when July rolls around; we’ve survived mud season and black flies, ticks have abated, and the days are generally warm but not hot, with evenings cool enough to beat the heat and create fresh dew each morning. Ahhhh…enough of my reverie. It’s April. And there are several months to go before July. But we’re hearty folk…
I wish you all a wonderful spring break next week. Find the sun, if you can. And, if you have an extra moment, invite a friend or two to our final Discover the Difference day on Monday, April 25. Let’s hope the campus is bursting with new spring life to welcome our visitors!
Reminder…
Our next Crossroads Brown Bag Café will be held on April 19, the Tuesday morning following spring break. Please bring along a friend and join us for coffee and conversation between 8:00 and 9:00 am in the multipurpose room in the Klee Building. Maybe we can even take a nice spring walk around campus…wear your walking shoes! I hope you can join us.
Have a wonderful week! —Warmly, Marilyn
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* Parent Association News
* Lunch Program
This week follows the “Week A” menu. Please be sure you are following the correct week. In addition, please consider sending in a set of silverware for your child to keep in his/her cubby; we are trying to avoid the waste of disposable silverware.
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* April PA Meeting (4/7)
This is a reminder that our April PA meeting will be this Thursday, April 7, at 8:15 am in the art room in Bancroft. This will be our second-to-last PA meeting of the year, and we’re going to start to turn our attention to planning for next year. With next year being our school’s twenty-fifth anniversary, there are a lot of exciting opportunities, and we’d like the PA efforts to reflect the desires of the community. So please come and lend your voice to the conversation. Feel free to contact Deb Hoffer with any questions.
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* Parents’ Night Out/Northern Stage (4/28)
Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 28, and get your babysitter lined up! Northern Stage has generously offered us the opportunity to enjoy their last production of the season, “Living Together,” while doing a little fundraising for the PA at the same time. A block of seats has been set aside for anyone calling and identifying themselves as part of the Crossroads community. Call the box office at (802) 296-7000 to reserve your seats now! When you mention that you are part of the Crossroads group you will receive a $5 discount per ticket, and the PA will receive twenty-five percent of ticket sales for that night.
Please note that the content of this show is PG-13 at best. See the website for more details. Please feel free to contact Terry Samwick with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you there!
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* School News
* Snack Friday
Thank you to the first grade parents for the delicious snacks last Friday!
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* Lost and Found
Come and get it! The Lost and Found box is full and overflowing! Please come to rescue your lost items before they are sent to the LISTEN Center on the Friday before Spring break, April 8. There are coats, fleeces, mittens, shirts, and more inside the bench at the entrance to the Klee Building. Thank you!
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* Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart
Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart continues to be a huge success! I would like to thank everyone who helped to make this event run smoothly, including the jumpers and hoops participants, volunteers, and donors. It was a fun afternoon of exercise and community service at Crossroads! We raised a grand total of $3,648.66 for the American Heart Association. I would like to congratulate all participants on a job well done! Thank you, Mrs. Grenier
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* Summer is almost here…Please Join us for a great summer at Crossroads!
We are delighted to share course descriptions and registration information for the 2016 Crossroads Summer Programs. Taught by Crossroads faculty, other local teachers, or in collaboration with educational organizations in the Upper Valley, all of our programs are designed to be both engaging and fun. Most programs run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm daily with a free extended-day option from 3:00-5:00 pm, but please see the program descriptions for the exact times. All programs are open to both Crossroads students and others in the area. Please click here to sign up.
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* Classroom Clips
Classroom Clips is a weekly space for students and teachers to share their writing with the Crossroads community. Today’s entry is from first grader Hopper Kelley. In history, the first grade is learning about the American Revolution, and the students wrote letters to King George voicing their concerns as “colonists” about the tax on tea and other commodities. Please click here to read Hopper’s letter, and click here to view his illustrated teacup.
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* Hats Off…
Tucker Briglin traveled with his mother and Mr. Tenney to Keene State College on Friday to participate in the New Hampshire State finals of the National Geographic Geo Bee. While Tucker did not become one of the ten finalists, he did answer six out
of eight questions correctly in the preliminary round. Congratulations, Tucker!
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