Weekly News
5/16/2016
* Head’s Note
Moses has traditionally been described as one of the most humble men to have ever lived. Perhaps his humility helped him survive the travails of leading his people from Egypt and gave him the grace to reveal the Ten Commandments. Yet if he had those tasks today, I wonder if those around him would have appreciated his humble ways. Personal acts of courage often seem to unfold in much of our culture inside an arena that prizes displays of just the opposite set of qualities. Humility in our day might have been overshadowed by an increasingly human urge for recognition, one-upmanship, and fame. Moses may have had to trade three thousand years of moral influence for fifteen minutes of fame in order to land his own reality TV show and several major endorsements. One could almost envision him on an Apple billboard with the tag line “Think Humble.” Perhaps only then would people pay attention.
This is a shame. Humility, as our students are learning in this month’s Core Virtues curriculum, is one of the most important of all the virtues we study. It is transformational and expansive. It encourages authenticity and meaning. It is a virtue that never needs to advertise itself because it is aware of its intrinsic value. It is something we know when we see it and when we do, we often want more of it, in ourselves and others.
And here is the paradox: perhaps the very fact that this virtue is not in vogue means that we need to pay even more attention to cultivating humility. Core virtues may be in and out of fashion, but they remain essential to the ways our students contribute to the world.
As Crossroads students become familiar with the layers of this virtue’s meaning and practice it during a month of reflection on all of their achievements from a very productive school year, it is a joy and a privilege to witness their expansive and memorable acts that are rooted in an understanding of humility that is much more than a tag line.
—Yours truly, Brad
Follow me on Twitter @CrossroadsHead
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* Head’s Note
* Virtues for this Month: Forgiveness, Graciousness, and Humility
* Admissions Office News
* Crossroads Places First in the NH State Math League Competition
* Parent Association News
– Lunch Program
– Cedar Circle Farm Plant Sale (5/9-5/23)
– Room Parents for the 2016-2017 School Year
– Last PA Meeting of the Year (5/18, 6:30 pm)
* School News
– Snack Friday Thank You
– Picnic Table and Adirondack Chairs Wanted
– Graduation and Move-Up
– Summer Programs 2016
– Classroom Clips
– Hats Off…
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* Virtues for this Month
* May: Forgiveness, Graciousness, and Humility
Forgiveness is having enough heart to let go of hurt.
Graciousness is acting kindly, courteously, and making another feel special.
Humility is knowing that I am definitely not perfect.
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* Admissions Office News
Greetings from the Admissions Office! I need your help. One of the most important volunteer opportunities that you can take on at Crossroads is being a Host Family for new students and their families. Do you remember the nervous excitement that you felt when your family was new to Crossroads? You may have wondered…will this be a welcoming and active community? How do parents get involved? Will my child have a friend the first day of school? Will our family feel connected here?
Here’s what you can do to help: first, let your class parent representative know that you would like to be a Host Family, or connect with me by June 1about your interest in volunteering. Second, get to know the new families in your class through email, phone calls, or even better, invite them to have a cup of coffee or a playdate with your kids. Be a friendly presence, answer their questions, and have fun with them…and be sure to include them in all class communications about summer get-togethers and playdates. And, third, take the families under your wing when the school year begins and help them navigate all that a new school brings.
We have many wonderful new families coming to Crossroads next year, so join me in welcoming them to our incredible community. I know it will be delightful for all involved!
Reminder…
Our final Crossroads Brown Bag Café will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, May 17. Please bring along a friend and join us for coffee and conversation between 8:00 and 9:00 am in my office. It looks like the weather will be nice enough to also take a walk around campus…wear your walking shoes! I hope you can join us.
Have a wonderful week! —Warmly, Marilyn
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* Crossroads Places First in the NH State Math League Competition
This weekend, Crossroads hosted the New Hampshire and Vermont State Math League Competitions for students in grades 3-6. Students who placed at the individual grade level include:
Third Grade: Roxane Park (1st), David Viazmenski (2nd)
Fourth Grade: Alex Zitzewitz (1st), Amica Lansigan (3rd)
Fifth Grade: Audrey Lewellen (2nd)
Sixth Grade: Maxine Park (1st), Zoe Zitzewitz (2nd), Zachary Zitzewitz (3rd)
Congratulations to these students and Saia Patel (sixth grade) on qualifying for the national competition in June! Seven out of the top ten students in the state were Crossroads students.
The Crossroads Team of Riley Chin, Audrey Lewellen, and Cecy Sweeney placed 5th in the state. A team of sixth graders—Matthew Adner, Liana Lansigan, Saia Patel, and Evan Yang—placed 3rd. The team of Maxine Park, Alex Zitzewitz, Zachary Zitzewitz, and Zoe Zitzewitz placed 1st overall and currently holds the highest score on the team test in the entire country.
Congratulations to all of these students for all of their hard work, and thank you to Alison Gorman, Wayne Chin, and Daryl DeFord for working with our students every week!
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* Parent Association News
* Lunch Program
This week follows the “Week B” 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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* Cedar Circle Plant Sale (5/9–5/23)
Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford, VT, has again graciously agreed to host our annual PA Plant Sale fundraiser. You will be receiving a coupon later this week; just bring it to Cedar Circle Farm between now and Monday, May 23, and Cedar Circle will donate 25 percent of the proceeds of your sale back to our school. So now that the snow has finally melted, dust off your gardening gloves, clean your planters and pots, plan your organic vegetable and herb garden, and venture over to Cedar Circle Farm for all your gardening needs. Bring your friends, make a date of it, and raise money for our school at the same time. This year we’re raising funds to help purchase a minibus. Please email Julie Leonard with any questions.
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* Room Parents for the 2016-2017 School Year
It’s time to start planning for next year. All parents (and grandparents!) are welcome to serve as room parents. Every class needs two room parents, and more than two per class are welcome to serve. Room parents may split duties as they wish.
If you would like to serve as a room parent next year for any of your child(ren)’s classes, please sign up here or let your current classroom parent know. Please feel free to contact Supreet Bauer with any questions.
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* Last PA Meeting of the Year (5/18, 6:30 pm)
Our last PA meeting of the year will be this Wednesday, May 18, at 6:30 pm in the Murray Room at the Howe Library in Hanover. We will do a “year in review” looking at our social and fundraising activities of this past year, as well as the purchases made this year with PA funds. We will then turn our sights forward, announcing our PA officers and starting to discuss PA goals for next year. In addition, as happens at every PA meeting, we’ll get an administrative update from Brad Choyt. Even if you haven’t been able to come to any other meetings this year, please come join us for an update and lend your voice to the conversation. Feel free to contact Deb Hoffer with any questions.
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* School News
* Snack Friday Thank You
Thank you to the kindergarten parents for the delicious snacks last Friday!
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* Picnic Table and Adirondack Chairs Wanted
Are you looking to upgrade your outdoor furniture and recycle your old? If so, please let us know. Crossroads could use more outdoor seating. Thank you!
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* Graduation and Move-Up
Although it is difficult to believe, graduation and Move-Up are just around the corner. This year both events are being held on the same day.
The graduation ceremony will begin promptly at 4:00 pm at the Bancroft Center on Tuesday, June 14. Dismissal for eighth graders will be immediately following the Move-Up ceremony. They should return to Crossroads for graduation no later than 3:45 pm.
All sixth and seventh grade Middle School students will be part of the musical presentation during the graduation ceremony. They should all plan to be in attendance. Dismissal for sixth and seventh graders will also be at noon that day. They should also return to Crossroads for the graduation ceremony no later than 3:45 pm. Middle School students should be picked up immediately following the ceremony at 5:00 pm.
The dress requirements for the graduates are as follows:
Boys: Dress shirt, khaki colored pants, navy blazer, and tie
Girls: Dresses (preferably not strapless) or dressy pants and a nice blouse
The dress requirements for the remainder of the Middle School students are as follows:
Boys: Light-colored dress shirt and tan pants, tie optional
Girls: Pastel-colored blouses and skirts or dresses or dressy pants
Move-Up will begin promptly at 8:15am, Tuesday morning, June 14
The dress requirements for the Lower School students and Middle School students for Move-Up are as follows:
Boys: Dress shirt and pants or shorts
Girls: Skirts or dressy pants with a nice top, or dresses
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* Summer is Almost Here…Please Join Us for a Great Summer at Crossroads!
Signs of spring have us looking forward to summer! Any given week this summer, we can expect to see kids exploring the stream, scaling the climbing wall, conducting scientific research, or producing art in the outdoors. We have nearly 200 total enrollments and at least ten different programs will be offered. Though many programs are full, we still have spaces available in late July and August and in select programs in June. If you haven’t enrolled yet, join us! A full calendar and links to register are available here. Any questions? Contact Clare Smith, Summer Program Coordinator at summer@crossroadsacademy. org.
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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 entries are animal alliterations written and illustrated by first graders Ren Huston, Lyla Eve Bauer, and James Schackai. Please click here to read Ren’s alliteration, click here to read Lyla Eve’s alliteration, and click here to read James’s alliteration.
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* Hats Off…
Congratulations to Natalie Wainwright for the 2016 NHPTV Kids Young Writers Contest!
Natalie Wainwright’s illustrated story, “The Indestructible Bouncy Bubbles,” was awarded an Honorable Mention for Grade 3 in the 2016 NHPTV Kids Writers Contest. Her story was selected as one of the most outstanding in the state by a panel of judges made up of New Hampshire teachers, librarians, business leaders, artists, and writers. You can read her illustrated story here: Congratulations to Natalie on her imaginative story!
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