🏕️🌧️ “This is why we go to camp.”⁠
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At Crossroads, our middle school students are thoughtful readers, strong writers, creative problem-solvers, and engaged learners. But we also believe education should extend beyond tests and classrooms, giving students opportunities to apply those skills through real experiences, meaningful relationships, and moments of reflection.⁠
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Our annual trip to Land for Learning is a powerful example of that philosophy in action. Students learned atlatl history and throwing techniques, hiked, canoed on Devil’s Kitchen, and worked together through challenges that required trust, communication, and collaboration. They also prepared meals together: an extension of the cooking skills many students have been developing throughout the year as they learn practical responsibility and self-sufficiency.⁠
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Another uniquely Crossroads tradition is the presence of senior counselors. Older students joined the trip as mentors, continuing the relationships they build with middle schoolers all year long. Learning alongside and from seniors gives younger students role models who understand their experiences and exemplifies the intergenerational community that defines life at Crossroads.⁠
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And, as often happens, some of the most meaningful moments were never on the schedule. When rain rolled through camp, students didn’t run for shelter—they danced, sang, and laughed together. As Co-Head of School Mark Norwood reflected, “This is why we go to camp.”⁠
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The trip concluded with solo reflection time centered on a simple but profound question: What does it mean to be Crossroadian? Through shared responsibility, time in nature, joyful moments, and intentional reflection, students practiced the values we strive to nurture every day: resilience, curiosity, empathy, and a deep sense of belonging.⁠
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(And because no camp experience is complete without a memorable one-liner, this year’s Camp Quote of the Year was: “I think several of my friends have sleep apnea because they snore louder than my dad.”)⁠
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⚡ #CityAsCampus #CrossroadsMiddleSchool