Friends,
This week, I spoke briefly with parents who were able to attend the parent ambassadors meeting and the parent coffees. Each time I shared my expectation that our community work together to get to know one another better. One way to do this is to find a parent you do not know and introduce yourself to them. Being small is an asset to Crossroads, and one of the ways to leverage this is to make sure that we are small and tightly knit and that we know and recognize each other.
Our students are our best models for this. Parents, past and present, talk about the relationships students have with each other and with their teachers. I watch students cultivate these at camp and on advisory retreats, as they practice for sports and rehearse for plays, and as they sit together for announcements and wander around during community time. We have time in our weekly schedule for students to develop relationships, to build community, and to practice being connected.
I believe we must also serve as models for them. We do this by knowing one another, by collaborating across our differences for the good of our school, and by taking risks and introducing ourselves and seeking to know each other better. So the next time you are at school or at a Crossroads event, seek out someone you do not know and introduce yourself to them. Please do not wait or wonder. Take a step toward each other and reach across the unknown or uncomfortable. We will all be better for it.
With great expectations,
Jason