Looking at Middle School Differently

Crossroads Middle School students attend camp at the beginning and end of every school year.
We know that middle school students:
  • are energetic, enthusiastic, and eager learners.
  • are beginning their journey toward independence and making their own decisions; they desire to be seen as young adults.
  • want to feel safe to express themselves.
  • need time to reflect on their learning, build good academic habits, and develop strong relationships within the school community.

At Crossroads, middle school students are known and seen in a way that calls them to be their best selves. Our students are known and valued by the Crossroads community, so their minds are free to face challenges, maximizing learning.
  • Classroom instruction incorporates movement, novelty, rigor, and flexibility.
  • Students learn to be astute researchers, so they can search and retrieve accurate and pertinent information.
  • Students learn how to be a good friend, a kind human being, and a thoughtful citizen of the world.
  • Crossroads teachers encourage and reinforce responsibility and effective self-advocacy.
  • We foster interpersonal and intrapersonal growth. Our students develop empathy and skills for collaboration.
  • Our students are known and valued in the Crossroads Community.
  • Crossroads values and nurtures students’ voices, creativity, and diverse perspectives.
  • Crossroads provides modeling and structure so that students can articulate their ideas.
  • We encourage and allow flexible thinking and different paths to knowledge. Our students learn to listen to others’ ideas.
  • The structure of the week provides time for core academic subjects, exploratory classes, activity class, and community time.
  • Middle schoolers are expected to develop, grow, and cultivate creative and artistic expression as an act of intelligence and to support others who do the same.
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Given our population, our commitment to one another and to our differences creates a true model of community beyond our walls.