Friends, I think a lot about the inspiration and imagination necessary to realize the possibilities and complexities of our mission statement. So when I walked into the library last Friday and was surrounded by our middle schoolers’ Science Fair projects, I was delighted and impressed by the ways their work demonstrated that mission in action. Exemplary Students met high standards...

Friends, Earlier this month at the Crossroads Black Student Union’s Celebration of Black Arts Explosion, Malaika Pedzayi-Ferguson read her poem, “Black Girl I Write for You,” which includes these lines: …Truth is I write for the black girls. For that is what I am and the only experience I can write about to the fullest degree. I write for the...

Friends, Over half of Crossroads families receive financial aid through our need-based Scholarship program. All of us benefit. This is why we dedicate our annual Gala, coming up on February 24th, to our unique and robust Scholarship program. The intention to build a diverse-in-many-ways community was present in our founding 43 years ago. Our co-founders wanted to offer children of...

Friends, Natural light streams into the lobby at the center of Crossroads. It’s one of my favorite places to observe our students. They appreciate, and know how to use, the unstructured times in our schedule. We include these unstructured times intentionally. Not only does the brain benefit from the laughter, conversation, and relationship building that occurs, our students also benefit...

Friends, Returning to school after any extended break is exciting for me. It was a joy to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to Crossroads and to begin second semester on Monday. We have much to look forward to semester, including Poetry Out Loud, the Celebration of Black Arts, Field Day, and the graduation of our senior class. One of...

Friends, Our campus changes a bit during exam week. Common spaces are kept quiet, reserved for studying. Middle schoolers leave their routines behind for learning in the field. During exam week, the gym is set up with rows of desks in neat lines. There’s an order to it that is satisfying. Students file in, find their seats, listen to directions, and...

Last week, celebrated local painter Cbabi Bayoc, father of Crossroads students Jurni (11th), Ajani (9th), and Birago (7th), spent the morning in our lobby at work on a portrait of American soul and jazz musician, Gil Scott-Heron, and visited with art students. Scott-Heron is best known as a spoken word performer, especially for his composition The Revolution Will Not Be...

Friends, This year, we’ve taken the revision of our mission statement as an opportunity to reaffirm our work to align all facets of our academic programs, student experiences, and institutional decision-making with the mission of Crossroads. Crossroads College Preparatory School strives to be an exemplary and engaging learning community committed to justice and equity. Though the words “college preparatory” only...

Friends, I hope you are relaxing with family and friends, with hobbies and food you enjoy, and without too many regular obligations. I am spending my time away from school with friends-who-are-family in Portland, Oregon, feeling grateful for them and for the opportunity to connect. As part of her research for The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown investigated the relationship...

The 2017-2018 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is kicking off at Crossroads! Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, the contest asks students to memorize and recite a poem for in-school competition, with the opportunity to advance to regional, state, and national finals. According to the organization, “since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown...