Dear Friends,
Leadership and learning happen best in relationship. To be an exemplary and engaging learning community requires us to build ongoing relationships both within and beyond Crossroads.
Learning in relationship deepens our engagement with ideas and extends the reach of our work. For example, last week, students from the Theater for Social Change elective performed a short original play designed to deepen our high school students’ exploration of race and gender at Crossroads. Next, for the middle school, they extended their efforts by facilitating theater games encouraging closeness and mutual care.
Also last week, about 50 Crossroads students gathered for the National School Walkout. First, they deepened their discussions of gun control as they prepared protest signs on the green space. Next, they rode the Metro downtown, where Crossroads represented the largest contingent to gather in front of Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office, extendingtheir voices into the community.
The power of these undertakings relied on both the strong bonds between our students and our connections with organizations and individuals in the wider St. Louis community.
Other ways we are both deepening and extending the work of our school include:
- Our GSA (Gender/Sexuality Alliance) is sponsoring Pride Week, culminating in the National Day of Silence.
- Student Council is sponsoring a Michelle Obama Inspired Week of Activities (or MOIWA, as they’ve dubbed it), based on her Let’s Move initiative, encouraging students to put down their technology and play together.
- Our spring Mastery Learning Project participants are presenting their independent study work to teachers and peers during enrichment blocks.
- Today, we welcomed over 100 Grandfriends to campus to learn with and from our students and faculty.
- Tomorrow, we will take part in a morning of service learning through our Good Work program, which cultivates ongoing relationships between our school and local nonprofits.
Again, leadership and learning can’t happen in isolation. Each of the activities, events, and accomplishments on this list represents engagement not only with ideas and information, but with each other. These are the personal, real-world connections that make the learning come to life.
