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A Note from the Assistant Head of School for Academics
 As our first full week of school comes to a close, I am struck by how alive the campus feels. The school sounds permeate every corner: bouncing red rubber balls on the playground, instruments being tuned in Slack, applause during morning announcements in Fishburn. I've enjoyed visits to classrooms in every division, joined PE warmup exercises and spent time with faculty and staff as we continue to fine tune every aspect of the North Cross experience for students and families. It is a great time to be at North Cross and I am thrilled to join each of you as we embrace the start of a new year and anticipate our bright future.
Please plan to join us for your division's Parents' Back to School Night (Wednesday, Sept. 7 for Lower and Middle Schools, Thursday, Sept. 8 for Upper School). You'll have a chance to meet the teachers and learn more about the amazing year ahead. Dr. Proctor will be back on campus to introduce the division heads and parent volunteer groups on campus before you head off to visit your child's classrooms.
Safe travels during the holiday weekend,
Deborah Jessee
Assistant Head of School for Academics
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 We have made it our mission to increase parent volunteerism within the school this year. We find that parents who are actively engaged on campus tend to have a more meaningful experience throughout their child's time at North Cross. Between the Parents' Association, Friends of the Arts (FOTA), Booster's Club, the Development Office, and each division, there is no shortage of volunteer opportunities. When you fill out this form, downloaded or online, someone will be in touch to give you more information. Thanks!
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 Raising Awareness, and Money, for Flood Victims
Thursday, Upper School students had the opportunity to pay $1 to dress down and could purchase Bojangles biscuits and tea as a fundraiser for schools in Louisiana effected by the recent devastating flooding. Middle School students also contributed to the effort through their biscuit and tea purchases. All told, the pop-up fundraiser brought in a net $466.55 to send to South Highlands Elementary Magnet School whose Parents' Association is coordinating an effort to send supplies and resources to three Baton Rouge schools ravaged by floods. Teachers in Baton Rouge were already trying to salvage what they could (see photo, inset) from the damage. The effort was coordinated by Student Life. We thank them for noticing the need and taking quick action to help others.
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 Student Parent Handbook Now Available
The online Student Parent Handbook is available for download and viewing. The document outlines the policy and procedures here at North Cross—school-wide and separately by division. Please review with your child at your earliest convenience.
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onCampus: Adding Contacts to Your Profile
Hopefully, most of you have logged onto onCampus by now. If not, please do in order to verify your family's contact cards and poke around. As a way to familiarize families with the application, Crossties is providing a weekly tutorial on helpful features. Last week, we gave instructions on how to add your school calendars to your desktop/mobile calendar application. This week we will cover finding and adding contacts to your onCampus address book.
Directories are helpful to find the full name of a student's classmate, the phone number for a parent, but for those you contact the most, onCampus allows you to save other contact cards to your profile so you can find that information quickly. Once logged in, select the directory you wish to search from the "Directories" icon (such as "Parents"), type in the name of the person and search. Once your result is displayed, on the right-hand side is an "Options" button, select "Add to Contacts" from the drop-down list and the contact is now saved to "My Contacts" for future reference. You can access "My Contacts" in the drop-down menu when you click the "Directories" icon.
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Auditions for Alice in Wonderland Jr.
 Monday and Tuesday after school let out, the students of the lower school auditioned for the upcoming Lower School Musical, Alice in Wonderland Jr., a musical adapted from the Disney Film and especially geared toward younger actors. The musical will debut November 11, with another show on the 12th. After the success of last year's Cinderella, the students were excited to get back to work. Individual auditions were held Monday afternoon, while a group audition brought all hopefuls together for ensemble work and a chance to "move and groove." The cast list came out today via email from Andrew Miller, so be on the lookout if your child auditioned!
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Reminder: Parents Back to School Night
A chance to experience North Cross as your child does. Parents will hear remarks from the Head of School and Division Head, learn about parent involvement opportunities, meet with teachers, hear about the upcoming year, and ask questions—don't forget to raise your hand.
Wednesday, September 7
Lower School: 5:30 pm in Fishburn Auditorium, will proceed to Ellis Hall after remarks
Middle School: 6:30 pm in Fishburn Auditorium, will proceed to Eaton Hall after remarks
Thursday, September 8
Upper School: 6:30 pm in Fishburn Auditorium, will proceed to Willis Hall after remarks
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Conference STEMs New Ideas for Teacher
 This summer, last year's Lawrence Award recipient and Upper School Science teacher Jennifer Landry (right) attended the 5th Annual STEM Forum & Expo in Denver. The Lawrence Award provides funds for faculty enrichment. The conference, hosted by the National Science Teachers Association, "brings together (informal and formal) educators and representatives from exhibiting companies who are interested in, and who have tools and resources to share that will ensure successful implementation of STEM education into our schools and communities. It is intended to provide resources for educators and organizations seeking to learn more about STEM education, associated outreach programs, partnerships, schools, and curricula," states their website.
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Pictured above: Chris Moore and his family; (from left to right) Christopher ’11, Chris ’71, Spencer ’09, his wife Forrest, and Temple ’07.
Staff Story: T. Christopher “Chris†Moore ’71
Hometown: Roanoke
Education: North Cross School 1971, University of Virginia, Econ. 1975, MBA 1979
Year Appointed: 2010
Current Position: Director of Development and Major Gifts
What is your favorite North Cross tradition? It used to be the fifth-grade battle, but a close second is the Fat Pencil Ceremony.
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Volleyball Blocks to Break a Record, Middle School Football Wins Anew
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 Student athlete Natalie List ’17 (shown right with Coach Terri Craig) stopped almost everything at last week's game against Craig County (a 4-0 win for the team)—but couldn't stop herself from breaking the NCS record for most blocks when she reached her 80th one. Way to go! Her win was joined by her team's and JV Volleyball's that night.
Middle School Football returned to the field after a five-year absence and made their presence known with a 26-0 win over Central Academy Middle School. "No small win," remarks Coach Alex Hash. Be sure to get out and support them at their next game (at Read Mountain Middle School in Cloverdale at 5 pm on September 6) to help make their return season a winning one.
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Mayor Commends North Cross and Rival for Cooperation in Service
 Last week's game against Roanoke Catholic had many Varsity Football fans cheering for North Cross, but someone was in both teams' corners: Mayor Sherman Lea. At halftime, the Mayor presented a decree and complimented the teams' leaders' "exemplary leadership and relentless commitment in helping these young men become outstanding citizens in their communities." The Raiders went on to win the game 34-14 with their next game against Virginia Episcopal School at Salem High School (400 Spartan Dr, Salem) tonight at 7:00pm.
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