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The Concept of Family
By Christian J. Proctor, PhD, Head of School
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 Let me begin with an expression of thanks for all of the cards and pictures you have sent me after Gracie’s passing. Specifically, let me thank folks for the pork tenderloin dinner, complete with a bottle of wine, and a really great hand-drawn picture of Gracie from a new kindergartner. Trust me when I tell you that your kind words and actions have meant a great deal to me. Gracie was obviously a big part of our school.
In my office, I have a picture painted by Olivia Block ’19 when she was a fifth grader. The picture represents Ripken’s first great escape from campus when he was found begging for food at Elderberry's. There are many of you who do not remember Ripken, but, like Gracie, he was an important part of the North Cross family. And the concept of family is what I want to talk about.
We use the analogy of school as family in so many of our advertisements and in our conversations. Maybe it is time to think about what it really means. Obviously, it does not mean that we are as close as your real family, nor that we are as like-minded as they, nor that we will remain as close after graduation as a family. I think the metaphor works because, in comparison to your usual school experience, North Cross is more like a family.
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Quick Updates:
Book Fair Success!
Total book fair sales: $9,012.27 (Last year: $8239.54)
- 27 books donated to Hancock Library; 57 books donated to teachers (+ 26 purchased with book fair funds = 83 total!)
- 20 volunteers with close to 90 hours of help
- 50% profit = $4506.14 + $450.61 for receiving Scholastic credit instead of cash + $25.00 for Ms. Holley's attendance at a book fair workshop
- Total profit to use for purchasing books: $4984.57
Coffeehouse TONIGHT! Come and see our performers and artists live while enjoying gourmet home-baked goodies and beverages at FOTA's primary fundraising event. All proceeds benefit the arts at North Cross School. 6:00–8:30 pm; performances begin at 6:45 pm.
Halloween Parade
If you'd like to see pictures of this Monday's Halloween Parade, click here.
Middle School's Red Ribbon Day
On Monday Sarah Beth Dinwiddie, Outreach Coordinator for Carilion Clinic, was here during Middle School's assembly to talk to students about the teenage brain and risk factors for drugs and alcohol. In addition, the SCA handed out red ribbons for students to wear on Monday. When in Eaton Hall, look out for art work from our 7th grade students representing a drug-free life.
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Holiday Greenery Sale is Back!
 Get some gorgeous greenery and other items from Townside Gardens to spruce up your home for the holidays, or as gifts for your favorite teachers or co-workers, at this year's Boosters Greenery Sale. Orders are due by Wednesday, November 16th and are able to be picked up at the CAC on Tuesday afternoon, November 29; just stop by before carpool! You can download the order form here. The proceeds support the Athletic programs at North Cross School.
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Busy Week for CrossCurrents
This week, North Cross was pleased to host two very different but highly informative speakers to our campus. On Wednesday, we welcomed Dr. Anthony Henley, PsyD, who spoke on ways in which families can support children with ADHD. CrossWalk sponsored the event at which there was a reception before the talk and a chance for the audience to ask questions afterwards.
On Thursday, the Upper School students and faculty learned about the author of the Star-Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key, from writer and historian Marc Leepson (shown above with an image of the original Star-Spangled Banner manuscript in the background) whose recently published book "What So Proudly We Hailed" illustrates the interesting life of the man who penned our national anthem. Afterwards, students and faculty talked with the author at a book signing.
Due to technical difficulties, the audio for Dr. Henley's talk will not be available. However, you can listen to Mr. Leepson's talk by visiting onCampus and going to the Featured Content page in the coming days.
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Seeing Problems in a Different Way
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The Singapore Math Program has found a comfortable rhythm at North Cross, beginning in Kindergarten and continuing through Fifth Grade. However, many parents remain a little fuzzy on this kind of math (pardon the political reference to former President Bush, it's almost election day). This photo essay walks you through how our students grasp mathematical problem solving through the ages—learning to "see" the numbers—and the tools provided to them along the way by our dedicated faculty.
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Snapshot: History Explored
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Middle School students took a journey this week — perhaps not as far as Lewis and Clark — to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, a hands-on center focusing on the historic expedition as a gateway for learning about exploration, transportation, the arts, science, the natural environment, and native cultures.
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Teacher Feature: Emily Votta
Shown right: Emily Votta with her husband.
Hometown: Afton, Virginia
Education: Waynesboro High School, University of Mary Washington
Current Position: ECP-2 teacher
Year Appointed: 2014
Where did you grow up? Afton, Virginia. I grew up in the county. My sister and I played outdoors all the time! We hiked through the woods, ran through fields and played in the creek.
What’s the one thing your students don’t know about you? I swam all four years in college. I swam long distance free and butterfly.
What’s your teaching passion? What motivates you? I want for children to enjoy learning — to make learning positive and fun.
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A Project in Bloom
On Thursday, Talia Logan, Gallery Director of Olin Gallery at Roanoke College, visited middle and upper school art classes to demonstrate how to create paper flowers in conjunction with their community-based Paper Blooms Project℠. North Cross student flowers will be a part of the exhibit that will be on display in 2018 at Roanoke College's Olin Hall Gallery, January to March, 2018. After the show, floral bouquets will be distributed to nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and other local organizations.
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From the Director: Creating a Positive Athletic Culture
At North Cross School we have an honor code and speak regularly on what it means to be an honorable person. When the word "honor" is mentioned, the discussion usually turns to being a "person of integrity" or having "good character." So, what does this look like in an athletic department? What does it mean to show strong character as a student-athlete or fan at North Cross School? The following examples give the North Cross community concrete ways to intentionally create a positive athletic culture when preparing, cheering, and competing to win.
- Show up every day with a mindset of helping your teammates or peers improve their game
- Competitive situations reveal true character. Prepare in advance how you are going to respond when things get "a little heated out there"
- Always find a way to compliment teammates and even our opponents
- Cheer intensely for our Raiders and never single out opposing players, fans, or officials in an effort to distract or correct
- Maintain perspective. Every game has a winner and a loser. Be thankful when we win and gracious when don't.
These are simple ways to begin our discussion and direct us as we focus our efforts on creating a positive culture around our athletic community in this playoff season.
— M. Eric Lawrence, Director of Athletics and Wellness
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Raider Recap
Last Saturday was a huge day for the Raiders as they won 4 Conference Championships, with a 2nd and 3rd place finish added to the mix. See a slideshow here.
Blue Ridge Conference Champions:
- Girls' Varsity Volleyball, defeated EMHS 3-1 in the Final; First time winning the conference title since 1994. Read the story on The Roanoke Times' Website.
- Girls' Varsity Tennis, defeated VES 6-3 in the Final
- Girls' Varsity Cross Country!
Blue Ridge Conference 2nd place: Girls' Field Hockey, lost to Carlisle 4-0 in the Final
Virginia Independent Conference Champions: Boys' Varsity Soccer, defeated Carlisle 4-3 in penalty kicks.
Virginia Independent Conference 3rd Place: Boys' Varsity Cross Country
Congratulations to our teams on an exciting Conference final day and for all the great efforts of our teams, coaches, and athletic department staff.
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Upcoming Week of Champions
 Varsity Football has their last regular season home game at 2:00 on Saturday at Thomas Field as they match-up against the Hargrave Military Academy. The Raiders could clinch their first ODFC Conference Championship with a victory and secure the #1 seed in the state—which if they win the finals would be the first time doing so since 1994. Boosters will be there selling $2 pizza slices along with other tasty concessions to help support the Athletic Program. The more spirit, the better, so come and cheer on the Raiders!
Next week marks the beginning of State Playoffs. Please keep in mind that we need to charge all spectators for State Playoff games on our campus. This is mandated by VISAA, the state athletic association to which we belong. These are between $5 and $10 per spectator. For information on schedules and game locations, visit the Calendar section in onCampus.
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