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Message from the Headmaster
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The Grass is Always Greener...
In 2011, Amy Chua published her best-selling book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Parents and educators snapped up copies. Ms. Chua, a Chinese-American mother of two, was on all of the morning television shows extolling the virtues of more aggressive and demanding parenting techniques. There was an arrogance to her message and frequent comments such as “I want my children to be well rounded†or “Her children are nothing but automatons†followed the author everywhere. But negative comments aside, most traditional measures of parenting success indicated her children were quite accomplished. As parents and educators, we worried whether our children could compete on a new world stage.
Click here to read the full message.
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No School on Monday
In observance of President’s Day, school and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, February 16. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 17.
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“Rio in Roanoke†Rocked
Based on the overwhelming number of wonderful comments, we’re delighted to declare our Winter Gala a big success. Through the support of sponsors, donors, families, alumni, and friends, Gala was also a financial success and grossed over $135,000 before expenses for the school’s annual operating budget and an additional $15,000 in donations to faculty professional development.
Thank you co-chairs, Pam Moskal and Kimberly Eakin, and the Gala Committee! You all came together enthusiastically and you planned and worked together to execute a memorable and enjoyable evening. It was impressive to see all that Novie Bateman, Sarah Blum, Molly Burns, Jennifer Burtch, Jeanne Fishwick, Cheryl Glose, Liz Graham, Catherine Grainger, Pam Haskins, Ann Hoff, Ann Kelly Winn, Kelly Kemper, Victoria McDade, Ellie Proctor, Angela Thomas, Fiona Tower, Kristina Sommer, Brenda Wilson, Mary Lynn Wright, and Jill Woltz accomplished. Click here, or the photo image, to view photos posted on our Facebook page.
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 Mann, What a Deal!
Congratulations to Walter Mann ’16, winner of the drawing to receive 2015-16 tuition at this year’s rate. His name was selected at random by Parents’ Association President Susan Card (right in photo, with Amy Jackson) at the PA meeting on Thursday.
Thank you to everyone who re-enrolled for 2015-16 by the February 10 deadline. The Admission Office will follow up with families to help with any remaining re-enrollment questions. If you have not completed your child's re-enrollment, click here to visit the Re-enrollment page on the school website.
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Miss Virginia Helps Defy Disabilities
Courtney Garrett, the reigning Miss Virginia, met with Eaton Hall students on Monday afternoon in Fishburn Auditorium. She told students about her journey from Pamplin, Virginia to becoming first-runner up in the Miss America pageant. Courtney also promoted her platform of “Defying Disabilitiesâ€â€”an issue very close to her. Courtney's brother, Austin, has cerebral palsy and autism. She encouraged students to begin seeing people for who they are and what they can do, not by what they are incapable of doing.
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Eaton Hall Shows a Lot of Heart
Eaton Hall SCA sold "Bags for Bentley" on Wednesday and Thursday (top right photo) and hosted a jeans day for middle and upper school students today. To date they have raised $603 to help Bentley Page, a ten-month-old from Roanoke with a congenital heart defect (CHD). Students also made a card for Bentley (top left photo) and sent it to Boston Children’s Hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.
On Thursday, students wore red ribbons (bottom left photo) to help increase awareness of congenital heart defects, encourage students to think about keeping their own hearts healthy, and to remember those who are not as fortunate. Mark Page, Bentley's grandfather and a former student at North Cross, shared what he has learned about CHD and about the family's journey to help Bentley (bottom right photo).
Click here, or the photo image, to view a larger photo.
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Only Six Weeks Until Big Flea
Be sure to save the date for Saturday, March 28, for the Big Flea in the Carter Athletic Center. The sale is early this year, and Jenn Mitchell and the Big Flea committee are looking for volunteers to help with the sale. If you are interested in helping arrange items in the CAC or working on the day of the sale, please contact Jenn at (540) 230-8584 or jmitchell@northcross.org.
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 Celebrating 100 Days
Last Friday, students in ECP Level 2 invited the school to visit their 100 Day Museum to commemorate the 100th school day of the year. Students created themed collections of 100 objects and put them on display in their classroom. Click here, or the photo image, to view a larger image.
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Symposium Next Friday
Next Friday, students in grades 8-12 will get the chance to attend four sessions at Symposium where they can learn more about a topic of their choosing. Members of the community come to our campus and present their topics in 45-minute sessions. For the students, Symposium is an opportunity to learn about different careers, discover new hobbies, or learn subjects not usually covered in the typical school classroom setting.
Over 35 classes will be offered at next week’s event. The scheduled sessions give students a chance to learn about personal finance, the Peace Corps, yoga, meteorites, how paper is made, underwater photography, architecture, publishing, orthopedic surgery, and many more topics. The Symposium program is organized by advisors Jennifer Landry and Emma Greenwell.
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Teacher Feature: Malcolm Douglas
When did you find a love for learning and teaching Spanish?
I was a history major at Yale, but I had taken Spanish in high school and college. It wasn’t until my first trip to Mexico that I really found a love for it. During my second summer at Yale I went on a work trip to Mexico where I spent the entire summer doing volunteer construction work. The program was set up through one of the chapels at Yale so it was open to anyone, not just Spanish students. Some of the other people didn’t speak Spanish at all, which required a few of us to be the translators. It was a true immersion experience for me.
Click here for the full feature.
Photo: Malcolm with his wife, Susan, in 2013.
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All-District Choir
Jack Fishwick ’16 and Mr. Andrew Miller are attending the High School All-District Choir event today and tomorrow at Salem High School. Jack is rehearsing for the All-District Choir concert tomorrow evening and he will also audition for the All-State Choir. The All-District Choir concert is tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at Salem High School. The event is free and is open to to the public.
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All-District Middle School Band
Four of Jimmie Donnini’s middle school band students will perform next weekend at the All-District Band Concert at the Patrick Henry High School auditorium.
Nalin Jha ’19, Davin Hansen ’19, Caroline Lystash ’20, Lauren Daniel ’20, Brian Bao ’20, Michael Habib ’20, and Patrick Daly ’20 will spend next Friday rehearsing with the All-District Middle School Band at Patrick Henry High School.
The All-District Band Concert is Saturday, February 21, at 4 p.m. in the Patrick Henry High School Auditorium. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public.
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Raiders Defeat Bulldogs
For the first time in at least five years, the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team defeated Liberty Christian 50-38 on Monday evening. Kennedy Nwabia ’15 scored 12 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Bennett Holley ’15 had 14 points and three blocked shots for North Cross (18-3). Peyton Bailey ’16 added 12 points, while Jordan Lowery ’16 and Keith Oddo ’15 each added 10 for the Raiders.
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Senior Recognition
The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team will honor seniors Bennett Holley ’15, Kennedy Nwabia ’15, and Keith Oddo ’15 during halftime (at approximately 3 p.m.) of their game against Eastern Mennonite High School tomorrow afternoon. The game starts at 2:30 p.m. The JV team will tip off against Eastern Mennonite at 1 p.m.
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Winter Pep Rally
Everyone had a great time showing their school spirit at the Winter Pep Rally on Tuesday afternoon. The winter athletic teams were introduced, and each team organized an activity and helped the school get the students excited for upcoming conference and state competition. The “Uptown Funk†dancers made a surprise appearance, and the Student/Faculty basketball game ended in a tie despite a frantic flurry of last minute baskets.
A special thank you to the SCA, Susan Card, and Susan Wenk for organizing the activities!
Click here, or the photo image, to view photos posted on our Facebook page.
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Revercomb Honored with Service Award
The Muscaro-Satterwhite Service Award is given in honor of former Athletic Directors, Jim Muscaro and Donna Satterwhite. Together they served as leaders and mentors in the North Cross athletic and school community for over 75 years. The 2015 award was presented to Denise Revercomb by Athletic Director Eric Lawrence during halftime of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball game on Tuesday evening. Denise (center in photo, with James Muscaro) is the mother of four sons who were active in athletics at North Cross over the last 13 years. She has taken an active role as team coordinator, scorekeeper, and bookkeeper. In addition to sacrificing her time, resources, and efforts with these teams, she was a charter member of our athletic Boosters and served as president in 2006-07.
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State Swim Meet
The swimmers who turned in state-qualifying times this season travel to the 2015 VISAA State Swimming Championships today and tomorrow. The following Raiders are participating:
Girls’ Relay Teams:
- 200 Medley Relay (seeded 15th): Margo Winn ’19, Katherine Lake ’18, Emma Cartledge ’18, and Maddie Robinson ’16
- 200 Free Relay (seeded 24th): Katherine Lake ’18, Claudia Morgan ’19, Helen Schmedtje ’17, and Lilly Kemper ’19
- 400 Free Relay (seeded 13th): Margo Winn ’19, Katherine Lake ’18, Emma Cartledge ’18, and Maddie Robinson ’16
Boys’ Relay Teams:
- 200 Medley Relay (seeded 18th): Andrew Lorens ’19, Zach H'Doubler ’17, Daniel Lorens ’16, and Joseph Cartledge ’16
- 200 Free Relay (seeded 24th): Andrew Lorens ’19, Zach H'Doubler ’17, Daniel Lorens ’16, and Joseph Cartledge ’16
Individual Events:
- Emma Cartledge ’18: 100 Butterfly (seeded 16th) & 100 Breaststroke (seeded 20th)
- Joseph Cartledge ’16: 50 Freestyle (seeded 11th) & 100 Freestyle (seeded 9th)
- Zach H'Doubler ’17: Breaststroke (seeded 22nd)
- Katherine Lake ’18: 100 Breaststroke (seeded 30th)
- Andrew Lorens ’19: 100 Butterfly (seeded 21st) & 500 Freestyle (seeded 15th)
- Daniel Lorens ’16: Butterfly (seeded 36th)
- Maddie Robinson ’16: 100 Butterfly (seeded 21st) & 100 Backstroke (seeded 25th)
- Margo Winn ’19: 50 Freestyle (seeded 12th) & 100 Freestyle (seeded 13th)
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Naming North Cross
In 1944, May Butts needed a teacher for the students in her new school. She traveled with her daughter and two sons to Elliston to recruit Margaret (Billy) Northcross to teach the first grade class. Butts promised Margaret that she would use the “Northcross†name to honor her commitment if she accepted the job.
Billy accepted the job and spent the next sixteen years as the first Headmaster of North Cross School, Salem until Emerson Johnson was hired in 1961 to lead the newly formed North Cross Country Day School. Billy continued as the Director of the Lower School until 1979. One of the trademarks of her 35 year career are the bells that she used to ring in the school year and that she carried around for discipline and emergencies. Her belief was that bells were a nice symbol of correction when compared to more active disciplinary measures. The bells reside on Dr. Proctor’s desk and continue to ring in the start of every school year.
Billy later married and changed her last name to Ellis. Along the way, she assembled an excellent faculty and staff that focused on shaping a curriculum offering the best early education possible. Among them were Louise Hoback, Dottie Stevens, Emily Moseley, Nelle Gardner, and Betsy Koontz. Her influence was profound and reflected in the decision to name the first building constructed on our current campus, the lower school building, Ellis Hall, in her honor.
She was a wonderful storyteller and displayed a flair for the dramatic. Students were spellbound by her stories, and she also dressed up as a witch each Halloween to lead the students in a parade down Main Street in Salem or across the Colonial Avenue campus. Later in her career, she would dress up for Field Day as Miss Kitty, from the popular television show Gunsmoke, or a geisha girl.
Photo: Top—With Richard Cook and her beloved bells; Bottom left—Working at Field Day, in costume of course; Bottom right—At the blackboard (from the 1971 yearbook).
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