44 minute read
Around the School
AROUND THE SCHOOL
Fostering the Joy of Elementary School at Home and on Campus
The first day of Elementary School last fall, like in years past, was filled with excitement. On Aug. 26, students in kindergarten through fifth grade approached Norton Campus, where they were welcomed by the friendly waves of their new teachers and administrators. But, unlike in years past, the students didn’t bid farewell to their parents and rush through the Elementary School doors to check out their classrooms and see their friends. Instead, they picked up their school supplies and headed home, where they would learn for the next several months.
This atypical first day was then followed by an array of other firsts. Kindergartners and first graders experienced their first day of limited on-campus instruction in October, while second through fifth graders enjoyed fall field days to socialize on campus with their friends for the first time that year. By early March, all Elementary Schoolers were learning on campus in the mornings, with third- through fifth-grade homerooms alternating weeks. Finally, following spring break, the Elementary School welcomed all classes, Monday through Friday, for full days of on-campus instruction.
Navigating this ever-evolving schedule required faculty and parents to collaborate in unprecedented ways. During remote and hybrid instruction, in addition to attending regular educational meetings and Councils, parents had the opportunity to hear “fireside chats” from their children’s teachers and virtually meet one-on-one with them every Friday.
“I am deeply grateful for the strong and valuable home-school partnership that we have been able to create,” reflected Natalie Burton, who served as the head of Elementary School through June 30.
Supported by their parents and teachers, the students continued to engage in the interdisciplinary, student-driven projects that characterize Crossroads’ Elementary School experience. In the fall, for example, first graders participated in a mock election. After learning about the character traits of a good president, they voted for fictional characters from books they had read and used their math skills to tally the results. In social studies, they studied the electoral college and then created campaign statements and posters in support of their ideals.
At home, teachers encouraged on- and off-screen learning. In kindergarten science, the students ventured outside to create sculptures with nature in the style of artist Andy Goldsworthy and then reflected on their work.
“It’s amazing to me how nature can make such beautiful stuff,” expressed kindergartner Calder Robinson, who created a sculpture made of chard, stones and flowers.
Monday Morning Meetings and Friday Gatherings, held in the “Community Room Zoom,” continued to be a space for students
Below Left: In May, fifth graders came together for their final Elementary School Dance Options performance on the soccer field. Below Right: First graders exuberantly danced with streamers during a music class.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
Former Head of Elementary School Natalie Burton
to share their work with their Elementary School peers, faculty and families. At the first virtual class gathering in January, second graders in the 2S homeroom presented on common idioms. It was, as teacher Peter Del Giudice slyly noted, “one for the books!” The following week, second graders in 2N shared what they’d learned from reading nonfiction, from the length of the longest snake (about two cars long!) to the season when beards grow the fastest (summer!).
In May, the students in K-5 Dance Options demonstrated all of their hard work since January in a video performance shared at Monday Morning Meeting. While most of the performances were rehearsed and filmed individually at the dancers’ homes and edited together, the fifth graders were able to gather in person on the soccer field for a phenomenal dance to Surfaces’ “Sunday Best” and HRVY and Matoma’s “Good Vibes.”
“I’m so proud of you, dancers,” teacher and choreographer Bryanna Brock added after the show. “You learned all of these dances on Zoom, and you constantly came to class with a positive attitude. You were ready to learn, ready to work. And I think you did amazing work even in these tough circumstances.” While the 2020-21 academic year presented unprecedented challenges for the School’s youngest learners, the joy that typically fills the halls of Crossroads was still present. At the “Fabulous Fifth-Grade Variety Show,” students shared their amazing talents in skits, dances and songs. Hilarious Hair Day inspired an assortment of stylish and silly ’dos. And the all-out dance parties at weekly Friday Finales showed just how excited the community was to be together, whether online or in person.
Above: After presenting at Friday Gathering on the city seal of Los Angeles, third graders sang a song dedicated to their families.
Centering Social-Emotional Learning in the Middle School
On a sunny October afternoon, pop music played over the speakers in 21st Street Sports Court, and a sixth grader spontaneously burst into dance. It was her first day on campus all year, and she and her eight-person cohort couldn’t have been happier. In addition to a campus tour, the day’s agenda also included paper-airplane competitions, art making, relay races and games. Assignments and assessments were not mentioned once as students and teachers basked in the (physically distanced) company of one another. Over the course of a year largely characterized by unpredictability, this emphasis on social-emotional engagement remained consistent at the Middle School.
Anticipating moving between remote and on-campus learning throughout the year, Middle School administrators and faculty developed a schedule and established cohorts that could easily adapt to the different scenarios. Among the changes to curriculum was the addition of a second period of virtual Life Skills classes, in which students express their feelings on a variety of subjects in a safe and nurturing space through a practice called Council. “That is a huge shift in the program,” explained Head of Middle School Michelle Merson. “One of our foundational commitments is prioritizing social-emotional development for our Middle Schoolers and really giving them time to breathe and be with each other.”
Eighth grader Nyla Washington appreciated the opportunity: “I find it nice and stress- relieving to have a class where we can just talk about how we are feeling, whether good or bad, and get it off our shoulders.”
When permitted by the county, the Environmental and Outdoor Education Department also brought cohorts of Middle School students on field trips to the Wind Wolves Preserve and to the beach to explore nature and practice Council.
Ahead of the Game (AOTG) likewise offered students opportunities to develop tools to succeed. AOTG topics ranged from practicing mindfulness techniques to developing executive functioning skills.
“We want students to evaluate the area they want to work on, the systems they are using and set some small commitments to habits that will keep their stress level low,” explains Sixth-Grade Academic Dean Lexi Peterson.
The Middle School Service Learning program further encouraged students to be active in the world around them, embracing what it calls the “privilege of service”—the idea that
On an Environmental and Outdoor Education trip to Wind Wolves Preserve in November, sixth graders enjoyed a day of art, hiking, games, Council and other fun activities.
sixth grade
LILAH ZWELLING,
AROUND THE SCHOOL
eighth grade
SOPHIE MA,
“it is an opportunity, a responsibility and a privilege to serve the greater community.”
Service Learning Coordinator and eighthgrade Core teacher Josh Adler shared: “While the pandemic has certainly posed obstacles to site-specific volunteer work, this moment has also created tremendous opportunities to learn, grow, raise awareness and engage safely and conscientiously with the greater community.”
Students baked cookies and created care packages for people without housing; interviewed first responders; and participated in beach cleanups, among numerous other projects.
“I know that it’s not easy to change your habits … which is why I think it’s best to take things step by step,” said seventh grader Nadia Hofer, who picked up debris from Will Rogers State Beach with her sister, third grader Alina. “Maybe first do some research about what you can do to help, and then jump into it after a bit.”
Meanwhile, arts programs flourished in the past year. The Middle School Players presented three virtual productions, “Super Happy Awesome News,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Shakespeare Show!” Middle School musicians and dancers collaborated to create unforgettable virtual holiday and spring performances. When they could finally perform together in the spring, they couldn’t contain their excitement.
In May, seventh graders participated in mock trials based on the crime in S.E. Hinton’s novel “The Outsiders,” which they read earlier in the year. Considering the essential question of seventh-grade Core—“What is justice?”—the students delivered nuanced opening statements; questioned and cross-examined witnesses; and shared compelling closing arguments. Faculty, staff, parents and friends acted as the judges and juries tasked with determining the verdicts.
“I liked working together to prove a point,” said seventh grader and acting defense attorney Jacob Liszt after one of the trials. “I loved learning about the Constitution and law.”
Whether at home or on campus, Middle Schoolers adapted to the unprecedented circumstances, harnessed their potential and demonstrated academic and artistic excellence in a variety of pursuits. Even with all of the challenges of the 2020-21 school year, the Middle School’s strong focus on social-emotional development led to some truly phenomenal student achievements.
For the first time all year, the Middle School Jazz Collective had a chance to play together in person in the spring.
Cultivating a Culture of Care and Collaboration
Last summer, when the Upper School administrative team looked ahead to the 2020-21 school year, they were aware of the challenges that they, faculty, students and parents were about to face. Support, partnership and open dialogue would be crucial to counteract the isolation and anxiety that the COVID-19 pandemic would likely produce. As such, they articulated a community goal: to create a culture of care and collaboration. And over the course of the year, the entire community worked together to realize this goal both online and on campus.
Adapted to meet student needs, the Upper School schedule offered more double blocks this year, prioritizing expanded time for in-depth study, peer engagement and group reflection. During lunch and the morning break, dubbed “Digital Alley,” students had time to socialize, meet with one another in clubs and take part in the community.
Student Council played an active role in bringing people together as well. Alleyween featured a virtual fashion show of creative costumes and spooky online games. In place of the annual Sports Extravaganza, Upper Schoolers went head-to-head in a game of Crossroads sports trivia via the online platform Kahoot. Holiday-themed “Roths,” storytelling events in the style of “The Moth Radio Hour,” featured beloved faculty members sharing anecdotes of love, loss and luck.
Care and collaboration abounded in remote and on-campus classrooms. Addressing widespread Zoom fatigue during remote learning, Upper School history teacher Casey Baird developed lessons that encouraged students to engage with their physical spaces even while at home. For a lesson on early human tools, Casey invited his students to gather items in their houses that could be used for a zombie apocalypse survival kit and then compare their tools with those of early humans.
“To me, what’s exciting as a teacher is that you inspire really interesting projects that motivate students to interact with their surroundings simply by asking what we think of as pretty basic questions,” reflected Casey in “Teacher’s Toolkit,” a weekly session for sharing innovative teaching practices. “And the possibilities of student choice and voice are endless. This has been a way for me to not just feel like I’m surviving during remote learning, but to feel like the class is thriving.”
Senior Georgia Kennedy-Bailey, who served as Student Council co-president, particularly valued time away from her computer during the school year. “Zoom fatigue is very real,” she noted in a conversation with the faculty, who welcomed her input during another Teacher’s Toolkit session. She looked forward to putting together a music video for her history class. “Larger-spanning projects that are partially asynchronous and partially on Zoom are a great way to keep kids engaged.”
Despite the added difficulties of collaborating remotely, students still excelled using innovative recording and editing technology. The Drama Conservatory’s productions of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Radium Girls” were impressive demonstrations of acting
Above Left: In the spring, seniors returned to The Ojai Foundation for a two-day trip. They had the opportunity to connect with nature and one another as they prepared for the future. Above Right: In preparation for Earth Day, Upper Schoolers made signs encouraging their peers to protect the planet.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
Top: Seniors filleted fish during an “IRL Day” on campus. Above: In between classes, these Upper Schoolers shot some hoops. and storytelling via Zoom. Students in the Elizabeth Mandell Music Institute (EMMI) put on spectacular solo shows as well as chamber orchestra performances. Dancers moved in sync while on separate screens in their concerts. And EMMI musicians, the jazz bands, singers and dancers created a show-stopping version of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” for the Holiday Concert.
When cohorts of Upper Schoolers returned to campus in October, the faculty also piloted “IRL (In Real Life) Days,” allowing students to safely learn and collaborate in person. English and publications teacher Nicky Loomis prompted students to “write from the senses” on pen and paper. Meanwhile, Science Department chair and teacher Anand Patel led a workshop on the external anatomy of sustainable fish, after which students learned to fillet them and make fish tacos.
Preparing to bid farewell to Crossroads, seniors participated in additional activities to make the most of their remaining time together. The Environmental and Outdoor Education Department organized trips to Wind Wolves Preserve, Malibu and the beach. Drive-thru events showered the seniors in Crossroads swag. In April and May, reimagined retreats at The Ojai Foundation offered a culminating experience for them to reflect on their time at Crossroads and prepare for their futures.
After spring break, Upper Schoolers finally had the opportunity to return to campus for daily in-person learning. Joy once again filled Crossroads’ Alley, and teachers and students took advantage of new avenues for collaboration.
In an effort to begin “decolonizing” curricula, ninth-grade history and biology faculty conceived of the “Solve for X” project, for which students selected a real-world issue, conducted research and proposed a viable solution. Students tackled a range of topics, from curbing climate change, to teaching about consent, to reconceptualizing the American education system.
“So often people are taught to approach realworld issues from one viewpoint,” explained science teacher Sarah Eleid. “And in the decolonizing education movement, we seek to change that by first owning up to the fact that knowledge is a shared resource and is always interdisciplinary.”
This year had its undeniable challenges, but the culture of care and collaboration created by the entire community was clearly crucial to the Upper School’s many successes.
DAISY KOHNER, 11th grade / “A Life-Size Self-Portrait” earned a Silver Key in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, West Region-at-Large.
Roadrunners Forge New Paths
By Tara Shima, Athletics Communications Coordinator
Crossroads students are bold. They forge their own paths. Over the past year, our students’ unique skills were put to the test.
With fields, pools, gyms, courses and courts closed for more than half of the school year, Crossroads student-athletes faced roadblocks they’d never encountered before. But they persevered. Swimmers took to the ocean, swam in backyard pools with resistance bands and woke up at 6 a.m. in hopes of reserving a lane in a public pool. Runners blazed trails across the globe, while baseball and basketball players turned their backyards into training grounds. Tennis players cross-trained on bikes, and golfers chipped balls into flower beds. Driveways became courts to practice volleyball serves, and hacky sacks allowed soccer players to stay sharp. Families got into the act with bike rides, hikes and workouts in make-shift home gyms. When the familiar road was no longer viable, Crossroads student-athletes found a new one.
Over a year after the pandemic shut down the world as they knew it, competitive sports resumed, and Crossroads student-athletes demonstrated their physical prowess. With hundreds of Roadrunner fans in attendance, the boys varsity soccer team won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division 6 championship and the Southern California Regional Division 5 championship. Their head coach, Federico Bianchi, was named CIF Soccer Division 6 Coach of the Year; senior Lucas KawamotoDuran earned the title of Most Valuable Player; and five players earned a place on the All-CIF Division 6 Team. Ninth-grade diver James Jones earned a medal for her fifth-place finish in CIF Division 3 finals. Sophomore Cole Hoegl, junior Sydney Holden and senior Jack Slavin represented the School in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 track and field finals. In addition, numerous Crossroads student-athletes earned Gold Coast League honors.
Crossroads student-athletes didn’t just step into the arena once it reopened—they kicked, jumped, flipped, dove, chipped, volleyed and marched their way to success.
Top Left: Eighth grader Jake Siegel kept in shape for tennis with long rides along the Pacific coastline. Top: The boys varsity soccer team won two championships. Far Left: Crossroads swimmers practiced together for a brief period in the fall before campus closed again. Left: Maizie Bartlett and the Crossroads girls varsity basketball team held a commanding lead over Moorpark High School in the first game of the season in April.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
Walking the Talk With the Equity & Justice Institute
By Janeen Jackson, Equity & Justice Institute Operations Coordinator
During the 2020-21 school year, the Crossroads School Equity & Justice Institute continued to focus on solutions, inspiring the community to be a movement for good in the world. Among the Institute’s many initiatives, the digital newsletter The Activist, a series of phenomenal virtual events and a new summer literacy and cultural enrichment program all helped to further its mission. Fostering The Activist
Featuring letters from the Institute’s Founding Director Derric J. Johnson and articles on various social justice matters, The Activist remained a primary educational tool for the Institute. This year’s issues commemorated 2020 as the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage; delved into the prevalence of hate crimes across the nation; reflected on the origins of Black History Month and the ongoing need to establish culturally competent curricula; and covered other critical topics.
Talks With Revolutionaries
In recognition of efforts to advance gender justice, the Institute presented a slate of distinguished women activists. “This year’s speaker series brought a range of societal issues to the forefront by examining how women revolutionaries have been instrumental in creating an equitable and just society,” explained Derric.
For her English class, junior Bella Williams created the painting “An Ever Expanding Community of Struggle” as a response to Angela Davis’ political philosophies.
In September, two broadcasts of the Institute’s conversation with Angela Davis attracted more than 2,500 viewers from around the world. The renowned advocate for economic, racial and gender justice talked with Derric, students and recent alumni about the importance of community and coalition building in the fight to end systems of oppression.
Four more speakers were presented as part of the 2020-21 Younes and Soraya Nazarian Equity & Justice Distinguished Lecture Series. In October, the Institute welcomed Joanna Mendelson, associate director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Mendelson spoke about the dangerous proliferation of white supremacist extremist groups in the U.S. She contended that “we must elevate all of the different communities that feel persecuted, that feel subjected, that have been targets of hate … as we create and forge pathways ahead.”
The next virtual event featured civil rights activist and organizer Dolores Huerta, who founded the United Farm Workers union with César Chávez in 1962. In a December discussion with Derric and students, Huerta recounted stories of becoming an organizer, being a woman in a leadership position and ensuring the next generation of leaders continue her life’s work.
Huerta asserted, “Each one of us has power. Each one of us can help change the world and help make it a better place.”
Emiliana Guereca, founder of Women’s March Foundation and the driving force behind the four official Women’s Marches in Los Angeles, spoke to this article’s author and students in a conversation broadcast in January.
Guereca echoed Huerta’s sentiments: “We need to identify our power and step into it.”
In April 2021, the Institute wrapped up the series with esteemed poet Nikki Giovanni in a conversation with Derric and faculty. After reading a selection of her poems, Giovanni shared her thoughts on current events and recalled the influence of her contemporaries, civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and John Lewis.
Giovanni expressed hope in the work of poets and young people: “It’s our imagination and your students’ imagination that’s going to help change the world and make the world a better place.”
Supporting Our Neighbors
This summer, the Institute held its first Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School® program. Rooted in the Mississippi Freedom Summer project of 1964, the summer literacy and cultural enrichment program aims to use a research-based multicultural curriculum to combat summer learning loss and the academic achievement gap, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over six weeks, “servant-leader” interns from Santa Monica College led 50 students of color and their families from the Pico neighborhood—the most diverse and under-resourced community in the city of Santa Monica—in activities designed to promote literacy, character-building, civic engagement, social action, nutrition and health. Participants also received books each week to build their home libraries.
This program is made possible by generous donors including lead gifts from funding partner Pacific Western Bank, which made a three-year commitment, and the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. The Institute looks forward to continuing the program for the next two summers and hopefully long into the future.
Programmatic planning is underway for the 2021-22 school year. For more information, visit xrds.org/equityandjustice.
Top: Sofia Trejo, a ninth grader, asked civil rights activist and community organizer Dolores Huerta how today’s educational system informs people’s knowledge of race. Above Middle: Sophomore Zoie Brogdon asked activist and entrepreneur Emiliana Guereca how to reframe gender equity in the classroom. Above: Senior Zack Hauptman asked activist Angela Davis how attending a progressive private school might have influenced her political views.
Strategic Plan Update
Crossroads launched its 15-point strategic plan in 2019. The plan articulates the School’s priorities and objectives identified during a recent self-study as well as the strategic planning work overseen by the consulting firm Ian Symmonds & Associates, with the participation of individuals from all across our incredible community. The School established 15 committees to oversee the completion of each initiative. Some of the work was delayed so that our faculty and staff could address the School’s immediate needs during the COVID19 pandemic; the 2021-22 school year will see a recommitment to this important work.
Below is an update on the goals currently in progress:
Fortify Our Equity & Justice Program
We continue to fortify and expand the Crossroads School Equity & Justice Institute, founded in 2018 to foster community action with partner organizations in order to serve the greater good and be a part of the positive change in the world. Learn more about the Equity & Justice Institute on page 10.
Enhance a Sense of Belonging and Inclusion
On the recommendation of this committee, the School has joined the Inclusion Consortium, a growing group of 100+ independent schools that network resources to build authentic dashboard and inclusion metrics that will help us drive decision- making and ensure that all members of our community feel welcomed and valued. Learn more about the School’s initiatives to enhance belonging and inclusion on page 14.
Reimagine Our Use of Time
This committee proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to design remote, hybrid and eventually in-person schedules as regulations evolved. The unusual nature of the 2020-21 school year provided the committee an opportunity to reconsider the best use of classroom time and the structure of the school day; they will continue this work in the new school year to develop long-term scheduling improvements.
Plan Our Strategic Enrollment Management
In the past year, Director of Enrollment Management Eric Barber has taken the recommendations of the Enrollment Planning Task Force and is refining enrollment models and scenarios with Bob Riddle, all three division heads and the director of finance and operations. The administration will determine a K-12 target enrollment, with related recruitment and marketing strategies. In September, the School plans to share its recommendations with the Board of Trustees, including the optimal size of the K-12 enrollment and other strategic initiatives to provide more access to a Crossroads education. Expand Our Environmental Sustainability
This committee is working to set clear, measurable goals that prioritize environmental sustainability in the School’s use, reuse and conservation efforts. Prior to the pandemic, members worked to reduce items requiring plastic packaging from campus vending machines and discussed reducing waste with Bergamot Café, one of our food providers, by eliminating plastic packaging and cutlery. While COVID-19 safety and hygiene protocols required the temporary suspension of these efforts, the committee looks forward to expanding Crossroads’ sustainability initiatives in the coming year.
Enhance Our Performing Arts Program
The School is preparing to build a new 70,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center on the southeast corner of the 21st Street Campus, providing students with facilities that support and enhance our exceptional programming in drama, music, dance and filmmaking. The center will include a Main Theater Building designed by Zoltan E. Pali of SPF:a, whose work includes the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the renovation/restoration of the Pantages Theatre. The building will feature a 650-seat proscenium theater, a recital hall, practice rooms and a rehearsal studio. It will also be the new home of the Crossroads Equity & Justice Institute.
Architect Alice Kimm of JFAK will design an adjoining Studio Classroom Building with spaces for music, dance, filmmaking and multimedia; a high-tech recording studio and multimedia center; and a 200-seat black box theater. Some of Kimm’s notable designs include the LEED Platinum-certified Sustainability Institute/JCAP at Caltech and the LEED Gold-certified Roberts Pavilion at Claremont McKenna College. Michael Ferguson of TheatreDNA will serve as the project’s technical consultant. The new Performing Arts Center is slated to break ground in 2022. In the 2021-22 school year, we will begin working to fulfill the below goals:
► Update Our School Philosophy and Core
Commitments
► Cultivate a Consistent Culture of Learning and Continuous Improvement
► Philosophy of Learning Spaces
► Develop an Innovation Center or School
Within a School
► Expand Accessibility to Crossroads for the
Greater Los Angeles Community
► Cultivate a New Professional Human
Resources Paradigm
► Create a New Financial Model for the Future
► Enhance Student Wellness
seventh grade
CONNOR WEINHOUSE,
Investigate Faculty and Staff Housing Options
A dedicated group of Trustees and parent volunteers with backgrounds in real estate and finance are charged with investigating “affordable, convenient housing strategies and other options for members of the Crossroads professional community to address the high cost of living on the Westside.” The committee facilitated a partnership with City National Bank, which offered an online seminar in January to Crossroads employees looking to buy their first home as well as one for current homeowners. As part of the partnership, CNB is offering Crossroads employees a special lending rate and a designated bank contact.
The committee is developing a platform for the Crossroads community—including parents and alumni—to share information on available employee housing, such as rental units or roommate opportunities, and will educate current and potential homeowners on ways to offset mortgage payments.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
kindergarten
KINGMAN DAVIS,
Reflection and Growth
The Crossroads community engages in meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion work.
One of Crossroads five founding commitments, enshrined in the School’s Statement of Philosophy put forth in 1971, is to “the development of a student population of social, economic and racial diversity.” Fifty years later, the diversity of the Crossroads community—in terms of economic means, family structures, racial/ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, gender identities and expressions, and more—is among our greatest strengths. Today, our students hail from 86 ZIP codes, and half identify as students of color. To support economic diversity, the School allocates over $10 million in financial aid every year, benefitting one in four students.
And yet there is much work that needs to be done. The urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement in the spring of 2020 shined a spotlight on inequities that persist even in progressive institutions such as ours. Since then, Crossroads has bolstered existing programs and taken new steps to fortify our commitment to our diverse community. This article provides just a snapshot of the important work being done by faculty, administrators, staff and students to meet this moment and build a strong foundation for the future.
Elementary School
If you’ve ever been around young children when slices of birthday cake are being handed out, you
First graders like Jag Winston learn how to stand up for themselves and others by creating peaceful protest signs.
know that they are hypervigilant when it comes to fairness and equity. Crossroads’ Elementary School nurtures this instinct, teaching children to recognize and call out injustice and to find commonality with people from vastly different backgrounds. The School uses the Southern Poverty Law Center’s anti-bias school curriculum, with a focus on its four pillars: identity, diversity, justice and action. During Monday Morning Meetings and Friday Gatherings, K-5 students enjoy a presentation of the Elementary School’s All-School Reads, which reflect the four pillars.
“The goal is to get conversations started so that kids of all ages feel that they have a voice,” shared first-grade teacher Taylor Parker, a member of the Elementary School’s Justice, Action, Identity and Diversity Committee. “But
equally important is to get their ‘wheels turning’ so that they can apply critical-thinking skills to these very complex discussions.”
The words we use, particularly around identity, convey how we see ourselves and others. Over the years, the division has developed an anti-bias vocabulary— from allies to xenophobia—for teachers to use in their classrooms. “It began back when we first introduced the curriculum on different kinds of families,” explained Assistant Head of Elementary School Cat Ramos. Crossroads’ new K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, Anshu Wahi, has been working with the Elementary School on the latest iteration of the vocabulary and is helping the division assess and refine its pedagogy and curricula.
Assistant Head of Middle School David Stewart leads students in a discussion of what makes a just society in a January town hall honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
In 2020-21, the Middle School piloted a new weekly Advisory course developed by Sixth-Grade Academic Dean Lexi Peterson. Through readings, conversations and activities, students studied racial and ethnic identity, implicit bias and intersectionality, and how these elements are reflected in their own lives. Students spent 20 weeks with Tiffany Jewell’s “This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work.” “The book talks about topics like Black rights, gay rights and other social justice movements,” explained seventh grader Arya Fakki. “In class, we have conversations about how to move from being a bystander to an upstander.”
A consistent piece of feedback has been the need for more support for Black boys in Middle School. While the transition from Elementary School can be challenging for any child, it can be especially difficult for Black boys: Increasingly aware of stigmatization, the fear of poorly representing their community can lead to anxiety and a drop in academic performance, often referred to as “stereotype threat.” Assistant Head of Middle School David Stewart is working to In the 2020-21 school year, Crossroads offered these affinity and allyship groups to students, overseen by faculty advisors:
MIDDLE SCHOOL Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Student Union; Banana Splits (for children of separation/ divorce/blended families); Black/ African American Group; Girls of Color Alliance; LGBTQIA+ Allyship Group; Mi Familia
UPPER SCHOOL Alma Latina; Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Student Union; Black Girl Magic; Black Student Union; Black-Jewish Alliance; Jewish Faith and Culture Club; Multiracial Student Union; Persian Student Union; Queer Student Union
Meet the New Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Stephanie Carrillo
We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to Crossroads, where she served as co-chair of the Diversity and Social Justice Task Force, interim dean of students, and History Department chair/teacher between 1998 and 2013. She went on to become a teacher leader liaison for the educational organization Facing History and Ourselves and spent six years as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Campbell Hall in Studio City. Stephanie is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and completed coursework in Education Specialist Instruction for Mild/Moderate Disabilities at California State University, Northridge. “I can’t think of a better place to guide the strategic journey of equity and inclusion work than at Crossroads, a school I believe in so much and one that was so formative to me as a teacher and social justice advocate,” Stephanie shared. “Serving as its director of diversity, equity and inclusion is truly a dream come true!” expand existing supports to provide a more robust afterschool program that will include coaching (for parents and students), mentorship, tutoring and weekend activities.
David has researched and supported students of color— here at Crossroads and in his native Cleveland—for decades. “What I’ve learned is that the biggest piece is perspective and attitude,” he reported. “If we can reinforce good habits, build their self-esteem and invite their parents into the process, they will be successful.”
Upper School
What is my sphere of influence? What systems are failing people, and why? How do I want to see Crossroads evolve, and how can I support that change? Those were some of the questions considered by Upper Schoolers in January during virtual workshops led by Anshu Wahi and John Gentile, a faculty member for the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
Sophomore Tiffani Williams, a grade representative and member of the Upper School Black Student Union, found the experience enlightening. “Some students expressed that they never really think about being white,” she recalled. “They don’t have to worry about that part of their identity. I think the workshop offered those students a good opportunity for reflection. And for those of us who are more conscious of our race, it allowed us to share that experience and feel more understood.”
Throughout the year, students interviewed guest speakers on topics including antisemitism, the women’s movement and civil rights, as part of the Equity & Justice Institute’s lineup of “women revolutionaries” featured in the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Equity & Justice Distinguished Lecture Series. (See article on page 10.)
The start of the 2021-22 school year will see new Upper School History offerings that more accurately reflect the voices, experiences and contributions of marginalized communities; additional changes are under development. “We’re excited to roll out our new ninth-grade course Exploring Human Stories and our completely revamped 11th-grade U.S. History course,” said Upper School History chair Kevin Scull. Supporting this work has been Associate Head of School Mariama Richards, who holds a bachelor’s in history from Spelman College and a master’s in Africana Studies from Cornell University.
In the fall, Crossroads will begin to roll out a brand-new K-12 social justice curriculum, developed after a year of research by Equity & Justice Institute Founding Director Derric J. Johnson and former Operations Coordinator Jordan Zolliecoffer ’15, with assistance from current Operations Coordinator Janeen Jackson and Middle and Upper
AROUND THE SCHOOL
In honor of National Holocaust Remembrance Day, survivor Lillian Trilling speaks with students over Zoom. The April event was facilitated by the Righteous Conversations Project, a program of Remember Us, and hosted by the Upper School Jewish Faith and Culture Club.
School Librarian Jay Chang. Topics will include Ability, Disability and Ableism; Civil Rights Movements; Genocide and the Holocaust; and Homophobia and Heterosexism. Lessons will be customized for each grade level and progress in complexity as students advance through the School.
Faculty and Staff
Over the course of the year, teachers were also active learners, engaging in mandatory anti-bias trainings that encouraged self-reflection and demonstrated how to recognize and address incidents of racism and other forms of prejudice. Staff members were also invited to participate: as Mariama often notes, “Everyone who works at Crossroads is an educator.”
In the fall, employees met twice with Howard Stevenson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education and the director of its Racial Empowerment Collaborative. In February, employees met virtually with Rosetta Lee, a teacher at Seattle Girls’ School and a diversity speaker and trainer. Rosetta spoke of the need to recognize our lack of awareness around bias and gave practical advice for handling uncomfortable interactions between students.
In addition to these guest speakers, Crossroads Middle and Upper School faculty met monthly with Silvia Salazar, and often Anshu, to continue to build on this work. An Upper School Spanish teacher and co-chair of the RISE Committee, Silvia is the School’s new associate director of Latinx support and outreach; prior to that, she served as the Middle and Upper School director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The School has also established the Faculty and Staff of Color Affinity Group, which meets monthly. “The times that we are in as a society require the ability to constantly process what is taking place,” says new fourth-grade teacher J. Latif Boze. “Supporting each other through discussion and conversation can make a world of difference.” The RISE Committee
The mission of the Radical Inclusion for Social Equity (RISE) Committee is to utilize radical empathy to illuminate and engage with issues surrounding diversity and to act as catalyst for institutional change and individual identity development. RISE strives to promote meaningful conversations around issues of diversity and inclusion as well as to take action steps to advance those goals at Crossroads. It is open to all members of the School community who are interested in supporting and improving inclusion on campus.
Momentous Occasions Celebrated Together
“This time last year, and across the many months that followed, today seemed nearly impossible,” acknowledged senior Lila Grayson at the Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony on June 3. “But here we are. It is so amazing to see everyone, and it is amazing to have arrived here together.” After a year filled with uncertainty, the Crossroads community was finally able to convene in person to celebrate the achievements of our fifth, eighth and 12th graders.
“On the widest stage ever,” as Head of School Bob Riddle jokingly described it, graduating Class of 2021 delivered speeches reflecting on both the hardships and the funny memories that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Standing ovations followed TJ Muhammad’s powerful speech, entitled “The Beautiful Tragic Story of a Black Student Athlete,” and Alberto Mancarella’s piano performance of a Beethoven sonata. Film Department chair and teacher Thomas Kemper’s commencement address underscored the power of “analytical imagination.”
Crossroads fifth graders took the stage on June 10 for an atypical outdoor Moving Up Ceremony. Each student shared their favorite Elementary School memory, from meeting a fifth-grade buddy as a kindergartner, to acting with drama teacher Scott Weintraub, to learning to love history in third grade. Between their speeches, students interpreted Taron Egerton’s rendition of the Elton John and Bernie Taupin song “I’m Still Standing” in sign language and performed a choreographed dance to the song “Sunday Best” by Surfaces. Students received an elbow bump from Head of Elementary School Natalie Burton before collecting their Moving Up certificates from Bob to cap off their fifthgrade careers.
The end-of-year student celebrations concluded with the Middle School Moving Up Ceremony on June 15. Following a welcome from Bob, eighth grader Nyla Washington shared her moving reflection on the importance of finding your voice and Yasu Agawa, a Crossroads “lifer,” encouraged his peers to cherish their time together. For the customary “One Last Word” faculty speech, self-described “super lifer” science teacher Collin Hertz ’10 humorously recalled his own Crossroads Middle School years, reassuring the eighth graders that it is OK to make mistakes and take risks. A solo piano and vocal performance by Sadie Rosenstein and two numbers by the Middle School Jazz Collective provided musical accompaniment to the ceremony and sent the School into summer. Amazing, indeed!
Upper School Student Council Co-Presidents Georgia KennedyBailey and Lila Grayson cheer for the Class of 2021.
The eighth graders take one last class photo before they move up to Upper School. Two soon-to-be sixth graders celebrate their Moving Up.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
Bob Riddle to Step Down After 2021-22 School Year
After 37 years of dedicated service to Crossroads, 12 of them as head of school, Bob Riddle announced in April that the 2021-22 school year would be his last. “While I am not planning to fully retire at the end of next year, I have discovered the need to find a better work-life balance and, in particular, to spend more time traveling with my husband,” he wrote in a letter to the School community. “At the same time, I feel as if I might want to take one last professional leap before I fully retire, although in what field I don’t yet know.”
Bob joined the School in 1984 as a Middle School math and Life Skills teacher and went on to serve in roles including Upper School academic dean, Upper School director, assistant headmaster and dean of faculty. He was appointed head of school in 2009 and has overseen a period of tremendous growth, including the expansion of the 21st Street Campus, the creation of the Science Education & Research Facility and the Equity & Justice Institute, and the development of the strategic plan.
The search for a new head of school is underway. The Board of Trustees has partnered with the firm Resource Group 175 and convened an advisory Search Committee to assist in the recruitment and selection process. The committee anticipates bringing finalists to campus in the fall to meet with various stakeholders; the Board will announce the new head of school in December. The new head will begin their tenure in July 2022.
In her letter to the community, Board Chair Nada Kirkpatrick shared, “I am beyond grateful for Bob’s tireless devotion to our students and to the greater Crossroads community. I look forward to honoring Bob and his legacy next year as his remarkable tenure draws to a close.”
In June, Head of Elementary School Natalie Burton announced that she would be stepping down from Crossroads to relocate to the East Coast with her family. Natalie joined Crossroads in July 2020 and provided strong and compassionate leadership, helping us navigate the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. In a letter to the community announcing her departure, she wrote, “I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity I have had to be the division head at the Elementary School this year. I do not have the words to fully express how much I truly love this position and every single person I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know.”
In the same letter, Bob Riddle reflected, “We were so fortunate to have such an experienced progressive educator and administrator leading our Elementary School this year. … To say that she and her team performed miracles is an understatement, and she is leaving knowing that she has our deepest appreciation, admiration and gratitude.”
Current K-5 Dean of Campus Logistics and Science Specialist Sasha Moore will serve as the interim head of the Elementary School for the upcoming school year. Sasha has worked at Crossroads for nearly two decades and has held many administrative roles throughout her tenure, including interim K-5 dean of students; interim Elementary School assistant director; K-5 dean of summer programs; and K-12 assistant director of summer programs.
Fourth-grade teacher Matt Lintner will provide additional support in a new one-year position as dean of teaching and learning, delivering curricular and pedagogical support to faculty and helping the School navigate the COVID-19-related guidelines and requirements that may be in place next year.
The School is grateful for Natalie’s leadership this year and welcomes Sasha and Matt to their new roles!
Natalie Burton Sasha Moore Matt Lintner
