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A Good Example

12/6/2019

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PictureImage from Roanoke Times.
I have worked with families for many years and have come to realize that there are many ways to be a parent and most of them work well.  I usually trot this aphorism out when trying to talk a parent off the ledge as they are criticizing themselves for a mistake they made or, in rare cases, when parents are comparing themselves unsuccessfully to other parents. Fortunately, for all of us parents, God has a sense of humor and he made children remarkably resilient.


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Live Bravely.

9/21/2018

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Picture
Art by E.W. Kemble in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” 1884. Credit: Getty Images
​At this year’s Convocation I spoke of the concept of the “healthy struggle,” that as parents we must allow our children not only to make mistakes but also to recover from mistakes of their own making. From an academic standpoint, healthy struggle leads to the development of a scholar who is not content with the status quo and who is always in search of a better way.  But most of all, I am referring to a social struggle; for without successful resolution of healthy social struggles, a child fails to develop people skills. In the terms of Daniel Goleman, a child who knows no struggle lacks emotional I.Q.  
 
I am a parent of two millennial children, and a self-admitted imperfect parent on even my best day, so I do not want to seem preachy in my first Crossties post of the year. I do, however, want to set forward a discussion point for us as a community this year. How can we as parents refrain from making our children’s lives “perfect” so that they can find the struggles to solve?

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This Year’s Lineup

8/24/2018

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Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ed-charles-member-1969-miracle-mets-dead-84-article-1.3877376
​You may have heard me at Convocation mention the “Miracle Mets” of 1969.  In case you are unfamiliar, this team had finished in ninth place their previous season, but came to training camp with an expectation of accomplishing much more.  And accomplish much more they did, winning 100 games, sweeping the Braves in the playoffs, and then much to my disappointment, defeating one of the greatest teams in baseball history, the Baltimore Orioles*, in the World Series.  Besides showing my age and knowledge of useless sports trivia, why am bringing this up in my first article for Crossties this year?

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A Note to The ‘Dads’

12/4/2017

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Sometimes we get caught up in the little things and lose sight of what is really important. This past weekend saw the death of a really good man and a valued member of our community. Dan Yardley was the father of three North Cross students and the loving husband of Kelsey, and he will be missed by all. 

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Education for the Common Good

10/13/2017

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I recently read a back-to-school letter written by John Allman, a colleague of mine at Trinity School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The letter was featured in a New York Times article titled, “Can Prep Schools Fight the Class Wars?” The article speaks of private schools as “the places in which the affluent receive the most intimate exposure to the obscenely rich.” I have known John in passing for twenty years, mostly by reputation, and he is a remarkably polished headmaster who moved from Upper School Head at Lovett School, to a very successful tenure as Headmaster at St. John’s School in Houston, and then on to Trinity.

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    Picture

    Christian J. Proctor, PhD

    Dr. Proctor is the ninth Head of School at North Cross and has served as such since 2011. He has more than 30 years of experience in education. He has served as headmaster at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, Louisiana, Grace Episcopal School in Monroe, Louisiana, and as Interim Headmaster at Wesley Academy in Houston, Texas. In each location, Dr. Proctor’s tenure was marked by creativity, innovation, and school growth. 

    Dr. Proctor earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Colgate University, a Master’s Degree in Geology from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A native of Chapel Hill, NC, Dr. Proctor and his wife, Ellie, have two children, Katherine and Andrew ’14.

    He can be reached at cproctor@northcross.org.

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4254 Colonial Avenue
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
540-989-6641 • (540) 989-7299 (FAX)

HOURS: M-F; 8AM-4PM

North Cross School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school founded in 1944 and governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

All contact information listed on this website is for official North Cross School business only. North Cross School does not accept unsolicited advertisements sent to school email addresses, phone numbers, or fax numbers listed on this site.

North Cross School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid or employment policies, or any other programs administered by the School. For more information, read our Inclusivity Statement.

​Accreditation
North Cross is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. North Cross School's Junior Kindergarten is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools who is recognized by the Board of Education pursuant to §22.1-19 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the Virginia Council for Private Education to accredit private nursery, preschool, elementary and secondary schools in Virginia
.

Memberships
North Cross is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association for College Admission Counseling, and Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling, The Cum Laude Society and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

​
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North Cross Shanghai
Employment Opportunities
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Vision & Values
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Building Character
    • Board of Trustees
    • Senior Administration
    • Our new Head of School: Armistead Lemon '95
    • Campus Map
    • In the News
    • NOW@NORTHCROSS
  • ACADEMICS
    • Lower School >
      • Early Childhood Program
      • First through Third Grades
      • Fourth and Fifth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Middle School >
      • Sixth through Eighth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Upper School >
      • Ninth through Twelfth Grades >
        • Global Studies Distinction
        • STEM Distinction
        • Fine Arts Distinction
        • Internship Program
      • Course Catalog
      • College Counseling
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • The Talfourd H. Kemper Library
    • CrossWalk for Learning Differences >
      • Meet Our Faculty
  • ARTS
    • Band
    • Chorus
    • Studio Art & Graphic Design
    • Theater
    • Friends of the Arts
  • ATHLETICS
    • Athletics Calendar
    • Teams & Schedules
    • Championships & Awards
    • Forms
    • Facilities
    • Meet Our Athletics Staff
    • Athletic Boosters
    • In the News
  • STUDENT LIFE
    • Dress Code
    • Extracurriculars
    • International Students
    • Boarding at North Cross
    • After-School Opportunities
    • Summer Programs
  • PARENT/Alumni RESOURCES
    • Log in to FACTS
    • School Calendar
    • Back-to-School
    • Student & Parent Handbook
    • Parent Opportunities
    • Need to Get in Touch?
    • Covid Protocols
    • Alumni >
      • Awards
      • Athletic Hall of Fame
      • In the News
      • Class Notes
      • In Memoriam
    • Spirit Stores >
      • Apparel
      • Gifts & Accessories
      • Athletics
  • ADMISSIONS
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • What is an independent school?
    • Inquire & Tour
    • How to Apply
    • Tuition and Fees
    • International Student FAQs
    • Meet Our Team
  • SUPPORT
    • Give to North Cross
    • The Legacy Campaign
    • Meet Our Team
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Foundation Tax Credits Program