Crossroads News
2014-15 School Year Kicks Off with Convocations
New school year starts on note of optimism and unity.
On Sept. 5, all three divisions celebrated the start of a new school year. At the Elementary School, Head of School Bob Riddle welcomed new and returning families at the year’s first Gathering ceremony. Students were introduced to new Crossroads teachers via a short film, and the ceremony ended with everyone singing the traditional Gathering song.
Later that morning on the 21st Street campus, Middle and Upper School students packed the basketball court for convocation. Bob began the ceremony by welcoming this year’s students before the seniors paraded down the aisles and gathered in bleachers at the front of the court. Student Council Co-Presidents Sol Fagenson ’15 and Maisie Lynton ’15 addressed their peers, urging students to go beyond their usual social groups and make new friends this year.
In his closing remarks, Bob echoed this sentiment, noting that Crossroads’ strength lies in its diverse student body that comes together to form a tight-knit and caring community. He referenced the current turbulence in the world—from the Middle East to Ferguson, Missouri—which so often occurs when “we separate ourselves from others based on race, class, religion or national origin.”
“I still have hope because of what I see here in our own Crossroads community,” Bob told the gathering of students and faculty members. “We’re willing to embrace and celebrate one another not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences. It gives me hope for what the world can be.”
