Crossroads College Preparatory School Articles

Multicultural and Black History Celebration at Crossroads College Prep

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:02:04 GMT

The Crossroads College Preparatory School Multicultural and Black History Celebration, “Sign of the Time,” with a special tribute performance to the culture of Haiti, took place on February 18, 2010 at Crossroads College Preparatory School.

Diversity is one of the key components of the Crossroads College Prep mission statement, and the school is proud to host this event each year. The multicultural component of this celebration represented music, poetry, art, and dance from various cultures of the world. This event also gave the school community an opportunity to support Black History Month by recognizing the achievements of African Americans from yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

There were special guest performances by Theresa Payne, Kenny DeShields, Floyd Boykin III, C Jay Conrod, Mario Pascal, Duane “Jingo” Williams and Donald Williams, and The Crossroads College Preparatory School Music and Foreign Language Departments.

African American Read-In

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:55:30 GMT

On February 24^th, 2010, the Crossroads College Prep community participated in an African American Read-In from 10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. The Read-In, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English as a part of Black History Month celebrations, was organized by Lucille Harris, grandmother of Royce Purley, an eighth grade student at Crossroads College Prep. She brought together a group of educators to read from the works of African American authors.

Lamar Harris, Director of Music Program at Crossroads College Preparatory School, named Peabody Logos Leader In Education Current Winner!

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:22:35 GMT

Lamar Harris, Director of Music Program at Crossroads College Preparatory School, named Peabody Logos Leader In Education Current Winner! Congratulations, Lamar!

This week we salute Lamar Harris of Crossroads College Preparatory School.

Because of Lamar’s enthusiasm and the success of the program, each year increasing numbers of students become involved in music. All are welcome regardless of experience. This is possible because of Lamar’s willingness to provide individual instruction to those willing to learn. Students tutor one another, practice together during lunch and after school and display a camaraderie that demonstrates what it means to be an orchestra or a band. The student musicians, under the leadership of Lamar, are greatly admired and supported by the student body.

It would not be an overstatement to say that Lamar Harris has created an enviable music program. A talented instructor, willing students and the love of music is a combination that Crossroads College Prep is proud to call its own.

Article from:
http://www.logosschool.org/leaders/peabody-logos-leaders-in-education-current-winner/

Crossroads College Preparatory School LEED Platinum Certification Plaque Presentation

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:35:22 GMT

On February 12th, 2010, The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded Crossroads College Preparatory School LEED Platinum Certification with the presentation of a plaque by USGBC representative and Crossroads College Prep alumna Laura Jay, Class of 2003. Crossroads College Preparatory School is only the 6th school in the United States to receive LEED Platinum Certification.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) awards Crossroads College Preparatory School Platinum Certification

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:44:28 GMT

We received very exciting news yesterday that we want to share with you. On Wednesday, January 13th, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded Crossroads College Preparatory School Platinum Certification, the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification possible. We are only the sixth school in the United States to earn this level of recognition, and the only school in between California and the East Coast. We can all take great pride in this award and be happy that our students will graduate from Crossroads College Prep with an understanding of the environmental issues facing our world and an example of how to address some of these problems.

This accomplishment was made possible by the wonderful teamwork among the school, the developer McCormack-Baron Salazar, the architect TRi, the engineer William Tao and Associates, the contractor G. T. Lawlor, and our green consultant Vertegy, and we are deeply grateful for the time, energy, and commitment everyone put into making this dream come true. We also wish to thank the Bellwether Foundation and the many other generous donors who made this happen.

With gratitude,

Billy Handmaker Susan Lanigan
Head of School Chair, Crossroads College Preparatory School Board of Trustees

Crossroads College Prep Students Make a Difference

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:46:00 GMT

Crossroads College Preparatory School students and faculty rolled up their sleeves to make a difference in the community on Friday, December 18, 2009 for the Crossroads College Preparatory School All School Community Service Day.

Students and faculty worked with agencies, educational centers, organizations, and institutions in the St. Louis community such as Southside Day Nursery, St. Patrick’s Center, The Scholar Shop, and Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club. The goal was to provide students and faculty the opportunity to have an impact upon the community by providing practical support through service projects.

Crossroads College Preparatory School Town Hall Notes- December 2, 2009

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:16:13 GMT

On December 2, 2009, the Crossroads College Preparatory School community was invited to participate in a Town Hall meeting to brainstorm about the following question:

How can CCPS provide the skills, knowledge, flexibility, and innovation needed to prepare our students, our families and our community to thrive in a rapidly changing, increasingly networked global society?

The meeting began with a short presentation by Rob Wild, Crossroads College Prep Board member, who served as the meeting’s facilitator. Participants viewed a YouTube video entitled, “Did You Know?” to spark conversation. Participants then arranged themselves around tables in the school library, in groups of approximately 6-8 people. Groups rearranged themselves once during the course of the evening. Large sheets of paper were taped to the surfaces of the library tables so that people could write notes during the course of their discussions. Several board members also took notes at the various tables.

Following is a synopsis of the notes taken during that evening:

What can CCPS do for families?

If we ask for certain skills to be used in class or for an assignment we should alert the parents in advance. For example, students are required to use technology for assignments, e.g. make a video; parents may not have the technical skills, cameras, computer or software needed for their child to readily complete the assignment. It would help parents to have a list of these types of projects in advance. Information, maybe a list of websites, where they could get the technical help they need (to figure out how to connect the camera to the computer etc.). CCPS should consider having equipment for students to borrow or make sure they know where equipment and tech help is available at CCPS.

Tom currently offers Tiny Tech sessions, could these be offered for parents as well?

The long spring break is a problem for working parents of 7^th and 8^th graders. While there are camps available, they are not always conveniently located. The long break causes a major disruption in the family routine. Could Crossroads offer a camp during part or all of spring break?

Provide families with opportunities to learn new technologies that their children are involved with; e.g. Facebook, and then discuss what the implications of new technologies are in the future.

What could CCPS do for the community?

Service learning projects could provide both hands-on learning for the students and benefit the community as well. There was some concern about community service projects cutting into academic time. It was suggested that maybe the community service could be a spring break activity.

What can CCPS do for students?

In this age of instant information, how much time do we need to spend teaching facts? Maybe the focus should be on critical thinking so students know how to find credible, relevant information and how to evaluate it. Students need to learn how to synthesize the information. The question should change from “What do you know?” to “What do you think and why?” Provide students with the knowledge for synthesizing information.

Students should systems thinking in order to understand how things fit/work together/affect one another.

Technology could be used to connect our students to students in other countries or to students in the U.S. who have a very different lifestyle/environment, student in rural areas, for example. Could there be “sister” classrooms in other countries? Other states? Consider activities with other schools besides sports; e.g. choir, academics, debate.

Students should have more opportunities for “real life, hands on” learning. These could be service learning activities that are incorporated into the curriculum.

What about lengthening the school year? That would allow time for community service or to take greater advantage of other learning opportunities without sacrificing classroom time. Some activities could include:

Service learning?

Inquiry-based academy?

Job, intern-based learning

5 hours/5 days/45 weeks? (Move away from agrarian calendar)

Possibly develop year long community projects tied to curriculum

(Some of these activities could provide additional possibilities for bringing in more funding/resources to the school.)

Provide students with methods to deal with the new Techno-World and its distractions.

How best to communicate given multiple methodologies and multiple audiences

How to cope

How to discern what is important

How to discern WHO is important in this celebrity culture

Kids seem to have a talent for multi-tasking, but it that always a good thing? Would it be better to

provide time or opportunities for them to slow-down and focus?

How to create or find a quiet place for refocusing—do kids need meditation skills? (One example is the

physician meditation program, “Physicians in the Moment.”)

In an ocean of media, information and data, teach or provide tools to develop the students’ abilities to

focus; i.e. how does one avoid or ignore distractions; how does one develop self-discipline?

Develop courage to conquer distractions and see availability of new technologies and information as new

opportunities

Develop “media literacy”

Develop methods for teaching that address differences in learning styles brought on by new technologies

Develop chill-out times without media distractions

Help teachers to understand different learning styles so that teaching methods are broad enough to incorporate different learning styles.

Help students to understand themselves.

Help students to develop their own Leadership Skills. Consider doing some of the following to accomplish this:

Community Participation and Service (add a requirement?) Volunteering can lead to leadership in

problem solving

Develop an Ethics program; goals to develop the traits of compassion; kindness; respect; empathy

Consider when/ how/ where leadership development can be done; e.g. incorporated in present

curriculum?

Working with people is important—need to develop “social intelligence”—students need to develop

abilities to connect with others, and find the ways to connect that fits with their own

personalities and abilities

Hands-on experience is important (Material reality—experience and connect to the genuine—person,

place, tree)

Develop problem-solving skills—understanding people’s behaviors, motivations

Important to create capacity to really interact with others who are truly different (including different than

the traditional Crossroads community)

Developing a “love of learning” is critical, so encourage a sense of creativity and curiosity

Bring in highly creative people to talk to teachers and classes about how they create—tell their personal

stories of creativity so that students and teachers can make connections

Use learning/teaching approaches that allow the students to ask “why?”

Develop a “speaker series” for students—local leaders/professionals come to speak to kids—answer a

tough question from their own perspective

Develop a book club/subject club, maybe that is a connection to other schools to share ideas and

experiences

Develop skills in kids that will encourage life-long learning

Develop technology skills—use of technology. For example, video, sound, software, data management

Encourage and provide teachers with methods for doing more interdisciplinary/multi-disciplinary teachers

Develop opportunities/funding/resources for teachers to do something new and exciting over summer or break; e.g. cross-disciplinary, travel, project-oriented.

Pay attention to language shifts/needs; e.g. should we be teaching Mandarin?

Develop the traits of compassion, empathy, resourcefulness, resilience, and ability to embrace and adapt to change

Ensure a diverse, inclusive community by ensuring a strong financial aid program.

A small community ensures that one is knowing and is known, and this type of community has special relationships and responsibilities attached to it, so developing methods for student participation in the community will enable students to practice decisionmaking, negotiating. Try to develop methods for true student governance.

Consider developing a community supported agriculture program.

Consider developing a home economics program.

Consider developing a shop class.

Consider developing a “how to fix things” class—summer program?

Crossroads College Prep Fall Blood Drive

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:28:03 GMT

On Wed. Nov. 18 Crossroads College Prep hosted another successful Fall Blood Drive. A total of 33 people registered, resulting in 29 units of blood collected. One unit of whole blood can help as many as three people- each unit is separated into red cells, platelets and plasma. This means that the units from our drive will help up to 87 individuals!
We had several first time donors who were joined by veteran donors and many helpers. The Black Box was filled with enthusiastic good will. Thank you to all volunteers, donors and supporters of this life saving effort.
Our next drive will be held in April of 2010. Students are already boosting their iron levels in preparation!

Heroes of the Planet Award Finalist

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:05:06 GMT

Crossroads College Preparatory School is honored to be a finalist in the "Sustainable Community" category in the St. Louis Business Journal's "Heroes of the Planet Awards." These awards honor and promote businesses that have led the way in advancing and promoting environmental sustainability within the region.

http://sustainstl.org/heroes-of-planet-award-recipients/

Outstanding Volleyball News

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:38:12 GMT

Congratulations to Nell Briggs and Maddy Vatterott for being named to the All-District teams in Girls’ Volleyball. Nell was voted to the 1st Team and Maddy was named to the 2nd Team.

Nell and Maddy were part of the first-ever appearance of the Crossroads Current in a District Volleyball Championship game played against New Haven. Awesome!

TWO VOLLEYBALL RIVALS “DIG PINK” TO ASSIST WITH BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:35:03 GMT

St. Louis, MO October 20, 2009 – South Central Athletic Association Conference Volleyball rivals, Crossroads College Preparatory School and Maplewood-Richmond Heights participated in a “Dig Pink” Event to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On October 13, 2009, two opponents became one force when the Current and Blue Devils’ girls Freshmen, JV, and Varsity volleyball players teamed up with Side-Out, a foundation that supports health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for people with breast cancer and raised over $1,000 for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Crossroads College Preparatory School gym was packed with fans from both schools, all wearing pink, cheering on their teams, and most importantly, supporting the fight against breast cancer.

Crossroads College Preparatory School offers an academically challenging curriculum to a diverse and inclusive community of students from over 60 zip codes in grades seven through twelve. Crossroads College Prep encourages its students to engage their imaginations in every endeavor, ranging from the sciences to the fine arts, and strives to develop respectful citizens, who apply scholarship, imagination, and critical thinking to civic and social responsibility in their communities and beyond.

Crossroads College Prep's New Green Building

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:19:21 GMT

Crossroads College Prep's new building expansion and renovation project is poised to be the first LEED Certified K-12 School Building in the St. Louis metropolitan region and only the second in the state of Missouri.

While our current economic woes may have diverted attention from focusing on global warming and environmental degradation, we remain committed to teaching your children about climate change and social responsibility.

Crossroads' new building featured in the Post-Dispatch. Watch the video!

Read the article

Press Release

Virtual Tours of the New Green Building

DID YOU KNOW…

Daylighting has a significant impact on the ability of students to learn. The Heschong Mahone Group in a school daylight study reports: “We found that students with the most daylighting in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on math tests and 26% on reading tests in one year than those with the least.

The LEED registered Library and Science Wing addition and renovation at Crossroads College Preparatory School will:

Maximize the amount of daylighting in all spaces in the new addition. The skylights have been added to the main lobby and the hallway of the addition. Large walls of glass bring light into the library and three science labs.
Reduce artificial lighting to conserve electricity and reduce cooling loads. This reduction will happen due to the installation of Photocells. A Photocell is a type of resistor. When light strikes the cell, it allows current to flow more freely. When dark, its resistance increases dramatically. These Photocells are put onto the light fixtures in the library, three labs, and the hallway of the addition. When the sunlight enters these areas of the building, the Photocells placed on the light fixtures will sense the incoming sunlight, automatically dimming the light fixtures, significantly conserving energy.
Use special glass to provide better insulating value than standard glass, reduce glare, and prevent unnecessary heat gain.

During construction, all duct and absorbent materials are covered to help with the air quality and the reduction of mold growth.
When the expansion is complete, 99.3% of the previously existing building will have been reused or recycled in our community!

All plants being used around the grounds of Crossroads College Prep will be indigenous Missouri plants.
Our Rain Garden will serve as a storm water retention area and reduce storm water runoff from the property.

Read Hannah Norwood's article on the 'groundbreaking green project'.

Crossroads College Prep AP Scholars

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:57:25 GMT

22 students at Crossroads College Prep have been named AP Scholars in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams. Nationally, 18 % of AP test takers receive one of the following awards.

8 students qualified for the AP Scholars with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of a least 3.5 on five or more exams. They are:

Marley Graviss, Anna Hendricks, Michael Hilgendorf, Alex King, Rebecca Lowell, Sara Mueller, Hannah Norwood, and Colin Witherspoon.

4 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on four or more exams. They are: Michael Jay, Will Miner, Tianay Pulphus, and John Ray.

10 students qualified for the AP Scholar award by completing 3 or more exams with grades of 3 or higher. They are: Liz Apple, Marina Bolotnikova, Molly Botnick, Tess Butcher, Jake Cohen, Chris Eberhardt, Eric Hoffner, Chris Jent, Laura Pilgram, and Kate Welsh.

Congratulations to the Classes of 2009 and 2010 for their fine work!

Crossroads College Prep featured in Jetson Green magazine

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:16:36 GMT

Jetson Green is a daily updated magazine that's obsessed with green building and everything related to it, including sustainable architecture, good design, green prefab, clean technology in the built environment, affordable housing, and eco-friendly development.

Click for the feature

Class of 2009 receives over $2 million in merit based scholarships.

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:19:58 GMT

Congratulations to the Class of 2009 for being accepted to the
following colleges and universities and for receiving
$2 million in merit based scholarships.

Amherst College
Arizona State University
Bard College
Barnard College
Belmont University
Beloit College (2)
Berklee College of Music
Boston University
Bradley University (2)
Brown University
Carleton College
Clark University
Coe College
Colgate University
College of Wooster
Columbia College
Columbia University (2)
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Creighton University
DePaul University (4)
Denison University (2)
Drew University
Drexel University
Duke University
Earlham College
Eckerd College
Fontbonne University
Fordham University (2)
George Washington University
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
Grinnell College
Guilford College
Haverford College (2)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University
Kenyon College (2)
Knox College (2)
Lewis and Clark College
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University-Chicago (4)
Loyola University-New Orleans
Macalester College (3) Mannes College of Music
Marquette University (2)
Miami University
Middlebury College (2)
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Missouri Valley College
Murray State University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Rhodes College
St. Joseph University
St. Lawrence University
St. Louis University (6)
Savannah College of Art and Design
Seattle University
Skidmore College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University (2)
Temple University
Trinity College
Truman State University
Tulane University
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Denver (2)
University of Missouri (7)
University of Missouri- Kansas City (3)
University of Missouri-St. Louis
University of New Hampshire
University of Pennsylvania (2)
University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School of Business
University of Puget Sound
University of South Carolina
University of Tampa
University of Vermont
Wake Forest University
Washington College
Washington University
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Wittenberg University (2)
Xavier University

Congratulations to the Science Fair Winners--Update

Mon, 11 May 2009 18:59:34 GMT

Update-Congratulations to the following students for their participation in the Greater Saint Louis Science Fair.

Kevin Rogers        Green Ribbon
Claire Holohan    White Ribbon; Saint Louis Dietetic Assn. Award
Larnise Neal         Green Ribbon
Jade Bartley         Green Ribbon
Lexi Brown           Blue Ribbon; Discovery Award/Air and Waste Management Assn. Award/Monsanto Science Award
Royce Purley        Blue Ribbon

Lexi will be eligible for the national Discovery Channel science competition due to her outstanding finish among Saint Louis area middle school students.

Way to go!

Here are the results from the annual Crossroads College Prep Science Fair that was held on Friday and Saturday, February 20 and 21. Congratulations to all the winners. All of our students worked very hard to complete their projects on times, and we had some great boards this year. Students who would like to continue to the Greater Saint Louis Science Fair in April should let Howard know before spring break. Our blue ribbon and grand prize winners have automatically qualified.

Grand Prize: Kevin Rogers
Behavioral Science: Kevin Rogers
Botany: Abie Kanyuck
Microbiology, Medicine, or Health: Alana Slavin
Physics: Nell Briggs
Chemistry: Ellie Turner
Earth, Space, and Environmental Science: Lexi Brown

Place Winners
Upper School
1    Claire Holohan
2   Alisa Berg
3   Alana Slavin
4   Abie Kanyuck
5   Larnise Neal
6   Nell Briggs

Middle School
1   Riley Corbett
2   Meredith Littlejohn
3   Noah Dromgoole
4   Kowalkowski
5   Royce Purley
6   Ellie Turner
(tie)   Jade Bartley
(tie)   Hana Mueller

Originality
Noah Dromgoole and C.D. Duncan

Title
Ellie Turner “Of Rice and Men” and Jordan Bobbitt “Sherlock Holmes at Home”

Logbook
Lexi Brown and C.D. Duncan

Graphs, Charts, or Illustrations
Lexi Brown and Abie Kanyuck

Artistry
Royce Purley and Alisa Berg

Writing and Scholarship
Ellie Turner and Josh Norwood

Howard would like to thank all of the people who helped judge:

Jennifer Shylanski, Lucille Harris, Beth Obertino, Kara Powder, Michael White, Sarah Naylor, Jake Cohen, Lucas Todd, Liz Apple, Kate Welsh, Ellen Watkins, Arlene Sandler, John Montre, Alex King, Annie O’Malley, Karen O’Malley, Anna Hendricks, Becca Vossmeyer, Maya Wilkins, Kat Pearlstone, John Ray, Devin Schwent, Chris Eberhardt, Dick Moomaw, Carol Bitonti, David Blank, Bill Ziegler, Rich Bright, Terri Bright, Jennifer Taylor, Josh Witten, Kate Noble, Rob Wild, Dr. Chris Glass, Sheryl Loux, Dan Hansen, Debra Emery, Anne Nightingale, Angela Hunter-Knight, and Mindy Mohrman.

Also special thanks to Rich Moore for his hard work with setup, and to the athletics department for their flexibility and support.

Without you this would not have been possible.

Crossroads College Prep parent, James Ibur, creates ceramic mural at Staenberg Family Complex Indoor aquatics center

Wed, 06 May 2009 15:31:37 GMT

James Ibur's contribution the new Staenberg Family Complex involved clay — a lot of clay. Try 3,000 pounds worth.

The Jewish Community Center commissioned Ibur, a local artist and assistant professor of art (and coordinator of the ceramics program) at St. Louis Community College - Meramec, to create a ceramic mural to adorn the north wall of the Staenberg Family Complex indoor aquatics center.

The result is a dramatic 12- by-16 feet work of art inspired by the account of the world's creation in the Book of Genesis, aptly called Creation.

The project began when Rabbi Brad Horwitz, director of the JCC's Helene Mirowitz Department of Jewish Life told Andrea Schankman about his concept for a ceramic mural. That's when Schankman introduced the rabbi to Ibur and the shiddach was made.

Horwitz said while the building's focus is on fitness and wellness — not specifically Jewish activities — the artwork inside provides a reminder of the center's Jewish roots.

"We wanted the Jewish elements done subtly — not in your face," he said. "We wanted the building to feel welcoming to everybody but still have a Jewish ambiance."

Ibur said after his first meeting with Rabbi Horwitz, he read through local author and professor Howard Schwartz's collection of stories, Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Two jumped out at him: the second day of Creation when the Upper Waters were separated from the Lower Waters, and the story of the vessels God created to hold the light being sent to earth.

According to the Zohar, a mystical interpretation of Torah, God sent 10 vessels filled with primordial light to earth, but the vessels were fragile and they broke, sending holy sparks out into the world. The Zohar says our job is to gather up those sparks. When the sparks are gathered, the vessels will be whole again and the world will be healed, which is what we call tikkun olam, repair of the world.

"I'm a potter," said Ibur. "This is what I do. I make vessels."

The project became collaborative, and meetings followed with Horwitz; Lynn Wittels, president and CEO of the JCC; Matt Wever, the JCC's director of facilities; O'Toole Design Associates and Michael Staenberg, a driving force and namesake of the Staenberg Family Complex.

Designs were drawn and redrawn. Ibur made clay mockups called maquettes; colors were examined and re-examined. A spit of land became a whale; static shapes became more playful; vessels became animals; turquoise water became jade green. Colored tiles were brought into the aquatic center and compared and debated until exactly the right colors were chosen.

And then work on the mural began in earnest at Ibur's studio.

Ibur had to work with 3,000 pounds of clay without stepping on it, so the first task was to make 12 movable tables on which he could rest the clay.

Once the clay was laid out, Ibur spent months crawling on it — every night throwing gallons of water on it. Shapes began to emerge and to morph.

"I started with vessels which started growing arms and tails. Pots got wiggly and pushed out features and morphed into full-out animals. I had come full circle and was making realistic animal figures again, like I did years ago," Ibur said.

Once everything was sculpted, it had to be cut into pieces. Three thousand pounds of clay became over 200 individual tiles.

Then each piece had to hollowed out, so no piece would be too heavy to hang on the wall or break while being fired.

Every piece was hand painted and fired twice. Then, each piece was numbered so it could be identified after it was moved from Ibur's studio to the Staenberg complex where the mural was painstakingly reassembled.

The result is an interpretation of Genesis, with layer upon layer of meaning. An enormous whale symbolically divides the waters below from the waters above. Moving closer in, creatures such as sea turtles, starfish, seahorses, crustaceans and even a serpent, swim through the shimmering green water. Some creatures are colorful, some luminous. Closer still, layers of creatures emerge —land animals foreshadowing the continuing evolution from dinosaurs to human beings. And a careful inspection reveals a light covering of the sparks of initial creation as well as the DNA of ongoing creation.

Ibur said piecing together the 200 tiles is no small feat. "It's a puzzle," mused Ibur. "The biggest piece of work in my life."

http://www.stljewishlight.com/news/294372900526375.php

Crossroads College Prep joined over 5200 students in Nashville for Chess Supernationals IV

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:25:41 GMT

Crossroads College Prep joined over 5200 students in Nashville, Tennessee for Supernationals IV held April 3-5.

The Middle School Under 800 team won a trophy for finishing in 14th place. The team was led by Benton Birch, Hana Mueller, Noah Dromgoole, and Sam Jones, who each won 4 out of 7 matches.

In the Middle School Under 1000 division, Harry Shockley won a trophy for finishing 19th out of 195 players with a 5-2 record. In the High School Under 1600 division, Robin Woehr finished 48th out of 319 players and won a consolation trophy for his 5-2 record.

Here are the teams that participated in Supernationals IV

High School, Under 1600: Robin Woehr

High School Under 1200: Alicia Brown, Tess Butcher, Chris Eberhardt, Walker Frantz-Greene

High School, Under 800: Flannery Allison, Justice Alsup, Daniel Brown-Schnurr, Matt Carleton, Matt Clark, Nelson Corliss, Justin Davis, Tony Gee-Salter, Nick Kurtz, Nick Little, Cheree Mills

8th Grade, Under 1000: Harry Shockley

8th Grade, Under 750: Benton Birch, Noah Dromgoole, Will Dula, Wolf Ibur, Sam Jones, Curtis Mitchell, Hana Mueller, Will Tipton, Paul Watkins

Howard would like to thank his wife, Jodi, and parents Ed Dromgoole and Dave Mueller for their help with the chaperoning duties this year. Thanks also to Ben Birch for helping when we needed an extra pair of hands.

Crossroads College Prep Chess Teams Finish 3rd, 5th, and 8th at State

The 9^th grade and under team of Flannery Allison, Elijah Kessler, Hana Mueller, Wolf Ibur, and Chip Bloch took home the third place plaque at the Missouri State Scholastic Championships on February 28^th. Our 8^th grade and under team of Benton Birch, Noah Dromgoole, Will Dula, Will Tipton, Sam Jones, Paul Watkins, and Curtis Mitchell placed 5^th. Sam Jones led the team with a 4-2 record, earning a medal. Chris Eberhardt and Robin Woehr led the high school team to their 8^th place finish and a plaque. Chris placed 3rd on board 2 and Robin placed 8^th on board 1. The other members of the high school team were Nick Kurtz, Eric Hoffner, Cheree Mills, Walker Frantz-Greene, Tony Gee-Salter, Nick Little, Tess Butcher, Nelson Corliss, Michael Knapp, Max Carleton, Alicia Brown, Justin Davis, Daniel Brown-Schnurr, Matt Clark, and Justice Alsup. Special welcome to first-time chess players Michael, Elijah, and Chip.

Two Seniors Named National Merit Finalists

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:13:58 GMT

Anna Hendricks and Alex King were named Finalists in the National Merit Competition. All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships in 2009. Anna and Alex have received certificates which state that they were chosen for “demonstrating through distinguished performance high potential for future academic accomplishment”.

Crossroads College Prep Produces Rising Star

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:01:15 GMT

Frank Cusumano interviews Terrance Brown, a Crossroads College Basketball Star. To watch the story, click on the link below.

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/highschool/article.aspx?storyid=165498

Martin Luther King Day/Presidential Inauguration

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:03:44 GMT

Congratulations to all who participated in our MLK Day/Presidential Inauguration activities.

On Thursday, January 15th, we divided the school into grade level groups during the Advisory Period to watch the Martin Luther King, Jr. speech known as either "The Cancelled Check" or the "I Have a Dream" speech. We discussed the speech and how each "title" used for it may carry a great deal of meaning. For example, in the beginning of the speech, Dr. King uses the metaphor of a promissory note that America has refused to redeem for African-Americans to represent how the United States has failed to live up the promises of the Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, and the Constitution. Also in the beginning, Dr. King addresses "the fierce urgency of now." In the better known closing section, however, Dr. King speaks in a more visionary, and one might say, ethereal manner; he envisions an America where all children, regardless of their ethnicity or race, are "free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last."

On Tuesday, January 20th, we watched President Obama take the oath of office and give his inaugural address. Following the speech, we ate lunch and then attended sessions "breakout" seminars.

SEMINARS

Seminar 1     Growing up Black in St. Louis and the historical significance of Obama's inauguration Vivian Gibson
Seminar 2     The Art of Politics     Tom Huck
Seminar 3     Obama and Rhetoric     Josh Hutchison
Seminar 4     I am a Black Woman     Salena Jay
Seminar 5     The Hip-Hop Culture     D.J. Needles
Seminar 6     Community Service and Action     Gerry Lauber & Justin McKnight
Seminar 7     What's the Big Deal?     John Merritt
Seminar 8     The Civil Rights Movement     Rick Burns
Seminar 9     The Politics of this Moment     Andrew Rehfeld
Seminar 10        Diversity in Corporate America     Michelle Holton
Seminar 11     What Obama's Election means for African American Men Daryll McAdoo, CCPS Class of 2001
Seminar 12     Race at Crossroads College Prep     Tianay, Patrick, Kate, and Hannah Students from the Class of 2009
Seminar 13     Obama and the Economy in our Cities     Zach Boyers
Seminar 14     The Art of Hope (performance at 3:00)     Angela Hunter-Knight
Seminar 15     Michelle Obama: Our New First Lady     Ms. G & Tawana Parks
Seminar 16     Famous Last Words     Brittyne Fitzgerald

Alumni News

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:22:55 GMT

Crossroads College Prep alumna, Annie Wersching , Class of 1995, plays FBI Agent Renee Walker on this hit FOX show "24". Congratulations, Annie! Annie has played Amelia Joffe on the ABC soap General Hopsital since March. She will also guest star in the new series Journeyman on NBC. She has previously appreared on Supernatural, Boston Legal and Cold Case.

Carl Pilgram, Class of 2005, spent the summer as an intern working in microfinance in impoverished rural and urban areas of Kenya. Carl was featured in the Washington University Anthropology News, click here for the link to his story.

Chris Taylor, class of 2006, is a junior at DePaul University in Chicago. Thanks to all of those AP courses at Crossroads College Prep and summer and winter courses, he is a quarter and a half ahead of this class but will graduate with his class in 2010. He is working towards a Radio/Broadcasting Communications major with a minor in Marketing. Chris is currently the host of Quick Simple The Rock Show on Radio DePaul, involved with an a service organization called Invisible Children, and other wonderful stuff college kids do. Way to go Chris!

Madeline Emery, class of 2007, is a member of Proof of the Pudding, an all-female a cappella group at Yale that specializes in jazz and swing. They toured India for about ten days over spring break, spending time in Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai, and including day trips to the Taj Mahal in Agra and the 7th-century ruins in Mahabalipuram.

Chaz Littlejohn, Class of '03, graduated with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, earning a degree in economics and physics. His undergraduate thesis topic was: "Household Marketing Decisions in the Ugandan Coffee Trade." The abstract is available by clicking here. Next month, Chaz moves to Washington, DC, to join the public sector practice of Booz Allen Hamilton, a global consulting firm.

Daryll McAdoo, Class of 2001, graduated from Yale University in 2005. He received one of the very few and extremely prestigious Chancellor’s Fellowships at Washington University, where he is now pursuing a PhD in education with the goal of eventually starting a school so he can do for students what he feels Crossroads College Prep did for him. Daryll, pictured here with his niece, is also engaged and will wed this January.

The Reverend Theresa Mithen, Class of 1994, earned a BA in history from Yale University in 1998, a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and a Masters in Divinity from the General Theological Seminary before taking over as the Pastor at Saint John's Episcopal Church in South City when it was about to close. The Church is now thriving with over 200 families and has become an anchor in the community by serving people of all faiths. In addition to her clerical responsibilities, Theresa is working on a variety of initiatives in the areas of social justice and responsibility. As if she were not busy enough, she is also pursuing a PhD in theology.

Charles Littlejohn, Class of 2003, is the brother of Madeline Emery, Class of 2007 and now attending Yale University, and Meredith Littlejohn, Class of 2013. He is currently double-majoring in physics and economics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and serving as the assistant director of Nourish International, an organization that matches college students with developing communities and seeks ways to reduce poverty. Charles spent last summer in Uganda working with farmers on a sustainable agriculture initiative, and he is continuing his research here in the States.

Courtney Dula, class of 2002, graduated from Hampton University with a B.S. in Chemistry on May 13, 2007. She received a grant from the National Science Foundation Center for Research Excellence to pursue a Masters Degree in Chemistry at Hampton University. Courtney is doing research in the area of nano science. Her particular project concerns gold and silver quantum dots and the computational theoretical data to support the experimental data obtained from laser spectroscopy. The practical application includes but is not limited to light emitting diodes and computer circuitry.

Crossroads College Prep is proud to boast about one of our first Division I athletes. Adam Pruitt, Class of 2006, is a member of the University of Missouri at Kansas City Track and Field team. Adam will be running the 100 and 200 meter dashes in addition to relays during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Adam was a high school standout in both events claiming a District Championship in the 100 meters in 2005 and 2006; as well as setting school records in both events.

Sydney Frasure, class of '07, has been cast in the fall play at Butler University, The play is titled The Divinity of Women Project and it is about women's roles in different religions. This play is a devised piece which means interviews were conducted with women in various religious communities, the interviews were transcribed, and their experiences were put into a journal. All of this material was then sent to a playwright Zina Camblin in New York City. She will write the play and send it back to Butler to be performed.

Pam Bell, class of '04, received the Michel Loomis Award (from Knox College, IL) given to the female student-athlete selected as the outstanding performer in an individual sport in a given year. Bell earned her second all-conference medal in the high jump in 2007 by tying for second place at the Midwest Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Her jump of 5 feet, 0.25 inches was a lifetime best, ranks as the third-best jump in indoor team history and made her only the third female to clear 5 feet indoor for Knox. She has or is tied for seven of the top 10 indoor high jump marks in team history. During the 2007 indoor season, the junior placed her name among the top 10 Knox all-time performers in six different events - high jump, long jump, 55-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4x200 relay and sprint medley relay. Pam also recently set a new school record at Knox College in the 200-meter dash.

Congratulations also to Lorna Kurdi, Class of 2001, on last night's Democratic Party primary results in New Hampshire. Lorna has spent the past eight months working as a field supervisor for the Hillary Clinton Presidential campaign in New Hampshire. While we are not making a political endorsement here, we can applaud Lorna's hard work and the success she experienced.

Madeline Emery, class of '07, has been selected as a member of Yale's Proof of the Pudding A Capella singing group.

23 Students at Crossroads College Prep Named AP Scholars!

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:50:56 GMT

Over half of last year’s graduating class along with several juniors comprise the largest number of AP Scholars in Crossroads’ history.

AP Scholars with Disitnction - average of 3.5 and grades of 3 or higher on at least five exams:
Micaela Blank

Jordan Carter

Hannah Kiem

George Lynch

Benedict Noero

Lindsay Schein

Micah Shilcrat

Vanessa Smith

Brynne Weeks

AP Scholar with Honor - average of 3.25 and grades of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams
Ashley Loth

AP Scholar - grades of 3 or higher on 3 exams
Noga Barak

Kayla DeForest

Anna Hendricks

Alex King

Rebecca Lowell

Sara Mueller

Pippa Nardie-Werner

Hannah Norwood

Hemal Patel

LaKecia Veal

Kate Welsh

Colin Witherspoon

Reina Woods

Student Achievement 2008-2009

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:39:20 GMT

Congratulations and nice work to Raina Brooks, Class of 2014, for her recitation of Maya Angelou's poem Still I Rise at The Big Read Festival in Clayton. Raina and Brittany Gordon, Class of 2012, who recited her own poem, accompanied the Crossroads College Prep student musicians and music teacher Lamar Harris in their performance at the Festival. Nice work!

Anna Hendricks and Alex King were recently named National Merit Semi-Finalists. The semi-finalists represent the top half of one percent of all students taking the PSAT nationally last October. They have the opportunity to advance to finalist status and receive scholarships. Congratulations to Anna and Alex!

Hannah Obertino-Norwood received recognition as a Commended Student, having placed among the top five percent of scorers on the PSAT last fall.

On Friday,September 12, Crossroads College Prep junior Robin Woehr performed at Powell Symphony Hall as part of the Symphony's Community Partnership Program. There were two concerts, titled Shake, Scrape, and Strike, and they introduced classes from several elementary schools to the world of the percussion player. Along with his percussion teacher, Thomas Stubbs, from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and several fellow percussion students, Robin performed on xylophone, vibraphone, tympani, bells, and his father, Chris Woehr, also of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, accompanied the group on viola and washboard.

Kate Welsh featured in Louie Magazine as one of the "Top Teens to Watch"

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:52:15 GMT

from Louie magazine-

Kate Welsh-Fresh Ink
Crossroads College Prep-
By: Mallory Vargon
-Class of '09

Aspirations make the difference between people who are an inspiration and those who are content being average. Kate Welsh, Crossroads College Prep class of 2009, is someone you aspire to be like. A writer who is extremely eloquent with words, Welsh notes that she would like to be remembered for the bigger picture, "I'd like to be remembered for - as the book Miss Rumphius presents - 'something that makes the world more beautiful.' Really, anything that has changed the world for the better," says Welsh.

With a stellar resume that many college grads would be happy to have, Welsh is not only well spoken, but accomplished. She is founder and editor of her school literary magazine the Curiouser, is editor of the yearbook, was a grade representative and will be co-president of the student council. Welsh has also been recognized with numerous awards, including the Johns Hopkins' University Book Award for writing and the St. Louis Poetry Center's Beverly Hopkins Memorial Contest (third place). She also placed in the Nancy Thorpe Poetry Contest through Hollins University and received an honorable mention in the same contest the year before. Welsh also wrote a one-act play for a summer program in 2007 and plans to do so again this summer.

These accomplishments are only a stepping-stone to her higher aspirations. "I would love to work as the editor of a literary magazine, kind of like I do now for Curiouser, but on a much larger scale," says Welsh. "What would be beyond ideal is to be one of the editors with The New Yorker. It would be amazing to be able to wake up everyday, knowing that you would be surrounded by words and faces of some of the most influential people in the literary world."

Welsh also recognizes that she could not have gotten where she is, or get where she's going, without support from her family and friends. "I've been really lucky to have an incredible family, wonderful teachers and amazing friends," says Welsh. "My parents were the ones who first encouraged my interest in writing in elementary school. As I got older, teachers became very supportive, informing me of upcoming contests and, in ninth grade, helping me start up Curiouser, my school's literary magazine. "1 don't know if I could pinpoint one person that really pushes me to reach my goals; really, it's my family, teachers and friends combined. My mom, really, has been the most helpful in pushing me towards opportunities and encouraging me to be proactive."

It is clear that Welsh is destined for great things. She plans to attend a small liberal arts college in the Northeast. She hopes to study abroad while she's there and go on to graduate school for English.