Dear Crossroads Families,
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year!
We hope you are enjoying a summer full of health and happiness, and that everyone is rested, recharged and ready for a fantastic year. We look forward to partnering with you as we face the next chapter of this unprecedented time. I want to assure you that we have spent several months planning for your return and establishing safety and health guidelines to ensure the best possible experience for you while we are still amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crossroads High School Staff continuously strives to build relationships with students that help them feel safe, valued, and accepted. We believe that a combination of strong relationships, academic press, and trauma informed practices help students come to school ready to learn. Whether we are in person or remote, our goal is to encourage learning through active student engagement.
The acronym P.E.A.C.E. (Perseverance, Engage, Appreciate, Create, Empathize) is the pillar of the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) standards we will be focusing on this year as well as our building-based expectations. Students will learn more about this during Success Academy our first week of school and will revisit these expectations with staff periodically throughout the year.
We acknowledge the work parents and caregivers do each day to help their child navigate school, and we acknowledge those students who are navigating it alone. At times, you will need to sit with or check in with your child about independent assignments. At times you will need to contact the teacher regarding content or SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) related matters. We will certainly reach out to you. This partnership is the most important form of family engagement there is. We value your input. We know that some of you may have safety concerns or even anxieties regarding the return to school. I assure you that we are doing everything we can to maintain a safe and productive school.
Each year brings positive change. This includes a few additions to our staff. We are delighted to welcome Madysen Pruss, Elizabeth (Liz) Panagos, and John Johansen to the Crossroads Staff Family, Madysen will be working as a part time Student Support Advocate at Crossroads, she has our community as an SSA in both elementary schools for several years and we are very excited that she is moving up to serve the Crossroads students and families. Liz will be working as a special education teacher in both Crossroads and Open Doors, Liz previously worked as a paraprofessional and case-manager in both the Crossroads and Open Doors programs. In addition to earning her teaching credential, Liz has an extensive background in implementing trauma informed practices and has a gentle, sensitive approach to meeting children’s academic and emotional needs. John will be teaching English, Humanities, and Media Journalism. John is a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher who has been in the field for ten years, he has extensive experience working in alternative programs and comes to us with an incredible skill set.
There are several important dates and times you may want to be aware of:
September 2 11:00-2:00 Back-to-School BBQ,
September 7 8:35-2:11 First Day of School
September 9 8:00-11:00 Picture Day
September 16 7:00-9:00p.m. White Hatter Presentation- Internet Safety and Digital Literacy for Parents and Caregivers https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/programs/internet-safety-and-digital-literacy-for-parents-and-caregivers
Crossroads Block Schedule:
M, T, Th 8:35-2:12
W 8:35-12:51
Friday 8:35-11:30
Students have the option for extended learning during teacher office hours from 7:40-8:30 M-Th or 2:30-3:30 M, T, Th, depending on schedule. Teacher office hours will be posted in the office, in classrooms, and on CANVAS.
Wednesday Early Release: Students will be released at 12:51 on Wednesdays for district wide staff professional learning for district wide staff professional development.
Friday School: Many of you have chosen Crossroads for your child’s educational environment as a proactive approach for a different learning opportunity. Three Friday’s a month are open to all students and are structured to provide them with the access to teachers for extra help on assignments, tutoring, making up hours towards missed school days, and a chance to improve academic performance. The last Friday of every month Crossroads High School is closed to students so staff can focus on Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) compliance paperwork and individual student programming. Crossroads is currently coordinating transportation with multiple districts, which poses challenges for Friday release times, particularly for students who have completed their work and utilize school transportation. As a result, all students have open campus privileges on Fridays.
Transportation: Transportation will take Lake Stevens students directly home on Wednesday’s and Fridays. Community transit bus tickets will be provided to students who need before or after school transportation.
Remote Option: Crossroads will continue to offer a limited number of courses with a remote option where students and families work with a certificated teacher to develop a Written Student Learning Plan that includes credit bearing classes and a specific number of homework hours. Courses offered do not include a requirement for in person instructional contact time, however certificated teachers are available to meet with students during office hours. Instructional interaction between the teacher and student includes, but is not limited to: one on one assistance, review of assignments, assessment, testing, progress monitoring, and educational facilitation.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. In the meantime, continue living your best summer lives- resting and recharging, investing in yourself and in all the people, places, and things that you love and bring you joy. Looking forward to seeing everyone next week.
Kind Regards,
Bridgette McVay
Crossroads High School Principal
