Codes of
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Service to the Community
In Middle School, students will spend a day in the spring helping local organizations. Above, students shovel mulch for the Rescue Mission's landscaping.
Service takes many shapes at North Cross. On any given day, you may find students in the Lower School writing Thanksgiving messages to Veterans at the VA Hospital; Middle Schoolers collecting canned food to donate to a local shelter; or the whole school participating in a meal-packing event for families in need across the globe. Beyond that, students will take service trips to places like Costa Rica, where they not only get to experience zip lining through the rainforest, but also helping clear beaches of debris so that nesting turtles can traverse the sand safely. Upper School students are required to perform at least 12.5 hours of community service per year, but many of them exceed that requirement. In the spring, the Middle School blankets the Valley with willing workers on their Community Service Day where students are divided among organizations to lend a helping hand. The results are immediate, but the benefit lasts a lifetime.
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Commitment to Inclusivity
Our belief in creating a welcoming community of all backgrounds and beliefs leads is woven into the fabric of all we do.
We view inclusivity as a goal toward which we progress and for which we consistently strive. This means that we utilize programs like Tailored Tuition, tutoring and learning centers, Global Studies, the arts, athletics, cultural exchange programs, affinity groups, and higher education for our faculty and staff as methods toward attaining this goal of an inclusive culture. North Cross School professional development uses various measures and training to ensure our faculty and staff understand and appreciate cultural norms and traditions of all members of our community. While each of these methodologies contributes to our inclusivity in unique ways, they are not intended to be the sum of our efforts.
We recognize the strength inherent in an environment that includes diverse beliefs and cultures, abilities, nationalities, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, and identities so we actively seek to create a school environment that is diverse and inclusive. 
Statement of Inclusivity
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Traditions |
Dress Code |
Mentorship & Guidance |
The first day of school begins with our Convocation ceremony where the senior class sits before the rest of the school and Lower School students are assigned to their homeroom teachers.
From Ms. Lemon ringing in the new school year with the bells our namesake Margaret Northcross Ellis used to ring to start the school day decades ago, to the Fat Pencil Ceremony where a JK student presents her Senior Buddy with a red "fat" pencil, similar to the ones with which students learned penmanship, North Cross has a rich history of traditions. But what makes North Cross truly unique is how we welcome new traditions. When a fourth grader wanted to create a "Buddy Bench" in the Lower School playground where students looking for a playmate could sit inviting others to be with them, the school was supportive. When then newly named Lower School Director Victor Lamas named the students to their respective classes on Convocation Day 2016, he was greeted with applause when he pulled out a Sorting Hat. Our traditions have one purpose: to strengthen our community by embracing that which makes us unique, and which has done so for 80 years.
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Formal Dress Days, though saved for special occasions, are always welcomed photo opps for parents.
In establishing a dress code for its students, the School encourages a high standard of appearance so students take pride in themselves and the School, and so that eccentricities of dress do not become a distraction from their work each day. The dress code is also intended to minimize extravagances and competition in dress. Furthermore, the dress code reinforces that different attire is appropriate for different occasions and events. In general, students should be neat, clean, and well groomed, and should wear clothes that are clean, well pressed, properly fitting, and in good repair. Students are expected to adhere to the dress code from their arrival at school until the end of the class day, unless otherwise instructed. The dress code is a feature of school life most successfully fulfilled when parents, students, and the School work closely together. All clothing must be solid colored (except plaid skirts). Should clothing not fall within the following guidelines, a student may be required to leave class until corrected.
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Upper Schoolers have the opportunity to participate in summer internships, available at a variety of local businesses and organizations.
Beyond the mentorship provided by their peers and teachers, North Cross builds into its Lower School curriculum a time for guidance. During this time period, which meets bi-weekly, our licensed professional school counselor works with small groups of students on skills like conflict resolution, smart choices, and self confidence. This work continues through Middle School and includes healthy self images, kindness and verbalization. Our school counselor also works with the administration to bring timely speakers to campus. Past issues addressed include parenting "digital natives" and the rise of opioid addiction.
In 2017 the Malcolm K. Douglas Summer Internship Program had its first season. The short-term job assignments help students gain real-world experience in his or her field of interest, ranging from set design to lab sciences, while businesses and organizations have the opportunity to mentor and create connections which may someday lead to a new employee. Students also learn how to present one's self for an interview and how to communicate in a business setting. At the end of it, students not only gain a leg up in an industry of interest, but also a nice addition to their college résumés. |