A mission-driven education
WHO WE ARE
North Cross School is an independent, nonsectarian school serving students in early childhood through 12th grade from across the Roanoke Valley, the region, and the world.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to inspire a community of intellectually curious learners to think critically, act with integrity, and lead with courage.
North Cross School is an independent, nonsectarian school serving students in early childhood through 12th grade from across the Roanoke Valley, the region, and the world.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to inspire a community of intellectually curious learners to think critically, act with integrity, and lead with courage.
A complete history of North Cross School is related in Cornerstones: A History of North Cross School by Jane Sigloh. The information contained here is largely excerpted from Ms. Sigloh's work, and we are grateful to have had our school's history so well detailed.
It All Started in a Basement
Margaret (Billy) Northcross Ellis
North Cross School was founded in Salem in 1944 when one determined parent refused to let the cutoff date for public school inhibit her daughter's ability to attend the first grade. Mrs. Howard (May) Butts knew that her daughter Cynthia was ready to read, and read she would. Mrs. Butts would simply start a private school in the basement of her own home.
Mrs. Butts gathered Cynthia and her two sons and set off to speak with Margaret (Billy) Northcross about teaching first grade at this new private school. Billy Northcross accepted the offer, and that fall, 19 students were enrolled.
Billy Northcross, later Ellis, would go on to become a legend in North Cross history; the first building on Colonial Avenue, which currently houses our Lower School, was named Ellis Hall in her honor. A trim, sprightly, steel-willed woman, Ellis believed that education thrived in a framework of good manners and respect for authority. Still housed in the North Cross memorabilia are the four clear-toned bells that she carried with her for "discipline and emergencies."
However, Billy Ellis's discipline was tempered with great good humor and a flair for the dramatic. She kept the children spellbound with her stories and often dressed up as characters from the children's favorite stories. Her leadership included the encouragement and training of an outstanding staff. It was a staff that shaped the curriculum and planned the lessons in order to offer the finest early education possible.
Mrs. Butts gathered Cynthia and her two sons and set off to speak with Margaret (Billy) Northcross about teaching first grade at this new private school. Billy Northcross accepted the offer, and that fall, 19 students were enrolled.
Billy Northcross, later Ellis, would go on to become a legend in North Cross history; the first building on Colonial Avenue, which currently houses our Lower School, was named Ellis Hall in her honor. A trim, sprightly, steel-willed woman, Ellis believed that education thrived in a framework of good manners and respect for authority. Still housed in the North Cross memorabilia are the four clear-toned bells that she carried with her for "discipline and emergencies."
However, Billy Ellis's discipline was tempered with great good humor and a flair for the dramatic. She kept the children spellbound with her stories and often dressed up as characters from the children's favorite stories. Her leadership included the encouragement and training of an outstanding staff. It was a staff that shaped the curriculum and planned the lessons in order to offer the finest early education possible.
Expanding the Vision
In 1960, North Cross Country Day School was formed to serve students in kindergarten through high school. The founder of the high school (then known as Eaton School) was Mrs. D. Kirk (Mary) Hammond. She had studied special education at the University of Virginia and for some years had tutored children with learning disabilities in her home. She decided that there was a widespread need for a small private school that could give children at the junior high level a more intensive program of study without the distraction of large classes.
Ellis Hall, the first building of the current campus located on Colonial Avenue, was built to contain adequate classroom and recreational space for all students in kindergarten through junior high. Eaton Hall was still under construction in the fall of 1962, so the students in eighth, ninth, and tenth grades temporarily joined the 181 others in Ellis Hall.
Even as construction on Eaton Hall finished, it became clear that the high school needed more space to broaden its athletic program. Not only would the program develop physical strength and teamwork, it would allow youngsters, who might have been lost in the shuffle of larger schools, to exercise leadership skills. Ruth and Jim Thomas, the owners of the land bordering the campus, would donate a strip of their pasture that would become Thomas Field, North Cross's first football field.
Ellis Hall, the first building of the current campus located on Colonial Avenue, was built to contain adequate classroom and recreational space for all students in kindergarten through junior high. Eaton Hall was still under construction in the fall of 1962, so the students in eighth, ninth, and tenth grades temporarily joined the 181 others in Ellis Hall.
Even as construction on Eaton Hall finished, it became clear that the high school needed more space to broaden its athletic program. Not only would the program develop physical strength and teamwork, it would allow youngsters, who might have been lost in the shuffle of larger schools, to exercise leadership skills. Ruth and Jim Thomas, the owners of the land bordering the campus, would donate a strip of their pasture that would become Thomas Field, North Cross's first football field.
A Mission to Provide Quality Education
Even in its earliest stages, North Cross was founded to meet the needs of bright, promising students and provide quality education that was difficult to attain in overcrowded public schools. The earliest teachers and administrators of North Cross were deeply invested in the future of education in the Valley.
In 1961, the first headmaster of the North Cross Country Day School, Emerson Johnson, introduced the idea of independent education to the broader community as follows: "Independent status means advantages in book selection," he said. "We are free of the state textbook selection system and can use books that are a year or more advanced than those in public schools." As Johnson went on to say, "Perhaps the biggest advantage of the new school would be the size of the classes. When there are only fifteen or twenty people in the room, you can't hide. You have to participate, and participation develops confidence." Low student-teacher ratios and class sizes encourage close relationships between instructors and students, offering more individualized attention. In this environment, students are challenged and encouraged to excel.
Since North Cross is privately funded from tuition and charitable contributions on the part of the community, it is autonomous from many government regulations, including standardized testing and curriculum. This gives our school the freedom to design an academic program that truly meets our community's needs.
It also allows us to attract faculty who have more specialized areas of expertise, making them more qualified to teach in their respective areas. At North Cross, more than 80% of our faculty hold advanced degrees, and many have taught in higher education. This makes our teachers exceptionally qualified to not only teach subject matter but also educate the student as a whole. The belief that education is more than learning a set of facts results in a balanced experience, encouraging students to participate in a variety of activities, including arts, athletics, and opportunities outside of school.
North Cross is more than a physical location where learning takes place; it is a community that welcomes and respects every family. North Cross's boarding program allows us to host students from different countries, offering new learning opportunities for both international and domestic students. We also offer financial aid to further support an inclusive environment.
In 1961, the first headmaster of the North Cross Country Day School, Emerson Johnson, introduced the idea of independent education to the broader community as follows: "Independent status means advantages in book selection," he said. "We are free of the state textbook selection system and can use books that are a year or more advanced than those in public schools." As Johnson went on to say, "Perhaps the biggest advantage of the new school would be the size of the classes. When there are only fifteen or twenty people in the room, you can't hide. You have to participate, and participation develops confidence." Low student-teacher ratios and class sizes encourage close relationships between instructors and students, offering more individualized attention. In this environment, students are challenged and encouraged to excel.
Since North Cross is privately funded from tuition and charitable contributions on the part of the community, it is autonomous from many government regulations, including standardized testing and curriculum. This gives our school the freedom to design an academic program that truly meets our community's needs.
It also allows us to attract faculty who have more specialized areas of expertise, making them more qualified to teach in their respective areas. At North Cross, more than 80% of our faculty hold advanced degrees, and many have taught in higher education. This makes our teachers exceptionally qualified to not only teach subject matter but also educate the student as a whole. The belief that education is more than learning a set of facts results in a balanced experience, encouraging students to participate in a variety of activities, including arts, athletics, and opportunities outside of school.
North Cross is more than a physical location where learning takes place; it is a community that welcomes and respects every family. North Cross's boarding program allows us to host students from different countries, offering new learning opportunities for both international and domestic students. We also offer financial aid to further support an inclusive environment.