We're back to school with a song in our hearts, even if we've got masks on our faces and a football field between desks. Perseverance will be the key, but that's an October virtue! This month let's focus on the back-to-school community-building virtues of respect, responsibility, and friendship. Our Morning Gathering selections are rich and numerous. We invite teachers and parents to check out our blog: "Respect in the Time of Covid." Finally, on this heart-breaking twentieth anniversary of 9-11, we feature (under September Heroic Responsibility) three new books that are beacons of healing and hope.
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This month we're spotlighting friendships in history -- friends, whose unique bond made the world a better place. Would Washington have succeeded without Hamilton? Would the Declaration of Independence have been written without John Adams' willingness to charge his friend? Would the Emancipation Proclamation have existed without the Lincoln-Douglass bond? This new series, History's Famous Friendships, will help older children (grades 3-6) appreciate the importance of those they befriend. | |
The 2021 National Book Festival takes place September 17-26, with a variety of programs and formats. The full Festival schedule of live programs features 38 virtual author conversations, nine audience Q&A sessions for children and teens, two in-person events with simultaneous livestreaming, and five interactive presentations with Library of Congress experts. This year, the Festival also features a national television special and related events on PBS, NPR podcasts, and author interviews on Washington Post Live. Check out their children's author events here. | |
Congratulations to Crossroads Academy, the nation's first Core Virtues school. This year Crossroads is celebrating its thirtieth birthday with two landmark events: welcoming their new Head, Dan Morrissey, and opening a new Middle School and Science building, the Fanger Center. Mr. Morrissey notes, “At Crossroads Academy, our faculty set children on learning journeys in every field of discovery, teaching them that knowledge and virtue – strong minds and kind hearts – can change the world. Like Dr. Fanger, our community is eager to create a better future and is continually exploring ways to do so." The Core Virtues program was piloted at Crossroads from 1991 to 1995, before it was introduced nationally at the 1995 Core Knowledge Conference. | |
