Welcome to Crossroads Elementary School Thank you for visiting the Crossroads Elementary website. We hope this web pages offer you important information about our school. Please come back often. Let us know what you like or ways we might improve.  In this section, you can find out about: the Science Program, the Montessori Program, Intersession at Crossroads, our staff in the Directory, our governance procedures on the Site Council, a variety of resources on Parent Resources, pages on how you can help our learning community by becoming a Friend of Crossroads.  Thank you for visiting.  Contact Isis Buchanan "isis.buchanan@spps.org" for more information. A Brief History Crossroads Elementary School first opened its doors in the fall of 1999. It houses two distinct, but collaborative, programs - Science and Montessori. The Science Program utilizes a well-balanced curriculum including foundational programs of reading, writing, and math. We also place a high value on the integration of science as central to instruction and work to integrate the ideas and concepts covered in science classes with other areas of the curriculum. Montessori education begins with the belief that children are motivated to learn and that learning involves inquiry, investigation, construction and collaboration. The Montessori method includes specially designed materials and proven educational strategies which support children at each stage of their growth. It has been proven successful in thousands of schools worldwide. Both programs at Crossroads operate on a year round calendar incorporating shorter, more frequent breaks. Research has shown year round school to be effective at increasing motivation and student performance, particularly with targeted at-risk and limited English Proficient students. The most notable element within a year round calendar is the opportunity to target additional instruction through an Intersession program. All Montessori staff have completed additional Montessori training. All Science Program staff have been hired because of their interest in science education reform and ability to incorporate inquiry-based instruction in the classroom. All staff are listed in the Crossroads Directory.