Several North Cross School students have received exceptional honors for participating in unique extra-curricular activities in the fine arts, state government and national athletic competitions.

Submitted by Tammy Shank, North Cross School.

Read on for the full stories.

Symphony Orchestra Accomplishments

Violinists Hope Pollock ’15, Avery Sturm ’15, and Morgan Sturm ’17 auditioned for the Southwestern Junior Regional Orchestra on Saturday, January 21 and were selected to perform with the orchestra on Saturday, March 24 at Patrick Henry High School. One hundred and twenty-five students of approximately 250 who auditioned were selected to participate in two orchestras. The orchestras are composed of seventh through ninth grade string students from the Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Roanoke areas.

Flutist Emily Chandel has been selected to perform in the 2012-13 Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra. The RYSO is comprised of 65 student musicians, ages 12-18, who rehearse weekly and perform symphonic repertoire in public concerts throughout the school year. The RYSO is the only professional orchestral training for young people in southwestern Virginia and has been in been in existence since 1956.

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Equestrian Achievements

North Cross School senior Laura Lemon has competed in several equestrian competitions. For the second year in a row, she and her horse Bogart qualified for the United States Equestrian Federation’s National Junior Hunter Championship held in Suagerties, New York. In order to qualify for this championship, Lemon had to win a Championship or a Reserve Championship at a major “A” or “AA” horseshow in the Junior Division. She also received the prestigious Iris McNeil Award at the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association’s Annual Banquet and Awards ceremony. This award is presented to a junior rider who demonstrates excellence in horsemanship as well as sportsmanship.

Lemon competed at the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association Medal Finals and was named Best Junior Rider. She finished second in the Hunt Seat Medal Final (a multi-phase event for qualified junior riders) and second in the Invitational Hunter Derby (a jumping event for qualified riders and professionals, as well as juniors, consisting of a field of thirty horses).

Lemon is a first honor roll student at North Cross and was admitted Early Decision to Washington and Lee University where she will be a member of their equestrian team.

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House of Delegates Page Program

NCS Eighth Grader Jane Ward was selected to spend nine weeks working as a page for the House of Delegates.

Each year the Speaker of the House of Delegates selects a small number of qualified 13- and 14-year-old students from across the Commonwealth to serve as pages during the House’s regular session of the General Assembly. A page’s responsibilities include assisting the members of the House of Delegates, the House Clerk’s staff and other legislative staff in the daily duties that are required to operate a successful session for the House of Delegates.

Ward was responsible for maintaining her curriculum requirements at North Cross School while participating in the page program. The page program had a mandatory study hall and provides certified teachers to supervise and help the students as needed. Ward completed the nine week program and returned to North Cross School to continue the school year. Ward made a Power-Point presentation discussing her job duties as a page and shared it with the students of North Cross Middle School.

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Student Athlete Participates in the USTA National Spring Championship

NCS eighth grader Joseph Cartledge, a member of North Cross School’s Varsity tennis team, participated in the USTA National Spring Championship, which took place in Rancho Mirage, California. The tournament invites players from all over the country to compete. An invitation to compete in the tournament means that Joseph is considered a rising national tennis contender.