The Roanoker November/December 2023 - 14

Do you Know...?
Do You Know...
Armistead Lemon?
written by Aila Boyd The head of school at North Cross School can't wait to dig deeper
into her role in educating students and connecting with the community.
W
hen Armistead
Lemon became
head of school at
North Cross School
in the fall of 2022,
she proved you can go home again.
Lemon, a Roanoke native, attended the
independent school on Colonial Avenue from
9th-12th grades, having transferred from a
large public middle school. She describes that
time in her life as being " transformative. " " The
seminal piece was the culture of strong facultystudent
relationships, " she remembers. Her
teachers, she says, knew what she was capable
of better than she did.
After graduating from the school in 1995,
she attended Washington and Lee University
before working in public relations in New
York. She later decided to pursue her graduate
studies at The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. Despite entering the program
thinking she would focus more on research, she
discovered her passion for being an educator
while teaching freshman English.
From there, a mentor encouraged her to
investigate teaching at independent schools
as a career path. She eventually moved to
Nashville, Tennessee, to work as an English
teacher at Harpeth Hall, an all-girls independent
school. Throughout her 17 years there,
she rose through the ranks, going from teacher
to department chair to upper school division
director.
" I became interested in education leadership
and always wanted to come back to Roanoke
and North Cross, " she says. " Head of school
was the next thing for me, so when the position
was announced I thought 'This is it.' "
Fortunately for her, the school feels just as
much like home now as it did when she was
just a humble student. It even turns out one
of her former teachers, Ed Dickenson who
she had for French, is still on the faculty. The
Armistead Lemon
is pictured with her
husband, Calvin
Stewart, and two sons
during her investiture
as the ninth head of
North Cross School in
fall 2022. She's the
first woman to lead
the school.
mission of the school hasn't changed since she
was a student either. " The teacher-student relationships
are at the core of learning, " she says.
However, the school hasn't remained static.
In fact, it's grown in terms of the campus with
expanded field space and new buildings, as well
as the number of students which is now at 590.
She went into her first year as head of the
school with a thoughtful approach. " There was
a lot of adrenaline in the first year. My goal
was to listen and to get to know people. That
is not always the easiest thing to do, " she says.
" My mantra was 'people before programs,' to
really get to know the people who make this
place special before trying to change or evolve
anything. "
One of her favorite highlights of her first
year on the job was getting to connect with
North Cross alumni. Through those interactions,
she observed there's great affection for
the school across the generations.
Now in her second year, she's looking to
develop a bold strategic plan. Ensuring that
her faculty can pursue professional development,
the expansion of STEM education and
maintaining a strong endowment will be three
areas of focus for her. " I want North Cross to
be around for my children's children, " she
stresses. " It's so important that this school be
strong for the Roanoke Valley. "
Lemon's two sons, a nine-year-old and
seven-year-old, with husband, Calvin Stewart,
are now getting the same educational experience
she did. " They love it here, " she says.
After being in the job for a year and some
months, Lemon feels she made the right move
by returning to North Cross. " To be in the
Roanoke Valley, the place I love most in the
world, and to be able to give back to the school
that gave me such a gift of education, is pretty
special. I'm excited to be here for as long as I
can be, " she says. I
AILA BOYD is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.
14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
TheRoanoker.com
COURTESY OF ARMISTEAD LEMON

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The Roanoker November/December 2023

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