Author Adrienne Palma to Visit Chesapeake Academy on March 20!

Books available for pre-order now!

We are excited to host author Adrienne Palma for a fun and informative visit to Chesapeake Academy on Monday, March 20. Sponsored by The Bookshelf, Irvington, Adrienne joins us from the Outer Banks, North Carolina where she writes about the native animals in her region. She'll read and talk about Willie the Red Wolf, Dawson the Dolphin, Shalim the Shark and Lola the Loggerhead and do interactive visits with grades K-3. There might even be an opportunity for the students to suggest the next animal she should include in the series! 

We want to make this a fun literary experience for the kids, allowing them to have their own copy of the book(s) the day of the visit for signing. Part of The Bookshelf's mission is to get books to kids and help foster that joy of book culture, including meeting authors. If you would like to pre-order any of the books to have available for the visit, please do so NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8. You can order via this link, on the Author Visits page. 

The Bookshelf will have the books ready to distribute to the kids at the visit (Note that you will not pick up at the location listed at checkout). Some limited extra copies will be in stock as well, and can be purchased at the Pop-Up Bookshop at The Local, Irvington. 

Please reach out to Lisa McLaughlin, owner of The Bookshelf, Irvington, with any questions about ordering: bookshelfirvington@gmail.com. You can learn more about The Bookshelf and their offerings on Instagram and their website. Each purchase helps support book experiences and community efforts to get books to kids in our area.

Chesapeake Academy Announces 2023 Summer Camp Lineup

CA Summer Camps 2023 will be here before we know it and it is never too early to plan for a summer of fun, exploration, and discovery at CA! CA Summer Camps are top rated by Virginia Living Magazine each year, and spots are limited. Don’t wait! Many weeks had waiting lists last summer! Camp Registration begins on February 1, 2023.

CAMP IRVINGTON and CAMP IRVINGTON JR

Camp Irvington (designed for rising first through third grade students) and Camp Irvington Jr. (perfect for age 4 to rising K) explore each week’s theme through age-appropriate field trips and activities. All activities and entrance fees are included. Camp runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Camp Irvington Jr. costs $250 per week, and Camp Irvington costs $300 per week. 

I spy…treasure!--June 20-23, CI JR $200/CI $250 CI and CI Jr Full

Ahoy! Treasure hunts, pirate stories, and outdoor play are on the horizon this week. Campers should be ready for adventure! 

I spy…gardens!--June 26-30, CI JR $250/CI $300 CI and CI Jr Full

Calling all green thumbs! Campers will discover how things grow through trips to local farms and gardens, tasting yummy foods that come from the earth along the way! 

I spy…red, white, and blue!--July 3-7, CI JR $250/CI $300 CI and CI Jr Full

*Please note that camp will only be a half day on July 4 (8:30 a.m. to noon).

Our youngest patriots will enjoy picnicking and play with splashes of red, white, and blue. Crafts and books will foster plenty of patriotic spirit! 

I spy…community helpers!--July 10-14, CI JR $250/ CI $300 CI and CI Jr. Full

Fire and rescue personnel, police officers, doctors, oh my! These community members help keep us safe and healthy. Our youngest community members will learn about these jobs through local field trips where plenty of questions and play are on the agenda! 

I spy…animals!--July 17-21, CI JR $250/CI $300

Is it furry? Scaly? Fast? Slow? Campers will explore animals and their habitats near and far. We will discover local and exotic animals up close while reading some of our favorite animal adventure stories along the way. 

I spy…wetlands!--July 24-28, CI JR $250/CI $300 CI and CI Jr Full

Our environment is the best playground! Come see local wetlands in action through observation, experiments, and plenty of exploration. 

I spy…fossils!--July 31- Aug 4, CI JR $250/CI $300

What did the dinosaurs look like? What did they eat? Where did they get their crazy names? Campers will learn about fossils and the fascinating creatures that left them behind. 

CAMP CHESAPEAKE (designed for rising fourth through eighth grade students) also runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost per week is $300 except where noted. Campers will explore each week’s theme through age-appropriate field trips and activities. All activities and entrance fees are included. 

Arts & Innovation--June 20-23, $300 Full

Let your creativity flow during this week while we make full use of CA’s Arts & Innovation Hub and Art Room! Campers will design and code robots to perform a variety of tasks, create their own pieces using the 3D printer and laser cutter, and compete in fun challenges! Students will also discover their inner artist through exploring different mediums, art challenges, and more! This is a week that will inspire and energize your young creator! 

Northern Neck Explorers--June 26- June 30, $300

Find adventure in and around the water! This favorite camp is back with new activities and destinations. Campers will explore parks, swim, and go on adventures--a perfect way to see all the exciting things the Northern Neck has to offer! 

Fun Day Sundae--July 3-7, $300

*Please note that camp will only be a half day on July 4 (8:30 a.m. to noon).

Nothing is more refreshing (and quintessentially American) than a cool ice cream after a hot summer day of adventure! Campers will participate in daily trips and activities such as bowling and beach time. Each day will include a cool treat at local ice cream destinations. We’ll try our hand at making homemade ice cream, too! Of course, expect splashes of red, white, and blue celebrations all week long! 

Farm to Table--July 10-14, $300

This exciting and delicious week is back! Campers will travel around the Northern Neck learning about local foods as well as harvesting and growing techniques. We will also seek the expertise of local chefs to learn more about how our food is prepared and try our own hands in the kitchen. New cooking experiences combine with old favorites to make this a can’t-miss week of delicious fun! 

Animal Adventures--July 17-21 $350

Calling all animal lovers! Campers will travel to local zoos and farms to see regional and exotic animals. Each day is sure to be a unique adventure as we see awesome animals up close. Campers will discover critters and creatures of all stripes, spots, and colors! All entrance fees are included. 

Mystery Tour--July 24-28 $350

Chesapeake Academy’s famous mystery tour is back! New destinations and surprises make for a thrilling week where no two days will be the same. There is something for everyone at this camp. Mystery Tour will keep campers guessing what fun is to come each day! All entrance fees are included.

Mad Science--July 31- Aug 4 $300

Through experiments and activities both on and off campus, campers will explore the exciting world of science! Fun-filled, hands-on experiences make this a dynamite week! Embrace your inner scientist, and join the fun! 

Information on Camp registration can be found on the Chesapeake Academy website.

Nautical Design Inspires Team of Ospreys

Each year the Virginia Ship Repair Association hosts a Digital Innovation Competition in which teams of middle school students design an improvement to ship design, repair, or safety. Ten fifth through seventh graders have accepted the challenge, forming Osprey Nest Nautical Repair, and they are hard at work designing a robotic fire suppressant system for naval ships. Today they met with their technical advisor, Robert Beech, the VP of business development at Shipyard Staffing. They will be headed down to Nauticus this weekend to tour the battleship Wisconsin to get some first hand experience with naval vessels. On March 16th the team will return to Nauticus to present their design to a panel of industry experts and report on the ship repair industry jobs that would be needed to retrofit their design into existing ships.

Leones, Tigres y Osos, Ole'!

Whether it is greetings; vocabulary for families, clothing or homes; or this week's highlight--learning animal vocabulary--every Pre-K Spanish lesson involves movement, sound, touch, and fun! High quality language instruction in the early childhood years primes the brain for future language based skills. Who can beat that? Interactive and often hilarious, Pre-K loves Spanish!

Who is Swinging in your Family Tree?

First grade is learning about how families have evolved over time so they are digging into their roots with a family tree project! Students began by interviewing a family member to learn about their ancestors and family history. They used some of the information they gleaned to paint and label a family tree back through their great-grandparents.The interview centered around family members' names, where ancestors hailed from, and anything known about them such as occupations, languages spoken, etc. 

Birthday Book Bonanza!



Librarian Susan May added 400 new titles to the James Library collection thanks to the response from families to the Birthday Book program! Books are donated in honor of specific children and then become resources for the entire school community. Honorees were delighted to be the first to check out the new books! And the whole school benefits!

Eric Carle! Move Over for Third Grade!

After a survey of the famous authors work, third graders are creating original stories in the style of Eric Carle. Titles will follow Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar format, and the books will include illustrations using his painted paper method. Here is a glimpse of The Very Clumsy Panda.

Winter Athletic Awards

JV Boys' Basketball

Most Improved Player: Mead Smith, 5th grade

Most Valuable Player: Nolan Pittman, 5th grade 

Coach's Award: Fin Burke, 5th grade, and Malcolm Sanders, 5th grade

Varsity Girls' Basketball

Most Improved Player: Kathryn Kenner, 5th grade

Most Valuable Player: Izzy Dew, 7th grade

Coach's Award: Skyler Casey, 7th grade

Varsity Boys' Basketball

Most Improved Player: Jimmy Lewis, 8th grade, and Ian Jonson, 8th grade

Most Valuable Player: Parker Daley, 8th grade

Coach's Award: Brooks Parker, 8th grade

Blake Explores Cutting Edge Robotics Tool

Chesapeake Academy Science Teacher Robin Blake is excited to share her experience at a recent micro:bit conference centered around The Invent to Learn Guide to the Micro:bit by Peter Heldens and Pauline Maas with her classes. A micro:bit is a tiny computer–smaller than a credit card. But that wee processor boasts the capability of hooking up to a LED light display with 25 LED lights, features two buttons to program, sensors, and a variety of features, including an accelerometer, which can tell when the micro:bit is moving, a compass which shows the direction it is moving in, and a radio and Bluetooth transmitter that can interact with other devices. The latest version of micro:bit even has sound sensing with a microphone and speaker. Micro:bits are designed to help students learn to code and create interactive projects. They can be used by themselves, or with servos (closed-loop mechanisms that incorporate positional feedback) to create animation using computer programs such as Scratch.  

Blake enthuses, "Micro:bits are a great way for elementary and middle school students to explore coding through a series of open-ended activities that are whimsical and fun. Applications for micro:bits increase in difficulty to a high school level and beyond, and they can flexibly train a host of robotics and design skills. I can't wait to try it with my students!" At this workshop, Blake made circuits and created a string of commands that scrolled a verbal message on her micro:bit. She assisted with programming a servo motor that spun a fan; and had her micro:bit sing to her with a button push."

Creation Drives Comprehension Deeper!

Playdough is equal parts fun, tactile engagement, and an engaging component of reading comprehension in fifth grade. How does that work, you wonder?While working in pairs, one partner reads aloud from the class novel The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson while the other creates key objects or scenes from the text they are hearing in order to better visualize the text. After each chapter, students discussed the creations and how important a role they played in advancing the plot of the novel. 

Sixth and Seventh Grades Analyzes Source Material

CA's sixth and seventh grade students are knee-deep in their National History Day style projects. For the last week, students have been practicing their researching and note taking skills through their secondary source search for background information on their topics. This week, we’ve turned to getting information directly from the horse’s mouth using primary sources! Students learned about the wide variety of source types and how to tailor their Google searches to effectively discover those sources.

Researchers also learned how to analyze primary sources beyond “what does it say” and practiced in teams by analyzing Roosevelt’s speech to Congress following Pearl Harbor. Students had to find the who, what, when, where, why of the source before reading, which required a mixture of historical knowledge and inferencing skills, and then had to identify main message, tone, biases, and other information as they evaluated the source.

Finally, students pulled it all together to determine what the source told us about the time period. In our next class, students will have to analyze sources for their own projects utilizing the same method!

Emery and Allen Attend Safe Schools Conference

Safe and healthy schools don't just happen. School administrators join with faculty and staff to create and balance intricate systems and plans to respond to a wide variety of issues that potentially impact students and schools. The Virginia Association of Independent Schools hosted an activity-driven workshop at the University of Richmond to explore best practices for Pre-K-12 for the social and emotional health of students, strategic crisis leadership and emergency risk communications. Chesapeake Academy Dean of Students Catherine L. Emery and Athletic Director Jane Allen attended the conference focusing on sessions mitigating anxiety and developing resilient students.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Scott Poland (Professor of Psychology, NSU Florida) outlined Protecting the Mental Health of Our Youth, the US Surgeon General’s recent report, as well as the protective factors for youth described by the World Health Organization and factors in student success and resiliency from the Carnegie Foundation. CA Athletic Director Jane Allen lauds Poland's assertion that a "commitment to building relationships with students and knowing them is so important and valuable in building resiliency." Allen further seconded Poland's position that "a partnership with parents is so vital to the overall health and wellness of our students."

Dean of Students Catherine Emery complimented the event, "The sessions were thoughtfully planned and relevant. I especially enjoyed "Recognizing Anxiety in Our Students and Ourselves," which was led by Drs. Victoria Stone and Shekila Melchior of George Mason University. The presenters explained the impact of anxiety on the nervous system and offered practical tips for helping students understand and break the worry cycle." 

The Virginia Association of Independent Schools exists to assist member schools in maintaining standards of excellence (through an accreditation process), to encourage activities to exchange information about new methodologies and practices, and to promote the well-being of and public regard for independent schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Chesapeake Academy is a fully accredited member of this association.

Coach's Corner

The winter season ended on a high note with strong performances by both the varsity girls' and boys' teams in the ISAC Tournament. 

In the ISAC semifinals game, the varsity girls played a great first two quarters and took the lead into halftime thanks to good defense and capitalizing on multiple Aylett fouls. The team, however, could not hold onto the lead, and a talented ACDS team came away with the win. The team should be proud of their efforts as they never quit, continued to show their grit and determination, and played together until the very end. A lot of growth was made by the team this season, and these Ospreys should be proud of themselves! 

During the varsity boys' semifinals, our Ospreys took the early lead and never looked back! Good defense, strong layups, and a high tempo were highlights of the game and showed just how ready the team was to play. With an impressive win, the boys were headed to the ISAC Championship game where they took on a very talented Ware team. Despite strong performances by the eighth graders, our Ospreys came up short on the scoreboard. While I know the boys were hoping for an ISAC Championship they have a lot to be proud of this season. The team came together, pushed each other to be their best selves, and they put together a .500-win season, recording their best record of late! 

This past week, we were able to recognize our Winter season athletes during our Winter Athletic Awards Assembly. It was a great time to get together to recognize the efforts of our three teams and to say thank you to everyone who supports us!

Go Ospreys!

Coach Allen

Student Council Roundup

Demir Demirkan, parent to first grader Atlas Demirkan, spoke to middle schoolers about the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on February 6. Demirkan, who is from Turkey and was in the country during the quakes, offered ways the CA community can help the thousands of people who lost everything in the disaster.

Student Council is planning a fundraiser to benefit Turkish Philanthropy Funds, a New York-based relief organization that is leading the way in earthquake relief in Turkey. Students will sell earthquake relief temporary tattoos during break and recess on Thursday, March 9. Tattoos are $5 for small and $10 for large with all proceeds going to Turkish Philanthropy Funds. Information and reminders will be sent home to families!

Mark your calendars for the next student council event, happening on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Details to come soon!

CAPPA News

The February Uniform Exchange and organizing of used uniforms was popular, useful, and successful. This effort supports sustainability and saves money for Chesapeake Academy families. Thank you, Eileen Serafin, for leading and organizing this initiative. Thank you to the following people who also assisted and helped with this: Gleason Hollingsworth, Ainslie Hodges, Seda Ince-Demirkan, Sarah Caisse, Lee Metsala, Kelly Goodrich, Don Liner, and Jennifer Miller.

Butterbraids are on sale and can be purchased online or by order form by March 6. Please reach out to Katie Parker at familytraditions4@gmail.com if you have any questions. The butterbraids will be delivered to CA before Spring Break. Proceeds will support the athletic department, specifically new uniforms!

Mark your calendar for the next Friday March 3 at 8:30–all are invited. 

Polish Your Parenting



• Follow the 43/57 Talking/Listening Ratio for Brilliant Conversations
• Things Professional Writers Do that Students Should too!
• Parents Who Do Everything For Their Child: Why It Is Time to Reconsider!
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Cue UP Your Calendars!

3/7 Fourth Grade Parent Zoom Meeting, 4:30 p.m.

3/9 Parent Coffee at Residence, 8:30 a.m.

3/10 Hot Lunch

3/15 Hot Lunch

3/15 Kids' Heart Challenge

3/16 Virginia Ship Repair Association Lego Competition

3/17 Hot Lunch

3/17 Student Council Event

3/22 PALS Presents "Simple Machines," 9:30 p.m.

3/24 End of Third Marking Period

3/29 Faculty Professional Development, 3:30 p.m.

3/29 Hot Lunch

3/29 Tag Day

3/31Hot Lunch

3/31 Report Cards Go Home

4/3 through 4/11 Spring Break

Attitude of Gratitude

• For colorful flowers, swelling buds, birds building nests, balmy breezes, and the certain knowledge that although weather in Virginia is never certain, Spring is coming at her own pace...we are grateful.
• Kids who pitch in to collect trash, hold doors for oncoming folks, set up spaces for events, thank their teachers for each class, and help out happily are a joy--CA is full of them!
• Thanks to all who have already donated an item, advertisement, or a service to CA's auction! When we all pull together, everyone wins!
• With three months to go, the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund is demonstrating Osprey commitment to reaching 100 percent participation! It is anybody's race for the first class to finish, but seventh and eighth grades are out in front! Bring it home, Ospreys!
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