First-hand Animal Adaptations in Kindergarten!

Curious kindergarten students got a "hands on" opportunity to explore animal adaptations--specifically, blubber. While exploring arctic and antarctic animals, students wondered how animals stay warm in cold environments. After discussing blubber, they got to experience it first hand by immersing one bare hand in icy cold water and one hand covered in a bag insulated by "blubber" made of vegetable shortening. It was immediately obvious that the blubber made a big difference in keeping warm.

Osprey About Town, Eli Messinger

Second grader Eli Messinger has been training for the last year and a half in Brazilian Jiujitsu at Northern Neck Mixed Martial Arts in the Locust Hill Area of Middlesex County under nine-time International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world champion Diego Bispo. The gym is owned and operated by Rob Shermer, a black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ).

Eli is a grey belt at the intermediate level of BJJ for children, and he shows tremendous natural ability despite being quite humble. Over the last year, Eli has entered eight tournaments--each with a Gi and No-Gi division. Eli has medaled in all 16 divisions but prefers traditional Gi fights.

Eli will enter his first IBJJF open tournament this year in Dallas. His goal is to eventually enter the IBJJF Pan American Championship and the IBJJF World Championship. 

#pursue excellence in all endeavors

It's Auction Season At CA and Everyone Plays a Part!

Chesapeake Academy’s 47^th Annual Auction, Black, White, and Bling will be held on May 4, 2024 and promises to be an extraordinary community celebration! It is with great excitement we invite you to participate in this very special event.

The Auction is the largest fundraising event at Chesapeake Academy. Auction proceeds allow the school to continue to provide remarkable educational programs while maintaining our status as a place all students can thrive thanks to our ability to provide financial assistance to over 50% of our student body. We teach children to be eager learners and excellent citizens, and provide children's arts programs that are free and open to the public. 

Our sponsors and donors will be recognized by:

• Sponsors and donors are featured in the Rappahannock Record Honor Roll of Gratitude.
• Early sponsors are featured on the auction invitation.
• Chesapeake Academy's social media pages highlight unique donations and sponsors.
• The widely circulated keepsake auction catalog highlights all sponsors and donations.
• Sponsors are celebrated via the Bidpal^® bidding website.
• All silent auction donations are promoted online.
• Sponsors and donors are are recognised in event signage and throughout the LIVE event.

Please consider being a sponsor, donating a service or item, or placing an advertisement in the catalog for this incomparable event. Whether you are a first-time supporter or a long-time contributor, your generosity is greatly appreciated. 

For more information or to secure tickets to the event, please contact Catherine Emry at 804.438.5575 or cemry@chesapeakeacademy.org.

Thank you in advance for your active interest and investment in the lives of our students at Chesapeake Academy. Together, we can change the lives of our students, one gift at a time.

Second Grade’s Water Cycle

by

Guest Author Kai Spore

My second grade class has been studying the water cycle. We did an experiment on the water cycle using a big bowl, a small bowl, ice cubes, hot water, and plastic wrap. 

These items were represented:

• Salty Water: the oceans
• Small Bowl: dry land
• Plastic Wrap with Ice: the atmosphere
• Heat Source: the sun

When the experiment was over, we noticed that the heat caused the water to evaporate and the ice caused the gas to condense back into water droplets. The water droplets precipitated down into the bowl, which represented dry land.

Osprey Swimmers Enjoy Pirates Swim Team

Several water-loving Ospreys are honing their swim skills by participating on the Pirates Swim Team based at the YMCA! This year-round swim team offers a league that trains for improvement and fosters competitive swimming skills in an environment that promotes the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Swimmers ages 4-18 must be able to swim age-appropriate strokes and distances. Swimmers can participate in intra-YMCA swim meets, Y-USA sanctioned, and USA swim-sanctioned meets. Practices are designed for each age group and skill level with cross-training fitness components to develop well-rounded swimmers.

Academic Awards

Teacher's Award

Izzy Dew, eighth grade

Most Improved

Cameron Kiland, sixth grade

Henry Clair, seventh grade

Head of School List

Addy Parsley

Hannah Hopkins

Kathryn Kenner

Fin Burke

Louisa Goodrich

Sophia Kunkle

Merritt Kelley

Nolan Pittman

Emory Simmons

Veronica Edmonds

Cooper Lamb

Elise Sterrett

Miriam Sisson

Avery Caisse

Oliver Cogburn

Ethan Wills

Henry Clair

Charley Manetz

Ryann Kenner

Alex Fulmer

Finley Major

PALS Presents The Jungle Book

On January 31, 2024, Chesapeake Academy presented the Virginia Repertory Theatre's musical adaptation of "The Jungle Book" to pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students at 9:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. In this romp of a performance, young Mowgli learned the laws of the jungle with the help of friends like the black panther, Bagheera, and Baloo, the loveable bear. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling's classic by Scott Wichmann, and set to music by Julie Fulcher Mowgli, this Virginia Repertory production showcases themes of friendship and survival. Audiences cheered as Mowgli faced his fears and foiled his nemesis, the tiger Shere Khan. Chesapeake Academy was delighted to welcome Northumberland pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade students, Bethel Preschool, and several homeschool families to join the fun at this event.

PALS programming is funded by the Wiley Foundation with support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts to make the arts more readily available to young children. 

Darcie TeVault Presents Two Programs at CA

Mark your calendars! On February 26, Darcie TeVault will present two programs at Chesapeake Academy! In the morning, TeVault will offer a faculty in-service training at 9:30 a.m. on educational pedagogy and the efficacy of teaching. And at 5:30 p.m., she will host a parent program in the A&I Hub on the neurocognitive science behind raising happy, healthy children and the value of the teacher/parent partnership. Babysitting is available in the gym.

Darcie L. TeVault, Director of Professional Learning at Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS), considers education to be a lifelong commitment. A native of Rhode Island, she worked in public education and private educational consulting practice before entering the world of independent schools. Prior to joining the VAIS team, Darcie served as a Language Development Specialist and Assistant Director for Teaching and Learning at an independent school in North Carolina. In that capacity, she was responsible for building teacher leaders, developing and implementing professional development, and providing instructional design support. TeVault also serves as adjunct faculty in the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Mind, Brain, and Teaching.

Charltons Raise Money for Homeless Pets

Thank you to Isaac, Penn, and Nora Charlton! The kids sold hot chocolate to raise money for homeless pets at the Gloucester/Matthews Humane Society. What a great cause, and what a timely inititative! Well done, Ospreys!

#making the world a better place

The State of the State in Fourth Grade



Fourth grade students embarked on an exciting new project called "State in a Bag," that blends activities from Writer's Workshop with Social Studies. Each student was assigned a Western state to research and create a comprehensive written report. Additionally students collected items from six distinct categories that aligned with the assigned states unique features and wrote a minimum of two sentences describing how each item is connected to the state.

This fantastic hands-on experience brings together research, creativity, and descriptive writing, making learning both educational and fun!

Take a Note

Sixth grade literature students are working on their notetaking skills using Doodle Notes. These notes help guide recall of detail and plot events throughout the current class novel, Uprising by Margaret Haddix. A rubric helps students evaluate their progress as they build greater independence in this type of notetaking.

Osprey About Town Charley Manetz

Charley Manetz is taking Sunday community service seriously. Having served as the only acolyte at Wicomico Episcopal Parish Church for several years, he has now taken on the responsibility of playing the opening music as people arrive at church. A time filled with piano classics frames the perfect setting for quiet reflection. 

#making the world a better place

Ship Repair Digital Innovation Competition

Students involved with the 2024 Annual Ship Repair Digital Innovation Competition met with their technical advisor, Engineer Rob Beech from Shipyard Staffing. The team pitched two ideas for their submission to the competition and received a very positive response. Stay tuned! #smallschoolhugeclassroom

Fractions in Action!

Sixth grade math is working hard on a fraction concepts and operations unit. One major goal of this unit is to compare fractions with different denominators. This skill has great real-world applications and requires students to use understanding of benchmark fractions. How do different fractions relate to one half? Three fourths? One whole? Mathematicians will later build on this thinking to convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages and calculate discounts, taxes, and tips. Students may even test their skills by visiting a store or restaurant and using a learned strategy to calculate one of these measures!

In this photo, students are playing a version of the card game War. They flip cards to build different fractions and then mathematically prove which one is larger to see who wins the round! 

Rube Goldberg Teaches Physics!

Eighth grade science students completed units of study on motion, force, energy and simple machines by tackling a design project based on the National Rube Goldberg Competition. Students built a complex machine, made up of at least 10 simple machines that would complete a simple task--in this case it was to knock over pins. Students have been working in groups to complete this activity for the past three weeks, using power tools, saws, hammers, nails, screws and other materials to build complex machines that meet the specifications in the rubric. Students recorded every step of their building process, successes and failures, in a journal to help teams evaluate their process. Teams created videos of their projects, explaining their steps along the way.

Finley Major and Jacob Lewis's Complex Machine Trial

Student Council Update

Student Council is hard at work as the second semester begins. First on the "to-do" list is an effort to clear the campus of trash. Student Council will lead a five-minute campus-wide trash pick up on Thursdays at break starting on Feburary 8. Families can do their part to help keep trash off campus by using recyclable containers and bags in lunch boxes. 

Also, Student Council will sponsor two tag days in February--a blue and white spirit day on February 13 in support of the Varsity Boys Basketball Team during tournament week and a Valentine's Day tag day on February 14. Both tag days are free. 

Finally, Student Council is planning a middle school event on March 15. More information will be sent to middle school families before the event.

Coach's Corner



Now that the regular season is over, three cheers for the JV team on their performance this season! Over the many weeks of the season, each player has worked hard to improve skills and develop confidence on the court, and they came together as a team! Anyone who has watched them can tell you how far this group has come from the start of the season, and it's been fun seeing them in action. I know that everyone is excited about what the future holds for this group, and we can't wait to see them on the court again next winter!

We also want to give a big round of applause to our cheer squad! This group of 24 first through fourth graders did a great job this season bringing energy and spirit to our games! It's been fun seeing them hype up the crowd, and they continued to impress us with their talents each time they stepped onto the court! We can’t wait to have them on the sidelines next year! 

While they still have some time left in their season, the growth and competitiveness of our Varsity team must be recognized. After several hard-fought games to end the regular season, this group of Ospreys should be proud of their efforts on the court both in games and in practice. They continue to work hard and are determined to make a strong showing in the Upcoming ISAC tournament. If the excitement coming out of the gym each day after practice is any indicator, the upcoming ISAC semifinal game should be a good one! We hope to see many of you in the stands to cheer on our Ospreys on Tuesday, February 13, at 5:00 p.m. when they take on Ware Academy. 

If you're interested in attending any of the ISAC tournament games, please note the change in tournament location. The schedule is as follows:

• ISAC Semifinals--Tuesday, February 13 at 5:00 p.m. at Ware
• ISAC Finals--Thursday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m. at ACDS (CA's team must win on February 13 to play.)

Go Ospreys!

Coach Allen 

CAPPA Countdown!

Chesapeake Academy Parents and Patrons Association's primary purpose is to support the school program, identifying program needs through close communication with the Head of School and providing support by mobilizing volunteers for key programs, annual support of the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund as well as hosting other fund raisers, and most importantly being the school's biggest cheerleaders. Along they way, parents develop a strong connection to the school and to one another: A win/win! There is a way to help for every Osprey!

The Butter Braid pastry sales will run from February 26 to March 11 with butter braid delivery to CA on March 21. Please reach out to Katie Parker at familytraditions4@gmail.com if you have any questions.  More information will be provided closer to the date.  

The theme of this year's auction is Black, White & Bling, and it will take place on Saturday, May 4. Planning is underway. Thank you to all for sharing your time, talents, and treasure. There is a role for every Osprey family. Please reach out to Catherine Emry in the Development office to find out how you can help to ensure that this essential fundraiser fills the gap between tuition income and the actual cost of a CA education. 

CAPPA is planning a family picnic on March 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. with a rain date on April 21 to offer CA families an opportunity to socialize.  More details to come.

Future hot lunches for those who ordered:

February 9: Chicken and rice bowls

February 14: Chick-fil-a

February 23: Chili

CAPPA's next meeting will be held on February 23 at  8:30 a.m.  All are invited!

Polish Your Parenting



• Executive Functioning Skills Can be Nurtured Early
• Why Being Outdoors in Winter is so Very Good for Kids
• What Do We Really Know About Kids and Screens?
• Problem Solving: How To Teach Young Children
• Do You Still Need To Write Thank You Notes?

Cue Up Your Calendars!

2/13 ISAC Basketball Semifinals at Ware Academy at 5:00 p.m.

2/14 LS Valentine's Day Celebrations, 2:00 p.m.

2/15 ISAC Basketball Finals, at ACDS at 6:00 p.m.

2/16 through 2/19, Winter Break

2/21 Tag Day

2/22 Faculty Professional Development, 3:30 p.m.

2/22 through 3/21 on Thursdays, Propulsion Workshop with Boys and Girls Club

2/23 Interims Home

2/26 Teacher Work Day, Dr. Darcie TeVault Presents Faculty In-service, 9:30 a.m.

2/26 Darcie TeVault Presents Parent Program, 5:30 p.m. in the Hub/James Library

2/28 Tag Day

2/28 PALS Presents Barefoot Puppets',"New Squid on the Block," pre-k through eighth grade, 9:30 a.m.

3/6 Dress Uniform and shoes

3/6 Athletics Awards Assembly, 10:05, CA gym

3/7 PALS Presents The Richmond Ballet's "Swan Lake," pre-k though grade eight, 9:30 a.m.

3/12 Kindergarten Step-up Day

3/13 Jefferson Labs Field Trip, eighth grade

3/15 Student Council Event

3/20 Tag Day

3/22 End of 3MP; half day

3/25 through 2/29 Spring Break

4/4 Report Cards Home

4/15 Second Grade Swim begins

4/22 ERBs and OLSATs Begin

4/24 PALS Presents, Jason Hudy's "Mesmerizing Magic," pre-k through grade eight, 9:30 a.m.

5/1 Dress Uniform

5/3 Interims Home

5/4 Black, White & Bling Auction

5/10 DC Trip, grades seven and eight

5/16 ARTStravaganza

5/27 Memorial Day, No School

5/28 Exams, seventh and eighth grade

5/31 Last Day of School

6/4 Graduation, required attendance

Attitude of Gratitude

• Pre-k treated the Old Grey Mare editors to a queenly celebration of gratitude. Pictured above are editors Donna McGrath, Wendy Charlton, and Sandy Johnson! Equally beloved editor Janet Smith was unable to attend but she still gets a crown!
• CAPPA provided hardworking middle schoolers with an ice cream social following seventh and eighth grade exams.
• Thanks to parent leaders Brian Miller and Craig Grass, many hands made light work in clearing up chairs from the last home game so that PE classes were ready to go first thing!
• Thanks to the staff at the Irvington Post Office for making the annual trek to mail pre-k valentines a wonderful event!
• Here's a shout out to Merritt Kelly and Kailyn Allen for giving up their recess to help out with lower school lunch duty! Way to lead!