CA to Celebrate Giving Tuesday!

December 3, the Osprey Nation is celebrating Giving Tuesday with a day of gratitude for the little school that does so much for families! This gratitude fest is part of the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund Campaign. Got questions? We've got answers!

Q: "Why," you ask, "is annual giving promoted as an essential part of independent school life?"

A: "Good question! Annual giving (and CA'S annual oyster roast and auction fundraisers) fund the gap between the cost of running our school and what parents actually pay in tuition. This is how we pay the bills. In essence, by contributing, we finish paying for our children's education. Tuition only pays roughly 70 percent."

Q: "Why not have tuition fully cover the school's costs? Wouldn't it be simpler?"

A: "Sure, it would. But we draw from a broad and diverse area and would like our student body to refect that rich tapestry. In order to keep tuition as reasonable as possible, this gap exists. Everyone benefits when we can keep tuitions affordable."

Q: "So in a manner of speaking, every single family is subsidized!"

A: "Yep, all of us! Doing your part to share as best you can with CA's annual fundraisers and the annual giving campaign is simply the way independent school families pull together to keep CA accessible!"

Everybody in, Nobody Out! Together, we keep CA strong

Mark your calendars now to make your annual gift or pledge at drop off or plan to give online! CAPPA's elves will be on campus on December 3 to accept your gift in exchange for a morning treat!

Greenfield to Join the Chorus!

Katherine Greenfield will join the CA faculty as a part-time music teacher. Katherine and her daughter, Meera, moved to the Northern Neck recently after spending a year in Cusco, Peru. Meera joined CA’s sixth grade class earlier this month. 

Katherine comes from a musical family and started playing music when she was 4. She plays the accordion, flute, clarinet, classical guitar, and piano.  She played piano with the Annapolis Youth Symphony Orchestra when she was in high school and taught piano to children in a music studio after college. Most recently, Katherine was Associate General Counsel for ABT Global, managing the provision of legal advice to the company's global business.

Katherine will begin classes with students in PreK through 8th grade next week. 

Pre-k's Sensory Center Gets

Spooky!

In a squishy nod to Halloween, pre-kindergarteners reincorporated googly-eyed ghosties by squeezing their B-ooobleck until it became a solid! Small fingers exercised and imaginations took spirited flight! Anything to get wee grips in shape for handwriting!

First Grade Develops a Strong Math Foundation

CA first graders are diving into place value with the help of base ten blocks! By stacking and grouping units, rods, and flats, they’re learning to understand numbers up to the hundreds place.

These hands-on blocks make it easy to see how ones, tens, and hundreds fit together, building a strong foundation for future math skills. It’s amazing to watch their confidence grow as they discover the structure of numbers!

Just a Dot....Not a Lot!

In a world filled with easy-to-use glue sticks, first graders are learning an important skill: how to use liquid glue the right way. While glue sticks are quick and convenient, sometimes we need the stronger hold of old-fashioned liquid glue for craft projects and heavier materials. And thanks to the simple mantra, “Just a dot, not a lot,” our students are quickly becoming glue experts!

Ms. Vanderpool discussed that using too much glue can make projects messy and take longer to dry, while using just a little—“just a dot”—keeps everything neat and sticks just as well. Students have practiced carefully squeezing out a small dot of glue and spreading it where needed. This technique helps them focus on being patient, precise, and tidy with their work.

Our first graders are not only having fun with their creative projects but are also building important fine motor skills and learning to follow directions. So next time they reach for the glue, they know the key to success: “Just a dot, not a lot!”

Salatino and Novak Attend Annual VAIS Professional Day

CA faculty members Brie Salatino and Marshall Novak attended the Virginia Associattion of Independent Schools Professional Day Conference at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. The conference featured presenters covering the spectrum of educational pedagogy and practice.

Brie Salatino attended Building a Fluent Future, Canva and AI: Fun with Magic, Biographies in the Classroom, and Connecting Meaningful Child-Led Learning and Inquiry in the Natural Classroom.

Marshall Novak attended Introduction to Building a Thinking Math Classroom, Equitable Grading (about mastery grading and labor contract grading rather than the traditional grading approach), One in Five: More than a Statistic (about the increasing number of independent school students with a learning difference) and Alternative Assessments: Achieving Engagement, Competency, and Tech Integration.

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.

Thermal Energy Excites Third Grade!

Third graders are in the midst of a unit about types of energy. Students completed a glow stick lab to show the effects of thermal energy. Using 2 cups of water (one hot and one cold) and measuring the temperature of each, students cracked the glow sticks and placed one in each cup. Then students observed the impact of the water on the glow sticks and recorded their observations. The thermal energy from the hot water made the chemical particles in the glow stick move more quickly which created a bright glow. The cold water made the particles stand still, which caused the glow in the glow stick to fade.

Fraction Action in Fifth Grade!

Fifth grade math students are developing various strategies to multiply and divide fractions. On Halloween, students worked on multiplying and dividing fractions and then used their work to make a Halloween decor picture for the classroom. Since they each had different problem sets, they enjoyed looking at their classmates' work and seeing the ways in which they chose to arrange their images! 

Rocks and Gems!

After a unit study on minerals, fifth grade science students trekked to "From Rocks to Gems" in Lively to test their mineral identification skills firsthand. 

Each student sifted through a bag full of dirt and minerals to find gemstones. Using a trough and water, students explored the bags of treasures until they located all the gemstones. With gemstone cards as a reference, students identified all of the minerals they found. 

Geo-GRAPH-y!

In geography class, fifth graders learned that climate graphs are a useful way to compare climates and understand the average weather of a location over many years. Students explored this tool further by creating climate graphs for our very own Irvington, Virginia. Using average monthly data for our town, students plotted a line for temperatures and drew bars for precipitation on their graphs. As a result, students were able to recognize seasonal variations at our school. 

Veni, Vidi, Vici...Verbs!

Latin students have officially unlocked present tense verbs! Whether reading about the Circus Maximus or completing translation exercises, students are not only learning about Latin but also learning to see languages as unique and variable, not direct copies of one another. The process might even include a little singing of the six endings!

Arts & Innovation Features Coding, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technologies!

In Arts & Innovation, seventh grade students learned ways that Blockchain Technologies can be used for more than cryptocurrencies with digital smart contracts. Using an Input - Processing - Storage - Output model, students were able to create their own smart contracts to represent different situations. Then students analyzed each other’s contracts for vulnerabilities from the perspective of someone looking to hack or exploit the contract. This editor may not be smarter than a seventh grader!

Student Council Update



Student Council's first social event of the school year is in the books! On November 1, middle school students enjoyed a movie night on campus, complete with a pizza dinner and lots of popcorn, of course! We extend a big thank you to our Student Council officers who planned and led the event.



Coach's Corner

 On October 30, eight middle school Ospreys participated in their first cross country meet hosted by Ware Academy at the picturesque Ware Episcopal Church. The event brought together four teams: Ware Academy, Our Lady Mount Carmel (OLMC), Trinity Episcopal School, and Chesapeake Academy, and it showcased the spirit of competition among a total of 53 runners.

The heart and determination displayed by our runners were truly remarkable. On the girls' side, Elise Sterrett finished strong in seventh place, demonstrating her grit, while Janelle Birdlow’s performance at 21st place highlighted her perseverance throughout the race. 

For the boys, Mead Smith led the charge with an impressive second place finish, reflecting his determination and competitive spirit. Benton Miller followed closely in 4th, showcasing his tenacity, while Nolan Pittman’s 12th place finish underscored the competitive spirit of our team. Henry Clair, Lucas Clair, and Jamie Lang each contributed to the overall effort, with finishes of 20th, 21st, and 32nd, respectively, showing heart, a never-quit attitude, and a willingness to leave everything you have on the trail. Each of our runners played a vital role in the team's collective strength, and with their efforts, these Ospreys took home second place in the meet! 

Coached by parent Michelle Grass, our athletes not only raced against their opponents, but they also pushed their own limits, embodying the essence of teamwork and resilience. This beautiful fall day served as a perfect backdrop for their efforts, reminding us all of the passion and determination that fuels our athletic program. Congratulations to all our runners for their dedication and sportsmanship! We can't wait to see what next season will bring!

Thank you for your continued support, and 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. Most importantly, CAPPA members are 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!

CAPPA's Apple Sale and main fundraiser is winding up! Apples will be ready for pickup November 17 and 18, just in time for Thanksgiving! As a reminder, proceeds from the the apple sales (along with any other CAPPA fundraisers) go toward our support of the following programs:

• Hospitality at CA’s big events (e.g. Grandparents’ Day, Holiday Program)
• Santa visit with hot chocolate & cookies
• Middle school ice cream social
• Field Day bounce house & Kona ice truck
• Teacher Appreciation Week treats & activities
• Teacher back-to-school luncheon
• Kilmarnock Christmas parade float & campus holiday decorations
• Donation to CA’s Annual Fund

Additionally, ALL parents are invited to our next CAPPA meeting, which will be held in the art room at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, November 15 (3rd Friday of most months). We encourage you to come out and see what we're all about, and hear about ways that you can get involved at CA. If you can't make it to the meeting but would still like to learn more about CAPPA, please contact Becca Sterrett at becca.sterrett@gmail.com or (804) 436-4643.

Polish Your Parenting

• Kids Eat in Color!

• I Wish You More....

• Building Greater Stress Tolerance in Children

Cue Up Your Calendars!

11/11 Veterans' Day

11/13 Academic Awards Assembly, 10:05 a.m., gymnasium

11/15 CAPPA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., art room

11/18 Athletics Awards, 10:05 a.m.

11/20 Tag Day

11/20 PALS Presents, "Galumpha" 9:30 a.m., (pre-k through four)

11/23 to 12/1 Thanksgiving Break

12/3 Classes Resume

12/3 PALS Presents "Frosty," 9:30 a.m., (pre-k through eight)

12/4 Dress Uniform

12/13 Interims

12/13 Kilmarnock Christmas Parade, 5:00 p.m.

12/18 Tag Day

12/20 Holiday Performance, Half Day

12/23 to 1/6 Winter Break

1/7 Classes Resume

1/8 Dress Uniform

1/20 School Closed

1/21 through 1/24, seventh and eighth grade exams

1/24 1/2 day, End 2MP

1/29 Tag Day

1/25 PALS Presents Johnny Peers

1/31 Report Cards Home

2/3-7 Parent Partnership Days

2/5 Birthday Book Assembly

2/14 through 2/17 Winter Break

2/18 ISAC Boys Semifinals

2/21ISAC Boys Finals

2/26 Tag Day

2/26 PALS Greanbeats Live

2/28 Interims Home

Attitude of Gratitude!

• CA's annual community oyster roast was a roaring success! Thanks to the donors, patrons, volunteers, sponsors, friends, and our powerhouse faculty for a very successful fundraiser for our school!
• It takes a village...and grandparents and grandfriends are a vital part of that village! Thanks to all who participated in Grandparents' and Grandfriends' Day!
• The Birthday Book Program is swinging along, funding the budget for CA's library and filling our shelves with top-line books!
• Book Fair mania is finally over...but our fair was very successful and will contribute to the vigor of our James Library! Thanks to Stacey Kelley and her team of volunteers!
• Coaches may never know how many players' lives are positively impacted by well-coached athletics! Our coaches leave a lasting legacy: We win without boasting and lose without excuses and play like a team!
• Grover Branson drops in and fixes things...is there any kinder way to help? Remarkable man!
• Kindergarten thanks Zizzie Johnston for sharing great books with them! What a love!