February 26, 2021
Chesapeake Academy's mission: to inspire each student to approach learning with 
curiosity and creativity, 
pursue excellence in all endeavors, 
and act with integrity--
so each can make our community and world a better place. 
The Head's Heads Up!

It's amazing that we are almost 12 months into the dramatic changes that the COVID pandemic brought to education. There have been so many challenges and so many transition points in our planning and our practice. Where we were in March 2020, where we were in August 2020, and where we are now in February 2021 reflect three very different touchpoints in this journey; and these touchpoints demonstrate just how much change Chesapeake Academy has flexibly absorbed as an institution.

Interestingly, the challenges of the 2020-2021 school year happened to fall in line with the schedule for the Board of Trustee's strategic planning process, which typically occurs every 3 years. The Board's responsibility (with the input from the administrative team, faculty and staff, families, and supporters) is to articulate a vision for the next 3 years and ensure that the vision is aligned with our mission and philosophy. Then, Board committees develop the goals, strategies, and tactics to meet that vision.

The Board has been working on this process all year, and COVID has provided some interesting perspectives. Education will never again look like it did in February 2020. Blended learning and the flexibility of instructional settings are here to stay. Other strengths, challenges, and opportunities have also been more apparent because of the impact of the pandemic on schools. As our successful track record with in-person instruction has been established, some of the worries of August have given way to true excitement about what can be next for Chesapeake Academy.

In mid-March, we will be surveying our families for feedback on topics to inform the strategic planning process. In addition, we will solicit input on some programmatic and operational items. Your feedback is important. Given that this year our face to face time is limited, I want to make sure that you have an avenue to participate in the process. The Board and I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we position the school to evolve: to continue to be a vibrant learning environment, an educational leader, an important institution in the area, and financially sustainable for the next generation.

Julie

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Summer Camp is Just Around the Corner: Believe!

Voted top-rated in Eastern Virginia for the last six years, Chesapeake Academy Summer Camps combine adventure, the outdoors, and every variety of glorious summer fun. "If you are looking for quality summer experiences for kids in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula area, Chesapeake Academy has what you need!" explains Head of School Julianne T. Duvall. Camp Irvington for ages 4 to rising first graders, offers six one-week sessions and holds the answer to summer childcare needs. And Camp Chesapeake is perfect for rising second through eighth grade adventurers. Campers in both age groups will explore each week’s theme through age appropriate field trips and activities. All activities and entrance fees are included. All camps run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and cost $250.00 per week. Space is limited, so sign up early. Register for all camps before May 1 to quality for zero registration fees.

In addition to this lineup, Chesapeake Academy is hosting Girls, Gizmos, and Gadgets the week of June 28 through July 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as a specialty camp for girls in rising fourth grade through rising seventh grade. "Making full use of CA’s Arts & Innovation Hub, 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 on fun challenges! This is a week that will inspire and energize your young inventor! We are pleased to offer a subsidized tuition of $100 thanks to generous donors," Duvall enthuses.

Fun Day Sundae- July 5-9 $250
Nothing is more patriotic 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 new, local ice cream destinations. Of course, expect splashes of red, white, and blue celebrations all week long! 
Northern Neck Explorers- July 12-16 $250
Find adventure in and around the water! This favorite camp is back with new activities and destinations. Campers will swim, paddleboard, and explore parks --a perfect way to see the beautiful waterways the Northern Neck has to offer!

Farm to Table- July 19-23 $250
This exciting and delicious week is back! Campers will travel around the Northern Neck learning about local foods and 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 meals! 

Mystery Tour- July 26-30 $300
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! 

Animal Adventures- August 2-6 $300
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. This is sure to be an exciting week! All entrance fees are included. 
Mad Science- August 9-13 $250
Come experience the fascinating world of science at this new camp offering. We will explore astronomy, meteorology, and more through experiments on and off campus. New destinations and activities make this camp unlike anything offered before. Embrace your inner scientist and join the fun! 

Chesapeake Academy camps will follow recommended COVID safety protocols in consultation with the Three Rivers Health District. In the event that CA must cancel a camp, registrants will receive a full refund.
Class Acts...
Chesapeake Academy 3.0: Blended Learning
"Bama" Benson Joins Stable of OGM Volunteer Editors
Terrie Benson has joined the team of Old Grey Mare editors zooming with Pre-kindergarten authors in the Old Grey Mare Publishing Company. Benson, who has her degree in Early Childhood Education, enjoys consulting on story elements, research, invented spellings, illustrations, teaching peeps to count words, and whatever else the situation calls for! And of course, editors get a front row seat for each young author's book reveal!
Pre-K Tackles Hard things by Breaking the Task Down and Making a How-To Video

Hard things are daunting. But smaller parts are less so, and putting a few small steps together (in order) is a good start to mastering a doozie! Pre-K is pumping up their "can-do" skills by making "How-To" videos for all sorts of challenges from riding a balance bike, to zipping a coat, to writing those pesky digits or decoding a wee word!
Los Tres Cerditos!

First grade Spanish class is using a familar children's classic, "The Three Little Pigs," to develop Spanish vocabulary and usage skills. The class read the story in Spanish and then identifed the beginning, middle, and end of the tale by drawing pictures of the scenes. They learned new Spanish vocabulary words related to fairy tales, size, and sorts of houses and building materials.
Imagination Drives Discovery

First graders are learning about money in math and were wrapping up a lesson when a student asked, "Ms. Allen, what if each person in here was a penny? How much would it cost to buy our class?" After some discussion, the class figured out it would be $0.14 to purchase first grade.

Then, Ms. Allen posed the question, "What if each student was valued at $0.25. How much would the whole class be worth?" Allen was incredibly excited when students quickly grouped themselves into groups of four to make counting quick and easy. Mini-math minds determined that first grade would be valued at $3.50, but if they included Ms. Allen, the class would be worth $3.75. And if they added one more student, the class, would be worth an even $4.00.  

Now first grade is attaching a value to everything, including spelling words (consonants and vowels are worth a certain coin amount each week), and first graders have become quite the money counters! 
Building Bridges with Inspiration, Innovation, and Ingenuity!

Imagine if you will...Ms. Dynia’s pets got stranded on this side of the river, and Ms. Smith’s third grade class tackled bridge building to get them home! After discussing the structure of bridges, the strongest shapes, and how to join materials efficiently, third graders teamed up to build a bridge spanning the Hub chairs. Using only a foot of tape, 3 pieces of recycled computer paper, and a foot and a half of string, the students tried to get as many toy animals on their bridge at one time as possible. Their record was 62, when they ran out of animals!
Fractured Fairy Tales

Ms. Sonja Smith's third grade group has begun a new writer’s workshop project. After studying the elements of fairy tales (good vs evil, magic and spells, talking animals, patterns of numbers 3 and 7), the class read some fractured fairy tales.

A fractured fairy tale is one where the story has been altered in some way, either the characters, point of view, setting, or ending. The students compared and contrasted versions and later developed their own fractured fairy tale. They are currently finishing work on these stories and are excited to share them once they are complete.
Even Frosty Needs A Break!

Grade three students in Ms. Martha Rogers' class are working on a project based learning (PBL) activity focused around math skills. Students are planning a snowman's vacation while practicing math skills. Trip planners must add money to determine the cost of the trip, measure to find the mileage of the trip, graph temperatures and snowfall from the destination, and use their knowledge of fractions to figure out how much hot chocolate to make for the group.
Shakedown on Earthquakes

After completing their unit of study about earthquakes, fifth graders each had to choose one earthquake to research. Students presented their findings about the location and date of the earthquake, a description of the damage and loss of life, the rating of the earthquake on at least one of the three major scales, and a description of the relief efforts that were carried out in the area.
Each student prepared a Google Slides show, inserting a small video showing the damage, and then describe the information to their classmates. 
Modern Application for Foundational Skills!

Fifth grade writers are working on storyboarding and creating a graphic, modernized version of a passage from the classic fairy tale, "Snow White." Using a site called Pixton, the class created graphic versions of their narratives. First, they each created an avatar. Check out their class picture with the whole cast of characters! Students can include classmates in their stories, create dialogue, setting etc. The activity reinforces sequencing in storytelling and spiral reviews narrative writing skills without the practice becoming stale.
Weather on the Web

Fifth grade geography students are preparing to create their own weather reports. Using Padlet, the class compiled a list of sources, articles and weather report examples. Then, classmates engaged in online discussion with Padlet to flush out ideas and discoveries. Online discussion makes room for participation from all students and reinforces good digital citizenship. 
Swell Organelles!

In a race to the finish, seventh graders put clues to use to find the correct order of 12 cell organelles! After studying the roles organelles play in a cell, seventh grade science students used this info in a hotly competitive relay race. 

Students spread out all twelve clues, then figured out the "order" of the race by reading the clues.Then, students worked together to name each organelle with the clue that described it and place the card with that organelle back in a ladder stack. On the front of each card, is another clue that leads them to the next organelle. The first group that got all twelve clues completed won the race!
Seventh grade US History is deep into the study of the Civil War! Students made maps to help visualize the players in the conflict, the Union and Confederacy, the boundaries of territories that existed in the 1860s, and important battle sites. Students enjoyed color coding their maps and making map keys to make them easier for the viewer to understand! 
CAPPA Update

CAPPA's roomparents will be reaching out in coming weeks to complete the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund's quest for 100 percent parent participation.

Remember, the message we send with 100 percent participation speaks volumes when we apply for grants to augment the school program for our children.
Wait for it! It is time to announce which countries each Chesapeake Academy class is representing this spring for the Go for the Gold ARTStravaganza, Field Day, and auction activities!

  • Pre-K is going down under to Australia!
  • Kindergarten is grooving on Madagascar!
  • First grade is joining eighth grade to celebrate the good old USA!
  • Second grade is going to "play it again" in Morocco!
  • Ms. Smith's third grade is exploring the natural wonders of Brazil!
  • Ms. Rogers third grade is learning about our Southern neighbor, Mexico!
  • Fifth grade is learning all about the most populous democracy in the world, India!
  • Sixth grade is going Greek! Classic choice!
  • South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, and seventh grade is ready to learn all about it!
  • Eighth grade cheers, "Hey, Hey, Hey USA!"
Save the Date

3/3 Dress Uniform
3/5 Third Marking Period Interims Home
3/14 Daylight Savings Time
3/17 PALS presents Richmond Ballet's, Virtual "Midsummer Night's Dream,"
3/24 Tag Day,
3/24 Faculty Professional Development
3/29 through 4/5 Spring Break
4/5 Faculty Professional Development
An Attitude of Gratitude

  • Thanks to Mr. Abbott for salting the walkways at school to keep the frozen precipitation at bay.
  • Thanks to Ian York for surprising the faculty with a healthy lunch treat from Carried Away Cuisine. Yum!
  • Thanks to Luke Rawls for lending his editing expertise to the eighth grade tourism project.
  • Thanks to all who supported the Chesapeake Academy's online Bookfair.
  • Thanks to roomparents to brought a little Valentine's joy to classes.
  • Thanks to all the folks who helped reorganize the library and the Arts and Innovation Hub.
  • Thanks to all who have supported the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund! Let's get unanimous!