Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  

Make your donations for Chesapeake Academy's 48th annual auction by March 15! If you need additional time, just reach out to Catherine at cemry@chesapeakeacademy.org. Fill out the form above with our thanks!

2025 Summer Camp Line-up Announced!

CAMP CHESAPEAKE

Camp Chesapeake serves rising third through eighth grade students and runs

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Campers will explore each week’s theme through age-appropriate field trips and activities. All activities and entrance fees are included. 

Please note the following: a $100 non-refundable deposit per camp is required to confirm enrollment in camp, and a 3% service fee will be added to all payments made by credit card; this fee does not apply to debit cards.

Rooted in Nature: A Garden Adventure–June 22-27, $350

Join us for a hands-on adventure in the garden! Explore the world of plants, from landscaping with native species to growing your own garden. Work together to create a native plant space on campus, while learning how to cook with fresh ingredients straight from the earth. This camp blends nature, creativity, and culinary fun for a truly unique outdoor experience!

Fun Day Sundae–June 30-July 3, $325

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 local ice cream destinations. Campers will try their hand at making homemade ice cream, too! Of course, expect splashes of red, white, and blue celebrations all week long! Please note that Fun Day Sundae camp will only run Monday through Thursday due to the holiday.

Exploring the Northern Neck and Beyond–July 7-11, $400

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 discover all the Northern Neck and surrounding area has to offer! 

Mad Science–July 14-18, $375

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! 

All-Star Sports Camp: Game On! $350

Get ready for an action-packed week of sports! From basketball to ultimate frisbee, soccer to pickleball, campers get to try a variety of games while building skills, teamwork, and confidence. Perfect for a beginner or a seasoned player: this camp has something for everyone!

Mystery Tour, $400 This session is full!

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.

CAMP IRVINGTON 

Camp Irvington serves children ages four through rising second grade and runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Campers explore each week’s theme through age-appropriate activities and field trips. All activities and entrance fees are included. Please note that campers are transported on a bus, and travel times may be up to 1.5 hours. All campers must be fully potty-trained and able to independently manage themselves in the restroom.

Please note the following: a $100 non-refundable deposit per camp is required to confirm enrollment in camp, and a 3% service fee will be added to all payments made by credit card; this fee does not apply to debit cards.

Bloom & Create: A Colorful Garden Adventure–June 23-27, $325

Come explore the magic of nature through vibrant colors and creative fun! Little gardeners will plant flowers, learn about the beauty of growing things, and bring their imagination to life with colorful painting, crafts, and hands-on activities. From nature walks to painting pots, this camp is all about exploring, creating, and blossoming in a world full of color!

Holiday Hullabaloo–June 30-July 3, $325 

Join us for a whirlwind of holiday fun, where we’ll celebrate the best traditions from Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the 4th of July! From crafting festive decorations to creating tasty treats, each week brings a new holiday adventure. Get ready for games, arts & crafts, and plenty of holiday cheer all year long! Please note that camp will only run Monday through Thursday due to the holiday.

Nature Bond Camp: Connect, Explore, Grow–July 7-11, $325

Step into the great outdoors and discover the magic of nature! At Nature Bond Camp, you'll connect with the environment through hands-on activities like hiking, wildlife exploration, and team-building games. From planting trees to identifying local plants and animals, this camp is all about forging a deeper bond with the earth and building lasting memories with friends. Nature awaits—let’s explore and grow together!

Animal Adventures: Explore, Learn, Play–July 14-18, $350

Embark on an exciting journey into the animal kingdom! From discovering local wildlife to learning about exotic creatures, Animal Adventures is packed with hands-on fun. Explore habitats, create animal-themed crafts, and get up close with furry, scaly, and feathered friends. Whether you’re a budding biologist or just love animals, this camp is a wild ride of discovery and adventure!

Little Builders: A STEAM Adventure–July 21-25, $325

Let your creativity soar in this fun-filled camp where building meets play! Little builders will explore simple engineering, colorful crafts, and hands-on science activities. From constructing towers to exploring fun art projects, each day is an exciting adventure of learning, experimenting, and creating. Perfect for young minds ready to build, imagine, and discover the world around them!

Mystery Tour–July 28-August 1, $350

Chesapeake Academy’s famous mystery tour is back again! 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.

Please extend a warm Osprey Welcome to the Evans- Cassidy family! Bruce joined pre-kindergarten in February. Parents are Sarah Evans and Patrick Cassidy! Brother Grant completes the picture!

Hurray for Birthday Books!

The James Library at Chesapeake Academy added 500 plus titles to the collection this year through the generosity of donors to Chesapeake Academy's Birthday Book Program. Donors purchased books, and Librarian Stacey Kelley and her staff selected titles to suit both the child and the library's needs. Birthday Books are dedicated in honor of students' birthdays by a book plate affixed inside the cover. As the book enters circulation, the named student is the first to check it out!  

Birthday books, receiving rock star welcomes, were handed out in a whole school assembly ensuring plenty of new reading material for CA's upcoming costumed Drop Everything and Read event where students come dressed as their favorite book character.

Growing our Own Garden at CA

Thanks to a grant from Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom, several CA classes will be learning first hand about planting a garden! This year's grant purchased four raised beds; and the school plans to repeat that request next year for a total of eight raised beds so that the garden can accomodate all classes who want to learn where food comes from! You may have noticed the planters outside of Academy Hall? Stay tuned, CA's garden may not look like much now, but gardening is all about believing in the future!

Thanks to all donors to the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund whose enthusiastic support sends powerful messages to grantors like Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom about support for the CA program!

Pre-Kindergarten Builds a Leprechan Trap!

Starting with an array of seasonal favorite stories, Pre-K peeps investigated the illusive leprechaun species learning their habitats, habits, and tricky folkways. Armed with background knowledge, students began to plan a quest to capture one, employing regional camouflage, well-selected bait, and an array of attractive hazards. Capitalizing on the spike of sightings near St. Patrick's Day, the trap was set today, and students hope it will spring over the weekend, netting them a chance to seize a pot of gold.

Lower School Hosts Activity Periods

Lower school students convene on Fridays each week to practice mindfulness and a craft or reading or writing activity. This offers an opportunity for students who knit, crochet, color, draw, read, practice origami, Zentangle, rubber band art, jewelry making etc to practice their craft independently. This dedicated time promotes mindfulness, but also encourages creativity and focus, providing a serene space for self-expression and personal growth.

First Grade Has Gone to the Birds!



First grade is diving into animal classification, and students have been especially captivated by the study of birds. Learning to identify different types of birds by features such as beaks, feathers, and feet caught student interest, and that interest soared as students made bird feeders to hang around campus. The highlight of study has been the bird feeder tray set up outside with a webcam attached, allowing the class to observe visiting birds in real-time!

Students eagerly watched the live stream, sharing observations about the birds' behaviors. Everyone cheered when the first bird, a wren, arrived! Their curiosity and excitement have truly brought learning to life, making this unit both educational and unforgettable.

CA Students Showcase Talent in Youth Arts Appreciation Month Contest

at Red Fish Gallery!

Get ready for an exciting creative celebration! For Youth Arts Appreciation Month this March, Red Fish Gallery in Irvington is thrilled to host an inspiring art contest for students of all grades at Chesapeake Academy. Students are excited and will vote on the theme, sparking a wave of imagination and unique perspectives. Using their favorite media, they'll bring their visions to life and submit their masterpieces for a chance to shine.

Accomplished local artists will serve as judges, carefully selecting the winning pieces, which will be revealed on March 19. But the celebration doesn’t stop there! Join us for two vibrant receptions, open to all, at Red Fish Gallery on March 21 and 22 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate the creativity, meet these young artists and enjoy an evening of art, inspiration, and community. The stunning artwork will remain on display at Red Fish Gallery throughout the month of March, so come and see these incredible pieces before the exhibit closes. Don’t miss out on this chance to support our local young talent and celebrate the power of art!

PALS Presents Greenbeats Live! 

On Wednesday, February 26, Chesapeake Academy's Seth Ware Ahlborn Performing Arts and Lecture Series (PALS) presented GreenBeats, Live!  to pre-k through third grade students at 9:30 a.m. in the Osprey Dome. GreenBeats Live!  is a partnership between WHRO Public Media and the Virginia Stage Company, featuring music written by Skye Zentz and Meredith Noel that was originally produced for WHRO Public Media's GreenBeats.  

In GreenBeats, Live, the hero, Malia, learns to make small changes to protect her neighborhood and the environment with help from Skip, the Stray, Scoop Dog Sam, and her other friends. 

Local schools, pre-schools, and homeschooling families are routinely invited to attend PALS performances. 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 in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. 

Third Grade Conquers the Rock Cycle!

Grade three has been studying the rock cycle. Among the highlights of this study was an experiment to represent this cycle using starbursts as rocks.

• The "rocks" were "broken up" by weathering (cut with scissors).
• Then the pieces were compacted and cemented (pressed down) to represent sedimentary rock.
• Then they were squished together by adding heat and pressure to represent metamorphic rock.
• Finally the metamorphic rock melted (put in microwave) and cooled to represent igneous rock.

This experiment provided great hands-on learning for third graders!

Chesapeake Academy is looking for families who might be interested in hosting a Guatemalan student in the fall for a cultural exchange program. Isabella Cardona, the program director, will be on campus on March 18 to provide information on being a host family and the program itself. There is no obligation, this is just to give families information and answer any questions they may have, so come on out and meet Isabella and learn about the program.

Here are the details for the meeting:

Date: Tuesday, March 18

Time: 12:00 p.m.

At Chesapeake Academy

Winter Athletics Awards

JV Boys Basketball

Most Improved Player - Lucas Rafael and Eli Hamrick

Most Valuable Player - Easton Minor

Coach’s Award - Mason Jones

Varsity Boys Basketball

Most Improved Player - Sam Parker and Callum Watts

Most Valuable Player - Brendan Beuchelt

Coach’s Award - Mead Smith

Girls Basketball

Most Improved Player - Daniella McLaughlin and Louisa Goodrich

Most Valuable Player - Kailyn Allen

Coach’s Award - Kathryn Kenner

Eighth Grade Student-Athlete Recognition:

Charley Manetz, Soccer

Henry Clair, Cross Country

Collaborating with Colors!

Fifth grade students reviewed the vocabulary for colors in Spanish by creating original color-by-number pages. Afterwards, first graders showed off their skills by reading the Spanish colors and filling in the pages accordingly. Younger students thoroughly enjoyed coloring these works of art created by their older friends!

Arts and Innovation is Alive at CA!

CA Arts & Innovation students from fifth grade designed their own board games by brainstorming the concept, designing the game, creating the rules, designing the visuals, testing the game and sharing their game with each other by playing and providing feedback. Creating a board game was a fun way for students to use their creativity and practice problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. 

Ospreys About Town

Ospreys make a difference! This team of middle school fellows dove in to put together book cases for the James Library during their break time and after school! The faces say it all: helping out builds a sense of belonging and satisfaction! And it inspires gratitude! Thanks, guys!

Seventh Grade Literary Sleuths Mix History and Literature!

Seventh grade literature students are currently reading Chasing Lincoln's Killer, a historical account of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and John Wilkes Booth's twelve day flight through the surrounding countryside. The novel, based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, is a fast-paced thriller that so deeply engages students that it readily inspires inquiry into its development and devices. Students are currently working on notable quotations from the book. 

Student Council Update!



Student Council held a special TAG day fundraiser on March 13, which allowed students to wear pajamas to school for a small donation. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to a local family who lost their home to a fire in February. We are proud of our Ospreys who are always so willing to help others in need! Later this month, Student Council will host a Capture the Flag game night and dinner for middle school. The cost will be $10. Students are looking forward to this fun event!

Coach's Corner

As we close out a remarkable winter season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements and growth we’ve seen from our student-athletes and how much of an impact our coaches and families have had on these Ospreys. This season has been full of excitement, close games, and heartwarming moments that highlight the dedication and spirit of our school community.

Our teams showcased tremendous growth this season, with athletes continuing to develop both on and off the court. The Varsity Boys’ basketball team had an outstanding run, finishing as the ISAC Runner-Up. Their effort, skill, and teamwork throughout the season were truly inspiring, and they played some of the most thrilling games I’ve seen in a long time.

Beyond the wins and losses, it was the personal growth of our student-athletes that stood out the most. Each Osprey pushed themselves to become better athletes, leaders, and teammates, and that’s something we are incredibly proud of. It wasn't just the cheers and high-fives on the court in practices or games, it was also the smiles and congratulations during our awards ceremony that truly showed how they value and enjoy being teammates. It’s a testament to their hard work and the support and guidance they receive from our coaches and families.

Speaking of which, we are so fortunate to have such dedicated and passionate coaches guiding our teams, and I can't say enough positive things about our coaches - Michelle Grass (cheer), Jennifer Miller (cheer), Brie Salatino (cheer), Harley Haydon (girls basketball), and Tyler Colding (boys basketball). Their commitment to our student-athletes is unwavering, and their positive impact is felt throughout our athletic programs. A huge thank you to all of them for their time, effort, and encouragement!

We’re incredibly excited about the momentum this winter season has generated, and we’re already looking ahead to even more success in the 2025-2026 school year. The determination, passion, and growth we’ve witnessed this winter will serve as the foundation for a bright future for our student-athletes, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Thank you to all of our families for your continued support, and to our athletes for your dedication. Let’s keep this positive energy going as we strive for even greater success next year!

Go Ospreys!

Coach Allen

CAPPA Update!

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 the way, parents develop a strong connection to the school and to one another: A win/win! There is a way to contribute for every Osprey family! 

The Black Duck at Yankee Point has generously offered to host a brunch to help raise money for CAPPA. Come on out on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 15% of all proceeds will go to CAPPA. This event is open to everyone, not just CA parents, so feel free to invite friends and family to join us in supporting our school while enjoying a great meal!

CAPPA meets on the third Friday of each month. Our next meeting will take place on Friday, March 21 right after morning drop-off. All are welcome to join!

Cue Up Your Calendars!

3/15 Financial Aid Applications Complete and Submitted

3/19 Lower School Field Trip, Science Museum

3/21 CAPPA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., art room

3/21 Hughlett Tavern, kindergarten and first grade, 8:00 a.m.

3/27 PALS Presents Richmond Ballet's "Cinderella," pre-k through fourth grade; 9:30 a.m. in the gym

3/27 Virginia Ship Repair Competition

3/28 End of 3MP, half day

3/31 through 4/4 Spring Break

4/9 Dress Uniform

4/10 Family Picnic

4/14 Report Cards Home

4/17 PALS, Songs and Stories of Mexilachia, 9:30 a.m. Ospreydome

4/18 Good Friday

4/21 No School/Easter Monday

4/22 Earth Day

4/30 Tag Day

5/5 Interims

5/3 Run for the Roses Auction

5/5 through 5/9, Science Field Study, seventh and eighth grades

5/11 Mother's Day!

5/15 ARTStravaganza

5/23 Field Day

5/26 No School Memorial Day

5/27 through 30 Exams

5/30 Last Day of School

6/3 Graduation

6/9 Report Cards

Attitude of Gratitude!

• Thank you to room parents and Osprey families who are busily creating auction items from classes or considering their own!
• Thanks to Robert Elam, father of Alyra and Rio and husband of Chrys Royal Elam, for sharing his expertise in garden planning and installation.
• Thanks to the CA Cheer Squad and their coaches for their support for CA Athletics this year! Special thanks to that adorable Osprey!
• Thanks to CA's trustees who are putting their shoulders into a myriad of projects to support the school.
• Spring! Spring! Spring! The Ospreys have returned! Jonquils are jumping! Peepers are peeping! Winter is on the run!
• Thank you to volunteers who helped sort and bundle birthday books!
• Huge thanks to Sarah Parsley for her tireless efforts to support the hot lunch program this year.