Blake Named Conservation Educator of 2024 by Garden Club of Virginia!

Chesapeake Academy science teacher Robin Blake is the 2024 recipient of the The Garden Club of Virginia's Conservation Educator Award. This award is designed to recognize individuals or organizations whose work in an educational environment supports the mission of the Garden Club of Virginia and its conservation ideals. This recognition award celebrates individuals or organizations across the state of Virginia who create a learning environment which benefits the community by promoting the ideals of conservation through education. 

CA's charismatic and energetic science teacher holds the tiller on a place-based marine science thread in the school's science curriculum that places an emphasis on understanding and conserving marine resources. Blake explains, "For our students who live, learn, work and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, learning about the world around them inevitably includes a deep dive into marine ecology. Learning about the systems that impact our region leads our students to become responsible stewards of one of the richest estuaries on Earth. Students learn to collect and consult data and think deeply. It is essential work." 

Interim Head of School Catherine L. Emery lauds Blake, "Our students hit the jackpot in place-based education! In a given year, Robin will lead our students in a variety of up-to-your-elbows experiences that deepen their understanding of the rich natural resources of the Northern Neck of Virginia.”

Partnering with The Friends of the Rappahannock, the Coastal Conservation Corps, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Christchurch School, and Urbanna Oyster Education Days and focusing on local waterways, Blake leads students in water and sediment testing, oyster farming, reef building, and shoreline management and restoration. Budding citizen scientists learn the history of laws impacting marine resources and come to deeply understand the perspectives of the key stakeholders in the region. By comparing the Chesapeake Bay with other estuaries, students learn to glean similarities and differences, identify trends and draw conclusions based on data: all essential life skills.



Anne Garner, Chair of the Conservation Committee of the Garden Club of the Northern Neck comments, "We are grateful to Robin Blake and all the organizations and educators who enable young people to see the need to protect the Commonwealth's natural resources for future generations." 

Head of School List--First Marking Period

Fifth Grade

Weston Kenner

Sixth Grade

Orla Watts

Annabel Clair

Mason Jones

Addy Parsley

Seventh Grade

Kathryn Kenner

Fin Burke

Sophia Kunkle

Callum Watts

Louisa Goodrich

Merritt Kelley

Elise Sterrett

Nolan Pittman

Eighth Grade

Miriam Sisson

Ethan Wills

Hudson Metsala

Charley Manetz

Henry Clair

Parent Announcement: Chesapeakee Academy is complying with a new state law requiring Child Day Care Programs in Virginia to have a water testing procedure that ensures water is free of lead on file with the Virginia Department of Health and to provide the results of water quality testing to the Department of Education. Irvington town water has always met all health standards, so this should be a routine process. We plan to complete and submit testing by December 20, 2024. Results should be available by January 1, 2025.

My Place in the World!

Kindergarten is getting to know where they live as part of their social studies curriculum. Students are slowly putting together a guidebook to important places in the Northern Neck and surrounding areas, learning about a new location each week. Students will visit some locations on class field trips and will be given the guidebook at the end of the year so they can continue exploring. There is a checklist of significant places, and students can record the date they visit, their rating out of three stars, and what they will remember about the place.

PALS Presents Galumpha

Chesapeake Academy's Performing Arts and Lecture Series presented "Galumpha: A Physical Theater" to pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students at 9:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy, and inventive choreography, Galumpha delighted the audience with a world of imagination, beauty, muscle, and merriment. The three performers created a sensory feast of images ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, drawn together into a seamless whole.



PALS programming is funded through the generosity of 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. 

Timelines Inform History!

Second graders recently began learning about history in social studies. Little historians discovered the value of artifacts, timelines, and various multimedia images and articles to learn about the past. 

Through online research, students were able to create a timeline about events that occurred in the town of Irvington. These included: when Chesapeake Academy was founded, when the town changed its name to Irvington, impactful fires that changed the town’s development, and when some of our current beloved shops opened up. 

To conclude their unit, second grade completed an assignment to make a timeline of their own lives. Lower school students are enjoying seeing their peers’ pictures in the hall from when they were babies to the grown scholars they are now. 

Defining Character Guides Growth

Beginning with the end in mind, CA administrators discussed what character traits promoted happy, independent learners and adults. Researching very successful programs, pulling from long-held CA character staples, and embracing some new ones, the team developed a list of character traits that would, together with the school's honor code, provide an outline for social emotional learning across the grades. Director of the Learning Support Services Kenzie Manetz explains, "Learning is a life skill and putting the foundations in place for lifelong learning gives students an essential advantage as they grow! Aren't curious, optimistic people with grit and self-control the most coveted employees?"

Interim Head of School Catherine L. Emery continues, "Chesapeake Academy has always had a strong character curriculum, but our faculty applauds this better defined and articulated program that Kenzie Manetz and her team put together, and our parents are finding it easier to collaborate with the school as they parent."  

In short, in addition to the school's honor code, purposeful, intentional instruction across the grades in age appropriate applications seeks to develop these eight core characteristics.

• Zest (actively participates, shows enthusiasm, invigorates others academically),
• Grit (finishes whatever he/she begins, shows significant effort even when success is uncertain, works independently with focus)
• Self control–school work( comes to class prepared, pays attention and resists distractions, remembers and follows directions, gets to work right away rather than procrastinating)
• Self control–interpersonal (remains calm even when criticized or otherwise provoked; allows others to speak without interruption. Is polite to others older younger and same age)
• Optimism (does not dwell on frustrations and setbacks; believes that effort will improve his/her future)
• Gratitude (recognizes and shows appreciation for others, recognizes and shows appreciation for his/her opportunities) 
• Social intelligence (is  able to find solutions during conflicts with others; demonstrates respect for feelings of others; knows when and how to include others)
• Curiosity (is eager to explore new things; asks and answers questions to deepen understanding, actively listens to others)

With the list in mind, teachers use every opportunity to promote dynamic learning skills, and specific skills find their focus in specific grades. Teachers and advisors cultivate and celebrate development through classroom and authentic life experiences as well as individual coaching. A character report card inspired by KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter schools accompanies academic assessments and helps students and parents define important strengths and growth areas. "This vital work falls right in line with CA's mission: inspire each student to approach learning with curiosity and creativity, to pursue excellence in all endeavors, and act with integrity so each can make our community and world a better place," concludes Emery.

PALS Presents Frosty

On Tuesday, December 3, Chesapeake Academy's Seth Ware Ahlborn Performing Arts and Lecture Series (PALS) presented the Barter Theater's seasonal classic, "Frosty," to kindergarten through eighth grade students at 1:00 p.m. in the Osprey Dome. This captivating tale featured a young orphan named Billy who discovers magic in a stolen hat that brings a snowman to life! Chesapeake Academy's Parents and Patrons Association (CAPPA) treated students to holiday cheer following the program for a perfect kick-off to the season!

PALS programming is funded through the generosity of 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. 

Words Matter in Fourth Grade!

Fourth-grade students recently embraced the magic of winter in a creative "Snowman Swap" writing assignment. Each student designed their unique snowman, focusing on details like accessories, colors, and imaginative features. Then, they drafted a vivid written description of their snowman using descriptive language to guide a classmate in recreating it, sight unseen.

The challenge pushed students to refine their writing skills, emphasizing clarity and sensory details. Students swapped descriptions and used only the words on paper to rebuild the snowman, revealing the importance of precise, creative communication.

Laughter and learning filled the classroom as students compared the original snowmen to the recreated versions, celebrating their writing progress and the joy of the season.

Lost and Found: The pile of misplaced items in the front office is steadily growing, so we know that there are families missing hard won items! Stop by to see what you can retrieve and return!

Osprey About Town: Sound Tech, Rio Elam

Rio Elam has loved the theatre for as long as his grandmother has been taking him to productions at Westmoreland Players! He started learning to run sound for theater productions last year during their production of "Matilda." Then he continued learning about sound tech during summer camp when the Westmoreland Players hosted Missoula Children's Theatre's production of "Hercules!"

Fall Athletics Awards

Varsity Soccer

Most Improved Player--Sam Parker

Coaches' Award--Merritt Kelley

Most Valuable Player--Mead Smith

Golden Boot Award--Nolan Pittman

JV Soccer

Coaches' Award--August Goodrich

Most Improved Player--Berkley Grass

Varsity Volleyball

Most Improved--Lily Trollip

Coaches' Award--Kathryn Kenner and Sophia Knuckle

Most Valuable Player--Kailyn Allen

Junior Varsity Volleyball

Most Improved--Nora Charlton

Coaches' Award--Quinn Stewart

Cross Country

Most Improved Runner--Jamie Lang

Coach's Award--Henry Clair

Osprey About Town: Dancer, Eden Ginsberg!

Eden Ginsberg was the student of the week at Etudes Ballet School last week. She took her first class at 5 years old, and she has been dancing off and on since then. Grand battements are her favorite movements as are grand jetes. Eden loves music as well as ballet, and she wants to be a second grade teacher when she grows up!

Ancient World History Students

Find Out About Pharaohs

Sixth grade ancient world history students flexed their research skills and creativity as they completed projects on Egyptian pharaohs. Students gathered information about historically significant Egyptian rulers, including basic biographical data, major accomplishments, and interesting facts.  These impressive presentations included 3-D tombs, skits, and a magazine. A great job was done by these budding Egyptologists!

Kilmarnock Museum Sponsors Johnathan Austin Performance at CA

Thanks to community leader Carroll Lee Ashburn, Chesapeake Academy enjoyed a riveting performance by renowned jugglerJonathan Austin sponsored by the Kilmarnock Museum on Tuesday, December 10 in the Osprey gymnasium. Austin has performed at such venues as The White House, The Kennedy Center, Walt Disney World, and New York City's Central Park. This entertainer's flair, timing, sense of humor and engaging personality brought an element of unparalleled fun and excitement that transformd an ordinary morning at school into an extraordinary occasion!

Eighth Grade Science Starts Rube Goldberg Projects!

Eighth grade science students are begining a unit of study on motion, force, energy and simple machines, and that means Rube Goldberg machines are on the horizon. Students will be challenged to build a complex machine made up of at least 10 simple machines that will complete a simple task. This year's theme is "Feed your Pet." Buckle your seatbelts! Using power tools, saws, hammers, nails, screws and many other things to build their complex machines is all part of the process. 

Arts & Innovation Class Explores Game Design

Third grade innovators are designing and developing their own games in their A&I class. Students have learned how to set up the game by creating a background and a subject player. Each player is given a costume and instructed to do various movements using a chain of events that will ultimately earn the player points and cause a celebratory event to happen (starburst disbursed or music is played) when a selected score is reached. Game design builds problem solving tech skills!



Student Council Launches Clash of the Coins!

There is a chill in the air, along with the smell of peppermint and the rosy faces of excited children--and amid these December delights, a ferocious competition is in full boil at Chesapeake Academy! The Clash of Coins, a beloved school tradition, takes place during the weeks following Thanksgiving break. Students from every grade at Chesapeake Academy collect coins in a feverish class competition filled with strategy and subterfuge whose end goal is to fulfill the Christmas wishes of children with a parent who is fighting cancer. Working through CancerLINC, a Central Virginia based non-profit that connects cancer patients and their families with legal assistance, financial and community resources, CA's student council hopes to get their donation right where it is needed. CancerLINC is led by former CA Head of School Julianne Duvall who visited with students to explain how their donation will impact others.

In Chesapeake Academy's Clash of Coins, students add change to their own uniquely decorated class bins, with each cent being worth one point. To keep the competition lively, students may sabotage other classes by adding bills to adversaries' bins to subtract points (one dollar bill is worth 100 negative points). Food contributions are worth 100 positive points.

Middle school volunteers tallied the results today to determine a class winner, and totaled the school's donation.The real winners, though, will be the many in our community who face legal, medical and financial challenges during cancer treatment.



Coach's Corner

The holidays are just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to relax, recharge, and spend some quality time together. Whether you’re winding down from a busy year or enjoying the winter break from school, this season offers a great opportunity to have fun with your family while staying active!

We all know that exercise is great for our physical health, but it’s also a big mood booster. Getting moving, even just a little, helps reduce stress, improves focus, and can make us feel more energized and connected with the people around us. And what better way to enjoy the holidays than to be active and do something fun with your family! 

Here are a few ideas to keep everyone moving and enjoying each other’s company this holiday season:

• Outdoor Fun: Think about bundling up and walking around the neighborhood to check out the holiday lights or go for a bike ride. If you’re feeling competitive, a friendly game of football, basketball, or even tag can get everyone laughing and moving.
• Indoor Adventures: You don’t need to go outside to stay active, and we all know that sometimes household chores or putting away all the holiday groceries can feel like a workout. To add some fun, make cleaning up a game, turn up the music and have a dance party, or try some of those fun holiday minute-to-win-it games that go viral! 
• Chill Time, but Still Active: Sometimes, it’s all about taking it easy with yoga or stretching. It’s a nice way to calm down, feel refreshed, and connect as a family. Plus, it helps everyone shake off the stress of the season.
• Family Sports: If you’ve got some space, why not challenge each other to a mini basketball tournament, a round of golf, a relay race at the pool, or a game of volleyball? It’s a great way to bond, get the blood flowing, and have some fun at the same time.

What’s great about all of these activities is they don’t have to be anything fancy or over-the-top. Sometimes, the best memories come from simple moments of movement and laughter. Plus, they’re a great way to feel better and reduce stress, especially with everything going on during the holidays. So, take some time this season to keep moving, have fun, and make those little moments of connection count. Here’s to a holiday season full of activity, togetherness, and, of course, plenty of laughs!

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 Sales were a huge success this year! We were able to earn over $3,000 in funds which will go towards all of the activities that CAPPA coordinates throughout the school year. Thank you to everyone who sold and purchased apples for this fundraiser! A special thanks to Whitney Lang and Ainsley Hodges for all of their hard work in the planning and execution of these apple sales.

CAPPA has some fun new events coming up in the new year--mark your calendars! The first will be a Parents Night Out on Friday, January 31 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. A group of our seventh and eighth grade students (under the supervision of several adults) will be watching younger CA students on campus in the gymnasium. The night will consist of a movie, dinner, and fun games or crafts, all with a “Halfway to Summer Luau” theme! The cost will be $30/child, or $25/child for families with more than one child attending. This event will be capped at a max of 30 kids--look out for your chance to sign up once we return in January!

On February 13, we will be hosting a Compass night for CA students, and on March 22, we will have a CA brunch at The Black Duck at Yankee Point. Look forward to additional details about those events coming in the new year!

CAPPA’s next meeting will be on Friday, January 17 at 8:30 a.m in the art room. All are invited!

Polish Your Parenting

• Maker Movement Encourages Kids to Make Things
• Future Proof Children by Teaching them DI
• Psychologists Suggests These 5 Phrases to Develop Kindness!

Cue Up Your Calendars!

12/13 Compass field trip, first through fourth grades, 9:00 a.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

1/10 Girls Bball @ St. Michaels, 5:00 p.m.; JV Boys travel with Varsity; V Boys, 6:00 p.m.

1/13 Girls Bball vs Ware, 4:00 p.m.; JV Boys, 5:15 p.m.

1/13 V Boys Basketball vs. Lancaster Middle School, 4:30 p.m.

1/20 School Closed, Martin Luther King Day

1/20 through 2/7 Enrollment Opt Out Period

1/21 Open gym, boys and girls, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

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

1/24 1/2 day, End 2MP

1/27 V Boys vs. Ware, 4:00 p.m.

1/29 Tag Day

1/29 JV Boys Bball dress with Varsity, 4:30 p.m.; V Boys@ Lancaster, 4:30 p.m.

1/29 PALS Presents Johnny Peers and the Muttsville Comix

1/31 Report Cards Home

2/3-7 Parent Partnership Days

2/3 Girls Bball @Ware, 4:00 p.m.; JV Boys @ Ware, 5:00 p.m.; V Boys @ Ware, 6:00 p.m.

2/5 Girls Bball vs ACDS, 4:00 p.m.; JV Boys, 5:00 p.m.; V Boys, 6:00 p.m.

2/7 Start Financial Aid Process

2/5 Birthday Book Assembly

2/14 through 2/17 Winter Break

2/18 ISAC ISAC Semifinals

2/20 ISAC Finals

2/26 Tag Day

2/26 PALS Presents Greanbeats Live by the Virginia Stage Company

2/28 Interims Home

3/5 Winter Athletics Awards, Dress Uniforms

3/15 Finanancial Aid Applications Complete and Submitted

Attitude of Gratitude!

• The commitment involved in conducting a Head of School search is considerable. Frequent and lengthy meetings, surveys, data collection and interpretation, interviews, interviews, interviews, thank you notes, and a whirl of logistics to support candidate visits are all in a day's work on a search committee. If you see any of our search committee members, please thank them for their service.
• Middle schoolers regularly step up to lend a hand when asked. How nice to know this generation will be taking the reins in their time.
• Daisy Doodle, faithful companion to Catherine Baker, has been inspiring young readers with her sweet visits all year! What a perfect way to practice growing skills!
• Ms. Tonya Carter shares her prodigious gifts with children with CA students several times each month! We love Ms. Tonya!
• Student Council's leadership in fundraising for Cancer Link with Clash of Coins has been outstanding. #makingtheworldabetterplace!
• Mike Sisson, father of Miriam Sisson, delivered CA's beautiful new hand-crafted podium! Ospreys will love using this elegant piece as they share their thoughts. Thank you!
• Thanks for the myriad of ways CA faculty and staff stepped up to welcome guests to campus! It takes a team.