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.
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The Head's Heads UP
As you know, the theme for this Chesapeake Academy school year is
purpose,
that process of discovering how to use one's talents to meet the world's needs.
It is not an easy task or journey to find our purpose, and to recognize how to act upon it when we do feel purposeful. Many of us are still trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up, and we don't have all the answers. But, there are 5 key elements that we as adults can do to help children develop a sense of their purpose.
- Highlight Empathy--Purpose starts with empathy, a theme we explored several years ago. If we want our talents to have an impact, we have to be able to recognize needs in others. Encourage your child to see a situation from someone else's perspective and to understand how someone else might feel. When a child can share someone else's joy or feel their pain, they are equipped to make connections, listen with intention, and act with integrity.
- Build Self-Awareness--Children build confidence from competence. They develop competence from attempting tasks independently, struggling, and ultimately succeeding. When students recognize their own gifts, they can think about how their gifts can help other people. Reflect with your children on where they feel really proud of themselves. Have them set goals and celebrate successes toward those. Talk about obstacles and how to bounce back from failure. Children who have confidence in their abilities are able to see how to use their abilities to make a positive impact.
- Model and Mentor--We can model behavior for our children by talking about our own motivations and the “why” behind the choices we make so that they can reflect on the choices they make.
- Real World Learning--Providing connections between what children learn in school to places where that skill can be useful is a great way for kids to see how their talents could be utilized to help someone.
- Ask Good Questions--Give your children the opportunity to reflect on choices, talents, and goals. When you notice your children doing something wonderful, give that feedback, and then ask your children how it felt to do that wonderful thing.
In these ways, we can provide guidance to our children about their own abilities and give them the confidence to know they can step up to impact others in small and big ways. Confidence + Competence + Conscience = Purpose
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Join the Dew family as they welcome Faces and Our Cultures exchange student
Jose Pablo Villela Cofiño, otherwise known as JP! J
P is here because he wants to practice his English and make new friends. He enjoys many sports: soccer, basketball, baseball, biking, running, eco-adventures, outdoor activities, photography, and video games.
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Join the Leo family as they welcome Faces and Our Cultures exchange student
London Mariée González Ramírez!
London embraces this exchange because she wants to learn more about American culture, and she also wants to improve her English. London enjoys basketball, working out, drawing and painting, arts and crafts, and jewelry making.
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Class Acts...
What's Happening on the Halls?
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Fingers Get Busy with Butterflies
What better way to practice that three-point grip than helping a former Osprey with a project for a college art class? Pre-k 3&4 pulled out those pinchers and got busy coloring butterflies for Jaclyn Humpreys, a senior art student at VCU. Humphreys created the piece specifically for the pre-k 3&4 class by printing the fabric and setting the ink in a special process. Humphreys plans a more involved collaboration in the A&I Hub later in the fall.
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Take a Peek Tuesday
The first Tuesday of each month is Take A Peek Tuesday at Chesapeake Academy. Our next
Take A Peek Tuesday is November 5
. Prospective parents and curious community members are invited to join us for an abbreviated tour from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.. Come on by, introduce yourself, take a brief tour, grab a brochure packet, and you are out the door!
What will you see? The new Arts & Innovation Hub and James Library, engaged students in classrooms, and creative teachers! You can ask questions and just satisfy your curiosity! Interested in Chesapeake Academy, but prefer a more in-depth tour? We can do that, too! Please call Director of Admission, Hilary Scott, at 804.438.5575. We will make a plan that meets your schedule!
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Brain Buckets
When students are excited about what they are learning and the ways they can show off what they know, their engagement drives deeper learning and boosts retention! So second grade teachers Martha Rogers and Kaitlin Benson are using student interests and passions to develop critical thinking, language, research, and presentation skills. Second graders choose topics to research and share with the class and the topics run the gamut! All the tools a student needs are kept in their Brain Buckets so they are ready to pick up the task as they finish other learning. The end result is a class of very productive subject area experts!
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State of the School Meeting
Please join us from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5 for a State of the School meeting, which will take place in the A&I Hub. Richard Abbott, our Business Manager, and Michele Faulkner, our Chair of the Board of Trustees, will join Ms. Duvall to review the finances and strategic vision for the school.
Transparency is always our goal, and it is important that families have information about the operations of our non-profit organization. We will explain sources of revenues, expenses, and strategic goals for the institution. Of course, you will have the opportunity to ask questions as well. We'll have some drinks and light snacks for parents.
If your children are already in extended day that day, we will have coverage until 6:00 p.m.
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PALS Presents The Richmond Ballet
On Wednesday, October 23, Chesapeake Academy's Performing Arts and Lecture Series (PALS) presented the Richmond Ballet's Swan Lake. This 45-minute adaptation of Swan Lake introduced young audience members to the language of ballet through a combination of storytelling and dance. Children were enchanted by the story of Odette, the beautiful maiden who is transformed into a swan by a sorcerer, and Odile, her evil counterpart. Incorporating humor and audience interaction, the Royal Jester narrated this tale of magic, mystery, and the power of true love.
PALS programming is funded by the Wiley Foundation with support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
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American History Comes Alive!
Chesapeake Academy second and third graders experienced the history of America’s first permanent English settlement on an interactive tour of the Jamestown Settlement this week. Nathan Rafael (third grade) enthuses, "I loved the fort because it is so realistic!"
Chesapeake Academy students were asked questions and presented with problems that helped them connect to the people and events of Jamestown’s history from multiple perspectives. Along the way, students engaged in activities in the recreated Powhatan Indian Village, ships, and James Fort, and learned how artifacts can explain the past in the expansive Jamestown Settlement galleries. Ethan Wills explains, "I liked learning about the scarecrow hut! The scarecrow hut is where kids sit near the garden and throw rocks at the animals who try to attack it."
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Mini Economy Prep Begins
Third, fourth and fifth grade students kicked off preparations for the Virginia Council for Economics Mini Economy Market Days recently during a Friday activity period. Students had the opportunity to brainstorm product ideas in five categories, including pampering products, home goods, and pet care. Next, students will be assigned groups based on preferences and set to work brainstorming product design and marketing plans.
This Mini Economy project provides authentic experience-based instruction used to teach entrepreneurship, economics and government in the classroom. Conducted as a unit of study, this high-energy simulation focuses on economic concepts, financial literacy, classroom management and real-world market situations. Students establish their own society, design currency, plan and open businesses, and create a functioning government.
“Mini Economy is a great opportunity for students to collaborate across grade levels, express creativity, show leadership, learn the basics of economics, and have fun,” said Catherine Emery, fifth grade homeroom teacher.
Students will meet most Fridays through January to design, build, and develop a marketing plan for a custom-made product or service. The activity cumulates in March with VCPE's Mini Economy Market Day at the VCU Siegel Center in Richmond.
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The Book Fair Is Coming!
Readers! Rev your engines! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming in time to stock up for winter or to get some early Christmas shopping done. The fair will run from November 14 until November 19 with both morning and afternoon hours in the library. The fair will also be open for Grandparents' and Grandfriends' Day! If you can volunteer to help staff this important school event, contact
Rosetta Struse.
Several volunteers are needed!
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Got a Plan for your PPD Conference?
Your child's teachers are excited and ready to broach your favorite topic and theirs: Your student! These Parent Partnership Conferences bring together the insights and wisdom of a student's best advocates--their parents--and the perspective and experience of their teachers to discuss each child's growth. This powerful partnership is one of the most important contributions you can make to your child's success so take a minute to make this time count!
- Collect your thoughts. What seems to be working? What opportunities exist for growth?
- Find out what is coming next in your child's curriculum. Knowing what is coming up will provide a context for what your child is working on now.
- How can you best support the process? Use this conference to determine how to focus your efforts to best support your child's growth.
- Follow through on recommendations and stay in touch to share results. Feedback helps fine-tune better strategies!
- Support your partners!
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Calling All Siblings!
Hilary Scott, Director of Admission, is interested in speaking with YOU about the application process if your Osprey has a younger sibling! We want to consider our current families with younger siblings for 2020-2021 earlier so that Osprey families are given first consideration for openings and financial assistance.
The first admission deadline is November 1, 2019. Should you submit an application before that deadline, you will have the admission process completed before December 15, 2019.
Want to chat with Hilary? She is happy to schedule a time to talk about the application process, explain affordability with more than one child enrolled, and answer your questions. In particular, should you be seeking financial assistance, you are encouraged to act before the early fall deadline. Early application increases the school's ability to meet a family's needs.
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Guest Author, Joshua Abbott, Offers His Perspective on Inward Bound!
Inward Bound is an overnight trip where the whole middle school at Chesapeake Academy goes to Camp Piankatank. We take time away from classes to learn more about each other. This is a good tradition because it’s exciting to get to know new friends and spend time with them.
This is my third year participating in Inward Bound. When we went to the camp, we got into our advisory teams, talked about Inward Bound, and then we started the challenges. One of the games was The Bucket Challenge. In this challenge, you and your teammates have to hold the bucket with your feet and take your shoes off without the bucket spilling. We failed at the challenge. Next we moved on to the boat challenge. This is where you have to build a boat with only cardboard and duct tape. You have to get your boat to the other side of the pool the fastest without it falling apart. The Emery Advisory won the boat challenge.
When the boat challenge was done, we all went into our cabins and relaxed with our friends. When it was time for dinner, the new people sang the “I’m A Little Tea Pot” song. This has been a tradition at Inward Bound for a long time. After we were done eating our lasagna and green beans, it was time for the dance. We went to the pavillion, dressed in costumes, and danced. The funniest thing I saw was people in boxes looking like astronauts. When the dance was done, it was time for Capture the Flag. Then we ate s'mores and sat by the fire. When we were finished, we played Zombie Tag and went to bed.
The next day, we got up and played outside. For breakfast, we had pancakes. When we were done eating, it was time to write notes to the person you were assigned. The purpose of writing the notes is to say something nice about them. When we wrote the notes we went to take pictures. Once the pictures were done we played Sardines. It is where you try to find someone that is hidden. If you find the person that is hidden you hide with them. After we played Sardines for a while, it was time to go home, so we got on the bus and left.
When I left Inward Bound, I was sad that we were leaving. It was a very fun time. My favorite part of Inward Bound was the boat challenge because it was fun to see the people sink. I wish we could have played Capture the Flag longer because it was fun to sneak with my Gilly Suit on. I can’t wait to go next year.
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SSATs At CA!
On Saturday November 16, the administration of the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) is scheduled at CA. Most independent schools require SSAT testing for high school admission, and we want any eighth graders interested in the prospect of an independent secondary school education to have the opportunity to apply.
If you are interested in having your child take the SSAT, you may sign up on the SSAT website under "register for the SSAT" in the top right corner
here
and search for Chesapeake Academy. Regular registration (that is, without an extra fee) ends October 26, 2019.
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Shop Stella and Dot at Chesapeake Academy!
Did you miss the Stella and Dot shopping days CA parent Jennifer Miller offered in the A&I Hub? Well, don't worry. It is not too late! Jennifer is extending her donation of proceeds from all online sales until November 1, 2019.
25% of sales will go back to Cheseapeake Academy!
Stella and Dot offers stylish jewelry, acessories, and a limited amount of apparel, and would make wonderful gifts.
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Coach's Corner
Osprey soccer ended their season on a high note, taking home the tournament trophy! Congratulations to Osprey soccer for hard work and persistence. It paid off!
Osprey Volleyball dominated the first round of the ISAC volleyball tournament on Tuesday and advanced to the Championship game against Ware Academy on Thursday. They showed some of their best teamwork in the first game but did not prevail in the match! Congratulations to Osprey volleyball for a very successful season.
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Oyster Roast Called "Best Ever!"
The Oyster Roast Committee would like to thank all the volunteers who made the Oyster Roast a TREMENDOUS success! If you didn’t attend, you missed an evening with friends, beautiful weather, and unlimited delicious food.
Special thanks to our many sponsors and donors whose support has been a huge part of our success this year and in past years. Alumni Parent Iris Treakle, once again donated and served all the clam chowder and sweet potato fries. Current parents Marie and Cedrick Sanders, owners of Out of the Oven Bakery in White Stone, provided all the delicious cookies! Raffle prize donors Tri-Star Supermarket, NN Burger, and Great Fortune Restaurant helped made our raffle a success! Special thanks to current parent Rich Harding of Purcell’s Seafood and alumni parent Gerald Abbott for making sure CA had all the oysters that were roasted and fried.
Alumnus Peale Rogers, his wife and CA teacher, Martha Rogers, along with Paul Somers and the Somers boys spearheaded the roasting of the oysters. We can’t thank them enough for all they do year after year! CA Business Manager, Richard Abbott, his wife Jan Abbott, and Joe Souders fried the oysters, sweet potatoes, and chicken. Each and every volunteer that helped during weeks of preparation, setup, cleanup, and during the event made this evening so amazing.
Music was provided by DeadRise–a local band comprised of 6 great friends, all dads with 5 band members being alumni dads and 1 being a current granddad! Everyone enjoyed their fantastic music. Their financial contribution back to the school was extra special. We are so grateful!
Co-chairs and current parents Michelle Ritter and Lauren Leo would like to thank everyonw--even our students--helped!
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Student Council Update!
Student Council is planning a Ghost Tour of Williamsburg with docent Kim Dynia on Friday, November 22. The cost per student is $7 plus food money and should be paid by November 15.
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CAPPA Update
CAPPA wants your ideas and input for increasing opportunities for parents to socialize! What are some ways we can support Chesapeake Academy parents getting together in groups (large or small groups, it doesn't matter). Think: book clubs, walking groups, dinner clubs,investment groups, etc. Please email your suggestions/ideas to
Lara Brown
or
Shelly Ritter.
Giving Tuesday is December 3, and this day of giving will be CAPPA's kick off for our drive to 100% parent participation for the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund. CAPPA will have a tent set up to receive pledges and donations by the soccer field during morning drop off offering hot coffee, cider and assorted muffins in appreciation of our parents and their donations to the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund. More information will come home prior to the event.
Apple sales have come to a close, and they will be available for pick-up on Monday, October 28. We sold 112 bushels! Thank you again for a great fundraiser!
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Local Field Study Prepares Students for Florida!
In preparation for a culminating field study comparing the Chesapeake Bay to the Florida Keys next year, Chesapeake Academy students took to local waterways with Christchurch School's Director of Place-Based Education, Dave Cola, to compare fresh and saltwater ecosystems and investigate connections within ecosystems. Placed-based Extensions of the Academic Curriculum at Christchurch School (PEACs) are designed to break down the walls of single-teacher classrooms and use the natural and social resources to enhance classroom effectiveness and relevance.
Chesapeake Academy seventh grade students began the day at the Christchurch School dock where they reinforced their learning about oyster gardening, pulled up an oyster pot and described what they saw. Students then went hands-on, building an oyster reef and discovering how tongs and dredging can harm a reef. Tales of English explorer Captain John Smith and his navigation through the oyster beds in the Rappahannock River offered a historical perspective on this native bivalve. As they worked, students discussed the impact of variables like sun, nutrients, and oxygen on the watershed and particularly on plankton (the all important base of the food chain). Students learned that brackish water creates a good nursery for water life and what impact the influx of runoff has on the ecosystem.
The field study then traveled to nearby Urbanna Creek where they catalogued 18 unique saltwater specimens using a seine net. They also compared the two locations (Christchurch waterfront and the marina at Urbanna) as a useful preparation for the Florida Keys Field Study which will make similar comparisons.
In order to make further comparisons between the salt- and freshwater systems, students headed over to Dragon Run, a freshwater tributary. Accessing Dragon Run from canoes, students collected from the grasses and water using nets. Gathering about the same number of organisms, students noted these organisms were much smaller and darker, and more likely to be insect types than those from the river.
The students found the water level low in Dragon Run due to the recent drought, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in the number or size of the organisms they collected in their nets in the marsh grass. Noting that the water was not as green on Dragon Run, students guessed that the brownish color of the water could derive from the many cypress trees in evidence. Science Teacher Robin Blake explained the importance of cypress trees as a keystone species and predicted that students would compare cyprus trees here to the mangrove trees students will encounter during their field study in the Florida Keys.
The students explored the interconnectedness between the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Bay itself, quickly coming to the conclusion that it is important for us to keep the waters on the earth healthy. These basic local comparisons will become the springboard for a more in-depth comparison of the Bay and Florida Keys estuaries.
Chesapeake Academy Middle School Science Teacher Robin Blake enthuses, "I love these place-based extensions of the academic curriculum because the student experience is vivid and personal, and students retain and contextualize the information more readily on-site!”
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Electoral Candidate Roundup
Eighth grade Integrated Studies students are keeping an eye on the 2020 Presidential Election! Each student has selected one candidate to "follow" in the coming weeks. As part of their process, they are researching the candidates' stances on important issues (as well as reading a variety of news articles relating to topics like healthcare to better understand the issues themselves). Along the way, each student is creating an unbiased resource to showcase the candidate at a glance. They hope these pages will be handy for voters who wish to be better informed!
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CRA Mathematics Process Clarifies a Path to Mastery!
The CRA instructional approach guides students through three stages of understanding: the concrete, the representational, and the abstract. (Hence, the acronym.)
Katie Parker explains, "Possibly the best way to explain the CRA Mathematics Approach is to follow students through the process." Fourth grade math students are reviewing subtraction with regrouping.
The concrete stage of this topic involves hands-on work with manipulatives. Students used Base 10 blocks to physically represent subtraction. Not only did this help students to visualize the concept, but it also helped them to see strategies within their subtraction. For
84 - 19
, some students made more compatible numbers (
84 - 20
and then account for the shift) whereas others opted to trade a 10 for ones to make 14.
Once students are comfortable with concrete work, they are ready to move on to the representational stage where pictures replace manipulatives. They use drawings and other visuals to show the concept. Working with subtraction, fourth grade math students moved from the blocks themselves to showing their answers as Base 10 drawings.
Because students have built conceptual understanding along the way, they are now ready for abstract procedures. At the conclusion of this process fourth grade students could evaluate subtraction expressions without drawings or additional visual cues. This brings sense to the algorithm, which increases long-term retention and builds deeper understanding!
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An Attitude of Gratitude
- Thank you to local band DeadRise for a wonderful evening of music at the Oyster Roast and for donating their fee to keep CA strong! And thanks to the alums who joined the band to celebrate with their alma mater.
- Thanks to the raffle winners, Hannah Newman and Jerry Ohlman, for donating their prizes to the faculty.
- Thanks to Christchurch School for including our students in their Place-Based Extensions of the Academic Curriculum.
- Thanks to all the sponsors of the Oyster Roast, all the volunteers and all the folks who came out to enjoy a wonderful evening.
The Gift of Time and Talent is a Treasure!
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Dates to Remember
10/30 Tag Day
10/30 Faculty Profesional Development, 3:30 p.m.
10/30 Fall Athletic Awards, 10:05 a.m., gym
10/31 Urbanna Oyster Festival Education Days, seventh grade
11/4-14 Scholastic Book Fair, James Library
11/5 State of the School Parent Meeting, 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., James Library
11/6 Dress Uniform
11/6 Picture Make-up Day
11/8 Grandparents' and Grandfriends' Day, noon release
11/8 End First Marking Period
11/11 through 11/14 Parent Partnership Conferences, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
11/13, PALS presents Virginia Repertory Theatre's "The Real Story of Pocohantas, 9:30 a.m.
11/16 Girls, Gear Up!, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., registration required
11/16 SSATs at Chesapeake Academy
11/20 Faculty Professional Development, 3:30 p.m.
11/22 Student Council's Williamsburg Ghost Tour
11/27-11/30 Thanksgiving Holiday
12/1 Student Council's Clash of the Coins Begins
12/3 Parent Coffee at the Residence, 8:30 a.m., first grade
12/4 Dress Uniform
12/4 Varsity Basketball hosts New Community School, 4:30 p.m.
12/6 PALS Presents The Banter Players' "Frosty," internal event
12/10 Parent Coffee at the Residence, 8:30 p.m., second grade
12/12 Basketball @ Ware
12/17 Varsity Basketball hosts Peasley Middle School
12/20 Holiday Program, noon release
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