Press Releases, 2011-2012
CA Announces Second Term Honor Roll and First Semester Honor Roll and Head of School List Recipients
Chesapeake Academy, a pre-kindergarten through grade eight independent school in Irvington, is pleased to announce and congratulate the following students in grades four through eight who have achieved either the Honor Roll or Head of School List for the second marking period and the first semester of the 2011-2012 academic year:
Second Marking Period Honor Roll: Given to those students with a grade point average of 7.0 on a 12 point scale with no more than one C+ and no grades lower than a C+, and no “1”s (needs significant improvement to meet expectations and standards) noted on the conduct report.
4th Grade: Chas Faulkner, Colette Haynie, Claire Keesee, Will Stinson, Harrison Tompkins, John Vail
5th Grade: Walker Antonio, Alice Johnson, Mears Pollard, Sophie Scott, Noah Struse, Thomas Wilson
6th Grade: Nash Carrington, Charlie Gaenzle, Sally Johnson, Trevor Revere, Avery Shivers, Lindsey Silvernale, Evan Steensma, David Stinson, Wilson Throckmorton
7th Grade: Harley Haydon, Libby Nashwinter, Jahlil Nickens
8th Grade: Brendan Brown, T Carrington, AustenTaylor Dozier, AnnGardner Eubank, Abigail Foster, Parker Kirkmyer, Hollis Perona, Tre's Rioland
First Semester Honor Roll
5th Grade: Walker Antonio, Hunter Hollingsworth, Alice Johnson, Mears Pollard, Schuyler Price, Sophie Scott, Noah Struse
6th Grade: Nash Carrington, Alex Eley, Charlie Gaenzle, Sally Johnson, Brian Major, Trevor Revere, Avery Shivers, Lindsey Silvernale, Evan Steensma, David Stinson, Chase Tambellini, Wilson Throckmorton
7th Grade: Harley Haydon, Jahlil Nickens, Monica Waddy
8th Grade: Jonathan Barrack, Brendan Brown, T Carrington, AustenTaylor Dozier, AnnGardner Eubank, Abigail Foster, Parker Kirkmyer, Hollis Perona, Tre's Rioland
Second Marking Period Head of School List: Given to those students with a grade point average of 10.0 on a 12 point scale and no grade below a B-, and no conduct or work habit grades lower than a 3 (consistently meets expectations and standards) noted on the conduct report.
4th Grade: Lily Reihs
5th Grade: Boyd Bragg, Schuyler Price, Eliza Carr Schmidt, Millie Tompkins
6th Grade: Aline Johnson, Erin McClain, Hannah Stout, Francesca Wilson, Wells Young
7th Grade: None
8th Grade: Grace Gaenzle, Emmaline Keesee
First Semester Head of School List
5th Grade: Boyd Bragg, Eliza Carr Schmidt, Millie Tompkins, Thomas Wilson
6th Grade: Aline Johnson, Erin McClain, Hannah Stout, Francesca Wilson, Wells Young
7th Grade: None
8th Grade: Grace Gaenzle, Emmaline Keesee
Discovery Days at Chesapeake Academy
Looking for a fun and creative hands-on experience for your child on a cold Saturday winter morning? Chesapeake Academy is hosting three “Discovery Days” this winter as a means to bring early childhood and elementary school families in our community together with enriching age-appropriate art, science, math, movement and music activities centered around popular children’s literature or a specific theme. Discovery Days are free and guaranteed to be a fun and memorable way to spend a winter morning with your child in a warm classroom environment in the company of other children and families.
Centering activities around the delightfully goofy book, The Mouse and the Apple, by Stephen J. Butler, Chesapeake Academy’s first Discovery Day on Saturday, January 28 will focus on helping young children understand the virtue of patience. With a supporting cast of impatient barnyard animals, mouse learns that “good things come to those who wait” and is amply rewarded for out-waiting an apple that resists its inevitable fall from an apple tree. “I really love this book, not only because the illustrations are eye catching, but because the story gets kids thinking and leads to good conversation,” notes Chesapeake Academy kindergarten teacher Karen Minter.
The morning will feature teacher-guided activities centered around The Mouse and the Apple such as the creation of animal footprints, size-sequencing barnyard animals, story-acting the main characters of the book, math patterning with apples, apple songs and mouse dances, and the making of applesauce (something else that requires patience!) “Movement, music, friendship, and fun is certainly the theme for the day!” exclaims Pre-K 3 & 4 teacher Beth Clark.
Chesapeake Academy will host two additional free Discovery Days this winter. Exploring family relationships using Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle, will be the focus of Chesapeake’s second Discovery Day on Saturday, February 25; and caring for the environment using Stop That Noise by Paul Geraghty will be the focus of the final Discovery Day on Saturday, March 24. All Discovery Days are for children ages 4 to 7 and are from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Discovery Days are sponsored by the Early Childhood and Lower School teachers at Chesapeake Academy and the Wiley Foundation and are open and free to all families in our community. For additional information or to reserve a space for your child to attend any or all Discovery Day events, please call Chesapeake Academy at 804 438-5575. Space is limited so please register early.
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CA's Holiday Program of Lessons & Carols
Celebrating the heart of Christmas - the love in our hearts - was the theme of Chesapeake Academy’s “Holiday Program of Lessons and Carols” held last Friday to an appreciative audience of parents, grandparents and friends in the community. Directed by music teacher Beth Somers, the morning program began with a procession of students accompanied by an audience singing of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and continued with a mix of spirited holiday songs and student and teacher readings representing the joys and hopes of the Christmas season.
Setting the tone for the program were the three and four year olds, who sang a joyful rendition of “O Come Little Children.” Kindergartners took to the stage in handmade vests designed to represent various interpretations of Santa Claus around the world and sang “Father Christmas.” Third grade recorder students performed an a cappella version of “Jingle Bells,” followed by fourth grade recorder student playing “Jolly Old St. Nicholas.” The sixth and seventh grade Tone Chimes Choir performed “Jubilee” followed by “We Three Kings” by eighth grade and a surprise performance of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” by Chesapeake Academy’s faculty and staff.
The program took a more lighthearted turn with the performance of “Born to Shop” and “Elves Work Out,” complete with choreographed dance moves by the eighth grade girls and fourth grade respectively. Following a medley during which students in grades one to eight sang excerpts from a grand total of 23 different Christmas carols, the Holiday Program of Lessons and Carols concluded with an unusual performance by the eight grade in which they, representing Monks taking a vow of silence, “sang” Hallelujah” with flashcards representing key syllables. “The lessons heard spoken, sung and played by the students today are important reminders that we should keep Christmas in our hearts 365 days a year,” noted Head of School Debbie Cook.
In addition to the Holiday Program of songs and readings, Chesapeake Academy presented a short documentary film highlighting an annual Student Council-led fundraising tradition called Penny Wars. After stuffing jars with pennies, silver coins, and dollar bills for two straight weeks in a competition between classes to earn the most points (pennies are positive points, silver coins and bills are negative points,) the entire student body raised $1,440.38, which Student Council used to purchase dinner and presents for two families in need of help at Christmas - fulfilling the wish lists of eight children.
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CA and RAL Winter Art Classes
Put the gift of creative expression in your child’s stocking this holiday season! Chesapeake Academy and the Rappahannock Art League (RAL) are collaborating once again to offer their highly successful, creative series of Saturday art classes for young artists ages five to fourteen. Now firmly a Saturday tradition during the winter month of February, this year’s Saturday workshops for students in Lancaster, Northumberland, Middlesex, and Richmond Counties will highlight techniques of weaving and sculpture.
Instructor Marilyn Sprouse, art teacher for Lancaster Middle School, will teach a four- week workshop entitled “Weave” to students in grades five to eight on consecutive Saturday afternoons starting on February 4, 2012 from noon until 2 p.m. This is just the class for kids who love to make things using lots of different materials. Surpassing the typical “over and under” technique, participants will explore multiple methods of weaving while using different textiles and fibers such as string, yarn, wool, and cardboard. Students will make a basket from wood, a woven necklace or bracelet, and create and use their own weaving loom.
Instructor Sonja Smith, art teacher for Chesapeake Academy, will teach a four-week workshop entitled “Sculpt” for students in grades one to four on consecutive Saturday mornings starting on February 4, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Smith’s workshop will challenge those budding artists who love to work with their hands, and particularly those who love to manipulate clay. Students will learn hand building techniques and focus on color, form, texture, and other important elements.
The RAL and Chesapeake Academy Art Workshops are designed to bring together students from different schools with diverse art backgrounds and perspectives. “It should be highly rewarding to see kids express themselves both visually and verbally, and use design principals to help understand and create art,” noted Chesapeake Academy art teacher Sonja Smith, who sees the program as a creative alternative to playing indoor sports on cold winter mornings in our rural community. The Rappahannock Art League’s purpose- to sponsor and encourage educational and cultural activities in the visual arts in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, meshes wonderfully with Chesapeake Academy’s goal to provide enrichment activities to students that promote creativity, confidence, excellence, and love of learning.
Invitations were distributed to art teachers at lower and middle school public and private schools in our surrounding counties as well as homeschooling families. Workshops are $50 per person, which includes supplies. Class size is limited and space is available on a first come, first served basis. The RAL has generously offered tuition subsidies on request from students with recommendations from their art teachers. For more information on tuition scholarships, please contact the RAL at 804 436-9309 or send an email to ral@ralgallery.com. For general information about the Art Workshops and to request a registration form, please contact Sonja Smith at 804 438-5575 or ssmith@chesapeakeacademy.org
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Chesapeake Honors Veteran’s Day with Flag Ceremony
Chesapeake Academy students representing local Cub Scout Pack 242 and Boy Scout Troop 242 presented a special assembly to the student body on Veterans’ Day, expressing a collective reverence for the American flag by demonstrating a proper ceremony for its disposal when worn, torn, faded, or badly soiled. The ceremony began with a reading of the flag’s history, which included when and where it was first raised and memorable events surrounding its life.
Holding the flag tightly at the corners and edges, scouts John Vail, Chas Faulkner, Ashton Hollingsworth, Bridger Vanderpool, Spencer Camarata, Stewart Hollingsworth, Landon Reihs, Jarett Platsis, and Ben Pittman then took turns cutting the flag vertically and horizontally into four smaller pieces, while fellow scouts Chase Tambellini, Tucker Vanderpool, and Evan Steensma stood in salute. “We were really careful not to cut the blue star field, “ explained scout Tucker Vanderpool. “It represents the union of the fifty states which should never be broken.” According to Assistant Scout Master and CA second grade teacher Molly Vanderpool, once the flag is dissected into pieces, it ceases to be a flag.
Scouts then read statements to their fellow Chesapeake Academy students explaining the significance of Old Glory’s stars and stripes, for example, that the white stripes remind citizens of purity and cleanliness of purpose; the red of the lifeblood of brave men and women soldiers; and the blue field represents truth and justice.
The scouts then outlined to their fellow students the remainder of the steps in the flag retirement ceremony that they would complete at their scout campout that evening, when they would retire many flags. The dissected flag panels were incinerated in a medium-size wood fire over which the scouts in Packs 242 maintained a vigil until all traces of the flag remnants were destroyed.
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CA Hosts Grandparents
What do you get if you take 100 cooperative students, an open gym floor, and a amplified recording of Julie Andrews singing “Do-Re-Mi?” The perfect ingredients for a flash mob, of course. Defined as a group of people who assemble in a public place and perform an unusual act for a brief time before dispersing, “flash mob” is a new craze of seemingly spontaneous entertainment. Modeled after a historic flash mob in Antwerp, Belgium’s Central Station, where 200 folks performed a choreographed dance to the Sound of Music’s most famous song, Chesapeake Academy’s flash mob was organized to entertain special guests during the school’s Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day festivities.
Chesapeake held its annual Grandparents and Grandfriend’s Day last Friday with nearly 200 grandparents and special friends in attendance. Following a reception in the gymnasium hosted by CAPPA and parent volunteers, grandparents and grandfriends were escorted to classrooms where they were entertained by teachers and students with songs, project presentations, special readings, and the opportunity to participate in activities that reflected students’ understanding and use of 21st century skills and differentiated instruction in the classroom. “More than anything, the morning classroom visits reflect our students overall level of enthusiasm for learning,”noted Academic Dean Julie Keesee.
In kindergarten, grandparents and grandfriends hop-scotched sight words, played concentration, and learned a little sign language; in first grade, they played "Roll to 50," a math game that involved forward and backward counting; in second grade, all activities - including puppet-making and working web quests about hatching eggs- revolved around the Hans Christian Anderson tale “The Ugly Ducking; fourth graders rotated their guests through various “Around the World in 80 Days” math and science stations focusing on perimeter and circumference before conducting “World Interviews” on international travel; fifth graders and their guests experimented with geography concepts, making ecosystem equations to see how elements of climate affect the plants and animals; sixth graders teamed with grandparents and grandfriends to compete in a SmartBoard Jeopardy game on Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world; and eighth graders and their guests examined the properties of solids and liquids by observing oobleck, a quicksand-like non-Newtonian liquid made of cornstarch and water.
Following classroom visits, grandparents and grand friends returned to the gymnasium for an all-school assembly in their honor. Following a welcome by Head of School Debbie Cook, and the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of “America” led by Student Council President Austen-Taylor Dozier, Middle School students presented the art murals they created to express this year’s school theme of vitality. Then it was time for the musical presentations.
Fourth grade recorder students played Ed Suerta’s “Indian Dance” and “Game Song,” before students in PK 3&4 took center stage to perform “Itsy Bitsy Spider” with accompanying hand and whole-body gestures. They were followed by kindergartners singing “The Pig Song” by Waston/Watson and seventh and eighth grade tone chime students playing Dobrinski’s “A Merry Heart.” Following a recognition of the grandparents by Head of School Deborah Cook, things took an unexpected turn as students in varying groups hopped off the bleachers to join in a choreographed dance to Julie Andrews “Do-Re-Mi.” The flash mob was in full swing by the third chorus when grandparents and grandfriends in the audience were invited to rise and join in the energetic dance.
The Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ program concluded with a heartfelt singing of the school’s Alma Mater, and closing remarks by Head of School Cook. Chesapeake Academy’s Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day is a wonderful opportunity for grandparents and special friends to participate in their grandchildren’s academic life and is highly anticipated by the entire school community.
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Chesapeake Academy’s Inward Bound Program Focuses on Vitality
While heralded as a boat building and racing competition, it could have easily been renamed The Duct Tape Olympics! Challenged to work in their Advisory family groups to construct a floatable boat capable of being paddle the length of a swimming pool, Chesapeake Academy Middle School not only succeeded, they thrived. Armed with a limit of no more than twenty pre-approved, non-inflatable items like cardboard, foam, plastic jugs, wood hunks, garbage bags, cork, bubble wrap, and, of course, rolls and rolls of duct tape, students in grades five to eight worked diligently for one hour to construct their dream machines before racing them as their final Advisory Team challenge while attending Inward Bound, a two-day overnight Middle School field trip to Camp Kekoka on the shores of Indian Creek in Kilmarnock.
A great surprise to everyone, the team that won, paddled by Chesapeake Academy fifth grader Boyd Bragg, was dubbed “most likely to sink upon launching” prior to the start. Balance, stability, perseverance, and a bit of luck ruled the day, as Coach Cynthia Walker’s Advisory Team reached the finish line boat lengths ahead of the pack. Packed full of fun physical and mental problem-solving tasks and competitions, Chesapeake Academy’s decade-old tradition, Inward Bound, is designed to challenge the way students think about themselves and the impact each has as a member of a larger group.
Community-building activities led by eighth grade student leaders abound. An entire class strategizing to jumprope simultaneously and with repetition learned quickly that open and effective communication is key for success. “It doesn’t take long for kids to figure out that they not only need to find alternative ways to plan and communicate, but that leaders and followers are equally necessary,” noted Inward Bound Coordinator and Academic Dean Julie Keesee.
Some activities, like a game requiring teams of fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students to line up on stationary dots and maneuver from point A to point B with limited communication take into account the power of gestures and body language as an aid to problem solving. A common outcome, middle schoolers learn to balance the individual strengths and weaknesses of their classmates in order to achieve their goal as an entire class. Eighth graders who lead the team-building challenges often came away with a deeper appreciation of the challenges of crowd control and the ability to channel student energy, whether it be productive or distractive, towards meeting a common goal.
Not all Inward Bound activities are geared towards self-discovery and team-building. Woven into the Inward Bound curriculum each year is a focus on a moral characteristic. This year, discussions about understanding and practicing vitality- in the classroom, on the athletic field, and among the school community- as one of the four components of courage, took center stage.
Working within their Advisor Teams (peer groups of eight students that meet twice weekly with a faculty advisor throughout the year to focus on issues that relate specifically to middle schoolers,) students were tasked to create a skit illustrating their understanding of what it means to live a life with vitality- to focus their energy and enthusiasm for growth. Given a bag of miscellaneous props, everyone in the peer group was required to have a part in the skit and every prop, including seemingly unrelated items like hula hoops, watermelons, pinecones, serving ladles, or pompoms had to be used to convey their understanding of vitality. Hilarity ensued, as well as honest illustrations of what is important to adolescents attempting to develop a personal code of ethics on both a personal level and as a school community member.
Inward Bound evening activities included dinner prepared by students and a Student Council-organized sports-themed dance followed by the ever popular playing of nighttime “capture-the-flag.” The evening concluded with a ghost storytelling session by Chesapeake Academy history teacher Kim Dynia, a Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, and smores around the campfire.
On Friday morning, students working in their Advisory Teams, constructed paper chains from quotes about vitality they synthesized from isolated words and phrases. Student then read letters written from their parents, grandparents, or guardians on the theme of vitality, before gathering for the Annual Boat Contest, a competition encouraging teamwork and student creativity. Most all Teams experienced a degree of success- either in their ability to work as a team to design and create a boat that would actually float or one whose parts did not disintegrate upon entry.
According to Academic Dean, Julie Keesee, the purpose of Inward Bound is for each student to better understand him or herself as an individual and to realize the impact that one has as a member of a larger group. It builds a sense of community within Advisory Groups, grade levels, and the Middle School as a whole, and helps students explore and connect the theme of vitality in their lives as individuals and members of a larger group. As importantly, Inward Bound sets a tone of common purpose and fun within the Middle School at the onset of the academic year.
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Chesapeake Academy's New Faculty
Chesapeake Academy welcomed two new members to the faculty and staff for the 2011-2012 academic year. Mrs. Sonja Smith of Farnham joins the Academy as the art teacher, combining her lifelong love of the Arts with teaching. Mrs. Smith received her B.A. from Mary Baldwin College with a major in Studio Arts and a special focus on drawing and painting. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Mary Baldwin College and focused on differentiated instruction and inquiry-based teaching. Ms. Olivia Clark of Kilmarnock joins the Academy’s staff as the Program Leader of the Extended Day Program. The Extended Day Program offers Chesapeake Academy students in Pre-Kindergarten 3& 4 to grade four after school care. Ms. Clark, a Chesapeake Academy alum, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University with a major in Anthropology. Ms. Clark experiences include interning at Lancaster Public Schools and at Riverside Physical Therapy with a focus on speech pathology. She is also an experienced Nanny.
In accordance with the school’s philosophy, Chesapeake Academy teachers model creativity, commitment, flexibility, teamwork, and a love of learning. Smith and Clark join a faculty dedicated to providing an academically challenging environment in a grounded, nurturing, family-oriented atmosphere where intellectual curiosity is valued.
Chesapeake Academy is an independent school offering instruction in grades prekindergarten through eight. It is an accredited member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and currently serves students of Gloucester, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex and Northumberland counties. To arrange for a campus tour or for additional information, please contact Hilary Scott, Director of Admission, at (804) 438-5575
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Oyster Roast, Cornhole Tournament and the Honeywind Band!
Parent Chairs Kelly Antonio, Camille Bragg and Jenny Johnson announce the 10th annual Chesapeake Academy Community Oyster Roast will be held on October 15th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rowe Campus in Irvington, VA.
The Fall Festival Community Oyster Roast is based on the popular roll-up-your-sleeves southern tradition, which features sacks of fresh, local oysters in the shell dumped over outdoor grills and grilled until juice starts to bubble out of the shells, then delivered to the tables where they need a nudge from an oyster knife to release the top shell and seductive aromas. Attendees are urged to bring a favorite oyster knife.
Tickets purchased in advance are $45 per person. Any available tickets remaining will be $50 per person at the door for all the roasted local oysters you can eat, Clam Chowder, French Fried Sweet Potatoes, Hot Dogs and Hamburgers with all the fixings and dessert. Beer, Wine and soft drinks are included. You must be 21 to attend.
Ticket holders will also enjoy dancing to the music of the popular band, Honeywind, from 7-9pm. Oyster Roast attendees can also compete in a Cornhole Tournament for $20 per team of two people. Sponsorships are still available which will offer great advertising and recognition for a small financial investment. Raffle tickets are being sold at $5 per ticket or 3 tickets for $10 for a chance to win either a $750 Gift Certificate to Tri-Star Supermarket, a $500 Gift Certificate to Chubby’s or a $100 Gift Certificate to Get & Zip Convenience Stores.
To purchase tickets and to hear about sponsorship information, contact Catherine Emry at Chesapeake Academy at 804.438.5575.
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Chesapeake Academy 2011 Convocation
Chesapeake Academy began its 46th school year with Convocation, an assembly for students, parents and faculty designed to commemorate the beginning of school and promote involvement in all aspects of school life. Amid a celebratory atmosphere, Head of School Deborah Cook led the program by welcoming Pre-Kindergartner 3&4 through grade eight students in dress uniform for the 2011-2012 academic year, encouraging each to plan for personal and academic successes while keeping this year’s theme of vitality in the forefront of their actions.
“For the past several years, our school-wide themes have been about the four aspects of courage- bravery, perseverance, integrity, and now, vitality,” explained Cook in her address to the entire student body. “By vitality we mean having the vigor, energy, enthusiasm to live well and, most importantly, to grow. People with vitality focus on positive expectations and outcomes- even when the task is difficult. They’re problem solvers instead of problem finders,” she added, reminding the students of the courage it takes to consistently adopt such an vibrant attitude.
Coming to school energized to discover new ideas and learn new concepts is also part and parcel to Chesapeake’s continued committed to the implementation of differentiated instruction and integration of 21st century skills in the classroom. The independent school in Irvington aims to inspire a culture of inquiry among its students. “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than right answers,” notes Head of School Debbie Cook, quoting artist and educator Josef Albers. Transfer of knowledge to real world situations is just one of the key elements of a 21st century education. “We want to give our students the wherewithal to be contributing citizens of the world they inherit,” she adds. Being a good collaborator, a good communicator, globally aware, technologically literate, and socially responsible are all skills considered essential to success in the coming decades and are bound into Chesapeake’s mission and philosophy.
Chesapeake Academy is an independent school offering instruction in Pre-Kindergarten 3&4 through grade eight. There are openings in select classes and mid-year enrollment inquiries are welcome. The Academy dedicates its resources to preparing each student for their future academic, moral, social and physical endeavors in an intellectually challenging environment. It is an accredited member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and currently serves students of Gloucester, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex and Northumberland counties. To arrange for a campus tour or for additional information, please contact Hilary Scott, Director of Admission, at (804) 438-5575.
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