December 1, 2017
Your Dollar Did This!   


The arts are on the chopping block in school budgets around the country:  School budgets are always tight, and the arts are often the first to go.  Many programs at other schools have been reduced or cut completely. Thanks to your donation to the Bell Tower Annual Giving fund, young artists, musicians, designers and dramatists are all thriving at Chesapeake Academy!

Class Acts...
What's Happening on the Halls?
Student Council Leads Clash of the Coins!

There is a chill in the air, along with the smell of peppermint spice--and ferocious competition! Word is....Santa's elves have gone deadbeat!  On Strike!  It is up to us to save Christmas!

It's time for another round of Clash of Coins, an annual fundraiser that takes place during the two weeks following Thanksgiving break. All proceeds from this feverish collection of small change go to providing local children with Christmas presents through the Lancaster Community Christmas Project. Last year Student Council raised enough money to provide a beautiful holiday for two families in need, and we were also able to become Food Bank Champions with a large donation to the NNK Food Bank!


Beginning  on November 27, students answered the call and began collecting coins in their class bins for positive points (a penny is worth one point, a nickel five points, etc.). 

Students may also sabotage other classes by "cashing" them, or adding bills to other classes' bins (Paper money produces negative points...one dollar subtracts 100 points, five dollars subtracts 500 points, etc.). Or is it the "Elves" who do this dastardly deed?

Mark your calendars for a Special Christmas Tag Day on December 8 (costs a dollar!) to support this effort. (This replaces the December 13 Tag Day which will be a regular uniform day.)

The contest ends on  Friday, December 8, at 3:30 p.m.  Middle school students will have the opportunity to shop for the presents on Monday, December 11, and they will wrap those gifts for delivery before Christmas. The winning class will be announced at the Holiday Program of Lessons and Carols on December 15.

Help make Christmas a little brighter for deserving kids in our community!  Dig out those coins!

Student Council is also collecting cold weather gear to decorate our Giving Tree, located in the library. We will be accepting new and gently used hats, gloves, scarfs, jackets, etc. through  December 15, and CAPPA will once again donate the collection to My Grandmother's Attic for local children who need them.

The Head's Heads Up
. . . .
Consider  Experiences, Not Stuff!

Years ago when my three children were all still young, I relished in providing an abundance of gifts under the tree each year. Although I carefully planned the gifts, trying to choose imaginative toys over electronics and classics over the talking toy du jour, it often felt that the value of each gift got lost in the tower of boxes of stuff torn open.  

In fact, at times my son would want to stop the gift opening so as to really engage and play with the new Lego set, but the adults (parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles) would encourage him to keep going with unwrapping the next item in the pile of loot, as we were anxious to see his reaction to the next great gift.  At the end of the orchestrated gift exchange, the children couldn't ever recall what they had received.

Like many families, we found we were drowning in stuff.  The children had so many toys that what couldn't fit in the bedrooms was relegated to bins and shelves in the playroom, an entire room devoted to kid stuff.  In frustration of the kids' inability to ever keep the space tidy, I would frequently sweep through the room and gather up extraneous items (who is going to miss 150 Polly Pocket shoes?  Those things are tiny!) and put them in a trash bag.  Not once did my children ask where an item had gone.   

As children's preferences for toys morph into a desire for clothing, electronics, and athletic equipment, the price tags get steeper, but the stuff does not diminish. My children started going off to college 5 years ago, and I quickly learned the importance of shared experiences as the best gifts to provide memories and connections between us.  

Doing community service together, sharing a live performance, using an annual membership to museums, zoos or theme parks, planning a day or overnight trip to a new location, taking lessons to learn new skills - these are all ways to spend time with your child or loved one, create a memory, and tell stories about the experience that last far beyond the experience itself.  In fact, research shows that happy kids and happy families make experience gifts a habit.  
 
As we enter a season focused on family relationships and gift giving, I urge you to consider "experience gifts" while your children are young--what a lovely and heartfelt antidote these gifts are to the pile of quickly forgotten possessions so typical of holiday gift giving!  





Osprey Artists Display at the Rappahannock Art League in December

Student art is on display at the Rappahannock Art League gallery in Kilmarnock during the months of December and April!  Now, this is a wonderful family outing or two!  If your child is not showing in December, they will be in April!  Have fun seeing what wonderful things Osprey artists have cooked up!












T'is the Season to Share the Love!

Chesapeake Academy students have been cutting, gluing, painting, glittering, and molding ornaments to adorn five adorable Christmas trees, two spirited wreaths, and 20 feet of fresh green garland for the YMCA's Festival of the Trees! 

One of the first schools to join this important community initiative years ago, Chesapeake Academy has supported this fundraiser for more than ten years. The Festival of the Trees raises money for the Y's Guardian Program which ensures that all community children have access to YMCA camps and sports programs. 
  • "Let it Snow" tree, pre-kindergarten 3&4
  • "Feasts for Flight," tree to feed birds, kindergarten
  • "Nautical Spirit of the Season" wreath, first grade
  • "Seasonal Empathy Tree," second grade
  • "Holiday Wreath," third grade
  • "Snowflake Tree," fourth grade
  • "A Country Christmas" tree, fifth to seventh grade
  • "A Joyful Christmas" tree, eighth grade
  • Fresh garland...twenty feet of garland made with fresh greenery created by Catherine Emry and CAPPA volunteers
Kids helping kids....what could be more appropriate?


"Pinocchio" Delights!

In perhaps Chesapeake Academy's favorite performance (thus far), the Virginia Repertory Theatre's presentation of "Pinocchio," rollicked along, never leaving a dull moment! The audience was enthralled with the story of a wooden boy who becomes like a son to the kindly wood carver, Geppetto. The mischievous Pinocchio had his own ideas that sent him off on many adventures where he learns valuable lessons that lead him back home to the thing he most desires--to be a real boy and have a family. This show was a madcap thriller--even without Jimminy Cricket!

Kindergarten's K-Mart Teaches Supply and Demand!

Kindergarten's store, K-Mart, is hopping as students practice list writing, label reading, sorting foods, adding and subtracting, discussing needs and wants, and just plain having fun.  After designing and planning the classroom store, the students sorted foods into food groups, and set up shop.  Before shopping, students peruse a store catalog and write out their lists.  Then, taking turns as clerk, they shop and buy!  Authentic learning at its best!





Winner!  Winner!  Not Chicken Dinner!

Sixth grade Theatre Critic, Stewart Hollingsworth, comments, " The first graders of CA put on two plays: "The Little Red Hen" and "Chicken Little."  These spectacular shows were completely memorized by the little farm animals, with lots of enthusiasm. They all said their lines clearly. "The Little Red Hen" was about a hen that taught four other farm animals how to grow wheat and then make it into bread. "Chicken Little" was about a chicken that was on a long journey to see a king because the sky was falling. The first graders get a one-hundred percent round of applause from me! CA will be putting on more amazing plays through the year. "

"Chicken Little"
Narrator 1: Lucas Clair
Narrator 2: Alex Higgins
Chicken Little: Charley Manetz
Ducky L ucky: Henry Clair
Goosey Loosey: Jacour Mullings
Turkey Lurkey: Richard Beane
Foxy Loxy: Kaileigh Moore
Mousie Wowsie: Ethan Wills

"The Little Red Hen"
Narrator 1: Nathan Rafael
Narrator 2: Angus Angstrom
Red Hen:  Madison Howell
Cat: Kaileigh Moore
Mouse: Anna Bugg
Dog: Jacour Mullings
Duck: Mead Smith   
"Let Them 
Make 
Cake!"


Lower School's second " Math  is  all  Around  Us" baking challenge is in full swing, and cake is on the menu! As single gender, multi-aged teams of lower school students gather to identify their challenges, brainstorm possibilities, research options, and tackle the baking of a cake, they are artfully coached by a team of teachers who know that team-building, responsibility, accountability and time and materials management are essential by-products of the process. Listen up, Marie Antoinette!   The cake  is  simply a means to an end! 

Students are engaging in authentic, real-world tasks to develop, rehearse, and secure curricular mathematics skills like estimation, measurement, binary operations, and ratios in combination with age appropriate opportunities to practice collaboration and critical thinking.  

And at the end....there will be cake....and time to reflect and revise strategies!
Brain Buckets (Individualized Learning Projects) Showcase Growing Research and Presentation Skills



Jimmy Hodsden presents his research on sharks to his class.  Watch out, Shark Week!  There is a new expert in town.


Brooks Parker explains the Tri-State Tornado and displays the map he made of it's path.  Impressive!


Joshua Hall explored Egypt and shows off the sarcophagus he made to go with his presentation!
Chesapeake Academy Announces Head of School List for the first marking period. Recipients (pictured left to right) include Ap Pollard, Hannah Ditch, Ryleigh Hornsmith, Lucas Edwards, Leyton Dew, Spencer Cammarata, Callie Souders, Anna Carey, Robert Cunningham, and Lorry Manetz on the front row.  Anchoring the middle row, Calista Nelson, Jackson Pyles, Rebecca Meberg, Andrew Fulmer, Landon Reihs, Claire Beitel, and Layla Leo.  Bringing up the rear, Adair Stanley and Elizabeth Stanley are pictured at the school's bell tower.




Academic Awards Presented for the First Marking Period!

Fifth Grade 
Teachers' Award - Anna Carey 
Most Improved - Lucas Edwards
  
Sixth Grade
 Teachers' Award - Leyton Dew
Most Improved - Ap Pollard

Seventh Grade
 Teachers' Award - Andrew Fulmer
Most Improved - Joness LaSalle-Bryant

Eighth Grade
 Teachers' Award - Rebecca Meberg
 No Most Improved  

Family Game Night: An Event Worth Adopting!

Third through fifth graders are enjoying family game night as part of the Math is All Around Us initiative! Students are finding games that involve mathematics, logical thinking, or various strategies to enhance their mathematical thinking beyond the classroom, and they are sharing the fun with their families. Games such as Battleship, Uno, Connect 4, Spoons, Monopoly, Checkers, Chess, and Solitaire all fill the bill! This is a win/win for families as playing games teaches patience, turn taking, grace and courtesy, and a sense of humor and family fun--all while building math skills! Wait! We should all be doing this!

#Mathiseverywhere!

Wonder What Your Impact Is? Be Kind and Find Out!

It all began with a book on the fifth grade summer reading list. Wonder by R. J. Palacio tracks a disfigured boy's transition into a new school and the difficulties he faces due to his differences. As Chesapeake Academy lives deeply into our school theme of empathy, and the fifth grade explores their own transitions into Middle School, students made a powerful connection with this novel. The class travelled to see the movie wearing t-shirts that say "Be Kind!"  Fifth grader Lorry Manetz writes, "I definitely changed my mindset toward how I treat others. Did you know if you ask Alexa (the voice activated device) what her favorite book is, she will say  Wonder, by R. J. Palacio? I think that is an interesting fact. The movie and the book taught me that you always have to show empathy to others, even when they are not showing empathy to you." We are powerful when we stand up for kindness!
Integrated Unit Explores Role of Water from a Variety of Perspectives!

Resources impact settlement patterns and human cooperation, and the patterns involved in this interaction are a major theme in Chesapeake Academy's sixth grade advanced geography course. To delve into the struggles faced by water-stressed areas, Chesapeake Academy's sixth grade students embarked on a cross-curricular project that blends work from their literature, writing, geography, and science courses. Geography Teacher Kim Dynia explains, "Earlier in the year, our students chatted with a young Tanzanian woman who grew up carrying drinking water from an unsafe water source. Hearing her story inspired students to raise money for Water Missions International, an organization that provides self-sufficient water filtration systems to areas in need. Student interest was piqued, and a broad inquiry into the cultural and political impact of water began that focused on three questions:   Why is clean water important to human survival and civilization? What barriers exist between humans and clean water? Is water a right or a privilege? "

The integrated water unit began with a brief overview of the importance of water and how the consequences of water stress can manifest in different ways across the globe. Students listened to TED talks and watched documentaries. They then brainstormed a list of countries that are currently facing a water crisis, choosing to work in groups based on their personal interests.

In their geography course, sixth grade students researched the origins and consequences of the crisis as well as potential solutions. Students designed science experiments in their science course based on their research to see if their proposed solutions actually could help lessen water stress.  Science Teacher Robin Blake explains, "These proposed solutions to world water crises ranged from desalinating water to designing carbon filters to purify existing water.  It was exciting to see how students' purposeful study elevated their scientific processing. One student even created his own charcoal for his filtration system!"

To broaden the inquiry into the implications of water availability,  the sixth grade literature class tackled A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park ( a novel based on a true story) to highlight the water-related strife faced in Southern Sudan from a first person perspective. The story unfolds from the perspective of two eleven-year-old narrators who chronicle two vastly different perspectives and time periods. Their stories converge when Salva (a rescued lost boy from Sudan) returns home to help his people by building  a well, making fresh water available for the community and freeing Nya (who spent each day carrying water for her family) to go to school.

" Writing a first-person story illuminating a day in the life of a person living in the water-stressed country for the sixth grade writer's workshop course helps students connect their research and all the background they have accumulated with the human experience," explains Literature and Writer's Workshop Teacher Hillary Smith. As a culminating project for the integrated water unit, sixth grade, students will create a fact-filled press kit to convince prospective donors to support their particular water stress solution .

Head of School Julianne Keesee concludes, " By using geography, literature, writing, and sciences to investigate this project, students have a deeper understanding of the importance of water. In the end, students are able to provide deep, nuanced, and well researched answers to the essential questions for the unit which meets Chesapeake Academy's goal of developing critical thinkers who can tackle big questions."


Powerful Partnering!

In the days before Thanksgiving, sixth and eigth grade math classes joined the kindergarten and first grade classes to read  The Ugly Pumpkin , make a craft, and play some math games. The middle schoolers had the opportunity to be teacher and came away proud of their ability to help younger students with their learning. The younger students showed their appreciation with goodbye hugs for all!
 
Sixth Grade Thespians Take "Santa on Strike" 
On the Road....to Open the YMCA's Festival of Trees!

Congratulations to the cast who delighted a broad audience gathered to preview the Festival of Trees event!  These Ospreys did us proud!

Santa Claus: Leyton Dew
Mrs. Claus: Layla Leo
Mailman: Jackson Latell
Twinkletoes: Maddie Ritter
Jingle: Rya Struse
Happyeyes: Martin Smith
Merrythought: Gavin Simpson
Jangle: Callum Stander
Starbright: Jackson Pyles
Brownie 1: Ap Pollard
Brownie 2: Julius LaSalle-Bryant
Noel: Julian Prieto
"Create a Society" Activity Period

What if some catastrophe struck, and you and your friends were left to rebuild civilization? Sixth and seventh grade students are finding out just that. This marking period, they are creating societies during activity period, making all the tough decisions on how to set up new governments and economies. Each group has assigned jobs to its members who take on various roles to guide the cooperative process, from a coach to a conscience. So far they have used their island's geography to set up residences and industries, thought about what themes they wanted to showcase in their island's flag, and designed a brand new sport. Who knows what challenge they will face next?

Julian Prieto Presents on His Homeland, Guatemala
Guatemala was the topic of a whole school presentation by exchange student Julian Prieto. This part of the world intrigued students particularly because of the relationships that Julian has developed at Chesapeake Academy during his visit. Sponsored by the Faces and Our Culture exchange program, Julian Prieto has participated fully in all aspects of school life at Chesapeake Academy, and he has enjoyed living with Jackson Pyles and his family. Faces and Our Culture is an organization that pairs host families and Guatemalan exchange students for a cultural  program.  


Want S'more....Chemical and Physical Changes!

What a delicious way to observe chemical and physical changes! Students employ heat to initiate changes and then categorize the changes according to their properties. Then, of course, they ate the s'mores!
Pollinator Paradise!

It's not a butterfly garden, although some of the plants will attract butterflies....it is one of the final steps of the outdoor classroom project:  a pollinator garden filled with native plants!  Seventh graders researched where to plant each species according to what space they needed and how much light and water they require. Certain plants attract butterflies, others attract bees...all the research was completed prior to planning the garden.  A blueprint was developed, and the kids planted their garden according to the blueprint. All native species, these plants will grow and help aid our wetlands habitat. The p lants were donated by Julie Thostenson of Julie the Gardener at Getting There is Half the Fun!

Deep Study Explores Holocaust

"Exploring the Holocaust through the larger historical lens of World War II using critical literary analyses of period literature offers the opportunity to understand the period more completely than simply learning the facts behind the implementation of Germany's Final Solution," explains eighth grade literature teacher Mrs. Hillary Smith.  "Exploring the broader time period in Europe and particularly Germany after World War I through the Nuremberg Trials reveals patterns that paved the way for this period of history, helping to explain the various perspectives and providing essential context."  

Students have grappled with first-hand accounts like Salvaged Pages:  Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust and Elie Wiesel's fictional memoir, Night , and they have taken a crack at a well-researched fictional recreation of the period in X-men: Magneto Testament, a graphic novel that explores the Jewish experience in the camps as the background for one of Marvel Comics most compellingly complex villains.  Along the way, students dissected the role of propaganda to sway popular opinion in the period.

"Context is essential to understanding the economic and social precursors to the rise of Nationalism,"  Smith continues. "So students are organizing, filing, and creating items for "yearly" folders for each year from 1933 to 1945 to help them explore the history in an orderly fashion and place their fictional texts in the broader context.

Visiting the Virginia Holocaust Museum deepened student perspectives on the period. Students had an opportunity to preview the museum prior to their guided tour and think through what they had learned, forming their own questions based on what they were seeing. "Our docent started with very basic information on the period, but as eighth graders asked questions, he was able to tackle the topics in greater detail and overview less common discussions, such as Lithuanian collaboration. Our class spent two hours working through the museum digging deeper and deeper into some very difficult questions," Smith explained.  "This complex study has been transformational for my students both in the way they approach historical events and in the way they evaluate literature as a reflection of history."


Parent Convenience Drives Continuous Enrollment Process!

Our new process for reenrollment will significantly streamline and simplify the steps to ensure that your child has a place at Chesapeake Academy for 2018-2019.  Last year, 95% of Chesapeake Academy students reenrolled, and with increasing interest in admission to Chesapeake Academy, we want to make it easy for our current families.

In this reenrollment cycle beginning in January 2018, we will ask you to sign an electronic Continuous Enrollment Contract through RenWeb, which will remain in force for the duration of your child's enrollment. As a component part of this process, we are using FACTS, an online financial assistance and tuition management system.

In January, all Chesapeake Academy families whose children are eligible to return for the 2018-2019 school year will receive an email with the following information:
  • details about conditions for continued enrollment, including deadlines 
  • details about tuition amounts for 2018-2019
  • information about financial assistance applications
  • a description of billing options for tuition 
  • instructions for opting out of reenrollment

    Frequently Asked Questions About Continuous Enrollment
    Why Continuous Enrollment?
    Continuous enrollment streamlines the reenrollment process for families and allows the school to most effectively plan for enrollment numbers for new admission prospects.  More and more independent schools are using continuous enrollment successfully and families report favorable experiences with this "once and for all" enrollment process.
     
    What is the Continuous Enrollment Deposit?
    With the shift to Continuous Enrollment, families will no longer be asked to make a 10% deposit to secure a spot.  Instead, families will simply make a $500 deposit using the FACTS system, which is the new online tuition management service.  It is our hope that this shift will provide more financial flexibility for our families, while still allowing the school to plan for staffing, students, and program.

    What is FACTS?
    FACTS is an online financial assistance and tuition management software that many independent schools use.  It works seamlessly with RenWeb and will be integrated with your RenWeb profile.  Through FACTS, you can file for financial assistance and manage your tuition payment plans with credit card or ACH (Automated Clearing House). 
    There is a $45 fee for FACTS for those requesting to use a payment plan, and this is significantly less than the payment plan fees we've collected in the past. Previously, Chesapeake Academy used SSS (School and Student Services) for financial assistance consideration. FACTS replaces that software program and we pass the savings on to you.

    What do I have to do to reenroll in January 2018 for next September?
    After reviewing the tuition as set by the Board of Trustees in January, simply respond to the Continuous Enrollment email, which will direct you to the Continuous Enrollment Contract if you are ready to reenroll.  You will review current profile information and make a $500 deposit through the FACTS tuition management system within RenWeb. That is all!  If you are paying in full on  July 1, there is no fee for using the FACTS system.  If you would like to use the 2 payment plan or the 10 payment plan options, you will pay $45 through FACTS to set up the payment plans. This is significantly less than payment plan fees we've collected in the past.

    What if I am seeking consideration for financial assistance for the 2018-2019 school year?
    When you receive the Continuous Enrollment email, follow the link to FACTS, where you can complete your financial assistance application through the system with a non-refundable $100 fee. You will not be asked to complete the Continuous Enrollment Contract until the financial aid process is completed.  Previously, Chesapeake Academy issued a letter of intent to those seeking financial assistance consideration.  To streamline the process, once you pay the financial assistance application fee, we assume it is your intent to reenroll.  Financial assistance decisions will be given at the end of March. At that point, parents will accept the decision and complete the Continuous Enrollment Contract, or communicate that they wish to opt out. 

    What documents do I need if I'm filing for financial assistance consideration? 
    You will need to complete the FACTS questionnaire and submit 2017 1040 (personal and business, if applicable) and 2017 W-2.  Chesapeake Academy is no longer requiring the CAFAA.  

    What if I am unable to commit by the reenrollment deadline?  
    If you are uncertain about your plans for 2018-2019, you may select to opt out of the Continuous Enrollment process by following the steps in the email to notify the school.  

    What happens if I opt out of Continuous Enrollment?
    If you follow the steps to opt out of Continuous Enrollment by the deadline, there is no financial penalty.  However, you give up your child's spot in the class.  If your plans change and you wish to have your child return to Chesapeake Academy, you will need to go through the application process.  Some of our classes are full, and we cannot guarantee readmission.
     
    What will reenrollment look like after 2018-2019?
    Once all of our families have completed this initial Continuous Enrollment process, the typical reenrollment season will consist of an email reminder from the Admission Office about the updated tuition amounts, the deposit, financial assistance consideration, and the opt out option.  There is no additional paperwork to complete and return.

    What are the deadlines I need to know?
    The Continuous Enrollment Contract email will be issued on  January 22, 2018.
    The deadline for responding to the Continuous Enrollment Contract is  February 5, 2018. (This is the deadline by which you need to complete the contract, begin the process of financial assistance, or let us know you are opting out).  The deadline for submission of all financial documents for those seeking consideration for financial assistance is  March 16, 2018.

    What if I have more questions?
    Contact Hilary Scott, Director of Admission, at  hscott@chesapeakeacademy.org or at  804-438-5575.

Athletic Director, Ian H. York

Coach's Corner

The winter athletics season is underway, keeping hearts pumping and skills growing as these short cold days limit our outdoor time! Basketball practice has started, and the Varsity teams are preparing for their first game on December 12 at Peasley Middle School. There will be no basketball practice after December 12 as we prep for the Holiday Program.

Just a reminder that the girls' and boys' basketball practice schedule flips day to day so that if the boys practice at 3:30 p.m., the following day they would practice at 4:30 p.m. 


"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." 
                                                 Charles Dickens

CAPPA Countdown!

Each year, CA enters a float in the Kilmarnock Christmas Parade. The parade this year will be held on  December 8. We are in need of 8-10 kids to ride on the float and a few middle school students to walk. Students will need a parent chaperone both on the float and while walking. Please let Connie Smith know asap if you and your child are interested in either riding or walking in the parade. You will receive information on the line-up and where to meet closer to the event. Snacks will be provided by CAPPA.

Chesapeake Academy parent volunteers, headed by Christina Hubbard, are working hard on building the float. Join the team of volunteers   this Saturday ,  next Tuesday,  and  Thursday and bring your creativity and elbow grease!  Christina also needs help at the starting point for the parade with coordinating the kids, etc. if that is more your style. 

Please contact Christina by email at  clhubb@gmail.com  or text  804-815-0726  to join the fun and to find out where and what time to arrive. 

Our Holiday Program of Lessons and Carols is quickly approaching on December 15. Refreshments will be needed, so please be on the look out in your inboxes for a Sign-up Genius volunteer form.

As you start, or finish, your shopping this season, please remember the businesses that give back to our school. AmazonSmiles and The MightyNest.com  give a portion of total purchase price back to CA, and Boxtops for Education labels can be found on a wide variety of items. And please don't forget to shop the Osprey Nest for gifts as well!

How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? 
                                                                                                       Dr. Seuss

THE Attitude is Gratitude

  • Thanks to Becca Sterrett and Charlotte Cornwell for donating a percentage of their sales from their two-day Beauty Counter event to the Bell Tower Annual Giving Fund!
  • The multi-talented Blair Kenyon inspired kindergarten with his dramatic reading skills! Budding voice actors were born!
  • Braxton Galleher, through Wells Fargo, has donated 20 new books to the kindergarten classroom.  All of these titles are award winners and/or Reading Rainbow selections. Gratitude to this Osprey Alum!
  • Thanks to Ms. Catherine Emry and the team of CAPPA volunteers who brought the whole school together for a Thanksgiving Feast of leftovers!  Joe Souders, Louise Branflick, Lauren Leo, Jennifer Miller, Lara Brown, Rick Beitel, Rosetta Struse, and alum parent, Grover Branson all pitched in, grilling and serving our community Thanksgiving feast! 
  • Thanks to all the parent volunteers who helped create classroom donations for the YMCA's Festival of Trees.
  •  What a valuable and generous resource we have in Julie Thostensen!  The pollinator garden looks great!
  • Did you see our beautiful Christmas decorations?  Catherine Emry several CAPPA volunteers made this magic!
"If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that-warm things, kind things, sweet things-help and comfort and laughter-and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all." 
 


Don't Miss the Dates!

12/5 Middle School Music Performance at Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury, 2:00 p.m.
12/7 PALS Event, Christmas with Santa, pre-k 3&4 through third grade, 9:30 a.m.
12/8 Kilmarnock Christmas Parade, 7:00 p.m.
12/8 Crazy Christmas Tag Day, ($1 for the Giving Tree.)
12/12 Basketball at Peasley Middle School, Girls at 4:30 p.m., VBoys at 5:30 p.m.
12/13 Regular uniform day, but Tag Day lunch for those that buy it....
12/15 Holiday Program, noon dismissal, no extended day
12/18 through 1/2 Christmas Break
1/2 Faculty Professional Development with William and Mary's Center for Innovation and                   Learning Design
1/3 Dress Uniform
1/9 Basketball at St. Clare Walker Middle School, Girls @ 4:00 p.m., VBoys at 5:00 p.m.
1/10 Science Museum of Virginia, fourth and fifth grades, 8:00 a.m. departure, 3:05 p.m.return
1/12 Special Martin Luther King Assembly, 10:05 a.m.
1/12 Student Council Event, TBA
1/15 Head of School Day/School Closed
1/16 Basketball vs. Dahlgren at St. Margaret's School, Girls @ 4:00, V Boys @ 5:00 p.m.
1/17 PALS Event, Flumpa: Space Odyssey, 9:30 a.m.
1/18 Basketball vs. Aylett Country Day School, JV Boys @ 4:00 p.m., Girls @ 5:00 p.m. and V Boys @ 6:00 p.m.
1/19 End of Second Marking Period
1/20 Discovery Day, Violet the Pilot
1/23 Exams, seventh and eighth grades
1/23 ERBs, third fourth, fifth and sixth grades
1/25 Basketball at Ware Academy, JV Boys at 4:00 p.m., Girls at 5:00 p.m., V Boys at 6:00 p.m.
1/25 Pre-Kindergarten 3&4 Step UP Day
1/26 Teacher Work Day, noon Release
1/29 ERBs, seventh and eighth grades
1/30 Basketball at Aylett Country Day School, JV Boys at 4:00 p.m., Girls at 5:00 p.m., VBoys at         6:00 p.m.
1/31 Dental Health Presentations by VCU Dental Students, pre-k 3&4 through third grade



"It was a pretty sight, and a seasonable one, that met their eyes when they flung the door open. In the fore-court, lit by the dim rays of a horn lantern, some eight or ten little field-mice stood in a semicircle, red worsted comforters round their throats, their fore-paws thrust deep into their pockets, their feet jigging for warmth. With bright beady eyes they glanced shyly at each other, sniggering a little, sniffing and applying coat-sleeves a good deal. As the door opened, one of the elder ones that carried the lantern was just saying, "Now then, one, two, three!" and forthwith their shrill little voices uprose on the air, singing one of the old-time carols that their forefathers composed in fields that were fallow and held by frost, or when snow-bound in chimney corners, and handed down to be sung in the miry street to lamp-lit windows at Yule-time." 
                                                                                  Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows



Chesapeake Academy | | chesapeakeacademy@chesapeakeacademy.org | 
 Post Office Box 8   107 Steamboat Road    Irvington, VA 22480