Accreditation Update: Done!



Concluding a year-long process of self study and reflection, Chesapeake Academy hosted an accreditation team from the Virginia Association of Independent Schools for the school's ten year accreditation. The Virginia Association of Independent Schools exists to assist member schools in maintaining standards of excellence (through an accreditation process), to encourage activities to exchange information about new methodologies and practices, and to promote the well-being of and public regard for independent schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Member schools participate in five and ten year visits that ensure compliance with standards of best practice. Accrediting team members and school representatives work closely together to present an accurate picture of a school's strengths and opportunities by evaluating the consistency of the school's mission in practice. "This process has certainly been affirming, but more importantly it has informed our strategic planning process. The goal is always to be in pursuit of the best outcomes for students. So the self study, professional input, and reflection inherent in an accreditation process helps us plan our next steps with confidence." comments Trip Cogburn, Head of School at Chesapeake Academy.

Head of School Trip Cogburn thanks the accreditation team from Virginia Association of Independent Schools.  Pictured with Cogburn (far left) are Michael Jones, Director of Technology, St. Michael's Episcopal School; Committee Vice Chair Crystal Trent, Head of Northstar Academy; Committee Chair Scott Baytosh, Head of School at Alexandria Country Day School; Chris Werner, Chief Financial Officer at Christchurch School; Angie Cross, Preschool through Second Grade Director at Loudoun Country Day School. Not pictured was Greg Angilly, Head of Virginia Beach Friends School.



PALS Presents Jason Hudy

On April 24, 2024, Chesapeake Academy presented "Jason Hudy: Mesmerizing Magic" to pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students at 9:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. With performances in 14 countries around the world, "Jason Hudy's Mesmerizing Magic" is a magic and illusion show that has been experienced by over a million people across the globe. CA was delighted to welcome Bethel Preschool as well as Northumberland and Mathews students.

Children from around the Northern Neck witnessed some cutting-edge illusions and signature magic that left audiences marveling. Hudy has performed for Disney, Chevrolet, ESPN, Hershey, Mitsubishi, Six Flags, and many more! He headlined his own show, "The Magic of Saipan" on the island of Saipan, with 95 shows over a two-year period. Jason was invited to perform on the "Late, Late Show on CBS, and his TedX Talk gives audiences a peek behind the curtain into the world of magic and illusion.

PALS programming is funded by the Wiley Foundation with support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts to make the arts more readily available to young children in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. 

Pre-Kindergarten Fires Up Tadpole Tank and Incubator!

Early childhood is all about marveling at the natural world and learning to recognize and interpret its patterns! Life cycles are hot topics in pre-Kindergarten 3&4; and growing frogs from tadpoles and tracking chick development offer exciting opportunities to observe, record, sequence, and celebrate!

Osprey About Town: HaileyRae Shines in Gymnastics

"My name is HaileyRae. I am a first year gymnast and just moved up to level three. I compete in meets. I have won silver and bronze medals and hope to win a gold one soon. I love gymnastics because I get to learn new skills including my back handspring. I think other kids should try it because it makes you stronger, and it is a hard challenge that helps you push your body.” 

It’s a guarantee that you can find HaileyRae cartwheeling through store aisles or dropping into a full split at random moments. HaileyRae started gymnastics at 6 years old in a recreational class, and it was quickly determined she had the natural talent and drive to do more. She was asked to join the competitive team as a level 2 gymnast. She faces new skills and challenges with determination and confidence but mostly so much passion and love for the sport. She has recently connected her round off into a back handspring, and words can not express the pride on her face when she finally executed this beautifully. HaileyRae is now a level 3 competitive gymnast at Virginia Elite Gymnastics Academy in Middlesex, VA.

Join the Heroic Clean Up Crew! Sunday at 9:00 a.m., gather under the tent to stack, fold, sort, tote and relive the auction fun!

You will be heroes!

Pass the Bricks!

Pass the Bricks is an organization started by a California teenager to redistribute used Legos to children with less access to them. As an activity period offering for students in grades three through eight, Chesapeake Academy has become an ambassador organization to collect

Lego donations in VA. After collecting donations, students wash and sort the Legos and then make up new "kits" with instructions. CA plans to distribute these to area children through partnership with local organizations.

Osprey About Town: Kailyn Allen

Sixth grader Kailyn Allen has a hobby that makes grown people quake! This gal has spent the last two years drag racing! Kailyn's age division drives junior dragsters capable of 72 miles per hour down a straight paved course. Of course safety protocols are broad based but this sort of speed takes nerve!

Make no mistake, there is so much more to this competition than speed and nerve! Contestants win based on their reaction time and the accuracy of the run time estimate known as their dial. Developing lightning instincts for following the system of flashing lights that indicate the start is essential! And knowing your machine, the course, the weather, and any variables is also important as each racer is judged on how close to that dial they can come. Winners are determined not by time but on the accuracy of their dial and the swiftness of their reaction time. This style of racing involves a lot of thought and killer reflexes! Proud of this powerful 12 year old girl!

First Grade Forces at Play!

First graders are deep in discussion of forces. Sorting a variety of common movements, students decided whether push or pull forces had been put to use. First grade students enjoyed encouraging each other to revisit definitions of each of the terms, communicating their ideas, and collaborating to create a Venn diagram to demonstrate understanding and share their knowledge with the other team. 

Second Grade Swim

"Grab your suits! It's time to swim!" is a welcome call to action in second grade at Chesapeake Academy, and it rarely needs to be issued twice. Here in Virginia, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children, and our region's ample coastlines make this danger particularly imminent for local children. Every single child needs to learn to swim.

The Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA has stepped up to make this possible by offering all second graders the opportunity to become water-safe, free of charge, through their endowment fund. In Safety Around Water, children learn what to do if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly. Students learn fundamental water safety skills that include the concepts of reach, throw, don’t go; CPR; and what to look for in a safe place to swim.

Jump/Push/Turn/Grab teaches a child to push off the bottom of the pool as they are submerging to get back up to the surface while turning to grab the side of the pool.

Swim/Float/Swim teaches children to swim a short distance on their front, roll over onto their back to rest, and then roll on their front to continue swimming to safety.

This program is proceeding swimmingly and getting rave reviews from Chesapeake Academy second grade pool rats.

Third Grade Joins Northern Neck History Fair

Chesapeake Academy third graders are participating in the Northern Neck History Fair sponsored by Historic Christ Church and open to local Virginia history students. Students selected topics and created projects that deal with some element of Virginia history from 1607 to 1789. Projects included models, dioramas, or displays created by the student individually or with a partner. "Since Virginia history falls in the fourth grade curriculum in Lancaster and Northumberland Middle Schools and in third grade at Chesapeake Academy, our students really step up to compete. It is a good reach for them," explains third grade teacher Martha Rogers. 

Student projects vary widely within the project parameters. Neil Webre plans to explore the Mitchell Map. Berkley Grass will feature Colonial building methods. Aria Russell is making a sailing ship. Rio Elam and Alec Sterrett are constructing a long bow and arrows. Colonial fashion will be the focus for Mariah Veney; and Tilly Rowe and Courtney Rittenhouse are researching Bruton Parish Church. June Nichols plans to highlight Virginia's own tea party at Yorktown, and August Goodrich will illuminate the healing herbs of Colonial native Americans. And Violet Edmonds has a project on Virginia's first Thanksgiving in mind.

Ms. Rogers continues, "Mr. Robert Teagle of Historic Christ Church brings an infectious enthusiasm for history and for student scholarship that is an inspiration to students. This work builds strong research and communication skills, and we love to see our students prove themselves." 

Geometry and Strategy for the Win!

Fifth grade math students are working on a geometry unit. One of the goals of the unit is to label and plot points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane. After a few days worth of work on how to correctly graph points and write ordered pairs, students got to play an online version of the game Battleship. Players had to strategically place their own ships, and then try to find the location of their opponent’s fleet. This also gave learners an opportunity to use their knowledge of horizontal and vertical lines and practice using these vocabulary words correctly to describe a ship’s position. 

The Faye Society Plays Unique Role in Chesapeake Academy's Future

Operating quietly under the radar, a group of committed supporters of Chesapeake Academy continue to impact the school's long-term sustainability through estate gifts to the school. These are the members of Chesapeake Academy's Faye Society. From all ages and stages and all walks of life, these far-seeing individuals realize that the future springs from the present, and they believe in Chesapeake Academy's role in a growing and thriving Northern Neck community.

Head of School Trip Cogburn explains, “Members of the Faye Society have made a personal commitment to help ensure the economic, educational, and social vitality of the Northern Neck community. Maintaining an independent educational option allows parents the opportunity to seek the best match in learning settings for their child and helps to ensure that the region remains an attractive professional destination. Chesapeake Academy’s vigorous and dynamic curriculum focuses on authentic, place-based learning that develops vital 21st century skills. With a priority on developing good citizens who answer the call to leadership, the Academy has been a strong contributor to the local community for fifty-seven years.”

The Faye Society, founded in 2001, recognizes contributions and charitable bequests for the long-term growth and sustainability of Chesapeake Academy. The society is named in honor of Captain and Mrs. James Faye who generously included Chesapeake Academy as a beneficiary of their estate in 1987. Their foresight, thoughtful consideration, and charitable planning made a tremendous impact on the Academy’s future and fiscal stability.

Marilyn Creager explains the choice she and her husband made to become part of the Faye Society, "After serving on the Board of Directors, and observing the exceptional education being provided by Chesapeake Academy, I concluded that without government support and being financed entirely by tuition, contributions, and fund raising efforts, Chesapeake Academy will always need additional money for ever increasing projects. Being part of the Faye Society, will help to provide those funds." 

Membership in the Faye Society recognizes patrons who have made Chesapeake Academy a part of their planned charitable giving. Since its founding 22 years ago, 61 individuals have taken a leadership role by making a commitment of planned giving to Chesapeake Academy. Gifts are invested in the school’s endowment or allocated to school projects of the donor’s choosing. Funds received by the endowment are professionally managed by institutional asset managers. These gifts provide the Academy with a well-diversified portfolio for optimum performance and growth potential.

Chesapeake Academy’s Faye Society offers estate planners broad flexibility for donors that can solve a variety of estate planning needs. This sort of legacy gift is an option for all income brackets. The options are many and varied, and the outcome ensures the Academy continues to be a vibrant, academically challenging, and sustainable educational alternative in the Northern Neck community for the decades to come.

More information about Chesapeake Academy and the Faye Society is available by contacting Head of School Trip Cogburn at 804.438.5575 or tcogburn@chesapeakeacademy.org.

Ospreys About Town Attend Volleyball Clinic at Christchurch School



Elise Sterrett, Kelsey Liner, and Avery Caisse attended a Volleyball Clinic hosted by Christchurch School coached by CA Alum Anna Moore: It is a small world and Ospreys are everywhere. The girls polished skills in preparation for a big Fall season for Chesapeake Academy!

Third Marking Period Academic Awards

Head of School Awards

Hannah Hopkins

Addy Parsley

Kathryn Kenner

Louisa Goodich

Sophia Kunkle

Elise Sterrett

Merritt Kelley

Fin Burke

Veronica Edmonds

Emory Simmons

Miriam Sisson

Henry Clair

Oliver Cogburn

Charley Manetz

Avery Caisse

Lucas Clair

Ryann Kenner

Finley Major

Skyler Casey

Alex Fulmer

Teachers' Award

Kathryn Kenner

Skyler Casey

Most Improved Award

Kelsey Liner

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Enchants Seventh Grade

Seventh grade students are finishing up the year in literature with Shakespeare’s enchanted folly “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The student’s work with the play encapsulates the skills they’ve been building all year--understanding figurative language and theme, comprehension, connecting concepts, and plenty of opportunities to practice annotation and write about their reading. Most importantly, the play is a frolicking good time! 

Student Council Update

Student council raised $300 for the “Bridge the Gap” fund to help the Baltimore community in the wake of the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse. Thanks to all who participated! 

Coach's Corner

As educators and parents, we all want to see our students flourish and find joy in their pursuits; and, one of the most rewarding journeys for a young person is discovering their passions. As I'm sure you can relate, new talents or passions are frequently found when we are forced out of comfort zones. During this time of discomfort, we also figure out how to be a good teammate or a supportive friend; we learn the importance of resiliency and grit; we develop a growth mindset; and we learn a lot about ourselves as people--what skills do we have and what areas in which we need to improve. 

Our spring athletic season is formatted with these thoughts in mind. When I came to CA almost three years ago now, I decided to craft our spring sports clinic opportunities as a way for our Ospreys to learn more about themselves and find passions that they can further explore once they leave CA, and many of our student-athletes have embraced these ideas and tried new things. 

If your Osprey is on the fence about trying something new, either through our athletic program or with a group outside of CA, here are some insights on how you can help them explore and nurture their interests:

1. Provide Exposure: Expose your student to a variety of activities and experiences to help them discover what they enjoy. Whether it's trying out different sports, hobbies, arts, or community activities, encourage them to explore diverse interests to find what resonates with them.

2. Foster Curiosity: Encourage your student to ask questions, explore new ideas, and pursue their interests with enthusiasm. Foster a curious mindset by engaging in discussions, attending clinics or workshops, and exploring new things together.

3. Be Supportive: Support your student's interests by providing resources, encouragement, and opportunities for growth. Whether it's enrolling them in classes, investing in equipment or supplies, or simply cheering them on from the sidelines, your support can make a world of difference.

4. Embrace Failure: Help your student understand that failure is a natural part of the learning process and an opportunity for growth. Encourage them to persevere through setbacks, learn from mistakes, and adapt their approach as they pursue their passions. As I tell my teams, a loss is not actually a loss if you learn something from it. 

5. Lead by Example: Model passion and dedication in your own pursuits to inspire your student. Share stories of your own journey of discovery and demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and growth. Also, don't be afraid to try something new alongside of them. 

By nurturing your Osprey's passions, you empower them to develop a sense of purpose, confidence, and fulfillment. Together, let's support our students as they explore their interests and embark on the exciting journey of self-discovery. 

Go Ospreys!

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, and most importantly being 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!

Teacher Appreciation Week is next week, May 6- 10. Room parents will be sending out more information. We are very excited to celebrate our wonderful staff and teachers!  We are so thankful!! Here are a few of the things CAPPA has planned for the CA staff:

• Monday: Lunch from the Tides Inn
• Tuesday: Massages
• Wednesday: Cookies from Out of the Oven Bakery
• Thursday: Breakfast from Chesapeake Doughnut Company

The next CAPPA meeting will be held Friday, May 10, 8:30 a.m.  This will be the last CAPPA meeting of the school year.  Everyone is invited.  

Polish Your Parenting



• 6 Killer Apps to Help Your Teen Stay Focused and Block Distractions
• Why Teens Should Wake Up for School On their Own
• 10 Life Skills Teens Need to Start Learning in Middle School
• Check out Hidden Brain podcasts on Apple Podcasts

Cue Up Your Calendars!

5/3 Interims Home

5/4 Black, White & Bling Auction

5/9 Faye Society Gathering

5/10 Humanities Trip: Frontier Museum/American Shakespeare Center, grades seven and eighth

5/10 Hot lunch, pasta

5/15, Hot Lunch, tacos

5/16 ARTStravaganza Community Lunch

5/17 Student Council Event

5/17 Hot lunch, pizza

5/18 Birthday Book Assembly

5/21 LAX Clinic

5/22 Hot Lunch, chick-fil-A

5/23 LAX Clinic

5/24 Field Day

5/27 Memorial Day, No School

5/28 Exams, seventh and eighth grade

5/29, Hot lunch, burgers

5/31 Last Day of School

6/4 Graduation, required attendance

6/5-7 Faculty Workdays

6/7 Report Cards Mailed

Attitude of Gratitude

• We rocked our ten-year accreditation visit! The teamwork it took to prepare and to host this visit was monumental and well worth a heap of gratitude. Thanks to the accrediting team members who left families and schools to share insights and expertise with CA!
• For all the donors, volunteers, and patrons of CA's auction....thank you!
• Bodacious thanks to Chris Dollar for donating new dip nets to CA! We love to explore!
• Thanks to Kenzie Manetz for her steady hand at the tiller in leading the steering committee for the ten year accrediation visit.
• The steady stream of good souls dipping into the development office has not gone unnoticed! We see your generosity, and your kids are seeing how to support important causes. #represent
• Athletic Director Jane Allen sends her hearfelt thanks to all those who stepped up to help coach CA sports: Rauf Demirkan and Nuhan Demirkan (soccer); Robin Blake) (volleyball); David Dew and Tyler Colding (basketball); Joel Jorgensen (football); Tiffany Harrison (running); Robin Blake (swimming); John Dehm, Evan Pausic, and Max Groen (lacrosse). And we will send a little gratitude back her way for organizing it all and coaching field hockey and tennis!
• Here's a shout out to Athletic Booster Chair Katie Parker!
• And thanks to all the parents and grandparents who ran the concession stand for athletic events!
• Thanks to CA's Librarian Stacey Kelley and the faculty who selected books for all the thoughtful leg work to Bring Birthday Books to the James Library!
• Thanks to the Peninsula YMCA for the second grade swim program.
• Thanks to Kenzie Manetz and CA faculty for the organization and care taken in OLSAT and ERB testing.
• Thanks to Mason Brent at Roanoke Farm for hosting enthusiastic Kindergarteners as they explore plants.