For over four decades, devoted parent volunteers have made Fall Festival one of the HRA community’s most cherished traditions

This autumn, Hampton Roads Academy will continue one of its most beloved campus traditions as the Navigator community celebrates the 43rd anniversary of Fall Festival.

Scheduled for Friday, October 16, from 2:00 to 5:30 pm, the much-anticipated event will bring students and faculty from all three divisions together with parents, alumni, extended families, and friends for an afternoon of carnival games, exciting contests, delicious treats, and fall fun for all ages.

Highlights will include a petting zoo, a haunted house, a rock climbing wall, a crazy train ride, a cake walk, raffles for gift baskets generously donated by Navigator parents, a pickleball tournament held on the HRA tennis courts, and so much more—all executed on an unprecedented scale.

The festivities would not be possible without a dedicated and growing team of parent volunteers focused on creating an unforgettable experience for every student and a sense of belonging for every family.

New heights of excitement for all ages: Fall Festival features a wealth of unforgettable activities every year

Leading the Fall Festival Planning Committee is a trio of HRA moms who serve on the Academy’s Parents Council. Eleventh-grade representative Julie Patterson and tenth-grade representative Sonja Seutter are Fall Festival veterans, having volunteered and taken on greater leadership roles since their children joined HRA eight and ten years ago, respectively. They are joined by Parents Council Pre-Kindergarten and Lower School division representative Gema McGuiness, who is new to HRA and views her first Fall Festival as an opportunity for her family and others to connect with fellow members of the Navigator community and meaningfully contribute to the life of the school.

“I raised my hand because I did not want to spend the year on the sidelines hoping the community would find us,” McGuiness said. “I wanted our family to be part of building the welcome, not just receiving it.”

HRA invites every Navigator family to join our parent volunteers in building the welcome at this year’s Fall Festival. “It’s simply the best,” Seutter said—“the excitement, the divisions coming together, seeing new and old faces in the community, and creating a lifetime of memories for HRA students.”

A Storied Tradition

Student volunteers serve up cotton candy at the first Fall Festival in 1983

The Fall Festival that the HRA community knows and loves today is the product of a transformation that has spanned more than half a century.

In 1969, when the Academy still served only students in Grades 7 through 12, a devoted group of parents formed the Parents and Friends Committee, a body dedicated to bringing Navigator families together and raising funds to elevate the HRA experience. An annual Spring Festival soon became one of the committee’s signature events.

By 1980, the organization grew into the Parents’ Association, which made the decision to move the yearly festival from spring to autumn in 1983. The inaugural Fall Festival set an ambitious goal: to raise $25,000 for a computer lab at HRA. The event was a resounding success, helping the Academy fully equip the lab the following December, and it would not have been possible without the 144 parents—a group more than a third the size of the entire student body at the time—who stepped up to do their part.

Every fall since then, the remarkable efforts of parent volunteers eager to support HRA have carried on a cherished tradition, strengthened the school community, and helped unlock opportunities for generations of students.

Sweet treats never go out of style: Upper School volunteers scoop snow cones for their fellow Navigators at last year’s Fall Fest

The newly formed HRA Parents Council, an evolution of the former Parents’ Association, will continue this legacy as it hosts its first Fall Festival this October. With a parent representative for each grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, the Parents Council works in close collaboration with school leaders to align their volunteer efforts with the needs and objectives of the Academy and provide a touchpoint for all Navigator families to support the school and come together for special events throughout the year. Whatever an HRA parent’s background or schedule may be, the Parents Council provides opportunities to connect with a community of adults who share a commitment to providing an exceptional education for their children.

According to Patterson, the Parents Council’s leadership of the Fall Festival Planning Committee “has increased how many parents contribute to the event’s success, giving more parents a sense of accomplishment and pride in Fall Fest and the fun students have at it.”

McGuiness agreed, suggesting that the planning process marked a promising start for the Parents Council’s role in family engagement throughout the school year, fostering “a culture that welcomes parents as partners.”

“Expanding the Footprint”

Always a hit at Fall Fest, the petting zoo will be expanded this year

As the tradition of Fall Festival enters a new chapter, it will evolve in two principal ways.

First, in a departure from prior years, when the event fell on the same date as the Homecoming game, this year’s Fall Festival will be held the previous Friday. This change will extend an annual autumn celebration of the Navigator community into an even more expansive season of festivities, with the fun beginning at Fall Festival, continuing through Spirit Week, reaching new heights as alumni join current families on campus for Homecoming on October 23 and 24, and culminating with parents, grandparents, graduates, faculty, staff, and friends of the Academy gathering to support Navigator Athletics at the 34th Annual HRA Golf Classic on October 29.

The new date will also facilitate a second change. No longer sharing the campus with Homecoming events on a single afternoon, Seutter explained that she and her fellow volunteers will have more space available for “expanding the footprint” of Fall Festival.

A good sport: Middle and Upper School choir director Marshall Severin takes a plunge in the dunk tank during Fall Fest 2025

As a result, the Planning Committee has laid out a more ambitious vision for this year’s event. The festival will feature a larger haunted house, more food choices, a wider array of activities tailored to the interests of older students, and an expanded petting zoo, featuring not only the familiar sheep, goats, llamas, and pigs, but also snakes, bunnies, chickens, and more. In partnership with Amazing Entertainment, the committee will also introduce new bounce houses, rides, and interactive entertainment options.

For her part, Patterson cannot wait to see the students’ “excitement when they race out of school at the start of the event.”

Upper Schoolers run a face-painting station for their peers

Assisting HRA parents as the festival kicks off, all Upper School students will volunteer—either individually or as members of clubs that will be fundraising at the event—painting the faces of their fellow Navigators, facilitating crafts and carnival games, and serving up snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy, and other craveable snacks. Middle Schoolers will have the opportunity to help out as well, both on their own and as members of participating clubs.

With so many fun ways for students and parents across all three divisions to get involved and connect with fellow Navigators, this year’s Fall Festival will be a celebration no member of the HRA community will want to miss.

“I want people to arrive, run into someone they know, meet someone they don’t, and leave later than they planned,” McGuiness said. “I am looking forward to faces becoming names, to seeing students from every division in one place, and to helping host the kind of event that makes a new family say, ‘This is home.’”

There are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer for Fall Festival. Sign up to help carry on this wonderful HRA tradition!

Bubbling with excitement: Fall Festival is where memories are made and lasting connections are built

Emily Goodson ’03 returns to HRA to provide Upper Schoolers and eighth graders with strategies for cultivating confidence, resilience, and self-advocacy

After delivering inspiring remarks for the Class of 2026 at their May graduation, Hampton Roads Academy alumna, author, public speaker, and disability rights advocate Emily Goodson ’03 returned to campus on Tuesday, September 22, for a moving and engaging presentation to students on building confidence and finding one’s voice, regardless of what others may say.

The morning assembly for the full Upper School and eighth-grade student body, held in the Svein J. Lassen Auditorium, included practical, actionable advice and resources drawn from Goodson’s personal experience as a person with a disability who worked for many years to achieve self-acceptance. Goodson detailed this journey in her acclaimed 2025 memoir Dating Disability: 15 Stories of Dealing with the BS and Building Confidence, from which she shared anecdotes during her visit.

Goodson’s message for the students was simple to understand but often challenging to internalize: “It is normal for all of us to feel self-conscious for a variety of reasons, and there are things you can do to have a better relationship with that voice in your head that is making you self-conscious.” She explained that subjects such as disability, mental health, and the value of speaking up for oneself and one’s peers were not widely discussed when she was growing up and struggling with her own “internal gremlins.”

“That’s why I like speaking in schools so much,” she said—“to help promote those conversations.”

According to Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous, hearing an alumna, within the first month of school, tell her story of persevering through remarkable adversity and developing pride in her identity set the tone for HRA’s 2026-2027 Year of Resilience.

“This is resilience personified,” Rous said. “Not only has she overcome [her disability]—she is thriving,” touching countless lives with her empowering message through her writing, consulting work, and speaking engagements like her visit to her alma mater. “She transformed her journey into a roadmap for others.”

A Standout Student and an Accomplished Alumna

Having taken a long journey to self-acceptance, Goodson is in her element in front of audiences of students, sharing lessons she wishes she had learned as a teenager

When she was eight years old, Goodson suffered a brain injury that resulted in partial paralysis on the entire left side of her body. The next several years brought a difficult road to recovery, as she relearned how to speak, adapted to typing with one hand, and adjusted to walking with legs of different lengths. As Goodson recalled, however, physical therapy only helped her address one set of obstacles. Undoing the negative self-concept she formed after developing her disability—the true key to resilience in the face of disappointment—would take her decades.

Goodson never let the challenges she confronted stand in the way of academic, artistic, or professional success. Faculty members at HRA remember her as an exceptional student, an asset on the yearbook staff and forensics team, and a regular presence on stage in school plays and musicals. “You knew about Emily Goodson even if you didn’t have her in class,” said Rous, who started teaching at HRA during her time as a student. “She was a bright light on campus, … a go-getter,” and “a force for positivity at the school.”

After graduating from the Academy in 2003, Goodson went on to major in English and minor in education at Wake Forest University, then earned a master’s in student affairs practice in higher education from the University of Virginia. She taught and worked in education administration for a short time before pivoting into human resources, launching her current work to advocate for inclusivity in the workplace as well as schools. In 2020, Goodson founded the consulting firm CultureSmart, through which she engages in dialogue with partners from boardrooms to high schools on such topics as confidence, self-advocacy, identity, and the importance of embracing people’s differences.

Now a published author, she is able to reach wider audiences than ever before. But the opportunity to return to HRA, she explained, was especially meaningful, as she offered advice she wished she could have heard when she was a student at the Academy.

“The Intersection of Asking for Help and Resilience”

A highly interactive presentation: students respond to real-time digital survey questions exploring themes covered during the assembly

Goodson’s visit with HRA’s Upper Schoolers and eighth graders represented a continuation of a discussion she began with graduates and their families at Commencement 2026. Addressing a larger portion of the student body, she shared invaluable lessons from her journey toward greater confidence and emotional resilience. The highly interactive assembly included digital polling and word cloud activities, opportunities for students to reflect and jot down ideas on strategies for self-advocacy and self-care, and accessible live captioning for audience members who process information best visually. Goodson left ample time to engage directly with the younger Navigators, fielding questions about her personal and professional path, her most effective coping strategies, and (to her delight) her favorite Broadway shows.

The author drew on such episodes from Dating Disability as a Middle School social in HRA’s Multi-Purpose Room in the late 1990s, after which she concluded that a dance with her crush had not led to a relationship because she could not walk or move on the dancefloor like her peers. Later in her life, she told the students, she realized that her greatest hurdle was not her disability, but rather the sense of shame she had allowed to shape her vision of herself.

The climax of the presentation focused on the three “buckets” of resources Goodson has learned to tap in order to maintain a positive outlook and remain resilient in the face of challenges: knowledge of oneself and the knowledge of mentors, authors, and other experts; mindfulness tools, such as meditation, journaling, and exercise; and, perhaps most important of all, relationships.

Stressing “the intersection of asking for help and resilience,” Goodson challenged the students to consider how their relationships could make them more resilient by providing a network of support. “For a long time, I thought being resilient was doing it all by yourself” and “powering through,” she said. “That’s not true resilience.”

She also called students’ attention to the benefits of breathwork exercises, which she uses alongside meditation and auditory stimming to center herself when she feels overwhelmed.

Upper School counselor and AP psychology teacher Elizabeth Rous, who was instrumental in organizing Goodson’s visit, commented that this section of the assembly dovetailed perfectly with weekly work she has done with Upper Schoolers covering intentional breathing, cognitive reframing, and sleep hygiene. Goodson’s story of hard-won self-acceptance foreshadowed self-care topics she will cover in the year ahead, “with an emphasis on neuroplasticity and how negative patterns of thinking affect our emotions and behaviors,” Rous said. “Changing patterns is hard and often uncomfortable, which builds the resilience ‘muscle.’”

As Goodson observed during her presentation, the skills and strategies she outlined are ones that will pay dividends not only during students’ years at HRA, but throughout their lives. Her three “buckets” of resources are no different whether she is speaking at a school or in a corporate setting. HRA’s students, she insisted, will be better set up for success in their personal relationships and in their careers for having developed these strategies at a far earlier age than most adults—herself included.

Takeaways for the Year of Resilience—and Beyond

A fond reunion: Goodson with the team that brought her back to HRA (left to right)—Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous, Upper School counselor and AP Psychology teacher Elizabeth Rous, and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83

Following the assembly, Goodson sat down for lunch in the Lisa and Peter W. Mertz Meeting Room with school leaders, who expressed their deep gratitude for the words of wisdom she had imparted to the students.

Ben Rous shared his hope that students, regardless of how their individual experiences may differ from Goodson’s, see the resonance of her story in their own lives.

“School is adversity,” he said. “Even if we try to make it as comfortable and fun as possible, our students are challenging themselves, and there is the risk of failing.” From academic struggles and social stumbles to losses in sports and theatrical roles they do not land, setbacks await students throughout their educational journeys, especially at a rigorous school like HRA. By providing a supportive environment where students feel safe to take risks, experience disappointments, and try again, the Academy equips students with the resilience and confidence they need to navigate challenges in college, in their careers, and beyond.

If Goodson’s story proves one thing, it is that obstacles are unavoidable, but what we do when we encounter them is very much within our control. During the Year of Resilience, the entire HRA community will take this lesson to heart.

HRA Parents Council members Sonja Seutter and Julie Patterson volunteer at last year’s Fall Festival

At HRA, we believe one of our greatest strengths is the partnership between our families and the school. When parents are engaged, connected, and involved, our students benefit, and our entire community becomes stronger.

This year, HRA is taking a fresh approach to parent engagement with the launch of the HRA Parents Council.

The Parents Council is part of an exciting reimagining of the former Parents’ Association, with a simple goal: to make it easier for every HRA family to find a meaningful way to connect and contribute.

A Parent in Every Grade

Each grade at HRA will have a designated Parents Council representative who will serve as a friendly connection point between families, teachers, and the school.

Throughout the year, Parents Council representatives will help keep families informed about opportunities to:

Support the classroom. From classroom needs and special projects to activities and celebrations, parents will know where an extra set of hands can make a difference.

Connect with your grade. Representatives will share grade-level activities and opportunities that bring families together and help build those important relationships beyond the classroom.

Get involved school-wide. Parents will hear about volunteer opportunities for HRA events, traditions, programs, and special initiatives throughout the year.

Stay connected to the HRA community. Sometimes involvement is as simple as knowing what’s happening, showing up, cheering on our students, or lending a hand when you can.

There’s a Place for Everyone

Parent involvement doesn’t have to mean taking on a major commitment. In fact, one of the goals of the Parents Council is to create more ways to participate that fit the many different schedules, talents, and interests of our HRA families.

Maybe you have an afternoon to volunteer. You can help with a class project. You’re the person who loves organizing, decorating, welcoming new families, or making sure there is always enough HRA swag in the bookstore.

Whatever your gift, there is a place for you at HRA.

Why It Matters

Our students see what we do.

When parents volunteer at an event, attend a performance, cheer from the sidelines, help in a classroom, or simply show up for the moments that matter, our children see first-hand that their school is important to us.

And those connections matter. Strong partnerships among parents, teachers, and the school create a community where students feel supported, encouraged, and celebrated.

That is what the Parents Council is about: connection.

It’s about making sure families know how they can be part of the HRA experience and creating opportunities for us to come together around the students we all care about.

A New Chapter for HRA Families

The Parents Council represents a new chapter in parent engagement at HRA, and we are excited to see where it takes us.

We are not looking for a handful of parents to do everything. We are looking for lots of parents to do something. Fall Festival is the first major event at HRA that could really use parent support. For those of you who already answered the call to volunteer, we thank you.

So, when you hear from your grade-level Parents Council representative, we hope you will say yes to an opportunity that works for you. Come volunteer. Come cheer. Come connect. Come be part of the HRA experience.

Because when families get involved, opportunities abound—for connection, for community, and, most importantly, for our students.

Here’s to a wonderful year of Navigator pride, family connection, and being in it together!

Preview opportunities to get involved and support Hampton Roads Academy! A list of Navigator community events for the 2026-2027 school year is available here.

To kick off the 2026-2027 school year, Middle School student support specialist and varsity football head coach Rodney Taylor (left) joins Director of the Student Support Center Lisa Thatcher (right) as the SSC expands its services beyond the Upper School

The beginning of the 2026-2027 school year marks a new chapter for Hampton Roads Academy’s Student Support Center (SSC), an invaluable campus resource that empowers student excellence.

Having helped more than 70 Upper Schoolers boost their academic performance and develop personalized strategies for success since it opened its doors last August, the SSC will now expand its services to the Middle School with a slate of executive functioning skills courses for students in Grades 6 through 8, among other resources tailored to the developmental needs of Navigators at this stage of their education.

To provide targeted instruction and mentorship for HRA’s Middle Schoolers, Director of the Student Support Center Lisa Thatcher and Upper School Spanish teacher Noelle Rennolds will be joined by a new member of the SSC faculty, Middle School student support specialist Rodney Taylor, who also serves as head coach of the Navigator varsity football team. Taylor’s arrival coincides with the start of Abigail Whorley’s tenure as Director of Middle School and history teacher Kerry LiBrando’s appointment as Middle School Dean of Students, filling out a leadership team that shares the SSC’s focus on providing students in this division with the skills and confidence they need to excel in Upper School, in college, and beyond.

As Upper Schoolers return to the SSC this fall and Middle Schoolers visit it for the first time, they will step into a space that not only offers a wider range of services, but has also been physically transformed.

A bright, modern space designed around student needs: Thatcher excitedly surveys the transformed SSC

Thanks to generous support from former trustee and past Navigator parent Trip Ferguson ’67 and partnerships with current parents Lee Lockwood (a flooring professional as well as a former trustee) and Ruth Deibler (an interior designer), new carpeting and LED lighting were installed throughout the SSC over the summer. In late August, HRA added tables with whiteboard surfaces, comfortable chairs, and a banquette bench spanning the full length of a wall in room 2113. In the coming years, Thatcher envisions further renovations to optimize the student experience in the facility, including individual study booths and acoustic panels for the walls of the SSC. The director explained that she plans for students’ preferences and needs to guide her innovation within the space.

“The reimagining and ongoing expansion of the Student Support Center reflects the HRA community’s shared commitment to ensuring that all students—at every level—receive the personalized resources they need to achieve their goals and take ownership of their college-preparatory experience,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “During our Year of Resilience, the SSC will play a critical role in helping our students grow into confident scholars who embrace setbacks as opportunities for improvement.”

Successes in Year One

The SSC is entering its second year with significant momentum on which Thatcher and her team are eager to build.

Though the program was without precedent at HRA, Upper School students and families enthusiastically welcomed the launch of the SSC, with approximately 40% of the entire student body in Grades 9 through 12 using its services and achieving an average GPA increase of 13% in the first year alone.

Pivotal to these impressive outcomes was the staff of six specially trained peer tutors who earned community service credit as they assisted their fellow Upper Schoolers in sessions ranging from 15 minutes to an hour before and after school or during study hall and flex periods. Thatcher delighted in observing older students review an assignment they had completed in one of their classes the year before and “translate it to teen-speak,” meeting tutees where they were.

Two tutors also provided homework help for Lower Schoolers, creating what Thatcher hopes will prove to be the foundation for a more robust interdivisional peer tutoring program. The preexisting Homework Club offered through HRA’s Extended Care Enrichment, the director suggested, could provide a framework for such collaboration as the SSC continues to grow.

Learning strategies for managing work in school and beyond: students practice “juggling” responsibilities during an SSC orientation activity

During the spring 2026 semester, the SSC carried out a successful pilot program with the powerful, research-based educational platform MindPrint Learning. Beginning in January, students already utilizing the Center’s services completed the online MindPrint assessment, generating a personalized profile with insights into how each student learns best and resources to optimize academic performance based on one’s present strengths and areas for improvement.

Among the many promising results the SSC achieved, Thatcher pointed to “the atmosphere that the students have built in the guided study halls” as the most significant success story. Proctored by Thatcher and Rennolds, these study halls helped new Navigators and those attending for “grade recovery” develop valuable organizational skills as they prepared for upcoming assignments and exams. With guidance from educators who provide active mentorship, Thatcher observed, the students “are academically maturing, figuring out how they learn best, and really caring about their results.” Most importantly, they have capitalized on every resource available to them and dispelled any stigma around seeking support.

“That is, hands-down, the greatest thing that could’ve happened in this first year,” Thatcher said.

The SSC director is a firm believer in the motto “What is necessary for a few is good for all.” Other members of the HRA community heartily agree. Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous has cited the SSC’s guided study halls as a potential model to emulate division-wide. Parents of students whose GPAs have risen above the threshold for “grade recovery” have expressed interest in having their children continue to utilize the SSC’s services, hoping to build on the exceptional benefits they have experienced in the past year. In addition to helping students improve their grades and study habits, the SSC has provided a roadmap for navigating collegiate-level student support resources once they advance to the next stage of their education.

Phase Two: Expanding to the Middle School

Incoming ninth graders complete the MindPrint assessment, generating personalized learner profiles to inform their Upper School studies

For the Upper School, the SSC’s second phase began during this August’s ninth-grade orientation. Launching what Thatcher described as “a much more intensive MindPrint experience,” each member of the incoming freshman class completed the platform’s online assessment and entered the Upper School with an individualized learner profile to inform their study habits for the next four years and beyond. These students will have the opportunity to reinforce crucial learning skills through MindPrint’s BOOST courses during Advisory periods throughout the year, and their teachers will be able to use their profiles to tailor their instruction to the various learning styles represented in the classroom. Within four years, every Upper Schooler will benefit from MindPrint’s unmatched insights and resources.

The greatest transformation for the SSC this year, however, will be its expansion into the Middle School. In response to overwhelmingly positive parent feedback on Middle School counselor Ashley Spruill’s fifth-grade course InFOCUS, helping new Middle Schoolers learn how to learn through an exploration of organization systems, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, and resilience, the SSC has introduced similar executive functioning skills classes for Grades 6 through 8.

This year’s offerings, taught by Coach Taylor, include the quarter-long courses School Skills for sixth graders and Level Up for seventh graders, along with the semester-long eighth-grade class My Notebook, pioneered by Thatcher during her time as the Middle School counselor (1996-2020). During his TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) periods, Taylor will also work in the SSC with students with learning accommodations.

Navigators meet with members of the team who will support them through their college-preparatory experience (standing, left to right): Director of College Counseling Elizabeth Cavallari, Upper School counselor Elizabeth Rous, SSC director Thatcher, and Coach Taylor

Taylor, an educator with extensive experience as a middle school teacher and counselor as well as a mentor to student-athletes, helped Thatcher design a curriculum rich in experiential learning, employing games to simulate challenging learning situations and spur reflection on setbacks students might face in their school work within a low-risk environment. Across its Middle School classes, the SSC will introduce students to the reading comprehension improvement application ReadTheory, teach note-taking techniques, and discuss how to keep lockers clean and binders organized.

“The Student Support Center should be a place where students can make mistakes, ask questions, try different strategies, and learn without feeling judged,” Taylor said. “I want students to develop the confidence to approach a challenging assignment, a busy week, or an unexpected problem with a plan rather than feeling overwhelmed. I want them to understand that executive-function skills are learnable skills, not qualities that you either have or don’t have.”

As Taylor joins her team, Thatcher is excited to see him work closely with the Middle School faculty to help students understand how they learn best. “Being able to do that when you’re 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 years old is such a gift,” she said. “And then they’ll build on that as they get into Upper School.”

The Path Ahead

While guided study halls, peer tutoring, and the rollout of MindPrint Learning in the Upper School laid the foundation for the SSC to expand to the Middle School, Thatcher now hopes executive functions courses for sixth through eighth graders will provide a model for similar offerings for older Navigators.

Organization, time management, and the ability to take ownership of one’s own learning are among the most sought-after skills for college and career success. As part of a cohesive college-preparatory experience that begins the moment a student joins the Academy, HRA aims to strengthen these abilities early and reinforce them as students approach graduation.

The SSC will continue to play an important role in this vision as it grows further in years to come. The Center’s team plans to launch their third phase as soon as the 2027-2028 school year, with the addition of a dedicated Lower School reading specialist who will extend the facility’s services to all three of HRA’s divisions.

With Thatcher at the helm, the Student Support Center is poised to become one of the most impactful facets of the Navigator experience. “Her work there is immeasurable,” Lasley said. “I’m so excited to think about the future of this program under her leadership, because we’re just getting started with it. As we remain focused on cutting-edge academic programming for all of our students, we will continue to cultivate opportunities for them to develop academic confidence and resilience.”

Incoming HRA varsity wrestling head coach and program coordinator Eric Thompson

For the first time in the history of its athletics program, Hampton Roads Academy will offer varsity wrestling during the winter 2026-2027 season. The brand-new team will compete within the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) and, at the state level, through the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA).

Leading varsity wrestling, as both head coach and program coordinator, will be Eric Thompson, father of rising sophomore Lainey Thompson ’29 as well as an experienced wrestler and coach.

As a student-athlete in the mid-1990s, Eric Thompson set the Hampton High School wrestling match win record, with an impressive 131 career victories and only eight losses. He was a two-time undefeated AAA high school wrestling state champion and won multiple Virginia state freestyle championships, twice earning High School All-America honors. He went on to wrestle at the collegiate level at Virginia Tech, where he received a full athletic scholarship.

Since graduating, Thompson has helped young people discover a love of the sport and hone their abilities as the head wrestling coach at Christiansburg Middle School, the head assistant coach at Poquoson High School, and a coach for the Peninsula Wrestling Association.

“Eric Thompson is the perfect leader for this new athletic offering,” said HRA Director of Athletics Laura Stoner. “As a successful wrestler himself and an experienced coach in the local area, he knows the sport and the competition well. Just as importantly, as the parent of a three-sport HRA Upper School student-athlete, he is very familiar with HRA and HRA Athletics—our vision, our goals, and our standards. We look forward to partnering with Eric as we build a standout wrestling program.”

The introduction of HRA’s wrestling team follows the addition of varsity indoor track to the school’s slate of athletic offerings last winter. Both expansions to Navigator Athletics reflect the Academy’s commitment to providing enhanced opportunities for student-athletes to compete at a high level and develop crucial skills with applications far beyond their chosen sports.

“We are thrilled to add wrestling as a varsity winter sport,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “Wrestlers typically are disciplined, resilient, and dedicated student-athletes—character traits we hold in the highest esteem here at Hampton Roads Academy—and I am confident adding this sport will enable us to continue to attract top-shelf student athletes and families from around the Peninsula to HRA.”

With a deep understanding of the benefits of participating in wrestling at the high school level, Thompson leapt at the opportunity to build the new program from the ground up. “Everyone who wrestles will turn out to be a better human being on the other side,” said the coach, also an accomplished real estate broker who attributes his successes throughout life to the qualities he cultivated as a wrestler.

“Wrestling is like no other sport in the world,” he explained. “It is basically chess on your feet. You must be able to think and react quickly while being exhausted from a relentless pace.”

As he prepares to assume his new role, Thompson noted that his main goal is “to instill confidence and the many lessons I have learned through the sport of wrestling to a new generation. Hopefully, over time, we can build a program that everyone is proud to support.”

This story was also featured on 13NewsNow.com and DailyPress.com and in the Virginian-Pilot.

Tammy Guido McGee moves through the audience, engaging with Upper School students as she connects their lived experiences to crucial decisions on the road

Hampton Roads Academy prides itself on preparing students to achieve academic success and excel in college, but the school’s mission is in fact far more ambitious than this. We aim to equip each Navigator with the skills to thrive in every aspect of life, no matter where their personal and professional paths lead.

For our Upper Schoolers, gradually developing the independence that defines adulthood, a key aspect of this broader education is learning to make safe and responsible choices—especially as they begin to drive and ride in their friends’ cars. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 9, students in Grades 9 through 12 had the opportunity to hear from nationally recognized highway safety advocate Tammy Guido McGee, who drew on her own experience to underscore the critical importance of exercising sound judgment on the road.

In 2019, McGee’s son Conner Guido, known to his friends as “Gweedo,” was the passenger in a car operated by an underage, unlicensed, known reckless driver and lost his life in a preventable crash. His mother has since channeled tragedy into a movement to transform how communities across the country approach teen driver safety.

McGee honored her son’s memory by founding the Gweedo Memorial Foundation (GMF), an organization that, in her words, “exists to save lives by empowering young drivers and passengers to make safer decisions behind the wheel and to speak up when they see dangerous behavior.” Through education, advocacy, and legislation, the GMF works to prevent fatal crashes and ensure that no young person’s story ends as Conner’s did.

Introduced by her niece, HRA sophomore Peyton Ashe ’28, during the Upper School Homeroom period, McGee conveyed her message to the student body through a highly interactive presentation grounded in relatable everyday decisions they will soon face, if they have not already. The goal of the presentation was not to “scare the students straight,” but rather to inspire them to lead in the fight to ensure the safety of every young person in their community.

Transformative Work

McGee shares the moving story of losing her son Conner in a preventable car crash—a heartbreaking experience that inspired her nationwide advocacy for teen driver safety

One would be hard-pressed to find someone more qualified to prepare students for this responsibility than Tammy Guido McGee. Having felt the cost of destructive driving decisions first-hand, she has built her son’s legacy into one of positive change throughout Virginia and beyond.

Through the GMF, McGee has delivered moving presentations that raise awareness and empower young drivers to make responsible choices behind the wheel and granted thousands of dollars in annual scholarships for graduating seniors. She created the anonymous reporting platform IfYouSeeSomethingSaySomething.org to allow teenagers and other members of the community to report reckless driving, bullying, or other troubling behavior, providing a means to speak up before tragedy strikes, rather than when it is already too late.

She has also successfully advocated for the passage of five pieces of state legislation that have strengthened driver’s education in Virginia, increased accountability, and established legal consequences for adults who allow unlicensed minors to drive, along with a gubernatorial veto of a bill that would have weakened teen driver education standards in the Commonwealth.

McGee’s tireless efforts and far-reaching impact have earned her the Governor’s Highway Safety Association National Award and multiple statewide honors in Virginia.

When she visited the Academy, McGee did not only bring her important message to a new audience of teenage drivers and soon-to-be drivers. She also charged our students to be part of the solution.

Voices for Change

While this was McGee’s first formal presentation at HRA, she said, “the school already feels like an extension of my family.” Her nephew, HRA alumnus and current trustee Scott Ashe ’99, and his two children, Peyton ’28 and Harper ’32, have all been actively involved in volunteering with the GMF, and she hopes that other Navigators will join them in building a culture of responsibility and safety that extends well beyond campus.

Students eagerly raise their hands to participate during McGee’s highly interactive presentation

During Homeroom, McGee engaged directly with Upper School students as she recounted Conner’s tragic story and connected it to concrete choices they will have to make as drivers and passengers. Sharing impactful visuals, short videos, and a conversation centered around real-world scenarios, she covered such topics as distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and the perils of operating a vehicle without a license. All of these unfortunate choices, she explained, contribute to a “teen-demic” of fatal automobile crashes that claim the lives of seven teenagers every day in the United States. Throughout the interactive presentation, she challenged students to “think about decisions in the moment—before a crash ever occurs.”

McGee invited every Upper Schooler in the auditorium to become a voice for change by submitting their concerns to IfYouSeeSomethingSaySomething.org and, more importantly, setting a positive example for, and starting conversations about driver safety with, their friends and others who could benefit from them.

 According to Upper School counselor Elizabeth Rous, chair of HRA’s Safety Planning and Response Team, McGee’s action-oriented presentation resonated perfectly with the school’s emphasis on “community and the responsibilities that come with being a member of a community.”

“We look out for one another and speak up when we see something that concerns us,” Rous said. “We also emphasize that safety comes in many forms—physical, emotional, and psychological—and our core values at HRA inform how we comport ourselves in our efforts to maintain a safe and welcoming community where every member feels valued.”

Shaping Responsible Leaders

Following Homeroom, students collect wristbands and lanyards that McGee provided to serve as a reminder of their role as leaders in the campaign for teen driver safety

As Upper School English teacher and Dean of Student Life Laurie Hager observed, McGee’s visit was not only a valuable learning opportunity, but also a testament to the power of student leadership.

Tenth grader Peyton Ashe ’28 did not simply take on the responsibility of introducing her aunt’s presentation. She played an active role in coordinating the event from the beginning, taking the initiative to speak with Hager and Head of School Jay Lasley about what her peers could gain from learning about the work of the GMF.

“Supporting our students as they truly take ownership of their own initiatives has been at the heart of my philosophy as Dean,” Hager said. “I trust them to lead, to grapple with the practicalities of facing any complex challenge, and to find the inner strength to ask for caring adult assistance when they need it.”

In the past two years, HRA Director of Theatre and public speaking teacher Kate Goddin has been instrumental in enriching Upper School Homeroom with outside speakers—from local elected officials to representatives from environmental organizations like Wetlands Watch and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation—while also reimagining this biweekly period to center student leaders like Ashe. 

Each session is led by the Student Council Association president, and students oversee the tech booth to provide a seamless and engaging experience. When clubs have announcements to make, student representatives, not faculty sponsors, deliver the message. Throughout the school year, Varsity Club members rally their classmates for upcoming athletic events, performing arts students share their talents through musical performances, and students who have completed internships, mentorships, and other professional experiences through the REACH Initiative speak about what they learned from participating in this program and how their peers can get involved.

These regular presentations offer students “an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills and learn how to communicate well,” Goddin said. “Homeroom is a great place for the entire Upper School to learn together.”

Indeed, during her visit, McGee embraced this meaningful platform for educating and shaping future leaders, encouraging students to “take leadership roles within their peer groups, model safe behavior, and bring these conversations back to their families and communities.”

“The most important message is this,” she said: “your choices matter, and your voice can save a life.”

Executive Chef Uwe Schluszas (second from left) and Sous Chef Jesse Rowe serve up mouthwatering meatball hoagies in the Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall

On March 26, 2026, Hampton Roads Academy marked half a million meals served in the Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall since the state-of-the-art facility opened its doors in January 2020. This remarkable figure includes only lunches that students have enjoyed on regular school days. If one adds the many special events that the dining hall team also caters and the daily lunches served throughout the summer camp season, the total is even more incredible.

In honor of this historic achievement, from March 23 through 27, Executive Chef Uwe Schluszas prepared favorites from the initial weeks of lunch service in the dining hall—elevated offerings that, he recalled, caught parents by surprise in those early days. Now, they have become the norm.

The week’s menu included beef and vegetarian chili with all the fixings, chicken pot pie on a cheddar biscuit, roasted pork loin with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, stuffed peppers, and a grilled chicken flatbread topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and arugula. As a special treat, students enjoyed an assortment of snacks, including cookies, muffins, and yogurt, as the school crossed the 500,000 meal mark on Thursday.

The celebratory week was a tribute not only to Schluszas, who has helmed the dining hall from its inception, but to the entire hardworking staff that makes a consistently exceptional dining experience possible. The school extends its heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to Sous Chef Jesse Rowe, line cooks Melinda Calloway, Tiny Liverman, and Quiseam Perry, and facilities team members Tony Lawrence, Jr., and Shymil Robinson. Thanks are also due to facilities coordinator India Getchell, who was instrumental in helping launch the dining hall’s operations as a member of the team at the time of its opening.

When quantified, the dining hall’s output over the past six years is staggering. According to Schluszas, half a million lunches translate into 28,800 pounds of broccoli, 51,200 pounds of bananas, 230,400 apples, nearly 12 tons of cheese and yogurt, more than 28 tons of meat, and 18,600 gallons of milk and chocolate milk—a volume roughly equivalent to the average residential swimming pool.

But the contribution of Schluszas’ team to the HRA community cannot be measured in pounds and gallons alone.

“The milestone of half a million lunches served really puts into perspective what an incredible impact Chef Uwe has on our school, day in and day out,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “Nutritious meals right here on campus make it possible for our students to learn as much as they can and for our faculty and staff to do their best work. Our lunch program is second to none and an understated, yet remarkable, part of daily life at HRA.”

Crowning a Distinguished Career

Chef Uwe and Chef Jesse slice up a delicious pork loin for an elevated lunch as HRA celebrates half a million meals

2026 represents a landmark year not only for the Pope Dining Hall, but also for Schluszas himself. On June 26, HRA’s executive chef will mark 50 years since he started in the culinary field as an apprentice.

Originally from Germany, Schluszas has worked in kitchens in Switzerland, England, Bermuda, Texas, Georgia, and finally Virginia. Before joining the Academy in August 2019, he served for 19 years at the Kingsmill Resort, mainly as a pastry chef.

When Peter Mertz, who preceded Lasley as Head of School (2011-2023), asked him why he chose to leave the resort after such a long tenure, Schluszas replied, “My last years are not about money. They need to matter.”

HRA, he explained, has given him the freedom to explore his full range of culinary talents and introduce young people to international dishes that have inspired him throughout his globe-trotting career.

“I’d rather have a kid ask me what’s for lunch than a bride tell me, ‘It was a great wedding cake,’” the chef said. “There is no agenda with our students. They tell you if they like it, and they tell you if they don’t, and that’s the end of the story. If they like it, then we do it again. If they don’t, we don’t. It’s that simple.”

A Commitment to Quality, Choice, and Discovery

Schluszas insists that lunch should be an occasion for students to enjoy wholesome, restaurant-caliber food prepared with the highest-quality ingredients and discover a new favorite that they would not encounter in any ordinary cafeteria.

“Who am I in competition with?” he said. “It’s not the McDonald’s of the world.” While most schools operate under the assumption that young palates crave only a narrow range of flavors and thus offer such familiar choices as hamburgers, pizza, and chicken nuggets nearly every week, Schluszas crafts his menus based on his confidence that novelty will resonate with students. Even in HRA’s Lower School, he observed, students leap at options like chicken tikka masala, embracing the opportunity to try new dishes.

A hearty meal for a historic milestone: pork loin drizzled with onion gravy, served with mashed potatoes and savory green beans

Between inspired daily hot meal offerings, a salad bar with 23 items, a deli station, and fresh fruit and yogurt, the dining hall provides a stunning array of options to explore. Schluszas explained that he wants students to lean into their curiosity and experiment at lunchtime each day.

The chef commented that he never tires of seeing students sample foods that are completely new to them—or hearing from parents who report that their children asked for meals at home that they had discovered through one of his lunches.

“When we make a new item, and they come back for seconds, I’m doing a happy dance in the kitchen,” Schluszas said. For him, there is no clearer sign that “we hit it.”

Of the myriad of dishes he serves, from Italian pasta and meatballs and English fish and chips to Caribbean pollo guisado and Chinese pork lo mein, Schluszas cannot pick a single favorite. However, he noted, the meals he loves to cook all incorporate a variety of textures, exciting tastes, fresh ingredients, and plenty of color.

Gratitude and Pride

In addition to daily lunch service, Schluszas consistently looks forward to the many HRA community events for which he prepares scrumptious pastries, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, and unforgettable meals, from the Tidewater Table & Auction and faculty holiday happy hours to the Homecoming alumni reunion party and the biannual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast. After all, he commented, a special meal makes for a special occasion.

A comfort classic with rave reviews: Chef Uwe’s delectable chicken pot pie on a cheddar biscuit

Still, for the executive chef, there is no greater joy than experiencing than the gratitude of students on an ordinary school day. The most gratifying moments, he said, are when students compliment his lunches during a chance encounter in the hallway or write him an unsolicited thank-you note.

“You can’t beat that, because you know it’s an honest response,” he remarked with a smile.

As Schluszas’ team approached the 500,000-meal milestone, students’ honest—and incredibly enthusiastic—reviews rolled it.

“My favorite has to be when Chef makes the tomato soup and grilled cheese,” said eighth grader Madeleine Wells ’30.

According to junior Aaron Carlson ’27, “Chef makes a mean jambalaya. That’s my favorite meal here.”

“Chicken pot pie,” said senior Luke James ’26—“that has to take the cake!”

Humbled and delighted by his celebratory reception during his time at HRA, Schluszas could come to only one conclusion: “I should’ve done this years ago!”

Dr. Maribel Gendreau (second from left) with her anatomy and physiology class at THRIVE Peninsula food pantry

With cutting-edge facilities right on its campus, Hampton Roads Academy is committed to using its resources not only to provide an unmatched learning experience for its students, but also to benefit the community at large.

This winter, Upper School science teacher Dr. Maribel Gendreau’s anatomy and physiology class exemplified this wider impact by partnering with THRIVE Peninsula food pantry in Newport News to supply local families with fresh produce cultivated in HRA’s own Martha H. Patten Hydroponics Lab and STEAM Classroom. The two-month-long advocacy project culminated on Thursday, February 26, with a visit to THRIVE Peninsula, where the students delivered the vegetables they had grown and spent the afternoon volunteering in the food pantry.

Gendreau guides her students as they seed leafy greens for their winter 2026 advocacy project

Throughout January and February, as Gendreau’s eleventh and twelfth graders maintained their plants and tracked their growth, they gained hands-on insight into how food is produced and affects our bodies while also learning what food insecurity looks like in their community. A quiet epidemic, food insecurity affects about one in nine individuals in Hampton Roads. The crisis is especially pronounced in the winter months, when food pantries, unequipped with indoor hydroponic growing towers, often struggle to provide fresh produce.

“What excites me most about this project is the chance for our students to give back to the community and really understand that there are families who don’t always know where their next meal will come from,” Gendreau said. “Growing leafy greens to donate to a local pantry lets them take what they’ve learned and actually make a difference,” in the process “building cooking skills, teamwork, and a better understanding of how food impacts health and community.”

Hands-On Learning with a Broader Impact

The anatomy and physiology class’ collaboration with THRIVE Peninsula is part of a year-long curriculum that centers the intersections of biochemistry, diet, and society.

Throughout the fall semester, Gendreau’s students learned about food, nutrition, and human health through such practical activities as growing kale in desktop hydroponic units to make kale chips, cultivating peppers and cilantro to prepare fresh salsa, and exploring the benefits of tea and other foods and beverages rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

Senior Grace Lee ’26 plants seeds to provide nutritious produce to the community

Support for experiential learning throughout the food and nutrition unit has come from Pilot Light, a nonprofit organization that empowers teachers to bring food education into the classroom and thereby inspire students to become informed citizens. As a member of Pilot Light’s 2025-2026 Food Education Fellowship cohort, Gendreau has received funding for materials and food for weekly hands-on lessons that take advantage of the unparalleled resources available in HRA’s hydroponics laboratory. Her active involvement in this selective professional development opportunity has been a boon to both her students and HRA’s community-engaged mission.

On January 7, just after winter break, Gendreau’s class launched their advocacy project as a way to apply their skills and knowledge beyond the walls of the Academy. Split into five groups of two, each responsible for 28 plants in a hydroponic growing tower, the students tracked the progress of such greens as kale, arugula, butter lettuce, and sweet crisp lettuce for more than seven weeks. In order to ensure that they would produce healthy and delicious produce for families visiting the food pantry, they watered the plants every other day and adjusted the pH and electrical conductivity (a measure of nutrient concentration in the water) biweekly.

This meticulous process, senior and aspiring nutrition and dietetics major Grace Lee ’26 explained, “has taught me that the solution to this crisis is not simply providing more food, but higher-quality, nutritionally sound food. By growing our own food in the hydroponics lab, we are actively attempting to close the nutritional gap in our community.”

Access to nourishing produce, Lee stressed, “is a right, not a luxury.”

Combining STEM with Service

Junior Faith Gregory ’27 harvests vegetables to deliver to the food pantry

By teaming up with THRIVE Peninsula, HRA’s anatomy and physiology students will ensure that every family in Hampton Roads can enjoy that right.

Junior Caroline Short ’27 was especially excited to partner with THRIVE this semester, having volunteered for the organization several times since the summer before her sophomore year and collaborated with them on a food drive through the American Heart Association Club. “One thing I love about THRIVE is that they have a garden connected to the building that supplies them with fresh produce during spring and summer,” she said. “However, during winter, many of the plants can no longer survive.”

With its state-of-the-art hydroponics laboratory, Short noted, HRA is uniquely positioned to remedy this deficit and provide leafy greens rich in essential vitamins and minerals even during the coldest months of the year.

Juniors Ashlyn Davis ’27 and Daphne Ambrosino ’27 help local families obtain groceries while volunteering at THRIVE Peninsula

On February 26, the students witnessed the impact of their efforts first-hand when they delivered their vegetables to the food pantry. The day before, they had harvested the produce they had tended for weeks, weighed it, and separated it into bundles to bring to THRIVE Peninsula. Then, after school hours, they volunteered their time to help families obtain nutritious groceries, including their own leafy greens.

For Gendreau and her class, the gratitude of their neighbors was the greatest reward.

“Through our unique take on ‘farm to table,’” Lee said, “we learned that our resources and skills are not just for our benefit, but are powerful tools that we can use to strengthen and bring our community together.”

“Let’s be honest,” Gendreau added—“everything just tastes better when it’s made to share with others.”

Author Stacy McAnulty visits with Jordan Gray’s junior-kindergarten class

“I’m a great believer in the idea that many voices are important in children’s lives,” said Susanne Swain ’78, Director of Lower School at Hampton Roads Academy. Every day, her students benefit from interactions with multiple educators in a variety of settings, including resource teachers as well as their primary classroom instructors. On Wednesday, February 25, Lower Schoolers were introduced to another voice that enriched their learning from a new angle when award-winning children’s book author Stacy McAnulty spent the day at HRA.

McAnulty is the author of more than 40 books, including fiction and nonfiction picture books as well as early chapter books and middle-grade novels and nonfiction. In her works, the North Carolina-based writer draws on her background as a mechanical engineer and her lifelong passion for STEM to craft intelligent stories for intelligent children.

Having struggled to read in her early years, McAnulty appreciates that even those students for whom reading is a challenge invariably enjoy stories and want to discover them. “I love science. I love math. And I love stories! I don’t believe these things must orbit in different galaxies,” she said. “In my books and in my presentations, I aim to entertain, spark curiosity, and nurture a love of reading.”

While at HRA, McAnulty shared works from her Our Universe series with Lower Schoolers in every grade level, showcasing how the written word could bring science education to life and capture young learners’ imaginations. Her visit represents the Lower School’s commitment to collaborating with artists in the wider community to complement and enhance students’ experience in the classroom. Along with the annual Winter Story Day earlier in the month, the all-Lower School Reading Challenge in January and early February, and the First Grade-Senior Buddies pajamas-and-hot-cocoa party at holiday time, this special occasion also embodies a season-long celebration of the cozy joy of picking up a good book.

A Visit Months in the Making

The Lower School Commons comes alive with highly interactive presentations for each grade level during McAnulty’s visit

Now in its third year, the annual author visit is one of the most anticipated traditions on the Lower School calendar. Organizing this event had been a goal and a priority for Swain ever since she stepped into her current role over a decade ago. In 2023, thanks to grant funds secured by Director of Educational Technology Melissa DeBoer, the dream finally became a reality.

Every summer, a committee of faculty members from each grade level begins formulating plans to invite an author to campus, researching and selecting age-appropriate books for readers in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4. Throughout the process, school librarian Amanda MacDonnell plays a central role in helping Swain and her team identify a writer who will provide the most memorable and enriching experience possible for the students. MacDonnell was also instrumental this year in securing and distributing copies of McAnulty’s books for every Lower School class ahead of her visit.

According to Swain, the Author Village agency has also been an outstanding partner over the past three years in coordinating presentations by authors whose work aligns well with the values and curriculum of HRA. Author Village and its affiliated talent, the Lower School director said, “are eager to work with us, because we are one of the few schools that they visit where the children are well-prepared before the author comes and where the author feels like their work is being celebrated.”

Learning through Storytelling

In the previous two years, the Lower School invited authors who are also illustrators. In order to keep a greater focus on the craft of writing this year, Swain explained, she made a point of selecting an author who collaborates with separate illustrators in producing her works.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, the first title in McAnulty’s Our Universe series, displayed alongside the second graders’ handmade terrariums

Her other priority was to choose an author who had published a series of books to provide “a continuum across all grade levels,” she said. McAnulty’s Our Universe series, illustrated by Stevie Lewis and David Litchfield, matched this vision perfectly. Featuring such acclaimed titles as Sun! One in a Billion (a 2019 Irma Black Award semifinalist) and Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth (winner of the 2023 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for a nonfiction text for younger readers), the series also presented a unique combination of STEM subject matter and a sample of children’s literature at its finest.

In the leadup to McAnulty’s visit, students in each grade read one of the Our Universe books and completed research-based projects dealing with the Earth, the solar system, and the cosmos at large. Texts were selected based largely on their alignment with students’ developmental levels, with works richer in factual detail reserved for the second, third, and fourth graders. For younger children, the Lower School team chose books dealing with broad topics that the students are exploring in class, such as marine life (Ocean! Waves for All) for pre-kindergarteners and the moon (Moon! Earth’s Best Friend) for kindergarteners.

For later grades, books were chosen to reflect specific aspects of the curriculum. The first graders, for example, read Our Solar System! A Stellar Neighborhood to complement their lessons on all the planets. To align with their study of geography, meanwhile, the second graders picked up Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, detailing the planet’s evolution. Mars! Earthlings Welcome contains many references to classical mythology, making it an ideal text for the third graders as they explore ancient civilizations in their classes. Finally, the fourth graders’ focus book, Our Planet!, provides rich information on environmental concerns, opening conversations for these most advanced Lower Schoolers not only about science, but also about their responsibilities as citizens of the world.

McAnulty discusses her writing process, her career path, and the wonders of the universe with an eager audience of Lower Schoolers

McAnulty spent the morning of her full-day visit meeting with the student body of each grade level in the Lower School Commons, reading from her books, engaging in a broader discussion about the universe and how scientific facts informed her authorial choices, and providing insight into her career path as an engineer-turned-author. She also explained the process whereby books are created, from an initial idea through the delivery of a finished product.

Afterward, she enjoyed lunch with a group of student representatives, including fourth grader Grant Brown ’34, third graders West McFarland ’35 and Scarlett Morejon ’35, and second grader Luna Meng ’36, in the Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall. She then started her afternoon with a hallway tour of displayed student enrichment projects inspired by her work, led by Lower School music teacher Erika Caulford and student guides from each grade level.

Finally, before she departed the school, McAnulty took the time to sign students’ personal copies of her books and share a one-on-one moment with each Lower Schooler.

McAnulty shares a moment with each student while signing their personal copies of her books

An Unforgettable Day for All

Watching students interact with their guest, Swain noted, is her favorite part of the author visit every year.

“I’m always so proud of the students for the insightful questions that they ask,” she said. “Their questions show me that they have been listening and absorbing and learning. I love to see that.”

Without exception, visiting authors have echoed the Lower School director’s praise for HRA’s youngest students’ thoughtfulness and genuine enthusiasm for learning.

During her day at HRA, McAnulty noted that she was especially impressed by the high-level questions posed by the Lower School’s many “science-minded scholars.” “I want to encourage them to keep loving that science and researching what they’re excited about,” she said.

“The students were so prepared and so engaged from the moment I stepped foot on campus,” the author remarked shortly before departing the school. “I’m just so thankful I got to come here.”

With McAnulty’s books in hand, Lower School students connect through their shared love of science, reading, and the joy of learning

Incoming HRA varsity football Head Coach Rodney Taylor

Hampton Roads Academy is thrilled to announce that award-winning coach, educator, and counselor Rodney Taylor will take the helm of the school’s varsity football program ahead of the fall 2026 season.

Coach Taylor’s appointment comes as the Academy’s revitalized varsity football team enters its second year back on the field following a seven-year hiatus. With over 20 years of coaching experience and a proven record of building competitive and student-centered football programs, Taylor is well-equipped to lead HRA’s Navigators into their next chapter.

“He is the right leader to elevate Navigator Football and inspire our student-athletes to demonstrate strong character, disciplined effort, respect, and pride, both on and off the field, as we continue building a successful program,” said Director of Athletics Laura Stoner.

Most recently, Taylor served as Head Football Coach at Menchville High School in Newport News, where he transformed a team that had previously won three games or fewer for 17 straight years into a winning program with five playoff appearances across Taylor’s seven seasons with the school, including playoff victories in 2021 and 2022. As a testament to his immediate success leading his team on the gridiron and cultivating players who excelled academically and personally as well as athletically, Taylor was honored with the 2019-2020 Peninsula District Coach of the Year award in his first year at Menchville.

Taylor’s leadership had a similarly transformative impact in his prior role as junior-varsity head coach across town at Heritage High School. Arriving to a football team that had just gone 0-10 in its last season, Taylor improved his program’s record each year, culminating in an incredible undefeated season in 2013.

Coach Taylor on the field at Menchville High School

As he prepares to build on his remarkable momentum as a coach at HRA, Taylor said, “I’m most looking forward to watching our players come together as a team and seeing their growth from day one of camp to that first kickoff in the fall. The excitement of Friday nights, competing together, and representing Hampton Roads Academy with pride is something special. I’m also excited about laying the foundation for long-term success, setting standards, building confidence, and creating memories that these young men will carry well beyond the season.”

In addition to his work on the field, Taylor will join HRA’s faculty as a Middle and Upper School learning specialist. In this position, he will contribute invaluably to the programming of the Academy’s new Student Support Center (SSC) as it expands its services beyond the Upper School to the Middle School.

Taylor will draw on an impressive background as an educator. As a counselor at Homer L. Hines Middle School, he effectively ensured students’ readiness for high school and laid a foundation for success in college and careers through data-driven support tailored to each learner’s individual needs. During his previous tenure at Enterprise Academy, Taylor’s dedication to mentorship, leadership, and fostering positive relationships with students earned him the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year award. His talents as a teacher and counselor will equip him to empower excellence for students at all levels in the SSC.

According to Head of School Jay Lasley, “Rodney Taylor will be an asset to Hampton Roads Academy both on the field and in the classroom. With his emphasis on character, accountability, and personal growth, he deeply understands the synergy between academic and athletic success, particularly at an independent school.”

“We are deeply grateful to our previous head football coach, HRA alumnus Dave Legg ’80, who skillfully stewarded the team through its transition from JV to varsity,” Lasley added. “I cannot wait to see Coach Taylor take this program to the next level in the fall.”

Navigator Football is excited for its next chapter with Coach Taylor at the helm

This story was also featured on WYDaily.com, DailyPress.com , the Virginian-Pilot, and MSN.