Academy Magazine - Fall 2022

FALL 2022

HEADMASTER

Dennis G. Manning

ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Grayson Bryant

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Esther M. Diskin

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Kim Yager

EDITOR Esther M. Diskin

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mike Connors

EDITORIAL BOARD

Ruth Payne Acra ’86

Chad Byler

Jeff Danielson

Beth Manning

David Rezelman

Jennifer Rodgers ’97

Toy Savage ’71

Gigi Cooke Tysinger ’87

Sean Wetmore ’86 Charlotte Zito ’99

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mike Connors

Esther M. Diskin

Steven Goldburg ’04

Stephanie Kalis

Kim Yager DESIGN

RiverBend Design & Lyons Graphics

Norfolk Academy admits students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, and national or ethnic origin, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

COVER: From left, Mr. Garrett Bird’s knee, Christian ’24, Richard ’24, Lucy ’24, Jordan ’23, and Cate ’24, rafting on the Nantahala River in North Carolina during the Advanced Leadership Lab Maymester course.

Diane Wallace: Honoring Teaching

Richard Oberdorfer: Mr. O. “Live long and prosper.”

Tom Duquette: “I coach math and I teach lacrosse.”

Toy Savage ’71: Storyteller Extraordinaire

Kindness. Honesty. Justice.

In his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), the last of Ancient Rome’s “Five Good Emperors” and an influential Stoic philosopher, spoke of the need to cultivate these three traits by constant vigilance and self-discipline. “Only one thing is important in life,” he insisted, “to behave with kindness, honesty, and justice.” He believed purity of mind was essential to avoid being sullied by interactions with those who displayed the meanest of traits, the “liars and crooks” that one inevitably encounters.

He developed the lesson further with a metaphor drawn from his observation of nature: Suppose someone standing by a clear, sweet spring were to curse it: it just keeps right on bringing drinkable water bubbling up to the surface. Even if he throws mud in it, before long the spring disperses the dirt and washes it out, leaving no stain. So how are you to have the equivalent of an ever-flowing spring? If you preserve your self-reliance at every hour, and your kindness, simplicity, and morality.

How are we to have the equivalent of an “ever-flowing spring” of kindness? What a challenge Aurelius sets before us! In our school’s Year of Kindness, we are seeking ways to refresh our own inner springs of kindness and to help our young Bulldogs do the same — not only to be kind, but also to keep on being kind, even when frustrations mount or more serious matters batter our spirit. Acts of kindness revive our souls. After the pandemic, and the many challenges it spawned, we must set ourselves to the task of taking a fresh and innovative look at kindness and how to teach it.

Compassion for others grows through experiences where we listen and learn from each other, and we’re often most open to doing that when we are pushed out of our comfortable

rhythms and habits. In this issue, you will read about Maymester, the most innovative educational initiative that we have pursued in recent years, and one that percolated during the pandemic, as we awaited the time when faculty and students could pursue these learning adventures. You will sense the excitement of this new program, even as we prepare for Maymester 2.0 in spring 2023.

We have other stories that showcase new developments. The Fellows of the Batten Leadership Program undertook a project in aquaponics, a water-efficient approach to agriculture that holds much promise for our water-starved globe. Our Breakthrough Program opened its doors wider this summer, offering its program of free academic enrichment to middle school students throughout Hampton Roads, rather than just in Norfolk.

Three inspirational teachers with a combined 123 years of service to Norfolk Academy retired this June. Colleagues have written tributes to them, and their work lives on, both through the example they set for younger teachers and through their impact on generations of students, who carry their lessons into the wider world. We also celebrate Diane Wallace, whose extraordinary tenure — 53 years of sterling instruction for the boys of 4B — sets an unmatched standard of stamina, dedication, and love.

As you read these tributes, you will see that these teachers influenced students not only through their passion for, and knowledge of, the academic subject matter, but also through the time they took to connect and demonstrate their care for colleagues and students alike.

Let us all take a page from their book and recommit to kindness. Onward, Bulldogs!

DENNIS G. MANNING Headmaster

RIGHT

’24

: Cate

on a rock face in Pisgah National Forest during the Maymester course, Advanced Leadership Lab.

Maymester: NA’s bold, new, threeweek experiential program for Upper School students was launched this spring. Here are the programs.

UPPER SCHOOL MAYMESTER

IF EVER A NEW SCHOOL PROGRAM MET THE CRITERION FOR NORFOLK ACADEMY’S PHILOSOPHY OF “JUDICIOUS EXPERIMENTATION WITH THE NEW,” IT WAS MAYMESTER.

The sheer scope of the brand-new program, which launched this spring, demonstrated bold innovation: Move exams to mid-May, and finish the academic year for sophomores and juniors with three weeks of experiential learning, organized around three prongs: faculty-designed courses; reciprocal exchanges; and leadership (including internships).

Among the more than a dozen opportunities: Exploration of Germany and France, including stays with host families; hiking the Appalachian Trail; studying immigration at the Texas border; examining art history in New York City; the ecology and indigenous population of Lake Superior; and architecture in Chicago.

The judicious part of this experiment in learning came with the timing; it was planned for spring 2020, but the pandemic turned out to be the nuisance variable and one that slowed the timing considerably.

exploration“The additional incubation period offered an unexpected opportunity for additional reflection and planning,” said Upper School Assistant Director Sarah Goodson ’99, the faculty leader of the initiative. “The benefit was in allowing time for us to think more strategically about how we wanted to frame Maymester courses and to incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a connecting thread.”

The extended launch also built anticipation. When Maymester course selection opened in the spring with a presentation in Johnson Theater, the excitement was palpable. Students could not wait to sign up. Goodson worked with two Upper School faculty members, Dr. Natasha Naujoks and Matthew Lilly, to develop and roll out Maymester.

One highlight from the course was the overall team mentality. We hiked as a group, slept as a group, ate as a group, struggled as a group, and triumphed as a group.

MADISON KAY ’24 HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

I was able to learn a lot about conflicts in the world, and the perspectives that people living in different regions possess.

AREEN SYED ’24 NEGOTIATION BOOT CAMP

It was very valuable because we learned the truth of immigration and saw it firsthand.

JESSE FINE ’23 ALONG THE BORDER

We met with curators, executive directors of museums, private collectors, and museum tour guides. They provided us with a wealth of knowledge and were always eager to answer questions.

LAUREN SCHILL ’23 NART HISTORY GALLERY

MAYMESTER SNAPSHOTS

This trip has changed my perspective of our natural world and it has motivated me to live more sustainably and mindfully in the future.

ANTONIA BAUDOIN ’23 LAKE

SUPERIOR: THE SPIRIT OF GITCHIGUMI

I learned a lot about myself and how thoughtful all leaders and followers have to be in order to make a team work.

NELSON OTT ’24 ADVANCED LEADERSHIP LAB

I now have a resume, interviewing skills, and insight from career professionals. It was great to be in a professional setting.

BELLA BURR ’23 ALUMNI CAREER CONNECTIONS

The FBI Academy was awesome. We got to see so many things that people can only imagine.

HUNTER WHEARY ’24 FORENSICS: A LENS ON CRIME

Through immersion, we were able to greatly develop our communication skills and overall knowledge of the French culture.

KATE LITTLEJOHN ’23 FRENCH EXCHANGE

I learned so much more about Chicago, architecture, navigating a large city, different architects and their styles, and the other members in my group.

ANN GRAY GOLPIRA ’24 GO BIG OR GO HOME: ARCHITECTURE IN CHICAGO

For faculty members, the additional waiting time allowed for more meticulous planning and even — in some cases — a change of direction. Upper School Chemistry Teacher John Craig had originally planned a trip to Chicago, his hometown, that focused on science facilities like FermiLab.

When Covid prevented visits to some of the original sites, Craig kept the destination and changed the focus to the Windy City’s fame as a center for American architectural innovation — its title, “Go Big or Go Home” a wry take on the city’s pioneering construction of skyscrapers. In the first week of the course, students got lessons in architectural sketching from Upper School Art Teacher Betsy DiJulio and NA parent and architect Rob Reis, who gave them a tour of Hanbury, the firm that designed NA’s award-winning Massey Leadership Center. Students traveled to Chicago for six days, exploring and sketching major sculptures and historic buildings, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House to Wrigley Field. After returning, they completed collaborative projects.

“I learned a lot about what a career in architecture would entail, along with all the unseen work that goes into building communities and cities,” said Michael Carofino ’23. “The second thing I gained from this trip was connections and relationships.”

While students in Craig’s course were pounding the pavement in Chicago, students in Upper School German Teacher Kelly Dewey ’04’s course were trekking in the wilderness; over an 11-day period, they hiked 105.6 miles on the Appalachian Trail, some days in the pouring rain. They learned about backpacking and conservation, and they tested their stamina, not only physically — no cell phones allowed.

“It was a powerful experience,” said Van Deans ’24. “By spending literally every waking moment with the other 12 students and faculty on this trip, we all became very close. We struggled together, sweated, helped each other, and got to really know one another through hours of talking as we walked.”

“It was really cool to accomplish something so tangible,” said Mackenzie Savage ’23. “Not everyone can hike over 100 miles and I’m grateful that I’m able to.”

For Dewey, watching the students encourage one another and experience breakthrough moments proved even more powerful than she had imagined in the months of planning. “All of the students on this

trip stretched themselves, whether it be physically, emotionally, or as leaders. They all worked together to achieve our group goals and I could not be prouder of them.”

Norfolk Academy’s longstanding exchanges with Copernicus Gymnasium in Löningen, Germany, and with St. Dominique in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris, which had also been on hold due to the pandemic, resumed during Maymester.

Not every course or activity involved traveling out of Hampton Roads. Students in “Negotiation Boot Camp” studied diplomacy with Upper School History Teacher David Rezelman and the coordinator of the Negotiation Task Force at Harvard University. Those in “Podcasting: Narrating Hampton Roads” created individual podcasts under the direction of three Upper School faculty members — Charlotte Zito ’99, Steven Goldburg ’04, and Ed Patterson. About a dozen students had internships at local organizations and businesses, like WHRO, Ghent Chiropractic, and Colliers, a commercial real estate firm.

“I definitely feel better prepared for my future in terms of finance, budgeting, and applying for and holding a job,” said Ruby Garrison ’23. “I also learned interpersonal skills like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.”

On the final day of Maymester, students gathered in Johnson Theater for an assembly to share what they had learned. Goodson said that students’ growth was evident in their demeanor and in their reflections, particularly in terms of their confidence in taking on challenges that, at times, seemed difficult to surmount.

She predicts that the pedagogical lessons from Maymester will gradually filter into classroom and extracurricular experiences, particularly as the Upper School launches the 2.0 version of Maymester in spring 2023. In particular, the community partnerships that the school forged through the program will deepen learning during the school year, she said. “The traditional academic classroom will always be important, and there is tremendous value in traditional pedagogical approaches,” she noted. “But when we leave campus, we gain richness in experiences and understanding that can’t happen when we remain in our classrooms.” ◆

Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

COMING BACK STRONG: MINI-MESTER RETURNS

As Maymester was winding down, Mini-mester was heating up again. Started in 2017, this weeklong program that closes the school year returned from a Covid hiatus, offering a wide array of experiential learning for Middle School students.

Almost all ninth graders participated in Leadership Lab, which tests them with challenging

experiences in the woods of northern Virginia, during which they form close bonds with their classmates. That is followed by exploration of Washington, D.C.

Seventh and eighth graders had 18 different courses to choose from, guided by teachers and spread around Hampton Roads.

Among them: Diving into the field of archaeology and Norfolk’s

history; meeting government and business leaders in Virginia Beach and Norfolk to understand what these cities need to thrive; exploring sports management by visiting Old Dominion University’s athletics complex and Harbor Park; and learning about the Livestrong organization and how to fight cancer.

LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM : The Evolution of Jewelry; Mindfulness, Meditation, and Peace; Computer Programming: Unpacking Pacman; A Hampton Roads Food Exploration; Antiquing and Wood Art; The East Coast of Virginia.

BELOW: Executive Director Jennifer Rodgers ’97 shares a happy moment at recess with Aliya, Jeremiah, and Gabriella. All three students are 7th graders, so this was their first year in the program. OPPOSITE: Science Teacher Josh Elquiero conducts a lab with Elijah, a 9th grader.

Breakthrough

Expands Outreach Breakthrough

For three decades, Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy has served generations of middle school students from Norfolk Public Schools, improving their preparation for high school and, as a result, potentially changing the trajectory of their lives.

The premise of the free program is straight forward: Give motivated students, many of whom are from lower socio-economic households and underresourced schools, intensive academic instruction for three sequential summers, and they will enter high school with the knowledge, skills, and drive to propel them to four-year colleges. Their teachers — high school and college students with an interest in becoming educators — learn the ropes with support from an intensive teacher prep “boot camp” and mentoring from NA faculty.

This summer, Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy opened its doors wider, offering its distinctive program to students from all five cities of South Hampton Roads, rather than restricting recruitment to students from Norfolk.

In previous summers, program directors had traveled to elementary schools in Norfolk, making their pitch to teachers and fifth graders; the approach relied on students having enough enthusiasm to bring the material home to show parents and request the chance to apply. However, Covid restrictions severely curtailed the directors’ ability to make those visits.

So Reggie Cole and Jennifer Rodgers ’97, two Norfolk Academy teachers who lead the program, decided on a new approach this year, one designed to

giving students knowledge and skills for the future

reach students throughout South Hampton Roads and target parents directly. They collaborated with NA’s Communications Office to launch the program’s first advertising campaign, entirely through digital and social media, and they created an online application to help eliminate some hurdles in the process. Although the campaign was a pilot project with a small budget, it was incredibly successful in its goals.

“Yes, we did get more students whose parents said, ‘You’re going to this program for the summer,’” said Cole, who took the helm as executive director of Breakthrough this year, as Rodgers wrapped up five years in that role. “That brought a different dynamic than we had when we were recruiting only by going into the schools and making presentations.”

social challenges of masking and distancing in class. “These students have real resilience,” Cole observed.

The academic gaps were particularly noticeable in math, Cole and Rodgers said, so they offered more levels this summer to target students’ learning needs. In addition, all Breakthrough classes are unusually small — the maximum size is about eight students — so teachers can spend time with each student to address academic strengths and weaknesses and to build nurturing bonds.

“The most important part of Breakthrough is the relationships that teachers and students build,” Rodgers noted. “That is what inspires them. They want to be like these young teachers.”

LEFT TO RIGHT: Assistant Director Reggie Cole, who transitioned to executive director this year, celebrates graduation with Terryl, a 9th grader; There were hugs and tears all around at graduation; Shaniyah and Ny’kirah work on a project together; Once a Breakthrough student, Corey Brooks ’22 returned this summer to serve as a teacher.

Even as the program widened its geographic range, it did not lose focus on providing the opportunity for students who most need it, Rodgers said. “We are giving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds priority. It is for students and families who would not be able to pay for five weeks of academic enrichment if not for a free program.”

Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy is an affiliate of the national nonprofit Breakthrough Collaborative, of which there are 24 affiliated sites across the United States. The NA program benefits from that affiliation, largely through the national network to recruit teachers, but funding for the program comes from donors to the school.

This summer was the first time Breakthrough at NA had returned to in-person learning after a pandemicimposed hiatus. In summer 2020, the program could not operate, and it was nearly entirely remote last summer, except for a few field trips and one on-campus day for graduation.

The students who came to the program this year, some for the first time and others to finish the three-summer sequence, showed the impact that Covid had wrought on public school programs, whether from months or even a full academic year learning online and staying home, or from the

Cole noted that this year’s teaching staff is the most diverse in the program’s three decades, and that is a satisfying and important achievement. “We should be putting teachers in front of students who look like them,” he said. “Studies have established that as an important factor in student success and in building aspirations for college.”

Many Breakthrough students appreciate the program’s impact and seek to give back to it, often by becoming teachers for a summer. Corey Brooks ’22, who entered NA in ninth grade after three years in the NA Breakthrough Program, is one of them. Brooks, who is attending University of Pennsylvania this fall, spoke at the graduation ceremony in June about the way that Breakthrough transformed his once-negative thoughts about school and instilled values like “respect, dedication, and achievement… the cornerstones of personal development.”

Brooks said he returned as a teacher “to promote the same values instilled in me by this very community. Seeing students witness the same situations I did was therapeutic yet uplifting. The next generation is better and brighter. I am overjoyed to have the chance to educate the people standing in front of me.” ◆

Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

Board of Trustees Appoints Norfolk Academy’s

Next Head of School: Travis J. Larrabee

of Strategic Initiatives. His work focused on the establishment of a Certificate program that promotes full engagement with a topic, much like Norfolk Academy’s Fellows programs, and the design of global education programs to give students a broader view of the world.

In 2021, he became Assistant Head of School, overseeing the PK–12 educational experience and several divisions, including the Center for Public Purpose; Athletics; Technology; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition, he works with the chief financial officer on the school’s finances and budget, including development initiatives.

Before coming to Penn Charter, he served as Upper School Dean of Students at the Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, and he taught at Dexter School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

After a thorough national search, Norfolk Academy on August 4 announced the appointment of Travis J. Larrabee as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2023. He will join us from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, where he has served since 2007, most recently as Assistant Head of School.

Alfred M. “Ran” Randolph Jr. ’80, President of Norfolk Academy’s Board of Trustees and Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, shared news of the appointment through an email letter to the Norfolk Academy family. Larrabee was the unanimous choice of the Search Committee and the Board. “Travis is the ideal person to lead Norfolk Academy into the future, embracing our Philosophy & Objectives, our Honor System, and our distinctive approach to innovation — judicious experimentation with the new — that has kept our school at the forefront, not just in Virginia but nationally as well,” Randolph wrote.

In his 15 years at Penn Charter, Larrabee has served in an array of roles with increasing responsibility. He started as Upper School Dean of Students, and as an Upper School Social Studies teacher. He also served as coach of the golf team. He became Upper School Director in 2010. From 2018–21, he served as Director

A day after the announcement, Larrabee sent a letter to the school community:

“One of the many things that draws me to this position at Norfolk Academy is the school’s enduring commitment to a student-centered holistic education, which focuses on mind, body, and character,” he wrote. “Reflected in the Philosophy and Objectives, the Honor Code, the Diversity, Equity, and Justice Statement, and the Portrait of the Graduate, it is clear that the Academy prepares its students to become informed, principled, and engaged citizens looking to make a positive impact on the broader world, within their own communities, and perhaps most important, on those they know and love. A Norfolk Academy education is a transformational 12-year journey that shapes students’ lives long after they graduate, and this deeply resonates with me as an educator and as a parent.”

Learn more about our future Head of School, Travis J. Larrabee, on our website and in an upcoming issue of Academy magazine. ◆

Director of Communications.

SEARCH COMMITTEE

Alfred M. Randolph Jr. ’80

Board President and Chair

Michelle Bass Adams ’91

Guy R. Friddell III ’69

Owen D. Griffin Jr. Timothy J. Stiffler John O. Wynne Jr. ’94

Esther Diskin is

Summer at the Academy

Well over a decade has passed since Callie Poole ’19 began having fun as a Summer at the Academy camper, but she still vividly recalls those youthful days.

“It’s fun helping the kids throughout the day and accomplishing goals throughout the week,” he said.

INSET : Callie Poole ’19 worked as a counselor for Ninja Warrior and other programs this summer.

OPPOSITE, FROM TOP LEFT : Students had fun during Summer at the Academy 2022, participating in Flag Football; Ninja Warrior; Young People’s Theatre Program; and Swimming.

Callie started going to camps when she was 5 years old. An active child, she enjoyed the many various sports offerings. She loved when counselors encouraged her to do push-ups and other exercises, propelling her to get the most out of the activities.

“When the counselors hype you up, you feel so good,” Callie said.

Now a senior at Mary Washington University, Callie is scheduled to graduate this winter, a semester early. For the past several years, since she was in Upper School, she has been giving back to younger students as a Summer counselor.

This year’s Summer had more pep, for campers and counselors alike, as it offered a turn away from Covid disruptions. The pandemic canceled camp in 2020 and last year limited its length.

The most experienced counselor this year was Zach Minor ’18. Zach graduated from James Madison University in the spring and is now in graduate school at JMU. This summer was his seventh as a Summer counselor.

Like Callie, Zach remembers his first camp, in seventh grade, a sports camp with Coach Rich Peccie. A talented basketball and football player, Zach was the biggest camper.

But what stood out more were the bonds Zach formed. He had just switched from public school to Norfolk Academy, and didn’t have a lot of friends at his new school. Yet he quickly connected with fellow campers, counselors, and even directors.

“Everyone was there to have fun and be active,” Zach said.

Both Callie and Zach are interested in teaching once they complete their studies. They’ve been working hard preparing — Zach has gained experience teaching in Harrisonburg schools while at JMU and Callie has helped in a variety of roles at Norfolk Academy during breaks from college.

They both also agree that serving as counselors has helped prepare them to be teachers. It has made them more comfortable interacting with students of all ages. And they’ve seen how valuable it is to take the time to connect with campers.

“Forming bonds and showing you care; that gives them more motivation,” Zach said, “which is going to be huge in a classroom.” ◆

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

years

Honoring Teaching Excellence

DIANE WALLACE

For 53 years, she bettered the lives of fourth grade boys.

Norfolk Academy celebrated a teaching legend on August 19, during a special ceremony for faculty and staff that recognized Diane Wallace, who taught more than 1,000 fourth grade boys during her 53 years of selfless service to the school.

The event was highlighted by an announcement honoring her contributions — the creation of the Diane Wallace Fund for Distinguished Teaching, which will foster teaching growth and reward faculty members who demonstrate her devotion. The inaugural award was given to Reggie Cole, who teaches fifth grade, serves as Executive Director of Breakthrough at Norfolk Academy, and coaches in the Academy’s football program.

Susan Wynne ’68, a past teacher and Trustee at the Academy, announced the fund. Her son, Trustee John O. Wynne Jr. ’94, was one of those fourth grade boys. Almost 40 years later, he still recalls Wallace’s daily spirit, enthusiasm, and dedication to making her students critical thinkers.

“Thank you for inspiring us to become better students and better people,” Mr. Wynne wrote in an email his mother read.

When Bo Friddell ’08 was in Wallace’s class, she promised to his father, Trustee Rusty Friddell ’69, that she had Bo’s back. During the year, Rusty Friddell came to realize what that meant. Bo wasn’t going to receive special treatment. But Wallace was going to ensure he learned from struggles and they would not deter him from success.

“On behalf of 1,000-plus boys, I want to thank you for having the back of each and every one,” Mr. Friddell said.

Mrs. Wallace started teaching at the Academy in 1967, retiring at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Headmaster Dennis Manning noted that remarkable length of service, also highlighting how she served not just students but teachers as well. Even in retirement, she continues to make a lasting impact on the school, he said.

“Diane’s example is an Olympian one and a model for us to consider in our own work lives,” he said. “What a life and what an example to emulate.”

Mr. Manning announced another tribute that will be on display at a later date: the Leadership classroom in the James B. Massey Jr. Leadership Center will be named in honor of Diane Wallace. ◆

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

Mr. O. “ Live long and prosper. ”

RICHARD OBERDORFER

In Norfolk Academy’s nearly 300-year history, few individuals have impacted the institution as much as Richard Oberdorfer. Affectionately known as Mr. O to generations of Norfolk Academy students and faculty, Oberdorfer’s presence, for 46 amazing years, reverberated throughout every inch of Norfolk Academy’s campus. He could be found on the sidelines of every home varsity football game wearing his signature hat; in the commentator’s chair at the annual Joy Fund basketball game; and in his intricately decorated Upper School classroom, every inch of which reflected his passion for history and film, especially sci-fi.

During his career, Mr. O selflessly dedicated his entire self, first to his students and second to the craft of teaching. From writing multiple versions of each test in order to embrace students of all learning styles to

spending countless hours explaining topics to students who needed a little extra help, Mr. O did whatever it took to support his students in any way he could. In instances where many teachers would see the point of diminishing returns and move on, Mr. O still saw opportunities for improvement, and he dug deeper.

When not working directly with students, Mr. O was pursuing the perfection of his craft. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Sewanee: The University of the South, and a master’s degree in history and a certificate in Latin American studies from University of Florida. Whether it be through his blog, which told European History through an engaging narrative format, or through the frequent use of video, music, and art in his lectures, Mr. O constantly experi mented with ways to make his teaching more effective and more accessible to his students. Fun was always part of the equation — he dressed up annually as Santa for his “Yule Jewel,” a test that alumni might remember as a “gem” for its challenging questions.

By embracing every interaction with humility and often a touch of humor, Mr. O not only endeared himself to thousands of Norfolk Academy students, but he also changed many of their lives. At present count there are eight members of Norfolk Academy’s History and Social Science Department who either were taught directly by Mr. O or who moved through the department that he once chaired — eight members of the Norfolk Academy faculty who would not be where they are today without Mr. O’s guidance, patience, and unwavering confidence in them. He looked for ways to make every student feel a sense of belonging, serving as the first faculty advisor for the club that is now UNITID, focusing on celebrating and teaching about diversity.

While our Norfolk Academy community cannot expect to be so lucky as to have another Mr. O, generations of us are thankful for the impact that he had on our lives, and we should be comforted that Mr. O’s legacy at our school will “Live long and prosper.” ◆

Jack Gibson IV ’08 is Associate Director of the Batten Leadership Program and Director of Global Programs.

I coach math and I teach lacrosse . ”

TOM DUQUETTE

It might not be surprising to learn that the first question I asked Tom Duquette was about math. I was a young teacher in Virginia Beach Public Schools — passionate about getting students to learn and to love math, especially calculus. In my job interview, I forcefully demanded of Mr. Duquette, Math Department Chair: “What is Norfolk Academy’s commitment to its math program?”

“Our commitment is as strong as the people we work with,” he said. In one pithy sentence, he revealed the essence of Academy’s educational approach, not just to math, but to every subject: The people and the relationships come first. I came aboard.

Since then, I’ve come to appreciate how much of that answer revealed about Tom himself. He’s persuasive — he wins the day, on the field and off, often with the element of surprise. He doesn’t waste words — he gets to the heart of matters with very few of them. He cares deeply about people and builds friendships that span decades. There’s no doubt he loves math, and he believes in coaching students to love it too. I saw that firsthand when we team-taught an AB calculus class. As he’s often said, “I coach math and I teach lacrosse.”

Tom truly is the consummate teacher-coach. Lacrosse, even with all of his outstanding seasons coaching the Bulldogs, is just one piece of his story. In the span of his four decades at Academy, he has brought his values to bear on all aspects of the school’s program. He was hired by J.B. Massey, who clearly recognized Tom’s rare combination of intellectual and coaching brilliance even when he was just a few years out of University of Virginia, and he worked under John Tucker and Dennis Manning. Tom has had a special relationship with each headmaster, founded upon their appreciation for his integrity and creativity.

Just a few things that Tom has shaped and guided: He helped build the Senior Speech Program, modeled upon one at his alma mater, Gilman School in Baltimore. He helped organize and direct the Upper School Seminar Days. That gave him the idea for the annual All-School Seminar Days, involving every student in grades 1–12 in discussions, artistic

performances, and art activities inspired by a children’s book. He started the Alumni Seminars, kept them going on Zoom through the pandemic, and will continue to lead them this year.

An avid reader with hundreds of volumes on his iPad, Tom crossed the aisle to earn fans for his English classes. In his leadership of the math department, he was a pathbreaker too, one who could always see the value of reinventing and improving.

So many stories — I haven’t even touched on his countless years as grill master at Field Day or his expedition to bike the Lewis & Clark Trail. I’ll take a lesson from Tom and cut to the chase: I could not have had a better, or more committed, colleague and friend.

“

Linda Gorsline is Associate Headmaster and Director of the Upper School.

Storyteller Extraordinaire

TOY SAVAGE ’71

As student or teacher, Toy Dixon Savage III has impacted the campus of Norfolk Academy in every decade since he entered the Little Red Schoolhouse on North Shore Road as a second grader in 1960. After graduating in 1971, he traveled north to complete his undergraduate work at Princeton. Eleven years later, after teaching at the Gilman School in Baltimore, earning a law degree in Charlottesville, and plying the legal trade for a while at his father’s firm in Norfolk, he made his way back to Wesleyan Drive. In his 36 years as a faculty member, Toy Savage served as a teacher, coach, administrator, and the school’s official historian. His blog, “The Savage Chronicles,” explored Academy through the lens of history, tradition, and the school’s signature aspect, teacher-student relationships.

While Toy is the author of Norfolk’s Academy: The Heart of Tidewater — and rumor has it that Volume II is in the development stage — he is also the author of many other, more important works. He has had a hand in composing a significant portion of “the teenage story” of thousands of Academy students over the better part of the past four decades.

As are all great teachers of history, Toy is a storyteller extraordinaire, mesmerizing his charges with stories about Egyptian kings they would never find in textbooks. While I daresay that few of his students remember when Hammurabi wrote his code, I would bet that every one remembers pacing the front fields to measure the size of the Great Pyramid’s footprint.

His students also remember his myriad small kindnesses, the “Attaboys” and “That’s OKs” that signaled grace or approval or whatever was needed at the time to set an adolescent heart at ease. Savage has always brought to his classroom consideration and kindness, and, by example, he has taught civility as thoroughly as any other subject.

Toy’s company is as highly valued by colleagues as by generations of adoring students. His mind, full of the knowledge that earned him distinction at Princeton and UVA Law School, is also the repository of reams of minutiae, through which he riffles effortlessly to find just the detail that would fit any occasion. To those of us who worked beside him, he served as listener, advisor, mentor, and golf partner. Friendship is his stock-in-trade. He has always considered the feelings and needs of others before his own.

Toy’s influence on Norfolk Academy and on those of us who have walked its halls for the past halfcentury or so is inestimable. So is that degree to which he will be missed. ◆

Tommy Hudgins Jr. ’72 is Associate Director of College Counseling.

FROM THE CHAPEL

We don’t want to live in a world where lawlessness and brute force prevail.

A Personal Perspective on the War in Ukraine

When Mark Gul ’02 was an Upper School student at Norfolk Academy, he inspired classmates and faculty with his fortitude and optimism in response to a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Throughout his battle with cancer, he missed just two days of school, and he continued to participate in soccer practices. When news came in his senior year that the cancer was in remission, the entire school celebrated, and Gul, as captain of the soccer team, helped lead the Bulldogs to a 22–2 record and the state finals.

In April, he inspired the school yet again, as he spoke to Middle School students, and more briefly to Upper School students, from Belgrade, Serbia, via Zoom, about his work as a foreign service officer for the State Department. He was introduced by Batten Leadership Program Director Sean Wetmore ’86, who was Gul’s soccer coach. Jack Gibson ’08, Assistant Director of the Batten Leadership Program, served as moderator.

Gul’s talk focused on the war in Ukraine, which hits home personally: His family moved to Virginia Beach from Lviv, Ukraine, in 1992, and he attended public schools before enrolling at Norfolk Academy as an 8th grader.

Gul credited Norfolk Academy, which he noted he was able to attend due to financial aid, with instilling “a sense of integrity,” a desire to perform public

service, and “curiosity about the wider community.” He attended Georgetown University, then embarked on a career in foreign service that has had him stationed at embassies and consulates in Moscow, Tel Aviv, and Portugal, before his current posting in Belgrade. He speaks many languages, including Russian, Serbian, Hebrew, and Portuguese.

Foreign service officers typically spend a majority of their career abroad, often moving between countries, which makes it a profession full of adventure, he noted, but also one that requires separation from family and friends at home. Gul is married with two young children, but he rarely gets to return to the United States. Gul’s parents, Natalia and Ostap Gul, were in the audience at Norfolk Academy.

Gul noted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become the overwhelming focus for the world, and that includes diplomats. He described what is happening now as the “latest phase” of a war that began in 2014, when Russia moved into Crimea in an attempt, which was not thwarted by the world community, to annex it.

Gibson asked Gul for advice about how to help the Ukrainians. Gul replied that the number one thing is “not to be indifferent to the war. Pay attention.” He reminded Middle School students that kids their age in Ukraine went from going to school and playing soccer one day to “living through hell” nearly overnight. He said many charities are also raising money to support Ukrainian refugees, now numbering in the millions.

“We don’t want to live in a world where lawlessness and brute force prevail,” he said. “Spread the word and the truth about the war with your family and friends.” ◆

Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

OPPOSITE: Quinn, Will, Liam, and Fred, all students in the Class of 2023, have been working on growing the concept of aquaponics, which uses less water than traditional farming and can be set up in urban areas.

Fellows Come Together

for Outside the Box Project

Cohorts of the Batten Leadership Program have come together for a project that’s teaching an outside the box way to grow plants and food.

The BLP encourages highly engaged students to work hard to understand and contribute to solving complex problems. The program has five sections: Chesapeake Bay Fellows; Engineering, Design, and Innovation; Global Affairs; Global Health; and Literacy.

“The farming system has a lot of flaws,” Fred Ward said. “It’s going to have to change, considering how fast our population is growing.”

After thoroughly researching the topic, the students went to work building a small-scale aqua ponics system. They succeeded in growing various vegetables while keeping the fish alive in the tank.

“It felt reassuring that it would work,” Liam said.

To learn more, please visit the Fellows’ aquaponics website, blpaquaponics.weebly. com.

Quinn Carroll (Global Affairs), Liam Sullivan (Global Health), Fred Ward (Chesapeake Bay), and Will Ward (EDI), all in the Class of 2023, are in different BLP programs. While brainstorming concepts to explore, they decided to dig into aquaponics.

In aquaponics systems, fish produce waste that bacteria convert into nutrients for plants. Plant roots absorb these nutrients, allowing the plant to grow while also filtering the water for the fish to live.

“The most impressive topic we could come up with that touched on all Fellows,” Fred Ward said.

Among the benefits of aquaponics, which the students explained during an Earth Week Chapel last school year: Such systems use less water than tradi tional farming that uses conventional irrigation. Systems can also be set up in urban areas, reducing costs associated with transporting the plants and vegetables that are grown and cutting down on travel pollution.

Buoyed, the students considered ways to educate a larger community about the values of aquaponics. They plan to visit other Hampton Roads schools that the BLP engages with during their senior year, to teach the lessons they’ve learned.

They’re also working on improved aquaponics systems for some Academy classrooms. They’d like to find ways to cut costs — systems require significant amounts of energy, which can make them prohibitive for some growers.

Their breakthroughs so far have them optimistic about what they’ll be able to accomplish before they graduate, as well as how future Fellows students could continue to teach and apply the benefits of aquaponics. ◆

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

“It felt reassuring that the project would work.”

Liam Sullivan, Global Health

VICTORIA KAUFFMAN ’ 22 : NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR

Victoria Kauffman ’22 was honored this spring as a National Merit Scholar.

About 1.5 million high school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program each year, gaining consideration for awards based on scores on Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying tests, as well as other academic considerations. Only a few thousand less than 1% earn scholarships.

Toria is attending Harvard University. She won several awards at graduation, including the High Honors Award, given to the senior girl with the best grades. She also was involved in many extracurriculars during her time at Norfolk Academy. She served as Co-President of the

German Club and volunteer for a German Cultural Exchange; Vice President of Lifesavers Club; and a Peer Counselor. She was also an Engineering, Design, and Innovation Fellow in the Batten Leadership Program, did work for Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, and was an avid horseback rider, serving as an Interscholastic Equestrian Association state representative at the Virginia State Legislature in 10th grade.

“Victoria is an extraordinary contributor to school life, balancing co-curricular involvement in the EDI Fellows, Peer Counseling, and leadership of an array of clubs with her commitment to academic excellence,” Headmaster

Dennis Manning said when Toria was named a scholarship finalist. “She has tremendous enthusiasm for learning across a wide array of disciplines, from English class to computer science, and teachers know that Toria brings her full curiosity and energy to every class.”

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization, conducts the scholarship program. Applicants are whittled down to semifinalists and finalists before scholars are selected. Only about 1% of applicants qualify for the finalist stage; Gavin Goss ’22 joined Toria this year as a finalist. ◆

Anna Cathryn Perry ’22’s journey as a newly minted MoreheadCain Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill began far away from the edifices and manicured lawns of the much-photographed campus. This summer, she went to Alaska for an immersive wilderness adventure. It was her first step as part of the MoreheadCain Class of 2026, which is comprised of 75 top scholars from around the nation and world. Anna Cathryn, known as AC around Norfolk Academy, is the only one from Virginia. The highly competitive program fully funds four years of study at UNC-Chapel Hill and provides an abundance of extras access to a network of peers and mentors, access to internships and

summer experiences like the one in Alaska, and international travel. After graduation, many in the program go on to win further prestigious scholarships, like the Rhodes to Oxford University in England.

AC will join another recent Academy grad in the MoreheadCain program, Michael Hostutler II ’20. Before that, Stuart Luter ’16, who now works at Well, a digital health start-up in Boston, earned the scholarship.

AC was captain of the varsity girls tennis team at NA, a six-year member of the junior varsity and varsity swim team, and a varsity girls lacrosse goalie. She also found time to serve as manager of the varsity girls soccer team. As a member of

the Global Affairs Fellows of the Batten Leadership Program, she learned about the many difficulties for indigenous people in Peru.

This spring, she ran a fundraiser for Awamaki (awamaki. org), a cooperative that provides access to markets for women weavers in rural villages, many in remote parts of Peru. The Global Affairs Fellows organized a fundraiser by purchasing woven items from Awamaki and selling them ahead of Mother’s Day; all profits were sent to Awamaki. ◆

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

ANNA CATHRYN PERRY ’ 22 : MOREHEAD-CAIN SCHOLAR

Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

Anticipating an Extraordinary Milestone in

50 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GERMAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM

In April 2023, Norfolk Academy and Copernicus Gymnasium in Löningen, a small town on the Hase River in northeast Germany, will begin a trans-Atlantic celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the German exchange, a program that has influenced generations of students — teaching them to appreciate one another’s language, culture, traditions, and perspectives.

The exchange was started in 1973 by two teachers who were revered as titans at their schools, and who forged an enduring friendship: Frau Katherine Holmes, who taught students to love the German language and set a high bar for excellence in teaching all languages as Chair of the Foreign Language Department at NA; and Jurgen Wiehe, who was a well-loved and influential teacher at Copernicus.

It was part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP), a program of the U.S. State Department to establish exchanges between secondary schools in the U.S. and what was then West Germany, as Germany remained a divided nation for decades after World War II. West Germany was democratic and allied with the U.S. and NATO, while

East Germany was a communist nation in the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc.

The exchange has continued uninterrupted since its foundation (except for two pandemic summers, 2020 and 2021), and both schools believe that its extraordinary tenure is unmatched in either country. At the half-century mark, it is certainly time to celebrate. The schools have commissioned an original musical piece for chorus, orchestra, and dance. Concerts and other related events for alumni of the exchange are scheduled for April 1 at Norfolk Academy and June 16 at Copernicus Gymnasium.

This past spring, the headmaster of Copernicus Gymnasium, Ralf Göken, came to Norfolk Academy, along with his daughter, Julia, who was a long-term exchange student for 10 weeks this spring, hosted by Sophie Pollio ’24 and her family.

During the visit, Norfolk Academy Headmaster Dennis Manning and Göken sat down for a joint interview with Director of Communications Esther Diskin, which began with the exchange’s importance to both schools: Manning: I would be hard-pressed to think of a relationship locally, except for one with the city of

Dennis Manning and Ralf Göken.

Norfolk, that has had the depth, meaning, power, and satisfying value of this relationship. When I came here as headmaster more than two decades ago, a trustee told me it was the school’s most important institutional relationship.

Göken: It started in 1973 with our founding mother and father, Katherine Holmes and Jurgen Wiehe, who developed the plans and got on planes to start the relationship. In 1974, the first 15 students came over. From then on, we developed a clear friendship. Copernicus has exchange programs all over Europe, with Italy, Poland, and France, for example. By far, this is the most important exchange that we have, and it results from the way it developed — like a family. The hospitality with the homestays is extremely good.

How did the personalities of the two founders influence the program?

Manning: It was providence — a perfect moment in time and space. In order for the institutions to be “married,” you had to have the right people. Providence was smiling on us with Wiehe and Holmes. They embodied the values. Jurgen treasured NATO and the way that this program mirrored his world view. He had a post-WWII reconstructionist mindset. Katherine had an unswerving commitment to human excellence. She was the consummate teacher.

Göken: Wiehe passed away in 2009, and I started as headmaster in 2015. Jurgen’s wife made an appointment to see me. She wanted me to understand that he cared about two things — his family first, and then this exchange. He was proud that it was the first exchange between a German and an American school.

The program is built around the “homestay.” While students do some touring of major sites and cities in each country, they spend about two weeks in one another’s homes. Do you feel that is fundamental to the program’s longevity and success?

Göken: To get to know the culture, you must stay with the people! For example, I have been staying

with Dennis during this visit, and we have had a chance to chat in the evenings. We talk about everything, not only our schools.

Manning: I made Ralf sit through two basketball games and cheer on the Bulldogs the day he arrived!

Göken: You know the people by the way they live their lives, by walking in their footsteps. You see the differences, and you also notice that we aren’t different.

Manning: That’s right. Therein lies the enduring power of the program and strength of relationships. It’s intellectual, personal, and familial.

How have the two schools influenced one another over the course of this time?

Manning: The quality of German instruction at NA is a differentiator. It’s unique. Even the College Board and AP recognized our students as the top performing German language school in the United States. I remember proudly carrying the newspaper article to Chapel! The German program has informed how we teach other languages — it is the wellspring. Göken: Chapel — we do not have that tradition in Germany, but I like it. We started it monthly to observe good athletic teams, strong students academically. It brings the whole school together. You do it every day with the speeches! My dream would be to have an exchange of faculty in addition to the students! That would be wonderful!

Manning: (laughing) Maybe we should test the faculty exchange idea with the retired headmaster going first!

Göken: You could teach Shakespeare in Germany. Manning: I would do it for free!

Read more about the 50th Anniversary events in upcoming issues of Academy magazine.

YPTP OVER THE YEARS

TOP: From left, Aanchal ’32, Beatrix ’28, and Morgan ’28 were part of the summer 2022 production of Peter Pan. BOTTOM LEFT: Addie ’25 and Ann Gray ’24 in a 2018 production of Trolls BOTTOM RIGHT: Will ’27 and Adi ’26 in a 2019 production of Pandora’s Socks and Other Fractured Greek Myths

Setting the Stage for Young Students to Shine

Beatrix Clark ’28 dreams of performing in Norfolk Academy’s Winter Musical in her years ahead, taking the Johnson Theater stage as a sellout crowd roars.

Even before she began Middle School this fall, Beatrix had opportunities to strengthen her skills, thanks to the Young People’s Theatre Program.

Commonly known as YPTP, the program runs year-round as an Enrichment activity and part of Summer at the Academy. It gives students, primarily in grades 4 through 6, the chance to act and work behind the scenes, continuing the school’s efforts to help them develop their communication skills on the big stage.

Music Teacher Becky Peterson, who has directed YPTP the past six years, noted that students in grades 1 through 3 participate in fine arts performances; first graders do the Three Piggy Opera, second graders do classroom plays, and third graders do the Field Day Play.

YPTP extends that growth, which better prepares Lower School students for the myriad fine arts offerings in Middle and Upper School, including fall and spring plays, dance concerts, and the popular Winter Musical.

Students who sign up for YPTP run the gamut in terms of skill and interest level, Peterson said. Some, like Beatrix, dream of future performances. Others are newcomers who simply enjoy the camaraderie of the group, but likely will play sports rather than act as they get older.

Peterson scripts the shows with the full group in mind.

“I want to give each child a moment to shine on stage,” she said.

Caroline Bisi, who teaches drama in Middle and Upper School and directs the

Winter Musical, said YPTP prepares students to take the next step. It helps with memorizing lines, working with music, and incorporating dramatic pauses into lines, among a host of other virtues.

“It’s definitely a wonderful thing to get the students experience on stage, living in the moment, learning about terminology in the theater,” Bisi said. “So that when they get to Middle School they have a better idea about what goes into a production.”

Campbell Peterson ’29, Becky’s daughter, has participated in YPTP as often as possible during her Lower School career. (Covid forced the cancellation of several seasons.) She’s also a talented athlete, so she isn’t sure she’ll continue in the fine arts down the road.

What keeps her coming back to YPTP is the camaraderie.

“When you’re doing a big scene, everyone is supporting you,” Campbell said.

Beatrix agrees. She has other reasons for participating, though. YPTP has taught her so much about acting, she said. She has learned to adapt into character quickly and memorize lines under deadline pressure. She has also learned the importance of projecting her voice and enunciating.

One other simple reason she participates: It’s fun.

“I’ve always loved theater, and I wanted the chance to do what I love,” she said. “I want to put a smile on other people’s faces.” ◆

Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

Mike

Norfolk Academy celebrated a half century of its boys lacrosse program on May 6, during a dinner and special ceremony that recognized teacher-coach Tom Duquette, who was at the helm most of those incredibly successful 50 years.

The night was highlighted by an announcement honoring Mr. Duquette’s contributions — the creation of the B. Thomas Duquette Endowment for Teaching Associates, which will help develop future Academy teacher-coaches. Trustee John O. Wynne Jr. ’94 announced the endowment, saying it was established with a $1 million matching gift from an alumnus, and has already grown to $1.6 million.

The Teaching Associates Program provides a one-year experience or apprenticeship, developing men and women to serve as role models and sources of moral, academic, artistic, and athletic enrichment for students at Norfolk Academy. While some teaching associates stay at Norfolk Academy, many go on to full-time teaching roles at other independent schools.

Mr. Wynne, who was part of perhaps NA’s greatest boys lacrosse run (four straight state titles from 1993–96) and

Boys Lacrosse

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SUCCESSES

went on to play at Princeton, noted that Mr. Duquette is the highest exemplar of the teacher-coach, as he was more than a coach from his arrival at Academy in 1981 until his retirement this summer. “He has been a teacher, coach, mentor, leader, and friend,” Mr. Wynne said. “He has embodied each of these roles and often all of them at the same time.”

Chazz Woodson ’01 said he mirrors many of Coach Duquette’s methods as head coach at Hampton University, notably his love and the devotion he shows his student-athletes, always offering to help no matter the situation. Mr. Woodson said that Coach Duquette has offered to help him on countless occasions, but always in a low-key way, with the phrase “if you want it.”

Mr. Woodson got the room laughing as he described his youthful hero-worship of Coach Duquette, which extended to imitation of his coaching attire. He said that while Duquette’s yellow jacket gets a lot of attention, too little attention has been paid to his practice of wearing “inside out sweatpants.”

“I began to wear all my sweatpants inside out,” Coach Woodson said. “And when people asked me why, I said, ‘If it is

good enough for Coach Duquette, it is good enough for me.’”

In a more serious vein, Coach Woodson recalled that he absorbed many lacrosse techniques that Coach Duquette taught by hanging out with older players at Norfolk Academy, who generously shared all they knew, because their coach “created an environment where we could bring our best selves.”

Coach Duquette “is a brilliant example of all that is right about lacrosse and all that NA aspires to be,” Mr. Woodson said.

Trustee John L. Gibson III ’78, who played on the first NA team to win a state championship (1978), and Stock Watson ’86, who was part of the program when it won state titles in 1984 and 1985, rounded out the speakers for the evening; both went on to play lacrosse at HampdenSydney College.

Typically humble, Mr. Duquette thanked his wife, Susan, an assistant director and guidance counselor in the Lower School; his assistant coaches during his 38 years as a head coach at NA; players, many of whom have become lifelong friends; and the parents who have supported the program.

Although the program had many championships during his tenure, those highly charged games were not his favorite moments, he said. “Afternoons at practice — a bunch of guys who loved to play, practice, and don’t want to leave the field. Some of those afternoons are just magical.”

He has been rewarded many times over in joyful experiences as a teacher and coach, he said. “The great honor is having the opportunity to serve this place for 40-plus years.” ◆

Girls Lacrosse

LAX FOR LOVE: A DECADE RAISING AWARENESS

Like many young people, Blair Monaco acknowledges she wasn’t well versed on relationship violence growing up.

That changed sadly in 2010, when Yeardley Love, Monaco’s friend and lacrosse teammate at the University of Virginia, was killed by her ex-boyfriend. A short time later, Love’s family created the One Love Foundation, which aims to end relationship violence using education.

A few years after graduating from UVA, Monaco began teaching Middle School English and coaching girls lacrosse at Norfolk Academy, and introduced a way to honor her friend.

In 2013, Academy started Lax for Love, an all-day lacrosse event that both taught about relationship violence and raised money for the One Love Foundation. Now approaching its 10th anniversary, Lax for Love has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the foundation and grown to provide

lessons both in school and on the lacrosse field.

Among its important events: Workshops for seniors that teach about warning signs of unhealthy relationships and help them be more comfortable addressing an uncomfortable topic; fundraisers and awareness campaigns by the school’s One Love Club; and the continuing lacrosse day that educates the outside community — Monaco hopes next spring to resume some events Covid cancelled in recent seasons.

Providing such education doesn’t make remembering Love — a warm, bubbly, smiling young woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly — any easier, Monaco said. But she is pleased by how it has helped.

“Playing the game Yeardley loved and raising awareness,” Monaco said. “We can keep her legacy alive.” ◆

TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: Current students and alumni filled the Athletic Pavilion on May 6 to celebrate a half-century of boys lacrosse at Norfolk Academy. The highlight of the night came when Trustee John O. Wynne Jr. ’94 (hugging Tom Duquette in third photo from left) announced the creation of the B. Thomas Duquette Endowment for Teaching Associates.

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

Started in 2013, Norfolk Academy’s annual Lax for Love lacrosse day educates about relationship violence and benefits the One Love Foundation, which aims to end such violence.

Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

Magical Run for Two Bulldogs

MARK WILLIAMS & DAVID MCCORMACK SHINE

Norfolk Academy got caught up in the frenzy of March Madness this year, for some very big reasons. The buzz around campus — indeed across Bulldog Nation — isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.

Griff Aldrich ’92, head coach of the Longwood University men’s basketball team, guided the Lancers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Mark Williams and David McCormack, who both starred as big men for Academy, helped Duke and Kansas, respectively, advance to the Final Four.

McCormack capped that run by leading the Jayhawks to the national title. Then in June, the Charlotte Hornets took Williams in the first round of the NBA Draft, 15th overall.

“To me it’s special because we are not a basketball factory,” said Eric Acra ’84, Academy’s varsity boys basketball coach for the past 20 years. “We are getting at it in both the classroom and the athletic fields and gyms. Their success speaks to everything we do here.”

Their success put Academy character on display. Aldrich’s selfless story — he worked for a leading international law firm and as managing director of a national investment firm before switching careers to help young students as a coach — earned him national media attention. Both Williams and McCormack drew praise for their prowess in the classroom; Williams made the All ACC Academic Team in both his college years, while McCormack was the 2022 Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and has already earned his master’s degree from Kansas.

As telling was how Williams and McCormack handled their stardom. Neither graduated from Academy — Williams moved to the IMG sports school

Mark Williams scored more than 1,000 points in his Norfolk Academy career before starring at Duke University. He now plays for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

in Florida for his senior year and McCormack moved to Oak Hill Academy, a national basketball powerhouse — but both still very much consider NA home. Shortly after the Final Four, Williams returned to campus to say hello to former teachers and coaches. McCormack keeps in regular touch with friends and mentors, even as he chases his NBA dreams — he is playing professionally overseas this fall.

“Two class acts,” said Chad Byler, Academy’s Director of Athletics. “Fantastic players and exceptional human beings.”

The Academy community got wrapped up in their success. On the Friday before the Final Four, students wore blue and orange. Acra and Byler joined a large contingent of alumni who traveled to New Orleans to cheer on Williams and McCormack for those big games.

Several of Williams’ Bulldog teammates went to New York City for the NBA Draft, some wearing Academy jerseys. “I’m still pinching myself,” Byler said. “It’s really amazing how these young men have turned into such outstanding people as well as basketball players.”

Acra was with Byler in the Superdome, cheering McCormack on as he led Kansas to the national championship. Barely two months later he was on pins and needles on draft night, waiting to see which team would select Williams.

He still remembers well the hard work they put in at Academy that allowed them to find this success. He also knows they’re just beginning on their path to NBA stardom.

“It’s going to be fun to watch,” Acra said. ◆

Mike Connors is Digital and Social Media Specialist.

After shining for NA, David McCormack helped Kansas win a national championship.

ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM

Graduation

February 5, 2022

Before a basketball game against his alma mater, Norfolk Academy honored legendary Teacher-Coach and Director of Athletics Dave Trickler, who passed away in 2020.

Trickler

Seminar Day, February 18,

2022

Seminar Day “Norfolk Academy Through the Decades” featured six alumni who shared stories of how they grew during their years of schooling, often by overcoming adversity.

At the center of the panel was Dr. Jesse Anderson ’75, ABOVE , the first African American student at NA.

“Norfolk Academy Through the Decades” panel, ABOVE FROM LEFT : Headmaster Dennis Manning, moderator; panelists Preston Whiteway ’00 and Sandra Porter Leon ’80; UNITID President Corey Brooks ’22 and Vice President Madalyn Mejia ’22, who provided introductions; and panelists Anderson, Whitney Nexsen Szoke ’06, Merrick Michaels McCabe ’98, and Ian Holder ’03.

Alumni Seminar Series, March 31, 2022

“Dancing from the Heart,” the final Alumni Seminar of the 2021–22 school year, was a night of dancing and conversation with Dance Master Elbert Watson, moderated by Mr. Tom Duquette.

Tom Duquette leads the Alumni Seminar Series, which in March featured dancing and a conversation with Dance Master Elbert Watson.

VOICE YOUR SUPPORT

When you give to The Academy Fund, you inspire our students to discover their voices and use them for good. You uphold the student-teacher bonds that help children strengthen their character, their skills, and their ability to lead in creating a better world. Together, we can positively affect the lives of young people and the communities in which they live. Thank you for joining with generations of Academy friends who enthusiastically voice their support for our school. Give today at norfolkacademy.org/giving.

Headmaster Dennis Manning opened the Year of Kindness at Norfolk Academy by including this quote from poet Maya Angelou in his Chapel address on the first day of classes in August.

“PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID, PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID, BUT PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.”