Laura Akesson, a science teacher at The Steward School, will spend the next year working in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy The Steward School)
Relatively Outstanding
Steward instructor earns Einstein fellowship
Laura Akesson may not be a regular “Einstein” yet, but she’s on her way — to Washington, D.C., at least. The Steward School upper school science teacher is one of 15 teachers from around the country tapped in May as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. She will be spending the upcoming school year in Washington, working on STEM resources and programs with the Department of Energy alongside other fellows working with government agencies.
“I’m excited to learn and make an impact,” Akesson says in a press release. “I love teaching not only because I get to share my excitement for science, but for the ability to create opportunities where students realize their great capabilities and potential. The chance to do this on the national level is both daunting and exciting.”
Past program participants helped draft legislation and advised on policies to improve K-12 education, evaluated national programs centered on school reform, and designed new features of national STEM education programs.
Einstein fellows were selected from a large applicant pool of full-time K-12 teachers with at least five years of STEM experience. The fellows will have access to a “national network of education leaders and programs,” according to a press release from sponsoring agency the U.S. Department of Energy. The program intends to foster a greater understanding of the possibilities and challenges in STEM education among teachers and restore their “passion for teaching … to make significant contributions to the educational community.”
Akesson has worked as a physics and biomedical design teacher at The Steward School since 2012, and serves as the academic dean of the school’s Bryan Innovation Lab. She has 22 years of education experience, including stints with Virginia Commonwealth University, Henrico County Public Schools and Zurich International School. She also leads Science Overdrive, a science education nonprofit she founded in 2009. —Staff reports
Collegiate Head Resigns
Collegiate Head of School Penny Evins left the school on July 31 after a three-year term as its top leader. Before coming to Collegiate in 2019, she served as head at St. Paul’s School for Girls in Baltimore.
Parents learned of her departure in a letter from Collegiate’s Board of Trustees earlier this summer.
William “Billy” S. Peebles IV assumed duties as interim head of school on Aug. 1. Peebles is an educator with 34 years of experience as a head of school at independent schools in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. He has served on Collegiate’s board of trustees for the past two years.
Peebles has taught a variety of subjects including history, religion and humanities. He is a graduate of Episcopal High School in Alexandria and holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
“Collegiate is dedicated to educational excellence and our core values of honor, love of learning, excellence, respect and community,” a statement from the school reads. “We are excitedly preparing for the upcoming school year. In the coming months, Collegiate will develop a thoughtful and purposeful search process, and then at the appropriate time initiate a nationwide search to find our next leader.” —Jessica Ronky Haddad
The new Charterhouse School building includes a kitchen, cafeteria and recreation room. (Image courtesy Charterhouse School)
Charterhouse Makeover
School breaks ground on new building for its Richmond campus
Charterhouse School is getting a makeover. The West Broad Street campus, one of two affiliated with United Methodist Family Services, opened in 1979, but the city’s connections to the facility go back to the early 1900s.
“We’ve always existed on the same plot of land on Broad Street,” says Katie Moore, United Methodist Family Services’ director of fund development. “Several years ago, the board decided that they wanted to envision a new master plan for our campus.”
Now the plans are coming together. Construction of a new mental health residential treatment center for children was completed in 2021. Charterhouse also serves students who are referred to its program by surrounding schools after struggling in more traditional settings.
The school provides specialized education to around 130 students. As the school program expanded, it became clear that remodeling would be needed in order to consolidate the existing spaces and expand the services available to students.
“That’s what makes [Charterhouse] so special — it’s kids that have just been through really heartbreaking things and just need a little bit of love to help meet their educational goals,” Moore says.
The new building will include 10 new classrooms, a kitchen, a cafeteria and a recreation room. UMFS has raised about 80% of their $8 million goal, thanks to a combination of donations and funds from Spy Rock Real Estate. Construction will take about a year.
“The kids who are being served by this program have gone through very serious things that have resulted in pretty challenging mental health diagnoses and other behavioral issues,” Moore says. “Our focus and what we really care about is to make that experience as normal as possible.” —Ale Egocheaga
Athletics in the House
Elijah House Academy, a private Christian school offering K-8 education in Richmond, broke ground in May on a multipurpose center and athletic field, part of a plan to double the school’s enrollment by 2030.
“With indoor spaces and an outdoor field, the multipurpose center will present new possibilities for PE classes and athletic competitions, as well as school events and community gatherings,” according to the school’s website.
The building project includes a gymnasium and additional parking, and it comes after a three-year, $6.75 million capital campaign. The center and field are Phase 1 of a 10-year plan that includes an enrichment center, additional classrooms and a new front entrance.
Elijah House opened in 1989 at the home of founders William and Janet Kell. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2023. —Craig Belcher
All Saints students attended an award ceremony earlier this year at the Richmond Marriott with former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder. (Photo courtesy All Saints Catholic School)
All Saints Earns Leadership Award
In April, All Saints Catholic School was awarded the Grace E. Harris Leadership Award by Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
The annual award, named after the late Grace E. Harris, a past provost and vice president for academic affairs at VCU, is given to an individual or organization making “a discernible, sustainable positive impact on the quality of life in Virginia through public service,” according to the Wilder School’s website. It was presented to All Saints at the annual Excellence in Virginia Government Awards, held at the downtown Richmond Marriott.
“All Saints Catholic School of Richmond is recognized for its work to prepare students for profound success in high school, college and throughout their adult lives as highly engaged leaders in a diverse, democratic society,” according to the Wilder School website.
All Saints has about 200 pre-K to eighth-grade students in the Richmond area, and the school’s alumni boast a 100% high school graduation rate, with most opting for college. —CB
