The Steward School students’ 4-by-4-centimeter project; (from left) Natalia Jimenez, Morgan King (Class of 2019), Lourdes Olivencia, Xavier Nelson and Ana Reveles Leon (Photos courtesy The Steward School)
A Gift From Space
Steward School students will pay it forward with a space experiment
Four Steward School students designed and built a tiny science experiment that was launched into space in June.
The students, Lourdes Olivencia (Class of 2027), Natalia Jimenez (2026), Xavier Nelson (2025) and Ana Reveles Leon (2024), designed the experiment to mix sand in a cube using the rocket launch’s g-force. Olivencia says the rocket launch flipped a switch inside the cube, which turned on motors to mix the sand. “When the rocket goes up, it produces enough force that you can manipulate it and cause it to produce that work,” she says. After their design was approved for launch, the students spent five weeks building it. On June 20, their cube was launched from NASA’s Wallops Island facility and returned for analysis.
The four created the experiment as part of the Cubes in Space program, which challenges middle and high school students from around the world to design an experiment for a 4-by-4-centimeter cube; more than 1,300 experiments have been launched as part of the decade-long program.
In the fall, the four plan to give the cube to Knox Robson, the space-loving grandson of The Steward School’s former community advancement head, Debbie Robson, Olivencia says. They are all recipients of the school’s Debbie Robson Merit Scholarship, which provides four years of tuition to one rising ninth grader every year. “We find it very impactful that four Robson Scholars worked together to formulate ideas and plan a project that we can all be proud of as we honor Mrs. Robson’s legacy,” Nelson says. Olivencia says she hopes the gift inspires Knox to further his passion for science and space.
For Olivencia, creating the experiment was an opportunity to practice one of her favorite parts of science: working through mental puzzles and solving problems. The program allowed the four to practice puzzles and problems while they inspire the next generation of scientists to do the same, she says. “You have to have a real passion for it because it’s hard, but once you get started, I just think it’s so much fun.” —Caleb Ogilvie
Strong and Growing
Construction projects expand offerings for students
Donors Kathleen and Keith Brower and school officials at the grand opening of Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School’s Brower Student Center (Photo courtesy Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School)
Three Richmond region private schools have invested in construction projects to expand access to the arts, athletics and academics for their students.
On the 60th anniversary of the school in October 2023, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Henrico held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new wing of the school, which will include a gymnasium, music and art classrooms, bathrooms and storage. The $4.2 million wing is set to open in January 2025.
The school currently uses one large room as a gym, lunchroom and assembly space. “This new space will enhance our programs in so many ways,” says Principal Carey Mae Jacobsen. “Our community is growing in various ways, so this expansion supports both the school and the parish.”
Northstar Academy, a private, nonprofit school in Henrico County that offers K-12 and vocational education to students with disabilities, is building a 16,000-square-foot gym and fitness center. Announced last December, the space will open this winter. The $6.8 million project will be Northstar’s first purpose-built physical fitness space on the campus, which was formerly occupied by Strayer University.
The gym will feature an audio-enhancing system for students with hearing impairments. “We are excited to be one of the first in our area to install a hearing loop in the floor that will help those with hearing impairments,” says marketing director Chelsea Vrabel.
Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School in Powhatan celebrated the grand opening of the Brower Student Center earlier this year. Named in honor of donors Kathleen and Keith Brower, grandparents of the late Arabella Stuart Bower, class of 2016, the 18,000-square-foot building comes in response to enrollment growth of 80% since 2018, according to a statement from the school. The student center includes 19 classrooms, a Lower School art studio, a green screen studio, the Black Box Theater and a gym. The construction was part of a $13.3 million capital campaign funded by private donors and foundations.
“We are enthusiastic about the innovative learning and creativity that our students will experience in this signature building on our campus,” says Head of School Tracy Hamner. —Sriyutha Morishetty
Photo courtesy Millwood School
Sorted
Millwood School introduces a house system
Millwood School, a private coed college prep school in Midlothian, implemented a house system during the 2023-24 school year, grouping students into four multigrade houses to build camaraderie, provide student with leadership opportunities and have yearlong competitions.
The four houses are named after Virginia rivers: James, Potomac, Shenandoah and York. Each has a color, chant and motto. To enhance relationships between younger and older students, each house contains students in grades JK-12. Parents, faculty and staff are also included in the houses to cultivate community.
“This system gives young students someone to look up to and allows older students to be role models,” says Robin Woods, director of records and communication at Millwood.
Houses earn points for benevolent acts such as donating to food drives. As part of the house games on the last day of school, students participated in activities including tug-of-war and relay races to earn additional points and determine the house champion. Potomac emerged victorious and was named the inaugural champion.
School officials are considering appointing house captains to bolster leadership opportunities and are exploring additional ways for students to earn points. “Reaction from the Millwood community has been very positive,” Woods says. “There was a real sense of unity for our first house games.” —Alyssa Trull
Staff News
Greg Lilly became interim head of school for Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond on July 1 following the promotion of Del Smith, the previous head, to vice president of mission for Benedictine Schools of Richmond. Lilly previously served as director of admission and also is the school’s football coach. The national search for a permanent head of school is ongoing.
Nick Leonardelli was recently named the boys’ varsity basketball coach and program leader at Collegiate School, following the resignation of Del Harris. A college coach for many years, Leonardelli most recently led the team at Henrico High School, which went 18-5 in 2024. Leonardelli will also teach history in Collegiate’s Upper School.
Evan Liddiard Jr., a humanities teacher at Lynnhaven School in Henrico, was named one of seven distinguished K-12 Educator Fellows for 2024 by Virginia Humanities, the state council. The fellows receive stipends to create lesson plans on specific topics; Liddiard is researching ways to add breadth and depth to the state’s history curriculum.
