News

Students in PK through 12th grade worked together to collect toys for local children through the annual Prince Edward County’s Christmas Mother toy drive. Toys for a variety of ages- from blocks and Playdoh to Barbies and board games- overflowed the Upper School Office, The Nest and the Lower and Middle School Commons. This year’s Christmas Mother, Joy Stump, stopped by Fuqua School to collect these donations and to pose for a picture with Head of the Upper School, Jennings Custis, Head of the Lower and Middle Schools, Dara Tucker, and the students who helped load the gifts for Joy to deliver, Kinsley, Tessa, Rudee and Brynn. 

Students in grades 4-8 are learning how to animate using Google Slides in their media classes. For their first project, students were able to choose their own topic to design an animation. Topics included anything from Pac-Man to bow hunting for a large buck. Students were able to relate to real-life animators and the tedious work it takes to make real-motion pictures. 

The Middle School SCA worked hard during the month of October!  Students in grades 6-8, and even some upper school students, volunteered to help work a concession stand during Amelia’s annual Fright Fest.  Fright Fest, a haunted trail, draws hundreds of “trail goers” each weekend.  Middle School SCA President, Vivian Eason, presented Dara Tucker, Head of the Lower and Middle Schools, an idea built around the Amelia Fright Fest’s success.  Vivian wanted to host a concession stand at the trail.  This stand, sponsored by Bug Busters, would need to be organized and run by middle school students and parent volunteers.  Her proposal was to sell items such as hot chocolate, funnel cakes and more to all of those waiting in line to get on the trail.  All proceeds from the sales would be donated back to Fuqua School to help support the Gilmer Gym bathroom renovations.  With Mrs. Tucker’s blessing, Vivian recruited other Middle School SCA officers, such as Isabella Thompson, to help her on the weekends.  While Vivian and Isabella (and their families) worked almost every weekend, many other students and parents came out to help and support this great cause.  Together, these students and parent volunteers helped raise $2,500 toward the renovations.  Pictured are members of Bug Busters, Vivian Eason (MS SCA President),  and Isabella Thompson (MS SCA Vice President) presenting their check to Head of School, Chance Reynolds and Dara Tucker.  A HUGE thank you to all that came out to help and support this concession stand! 

Students in Mrs. Pembelton’s fifth grade class have been learning about forces in science class. During this lesson, students experimented with creating a ramp and tracking the distance an object traveled, the time it took the object to travel and if the height of the ramp made any impact. At the end of the experiments, students evaluated their results and determined whether height and mass (as well as the type of surface the ramp is on), made their object go faster and farther. 

Students in Mrs. Krystal Tucker’s fourth grade class completed a Colonial Days project this November.  The fourth grade class has been studying early colonization and the settlement of Jamestown in Virginia History. They have also studied colonial America across the curriculum through a whole class novel, Blood on the River, by Elisa Carbone. Students worked with a fellow classmate to research one of the following colonial jobs: apothecary, candle maker, tailor/milliner, and blacksmith. The class worked during their Media special to research information regarding their job and also to prepare a speech. The students sketched a backdrop of their colonial shop during class. Students dressed in colonial attire and presented their work to classmates. Mrs. Tucker’s class thoroughly enjoyed applying the information they learned about colonial America into their projects.

Fuqua School will add a new athletic offering this spring where  competition is more mental than physical - an ESports program.  "We are excited to have our student body participate in ESports, " according to Mike Edwards, Athletics Director.  "ESports is a great addition to our athletic offerings and will give students an opportunity to represent our school in a unique way. We look forward to our school competing against many other high schools across the Commonwealth."

Fuqua School will play League of Legends, OverWatch, Rocket League and Fortnite through PlayVs. Our ESports program will be coached by Director of Technology, Jamiel Jackson, and will be assisted by Upper School science teacher, John Boswell.

“Thankful for Fuqua” is a social media campaign where we are are sharing all we are thankful for this year. Every day in the month of November, we will be posting various students, staff, faculty, and families explaining why they are grateful for Fuqua, and what they love about our school.  Some of the things they're grateful for that have already been showcased include: each other, parent volunteers, the family atmosphere, our coaches, Chromebooks, the SCA, being on campus,  and chicken minis!  Be sure to stop by our social media pages to see what else we’re thankful for in the days ahead.

 Facebook: Fuqua School PK-3

 Instagram and Snapchat: fuqua_falcons

The upper school’s environmental science class and the middle school’s 7th and 8th grade science classes have been awarded a mini grant through the Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation Office for our Food Forest Project. The grants were both in the amount of $500.  

 This grant will help the upper school cover the cost of purchasing  Virginia native trees and shrubs that will produce fruits and nuts for human consumption. The students will design the garden's layout and implement strategies for sustainability and minimal environmental impact. This space will allow students to have an outdoor learning experience while also providing healthy, organic food for years to come.   

This grant will also help middle school science teacher, Aaron Green, with his outdoor learning tools and garden improvement project that the students are helping to design. The grant will be used to purchase more outdoor seating, raised bed materials, soil, soil amendments, and native plants.   

For more information or if you would like to get involved, please contact Mr. Boswell or Mr. Green.