“The Single Most Joy-Filled Event of the School Year”: HRA Celebrates the Extended Navigator Family at Grandparents and Special Friends Day

On the morning of Tuesday, November 25, Hampton Roads Academy honored one of the school’s most cherished traditions, welcoming beloved members of the Navigator family to campus for Grandparents and Special Friends Day.

Held the day before students departed for Thanksgiving break, the event provided a timely occasion for the Academy to express its gratitude for the grandparents and other devoted friends of the HRA community, who generously give back to the school and enhance our Navigators’ education with their wisdom, their guidance, and their support.

Dating back to 1985, the long-running tradition of Grandparents Day marked its landmark fortieth anniversary this year. After decades of celebrating the unique bond between young learners and their grandparents, the annual event was reimagined last year to be inclusive of other relatives and special friends, who were invited to visit students whose grandparents are no longer with us or otherwise unable to attend.

This year, student musical performances, classroom visits, and opportunities to support HRA’s libraries made it a memorable day for our more than 400 guests, who enjoyed a first-hand glimpse into the nurturing environment and vibrant community that make the Academy an unmatched place to learn and grow. The educational experience at HRA would not be complete without the involvement of the whole family of every Navigator at every grade level—not simply students’ parents. Grandparents in particular enrich our students’ lives with love, encouragement, and inspiration that are irreplaceable and especially deserving of celebration during our Year of Connections.

A Buzzing Program

The eventful day began with members of the HRA band ushering guests into the school entrance with an energetic drumline. Greeted by members of HRA’s varsity cheerleading team, visitors then proceeded to a breakfast reception in the Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall, aptly named for a pair of Navigator grandparents who have long been steadfast supporters of the Academy. As they enjoyed coffee and handmade pastries provided by HRA’s own Executive Chef Uwe Schluszas, guests were treated to a slideshow of recent activities at the school, along with testimonials from school librarian Amanda MacDonnell and division directors Susanne Swain ’78, Karen Gillespie, and Ben Rous about the impact of grandparents’ and special friends’ support on the collections of the Ferguson Media Center and Lower School Library.

While on campus, guests were invited to donate a book to HRA’s libraries in their students’ honor. These gifts, personalized with bookplates bearing the students’ names, allowed visiting grandparents and special friends to leave a lasting, tangible legacy that will directly contribute to future Navigators’ learning. Those grandparents who could not make it to campus for the occasion also had the opportunity to contribute gifts and submit notes in advance that were delivered to their grandchildren on the day.

At 9:00 am, all in attendance assembled in the Svein J. Lassen Auditorium, greeted by a pre-show performance of Pinkzebra’s “A Very Merry Christmas” by the Middle School Choir Club, led by Middle and Upper School choir director Marshall Severin, and a rendition of “We’re All Children of the World” by the full Lower School student body, directed by music teacher Erika Caulford.

Head of School Jay Lasley then delivered welcome remarks, officially kicking off the day’s program of student performances. Along with gracious greetings for all guests, Lasley offered special recognitions for the grandparents of seniors, those who are also past HRA parents, and those who are themselves alumni of the Academy, as well as out-of-state visitors in the crowd, coming from as far away as Minnesota and Arizona.

Following this introduction, with American flags in hand, the senior class joined their first-grade buddies on stage for a rousing and heartwarming performance of “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” Subsequent acts included selections by the Lower School Trade Winds Chorus—with soloists Adaline Wood ’35 and Carestin Severin ’37—and the Upper School choral and strings ensembles. For the final performance, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School choruses together sang the Academy’s Alma Mater, accompanied on piano by fourth grader Alexander Morton ’34.

After the formal program concluded, HRA strings, led by Upper School strings teacher Arkady Heifetz, delivered an encore performance outside the auditorium in the Alumni Hall. The eighth- through twelfth-grade contemporary a capella ensemble Nowhere to Hide, meanwhile, joined the Upper School chorus and jazz musicians Aaron Carlson ’27 and Weston Stilley ’28 to entertain guests in the Anne Doug Spencer Commons, where visiting grandparents accompanied their students for lemonade and cookies.

With student volunteers assisting as tour guides, grandparents and special friends spent the latter portion of the morning visiting classrooms and observing learning in action. For returning attendees, these visits provided a glimpse into how the HRA experience evolves as students progress through their Navigator journey. Guests also had the opportunity to pose with their grandchildren for photographs in the Rona Drucker Courtyard, providing a keepsake of an unforgettable day for students and grandparents alike.

For additional reminders of their lasting connection to HRA, visitors had the chance to peruse the exclusive Navigator merchandise offered in the Compass Store thanks to the Parents’ Association. As they departed, grandparents and special friends collected commemorative coffee mugs as a gift from a deeply thankful Academy.

Connecting with Families across Generations

Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Lasley remarked while greeting guests, is “the single most joy-filled event of the school year.” For those who visit campus each November, it is not difficult to explain why.

Brian and Maureen Hutchens—who have attended annually for more than ten years and cherish the many photographs they have taken with their five Navigator grandchildren, including current junior Graham Hutchens ’27—always look forward to reconnecting with fellow HRA grandparents and longtime faculty members who have had a powerful impact on their family. This year, they were especially excited to see Interim Director of Middle School Karen Gillespie, who taught not only their elder grandchildren, but also two of their children, Amy Hutchens ’94 and current trustee Kevin Hutchens ’92.

“It’s not hard to love [HRA],” Maureen Hutchens said. “It’s uplifting. It’s spirited. It’s kind.” She and her husband insisted that “this place has only gotten better over time,” singling out such recent upgrades and state-of-the-art facilities as the Martha H. Patten Hydroponics Lab and STEAM Classroom and the Pope Dining Hall, where they hope to join Graham for lunch someday.

What has not changed, though, according to the Hutchenses, is the exceptional work HRA does to equip students for success after graduation. All of their grandchildren had the privilege of participating in sports and the arts, which inspired them to lean into opportunities to discover and pursue new interests in each stage of their lives, such as their grandson Blaine Hutchens ’22’s ongoing involvement with student journalism and playing the viola at the University of Virginia. Moreover, Brian Hutchens noted, the quality of instruction his grandchildren received at HRA has helped to set them apart in higher education, with Henry Hutchens ’24 in particular thriving in business school at the University of Tennessee while many of his peers have struggled.

For Jim Lockwood, who has attended Grandparents Day with his wife Debby every year since their grandson Paris Lockwood ’32 joined the Academy in Kindergarten, the value of an HRA education extends beyond the classroom and co-curricular activities. Lockwood commented that HRA’s core values, emphasizing the cultivation of strong character as well as students’ academic, athletic, and artistic abilities, perfectly complement his own focus on promoting the spiritual and moral development of his grandson through their “tight-knit bond.”

“They say it takes a whole community to raise a child,” Lockwood said, and he is thrilled to call HRA’s dedicated faculty members partners in this mission. “I’m proud that my grandson has the privilege of going to HRA.”