Here you can find a snapshot of what we are up at CHS. If interested, you can also read about our community’s bigger events here.
Oliver Herron (’23) Presents on Anthropogenic CO2
Oliver Herron (’23) came back to CHS to give a presentation on the advocacy project he is currently working on at the University of Mary Washington. He discussed how human produced carbon dioxide affects the Earth’s long and short term carbon cycles and how that leads to changes in our Earth’s temperature and climate. He […]
Global Surrealism Techniques
Students in the Global Surrealism experimented with visual automatism and chance-derived mark-making techniques developed by the Surrealists, including Fumage (drawing with smoke), Sifflage (painting with paint blown through a straw), and Decalcomania (paint pulled apart between two surfaces). Their experiments will be developed by adding marks using traditional media to make potential images emerge.
Darielle Shandler (’09) For Play Practice
Darielle Shandler (’09) stopped by CHS while she was town, and it was such a joy having her back on campus. She spent some time catching up with Brian, Josh, and Les—and let’s just say things got a little theatrical (in the best way). Les put his former theater student to work during spring play […]
Yeast Protection
Our Biology students designed their own experiments to compare methods for protecting a strain of yeast that was particularly sensitive to UV light. They tested the results for different levels of stated SPF protection, tried organic sunscreen vs non-organic sunscreen, wondered if a spray would be better than a squeeze option, questioned how different brands […]
Tyler’s Book Award
This year’s William & Mary Leadership Award was presented to Tyler W. It’s a prestigious honor recognizing students who are visible, dynamic leaders within their school community. Congratulations, Tyler! Well done.
pi Day 2026
CHS celebrated pi Day in yummy fashion. We were thrilled to have so many pies to sample. Pies weren’t the only way we celebrated pi Day this year. The darts competition was fierce . Contestants aimed for targets based on pi’s digits. John David led, with Damien close behind, but Derek’s bullseye gave him a […]
MathWorks’ Mathematical Modeling Competition
Math/CS Club has spent the spring semester learning about Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling. They then participated in MathWorks’ Mathematical Modeling Competition, which asked students across the country to analyze a real world problem using existing data, information, programming, and mathematical reasoning. This year’s problem was concerned with the rise of online gambling. Using Python […]
Lily Receives Another Scholastic Award
Lily E has done it again! One of the art pieces from her senior portfolio, a painting titled “Speculum”, has been recognized with a prestigious award, marking another milestone in her artistic journey. Lily is a talented art student mentored by Patricia Kapral, a former CHS parent. The Fine Arts Center is the official affiliate […]
Squid Dissection
The zoology students dissected squids to take a closer look into cephalopod anatomy. They studied the squid’s external and internal features, and will be able to compare their findings with the anatomy of other marine animals.
Guest Meteorologist Lecture
Dr. Austin Coleman gave a guest lecture to Physics, Statistics, and Math Club students about Numerical Weather Predictions. Her area of work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concerns Extreme Weather Scenarios. She explained how the NOAA Weather Prediction Center uses data collected around the world in order to make predictions about the […]
Bleigießen Fortune Telling
Thanks to Jonathan, we discovered what our futures hold through Bleigießen (‘Molybdomancy’ in English), a German fortune-telling ritual that involves interpreting the shape of melted lead or wax after it is poured into cold water. Students referenced symbolic meanings in German with the assistance of an English-German dictionary.
Kindness Chain
To promote unity and to help educate her peers about mental health, Collette introduced making a Kindness Chain. We also had the privilege of having Dr. Kathleen Thorell visit us from Tudor House to speak with students about mental health and the importance of kindness. Here are Collette and fellow students pictured with just a […]
Hildegard von Bingen Presentation by Dr. Debra Stoudt
The Holy Roman Empire class was treated to a guest presentation by Dr. Debra Stoudt, Professor of German at Virginia Tech. Dr. Stoudt presented the life and work of Hildegard von Bingen, 12th-century Catholic visionary, healer, and mystic. Bingen is one of only four women who have been declared Doctor of the Church in the […]
Gristle Butter #19
Our first 2026 edition of Gristle Butter is ready for your enjoyment! Click here to see the contributions to Issue #19 by Tsula, Rosie, Collette, Charlotte, Derek, Jupiter, Louis, Zoe, Olchar, Ru, and Marlee!
Zoe’s Semester in DC with SEGL
After completing a semester at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., CHS junior Zoe J gave a presentation sharing her experiences and the profound impact the program had on her life. Zoe’s daily metro commute felt like a journey into the heart of American governance and culture. Living next to the […]
Italian Lunch
As part of the Community Lunch class, Meg, Miles, Rachel, and Brandon cooked up an amazing Italian lunch with guest chef and CHS board member, Cassie Hunt! The banquet featured noodles from scratch topped with homemade gravy and meatballs, with pizzelles for dessert! Bon appétit!
MLK Teach-In
CHS has long honored MLK Day not as a vacation but as an opportunity to serve and reflect. In some years, we partner with organizations like Feeding America or the Rescue Mission, and in some years we honor the day with special topic teach-ins about subjects having to do with the Civil Rights Movement and […]
First Lunch!
First the first week of the semester the CHS Community Lunch class cooked roasted veggie and mozzarella sandwiches on ciabatta, with an egg salad on the side. Miles was the lead chef for the meal, with Brandon, Rachel, and Jupiter serving as a guest cooks.
Ceramics Class
Students spent a semester learning ceramics techniques by the skilled instructors at Motel Studios. They learned to throw on the wheel, decorate, glaze, and craft their own artwork from clay slabs.
Norse Mythology Final Projects
These are the final creative projects from our Norse Mythology: Then and Now class. They spent the fall 2025 semester reading Norse myths in their earliest literary forms, studying the historical context behind those stories, and using modern treatments to augment their appreciation of the myths to draw connections to today.
From CHS to the World Stage: Darielle Shandler’s (’09) Story
After transferring to CHS, Darielle Shandler ’09 found the encouragement and creativity that shaped her path forward. Now based in New York City, she works as a stage manager in theatre. Not only does she travel across the country and abroad with her productions, she also serves as Operations Manager at Repair the World, a […]
Multi-Hour Full Body Drawings
Our students have been working hard drawing one of the most challenging and rewarding subjects in art — the human form. These multi-hour full body drawings showcase their dedication, observation, and growing understanding of anatomy, proportion, and expression. We’re so proud of their progress, focus and creativity. ???? Mediums: Charcoal, graphite, ink
Ancient Mayan Ballgame
The Maya played the earliest team sport in the world. It was a ballgame in which players could not use their hands or feet or touch the ball. Returning after his previous day’s lecture to the Popol Vuh and the Ancient Maya class, archeologist David S. Anderson of Radford University drew on his research and […]
Bungie Experiments
The Statistics class used linear regression models to predict how many rubber bands they needed to use on Barbie’s bungee cord to allow for maximum fun without cracking her head open.
Game Night Fall 2025
Thanks to Tyler, we hosted a game night at school, and were thrilled to see some alums come and join in the fun.
Venezuelan Arepas
Mireidis taught the beginner Spanish language students how to make Venezuelan arepas, a flatbread family staple, made with corn flour, water, and salt. After cooking them in the pan, they finished them off in the oven. Finally, while crispy hot on the outside, they sliced, buttered, and stuffed the soft inside with reina pepiada and carne […]
Derek’s Math Post-Graduate Internship
As part of his “Math Pedagogy and Practice” post-graduate internship advised by Jess, Derek (’25) created and now leads the CHS Math/CS Club to serve as a basis for potentially offering Computer Science courses at CHS. To that end Derek is attempting a myriad of teaching tasks including developing lessons and assignments for Calculus 1, offering […]
Welcome, Adrian!
Adrian Spaulding is our long term substitute math teacher, teaching Algebra and Geometry courses this year. They graduated from Concord University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Math, and will graduate with a Master of Engineering in Computer Science and Applications from Virginia Tech in May 2026. While in […]
Sarah Cohen (’07), Pulmonologist
We had the pleasure of catching up with Sarah Cohen (’07) who now lives in Columbus, Ohio. She is an adult & pediatric pulmonologist at Ohio State & Nationwide Children’s Hospitals. Sarah’s focus areas include pulmonary hypertension, interstitial & advanced lung disease in children, and transition from pediatric to adult care. She shares this personal […]
Live Model Drawing
Our Figure Drawing class has been hard at work. The unique problems of drawing people from life can help improve awareness of our own bodies, as well as apply in our work in other fields – medicine, sports, dance, comics and more.
Horchata Cupcakes
The Spanish Humanities Class baked horchata themed cupcakes reading their recipe in Spanish, and using metric units. Cupcakes, la receta paso a paso para que siempre queden perfectos! Ingredientes de los cupcakes Para los cupcakes: 200 g de azúcar blanco 95 g de aceite suave 3 huevos M 180 g de harina de trigo 1 […]
Math/CS Club
Our new Math/CS Club led by Derek (’25), gives students the opportunity to learn how computer programming can be one of the most versatile tools out there when it comes to problem solving. They plan to explore how our devices can be used to solve complex problems through the learning and practice of Python. They […]
Kenning Challenge
Congratulations to Derek on winning the Kenning Challenge! A kenning is an Old Norse figure of speech, a figuratively-phrased compound term that is used in place of a simple single word noun. He is now the proud owner of a plush Sleipnir – Odin’s eight-legged horse who is the son of Loki and the stallion […]
Revolution Me Festival in NYC
Jupiter and Ivor traveled to New York City for the Revolution Me Film Festival which took place in the Kumble Theatre at Long Island University in Brooklyn. They had the opportunity to network with American Film Institue (AFI) graduates and members of Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Jupiter […]
1950’s Iconic Dishes
Josh’s American history class recently took an exciting detour from their usual discussions about mid-century politics to explore history through their senses. They took to the kitchen to recreate iconic dishes from the 1950’s pop culture. They made and sampled simple Velveta cheese and crackers, Spam fiesta peach cups, ambrosia, and a jello mold. There […]
2025 VTA Conference
Last month Sarah and Les traveled to Norfolk to attend the Virginia Theatre Association conference. Sarah shares: I loved the trip, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Being able to talk to all those colleges and see other schools productions felt like a dream. I wouldn’t have traded this for the world!
Gristle Butter #18
It’s here!! The first Gristle Butter issue of the school year. Clocking in at Issue #18, this zine is contains poetry (in multiple languages), art, and for the first time ever, a contest!
Micah Carper (’07), Husband, Father, & Attorney
We’ve recently been able to catch up with 2007 CHS graduate Micah Carper, who is currently an attorney living in New Orleans. He was generous enough to share his memories, insight, and wisdom since his high school days here in Roanoke. Would you like to share any memories from your days as a high school […]
Fall 2025 Community Service – Highland Park
Once again our students and teachers walked to Highland Park in Old Southwest to assist Roanoke City Parks and Recreation with a variety of projects including spreading mulch and replacing the tee off posts in the disc golf course, removing overgrown vegetation, and spreading gravel at the dog park. We love helping to keep the […]
Odessa M (’25) Is Studying At The Université de Lyon
Odessa (’25) shares this update with us in October 2025: My first semester at the University of Lyon has been wonderful, and I’ve made progress with my French! Engaging with the language through classes and daily interactions is proving beneficial, even if understanding lectures is more straightforward than conversing with classmates. My curent courses (all […]
Post PSAT 2025 Gathering
The PLG hosted a cool down gathering after the PSAT test. Students could unwind with their friends while snacking and playing games.
Zoe’s Semester at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership ’25
Zoe J sent us an update of what she’s been up to so far during her semester at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. October 3rd, 2025: Met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Met with Hillary Clinton’s former speech writer Lissa Muscitine Met with the diplomat of the Israeli embassy to […]
Cyborgs Guest Lecture
The Cyborgs class was treated to a guest lecture by Justin Laiti, PhD student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Justin presented his research on wearable devices (think Fitbit or Apple Watch), including an original device and app that he helped develop to improve wellbeing of students in Dublin. He also shared his […]
Figure Drawing Class
Although we each possess one, the human form can be one of the most daunting subjects to render in two dimensions. Yet, humans have been inspired to reproduce images of themselves since well before the dawn of recorded history. Here’s an inside peek at our Figure Drawing class hard at work in our new art […]
Mexican Chocolate Pudding
Spanish Humanities students embarked on a culinary adventure to learn how to make a delicious vegan version of rich, creamy Mexican Chocolate Pudding. It looks like they succeeded!
Constant Velocity Motion
In physics, students described one-dimensional constant velocity motion using multiple forms of representation including graphical, mathematical, verbal, and motion maps.
Rube Goldberg Machines
The students made Rube Goldberg machines in engineering class. They explored the six simple machines and the engineering design process to imagine, build, and iterate a functional energy transfer machine.
Argentine Mate
As a follow up from their visit to the Familia Argentina restaurant, the Spanish humanities gastronomy and conversation class learned about the custom of mate, including the legend of how it became an Argentine tradition.
Erika Storm’s (’22) Acting Debut on the UMW Stage
Erika Storm (’22) made her University of Mary Washington acting debut in “Dial M For Murder” as Inspector Hubbard. Erika has spent time behind the scenes learning the art of set building and costume preparation and dressing, gaining valuable insight into the many elements that bring a production to life. Stepping into the spotlight as […]
Linnaean Fastener Project
Our Human Origins students were handed a bag of various fasteners (nails, staples, screws, etc.) As renowned taxonomists, their task was to develop a classification scheme that meets the established rules of the Linnaean system. They could use whatever rationale they wanted to classify the members of the fictional kingdom, Nectii, such as form, function, […]