Upper School Tour

Welcome to Hampton Roads Academy! After you park in one of our visitor spaces, enter through the main entrance, between the flagpoles.
Our receptionist will buzz you in. They will ask you to sign in and take a visitor badge. For current parents, after you have received your visitor badge, you are free to navigate the campus. We require all outside guests to be accompanied by a staff member.
Meet the Admission Team! Rebecca Bresee, James Hicks (center), and Michelle Ford are pleased you are here. Let’s head to the Lower School halls with Rebecca.
HRA has 15 grade levels, PreK (for 3’s), Junior K (for 4’s), and K through 12. We all share one roof but each division; Lower, Middle, and Upper have their own designated areas within the building. This space we are in currently is the Anne Doug Spencer Student Commons, which is mainly used by the Upper School, but is also used by all for various activities before, during, and after school hours.
With all three divisions under one roof, we are able to share spaces such as the library, computer labs, dining hall, athletic facilities, hydroponics lab, the auditorium, and more. Through those doors is our courtyard. Students enjoy this space socially and academically. The space we are in currently is another common space. We are going to head to the left to meet the Upper School team.
Ben Rous (center back row) leads our College Counseling Department as the Director of College Counseling. From left to right in the back row, there is: Chris Hailey (College Counselor), Jennifer Clemons (Associate Director of College Counseling), Ben Rous (Director), Kate Goddin (College Counselor), and Jeremy Clover (College Counselor). From left to right in the front row, there is: Kim Davis (College Counseling Coordinator), Stacy Ansama (College Counselor), and Laurie Hager (Associate Director of College Counseling). Together they make up our team of College Counseling team. 100% of our students are accepted into colleges and universities across the nation. HRA College Counseling focuses on “fit” for each student. It is a wonderfully individualized process with great results annually. We start our College Counseling in the 9th grade. Don’t worry; our dedicated team is here every step of the way. They advise each student with regard to their list, essays, test prep, applications, interviews, scholarships, and more.
While we are here, let’s swing by the Library. Throughout the day you will find our students in here for a study hall, research, or just to simply relax and read a good book or magazine. Our Library staff helps our students not only navigate the library but also navigate our multiple databases.
We believe real world hands on learning is key to any students success. Here we have one of our many Science Laboratories. Every science class is taught in the lab. Students in all grades are hands on in dissections, experiments, field trips, and more.
Every classroom is going to look different. Depending on the day, teachers will arrange their classroom in a way that best suits their needs. With classes averaging 14 students, our teachers can engage students in a variety of ways. What kind of classes are our students taking? Students make a customized schedule that includes classes from the five core subject areas, math, english, science, history, and foreign language, as well as an elective each year. Our students have the option of two electives every semester.
We launched the HRA R.E.A.CH. Initiative this year. We believe that academic experiences can be tied to relevant real-world experiences. The twenty-first century economy requires the ability to think creatively, to collaborate, and to communicate effectively; all skills that begin in the classroom but that are enhanced and made more relevant by exploration outside the school’s walls. These experiences might take the form of summer internships, mentorships, part-time jobs, leadership opportunities, or more. HRA's R.E.A.CH Initiative helps interested students dig deep into a field of interest to complement their coursework.
While we are a 1-to-1 iPad school, we still provide labs to round out their learning. Our students are able to participate in classroom discussions, read textbooks, complete and turn in assignments, all virtually!
Let’s go take a look at some other areas of the campus. This is our Administrative Hallway, housing the Business Office (financial affairs), Nurses Clinic (a full time nurse on staff), Spirit store (school apparel), and…
The office of our Head of School, Peter Mertz!. Mr. Mertz has led HRA for the past nine years and has been the visionary credited with multiple physical and programmatic additions to our school, including the latest addition, the new Lower School and Dining Hall wing. We will head there shortly, but first let’s take a look at our Fine Arts wing.
This is the Stacy Philips ’03 Fine Arts Gallery. Throughout the year we display a variety of art work across many grade levels. All of the art on our campus was created by current and former students. The Phillips Gallery not only allows us to display their amazing work, but also serves as the lobby of Lassen Auditorium.
Lassen Auditorium is a 500 seat theater that houses activities from Middle and Upper School homeroom meetings to the performing arts classes in all grade levels. Your child will be up on that stage wowing you with their public speaking, receiving athletic awards, giving that monologue during our latest theater performance, and one day walking across the stage at their graduation ceremony.
Students can start or continue to learn an instrument of their choice, sing in our chorus, or participate in the school band. HRA loves a performance! In fact, the piano in the Commons is available to play at any time. We love to see a group of students gather around to enjoy one of their peers playing their favorite songs.
On our way down to the Dining Hall, let’s stop by one of our many art classrooms. This is our ceramics studio. Our students have the pleasure of learning a variety of different art mediums from our dedicated fine and performing arts teachers.
On the other side of the wall is our new Martha H. Patten Hydroponics Lab. This is used by all grade levels. The lab, like all science labs, helps reinforce material students learn in the classroom with more of the hands on learning that we talked about earlier. My favorite part about the lab is we use everything grown in our Dining Hall. Truly farm to table - well in this case water tower to table!
This is one of our students’ favorite locations on campus. The Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall is the latest addition to our campus. Our Executive Chef and his team prepare a variety of healthy options from which our students can choose daily.
Students move through the service line, choosing one of two hot options (one is vegetarian) or they can choose the salad, sandwich, and soup option. Lunch is a full part of the HRA program and is included in tuition, so all students enjoy fresh and healthy meals.
Next door is our Athletic Complex. Our P.E. teachers utilize Carpenter Gym along with our athletic fields and tennis courts to expose students to a wide variety of organized sports and other games. In the Upper School students can take electives in these areas as well. Weightlifting and sports medicine are two of the more popular courses offered.
Upper School students can participate in a number of organized sports teams. Soccer, Basketball, Swimming, Field Hockey, and Lacrosse are a few of the many sports teams our students can join at the Junior Varsity and Varsity level.
For those interested in athletics, it all starts with a good foundation. We have a well-trained team that helps train, teach, and heal our students. We are fortunate to have a certified trainer. When she is not in the classroom, she is working with students in the weight room, on the athletic fields, or rehabilitating any unfortunate injuries. All of our coaches are trained in CPR, first aid, and concussion protocol.
We love excelling in athletics and academics. Our campus is composed of many Student Athletes. These students understand academics come first, but participation in athletics is important too. Many students graduate each year and go on to participate on collegiate teams.
Well, we are back! We hope you have enjoyed your tour of the HRA Upper School. Would you like to schedule a personal appointment? Contact us at admissions@hra.org. Questions are always welcome, and our admission process is very simple. (Start the admission process, Apply Now!) It’s a great time to be a Navigator!

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