Dear Parents

This will be the last post until the cadets return from their Christmas break.

As you can imagine it was busy weekend at Hargrave Military Academy. The high light of the weekend was the Hanging of the Greens Christmas service conducted Sunday evening. Hanging of the Greens is Hargrave’s service to welcome the Christmas season. Hargrave’s Highlanders, Band, and Choir performed very well. Several cadets read meaningful passages from different scriptures and the congregation sang Christmas songs. A Christmas “thank you” goes to all of the parents that attended.

Varsity, Junior Varsity and CIS basketball teams all won their games on Friday. Hargrave’s wrestlers performed very well in a twelve school tournament on Saturday. Seven cadets earned medals. Also earning awards were three members of the forensics team that qualified for “states” during a weekend tournament. The seventh and tenth grades participated in Town Hall meetings over the weekend. The students provided some meaningful feedback. Many advisors took their cadets to various outings such as watching the Army-Navy game at their home, mall trips, dinner and movies. A special outing was held for the international students. Finally congratulations to the PG basketball team that won the Fork Union Tournament.

This week Hargrave Military Academy will host a varsity swimming meet. The ninth grade will travel to Richmond to visit Virginia’s Holocaust Museum. On Wednesday a special Christmas lunch is scheduled for the faculty and staff. Finally, as the cadets prepare to leave for the Christmas break they will receive Hargrave’s traditional Christmas dinner Thursday evening.



Hargrave’s faculty and staff wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy and safe New Year.

God Bless

In early 2009, a library study group was formed by Hargrave’s Military Academy’s president to examine the future of libraries. Our study was initiated because HMA’s library is scheduled for renovation and general repairs. The president was reluctant to proceed until the administration had an understanding of how technology has changed the function of libraries. It is obvious the libraries are no longer simply book repositories. Several faculty and staff worked very hard for most of the year to produce a meaningful document that would guide the academy in the future.

The study concluded that libraries should offer the student technological resources for academic studies, but equally important, offer a relaxing space to study and read. The study group provided excellent recommendations enabling the administration to begin making plans to shift the focus of Hargrave Military Academy’s library and move forward on the necessary renovations.

We are looking forward to the cadet’s participation in Chatham Christmas. Hargrave Military Academy’s Highlanders (bag pipe and drum corps) and our marching band will lead a Christmas ceremony in Chatham tonight and again tomorrow during the annual Christmas parade.

Keep Focused on Education

It is good to have the students back from their Thanksgiving break. Everyone at Hargrave Military Academy enjoys the first few days of a break but the school begins to feel empty and we begin to look forward to the students return. During this morning’s assembly Delta Company was recognized as the “Honor” Company for the second six weeks. Congratulations to the CIS class—Go Delta!


In a previous blog entry I discussed the determination of high school students. The topic was presented because Patrick Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools listed determination as one of the most desired traits students will need to have to be successful in the future. Please refer to that blog entry for further information.

On Thursday, the day before our Thanksgiving break, Hargrave Military Academy’s post graduate football team played FUMA. It is always the final game of the season for both schools and has become a Thanksgiving rivalry. It seems that most schools and universities schedule in-state rivalries around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Well Hargrave Military Academy won the game for the tenth straight year. But that is not the story. The score was 6-0 in four overtimes. Members of the PG team attend Hargrave with the goal of earning a scholarship to a D-1 college or university. Their loyalty and devotion to Hargrave is limited because they are not investing in a four year commitment as they hope to when they enroll in the college of their choice.

Enduring four overtimes to win a game on the opponent’s home field is an extraordinary feat. Coach Prunty and his assistant coaches deserve a lot of credit for the victory. Clearly, the team and individual performance of the players in such a demanding contest is well beyond anyone’s expectation. But mental toughness won that game.

The coaches reported that by the end of the second overtime they were physically and mentally exhausted. Yet they continued to dig in and attack the game. The players did not lose their focus and were able to strive to victory. There were no cheerleaders and only a few parents to lend support, yet the team continued to drive toward a win. Determination, mental toughness, played a large factor in the team’s performance.

Hargrave strives to develop character as well as academic needs of the young men that attend our academy. Coach Prunty and his assistant coaches capitalized on Hargrave’s philosophy by incorporating mental toughness in their practice secessions and into the teams culture.

Excellent Job Coaches.