February 8th Meet Marks Return to Historic Homeland

Sparked by one student's involvement in the local sport of foxhunting, a personal love of history and tradition, and a genuine desire to tie Middleburg Academy closely to its larger community, Head of School Colley W. Bell III and his wife, Director of Advancement Edwina Bell, have invited the Middleburg Hunt to hold a forthcoming meet on the school's campus. The event, taking place Saturday, February 8, 2014 from 10 a.m. to noon, will take advantage of the school's expansive Hunt Country property situated alongside the Goose Creek.

An Admission Open House will take place that same morning, also from 10 a.m. to noon. Prospective families will have the opportunity to explore Middleburg Academy's secondary school program, meet with the Head of School, faculty, current students and parents, and, for those who arrive early (10 a.m.), witness "the thrill of the hunt" as riders in their traditional hunt attire and their hounds set out across the school's beautiful and rolling acreage.

Welcoming the return of the Middleburg Hunt is one of many initiatives Mr. and Mrs. Bell are taking to nurture deep and abiding connections between the school and the individuals and organizations who help define the charm and character of the region. Since their arrival last July, the Bells, who reside with their 12-year-old son and three dogs in the Carriage House on campus, have immersed themselves in the varied aspects of Middleburg, Loudoun County and Northern Virginia living.

"I am reminded of William Blake's dictum that 'energy is eternal delight' when I think about Middleburg Academy," says school head Colley Bell. "The campus has always been a home, and the Hitts thoughtfully placed everything in its proper order as a family – and so did the Sisters of Notre Dame when they built a school. Middleburg Academy's energy now melds the two; we are the caretakers of something very special. This is why we intend to include the larger community at every turn, as fun and interesting events will continue to have a home from this hill in Middleburg, Virginia."