The Summit Academy

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Fredericksburg, VA
The Summit Academy

A Classical College Preparatory High School Education Rooted in 2000 Years of Church Teaching

Private Classical Catholic School | Located in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, The Summit Academy offers a Christ-centered classical education for students in grades 6–12.

06/19/2026

Photos attached are from this year’s senior trip to Moab, Utah!

At The Summit, we desire to cultivate wonder in young people, build resilience, foster a love of God’s creation, and form young men and women who will approach every experience as a chance to learn and grow. This is at the heart of The Summit's Outdoor Program: to provide a dynamic and integral learning experience beyond the classroom and help form young men and women who approach the world with a spirit of adventure and courage.

The capstone of our outdoor program at The Summit is a trip to the backcountry of Moab, Utah. Students spend a week hiking, climbing, praying, and exploring together beneath the desert sky, carrying all of their essentials on their back. It is a difficult and challenging endeavor, but as our seniors tell us, deeply transformative.

We are immensely proud of our seniors and grateful to all who contributed to the success of this trip, especially our Director of Outdoor Programs, Ms. Riley, Fr. Tim, who served as chaplain, and Mrs. Buhle.

06/10/2026

Please join us in congratulating our 2026 graduates! These wonderful young men and women are The Summit Academy's Class of 2026:

Amario Apa
Bryan Argueta-Benitez
Andrew Buhle
Nicolas Everardo Diaz
Madelynne Edwards
Olivia Finch
Ava Grasso
Jacob Helbling
Ellie Lang
Ava Malanga
Lizette Meza-Arce
Linda Carolina Prohaska
Isabelle Sewell
Catherine Stibora
William Warnick

This year's commencement ceremony was held on May 29th, 2026 at Stevenson Ridge in Spotsylvania. Our graduates received their diplomas surrounded by their teachers, families, friends, and fellow students. The senior class address was given by Ava Malanga and our commencement speaker was John M. DeJak, Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

We wish our graduates all the best in their futures and will miss them dearly!

05/16/2026

The Summit Academy is proud to announce its formal recognition by The Cardinal Newman Society as a Newman Guide Recommended School.

Since 1993, The Cardinal Newman Society has been recognizing exemplary Catholic educators and institutions committed to truth and the integral formation of their students. Each applicant school undergoes a thorough review process and, if recognized, is upheld by the Society as an exemplar of faithful Catholic education for other schools nationwide.

We are deeply honored to receive this recognition and it reflects our academy’s commitment to:

- uphold our Catholic faith as the animating principle behind all that we do
- offer a curriculum rooted in the rich intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church
- form a faculty committed to academic excellence and faithful Catholic witness
- partner with parents in forming their sons and daughters in Christian virtue so they may engage the world as faithful disciples of Christ

https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/the-newman-guide/catholic-schools-recognized-in-the-newman-guide/

05/08/2026

A few spots are still available in Session Two of our Plein Air Art Camp, running June 29–July 3.

🎨 🖼️ ☀️ SUMMER CAMPS 2026: PLEIN AIR ART CAMP

This summer, give your student the opportunity to step outside the classroom and into the landscape. The Plein Air Art Camp for rising 6th–12th grade students is a five-day immersive experience where students create artwork on location at some of the area’s most beautiful historic and natural settings.

From 9:00–2:30 each day, campers will learn how to observe light, compose a landscape, understand color relationships, and confidently paint & draw outdoors. Instruction emphasizes careful observation, strong drawing foundations, and thoughtful craftsmanship — all in a structured, encouraging environment.

Camp Highlights:
Small group setting (maximum 12 students)
Daily visits to inspiring outdoor locations
Instruction in composition, perspective, and color
Guided critique and skill development
Focused, screen-free creative time outdoors

To register, scan the QR code or visit: thesummitva.org/summercamps.

05/05/2026

Our 2026 Senior Thesis Finalists will present their thesis papers to a panel of guest readers on Tuesday, May 12, at 7:00 pm in the chapel at Zoan Baptist off Plank Road. This event is open to the community.

Our three finalists and their presentations are:

Madelynne Edwards
In Sublime Feras Animum: The Consolation of Boethius’ Philosophy

Carolina Prohaska
“Grace and Favor in His Sight”: True Beauty and Feminine Virtue in the Book of Esther

Catherine Stibora
A Wife’s Gambit: Submission and Marital Happiness in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew

The Senior Thesis, the signature effort of a student’s education at The Summit Academy, is a sustained performance in the liberal arts. It is not a work of specialized research, but the extended pursuit of a difficult question in dialogue with a great author. Texts must be either included in or closely related to the Summit curriculum. Students are encouraged to plumb any of the liberal arts for works they love that raise questions they feel called to pursue. Literary and historical works are, of course, on the table: but so are mathematical proofs, musical scores, and libretti; masterpieces of architecture, sculpture, and painting; theological and philosophical treatises; seminal works of scientific thought; great experiments and inventions; political documents, laws, and encyclicals—anything, in short, with a voice in the “Great Conversation.”

05/04/2026

🎓 Admissions Update for 2026-2027: We have a limited number of spaces remaining for sixth grade! Apply today at: thesummitva.org/apply or contact us at [email protected].

Recently named Best Private School in the 2026 FXBG Neighbors’ Choice Awards, The Summit Academy is a Catholic, classical liberal arts school serving students in grades 6–12. Our mission is to partner with parents to form their sons and daughters in Christian virtue so they can become mature, responsible young adults equipped to engage the world. To learn more, visit thesummitva.org.

04/28/2026

Our school store is officially open again and will be available until May 11, 2026!

This spring’s collection includes t-shirts, polos, hoodies, jackets, vests, and more. Items are available for students, as well as for family and friends who wish to show their support. Class of 2026 and Class of 2027 t-shirts and sweatshirts are also available.

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you sporting your new spiritwear!

https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/SUMMIT2026

04/24/2026

Spots are still available for our 2026 summer camps! For information and to register, please visit: thesummitva.org/summercamps. Camps are open to both Summit students and students from the wider community.

🌲⛰️Meet Ms. Riley, camp leader for Camp Frassati!

Genevieve Riley has a deep and abiding love for the outdoors. She teaches math at The Summit Academy, where she also serves as Director of the Outdoor Program. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has extensive experience leading outdoor trips.

Her passion for outdoor ministry grew after spending three months in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado serving at a Catholic outdoor summer camp. There, she saw how powerfully creation reflects the Creator. Inspired by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, she is eager to invite students into the outdoors to cultivate wonder and awe, build community through shared adventure, and explore some of Virginia’s most beautiful places.

🎨 🖼️ Meet Mr. Beck, art instructor for Plein Air Art Camp!

Caleb Beck is an oil painter originally hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains. At The Summit Academy he teaches art, history, and literature. Prior to this he taught studio courses at several colleges around Chicago and at one art center. While he works primarily with figures, landscape has become a growing portion of his art practice. He devised this summer camp to help students grow their creative abilities and appreciate the picturesque sights around Fredericksburg.

*Camp Frassati Capacity Update
Session 1 (Grades 6-9): June 8-12 [FULL]
Session 2 (Grade 3-5): June 16-19 [LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE]

*Plein Air Art Camp Capacity Update
Session 1: June 22-26 [FULL]
Session 2: June 29-July 3 [LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE]

04/21/2026

The votes are in and Fredericksburg has spoken. 🏆

Congratulations to The Summit Academy on winning Best Private School in the 2026 FXBG Neighbors' Choice Awards! 🏅

The Summit Academy is a Christ-centered, classical Catholic school in historic Fredericksburg offering an academically rich education for students in grades 6 through 12. Their mission is to partner with parents to form young men and women in Christian virtue and equip them to engage the world with confidence and purpose.

This award is voted on by the community and it is a true reflection of the trust and love Fredericksburg has for this school. Well deserved.

540-684-3989 | [email protected] | thesummitva.org

Address

5888 Plank Road
Fredericksburg, VA
22407

Telephone

+15406843989

Website

http://www.thesummitva.org/

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