StoneBridge School

The school, founded in 1980 by Dr. Carole Adams, was named after a stone bridge that stood on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River. Dr. Adams and four teachers started the school with 31 students in the basement of her home, near the site of the original stone bridge. What began as a one-year homeschooling experiment today fosters the faith-based education of over 500 students in preschool through 12th grade on its expanding Joliff Road campus in Chesapeake.

Noel Thomason serves as head of school. “I started working at StoneBridge in 2014 as a science and bible teacher. When the head of school retired, the board invited me to apply to fill that position. I closed out my third year as head of school in the spring of 2025,” Noel says.

StoneBridge offers classes and activities for students of all ages, including athletics, as well as drama, music, visual arts, and summer camps. “Our vision is to bring up the next generation of leaders,” Noel adds. “Our portrait of a graduate is a statesman, someone who leads governmentally, in their local church, their community, and in their family.”

Staff and friends of StoneBridge School gather for the ribbon cutting opening the new upper school building, a 13,000 square foot addition to the campus in Chesapeake.

Many StoneBridge graduates return to the Hampton Roads area after college. “It is most rewarding to see students walk into their calling,” Noel says. “I like to remind people that while we are a small school, we can see connections to StoneBridge through just about every small business and nonprofit in Hampton Roads.”

Graduates of StoneBridge from high school and elementary school celebrate together at the commencement ceremonies.

“We get our students out into the community as much as possible, so we have a project where they shadow local leaders in businesses and nonprofits,” Noel adds. “We really see the fruition of our vision of leadership as we hear and see all the amazing things our alumni are doing in our region and beyond.”

StoneBridge School works with Dawn Provost, senior vice president and private banker. “TowneBank has been such an instrumental partner for our expansion and improvements as well as helping with scholarships for our students,” Noel says. “We strive for excellence, and I don’t think we could fully achieve that without the partnership we have with TowneBank.”

For more information about the school and the enrollment process, visit StoneBridgeSchool.com.