2025 Craigie Awards

A passionate educator, Jamie Chambers shines as a leader in every corner of our school community. A true curriculum innovator, she weaves her commitment to sustainability and technology into powerful interdisciplinary learning that inspires both students and colleagues.

Jamie has a special gift for teaching writing, sparking a love for storytelling and editing through projects that stretch imagination and skill. Her creation of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” writing project, developed alongside our technology integrator and later presented at VSTE, is just one example of her ability to connect creativity, collaboration, and purpose. She has a remarkable talent for engaging all learners—particularly boys—and for building lasting partnerships with families and colleagues through honesty, warmth, and high expectations.

Her leadership is felt widely at Collegiate. She has served as 4th Grade Team Leader, co-sponsored the Lower School Recycling Club, and led the Envision Collegiate Capstone for the past five years. Each of these roles reflects her steady presence and her vision for meaningful, future-focused learning.

Beyond the classroom, Jamie is a devoted baseball fan, often found in the stands cheering on her sons at Collegiate and the University of Mary Washington.

Whether guiding students through imaginative writing adventures, championing sustainability efforts, or mentoring colleagues with grace, Jamie is a catalyst of creativity and innovation. Her influence extends far beyond the classroom, shaping a culture where curiosity thrives and excellence endures. 

Throughout the Middle School, Ms. Zyglocke is affectionately recognized as a devoted Jimmy Buffett fan, or 'parrot head.' In celebration of that passion, today’s remarks have been crafted with a nod to her favorite music.

This year’s Middle School Craigie Award recipient, Laura Zyglocke, may not be wasting away in Margaritaville, but she has certainly found her own shaker of inspiration—and she has been sprinkling it generously across Collegiate since 2008.

With 27 years in education, Laura brings both deep knowledge and a spirit of creativity and care. She is, in every sense, a true Middle School soul—knowing, as Jimmy Buffett wisely said, “if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” Whether she’s navigating curriculum changes or steadying a 7th Grade classroom, she does so with calm presence, sharp insight, and the grace of someone who knows how to sail through storms.

Laura embraces innovation with confidence and joy. From harnessing the latest in graphing calculators to enhance a unit on the cardiovascular system, to bringing in an Infectious Disease specialist to deepen her students’ understanding of global health issues, she models what it means to be a lifelong learner and dynamic educator. 

Her leadership extends well beyond South Science. As a former chair of the Middle School Science Department, she has been a steady hand and generous colleague, always ready to step in—whether covering a class, taking an overload section, or mentoring a fellow teacher. She shows up, time and again, for students and colleagues alike.

And though she knows “it’s five o’clock somewhere,” Laura rarely slows down when there’s work to be done. You’ll find her mentoring students at Middle Quest, calling action at track meets, or keeping the softball scorebook at Robins—always fully present, always giving her best.

Laura understands that education is about more than science experiments or lesson plans—it’s about connection, curiosity, and, sometimes, embracing a “change in latitude, change in attitude.”