The Gunston School is pleased to announce the addition of Fairuz Manion, MSN, RN, to its staff as the new School Nurse/Health Coordinator. Ms. Manion brings a wealth of experience to this newly created position, both as a registered nurse and an educator. Most recently, she worked for BayHealth Medical Center in Dover for more than 15 years, specializing in patient care, discharge planning, and overseeing outreach programs aimed to prevent communicable diseases and comorbidities within the state of Delaware. She also routinely volunteered as a substitute school nurse for Holy Cross Elementary for a number of years. She has a Masters degree in Community Health, and an extensive background in nursing education, serving recently as a Professor at Wesley College, Wilmington University, and Ana G. Mendez University.

As the leader of Gunston’s health program, Manion will lead the school’s overall approach to health, wellness, and health education; working with the school’s leadership team to review, revise, develop, and deliver a best practices health and wellness education program. In addition to serving as the school’s certified medications administrator, Manion is responsible for the management and oversight of health forms, training faculty and staff in FirstAid, and ensuring safety protocols of summer camps

Manion will serve as the school’s liaison with local and state health departments, provide essential information and training to faculty and staff, and keep emergency health policies up to date and in alignment with standards of care, as well as develop and implement Gunston’s COVID-19 health guidelines in conjunction with the school’s Health Advisory Team.

“In a competitive field of candidates, Fairuz rose to the top. She’s experienced, innovative, warm, and caring. Her combination of practical nursing experience, school nurse experience, and community health programming experience is a perfect match for Gunston’s needs. She’s going to be a wonderful addition to the community,” says Head of School John Lewis.

Having earned her Bachelors and Masters in Nursing from Wesley College, she is in the final stage of acquiring her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nursing Science from the Medical University of South Carolina.

The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Learn more at gunston.org.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

An Email Forward

It started with an email forward. “Have you heard of this new virus that causes pneumonia?” from Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis to the school’s senior leadership team on January 19. After the confirmation of the first case in the USA on January 20, Gunston sent out their first health notice about the virus that would later become known universally as COVID-19. On January 28, as the scope and challenge of the infection became apparent, Gunston made the decision to institute a 2-week self-isolation for several students and a faculty member who recently returned from an area designated by the CDC as level 3 or higher.

Life went on. Second-quarter honor roll grades were announced. The school celebrated Global Awareness Day and invited admitted students and their families to celebrate on Friday, February 28.

John Lewis, (left) is pictured with Jackson Talbott ‘20 (background) and Kayla Flood ‘21 (foreground) on Gunston’s annual Global Awareness & Visit Back Day on February 28th.

Meanwhile, the school’s leadership team remained on high alert, following news of COVID-19 closely and consulting with state and national associations, peer institutions and the local health department, and on Sunday, March 1, Lewis called an emergency meeting with senior staff.

“This virus is going to spread. Extended school closure will happen, and Gunston needs to be prepared,” Lewis announced to the group.

And then they got to work.

Making Plans

Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis immediately began to formulate an academic continuity plan, contacting vendors, compiling resources, and learning everything she could about how to structure a robust distance learning plan. A survey was sent out to the Gunston community to collect information about which faculty and students may have limited access to the Internet. Students were advised to take all of their school materials (textbooks, notebooks, devices) home with them for the upcoming spring break. “That was one of the best decisions we made,” reflected Grabis.

On Saturday, March 7, Gunston’s spring break vacation had officially started, and Lewis made the difficult decision to cancel a student educational trip to South Africa. On Thursday, March 12, Gunston advised students and parents that spring break would be extended by a full week to allow the leadership team and faculty time to finalize preparations for the delivery of remote instruction. Two hours later, Governor Hogan made an announcement along with State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon that all Maryland public schools would be closed through March 27. The Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools recommended that member schools follow this directive. On Friday, March 20, after three intense days of faculty training, Gunston launched a “test run” of distance learning and by Monday, March 23, distance learning at Gunston was fully launched.

Distance Learning Launches

At this point, Gunston’s administrative team and faculty were working around the clock to learn new software and programs (Zoom, Google Hangouts, and more), crafting detailed communications and instructions  for families, compiling resources, creating contingency plans for various upcoming events, and implementing a temporary distance learning leadership structure so that every aspect of this new reality was covered.

“Our first goal was to get distance learning up and running smoothly to engage students, and re-establish the sense of community and support,” recalls Lewis. “The value of community is central to our distance learning efforts. In all of our academic and non-academic planning, we prioritized the value of relationships and connection.” This included a number of video Q&A’s with students and faculty.

“When the second announcement was made to extend the school closure to the end of April, we were more than prepared,” says Emily Beck, Director of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, who was appointed to co-chair the school’s newly formed Distance Learning Steering Team, and as the Chair of the Academic Conduit Team, which is responsible for supporting academic departments and faculty professional development to integrate a best-practices distance learning program.

“In effect, every Gunston teacher suddenly became a first-year teacher again. As teachers, we have found this experience to be disorienting, but also exciting. In the past week, we’ve learned to use new instructional tools. We’re thinking about pedagogy and assessment in fresh ways. Most importantly, we’re participating in a robust professional development ecosystem that Gunston has developed to support the growth of every teacher on campus. Our goal is to improve week-by-week, and we believe that one positive outcome of our campus closure will be the opportunity for faculty and students to develop an entire new toolkit of teaching and learning skills,” says Lewis.

The Return of the Gunston Community

While much of the planning was focused on streamlining the academic process, Gunston spent just as much time formulating plans to keep community members connected, keep spirits high, and promote self-care and healthy habits like daily exercise and time away from the screen.

Gunston students and staff shared photos of the view from their window (#gunstonview), their inspiration for meals (#gunstoncooks), their favorite blooming flowers (#gunstonblooms), and how they stay active (#gunstonactive, #gunstonfitness)

Student leaders were asked to form a “Good Vibes” committee and collaborate with Gunston’s communications team to come up with fun daily social media challenges like #gunstonpets, #gunstonbestblooms and they even made a Spotify Playlist called #GunstonGoodVibes.

#SociallyDistantButVirtuallyTogether submitted by Mrs. Anastasiia du Hoffmann (upper left) and students from her Precalculus, Honors Algebra II and Algebra II classes.

Athletic Director Jon Mellinger sends out weekly fitness challenges, offering students and faculty the opportunity to win points for their team. Every student and faculty member at Gunston belongs to either the Green or White Team. Competitions exist in the form of both traditional and non-traditional athletic events as well as intellectual and artistic competitions.

“Needless to say,” says Mellinger, “we’re going to have to get creative this spring with how the Green and White teams win points. Between physical challenges like push ups or running a mile, and non-physical challenges like bakeoffs and open-mic nights, it’ll be exciting to see how the spring shakes out. We’re also looking into creating virtual athletic competitions with our interscholastic programs in our league. Anything we can do to stay engaged and competitive.”

Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis knocked out 40 plus push-ups to earn points for Gunston’s White Team.

Lewis and his two young daughters made a series of funny campus videos. Students volunteered to vlog their daily routine to help others get organized. Standing virtual lunch invitations were established. National Honor Society members were emailing to offer their tutoring assistance to fellow students.

The community was coalescing back together (albeit virtually).

Two separate surveys went out to parents and students asking for feedback. “The Distance Learning Steering Committee meets three times a week and we are constantly reviewing survey responses, addressing concerns, and planning, planning, planning,” says Beck. “The committee also devotes time during each meeting to discuss if any community members are struggling in this transition — faculty, staff, students, parents — and how can we help them? We may not be physically together, but the supportive community that defines Gunston remains firmly in place.”

Gunston’s New Normal

Gunston continues to look ahead, keeping a close eye on potential community burnout. “The amount of positive feedback that Gunston has received about our distance learning program has been appreciated and we’re grateful for the support of our community,” adds Lewis. “At the same time, we soon expect to exit the ‘Honeymoon Period’ and see rising levels of angst and dislocation that are consistent with the effects of culture shock that one experiences when being thrust out of a comfortable routine and culture.  But I have full confidence that we will once again pivot, adapt, and grow. I’m especially inspired by the support of our parents and the adaptability of our students.”

Lydia Periconi ‘21 notes, “Even though the switch to distance learning was a big adjustment, I think I have adapted well. Although I am sad not to see my friends and teachers in person, I really enjoy the days that I get to chat with my classes over a video call. This makes the switch much easier, and it’s fun to see everyone face-to-face and catch up!”

Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie ’23 shared that “As a hands-on learner, it took me a while to adjust. But after a couple of days, I finally adjusted to this new way of learning thanks to the teachers. I am very impressed with how the teachers transitioned from the classroom to the computer. Even though we aren’t in class, we still communicate well and learn efficiently.”

“Our family feels so blessed to have our daughter attending Gunston,” wrote Dawn Clair, parent of a child in the 10th grade in an email to Lewis. “The overall joy we feel at having chosen a school that has been there for our family during the good times and bad sure feels special and goes above and beyond.”

Visit Gunston’s Distance Learning Hub online to learn more, or to register for their Virtual Open House on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m.

———————

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Gunston is home to the nationally recognized Chesapeake Bay Studies program, (now in its 24th year) as well as the recently launched Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

“What if it is our duty, as citizens, to listen?”

This was the question posed by Andrew Forsthoefel to an audience of 400 people at The Gunston School, who listened intently as he recounted his 11-month journey over 4,000 miles and 13 states from his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, to Half Moon Bay in California.

On February 28, Gunston continued its annual tradition of a school-wide, student-led Global Awareness Day featuring a diverse array of interactive workshops and presentations designed to encourage students to challenge their perspectives, reflect upon their values and identity, and examine their relationship with the world around them, with the ultimate goal of helping them to prepare for the unique demands of a globalized economy.

Andrew Forsthoefel, posed the question “What if it is our duty, as citizens, to listen?” PHOTO BY MARION RIDDLE ’21.

Prospective students and parents were also invited to campus to take part in the day’s events as part of Visit Back Day, an event in which accepted students are paired with a Gunston student ambassador for the day and have an opportunity to enjoy the “Gunston Experience” before orientation in August.

This year’s theme, “What’s Your Story?” featured a keynote presentation by Forsthoefel, author of the book Walking to Listen: 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time, which chronicled his epic journey backpacking across America with a large sign that said “WALKING TO LISTEN.”  He set off with the goal of seeking a “graduate program in the human experience. […] I wanted to learn what it actually means to come of age, to transform into the adult who would carry me through the rest of my life.”

Forsthoefel recalled several instances in which he came across people with whom he forged a connection, only to find out they had beliefs that he found to be abhorrent. “I had connected with them and they were very nice to me, and then I found out we don’t share the same beliefs, and it was hard for me.”

Andrew Forsthoefel, (seated) with Catherine Hansen ’23 and Dr. Sarah Lipchock. PHOTO BY ISABELLA ADAMS ’21.

Head of School John Lewis explains why Global Awareness Day is so vitally important. “There are two main reasons — first, we have a diverse and global student population here at Gunston, and this event is dedicated to exploring and celebrating this. The second important reason is that, quite simply, we believe that is has never been more important to understand the forces that are shaping our world — economic, cultural, political, environmental, and recently, epidemiological and financial — and we believe that the more you, as a future citizens and leaders, understand these forces, the better off you (and our world) will be.”

After the keynote, students broke into groups and attended workshops focusing on such issues as self-expression and self-care, history and culture, and equity and justice.

The workshop “Making Zines,” fell under the category of self-expression and was spearheaded by a team of senior students, Daphne Provance, Grace Holmes, Erica Reece, Hunter Mansfield and Zaria Dalton. A zine, (pronounced “zeen,” like the end of the word “magazine”) is a homemade publication, usually the work of a single person or a very small group.

Henry Shifrin ’21 (seated) works creating a “zine” as part of the self-expression portion of Global Awareness Day. PHOTO BY MARION RIDDLE ’21.

“We thought zines would be a fun and quick way to get students to express themselves where they  could reflect on what they learned that day,” says Provance ’20. “I printed out a photo of everyone in the workshop ahead of time to make their zines more personal. Everyone really enjoyed learning a new craft. I know the workshop leaders had a great time, myself included. I think I speak for all of us by saying this was the best Global Awareness Day we have attended!”

Another workshop, “Developing a Self-Care Plan,” led by Sage Liu ’20 focused on activities that help students stay healthy and deal with pressure. “Self-care is not selfish,” says Liu, “A self-care plan allows you to experience your full range of emotions in a safe and healthy way.”

“Today’s youth are under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure,” explains Gunston’s Director of College Guidance Kellee Webb. “As important as it is to study and work really hard to get into a good school or internship, it is equally as important to learn the skill of taking care of yourself and developing healthy coping strategies.”

Annie Bamford ’20 presents a list of “Community Norms,” to fellow students. PHOTO BY MARIE K. THOMAS

Many other Gunston students led workshops on subjects ranging from Korean Food Culture, Mythology, Environmental Justice, Civil Rights, Gender and Society, and Power, Privilege and Positionality, to name a few. During lunch, students hosted a talent show where several students and faculty performed musical classics such as “Hotel California,” as the crowd sang along.

“What I love about Global Awareness Day is it gives students a chance to learn and teach each other in a really authentic way. Beginning with the workshops, our students have the opportunity to share their passions and interests. In the afternoon, they take a deeper dive into exploring their own values and identities. The theme this year’s students selected was intended to encourage us all to practice listening to one another’s experiences and, through this, to expand our understanding of the world,” explains David Miller, Gunston’s Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

“Student leadership is central to the success of Global Awareness Day. The day is almost entirely student-planned, organized, and run. I am so proud of our students for diving into this immense undertaking with enthusiasm, courage, and care. Since January, Gunston’s diversity leaders have dedicated over five hours a week to developing this year’s program and curriculum. The time they put into the day was essential to this year’s success,” adds Miller.

“I ran the Civil Rights Jeopardy workshop as well as the 10th-grade afternoon session,” says Rion McClusky ’21. “People were often really surprised by the Jeopardy answers and I was glad to know I taught at least a few people some things. I helped plan and organize many of the workshops and afternoon sessions. I think that Global Awareness Day is always important to students because it really is the one day that is dedicated to the community coming together talking about what makes us us. The theme every year is picked with guidance from the Student Diversity Leadership Council and that is what makes it more relatable to students.”

The Gunston School is an independent, co-educational college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland serving grades 9-12. For more information about Global Awareness Day, or any other Gunston programming, visit gunston.org. 

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here