On Saturday, October 13, The Gunston School held its annual Bull & Oyster Roast & Alumni Reunion. Nearly 240 parents, trustees, alumni and friends gathered on Gunston’s campus for this event to support the school in its largest fundraiser of the year. Guests mingled, enjoyed shucked and steamed oysters, and tried their luck on silent auction items that were generously donated by local businesses and Gunston families.

The evening was a huge success—over $100,000 was raised through sponsorships, silent and live auction, and ticket sales.  In keeping with tradition, the Live Auction was interrupted midway through for “Raise the Paddle.” The proceeds this year will be matched by a generous grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation and used to fund a new 15 passenger van t0 be used for Chesapeake Watershed Semester, as well as transportation for student trips.

Parent volunteers take a moment to smile for the camera. Left to right: Laura Chester, Donna Roser, Keith Willett and Nicola Daniel.

The lucky winner of this year’s Live Auction Item raffle was Casey Santora P ‘21 ‘22! The Santora family will be vacationing in the Outer Banks over Gunston’s spring break, thanks to our donors Steve and Jennifer Salos P ‘22. Other live auction items included vacations to Deep Creek, Jamaica, and Nova Scotia, as well as a signed Paul Reed Smith guitar.

“The generosity of our parents and friends is truly extraordinary, and this generosity translates directly into a stronger educational program for all of our students,” said Headmaster John Lewis.

Local businesses were key to the success of this auction. Over 200 businesses, community members, and families from throughout the Eastern Shore and Annapolis donated items, and made financial contributions to this year’s fundraising event.

Headmaster John Lewis greets the audience.

Gunston would like to extend a special thanks to our sponsors:

Title Sponsor—KRM Construction

Grill Master Sponsor—The Gunston School Board of Trustees

Prime Sponsors: Caesar Guerini—Deirdre & Wesley Lang P ‘22, The Star Democrat, DataLink, Intown Management—Gigi & Steve Hershey P ‘21, Ashley Insurance—Jack Ashley, Friends of Gunston, Shore United Bank, Gillespie & Son—Julie & Todd Gillespie P ‘20, P ‘22; Gillespie Precast—Karen & Jim Talbott P ‘20

Choice Sponsors: Callahan’s Gas—Dana & Mark Callahan P ‘22, Dogwood Acres—Audrey & Kurt Reichardt P ‘21, Freestate and Son, Inc., IT Direct—Bess & Ralph Riddle P ‘21, Karen & John Morrison P ‘18, Gunther’s Electric, Inc.—Trudy Schiwy P ‘19, The Ward Family P ‘21 (2)

Select Sponsors: Attraction Magazine, The Country School,Ben & Karen Dize, Ecotone, Inc., Friel Lumber Company—Gina & Jay Friel P ‘22, Mary B. Hoff, Kent School, L & S Bus Service, John and Laurie Lewis, Betty & Roger Mooney GP ‘07, ‘09, ‘15, ‘19, Colleen Moran P ‘20, Impressive Printing, People’s Bank, Radcliffe Creek School, Shepherd Plumbing, Mara & Walt Schmittinger P ‘16, Tri-Gas & Oil Co., Inc., Whitten Group Insurance.

We are also very grateful to the Gunston Parents’ Association, Gunston’s faculty and staff, and the 2018 Bull & Oyster Roast Committee Chairs—Karen Talbot P ‘20, Jill Meyerhoff P ‘11 ‘13 , Gigi & Steve Hershey P ‘21, Audrey Reichardt P ‘21, Stacey Sharpless P ‘20 ‘22 , and Trudy Schiwy P ‘19 who worked tirelessly to create a spectacular evening.

On a perfect summer evening in August, the launch of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester was celebrated with a gathering of students, families, partners, and supporters.  With a warm welcome by Gunston’s Board Chair, Jim Wright, and inspiring words by Headmaster John Lewis, Gunston formally launched the first cohort of the program with full enrollment of 13 students.

Director, Emily Beck, says “We’ve designed and built an educational program that is immersive, rigorous, and place-based.  The watershed’s 64,000 square miles forms our classroom with students completing five weeks in the field during the semester. Over the course of the fifteen-week semester, students will weave together science and public policy, time in the lab and in the field, and direct action with reflection. The semester concludes with students presenting their independent research and action projects at a regional symposium. We fully believe that today’s students will be tomorrow’s leaders for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and that it is critical to engage them in an educational experience that is equal to the challenges of their time.”

Pictured L-R: Caroline Taylor, Caroline Roser, Katie Schiwy, Nick Kellogg, Yanni Harris, Camy Kelly, Zachary Goss, Phil Ashley, Brooks Armstrong, Keller Evans, Mason Rudolfs, Menel Harris, not pictured – Cole Evans

“The Chesapeake Watershed Semester is a powerful opportunity to expand our educational paradigm and offer students a 21st Century learning experience that empowers them with real-world knowledge, critical thinking capacities, and leadership skills” she adds. “The restoration and sustainable management of the Chesapeake Bay is a litmus test for humanity’s capacity to maintain ecological harmony, and The Chesapeake Watershed Semester seeks to provide students with the intellectual, social, and leadership tools to successfully respond to these challenges. It is a unique opportunity for highly motivated high school juniors or seniors to join a talented community of learners who will immerse themselves in the study and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay for one semester. Through dynamic and diverse field-study Expeditions, students travel the region meeting with stakeholders and conducting research. While in residence on our waterfront campus, students take honors and AP level classes while maintaining an intense, hands-on engagement with the natural environment.”

Such a rich and robust program would not be possible with the support and inspiration of our program partners! Our partners in designing and launching the program include the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Sultana Education Foundation, Washington College, and the Harry Hughes Center for Agroecology.

Semester schools are inspired by the collegiate “semester abroad” program; designed and adapted for high school students. Though not widely known, semester schools have been around for several decades. Semester schools offer a full semester of academic credit as well as a wealth of knowledge and new experiences for students who return to their four-year institutions upon completing the semester. Each program offers a unique curriculum and learning environment.

Beyond the academics, semester schools offer motivated students powerfully transformative experience. Students who attend semester schools develop poise, grit, and a firm sense of self; all hallmarks of 21st Century education. Indeed, colleges view a student’s decision to attend a semester school highly and reflective of the students maturity and college readiness.

The Gunston School has established itself as a regional and national leader for environmental teaching and learning with its annual Chesapeake Bay Studies week of field courses, successive Green School certifications, its unparalleled 35-acre waterfront campus on the shores of the Corsica River in Centreville, MD, and finally with the launch of the Watershed Semester.

To learn more about the Chesapeake Watershed Semester visit www.chesapeakewatershedsemester.org or call 410.758.0620

As part of an effort to further enhance the school’s student leadership development program, Gunston is partnering with Dr. Stewart D. Friedman to develop an innovative student leadership curriculum. Dr. Friedman is the Practice Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the founding director of both the Wharton Leadership Program and the Wharton Work/Life Initiative. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including Total Leadership (Harvard Business Review Press, 2014)

Headmaster John Lewis shared, “At Gunston, central to our mission is a belief that all students should cultivate the capacity to serve as leaders in our society, and we also believe that leadership is a skill that can be practiced and learned. We’re excited to partner with Dr. Friedman to develop our currently existing student leadership curriculum.  He is an internationally recognized teacher, and his Total Leadership program is an intensely participant-centered model that fits well with the developmental skills and capacities of adolescents.”

The school has been working throughout the summer to finalize the key elements of the program, and the Gunston/Total Leadership program will be piloted this fall with Gunston’s Chesapeake Watershed Semester students. It will eventually adapted and integrated into the curriculum for all Gunston students. Gunston is profoundly grateful to former board member and Wharton MBA graduate Greg Hagin for helping to forge the relationship between Dr. Friedman and Gunston.

On Saturday, August 11th, Gunston’s Athletic Director, Jon Mellinger competed in the 2018 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, in the second largest field in history with over 5000 competitors throughout the weekend.

Athletes swam in Lake Erie and biked and ran along the lake shore overlooking downtown Cleveland. Competitors of both races had the chance to compete for Age Group National Titles as well as spots on Team USA in 2019. The olympic-distance event consisted of a 1500 meter swim, 40km bike, and a 10km run. Athletes who competed at this event have qualified throughout the course of the year for the opportunity to race.

“This race was something special for me” Mellinger said. “Cleveland is basically home. My family is from northeast Ohio and I have so many fond memories there so returning to a place that we all call home to race in a national event meant the world. I’ve had a few podiums this season and I felt like my fitness was in a good place. Overall, it wasn’t the result or time I was hoping to achieve, but I battled all day long after some very challenging swimming conditions.”

Follow him on Instagram as he continues to document the remainder of his season, @ad.mells. Mellinger trains and competes as a member of an elite triathlon team, E3 Training Solutions, out of Boston, MA.

In mid-July, Gunston’s Headmaster John Lewis, and Chesapeake Bay Studies Coordinator Emily Beck led the 3rd Annual Environmental Leadership for Independent School Leaders conference held at the Smith Island Education Center. This conference is a partnership between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), The Gunston School, the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

Top administrators from independent schools surrounding the Chesapeake Watershed gathered to collaborate on ways to integrate high­ impact environmental education and sustainability in our schools. This hands-on seminar combined field experiences, curriculum theory, leadership development, and personal reflection.

“It’s exciting to work with colleagues who are inspired to integrate sustainability and environmental education into mission and program of their school,” remarked Gunston’s Headmaster John Lewis. “Each year, the conference has grown and improved, and thanks to experts like our own Emily Beck and CBF, we feel great about the impact this conference is having in our region and beyond.”

Congratulations to the following students for earning High Honors or Honors for the fourth quarter of the 2017-2018 academic year. To earn a place on the High Honors list, a student must have an A average and effort grades of “S” or above. To earn Honors, a student must achieve a B+/A- average and effort grades of “S” or above.

High Honors

Grade 12

Rongjie (Rose) Fan, Steven Goss, Lila Ingersoll, Sam Johnson, Mary Macmillan, Alex Papadopoulos, Henry Parkhurst, Ryleigh Paskoski, Neel Patel, Alli Webb

Grade 11

Kejing (Karen) Chen, Cole Evans, Phin Howell, Claire Johnson, Paige Murphy, James Pratt, Megan Prochaska, Caroline Roser, Katie Schiwy, Haorui (Davy) Song, Nellie Stup, Fuji (Cynthia) Yang, Sitong (Vicky) Zhou

Grade 10

Andrew Amygdalos, Eily Ashley, Yuntian (Areopl) Bai, Cotter Buckley, Nina De Angelo, Frankie Fisher, Emily Gray, Wyatt Howell, Lily Judd, Katie Moreau, Will Newberg, Erica Reece, Isabella Santoboni, Max Scott, Qirui (Allen) Wang

Grade 9

Avy Aubin, Lily Berntsen, Helen Boone, Em Borghardt, Julie Ireland, Rion McCluskey, Sydney Nittle, Ethan Nuessle, Campbell Parkhurst, Lydia Periconi, Sean Riley, Charlie Shifrin, Haoying (Grace) Wang, Hannah Worth

Honors

Grade 12

Simon Cawley, Simiao (Grace) Dai, Tirza Enriquez, Gillian Felton, Susie Fordi, Jack Morrison, Hope Murphy, Chris Newberg, Dutch Nickerson, Lily Phipps, Joey Smith, Tanner Ways

Grade 11

Dolan Carella, Anneliese Clair, Shiloh Clark, Becky DeFino, Katie Easter, Will Gibson, Menel Harris, Yanni Harris, Griffin Hecht, Leah Hellwege, Grafton Howard, Camy Kelly, Nick Lee, Miao (Suzy) Li, Michell Pagan, Marisa Pisapia, Drew Seaman, Yifan (Michael)Shen, Elena Sherman, Morgan Smith, Katie Staley, Anna Wolf, Yong (George) Yan

Grade 10

MacCallum Borghardt, Mark Bourdin, Stephen Brown, Natalie Cockey, Kate Dieterle, Cedar Foster, Lynsey Hildebrand, Grace Holmes, Nick Kellogg, Junlin (Thompson) Leng, Mason Rudolfs, Peter Sharpless, Owen White

Grade 9

Bella Adams, Zack Anderson, Max Brady, Arianna Campi, Lydia Davis, Kayla Flood, James Fordi, Glynis Gardner, Reagan Gessford, Emma McClary, Aiden Myers, Adie Parish, Connor Reichardt, Joshua Sanford, Owen Santora, Severin Schut, Henry Shifrin, Christian Walker, Colin Ward, Lilli Ward

Congratulations to students from The Gunston School who attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2018 National Spanish and Latin Examinations earning a total of 7 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals along with 20 honorable mentions.

Latin Exams:

Gold medalist at level 1: Helen Boone

Silver medalist at level 3: James Pratt

Silver medalist at level 2: Sam Umidi

Silver medalist at level 1: Sean Riley

Honorable mention at level 2: Zack Anderson, Isabella Santoboni

Honorable mention at level 1: Hannah Worth

Latin Awards: Left to right, Mr. Angarita, Sean Riley, Sam Umidi, James Pratt, Helen Boone, Ms. Wheatley

Spanish Exams:

Gold medalists at level 5: Henry Parkhurst

Gold medalists at level 2: Avy Aubin, Andrew Amygdalos, Haroui Song

Gold medalist at level 1: Ryan Evans, Charles Shifrin

Silver medalists at level 3: Lila Ingersoll

Silver medalists at level 2: Payton Lord, Lydia Periconi

Silver medalists at level 1: Cedar Foster, Grace Holmes, Orion McCluskey, Henry Shifrin

Bronze medalists at level 3: Michelle Pagan, Marisa Pisapia, Caroline Roser

Bronze medalists at level 2: Shiloh Clark, Annabelle Gillespie, Ellie Merton, Campbell Parkhurst

Bronze medalists at level 1: Mark Bourdin, Will Gibson, Lynsey Hildebrand, Cameryn Kelly, Lillian Ward, Owen White

Honorable mention at level 3: Heidi Barcus, Hopewell Murphy, Paige Murphy, Elena Sherman

Honorable mention at level 2: Rick Archambault, Eileen Ashley, Rose Fan, Griffin Hecht, Claire Johnson, Sydney Nittle, Joey Smith

Honorable mention at level 1: Hannah Beckman, Emerson Borghardt, Stephen Brown, Kayla Flood, Glynis Gardner, Reagan Gessford, Leah Hellwege, Nicholas Kellogg, Colin Ward

Students were taught by Spanish teachers, Juan Angarita and Avis Wheatley, and Latin teacher, Erin Ferguson.

The National Language Examinations are administered each year across the country in grades 6 through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that it’s innovative new program, The Chesapeake Watershed Semester, is the recipient of a grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. This award of $100,000, matched 1:1 by funds raised, will provide $200,000 in seed money to launch this ground-breaking program that offers aspiring student leaders an educational experience with a joint focus on environmental science and public policy.

The Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) is a semester-length opportunity for highly motivated juniors or seniors to immerse themselves in the study and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. Through dynamic and diverse field-study expeditions, students will travel the region meeting with stakeholders and conducting research. Rigorous classroom, laboratory, and research project work will deepen each student’s academic foundation, leading to a capstone action project to be formally presented at the end of the program. We expect that each cohort of CWS students will emerge as reflective and confident scholars and leaders who can support regional and global environmental sustainability through their understanding of scientific, social, cultural, and political systems.

In a highly competitive grant cycle, The Gunston School is pleased to be one of 13 schools receiving awards from the Foundation. “The Gunston School is grateful for the ongoing support from the Edward E. Ford Foundation,” said John Lewis, “the rigorous, multi-stage application process allowed us to reflect on the school’s growth and success over the past eight years. Such work would not have been possible without the support of our Board of Trustees, families, and staff at the school. The EE Ford Foundation is the preeminent foundation for supporting innovations in high school education making their recognition of our new program particularly impactful.” In a letter to Gunston’s Head of School, John Lewis, announcing the grant award, John C. Gulla, Executive Director of The Edward E. Ford Foundation, said, “…it is a very important and exciting program and I look forward to hearing about it in the years to come.”

The grant from the EE Ford Foundation will help to support the program’s successful launch in the pilot years, and help The Gunston School and CWS build a “bridge” between the pilot program and the fully residential CWS program, which aims to enroll students from across the country and around the globe.

Emily Beck, Director of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, credits the extensive partnership network around CWS for drawing the attention of the EE Ford Foundation. “Our formal partnerships with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society, Sultana Education Foundation, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and the Echo Hill Outdoor School are pivotal to our goals of crafting a program imbued with academic rigor and immersive field experiences for our students” Beck said. “We have designed the program to meet the educational challenges of our time and are eager to begin our first semester in a few short months.”

The Gunston School and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester will raise a matching $100,000 as part of the grant requirements. The cumulative sum will be the rocket fuel that helps to launch the nascent program. The pilot semester, fully enrolled with 13 students, will launch in August of 2018. Students interested in the program can learn more at chesapeakewatershedsemester.org and consider applying for the Fall 2019 cohort. Follow along the adventures of the CWS1 on Facebook and Instagram throughout the fall of 2018.

About the Gunston School

The Gunston School offers an intellectually rigorous, highly personalized, and nurturing college preparatory educational experience. Valuing a healthy balance between mind and body, a strong sense of community, the creative process, and our connection to the Chesapeake Bay, Gunston strives to educate ethically and environmentally minded scholars, citizens, and leaders for our globalized society. The Gunston School, located on the banks of the Corsica River in Centreville, MD, serves 200 students in grades 9-12.

About the Edward E. Ford Foundation

The Edward E. Ford Foundation supports and strengthens independent secondary schools with its mission to “challenge and inspire them to leverage their unique talents, expertise and resources to advance teaching and learning throughout this country by supporting and disseminating best practice, by supporting efforts to develop and implement models of sustainability, and by encouraging collaboration with other institutions.”