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January 27, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Education Ed Notes

Educating for Sustainability at Gunston through Green Chemistry

January 23, 2021 by Gunston School Leave a Comment

Last February, Washington College (WC) senior Ellie Byers interned with Dr. Sarah Lipchock at The Gunston School in Centreville, MD and worked with 10th grade students to test a lab she designed for her senior capstone experience (SCE) —a green chemistry experiment involving blue cheese slurries and biomimicry.

Tenth grade Gunston students during a green chemistry lab in February 2020. (l-r) Danielle Simmons, Daniel Dang, Leo Santoboni, Ellie, and Ben Cunningham.

Ellie recently got in touch with Dr. Lipchock to send an article and lab based on her SCE that was published in the most recent issue of Chemistry Solutions, the peer-reviewed periodical from the American Association of Chemistry Teachers, entitled “A Green Chemistry Guided-Inquiry Lab: Designing Biomimetic Songbird Preen Oil from Waste Cooking Oil” by Eleanor (Ellie) Byers and WC professor Anne Marteel-Parrish.

“I want to thank you again for all your help as I was interning at Gunston and your openness to trialing my SCE in the spring. I am halfway through my student teaching and master’s program and I often draw from my experiences at Gunston,” said Ellie who graduated WC in the spring of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and is currently working toward a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Maryland.

“Ellie’s SCE project aligned perfectly with some of Gunston’s key initiatives with regard to educating for sustainability and Mind Brain Education,” said Dr. Lipchock. “As part of her internship, Ellie read Neuroteach: Brain Science and The Future of Education and I was really impressed with her ability to internalize MBE strategies and help guide students as learners in my classroom. She connected with students of all levels and they really enjoyed learning about biomimicry in a hands-on way.”

“Green chemistry is a relatively new field in chemistry and is not covered by textbooks or as part of the national high school standards,” explains Dr. Lipchock, “but it serves as a great real-world application for students and it dovetails nicely with Gunston’s goals for educating for sustainability.”

Ellie with 10th grade Gunston students Colin Lang and Daniel Dang in February, 2020.

Green chemistry asks not just “What can I do with chemistry?” but also “How can I do it in the most sustainable way?” Last fall, Dr. Lipchock’s honors chemistry class completed a green chemistry lab, so at the time of Ellie’s activity, students were already familiar with the 12 principles of green chemistry.

According to the article’s summary, “in this guided-inquiry lab, students will design and test a procedure reacting waste cooking oil in a blue cheese slurry to create a substance that mimics songbird preen oil, which is both antibacterial and hydrophobic. Students will convert the fatty acids in waste oil to methyl ketones, thought to be the principal antibacterial component of preen oil, using the P. roqueforti mold found in blue cheese. Students will expand their knowledge of biomimicry, inherent properties of preen oil, and chemical synthesis by applying the principles of green chemistry. They will also assess their own process through higher-order problem solving and building on their scientific research skills.”

“Adding this activity allowed students to see the green chemistry principles in action and provided a tangible application for the concepts we had learned. Having them design their own experiment to use repurposed cooking oil from the Washington College dining hall made those sustainability principles stick in a way that reading an article or watching a video cannot. Guided-inquiry and real world applications are great examples of MBE strategies that help students be more effective learners,” adds Dr. Lipchock.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information, or register for our upcoming open house on January 31, 2021.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Gunston Welcomes 34 Students to the National Honor Society

December 3, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School is pleased to welcome 34 students to the National Honor Society. Each fall, membership to NHS is offered to those students who meet the required standards put forth by the national office in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a  cumulative grade point average of 88 (B+) or higher.

Students who meet this criterion are invited to submit a comprehensive resume that outlines their activities, achievements, leadership, and service. To evaluate a candidate on the national criterion of character, a student’s school records are reviewed, and each candidate selects four members of the faculty to provide their professional reflections on the candidate’s citizenship, leadership, activities, and personal conduct.

Head of School John Lewis shared, “Induction into the National Honor Society is an enormous honor, and it reflects a multi-year dedication from these students to some of society’s most important values.”

This year’s newly selected members for Grade 12 include Hannah Beckman, Maxmillian (Max) Brady, Yongah (Jonathan) Choi, Hyunseok (Luke) Lee, Ethan Nuessle, Jack Pigman, Marion Riddle, Sean Riley, and Emily Ryon.

Photo: (Top Row, L-R) Hannah Beckman, Maxmillian (Max) Brady, Yongah (Jonathan) Choi, Hyunseok (Luke) Lee, Ethan Nuessle, Jack Pigman, Marion Riddle, Sean Riley, and Emily Ryon. (Second Row, L-R) Sofia Angarita, Lucy Bamford, Gracie Callahan, Charlotte Cook, Benjamin (Ben) Cunningham, Isabella (Bella) De Leon, Ashley Escobar, Jimmy Fraser, Nina Friedman. (Third Row, L-R) Georgia Gillespie, Evie Hagan, Paige Holmes, Colin Lang, Neva Lawrence, Samantha LeCrone, Rui (Spencer) Liu, Abigail (Abbey) Miller. (Fourth Row, L-R) Magdalena (Maggie) Miller, Alexandrea (Lexi) Norman, Summer Salos, Leo Santoboni, Matthew Sharpless, Danielle Simmons, and Jude Smith. Lillian (Lilli) Ward.

New members for Grade 11 include Sofia Angarita, Lucy Bamford, Gracie Callahan, Charlotte Cook, Benjamin (Ben) Cunningham, Isabella (Bella) De Leon, Ashley Escobar, Jimmy Fraser, Nina Friedman, Georgia Gillespie, Evie Hagan, Paige Holmes, Colin Lang, Neva Lawrence, Samantha LeCrone, Rui (Spencer) Liu, Abigail (Abbey) Miller, Magdalena (Maggie) Miller, Alexandrea (Lexi) Norman, Summer Salos, Leo Santoboni, Matthew Sharpless, Danielle Simmons, and Jude Smith. Lillian (Lilli) Ward ’21 was selected in the fall of 2019, but was studying abroad at the time and will be formally inducted this year.

“The inductees are to be commended for their dedication and their success in maintaining the highest level of performance while navigating the challenges of attending school during the pandemic,” said Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis. “We look forward to the time when we can share their accomplishments in person with their families and the school community.”

A formal induction ceremony will be held on campus at a date later to be determined, depending on COVID restrictions and guidelines.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Gunston’s Heron Hustle 5K/1M Run Raises Money for Annual Fund

November 26, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School’s Heron Hustle 5K/1M Virtual Run was held on November 21 & 22 with more than 140 participants hitting the pavement (or their treadmills) to raise more than $7,000 for the Heron Annual Fund and compete for fun prizes and accolades.

The top three winners for the men’s 5K include Woody Granger (17:50), Bobby Stephenson (19:26), and Aidan Trautman ’23 (21:09). Women’s top three placements for the 5K  include Katherine Rene, P’23 (24:25), Georgia Gillespie ’22 (25.22), and Zoe Buzzelli ’24 (25:45). The men’s mile winner was Aaron Sanderson ’23 (6:15) and the women’s mile winner was Jennifer Runz, P’24 (8:57). Special recognition goes to Victoria Windmiller, who completed a 15 mile run.

Additionally, recognition for the fastest freshmen went to Zoe Buzzelli ’24 and Colin Hallmark ’24 (23:59), the fastest sophomores were McKinsey Brown ’23 (29:28) and Aiden Trautman ’23, the fastest junior was Georgia Gillespie ’22, and the fastest senior was Charlie Shifrin ’21 (25:40), with the titles for fastest male junior as well as female senior going unclaimed (for now!).

Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis with his family (from left) Millie, Laurie, John and Bea.

Prizes for top overall winners include personalized Gunston merchandise and medals. For Gunston students, prizes include breakfast/snack cards and (for eligible drivers), the opportunity to snag Head of School Mr. Lewis’s parking spot for the rest of the year.

Participants received a limited edition Heron Hustle t-shirt designed and individually hand-pressed at Skybridge Studios by Gunston alumna Alison Hansford ’96 who volunteered her time and services.

“A huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Heron Hustle — the event raised thousands of dollars for the school, and it helped to connect us virtually across the region and multiple states,” said Head of School John Lewis. “We are so grateful for our event sponsors, parents, past parents and alumni who continue to support Gunston.”

Gunston’s Heron Annual Fund bridges the $4,000 gap between tuition and what it actually costs to give each student the highly personalized experience Gunston is known for.

The Heron Hustle’s premier sponsor included Oath Pizza and the Kellogg Family, P’20 & ‘23, awards sponsor Wise & Blitzer, Attorneys at Law, and Mara Schmittinger, P’16 & ‘19.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

150 Gunston Students Claim High Honors & Honors for First Quarter of 20-21 Academic Year

November 22, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School recognized 150 students for earning High Honors and Honors for the first quarter of the 2020-2021 academic year. To earn a place on the High Honors list, a student must have a 93 percent or above and effort grades of satisfactory, “S” or above. To earn Honors, a student must achieve an 88-92.99 average and effort grades of “S” or above.

“Gunston students have worked very hard in and out of the classroom, online and offline, during our phased reopening of campus this fall,” said Dean of Students Mark Wiening. “We are all very proud of their individual academic achievements, as well as the Gunston Together mindset that has enabled the majority of our community to come together and stay together on the physical campus in these opening months.”

(Beginning top row, left to right)

High Honors Grade 12: Isabella (Bella) Adams, Avy Aubin, Brianna (Brie) Barrett-Kennedy, Lily Berntsen, Maxmillian (Max) Brady, Kayla Flood, Glynis Gardner, Olivia Hersey, Erika Lee, Emma McClary, Orion (Rion) McCluskey, Ethan Nuessle, Joseph (Brennan) O’Connor, Addison (Adie) Parish, Campbell Parkhurst, Lydia Periconi, Jack Pigman, Marion Riddle, Emily Ryon, Severin Schut, Charles (Charlie) Shifrin, Henry Shifrin, Christian Walker, Lillian (Lilli) Ward, and Hannah Worth. (Not pictured: Hyunseok (Luke) Le)

Honors Grade 12: Hannah Beckman, Kenneth Bonuccelli, Helen Boone, Yongah (Jonathan) Choi, Lydia Davis, James Fordi, Reagan Gessford, Aidan Myers, Sydney Nittle, Connor Reichardt, Sean Riley, Kylee Rushton, Henry Sheets, and Colin Ward. (Not pictured: Suah Choi and Yi (Lily) Zhang.)

High Honors Grade 11: Sofia Angarita, Lucy Bamford, Joshua (Josh) Campbell, Anastasia Clair, Charlotte Cook, Robert Crow, Benjamin (Ben) Cunningham, Jian (Daniel) Dang, Ashley Escobar, Nora FauntLeRoy, James (Jimmy) Fraser, Nina Friedman, Paige Holmes, Samantha LeCrone, Juyoung (Ju) Lee, Abigail (Abbey) Miller, Magdalena (Maggie) Miller, Adam Papadopoulos, Ainsleigh Pocock, Summer Salos, Leonardo (Leo) Santoboni, Matthew Sharpless, Danielle Simmons, and Jude Smith.

Honors Grade 11: Gracie Callahan, Isabella (Bella) De Leon, Georgia Gillespie, Sheila Groz, Aidan Ireland, Kallena Kemp, Zachary (Zach) LaFleur, Colin Lang, Neva Lawrence, Rui (Spencer) Liu, Alexis (Lexi) Meiklejohn, Alexandrea (Lexi) Norman, Alec Sanderson, Tessa Schut, Nicholas (Nick) Scribner, and Andrew Steele.

High Honors Grade 10: Nicholas (Nick) Abell, Madilyn (Maddie) Algier, Olivia Amygdalos, Tom de los Reyes, Charles Evans, YaXin (Angelina) Lin, Julia McClary, Zacharia (Zach) Mozher, Elizabeth (Lane), Parkhurst, Damian Rene, Isabelle Requena, Autumn Watson, and Yining Wei. (Not pictured: Jiacheng (Jason) Ye)

Honors Grade 10: Zachary (Zack) Adams, Kelby Booth, McKinsey Brown, Julia Buchanan, Nicholas (Nick) Ceruolo, Sadie Cloud, Tori Copper, Xuanyao (Henry) Feng, Jenna Frederick, Natalie Henry, Sarah (Eli) Ireland, Thomas (Cy) Johnston, Paget Kellogg, Paige Kroncke, Jennie LaTorre, Christopher (Bates) Nittle, Grace Anne Phillips, Nathan Porter, Julia Reed, Andrew Rich, Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie, Aaron Sanderson, Finnegan (Finn) Theeke, and Liam Thomas. (Not pictured: Brielle Tyler.)

High Honors Grade 9: Turner Day, Allie Fitzgerald, Colin Hallmark, Jessica Hammond, Samantha Jayne, Lucas LaFleur, Madison (Madi) Lutz, Anna Jayne Murphy, Caitlin Myers, Kayla Raley, and Joanna Riley, and Zoe Buzzelli. (Not pictured: Trevor Green)

Honors Grade 9: Quinn Baughman, Michael Billings, Macie Brock, Caeden Harrison, Abigail Houseknecht, Samantha (Sam) Keith, Maren Kneeland, Arnold (Ben) Lutz, Frederick (Wil) Mertes, Tilghman Overton, Katherine (Kate) Porter, Luke Roser, Ava Runz, Jonah Smith, Isabella Taylor, Jessica White, and Jackson Wood.

The Gunston School in Centreville, MD recognized 150 students for earning High Honors and Honors during the first quarter of the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Aidan Myers ’21 Donates Hand-Crafted Picnic Tables for Eagle Scout Service Project

November 13, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School recently received three hand-crafted wooden picnic tables from senior Aidan Myers, as part of his Eagle Scout service project. The new tables are situated near the waterfront under a cluster of trees, offering shade and a great place to eat lunch or have outdoor class.

“When I was first planning my project, I had to think about an organization that could use some form of help and one that meant something to me,” Myers explains. “Around this same time, the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to cause the world to shut down. The more I thought, the more I realized that Gunston could really use extra outdoor seating due to the pandemic, and as a current student, working with the school obviously meant something to me.”

Myers joined the Scouts BSA in first grade and has spent the last ten years moving up the ranks, with each advancement requiring the completion of a different skill set and level of community service. According to the Scouts’ website, in order to become an Eagle Scout, applicants must amass 21 or more badges, propose, plan, and carry out an Eagle service project, write several essays, be in a leadership position for at least six months, gather five recommendation letters, and undergo an Eagle board of review before their application is approved at the national level. According to Scouting Magazine, only 6.49% of eligible Scouts earned Eagle in 2018, and only 4% overall since the organization’s founding.

Aidan Myers ’21 recently donated three hand-crafted wooden picnic tables to the Gunston School as part of his Eagle Scout service project.

With the service project officially completed, Myers is working to gather all of the necessary paperwork and schedule his review with the board. “The hardest part of the process so far though, was definitely moving in the middle of trying to complete this process,” said Myers. “For nine years, I lived in Annapolis, so the troop I’m a part of is also located there, Troop 366. Over the summer of 2019, we moved from Annapolis to Centreville and it has been difficult trying to continue to work with my troop when I don’t live near them anymore.”

However, Myers took this obstacle in stride and still managed to construct and deliver the picnic tables, despite the logistics (and a pandemic) with a little help from friends. “Friel’s Lumber, a fellow Gunston family, donated the materials for one of the tables,” said Myers, who raised the money for the other two tables.

“We are grateful for Aidan’s donation and impressed with his carpentry skills,” said Head of School John Lewis. “It requires a lot of commitment and dedication to meet all of the Eagle Scout requirements, and we are delighted to have more outdoor space for students and faculty to use.”

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Gunston School’s Sean Riley ’21 and Ethan Nuessle ’21 Receive Letter of Commendation from NMSC

November 6, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that seniors Sean Riley and Ethan Nuessle have received letters of commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC).

Commended students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2021 competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

From left: Gunston students Sean Riley ’21 and Ethan Nuessle ’21 received letters of commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program.

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.”

“Sean and Ethan have worked very hard to get this recognition and Gunston is extremely proud of them,” said John Lewis, Head of School.

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

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Golfing Tournament Raises over $30K for the Gunston School

October 16, 2020 by Gunston School

The Golfing “fore” Gunston fundraiser on Friday, October 9 at the Chester River Yacht & Country Club welcomed 83 golfers on a warm and sunny fall day. The sold-out event began with a 9 a.m. shotgun start, with teams competing for prizes while enjoying food, drinks and fun give-aways.

“We couldn’t have put on such a wonderful event without the help of the Gunston Parent’s Association and the volunteers on the Board,” said Director of Advancement Tricia Mooney. “Every time we ask, they are there, ready to roll up their sleeves and help.”

Head of School John Lewis welcomes the crowd and kicks off the day’s festivities.

The day’s winners include: First Place with a gross score of 56,  Jon Mellinger, Crystal Wilson, Rhett Wilson, and David Landskroener. First Place (Net – 45 MoC) David Henry, Brad Dean, Thomas “Buddy” Raley, and Ryan Severs. Second Place (Net– 45 MoC) Mary Ways, Jen Batchelder, Dane Ways, and Chuck Batchelder. Third Place (Net – 47 MoC) Donnie Quinn, Drew Lane, Chris Wagner, and Bobby Smith. Closest to the pin on 4 was David Landskroener, closest to the pin on 12 was Chuck Batchelder, most accurate drive on 7 was Erin Gillespie, and longest drive on 14 was Brad Dean (men) and Janell Frederick (women).

“Today is special for two reason—one, it’s the first event we’ve had since graduation and the first fundraising event we’ve had since the start of COVID and what we’ve found is just having people together as a community is so meaningful. The other reason this event is so important is that it is raising really necessary and needed funds for our students. If you could see the difference in our students’ faces and attitudes now that they’re back on campus, it is a palpable difference every single day. It has cost us about $300,000 to get our campus up to scratch to be able to serve the students this year. So events like this make such a big difference,” said Head of School John Lewis in his opening remarks.

Sponsorship and golf registrations raised a little over $30,000 for the Heron Annual Fund, which allows Gunston the ability to offer more than 60% of its students financial aid, provide additional enrichment and hands-on opportunities that extend beyond the classroom for both students and faculty, and perhaps most importantly, help to cover the unexpected costs of PPE, tents, new video technology, and more.

The event had 55 sponsors: Tournament sponsors included Gillespie PreCast, Gillespie & Son, Inc., (Erin & Jim Gillespie, P ’07, ’09, Julie & Todd Gillespie, P ’20, ’22, ’24, Karen & Jim Talbott, P ’20, ’23); Riggo Productions (The Pocock Family, P ’23), InTown Companies (The Hershey Family, P ’21), Fred Frederick of Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P ’23), and Ashley Insurance.

The Anti-Pandemic sponsor was Delaware Podiatric Medicine (Dr. & Mrs. Jacob Hanlon, P ’22). The Golf towel sponsor was Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat (The Reichardt Family, P ’21).  Eagle sponsors included The Hatten Family, ’73 and What’s Up? Media. Golf balls were sponsored by Horace K. Wood, DMD, PA Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (Leigh & Horace Wood, P ’24). Golf tees were sponsored by Chesapeake Press Repair, Inc. (Randy & Aly Meiklejohn, P ’22) and The Kent School.

Refreshment sponsors included IT Tech Direct (The Riddle Family, P ’21), Astech Security (The Miller Family, P’15), 360 Automation (Christine & Evan Evans, P ’20), The Country School, Callahan’s Gas & Appliance (Mark & Dana Callahan, P ’22), and Moorhouse Electrical Services (Les Moorhouse, P ’14, ’15). Reception sponsors include Dr. & Mr. John Lewis and Whitehall Digital Systems (The FauntLeRoy Family, P ’22). Golf team sponsor was The Ceruolo Family, P ’23.

Heron Heroes include Patrick Shoemaker ’03, The Everdells, Mara Schmittinger, P ’16, The Parkhurst Family, P ’18 ’21 ’23, Jill and John Caron, P ’17, and Kurt Gray, P ’18. Hole sponsors include the De Leon Family, P ’22, Sanderson Family, P ’22 & ’23, Shifrin Family, P ’21, Keith Family, P ’24, Myers Family, P’21 & ’24, McCluskey Family, P ’21, Reliable Pest Control, Attraction Magazine (The Periconi & Roger Family, P ’21 & P ’24), The Peoples Bank, O’Shucks Irish Pub (Brown Family, P ’23 & ’24), Sugar Doodles Sweet Shop (Brown Family, P ’23 & ’24), Kommercial Kitchens, Inc. (Bell Family, P ’24), Impressive Printing, Nanticoke Fence, North Shore Restoration (The Redding Family, P ’17), and Centreville Self Storage (The Cusimano Family, P’10, ’12).

Jim Shifrin gets a few practice shots in.

Avon Dixon Insurance Agency and Dogwatch of the Eastern Shore (The LeCrone Family, P’22) had a double sponsorship of hole and cart.

Cart sponsors include the Papadopoulos Family, P ’18, ’22, Duvall Family, P ’22, Chesapeake Holistic (The Salos Family, P’22), The Bay Pediatric Center (The Cook Family, P ’22 & ’24), Irene & John Hansen, P ’23, and the Holmes Family, P ’20 & ’22, and the Talbot Spy.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news

Golfing “fore” Gunston Fundraiser to be held October 9, 2020

September 11, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School is excited to announce the Golfing “fore” Gunston fundraiser will be held on Friday, October 9, 2020 at the Chester River Yacht & Country Club in Chestertown, MD with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Individual and team prizes will be awarded for categories such as closest to the pin, straightest drive, and more. The day includes food, drinks, and fun give-aways.

This event is the first of many smaller-scale fundraising events planned for the upcoming year in lieu of Gunston’s signature event, the annual Bull & Oyster Roast which is typically held in October.

“We’ve been working all summer with a group of dedicated parent volunteers and board members to come up with fun and safe fundraising event alternatives that adhere to the new reality of the pandemic,” said Head of School John Lewis.

Head of School John Lewis practices his golf swing for the upcoming Golfing “Fore” Gunston Fundraiser.

“In a typical year, donations allow Gunston the ability to offer more than 60% of our students financial aid as well as a host of amazing opportunities such as traveling to student leadership conferences, robotics competitions, environmental trips, and more. It allows us to extend professional development opportunities to faculty and staff in order to bring the latest educational trends and best practices back to the classroom,” explains Director of Advancement Tricia Mooney. “However, this year in particular it is critical because during the growing economic uncertainty, the need for financial aid is going to greatly increase. We also need to maintain our supplies of PPE, create outdoor classroom spaces, continue faculty and staff upskilling, and make ongoing infrastructure upgrades.”

Golf registration is $150 per player or $600 per team. Sponsorships are also available and include the opportunities to have your logo or name on many of the give-away items such as a golf shoe bag, golf balls, towels, and even a mini hand sanitizer bottles (the “Anti-Pandemic Sponsor”).

Currently, Tournament Sponsors include Riggo Productions and the Hershey Family & InTown Companies. Additional sponsors include Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat (now with a new location in Kent Island!) Moorhouse Electrical Services, Callahan’s Gas & Appliance, The Country School, Attraction Magazine, Reliable Pest Control, and the Talbot Spy.

Visit https://www.gunston.org/giving/golfing-fore-gunston to register for the outing or a sponsorship (or both!), or call Tricia Mooney at 410-758-0620 ext. 1200 or email tmooney@gunston.org.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news, The Talbot Spy

Gunston Embarkation Welcomes Largest Incoming Class in School History

September 3, 2020 by Gunston School

Every year, the Gunston School kicks off the fall semester with a special ceremony called Embarkation, where new students, faculty, and staff arrive by boat to be formally welcomed by the entire Gunston community and sign the school’s Honor Code. While this year’s celebration looked a little different than previous years—with a limited audience, cohorts, masks, and social distancing—it was nonetheless exciting to welcome the largest incoming class to Gunston since it first opened in 1911.

Sophia Kent, Abigail Houseknecht, Jaxon Booth, and Shawn Barry preparing to board a boat at the Centreville Wharf for Gunston’s Embarkation ceremony.

On Monday, August 31, a total of 70 new community members, which included 57 of the 60 incoming 9th graders, five 10th graders, one 11th grader, and seven staff members were divided into cohorts and arrived at the Centreville Wharf about a half hour apart. After a health screening, they boarded a flotilla of boats and, in four separate “waves,” cruised down the Corsica River to meet Head of School John Lewis with a “foot tap” greeting in lieu of a handshake. From there, they were invited to sign the “Responsibilities of the Community” by Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis before making the trek up the hill to Gunston’s campus. Lining a wooden fence in six foot intervals were a limited number of student leaders and faculty members who waved and welcomed them warmly.

Parents and family members were called down to the waterfront a few at a time to watch their student formally join the Gunston community. Typically, this event is held on the first day of school and is followed by convocation with the entire student body in attendance.

“A considerable amount of planning went into making sure this day could still happen,” said Lewis. “We are so fortunate many parents and friends of the school stepped up to offer more boats this year, and the weather was just fantastic.”

The week prior, on Wednesday, August 26, Gunston hosted an in-person orientation for 9th grade students, held outdoors. Students and faculty brought stadium chairs and sat six feet apart, participating in various activities and ice-breaker games. “This interaction and team building before the school year begins is so important. The class of 2024 hails from more than 22 different schools in five counties across two states,” explains David Henry, Director of Admission & Financial Aid.

Ava Runz, Joanna Riley, Macie Brock, and Spencer Bock (boat driver) arrive at the Gunston dock and are greeted by Mr. Lewis and Mr. Hoisington.

On Tuesday, September 1, the school year officially begins with a phased reopening in which all 9th grade students begin in-person instruction, while 10th, 11th, and 12th graders begin with distance learning, with the goal of having further class groups re-enter the campus in phases starting in late September.

“By starting with 25% of the student body on campus, as well as smaller numbers of faculty, the school has the opportunity to integrate a complex set of new health, screening, and safety policies with lower campus density,” explained Head of School, John Lewis. “New 9th grade students possess the greatest need for direct connection with their teachers and classmates, and they are easier to cohort, given their schedules.”

This approach also allows Gunston to maximize the use of indoor and outdoor teaching space, as well as the opportunity to resolve any glitches related to concurrent teaching (where classes have students both inside the classroom and students connected online), lowers the initial student density on school transportation, and minimizes a campus outbreak, should it occur.

“Most importantly, our Phased Reopening gives us opportunities to effectively adjust policies and procedures as they are implemented. Indeed, it is our belief that a cautious, phased reopening raises the chances of Gunston remaining open over the longer term,” said Lewis.

Additionally, Gunston is moving forward with an intramural sports program and is only offering Tier 1 sports including golf and cross county. “Together with a group of student leaders, we are designing an intramural sports program that will allow us the best opportunity to create a meaningful physical health and wellness experience this fall,” said Director of Athletics Jon Mellinger. “While we have not yet finalized the rotation, sport choices will likely include waterfront activities such as sailing and paddling, various court sports like pickleball and badminton, and some field sports such as kickball and other lawn games.”

New students and staff walked up the hill toward the Gunston Campus and were greeted by faculty and student leaders.

Melinger continued “We’re very excited to be offering two varsity sports, golf and cross country. Gunston had two individual champions in both of those sports last fall. While we graduated our cross country winner, we have some up and coming runners and our golf program looks to have another strong finish.”

The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Learn more about our upcoming in-person (October 11 & November 22) and virtual (October 28 & November 18) Open Houses at gunston.org. 

Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news, The Talbot Spy

The Gunston School Adds New Faculty and Board Members for the Upcoming Year

August 12, 2020 by Gunston School

The Gunston School is pleased to announce the addition of two members to its Board of Trustees, as well as several new faculty members. Joining the board this year are Joe Janney, P’21 of Annapolis and Jill Caron, P’17 of Chestertown. Janney was a long-serving executive at Oracle, and in addition to his service on a number of educational and environmental non-profit boards, he serves on Gunston’s Chesapeake Watershed Semester Advisory Board. Caron has been a long-serving member of Gunston’s Advancement Committee, and she has provided dedicated leadership through her service on the Gunston Parents’ Association.

In addition, Gunston’s new board chair is Patrick Shoemaker ’03, who has served on the board since 2012. Shoemaker is a founding partner of PEAKE Technologies, a healthcare information technology services firm. Joining Shoemaker on the Executive Committee is Pat Parkhurst, P’18, 21, 23 as vice chair, Megan Cook, P’22 as secretary, Mark Freestate as treasurer, and Mara Schmittinger, P’16, ’19 as member at large.

Gunston is excited to add several faculty and support staff to its team for the upcoming year. Will Freda will be teaching English and hails from Kennebunk, ME. He attended Deerfield Academy and then Kenyon College where he double majored in religious studies and Italian. A world traveler, Freda spent a year studying in Italy, at a Buddhist monastery in China, and as a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand. He recently taught literature and creative writing at St. Paul’s School, NH, and history, literature and English language at Hebron Academy’s new China campus in Hangzhou.

Carter Law will serve as Gunston’s new Assistant Athletic Director, rowing coach, and science teacher. Law most recently worked with Greenwich Academy (CT) where he was highly regarded as an educator and coach. He is a 2017 graduate of Penn State with a degree in Agricultural Science, and has a strong background in the domains of environmental science and sustainability. In addition, Law is certified by the EPA in watershed management.

Ronnie Vesnaver is Gunston’s new Environmental Humanities teacher for the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, although this year she will be teaching English and history. Vesnaver spent the last five years teaching U.S. history and government for both middle and upper school students, as well as living as a residential faculty member at the Pennington School in Pennington, NJ. In 2017 she and a colleague formed and led a sustainability committee that is now a growing and essential part of the school program at Pennington, stressing the importance and power of environmental education. Vesnaver is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, ME where she majored in American studies and art history. She recently earned her Master’s degree in environmental history from Rutgers University-Newark.

Fairuz Manion, MSN, RN, joins Gunston as the new School Nurse/Health Coordinator. 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. 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.

Juan Camilo Angarita joins the Gunston faculty full-time as a Spanish and English teacher. Angarita is a 2005 graduate of The Gunston School where he was the winner of the school’s top honor: The Gunston Award. He earned his B.A. in government and legal studies and Latin American studies from Bowdoin College, where he was awarded The John H. Turner Prize in Latin American studies. For nearly a decade, Angarita worked in the corporate world before recently returning to the Eastern Shore, where he has been serving Gunston as a soccer coach and long-term substitute teacher.

Finally, Gunston welcomes Millicent Sheets as the new Math Department Chair. Previously Sheets worked part-time at Gunston as a teacher and a lacrosse coach and had a distinguished and lengthy career at The Country School in Easton, MD. Most recently, Sheets taught at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. She earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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

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Filed Under: Ed Notes Tagged With: Education, Gunston School, local news, The Talbot Spy

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