On Sunday, April 3, Gunston 9th grader Logan Kille, of Centreville, Md., was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Only 8% of Boy Scouts earn this award, and Kille is especially notable for the short time it took him to reach this unique milestone. He was joined by family, friends, fellow scouts, Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney Lance Richardson, County Commissioner Jack Wilson, and Executive Director of Chesterwye Laura Langseth. During the ceremony, Kille was praised for his remarkable Eagle Project where he completed a series of facilities upgrades and beautification improvements to support the residents of Chesterwye—a local organization that assists people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with independent living. For his efforts, at the ceremony Commissioner Wilson offered Kille a formal proclamation that declared April 3rd, 2022, Logan Kille Day in Queen Anne’s County.

Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis and Assistant Head Christie Grabis joined Kille at the ceremony. Lewis noted, “I can’t get over how much Logan has accomplished as a Boy Scout. He is a living legend in his current troop, having already earned the rank of Eagle and 51 merit badges. At the same time, he was praised as a ‘servant leader’ who is humble about his accomplishments. Meanwhile, his Eagle Project—completed during the height of COVID—has made a transformative impact at Chesterwye. It involved nearly a thousand hours and over $4,000 dollars of raised funds. We were honored to attend, and proud to call Logan a Gunston student. Also, if I ever get lost in the woods, I hope Logan is around the corner!”

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.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce Autumn Watson ’23 was selected as a delegate (District 7630) for the 2022 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). RYLA is an intense leadership-training experience designed to recognize, encourage, and further the knowledge and skills of 11th grade high school students who have a demonstrated leadership potential and a heart for community service.

Watson, along with more than 100 other students from area high schools attended an intense weekend of lectures, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences that focus on the development of leadership skills and increasing awareness of critical public issues, community concerns, youth-related issues, and service/career opportunities. The weekend kicked off with students packing more than 10,000 Meals of Hope breakfasts for local food pantries.

RYLA was held in Ocean City, Md., this past February. “Even though you may already be (or think you are) a great leader, you can always learn more and get new things out of an experience or help others along their journey to becoming a great leader,” said Watson.

Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis (also a member of Centreville Rotary) shared, “Rotary believes that leadership is a teachable skill, and each year students return from this conference with valuable insights about how to turn good ideas into meaningful realities. For motivated students like Autumn, this can be a life-changing and world-changing experience.”

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.

The Gunston School and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) are proud to announce the receipt of grants from the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) and Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLAES). Gunston’s environmental programs expand beyond the classroom to include the nationally-recognized Chesapeake Bay Studies (a four-year program and graduation requirement for all students), annual Earth Day celebrations, and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester, which is open to the public for any 11th and 12th grade students. CWS offers the opportunity to travel across the watershed over five different learning expeditions. These grants support student research on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration along our waterfront and transportation to field study locations.

The SAV restoration project allows students to take part in a multi-state effort to restore SAV beds in Chesapeake Bay. By doing so, students collaborate on research methods and experience ecological restoration firsthand. “This project supports Gunston’s efforts to offer real-world research opportunities and climate education to its students,” explains CWS Director Emily Beck. The grant also provides field sampling equipment including salinity probes, Secchi discs, turbidity sensors, sediment sorting equipment, and additional reagents for the school’s Lamotte Colorimeter to allow students to participate in site assessment and data collection.

To learn more about SAV’s and how to become involved, check out ShoreRivers and their work in SAV monitoring and restoration, and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Restoration Guide.

Officially integrated into the curriculum in 1994, environmental programming at Gunston continues to outpace and exceed national standards almost three decades later with its immersive and hands-on learning experiences. “For students in the 21st century, learning the skills of preserving and stewarding the natural environment is essential, and Gunston believes that we have an educational and moral responsibility to teach students how to live in a sustainable manner,” said Head of School John Lewis.

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.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that Julia Buchanan ’23 and Jessica Hammond ’24 were selected as student summit leaders for the 2022 Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit (USYEAS). The March 19th conference focused on “The Power of Youth,”  and was held at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. The summit celebrated students who take environmental issues into their own hands, offering the opportunity to get advice from environmental action experts, network with professionals in green career fields, and learn more about student environmental action from their peers.

Bucchanan recently finished the Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS), the Gunston School’s semester-based program that focuses on environmental science, leadership, and policy. Hammond is a Girl Scout working on her Gold Award project which will help prevent erosion by using oysters and has plans to attend the CWS program in the fall of 2022.

“As student leaders, first and foremost we were responsible for being models for behavior and action,” Buchanan explained. “So this meant showing people why it was important to get outside, to advocate for the environment, and to show people what action they could take.” In addition to a presentation, summit leaders were responsible for getting the word out and were tasked with creating social media posts, videos, and promotional flyers as well as setting the overall tone for the summit itself. “We wanted it to be something fun, something students wanted to dedicate their Saturday to, so we did our best to think up some fun activities that would make the summit interesting,” she recalls.

Hammond adds, “I have always been interested in the environment and when I understood about the effects of climate change and the scale of the issues, I decided I want to learn how I can help.”

“These two students showed a particularly high level of independence in applying to be leaders at the summit,” said CWS Faculty Ronnie Vesnaver. “What is so wonderful about environmental education is that it inspires students to act. These students stepped up to do just that while also communicating the importance of an essential part of environmentalism– connecting with and celebrating the natural world.” The following are excerpts from their presentations:

“One source of inspiration for me and many of my peers are youth climate activists. People like Greta Thunberg and her colleagues have taught me how change is driven by passion, not by age, gender, or race. […] One person who is such an inspiration to me is Melati Wijsen, who, at only 12 years old started a movement called ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ in 2013. Melati, along with the people in her movement, accomplished getting rid of plastic bags, straws, and styrofoam all throughout Bali by 2019. This resonates and has deeply inspired me. In middle school, I participated in a project [and] made reusable bags and stood outside of stores [in Easton] trying to convince people to go plastic free. These youths are such an inspiration for me and hopefully you as well! Every single person will be affected by climate change if it has not affected you already. However, the first step to solving a problem is to learn about the issues and find the best solutions, which is why we are here today.”

– Jessica Hammond ’24.

“To the older generations, climate change is something new and unfamiliar. These generations associate our lack of time on this planet to lack of knowledge about environmental issues. However, to us, these issues are something we’ve been hyper aware of since we were young. We’ve grown up seeing the effects of climate change, unlike most of the generations before us. While youth activists can be sources of inspiration, so can the environment itself. It can provide you with a sense of calm, through its slow flowing rivers, lush green landscapes, and the sound of wind through the trees. Or it might provide for you a sense of power, with its roaring waterfalls, strong winds, and cracks of thunder. To me, and maybe to you, the environment instills a sense of pride. […] The first step of environmental action is getting out in nature and understanding what the environment means to you. […] Why should you care? This is why it is so important to get out into the world around you, to understand those feelings connected with nature, and why things are the way they are. If we don’t get outside and explore the world around us, then how are we supposed to be passionate about changing it?”

– Julia Buchanan ’23

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.

The Gunston School will be holding its spring fundraiser, Golfing “fore” Gunston III, on Monday, May 2, 2022 at Prospect Bay Country Club in Grasonville, Md. The day begins with a continental breakfast on the patio overlooking the greens before teeing off with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Refreshments and food will be served throughout the day. An awards ceremony will follow with prizes for (Men and Women’s) First Place, Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, and “Last Place” winners. Golfers will be vying to win prizes such as a Bat-Caddy X3R Remote Control Cart, MNML MV2 Golf Bags, Under Armour gear, Pro Shop gift cards, and more. This year’s event includes activities such as lunch and tennis with a pro for those who may not golf, but would like to show their support by connecting with other members of the Gunston community.

Additionally, beginning on Friday, April 29, the Gunston’s Biddersnest online silent auction will go live, offering the chance to bid on items such as dinner for four and a golf simulator session, a full day Gunston Watershed Experience for a family of 4-6 plus lunch, Tastings Gourmet Cheese and Charcuterie Platter for 10, Dogwood Acres golf-themed doggy basket, spa packages, and a weekend getaway. Auction winners will be announced at the golf awards ceremony on May 2.

Golf registration is $175 per player or $675 per foursome and $165 for alumni golfers and $650 for alumni foursomes. Sponsorships are also available, ranging from $150 up to $3,000 and include the opportunity for businesses to get their name and logo in front of the entire Gunston community of students, parents, alumni, and local community members.

Sponsorships and donations allow Gunston the ability to offer more than 60% of its students financial aid, as well as provide opportunities for students and faculty to travel to leadership conferences, robotic competitions, environmental trips, and more.

Tournament sponsors include Fred Frederick of Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P ’23 ’25), Dani & Rick de los Reyes, P’23, and What’s Up? Media Company. The Crush Station sponsor is Alice Ryan ’75. Ceremony sponsors include Sugar Doodles Sweet Shop (The Brown Family, P ’23 ’24), Gillespie & Son, Inc. (The Gillespie Family, P’20 ’22 ’24) and Friends of Gunston. Refreshment sponsors include Mirando Chiropractic Center (Kristy & Dominick Mirando, P’25) and Dr. Laurie Lewis and John Lewis. Hole sponsors include Sara Jane Davidson, Tred Avon Family Wealth, The Thomas Family, The Sanderson Family, and Reliable Pest Control.

Visit https://www.gunston.org/golf22 to register for the outing or a sponsorship (or both!), or call Event Director Lynda Scull at 410-758-0620, ext. 1101 or email lscull@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.

The Gunston School Robotics Team, the ‘Honey Nut Gearios,’ captured the number one ranking out of 36 teams at the First Tech Challenge (FTC)  Laurel qualifier on February 5. The robotics team now advances to the FTC Regional Championship for Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. on April 8 & 9. Additionally, the software team, led by Ju Lee ’22 with Damian Rene ’23, won second place in the Control Award category.

The Regional Championship will be held at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va. The top three teams will then go on to the world championship in Texas.

“I’m incredibly proud of these students, and they worked beautifully together as a team,” shared coach and Science Department Chair Dr. Ken Wilson “They labored afternoons and weekends for months, and they triumphed over some of the top high schools in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.” Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis added, “Dr. Wilson is a gifted physicist and coach, and we’re so grateful for his commitment to building a superb and comprehensive robotics program at Gunston.”

For this qualifier, Samantha LeCrone ’22 acted as coach with Robert Crow ’22 as the driver, Andrew Steele ’22 operating the robot arm, and Damian Rene ’23 and Ju Lee ’22 in charge of the software.

Additional team members not at the competition include Ashton Seaman ’22, Noah Friel ’22 and Alex Bent ’25 (hardware), Grace Evans ’23 (branding, public relations and portfolio) and Ava Duvall ’22 (3D printing of specialty parts). Click here to read more about Gunston Robotics.

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.

The Gunston Players are pleased to announce that their upcoming production of “The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet” by Stephen Frankenfield will take place on February 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and February 27 at 2 p.m. at the Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Md. Tickets to this show are free, however space is limited to first come, first served.

A light hearted comedy, the plot follows the story of a dysfunctional rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet in which many familiar characters intrude on the production, creating complete chaos including (but not limited to) Shakespeare, “Datman” (Batman), Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, and many more. The show will be accompanied with music by Gunston musicians The Brookletts.

The play is directed by Performing Arts Chair Dr. Ryan Asprion with fellow faculty member Katelyn Larrimore as assistant director. For those unable to attend, there will be a virtual live stream available on Gunston’s YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGunstonSchool.

“After such a tumultuous year of Covid restrictions, we are excited to bring this comedy to the stage. It’s great to see the students enjoying themselves and all enjoying a good laugh together. I think the audience will really appreciate the comic relief!” said Dr. Asprion.

For more information about Gunston’s performing arts program, contact rasprion@gunston.org or call 410-758-0620.

Church Hill Theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street, Church Hill, Md., and requires proof of vaccination for all guests. Please visit churchhilltheatre.org for more information about this policy.

The Gunston School’s Fine Arts & Performing Arts Departments held their annual Night of the Arts on December 9 to celebrate the creative talents of its students. Guests booked half-hour gallery tours from 5-7 p.m. and began the evening with warm beverages and snacks. From there, student ambassadors led groups through campus where they viewed a wide variety of paintings, photographs, mixed media prints, pottery, wood sculptures, and even 3D printed projects.

Guests also enjoyed a variety of performances by the handbell ensemble, contemporary band (“The Back Packs”) featuring vocals by Tess Kontarinis ’23, solo acts on the piano and guitar, short films, and a sneak peak of some of the funniest scenes from the upcoming February 25-27, 2022 production of the Gunston Players’ “The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet.”

Photo: Dean of Students and former performing arts chair Mark Wiening studies the advanced placement art portfolio of Nora FauntLeRoy ’22. “In my various works of art, I chose to explore my backyard. […] I decided to show how I have interacted with different species, and change the perspective of how we see these living creatures. By changing either the size of myself or the subject focused on in my works, I was able to create a different reality of their lives, and make them feel a bit more real.” – Nora FauntLeRoy. Materials used: colored pencil, drawing paper, marker paints, and watercolor.

Gunston’s small class sizes allow faculty the ability to offer students the chance to learn and practice unique forms of art such as silk screening or lithography. Fine Arts Department Chair Victoria Windmiller explains, “Every student learns and practices the basics such as drawing and painting, and everyone has the opportunity to build upon a strong foundation to pursue whatever interest they have, be it traditional photography in our dark room, digital artwork, mixed media, or something completely new. There are an infinite number of ways to approach the same project, and students are encouraged to take their own creative approach and to think unconventionally.”

Challenging students to create their own forms of artistic expression is also something encouraged in the Performing Arts Department, headed by Dr. Ryan Asprion. One such project, “Music in Film Projects” by Yining Wei ’23, Maddie Algier ’23, and Marilyn Prud’homme ’24 is a perfect collaboration of fine and performing arts that includes graphic design (opening and ending credits) and costume design, with the challenge of creating sound effects with non-conventional materials, filming, editing, acting, and even writing and producing infomercials.

Many graduates who have gone on to pursue careers in the arts (including costume design, art conservation, museum exhibition design, film, photography) credit Gunston’s art program as their inspiration, and many more still appreciate and use the skills they learned under Mr. Ben Dize, former chair of the fine arts department who retired from full time teaching last spring (but still teaches the beloved woodworking class each semester).

“My philosophy is that everyone can learn to do art,” explains Mr. Dize. “Not everyone can become a great artist, but everyone can learn to produce a visual image that is satisfying to themselves.”

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. 

Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis has been selected to join a small cohort of experienced national and international school heads for the 2021 Klingenstein Head of School Fellowship in late January. The highly-selective program grants admission to just 20 heads of school annually and offers a fully-funded, two-week fellowship at Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York City.

The Klingenstein program’s goal is to offer veteran heads of school an intensive and inspirational mid-career professional development experience focusing on current educational issues, educational philosophy and ethics, and reflective practice. Throughout the program, the visiting heads engage in design thinking and case study work with Klingenstein master’s students, and visit independent schools in New York city to observe a variety of programs and ideas.

Now in his 12th year at Gunston, Lewis’s tenure has seen robust enrollment growth, significant enhancement in facilities, the development of the Horizons and YMCA summer programs, curricular innovation, and in 2018, the launch of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester. Prior to Gunston, Lewis served in various teaching and leadership roles at Ranney School in New Jersey, as well as at international schools in Singapore and Ecuador.

“The board of trustees was excited to learn of John’s acceptance to the Klingenstein Fellowship Program,” said Gunston’s Chair of the Board Patrick Shoemaker ’03. “Given John’s steady commitment to professional development, both for himself and his academic team, we are delighted that he will have this opportunity to experience such a renowned program. In addition to bringing back experiences learned during the fellowship, we’re hopeful that John will be able to share what he’s learned transforming Gunston over the past decade with other participants.”

“I’ve always hoped to have the opportunity to do this fellowship,” shared Lewis, “and I was humbled and excited to be selected. When I was a master’s student at Teachers College in 2002-2003, one of the most engaging experiences I had involved working with the Klingenstein Visiting Heads.

A key part of the Klingenstein Program is the opportunity to explore specific questions related to their own specific interests and school community. The Klingenstein Center at Teachers College at Columbia University was founded in 1977, and it is the premier center for academic research, education, and training of independent school teachers and leaders. The Center currently has over 4,000 alumni serving in 49 states and 60 countries.

“In my application,” explained Lewis, “I shared that I wanted to explore some of these questions: How can I support an increasingly diverse student, family and colleague population? What are the key technology and workplace changes that will impact schools moving forward? How are the most innovative schools structuring themselves to support student learning? And specifically to Gunston, how can we sustain a ‘sustainability mindset’ so that students are prepared to navigate a world in ecological crisis?”

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. 

The Gunston School welcomed students, parents, alumni, community supporters, and even a few canine runners on Saturday, November 20th for the Heron Hustle 5K + 1M Fun Run, raising just over $10,000 for the school’s Heron Annual Fund. Athletic Director Josh Breto welcomed the crowd and the 5K runners took off a little after 8 a.m., followed by those running the one mile. Both routes wove through the school’s 35-acre waterfront campus and finished down the tree-lined drive.

Coming in first place for the 5K under 18/male category was Colin Hallmark ’24 (18:58), followed by Aidan Trautman ’23 in second (20:09), and Zach Mozher ’23 in third (20:40). For the 5K over 18/male category, Dylan Hurlock came in first (20:22), followed by Sam Umidi ’19 in second (20:46), and Robert Stephenson in third (21:05).

For the 5K under 18/female category, Allie Fitzgerald ’24 came in first (24:25), followed by Zoe Buzzelli ’24 in second (24:55). For the 5K over 18/female category, first place went to Dani de los Reyes, P’24 (26:36), with Jayci Frederick coming second (27:40), and Jen Traver in third place (28:46).

Top winners in the one mile fun run include (under 18/female) Eli Ireland ’23 (8:47) and Lily Brantner ’25 (10:49), and (over 18/female) winners were Adele Showalter, P’25 (9:11), Jessica Newell (9:40), and Jillian Frederick (10:03). Alex Bent ’25 placed first for the under 18/male category (10:13) and Wallace Tieman placed first for the over 18/male category (19:18).

Prizes included an Under Armour Jacket (to be embroidered with their name) and gift cards to St. Michaels Running Company for top winners, with those in second and third receiving other Gunston swag such as an embroidered bookbag, runner’s utility belt, gift cards, and more. Ninth grade chemistry teacher Adele Showalter (and first place for over 18/female 1M) won 25 points for the school’s Green Team by running in the best head-to-toe spirit gear, and for their first place finishes, Colin Hallmark earned 25 points for the White Team and Allie Fitzgerald earned the same for the Green Team. Overall, Gunston’s White Team had the most registrations, earning 50 points.

“A big thanks to everyone who came out,” said Event Director Lynda Scull, “and those at home who signed up to run virtually to show their support. Additionally, thanks to TriCycle and Run for tracking the times.”

Premiere race sponsors include Heron Heroes Dani & Rick de los Reyes, P’24, Fred Frederick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23 ’25), and Friends of Gunston (anonymous).

Award sponsors include Sugar Doodles Sweet Shop (Heron Heroes, the Brown Family), Gillespie & Son, Inc. (Heron Heroes, the Gillespie Family, P’20’22’24), St. Michaels Running Company, Tidewater Physical Therapy, and KRM Construction.

Heron Heroes Dr. Laurie Lewis & John Lewis were Sneaker sponsors, and Finish line sponsors include the Corbi Family, the Watkins Family, Joyce Shemer Keating, the Thomas Family, and the Hansen Family.

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.