Dear Gunston Community:
The 2016-2017 school year has successfully concluded, and here's hoping that everyone is enjoying a peaceful and restful summer holiday. Certainly the Lewis family is spending some nice family time at the pool (and on the Corsica River) as we soak in the Eastern Shore summer. Although Gunston's offices are open for work on scheduling, completing various projects, and preparing to welcome the incoming Class of 2021, the pace is much more relaxed.
The end-of-the-year is a flurry of activity, so I wanted to provide you with a "Top 10" wrap-up of Gunston updates and happenings.
1. Let me congratulate the 42 talented graduates of the Class of 2017. The Green and White Awards and Graduation ceremonies showcased their remarkable academic, athletic, and artistic achievements, and we offer them heartfelt wishes as they matriculate to a diverse and prestigious set of colleges and universities. Perhaps most notably, this year's graduates were awarded nearly $5 million in merit scholarship aid--an average of over $100,000 per student--an impressive accomplishment!
2. We learned in early June that Gunston was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund to create a best-in-class campus stormwater management system. Beyond allowing us to address significant stormwater issues on the main part of campus, it will provide funds to rebuild the hill down to the waterfront, thus helping us to improve student access and reduce erosion. This grant triggers matching funds from the Chester River Association and Queen Anne's County, so the grant's overall value is nearly $250,000. Our Sustainability Coordinator, Ms. Emily Beck, deserves the bulk of the credit for coordinating this, and Mr. Ernie Darling has been instrumental in helping to educate and inform the various grant-visitors.
3. Earlier this week, seven members of Gunston's faculty and administrative team--Ms. Beck, Mrs. Newell, Mr. Weimer, Mr. Granger, Dr. Lipchock, Mr. McFarland, and Mr. Lewis--retreated for 3-days of curriculum planning for Gunston's Chesapeake Watershed Semester program. The CWS, which will be available to juniors and seniors during the 2018-2019 school year, is an innovative, immersive, and interdisciplinary educational experience embedded within our unique watershed. We had a large group of interested students attend a recent open house, and I would encourage all families to review the program's website, and to contact Ms. Beck at ebeck@gunston.org if your child might be interested in participating.
4. We are excited to welcome several new members of our faculty and staff. Dr. Mike Davenport is our new Assistant Athletic Director for Waterfront Athletics and Rowing Coach. He's the former Assistant Athletic Director at Washington College, a major figure in US Rowing, and a former NCAA Coach of the Year (2013). Our new Math Department Chair is Dr. Shahpour Ahmadi, who joins us from Morgan State University, where he has been an award-winning instructor. He earned his EdD in Mathematics Education, and has a M.S. from Johns Hopkins University. Our new Director of Global Programs is Mr. David Miller. He is a Kenyon College graduate who arrives from the M.A. program at Middlebury College's School for International Training, perhaps the world's most noted institution for global learning. He arrives in July. Mrs. Tammy Boone, who has served as a talented and effective tutor and mentor to many students during her time at Gunston, will join us full-time as the coordinator of our Academic Support Center. Please also welcome Ms. Sanita Newsome, who joins us as a temporary employee, covering Mrs. Nicole Stimpson's former duties as Admissions Associate. Finally, we are interviewing strong Director of Technology candidates, and we will update you when this position is filled.
5. Let me thank everyone who has contributed to this year's Heron Annual Fund and encourage those who have not yet participated to do so. We've raised over $160,000, and we have high rates of participation from all grade levels. I cannot stress enough how important it is to participate in the Heron Annual Fund. These funds are essential for helping Gunston provide enrichment opportunities for students and faculty. Congratulations to our Director of Advancement, Mrs. Joanna Pierce, for her great work on this. Our fiscal year ends on June 30, so please contribute before then!
6. Though progress is slower than we'd like it to be, the renovation of Heron House is marching ahead. The formal architectural plans have been received, and we await the permits to break ground. We expect construction to commence by the end of the summer, and we look forward to opening this exciting new space for our student-athletes.
7. In addition, Gunston is excited to install fiber optic cable on campus this summer. For several years, our rural location has limited our bandwidth capacity, but this summer's fiber project will ensure that we can take full advantage of the diverse array of instructional technologies that have emerged.
8. This summer, Gunston welcomes over 1,000 students from our local community through our YMCA Camp Gunston and Horizons programs. The first week of Y camp was sold out, and many of the counselors are Gunston students and graduates. Our Horizons program, which seeks to prevent "summer slide" for underprivileged Queen Anne's county students, continues to grow and provide essential educational experiences (and swim lessons!) for the students enrolled.
9. Let me encourage everyone in the Gunston community to pick up this summer's "community read"--the book Journey of the Universe (Yale UP, 2011)--by Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme and Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker. Dr. Tucker, who will be our featured speaker at this year's In Celebration of Books event, is a senior lecturer and research scholar at both the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale's Divinity School. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale. The book, which is an epic story of the emergence of the universe and of the community of life, also inspired an award-winning PBS program.
10. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not congratulate the White Team for breaking the Green Team's multi-year Green vs. White winning streak. As a loyal Green teamer myself, I am asking all Green Team members to 1) run 5 miles each day this summer, 2) consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates, 3) lift weights multiple times per week, and most importantly, 4) buy a pint of ice cream and/or a fast food meal for any White team member you come across this summer. We need to get that Green and White cup back!
I'll be around most of the summer, so please give me a ring or stop by!
Warm Regards,
Mr. Lewis
jlewis@gunston.org