After exchanging a handshake with Head of School John Lewis, newcomers signed the school’s Honor Code, and made their way up the hill to greet fellow students and current staff and faculty. Parents and family members were invited to watch from the shoreline as students arrived. In all,15 boats made their way down the Corsica River to Gunston’s docks, all captained by parent and community volunteers. Once all new students and staff arrived by boat, they made their way to the Field House for Convocation where they were greeted by Student Body President Eamon Schopfer ’26. After ringing an antique bell from Gunston’s days as an all-girls boarding school, Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis declared, “Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year!”

 

In addition to students, Gunston welcomed several new faculty, staff, and board members, some of whom joined the team mid-year during the 24-25 school year. Math Teacher Kevin Dachille began his career in finance before transitioning to teaching at Cristo Rey School in Baltimore, where he also coached lacrosse and soccer. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Loyola University.​ As Gunston’s new Director of Technology, Brent Cernak oversees campus technology systems and support. He brings professional experience from Dixon in Chestertown and earned his degree from Salisbury University. Erin DeFalco joins Gunston as Associate Athletic Director after many years at Severn School. She oversees transportation, waterfront athletics, and supports athletic programming across campus. She holds degrees from Salisbury University and Georgetown University.

 

Gunston is delighted to welcome three new board members. Tom Hipp brings with him more than 30 years of experience in financial services, including leadership roles at Nantucket Multi Managers, Attalus Capital, and The Haverford Trust Company. He has also served on several nonprofit boards, including The HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy and ALS United of Greater Philadelphia. Justin Nonemaker, P’27’29, is co-founding partner of ShoreGate Partners, a real estate firm based in Easton, Md. He previously held positions at Meritage Properties and Goldman Sachs and has served as Board Chair at The Country School and trustee of the Avalon Foundation. Ildi Watkins, P’26’28, retired from the U.S. State Department after a career that included serving as Deputy Director of Language Testing at the Foreign Service Institute. She is President of the Gunston Parents’ Association, Treasurer of The Chris Lantos Foundation, and active in several local community organizations.