August Community Letter

August 10, 2017

Dear Gunston Community:

In early July, the Lewis Family moved out of the current Headmaster's House to make way for Heron House—Gunston's new athletic center on our waterfront. Barring unplanned delays, we expect the construction process to commence this fall, and this wonderful new facility will serve all of our student-athletes with a new fitness room, a erg/cardio space, and spacious team and teaching rooms.

Since my wife and I have moved several times during our marriage, we now have enough packing experience to avoid most moving-related marital strain, and we segmented our duties accordingly. This time, for instance, we avoided an old bugaboo—hanging pictures—and thanks to the help of Mr. Ernie Darling, I was able to absent myself from a process that traditionally ends up with one of us yelling, "I don't care what the level says, it's not straight!" Yet old habits die hard, and in the same way that I couldn't resist saying, "Honey, do we need all of these throw pillows?", she was unable to resist commenting, "Sweetie, maybe you should think about donating some of those books."

Asking me to pack up a box of books is like asking a child to pack up a box of toys—instead of working, I end up playing. Thus, while Mr. Darling and my wife Laurie hung photos, I curled up with a long-lost treasure—a book that speaks directly to the most important curricular work we're doing at Gunston: my signed copy of Dr. E.O. Wilson's Consilience (Vintage, 1999). One of the world's leading scientists and a professor at Harvard, I vividly remember meeting Dr. Wilson at an event at the National Press Club, and he has become one of my favorite writers. His Consilience is a sharp critique of what he calls "the fragmentation of knowledge" that developed in academia during the 20th Century, and it describes how high walls were built between the various academic disciplines, and how few scholars saw value in collaborating beyond their narrow disciplinary boundaries of subjects like Biology, Ethics, Political Science, Sociology, etc. Yet, writes Wilson, here is the problem:

Most of the issues that vex humanity daily--ethnic conflict, arms escalation, overpopulation, abortion, environment, endemic poverty, to cite several most persistently before us--cannot be solved without integrating knowledge from the natural sciences with that of the social sciences and humanities. Only fluency across the boundaries will provide a clear view of the world as it really is, not as seen through the lens of ideologies, or commanded by myopic response to immediate need.

To combat this fragmentation of knowledge, he stresses the value of "consilience"—a term defined as "literally a 'jumping together' of knowledge by linking the facts and fact-based theory across disciplines to create a common groundwork of explanation." At the college and university level, many schools have taken Wilson's notion to heart, and in many places (I think of Harvard's Mind, Brain, and Education Institute or Stanford's Digital Humanities Institute) cross-disciplinary collaboration is thriving.

Yet K-12 schools, mostly constrained by tradition and inertia, continue to maintain rigid boundaries between different academic disciplines—English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, History, Art, etc.—and fail to provide students opportunities to make connections beyond those boundaries. It is important to note that Dr. Wilson does not denigrate the traditional academic disciplines; indeed, he stresses that all students should develop fundamental skills in reading and writing, scientific thinking, foreign language, mathematical reasoning, the social sciences, and the arts. Rather, the simple focus of his argument is that academic disciplines must never remain isolated from one another. He stresses that the best way to support students in making these connections is a curriculum that engages with real-world issues.

At Gunston, there are two primary ways we seek to promote a consilience-mindset among our students. First, we now enter our third year of integrating the Education for Sustainability (EfS) curriculum framework. EfS inspires students to think about the world, their relationship to it, and their ability to reflect upon and influence important issues like economic vitality, environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusivity, and cultural preservation and transformation. In every grade and academic discipline, and using various problem-based and inquiry-based approaches, we are seeking to design academic experiences that will help fulfill a core promise of Gunston's mission: "to educate ethically and environmentally minded scholars, citizens, and leaders for our globalized society."

In addition, Gunston is launching our new and innovative Chesapeake Watershed Semester program in the Fall of 2018. Designed like well-known semester programs such as The Island School and the High Mountain Institute, and using the entire Chesapeake Bay region as a classroom, CWS will initially be an opportunity available to 11th and 12th grade Gunston students before the program plans to expand to invite students from around the region and the country. The program will feature a unique focus on environmental science and public policy, and aims to cultivate reflective, confident student-leaders. This summer featured a productive curriculum-design retreat, and if ever there was a program designed to emphasize "consilience", the CWS is it. Let me ask all families to take some some time to review the Chesapeake Watershed Semester website, and/or reach out to the program director, Ms. Emily Beck, for more information.

We expect this to be another great academic year. Thus, as the start of school inches closer, I wanted to alert you to a few important dates:

Host Family Orientation - August 14th: This event, starting at 6:30 p.m. and held in the Konkel Atrium, is required for all host families, and will provide an excellent introduction to the dynamics of hosting and our school's international student/family guidelines.
International Family/Student BBQ - August 20th: This event brings together international students and their host families, and is designed to welcome all new international students to the campus. This event will also be held in the Konkel Atrium.
Student Leadership Institute - August 22nd and 23rd: This will be Gunston's third annual leadership program during which elected student leaders identify and develop their leadership style and set individual and team goals for the year. Mr. Mike Weber of Southwestern Consulting will facilitate day 2 of the program. Mr. Weber has over 21 years experience working with student groups around the country.
9th Grade Retreat - August 22nd and 23rd: Parents, please drop your children off in front of the Everdell Building at 8 a.m. (buses will run their morning pickup route that day). In regard to the retreat, please refer to the recent email communication for details.
Athletics Pre-Season Begins - August 23rd: Another great sports season begins! Details will be communicated by our Athletic Director, Mr. Jon Mellinger.
New Parent Orientation and Social - August 28th: This event starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Ryan Library and will end with light refreshments in the Konkel Atrium. This is a required event for all new families of incoming students.
Orientation for all new students - August 30th: During this program of orientation, students will connect with their advisors, receive their locker assignments, meet teachers, run through class schedules, and learn the school's technology protocols. The day will begin at 8:00 a.m., and will be followed by afternoon athletics. There will be bus transportation to/from school. Buses will depart at 4:30 p.m.
First Day of School and Embarkation - September 5th: This is a unique and remarkable Gunston event, and parent attendance is encouraged. All new students should report to the Centreville Wharf at 8 a.m. (buses will drop new students off at the wharf). School meeting begins for returning students at 8:10 a.m. All students should be in formal dress code (boys in a shirt-and-tie, no polos for boys or girls) and be prepared to attend all classes and athletics. This year, we will have a brief Convocation in the Field House to celebrate the arrival of our new students. As this event draws near, we will send additional details.
Heron Family Tailgate- September 8th at 5:30: Join the entire Gunston community at the tennis pavilion for a tailgate to kick-off the new school year and show some Heron spirit! All families are asked to provide a side dish or dessert.
Back to School Dance - September 9th: This is our first student dance of the year, and will be held in the Konkel Atrium from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Picture Day - September 15th: Complete details to follow.
Back to School Night - September 18th: An evening for parents, details of this evening will be in The Gunston Weekly.
The Gunston "Bull & Oyster Roast" – Evening of October 14th: PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE. The Bull Roast serves as our most important fundraiser of the school year, and it is huge fun! Every family's support is necessary for this event's success, and we encourage every parent to attend.

Each year, we welcome talented new faculty members and administrators onto Team Gunston, and they bring their unique skills and talents to enrich the Gunston community. Please welcome:

Our new Director of Global Programs and Diversity, Mr. David Miller. After earning his B.A. in English (with a minor in Chinese) from Kenyon College, Mr. Miller spent two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Seattle. He recently earned his M.A. in International Education from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, where his thesis was "Internationalizing Secondary Schools by Growing Global Programs." He is experienced and widely traveled, and he was most recently at Avenues: The World School in New York City as part of their global programs administrative team.
As our waterfront athletics program continues to grow and thrive, we welcome Dr. Mike Davenport as our new Assistant Athletic Director for Waterfront Athletics and Head Rowing Coach. Dr. Davenport comes to us from a distinguished administrative, teaching, and coaching career at Washington College, where he was a four-time winner of the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Association's Coach of the Year Award, and where he was named the 2013 National Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. Beyond his work with our students and programs, he will also continue his long-time relationship with US Rowing and Community Rowing in Boston, where he will further best-practices in coaching and connect Gunston's program to a wider network of support. He earned a B.S. in Physical Oceanography from the Florida Institute of Technology, and his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University.
Leading our growing technology and computer science program is Mr. Thomas Chafey, who will serve as our Technology Coordinator and Computer Science Teacher. Mr. Chafey earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Frostburg State, and he most recently worked as a Systems Technician at EAG labs in Easton. An independent school graduate from Christchurch School in Virginia, Mr. Chafey is also an avid sailor. He served as an instructor at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and will be coaching sailing with Mr. Granger.
We are excited to welcome our new Math Department Chair, Dr. Shahpour Ahmadi. Dr. Ahmadi comes to us from Morgan State University, where he was an award-winning instructor. In addition to his teaching expertise, he brings extensive knowledge of curriculum development and classroom instructional technology integration. Having formerly worked both as an engineer and a secondary school math teacher, he earned his Ed.D. in Mathematics Education, and a M.S. in Math from Johns Hopkins University.
Our Science Department welcomes Mr. Zach Hoisington, who will be teaching Biology and coaching multiple sports. His professional experience includes work as a researcher at the University of Maryland's Horn Point Laboratory and as a science teacher at Sts. Peter and Paul High School. Mr. Hoisington earned his B.S. in Biology from Colorado College; while there, he was their lacrosse team Co-captain, an All-American, and 3-time SCAC Player of the Year. He will be coaching both boys soccer and lacrosse.
Ms. Kendall Davis joins Gunston as our Admissions/External Relations Associate. As a 2016 graduate of Washington College where she served as an Admissions Counselor, Ms. Davis will support Gunston's admissions office, enhance our communications and social media presence, and serve as the primary presence in the reception area. She has a B.A. in English and Theater, with minors in Creative Writing and Dance, and she is an experienced and accomplished dancer.
Finally, in the familiar faces, new places department, I am happy to announce that Ms. Emily Beck's administrative leadership role will be expanding as she takes on the role of Director of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester and Campus Sustainability.

Finally, I am happy to report that The Gunston School's enrollment remains robust. We expect to open this year with an all-time high of 196 students. Great communities attract great people, so I want to thank every member of the Gunston family for your continued support of this genuinely unique academic environment. As the school year approaches, please reach out to me if there is anything you might need. Looking forward to the year!

Regards,

John A. Lewis, IV

Headmaster