Centreville, MD-The Gunston School welcomes forty-one ninth grade students this fall, and kicked off their school year Tuesday with a special orientation program including icebreakers and group challenges, a pool party, picnic with upperclass leaders, and an overnight stay at Camp Pecometh. On Wednesday, joined by several new students in tenth and eleventh grades, they learned more about the school’s program and specific efforts in environmental sustainability, global awareness, and digital citizenship. In reflecting on the challenge course and his overnight experience, one student commented: “I had a lot of fun! It was great to get to know all my classmates before diving into classes on the first day, and to meet some older students who have been through the same experience when they were just starting at Gunston.”
While academic classes on Tuesday, September 6, Gunston’s 9th Grade Retreat experience is designed to help the class grow together as a group and to alleviate some of the social anxieties of entering a new school, as students learn what to expect from the intellectual challenges of Gunston’s rich academic program. Headmaster John Lewis, Assistant Head Christie Grabis, and student leaders spoke with the freshmen Tuesday evening, asking them to consider both their hopes and their fears as they look forward to the growth they will experience in the coming years. In discussing their goals and aspirations for this school year, students were excited about meeting new friends, learning to organize their time in the high school environment, and getting involved in athletics and other student organizations on campus.
“Every year I look forward to these two days and the chance to welcome another talented and engaged incoming class that reflects our mission and our values so well,” affirmed Mark Wiening, Dean of Students. “It is already clear that this group of students will both work hard and play hard, with each other and with their faculty mentors, throughout their Gunston experience together. I am excited to watch as the Class of 2020 defines its own legacy of creativity, camaraderie, and academic excellence in the coming years.”
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