Education

Kent School Welcomes Moore and Usilton as New Teachers

July 10, 2020 by Kent School Leave a Comment

Nancy Mugele, Head of Kent School announced that two new teachers will join the Kent School faculty. Taylor Moore and Heidi Usilton will join Kent School for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Taylor Moore

Taylor Moore will be teaching Grades 7/8 Mathematics, as well as serving as the School’s Technology Coordinator. Taylor joins Kent School, most recently from Kent County High School where he has taught Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. Prior to that, he taught 7th Grade Math at Kent County Middle School. Taylor has also served as a technology coordinator, experienced in working with Apple products, as well with the Google platform. A reference noted, “Taylor’s ability to adjust quickly to different situations and present new material in creative ways, helped to ensure that his students were able to comprehend and readily adapt new skills.” Taylor graduated from Washington College with a BA in Economics and holds a Master of Science in Recreation and Sports Science from Ohio University. He has coached both baseball and wrestling at KCHS, and has worked previously for Ripken Baseball. Taylor will be bringing his passion for coaching to Kent School.

Heidi Usilton

Heidi Usilton will be teaching LIttle and Lower School Science. Heidi joins Kent School from Radcliffe Creek School where she has taught Science and Social Studies and, as a department chair, has overseen K-8 science curriculum for 23 years. Heidi is an environmental scientist and Chesapeake Bay enthusiast, and was named the Chesapeake Bay Trust Teacher of the Year 2007. She has taught for many summers at Echo Hill Outdoor School and developed their Little Explorers program for children. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of the Rock Hall Yacht Club summer Sailing School. A former colleague of Heidi’s said she is an “exemplary and inventive teacher who brings discovery and creativity to her work.” Heidi holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Georgia Southern University where she majored in Middle Grades with concentrations in Science and Art.

Mugele said, “Along with all members of the Kent School faculty this summer, Taylor and Heidi will become Google Educator Certified at Level One. They will also be taking summer courses with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL), and reading Neuroteach, an introduction to our work and commitment to mind, brain and education science through our partnership with the CTTL. We are excited to welcome them to Kent School, and I am confident they will bring a lot of creative energy and enthusiasm to our program.”

In addition to hiring two new teachers, Shawna Buckley will move from teaching Lower School Spanish to teaching Spanish to students in Grades Four through Eight. Shawna takes the place of former Spanish teacher, Betsey Hottel who announced her retirement earlier this year.

For more information visit www.kentschool.org or email info@kentschool.org. Kent School, located on the bank of the Chester River in historic Chestertown serves children from preschool through Grade 8.

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Virtual Tool-Sharpening Demo Scheduled for July 11

July 3, 2020 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., is hosting a virtual tool-sharpening workshop on Saturday, July 11, from 10–11:30am.

If taken care of properly, your edge tools can last generations. By keeping them well-honed, you will find they can cut like new every time. The workshop will cover the proper preparation, sharpening, and honing of hand plane irons and chisels. Participants will also learn the basic techniques to put a mirror finish on an aging tool collection.

The cost for the workshop is $10, with registration needed at cbmm.org/toolsharpening. A 20% discount (of $2) is available for CBMM members, who play a critical role in supporting CBMM’s rich legacy of educational programs, fascinating and ever-changing exhibitions, and maintenance of the largest collection of Chesapeake watercraft in the world, including access to exclusive discounts, perks, and programming. To learn more about becoming a CBMM member, visit cbmm.org/membership.

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KCPS Summer Program

July 3, 2020 by Kent County Public Library Leave a Comment

KCPS Summer KEEP Camp (Kent Exploration and Enrichment Program) started off strong the week of June 29th with virtual activities for our students! KCPS students in grades 1-8 join ZOOM sessions with our teachers, instructional assistants, and community partners. On June 24th KCPS campers received a generous box of resources and art supplies to promote learning and creativity at home. The supplies were packed and delivered with care by the summer staff. From June 29 through July 30th students will learn essential math and ELA state standards/concepts to help accelerate academic learning. They will also have the opportunity to attend virtual field trips and clubs with community partners. Some of these include: the Sultana Education Center, Echo Hill Outdoor School, Sassafras Environmental Education Center (SEEC), Washington College, University of Maryland Extension, Kids Spot, Turtle Dance Music, Kent County Public Library, Fit with Aundra, Fit Flock, our local illustrator Robbi Behr and writer Matthew Swanson, and donations form the Kent Cultural Alliance. Together, we are looking forward to an awesome summer together of learning and exploring virtually!

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Minding a Big Gap: Digital Divide Leaving Students Behind by Al Hammond

June 29, 2020 by Al Hammond 1 Comment

The Covid-19 pandemic has made profound changes in how we live. Many adults have had to adjust to working from home. But for school-age children, the change in their lives since schools closed this spring has been even greater. How are they coping with learning from home? The experience of two Eastern Shore counties—Talbot and Kent—suggests that distance learning can work, but that it doesn’t work for some children or even some teachers. The problems include:

The digital divide. Talbot and Kent are fortunate, because in both counties every schoolchild had already been issued a digital device (tablet, chromebook, macbook, depending on age). In both counties the majority of families with school-age children also have internet access at home—even if kids sometimes have to share it with parents working from home.

Interview with Kelly Griffith, Superintendent Talbot County Public Schools

But some children—as many as 15 percent—have no access at home, either because they live in remote locations or because their families can’t afford it. (In both counties, about 50 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.) Others have some access, maybe over a mobile phone, but not enough to stream a live session with a teacher or even to download a big homework file. So for these children, access means traveling to a WiFi hotspot, assuming that the family has a car and a parent at home who can drive them there and wait while the student goes online. Both counties have scrambled to provide more hotspots, working with county IT departments and commercial service providers; and both counties now have WiFi on their school buses, so that they serve as a kind of mobile hotspot. Talbot has also been mailing weekly packets of schoolwork to students who can’t get them any other way.

It’s not just students who lack access—so do some teachers is both counties. It’s a measure of their dedication that those teachers have been driving to school to deliver lessons from an empty classroom or even, in some cases, teaching from their car while parked at a WiFi hotspot.

Teachers are essential. As Bill Poore, Kent County Public School’s IT director says, “Zoom doesn’t replace a teacher’s hands-on help” with reading, or a stubborn arithmetic problem. And while some parents feel comfortable providing that kind of help at home, others do not—especially if it’s been a long time since they confronted an algebra problem or are simply not familiar with the devices and software tools that enable distance learning.

The schools are attempting to help: Kent County has adopted an on-line learning management system that simplifies things for kids or parents, and they have bought all-new devices for every student for the coming year. Talbot focused this past spring on basic topics that could be most easily grasped by a student or a parent without a teacher’s real-time presence (so-called “asynchronous learning”) and is working to have students catchup and finish any incompletes with week-long “boot camps” over the summer. But as Talbot County Public School’s Superintendent Kelly Griffith explains, “synchronous learning is important, because it increases student involvement.”

No one knows yet whether schools will be able to reopen in September, and even if they do, whether parents will feel comfortable sending their children while the pandemic is still active. So Griffith’s goal is to get everyone connected—to close the digital divide, one way or another—and she is seeking state permission for virtual programming. That might mean scheduled sessions with both teacher and students online together: English composition at 9, arithmetic at 10, science at 11.

Making rural broadband—and more effective learning—a policy priority. Last week, governor Larry Hogan announced a $45 million program to address the education digital divide. It includes a plan to build out wireless educational networks in western and southern parts of the state and on the Eastern Shore, using wireless frequencies reserved for educational use or other available frequencies. Hogan’s plan also includes money for devices and software tools, and for innovation grants to help public schools test new online educational strategies. It’s not likely that these new networks will be in place in time to help the coming school year, but it’s nonetheless a worthwhile effort that will eventually help to close the digital divide in rural Maryland.

The broader challenge, however, is to rethink education strategies. No matter how good the technology is, teachers will still need to play a central role. But why not design the educational process so that it happens seamlessly at school and at home? Why not use virtual reality tools (including virtual field trips) and hands-on interactive tools (such as 3D printers) to enhance student engagement—techniques now being rapidly adopted for industrial training? Why not use artificial intelligence tools to monitor student learning in real time and adjust the process individually to how each student learns best? It’s pertinent that in international comparisons, U.S. school children rank behind those of 12 other countries in reading and no better than 30th place in mathematics—and those dismal rankings haven’t changed in recent decades. Moreover the labor market is changing much faster than school curriculums—we’re going to need more software engineers and data managers and fewer truck drivers or assembly line workers.

Maybe the disruption of the schools by the pandemic—and the renewed attention to enabling every student to learn—will turn out to be the catalyst we need to reinvent education too.

Al Hammond was trained as a scientist (Stanford, Harvard) but became a distinguished science journalist, reporting for Science (a leading scientific journal) and many other technical and popular magazines and on a daily radio program for CBS. He subsequently founded and served as editor-in-chief for 4 national science-related publications as well as editor-in-chief for the United Nation’s bi-annual environmental report. More recently, he has written, edited, or contributed to many national assessments of scientific research for federal science agencies. Dr. Hammond makes his home in Chestertown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Dave Wheelan contributed to this article

Sultana Offers Launches Virtual Summer Programming

June 27, 2020 by Sultana Education Foundation Leave a Comment

The Sultana Education Foundation is pleased to announce that it has developed alternate camp options to keep young children engaged and active all summer long, replacing live, in-person programming.
SEF is offering two programs for children ages 3-7, featuring several themes and led by our professional staff. Participation is limited to 15 children per session and programs will run weekly from July 13 through August 28. Registration is available online at https://sultanaeducation.org/summer-programs/.

The programs include a program for Toddlers as well as a program for slightly older children. Virtual Toddler Time lets children explore the natural world through stories, songs, games, crafts, and other hands-on activities. Each session is one week-long with online Zoom meetings held M, W, F from 10:30-11:00 AM. Before camp, participants will receive a package in the mail filled with crafts and activities to last the session. The program price is set at $15/child/session.

Online Discovery Camp is filled with exciting experiences introducing children to the Chesapeake Bay. Before camp, participants receive a Discovery Box in the mail filled with craft supplies and materials designed to encourage exploration. Sessions will be 45 minutes in the morning (9:00 AM – 9:45 AM) and afternoon (4:00 PM – 4:45 PM) via Zoom in which participants read stories, play games, make crafts, and meet critters from the Holt Center’s Wet Lab. This program will run $50/child/session.

“Virtual Toddler Time and Online Discovery Camp will provide children with exciting opportunities to learn about the natural world in a way that is fun and engaging,” stated SEF’s Director of Science, Beth Lenker. “While the face to face interactions will take place online, sending materials directly to students in the mail prior to the start of each session makes the instruction as interactive as possible. We look forward to pioneering this new form of summer programming with our campers!”

The Sultana Education Foundation’s mission is to provide transformative educational experiences in which students investigate the natural and human history of the Chesapeake Bay while exploring solutions to create a more sustainable ecosystem.

The Radcliffe Creek School’s Change of Board of Trustees

June 24, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Rob Ditmars

The Radcliffe Creek School, Inc. Board of Trustees held their annual meeting on June 16, 2020. Susan Newton-Rhodes announced that she would be stepping down as Board President at the end of the RCS fiscal year 2020 to focus her energies more on the fundraising efforts for the school. She will be continuing to fully support Radcliffe with her husband, Frank, as they take an active role in assisting the Board and Meg Bamford, Head of School, to secure the financial position and future of the school. Susan has been an active Trustee and Officer over her 15+ year tenure at Radcliffe. All four (4) of her children attended Radcliffe Creek School. The Board is grateful for all of her hard work, dedication and expertise that has enabled our school to achieve its mission.

The Officers for the 2020-2021 school year were elected-

Robert “Rob” Ditmars, President
Brennan Starkey, Vice-President
Lynn Fleetwood, Secretary
Alan Austen, Treasurer

Rob Ditmars joined the Radcliffe Creek School Board of Trustees in January, 2019. He and his wife, Allison, moved to Kent County in the summer of 1993 and have called Still Pond their home since 1998. Rob owns and operates Still Pond Nursery Sales, Inc. whose principal location is in Millington, with satellite locations in Harrington and Georgetown, Delaware. His connection to Radcliffe comes by way of his children, who attended both Little Creek and Radcliffe Creek School’s K-8 program.

“I look forward t o heading up a great team of people. Each of us possess unique talents in areas of business and education and we are united in our goal to ensure this school continues to fulfill its mission. As with many not for profit institutions, the pandemic has brought about unfamiliar obstacles and additional challenges, both financially and operationally. In this new age of Coronavirus, the Board is dedicated to meeting these challenges head on by drawing a new blueprint for long term success.

The timing for re turning to the physical classroom is uncertain but Radcliffe’s mission and philosophy of empowering children who learn differently has not changed. Restrictions and protocols may make things look different, but the goal to providing an engaging curriculum tailored to each student remains paramount.

I commend the staff and leadership of Radcliffe Creek School, Radcliffe Reach and Little Creek for making the difficult switch to online learning in March and for enduring all the demands the learning platform brings. The tireless work to connect to every student and their family exemplifies “The Radcliffe Way”.

Radcliffe Creek School is essential to our community and the children it serves. As a board we will strive to ensure this wonderful institution remains the choice of families for the 2020 2021 school year and beyond. I especially look forward to the day when we can welcome everyone back through the doors of this extraordinary school.”

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KCPS Pre-Kindergarten / Kindergarten Registration Process for 2020-2021

June 18, 2020 by Kent County Public Schools Leave a Comment

Kent County Public School system has announced the dates for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for Kent County residents. Please contact your home school to schedule an appointment.

Spring Registration Dates:
Galena Elementary School July 9th & 13th 410-810-2510
H.H. Garnet Elementary School July 6th & 7th 410-778-6890
Rock Hall Elementary School July 13th & 16th 410-810-2622

PRE-KINDERGARTEN
Kent County Public Schools is pleased to offer FREE full day Pre-Kindergarten (locally and state funded) to all children who reside in Kent County and will be four years of age on or before September 1, 2020. The overall goal of the program is to provide learning experiences to develop and maintain school readiness skills necessary for successful school performance. The program achieves this goal by providing developmentally appropriate experiences that address the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of young children.

Income eligibility information is collected from all families as part of the registration process. Children who are economically disadvantaged, homeless, enrolled in preschool special education, limited English proficient, or exhibit lack of readiness will receive immediate notice of Pre-Kindergarten school assignment. Those who are eligible under other criteria will receive confirmation of school assignment on or before July 30th. In some cases, the parent/guardian may be responsible for transporting their child to and from school. We look forward to serving your family in the Kent County Public School District!

KINDERGARTEN
The State of Maryland requires children to attend kindergarten before entering first grade. Children who are five years of age by September 1, 2020 must register and attend kindergarten before entering first grade. There are some exceptions to the law:

Parents may:
-apply for a home school instruction program as an alternative to the school attendance requirement.
-request a one-year level of maturity waiver if they believe a delay in school attendance is in the best interest of their child.

Parents having questions about registration are invited to phone their area elementary school. County residents are also asked to contact the school’s principal if they know of a child who should be enrolled but whose family have not received registration information.

As a reminder, a regulation pertaining to lead poisoning went into effect in 2003 for students residing in areas designated as at risk for lead poisoning. Documentation from a physician will have to be provided that certifies that if the child resides in an at-risk area, or has ever resided in an at-risk area, has undergone blood testing for lead poisoning. Forms for this purpose will be available at the school.

Please contact your child’s home school to set up a registration day appointment.

On registration day, parents should bring the following documents:
-the child’s birth certificate
-the child’s completed immunization and Health inventory forms
-proof of residence (one of the following)
-electricity, gas, or water bill
-property tax/real estate tax bill
-lease or rental agreement
-contract of sale (including settlement or mortgage statement)
-homeowner’s/renter’s insurance statement/policy
-the child’s Social Security card
-the parent’s Drivers License Photo ID
-Guardianship: Proof of custody if not birth parent

For Pre-K only:
-proof of income
If claiming income eligible, a form will be completed during the application process and verified through the Supervisor of Student Services at the Central Office

Health Form: Part 1 of the health form must be filled out by a parent or guardian.
Part 2 of the health form must be completed by your family physician.

NOTE: IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN EXAMINED AFTER January 1, 2020 AND A COPY OF THE RESULTS IS PRESENTED AT REGISTRATION TIME, ANOTHER CHECKUP IS NOT REQUIRED.
Revised 06/16/2020

For further information, contact Gina Jachimowicz at 410-778-2355 or email gjachimowicz@kent.k12.md.us.

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Gunston’s 109th Commencement Honors the Class of 2020

June 10, 2020 by Gunston School 1 Comment

The Gunston School honored its class of 2020 with a week-long celebration. It began with seniors and their families arriving individually to campus to partake in the annual tradition of laying a brick engraved with their name and graduation year on the pathway leading up to Gunston’s original building, called Middleton House, followed by a diploma parade, and concluding with a virtual commencement ceremony featuring an Emmy-award winning alumna.

“I want to thank our teachers and faculty for putting together a week of celebration. We didn’t have a traditional end to our senior year but this week was such a memorable experience. I really enjoyed the diploma parade because it was a chance for the entire senior class to be together one last time,” says Student Government President Mason Rudolfs.

Senior Class President Isabella Santoboni announced the senior class gift to the World Health Organization. Photo by Torrey Pocock, Riggo Pro Productions.

On Friday, June 5, the virtual Green & White Awards ceremony announced 26 different awards for students and various recognitions from the greater community, as well as the much-anticipated announcement of the Green & White Cup. Twice each year, Gunston declares a “Green & White field day” as students, faculty and staff divide into two teams and compete in activities that range from canoe races to math competitions, creative writing challenges, and more. The team accumulating the most points from both days wins the Green & White Cup. This spring, the second field day was cancelled due to the pandemic, so students and faculty were able to accumulate points by doing various social media challenges, volunteering, and completing assignments. Click here to see a full list of awards and recipients.

Senior Class President Isabella Santoboni announced the senior class gift to the World Health Organization’s COVID Solidarity Response Fund. “Our donation is a way of giving the class of 2020 a voice: in a situation in which we feel so powerless, this donation is a way for us to be a part of the solution.” In addition, the 2019-2020 school year marked several milestones for faculty, including 35 years of service for Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis, and ten years of service for Head of School John Lewis.

Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis celebrated 35 years of service at the Gunston School. Photo by Torrey Pocock, Riggo Pro Productions.

Later in the day on Friday, a procession of vehicles with seniors and their families made its way down the circular drive on Gunston’s campus for a Diploma Parade, waving to faculty and staff lining the road before receiving their diplomas from Lewis. The rest of the Gunston Community was invited to watch the event live via Gunston’s YouTube Channel and interviews by Bruce Grove of Queen Anne’s County Television (QACTV).

“For the class of 2020, the Coronavirus stole their traditional graduation ceremony. However, Gunston did an incredible job of showing their support for the students and their families,” says parent Karen Talbott. “Thank you for what was undoubtedly lots of hard work and countless meetings. This was a graduation experience that we will never forget. Every detail was so well planned, from the pictures and videos that we were able to share with family and friends, to the thoughtfulness of the parting gifts, awards, and diploma parade! We are so proud and honored to be a part of the Gunston community.”

Head of School John Lewis celebrated 10 years of service this year as he navigated the Gunston Community through the COVID pandemic. Photo by Mike Stog.

In keeping with tradition, Saturday’s virtual commencement began with Bagpiper Robert Wallace and was followed by several speakers. Highlights include remarks from Senior Class President Isabella Santoboni, Chair of the Board of Gunston’s Trustees Jim Wright, and Middleton Award (Valedictorian) winner William Newberg.

“Will Newberg has been the kind of citizen and human being who has gained the admiration and respect of every member of his class; someone who not only always shows up to work hard, but also wants to support the hard work of others,” says Lewis. “The Middleton Award is an academic award, but Will embodies all of those other qualities in our Responsibilities of the Community—respect, camaraderie, and honesty—that carried him far at Gunston, and will carry him even farther in life.”

Newberg began his speech thanking the entire staff and faculty of Gunston, as well as all of the Gunston parents for their support over the last four years. Newberg reflected on what he began to miss the most during quarantine. “I remember when I first learned that we weren’t going back to campus this semester. My mind went immediately to the big events left in the year—Green and White Day, prom, junior/senior day—it seemed obvious to mourn the big events before all else. But eventually, as daily life in quarantine began to sink in, I realized I wasn’t exactly right and I began to miss all the little things about Gunston.” Newberg described the little things as sitting with his friends in the Atrium and walking through campus on a beautiful spring day on his way to class.

Gunston’s faculty and staff lined Gunston Road. Pictured (l-r) are Jess Newell, Moe Weimer, Tammy Boone, Eliot Bamford, Kellee Webb, Owain Heyden, Erin Ferguson, Sarah Lipchock, Jessica Coner, David Miller, and Anastasiia du Hoffmann. Photo by Shea Springer.

“Not only had I not recognized the small experiences throughout the day that made life better, but I wasn’t taking full advantage of them either. […] I can’t tell you how many times I walked to my classes and didn’t notice how beautiful campus was because I was stressed about something that, in hindsight, wasn’t important. As both a graduate and having lost this last quarter to the Coronavirus, I can say that all of these little moments matter. Take advantage of them while you have the chance.”

Gunston alumna Rita Baghdadi, class of 2003, gave this year’s commencement address. Baghdadi graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Film from Columbia College Chicago before starting her career in international film sales in Los Angeles. In addition to running her own company, Baghdadi is a member of Free The Bid, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Film Fatales and the ICFC : International Collective of Female Cinematographers. When she’s not in the field, Baghdadi is dedicated to empowering girls and women through film training. She is an Advisor for the Sundance Co//ab Documentary Film Course, co-founder and organizer of the group Women in Documentary Filmmaking and an active mentor with GlobalGirl Media. Recently, Rita was hired to produce and direct City Rising. The film earned three Emmy awards including Best Social Issue Film.

William Newberg is the 2020 Middleton Award winner and class valedictorian. He is headed to the University of Virginia in the fall. Photo by Torrey Pocock, Riggo Pro Productions.

“I’ll be honest, when I first sat down to write this, I was conflicted, wondering how am I going to say something inspirational about the future when the future looks so uncertain? And then I sat down and thought about it. Doesn’t the future always look uncertain?” began Baghdadi. “In fact, isn’t that what makes life beautiful, is that we don’t know where it is going to take us.”

She went on to recall her time at Gunston including the time she started a film club and attempted to orchestrate a filming where she threw a dummy out of a third floor window on campus. “Well that wasn’t going to happen so I had to figure out a way to fake it in the edit. I’m sure I drove the staff nuts, so thanks for putting up with me. But really, it was that nurturing environment, the freedom to be myself and try new things, the personal attention. That’s what made Gunston so special.”

Baghdadi also recalled forgetting her lines in a school play and laughing on stage while the audience joined in with laughter, as well as playing field hockey in freezing cold weather with numb fingers, squinting through the sleet.

“I share these experiences, because it’s often the challenging experiences I remember the most and that’s because hardship is the essence of a good story,” she said. “So my advice, which is something I wish someone had said to me a long time ago, is don’t wait for someone to tell you your idea is good. Don’t wait for someone to tell you that you’re good enough. […] These days we are living in a time of great change, […] we have the ability to reimagine what’s possible, to move forward in a different way. The world needs curious minds to fathom better futures. That is exactly what you represent. After graduating, it doesn’t matter what field you go into, […] just remember that your ideas and your decisions matter. They mean something. You’re one person, but you’re part of an entire world and everything you do has a cause and effect. They say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. What do you want to master? […] What if you started by mastering the art of listening to your instinct? The art of human connection, of trust, and empathy. What would the world look like if everyone cared as much as you? Be curious, and most importantly, help people, help others along the way.”

The virtual commencement ceremony concluded with artfully crafted senior tributes, featuring a montage of photos for each student from the last four years as Lewis reflected on their individual journey and shared anecdotal stories about each student that he had spent the last four years meticulously collecting especially for this day. In addition, each tribute included remarks from each student’s faculty advisor.

Behind the scenes, Gunston staff and faculty began to plan for the virtual ceremony in late April, after realizing that an in-person celebration would not be possible. Gunston parent Torrey Pocock, owner of Riggo Productions, in Annapolis, MD stepped in to help.

“We jumped at the opportunity to help Gunston create a special moment for students and families using video and live video content. Knowing they would not get to experience the graduation they looked forward to for years, we wanted to help create something special,” says Pocock. “The hours and work were intense over a six week period of time, but pale in comparison to the work the school, administration and faculty put in to make sure each student had an online learning experience needed to meet the demands of the school’s academic standards during the COVID-19 quarantine and physical campus shut down.”

All of the videos were pre-recorded in the month leading up to graduation and streamed live. Filming took place over the course of about 11 days and 175 hours, both on location at Gunston and at Riggo Pro’s studio. Pocock and 11 crew members spent an additional 241 hours of editing to produce 92 individual student tribute and senior quote videos; 30 individual Green & White Award videos; the diploma printing process with Mr. Kaylor; a 1.5 hour live stream with drone footage for the diploma parade; and a 2 hour live stream pre-produced commencement show with six speakers (although that number is seven, if you include the bagpiper).

“Torrey Pocock and his team have done a beautiful job of capturing the deep love and care that our faculty, students, and community have for Gunston’s seniors in these heartfelt productions. Their dedication and artistry shine through in what will be one of the most memorable graduations in Gunston’s 109-year history! Thank you to all who had a part in creating such a meaningful celebration for our 2020 Graduates!” said Mark Wiening, Dean of Students and chair of the Graduation Committee.

Gunston’s 46 graduates include Andrew Amygdalos, Eileen Ashley, Yuntian (Areopl) Bai, Annie Bamford, MacCallum Borghardt, Mark Bourdin, Stephen Brown, Cotter Buckley, Michaela Campbell, Jianna Casiello, Ni (Katherine) Chen, Ruwen (Sona) Chen, Zaria Dalton, Nina De Angelo, Kate Dieterle, Keller Evans, Francesca (Frankie) Fisher, Cedar Foster, Annabelle Gillespie, David (Gabriel) Hightower, Lynsey Hildebrand, Grace Holmes, Wyatt Howell, Nicholas Kellogg, Xingyi (Liz) Li, Zeyu (Sage) Liu, Payton Lord, Hunter Mansfield, William Newberg, Michael Nickerson, John Pettit, Daphne Provance, Erica Reece, Madison Rudder, Mason Rudolfs, Isabella Santoboni, Maximillian (Max) Scott, Peter Sharpless, Abigail (Abby) Silva, Jackson Talbott, Qirui (Allen) Wang, Owen White, Hansheng (Leo) Xiao, Shijie (Daniel) Ye, Jiamin (Jimmy) Zhao, and Yaxuan (Joey) Zhuo.

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The Future of the Liberal Arts with St. John’s College President Peter Kanelos

June 3, 2020 by Dave Wheelan 1 Comment

Peter Kanelos, the president of St. John’s College, makes it clear that he regards his school as essential to the future of higher education. That doesn’t seem to be such a remarkable statement on its own. One could argue that every college president says the same thing about their school. But President Kanelos’ point is still quite bold given that his institution bases its entire curriculum on the reading of the “Great Books” of world culture.

In fact, at a time when students, and their parents, have been conditioned to think of higher education is a necessary gateway to a professional career, Kanelos says that a St. John’s degree may be one of the worst preparations for landing an entry-level position after graduation but also the best education one can receive.

While St. John’s is one of the oldest colleges in America, its mission dramatically changed in the late 1930s when it was hit hard by the Great Depression. Facing low enrollment and limited cash reserves, The college leadership, with the help of a team of academics from the University of Chicago, pivoted from their traditional model and embraced a Great Books program that centered on around 500 great books. By studying these classics, students could build their intellectual muscles far more successfully than a college major program.

It was an audacious move in 1937, and it’s looking like one in 2020.

In the Spy’s first interview with President Kanelos, he talks about this unique approach to education, and how he and his institution are still radically changing the nature of higher education. That includes doing things like reducing tuition by thirty-three percent two years ago or by making a compelling argument that the years of the college major might be over.

This video is approximately twelve minutes in length. For more information about St. John’s College please go here.

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