The Gunston Players are pleased to announce that their upcoming production of “The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet” by Stephen Frankenfield will take place on February 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and February 27 at 2 p.m. at the Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Md. Tickets to this show are free, however space is limited to first come, first served.

A light hearted comedy, the plot follows the story of a dysfunctional rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet in which many familiar characters intrude on the production, creating complete chaos including (but not limited to) Shakespeare, “Datman” (Batman), Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, and many more. The show will be accompanied with music by Gunston musicians The Brookletts.

The play is directed by Performing Arts Chair Dr. Ryan Asprion with fellow faculty member Katelyn Larrimore as assistant director. For those unable to attend, there will be a virtual live stream available on Gunston’s YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGunstonSchool.

“After such a tumultuous year of Covid restrictions, we are excited to bring this comedy to the stage. It’s great to see the students enjoying themselves and all enjoying a good laugh together. I think the audience will really appreciate the comic relief!” said Dr. Asprion.

For more information about Gunston’s performing arts program, contact rasprion@gunston.org or call 410-758-0620.

Church Hill Theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street, Church Hill, Md., and requires proof of vaccination for all guests. Please visit churchhilltheatre.org for more information about this policy.

The Gunston School’s Fine Arts & Performing Arts Departments held their annual Night of the Arts on December 9 to celebrate the creative talents of its students. Guests booked half-hour gallery tours from 5-7 p.m. and began the evening with warm beverages and snacks. From there, student ambassadors led groups through campus where they viewed a wide variety of paintings, photographs, mixed media prints, pottery, wood sculptures, and even 3D printed projects.

Guests also enjoyed a variety of performances by the handbell ensemble, contemporary band (“The Back Packs”) featuring vocals by Tess Kontarinis ’23, solo acts on the piano and guitar, short films, and a sneak peak of some of the funniest scenes from the upcoming February 25-27, 2022 production of the Gunston Players’ “The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet.”

Photo: Dean of Students and former performing arts chair Mark Wiening studies the advanced placement art portfolio of Nora FauntLeRoy ’22. “In my various works of art, I chose to explore my backyard. […] I decided to show how I have interacted with different species, and change the perspective of how we see these living creatures. By changing either the size of myself or the subject focused on in my works, I was able to create a different reality of their lives, and make them feel a bit more real.” – Nora FauntLeRoy. Materials used: colored pencil, drawing paper, marker paints, and watercolor.

Gunston’s small class sizes allow faculty the ability to offer students the chance to learn and practice unique forms of art such as silk screening or lithography. Fine Arts Department Chair Victoria Windmiller explains, “Every student learns and practices the basics such as drawing and painting, and everyone has the opportunity to build upon a strong foundation to pursue whatever interest they have, be it traditional photography in our dark room, digital artwork, mixed media, or something completely new. There are an infinite number of ways to approach the same project, and students are encouraged to take their own creative approach and to think unconventionally.”

Challenging students to create their own forms of artistic expression is also something encouraged in the Performing Arts Department, headed by Dr. Ryan Asprion. One such project, “Music in Film Projects” by Yining Wei ’23, Maddie Algier ’23, and Marilyn Prud’homme ’24 is a perfect collaboration of fine and performing arts that includes graphic design (opening and ending credits) and costume design, with the challenge of creating sound effects with non-conventional materials, filming, editing, acting, and even writing and producing infomercials.

Many graduates who have gone on to pursue careers in the arts (including costume design, art conservation, museum exhibition design, film, photography) credit Gunston’s art program as their inspiration, and many more still appreciate and use the skills they learned under Mr. Ben Dize, former chair of the fine arts department who retired from full time teaching last spring (but still teaches the beloved woodworking class each semester).

“My philosophy is that everyone can learn to do art,” explains Mr. Dize. “Not everyone can become a great artist, but everyone can learn to produce a visual image that is satisfying to themselves.”

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis has been selected to join a small cohort of experienced national and international school heads for the 2021 Klingenstein Head of School Fellowship in late January. The highly-selective program grants admission to just 20 heads of school annually and offers a fully-funded, two-week fellowship at Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York City.

The Klingenstein program’s goal is to offer veteran heads of school an intensive and inspirational mid-career professional development experience focusing on current educational issues, educational philosophy and ethics, and reflective practice. Throughout the program, the visiting heads engage in design thinking and case study work with Klingenstein master’s students, and visit independent schools in New York city to observe a variety of programs and ideas.

Now in his 12th year at Gunston, Lewis’s tenure has seen robust enrollment growth, significant enhancement in facilities, the development of the Horizons and YMCA summer programs, curricular innovation, and in 2018, the launch of the Chesapeake Watershed Semester. Prior to Gunston, Lewis served in various teaching and leadership roles at Ranney School in New Jersey, as well as at international schools in Singapore and Ecuador.

“The board of trustees was excited to learn of John’s acceptance to the Klingenstein Fellowship Program,” said Gunston’s Chair of the Board Patrick Shoemaker ’03. “Given John’s steady commitment to professional development, both for himself and his academic team, we are delighted that he will have this opportunity to experience such a renowned program. In addition to bringing back experiences learned during the fellowship, we’re hopeful that John will be able to share what he’s learned transforming Gunston over the past decade with other participants.”

“I’ve always hoped to have the opportunity to do this fellowship,” shared Lewis, “and I was humbled and excited to be selected. When I was a master’s student at Teachers College in 2002-2003, one of the most engaging experiences I had involved working with the Klingenstein Visiting Heads.

A key part of the Klingenstein Program is the opportunity to explore specific questions related to their own specific interests and school community. The Klingenstein Center at Teachers College at Columbia University was founded in 1977, and it is the premier center for academic research, education, and training of independent school teachers and leaders. The Center currently has over 4,000 alumni serving in 49 states and 60 countries.

“In my application,” explained Lewis, “I shared that I wanted to explore some of these questions: How can I support an increasingly diverse student, family and colleague population? What are the key technology and workplace changes that will impact schools moving forward? How are the most innovative schools structuring themselves to support student learning? And specifically to Gunston, how can we sustain a ‘sustainability mindset’ so that students are prepared to navigate a world in ecological crisis?”

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

The Gunston School welcomed students, parents, alumni, community supporters, and even a few canine runners on Saturday, November 20th for the Heron Hustle 5K + 1M Fun Run, raising just over $10,000 for the school’s Heron Annual Fund. Athletic Director Josh Breto welcomed the crowd and the 5K runners took off a little after 8 a.m., followed by those running the one mile. Both routes wove through the school’s 35-acre waterfront campus and finished down the tree-lined drive.

Coming in first place for the 5K under 18/male category was Colin Hallmark ’24 (18:58), followed by Aidan Trautman ’23 in second (20:09), and Zach Mozher ’23 in third (20:40). For the 5K over 18/male category, Dylan Hurlock came in first (20:22), followed by Sam Umidi ’19 in second (20:46), and Robert Stephenson in third (21:05).

For the 5K under 18/female category, Allie Fitzgerald ’24 came in first (24:25), followed by Zoe Buzzelli ’24 in second (24:55). For the 5K over 18/female category, first place went to Dani de los Reyes, P’24 (26:36), with Jayci Frederick coming second (27:40), and Jen Traver in third place (28:46).

Top winners in the one mile fun run include (under 18/female) Eli Ireland ’23 (8:47) and Lily Brantner ’25 (10:49), and (over 18/female) winners were Adele Showalter, P’25 (9:11), Jessica Newell (9:40), and Jillian Frederick (10:03). Alex Bent ’25 placed first for the under 18/male category (10:13) and Wallace Tieman placed first for the over 18/male category (19:18).

Prizes included an Under Armour Jacket (to be embroidered with their name) and gift cards to St. Michaels Running Company for top winners, with those in second and third receiving other Gunston swag such as an embroidered bookbag, runner’s utility belt, gift cards, and more. Ninth grade chemistry teacher Adele Showalter (and first place for over 18/female 1M) won 25 points for the school’s Green Team by running in the best head-to-toe spirit gear, and for their first place finishes, Colin Hallmark earned 25 points for the White Team and Allie Fitzgerald earned the same for the Green Team. Overall, Gunston’s White Team had the most registrations, earning 50 points.

“A big thanks to everyone who came out,” said Event Director Lynda Scull, “and those at home who signed up to run virtually to show their support. Additionally, thanks to TriCycle and Run for tracking the times.”

Premiere race sponsors include Heron Heroes Dani & Rick de los Reyes, P’24, Fred Frederick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23 ’25), and Friends of Gunston (anonymous).

Award sponsors include Sugar Doodles Sweet Shop (Heron Heroes, the Brown Family), Gillespie & Son, Inc. (Heron Heroes, the Gillespie Family, P’20’22’24), St. Michaels Running Company, Tidewater Physical Therapy, and KRM Construction.

Heron Heroes Dr. Laurie Lewis & John Lewis were Sneaker sponsors, and Finish line sponsors include the Corbi Family, the Watkins Family, Joyce Shemer Keating, the Thomas Family, and the Hansen Family.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The Gunston School is proud to share the recent accomplishment of one of its longtime faculty members, Mr. Mike Clemens, who was the recipient of a Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Maryland Chapter on November 14, 2021.

“Mike’s passion for wrestling is deep,” shared Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis, “and he’s given so much of himself to the development of young people through the sport. At the same time, he’s coached a variety of other sports as well.”

During Clemens’s 21-year career at Gunston, in addition to teaching algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, he has served as coach in a variety of sports including junior varsity and varsity basketball (both boys and girls teams). He is also the proud parent of three Gunston alumnae. “Mike loves Gunston and completely embraces the community. In addition to advising, teaching, and coaching, he mentors the Christian Athletes Club, co-mentors Math Club, and has served as an advisor to the Student Government Association. For many years, Mike organized and led all of the annual student dances, and most recently has earned high praise as Bingo caller extraordinaire supporting employee and student events. Mike remains Gunston’s impassioned cheerleader,” adds Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis.

Growing up in the Perry Hall area, Clemens’s wrestling career started with the Perry Hall Junior Program. This background and his tenacity allowed him to start at 98 lbs as a ninth grader for a dominant Mount Saint Joseph Wrestling Team. As a starter for four years, he tallied 82 wins including three straight years of placing in the MSA and a top eight finish in the prestigious national Prep Tournament. Clemens also wrestled in college at Navy Prep for a year and at the United States Naval academy for two years. He actually continued wrestling in open tournaments for the next 20 years, competing in well over a hundred matches and winning a tournament in five straight decades.

Coaching, as well as wrestling, became a passion for Clemens. Early in his Mount Saint Joseph wrestling days, he volunteered as a coach at Perry Hall High School.  After his college days, he was head coach at St. Michaels High School for seven years. During that time, he was recognized with the District Eight Sportsmanship Award three times. Clemens officiated novice tournaments and also Greco and Freestyle, adding announcing to his resume for several years in the MIA Tournament and the Mount Madness Tournament.

In addition, Clemens has been a member of the Maryland State Wrestling Association for over 20 years and a board member for 15 years. He was also the district representative for the Maryland State Wrestling Committee for five years.  Besides these leadership roles, he has donated a tremendous amount of time to directing and helping with countless wrestling tournaments — he was a 20-year director of the Mason Dixon Quad, a five-year director of the St. Michaels Tournament, and three years at the helm of the State Novice Tournament, to name a few. Needless to say, Mike Clemens has been a familiar face at wrestling events across the state of Maryland. In 2020, he was the recipient of the Maryland State Wrestling Association’s Johnny K. Eareckson Memorial Award.

The Gunston School recognized 152 students for earning High Honors and Honors for the first quarter of the 2021-2022 academic year. To earn a place on the High Honors list, a student must have an academic average of 93 percent or above and effort grades of satisfactory, “S” or above. To earn Honors, a student must achieve an 88-92.99 average and effort grades of “S” or above.

High Honors Grade 12: Sofia Angarita, Lucy Bamford, Josh Campbell, Charlotte Cook, Bella De Leon, Colin Denault, Ashley Escobar, Nora FauntLeRoy, Jimmy Fraser, Nina Friedman, Georgia Gillespie, Paige Holmes, Kallena Kemp, Colin Lang, Samantha LeCrone, Ju Lee, Abbey Miller, Maggie Miller, Lexi Norman, Adam Papadopoulos, Summer Salos, Tessa Schut, Matthew Sharpless, Danielle Simmons, and Jude Smith.

Honors Grade 12:  Andrew Baughman, Sebastian Borland, Anastasia Clair, Robert Crow, Ben Cunningham, Jian (Daniel) Dang, Morgan Garner, Sheila Groz, Evie Hagan, Madi Hanlon, Aidan Ireland, Rui (Spencer) Liu, Leo Santoboni, and Thomas Umidi.

High Honors Grade 11: Nick Abell, Zack Adams, Maddie Algier, Olivia Amygdalos, Kelby Booth, Julia Buchanan, Kate Campbell, Grace Evans, Catherine Hansen, Natalie Henry, Cy Johnston, Paget Kellogg, YaXin (Angelina) Lin, Julia McClary, Zach Mozher, Lane Parkhurst, Julia Reed, Damian René, Isabelle Requena, Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie, Aaron Sanderson, MacKenzie Smith, Will Stuart, Brielle Tyler, and Yining Wei.

Honors Grade 11: McKinsey Brown, Sadie Cloud, Tom de los Reyes, Charles Evans, Alanna Grace, Eli Ireland, Paige Kroncke, Garrett Lang, Jennie LaTorre, Calla McCluskey, Ava Melvin, Grace Anne Phillips, Miranda Pope, Andrew Rich, Autumn Watson, Oliver White, Jiacheng (Jason) Ye, and Linze (Alfred) Zhao.

High Honors Grade 10: Zoe Buzzelli, Allie Fitzgerald, Trevor Green, Colin Hallmark, Jessica Hammond, Caeden Harrison, Abbie Houseknecht, Samantha Jayne, Lucas LaFleur, Madi Lutz, Josie Merton, Caitlin Myers, Josh Nuessle, Tilghman Overton, Joanna Riley, Ava Runz, Annabelle Sinatra, Jonah Smith, and Isabella Taylor.

Honors Grade 10: Quinn Baughman, Michael Billings, Ben Cook, Alice Crouch, Liam Dickey, Harrison Dunstan, Eddie Gillespie, Rowan Larkin, Wil Mertes, Matthew Periconi, Kate Porter, Marilyn Prud’homme, Taylor Rainer, Jan Serraviñals, and Jackson Wood.

High Honors Grade 9: Lily Brantner, Allison Davis, Alex Elfenbein, Brayden Hamm, Grace Hanlon, Phoebe Kelly, Victoria MacGlashan, Isla McCollum, Justin McCubbin, Elijah Moore, Margaret Randolph, Alivia Runz, Zachary Steinberg, and Mia Walker.

Honors Grade 9: Olivia Arthur, Alexa Duncan, Elena Fraser, Addison Holden, Trevor Janssen, RP Johnson, Nina Johnston, Alli Lutz, V McCluskey, Sam Mielke, Louise Mulock, Tori Nessly, Abby Nolan, Benta Owino, Elizabeth Pupke, Evelyn Russ, Katherine Sadler, Emma Sharp, Grace Shepherd, Jackson Showalter, and Jackson Stranahan.

The Gunston School is pleased to welcome 35 students to the National Honor Society. Joined by their families, students assembled in Gunston’s Field House for an in-person ceremony. This year’s guest speaker was Krista Pettit, P ’17 ’20, founder and current executive director of Haven Ministries, a nonprofit organization in Queen Anne’s County that operates a homeless shelter, food pantries, resource center, thrift store, warehouse, street outreach program, and art program. “The Power of One starts with one person, identifying one need, and doing the one thing they can to address it,” Pettit said, as she recalled how Haven Ministries was formed.

This year’s newly selected members include Nicholas Abell, Zachary Adams, Madilyn Algier, Olivia Amygdalos, Curtis Andrew Baughman, III, Kelby Booth, John Brady, McKinsey Brown, Julia Buchanan, Joshua Campbell, Katelyn Campbell, Anastasia Clair, Sadie Cloud, Jian Dang, Nora Faunt LeRoy, Alanna Grace, Natalie Henry, Aidan Ireland, Eli Ireland, Paget Kellogg, Paige Kroncke, YaXin Lin, Julia McClary, Ava Melvin, Zacharia Mozher, Adam Papadopoulos, Elizabeth Parkhurst, Julia Reed, Damian Rene, Isabelle Requena, Andrew Rich, Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie, Yining Wei, Oliver White, and Jiacheng Ye.

Photo: (Front Row) NHS advisor Mike Kaylor, Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis, Yaxin (Angelina) Lin ’23, Julia Reed ’23, Ava Melvin ’23, Zacharia Mozher ’23, Julia McClary ’23, Joshua Campbell ’22, Alanna Grace ’23, Katelyn Campbell ’23, Olivia Amygdalos ’23, Julia Buchanan ’23, Head of School John Lewis, Krista Pettit. (Second row) Nick Abell ’23, Sarah (Eli) Ireland ’23, Aidan Ireland ’22, Nora FauntLeRoy ’22, Isabelle Requena ’23, Natalie Henry ’23, Elizabeth (Lane) Parkhurst ’23, Zachary Adams ’23, Andrew Rich ’23. (Third Row) Adam Papadopoulos ’22, Paige Kroncke ’23, Madilyn Algier ’23, John Brady ’22, Kelby Booth ’23, McKinsey Brown ’23, Anastasia Clair ’22. (Fourth Row) Damian Rene ’23, Oliver White ’23, Paget Kellogg ’23, Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie ’23, Jiacheng (Jason) Ye ’23, Jian (Daniel) Dang ’22, Yining Wei ’23, and Curtis Andrew Baughman, III ’22.

Each fall, membership to NHS is offered to those students who meet the required standards put forth by the national office in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 88 (B+) or higher.

Students who meet this criterion are invited to submit a comprehensive resume that outlines their activities, achievements, leadership, and service. To evaluate a candidate on the national criterion of character, a student’s school records are reviewed, and each candidate selects four members of the faculty to provide their professional reflections on the candidate’s citizenship, leadership, activities, and personal conduct.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The Gunston School welcomed nearly 300 guests to their waterfront campus on Saturday, October 23 for their signature fundraising event, the Bull & Oyster Roast, raising nearly $100,000 for the Heron Annual Fund. Guests enjoyed delicious food provided by Bayside Catering, beer and wine, plus a rye whiskey tasting bar.

Comedian and master of ceremonies Brett Walkow kept the audience laughing as they bid on more than 70 silent and live auction items that ranged from an array of fantastic vacations, golf outings, professional photography sessions, original artwork, a day cruise on a luxurious Fountaine Pajot MY6 Motor Yacht, charter fishing trips, a Paul Reed Smith guitar and more.

The evening also featured a wine pull and cash raffle with five winners — four winners walked away with $250 each and the fifth winner got to choose between $1,500 cash or the option to have the number one live auction item pick.

About halfway through the live auction, Head of School John Lewis “Stopped the Auction,” and asked patrons to raise their paddles to support professional development for faculty and staff, and they happily obliged, pledging close to $20,000.

Lewis shared, “After a hiatus where on-campus community gatherings have been rare, the combination of a festive, in-person social event with a successful fundraising outcome is what we were hoping for. Our team did a great job of putting together a fun and joyful evening.”

“A huge thank you goes to our volunteers and members of the Gunston Parents’ Association,” said Event Director Lynda Scull. “From helping with decorations to securing auction items and volunteering to prepare and work the night of the event, parent involvement is crucial to the success of our events.”

The event had 39 sponsors and included:

• Grill Master: Heron Heroes Rick & Dani de los Reyes, P’23, Heron Heroes Fred Frederick Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23 ’25) and Friel Lumber Company (Jay & Gina Friel, P’22 and Jim & Mary Helen Friel).

• Rockefeller: Emily’s Produce

• Prime Rib: Heron Heroes Gillespie & Son, Inc. (Gillespie Family, P’20 ’22 ’24), Heron Heroes “Friends of Gunston” (anonymous), Heron Heroes Sugar Doodles Sweet Shop (The Brown Family, P’23 ’24)   McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker (Ryan & Adele Showalter, P’25 and Doug & Melissa Walker, P’25), the Amygdalos Family, P’20 ’23, and Precision Contractors (Lesley & Timothy Faff, P’23).

• Choice Sponsors: Triandos Chiropractic & Acupuncture, (P’24), Shore United Bank and Mr. Glenn Michael.

• Select Sponsors: Ecotone, Inc. – Ecological Restoration, Patrick Shoemaker ’03, Heron Heroes Dr. Laurie Lewis & John Lewis,  Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat on Kent Island, KRM Construction, The Riddle Family, P’21, Delaware Podiatric Medicine (Jake & Rebecca Hanlon, P’22) and Kent School.

• Sirloin Sponsors: Anchor Aquatics (JoHannah & Walter Weldon, P’25), The Clair Family, P’19 ’22, the Hansen Family, P’23, KelStar Properties, ImPRESSive Printing, Griswold Travel (Emily Griswold, P’24), Avon Dixon Insurance Agency, Sanderson Family, P’22 ’23, Tiffany Cloud, Realtor with Meredith Fine Properties, 360 Automation Technology, (Evan & Christine Evans, P’20).

• Brisket Sponsor: Shari & Ken Streichler, T. Dickey, P’24, Reliable Pest Control, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, the Thomas Family, The Day Family, P’24, The Algier Family, P’23, and the Arthur Family, P’25.

• In-Kind Sponsors: Drapers Bros, Inc. and Premium Distributors of Maryland

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The Gunston School is pleased to welcome comedian Brett Walkow as the master of ceremonies and auctioneer for their upcoming event, the Bull & Oyster Roast + Alumni Reunion on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 5-9 p.m. For more than 25 years, Walkow has been making audiences laugh with his signature blend of silliness, warmth, and off-the-cuff audience interaction. He’s performed alongside Melissa McCarthy & Jimmy Fallon, appeared on The Tonight Show, and in Seinfeld’s movie ‘Comedian’.

Walkow, who comes from a family of teachers and “truly believes we should all help one another,” spends a huge portion of his year performing for charities coast to coast with the help of his company, Team Love Army. His credits include: The Golden Globes, Comedy Central, HBO, NBC, FOX, CBS, Just For Laughs Festival, Lollapalooza, 11 years in Las Vegas (Harrahs & MGM Casinos), a 200 episode celebrity talk show (with guests including Kevin Nealon, George Wallace, The Simpsons, Family Guy), Hollywood red carpet specials, and various live venues worldwide.

“We are beyond excited that Brett agreed to emcee the Bull Roast,” said Event Director Lynda Scull. “His commitment to charity work, especially to teachers, is a perfect fit for this event. The Bull Roast has currently sold more than 200 tickets and gathered 50+ auction items (with more coming in every day). I think after 18 long months of the pandemic, coming together as a community to support the school will be just what the doctor ordered!”

The Bull & Oyster Roast + Alumni Reunion will be held outdoors on the school’s waterfront campus, overlooking the Corsica River on Saturday, October 23 from 5-9 p.m. The evening includes delicious food provided by Bayside Catering, premium beer and wine, plus a rye whiskey tasting bar. With both a silent and live auction planned, guests will have the opportunity to bid on an array of fantastic vacations (spring break at Deep Creek, Best of Bethany Beach A Trip to the Big Apple and more), golf outings, professional photography sessions, artwork, and a day cruise on a luxurious Fountaine Pajot MY6 Motor Yacht or Elba 45 sailing catamaran, among others. For the live auction, those unable to attend in person may appoint a proxy by contacting Jen Matthews at jmatthews@gunston.org.

Additionally, raffle tickets are on sale for $100 each. There will be five winners announced with four receiving $250 cash and the “grand prize” winner wins their choice of first pick of a live auction item or $1,500 cash. The event also features a Wine Pull in which attendees can pay $15 for the opportunity to choose (at random) from over 50+ donated wines from around the world, ranging in price from $15-$50 — the catch being that you don’t know what you’ll “pull” until you’ve opened it.

Tickets are on sale now at $100 per person and $65 for alumni and former faculty and staff members, with an option to also sponsor a ticket for current faculty and staff members. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

Visit https://gunston.org/bullroast21 to purchase tickets, donate wine or an auction item, or to sign up for a sponsorship (or do all three!). For more information, or for those interested in donating wine or an auction item, contact Event Director Lynda Scull at 410-758-0620, ext. 1101 or email lscull@gunston.org, or fill out an online form.

Sponsorships are available and range from a Brisket Sponsor ($100) up to a Grill Master Sponsor ($5,000), with a price point for every budget. New this year are Heron Hero Annual Sponsorship options, which combine the sponsorship benefits of all three Gunston fundraising events (Bull & Oyster Roast, Heron Hustle, Golfing fore Gunston) into a yearlong package. Along with community-wide recognition, Gunston’s sponsors are also listed on the school’s Green & White Pages, a directory of Gunston community-owned businesses and services.

Grill Master sponsors include Heron Heroes Rick & Dani de los Reyes, P’23, Heron Heroes Fred Frederick Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23 ’25) and Friel Lumber Company (Jay & Gina Friel, P’22 and Jim & Mary Helen Friel).

Prime Rib sponsors include Heron Heroes Gillespie & Son, Inc. (Gillespie Family, P’20 ’22 ’24), Heron Heroes “Friends of Gunston” (anonymous),  McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker (P’25), and the Amygdalos Family, P’20 ’23.

Choice Sponsors include Shore United Bank and Mr. Glenn Michael. Select Sponsors include Heron Heroes Dr. Laurie Lewis & John Lewis,  Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat on Kent Island, KRM Construction, and Kent School. Sirloin Sponsors include Tiffany Cloud, Realtor with Meredith Fine Properties, ImPRESSive Printing, Griswold Travel (Emily Griswold, P’24), Avon Dixon Insurance Agency, and the Sanderson Family, P’22 ’23. Brisket Sponsors include St. Anne’s Episcopal School, the Thomas Family, The Day Family, P’24, and the Arthur Family, P’25.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) at the Gunston School officially kicked off its third semester on Sunday, August 29, 2021, after a brief hiatus in 2020. Twelve students departed on their orientation expedition to the headwaters of the Susquehanna River in Cooperstown, N.Y.

This fall’s cohort includes 11th and 12th graders from Gunston as well as Queen Anne’s High School and a student from Pennsylvania currently staying with a host family, prompting Head of School John Lewis to enthusiastically announce the term “pilot” has been officially removed from the program’s name.

The group set off from Gunston’s campus on August 30th — stopping in Ashley, Pa. to tour abandoned mine sites and learn how they impact water quality through acid mine drainage — before setting up their first campsite in the Pinchot State Forest. The following day, the group packed up and continued the drive north, stopping for a hike, to explore waterfalls, and investigate aquatic entomology, which is the study of insects that live in the water during all or part of their lives. Many flying insects such as dragonflies, damselflies, caddisflies spend their larval youth in a stream, where they are the primary prey of fish.

“I think the high point for the group was standing in the very headwaters of the Susquehanna River, perched on Council Rock,” said CWS Teacher Ronnie Vesnaver, who, along with fellow instructor Zack Hoisington, traveled with the students and applauded them on their teamwork and upbeat attitudes as persistent rain from Ida made for a damp end to the expedition.

The Chesapeake Watershed Semester is a semester-long immersive learning experience for students in grades 11 and 12 to study the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed through the dual lenses of science and public policy. Through hands-on and immersive learning experiences, students develop leadership skills, connect with stakeholders, and travel the watershed in five different learning expeditions. CWS is currently taking applications for the 2022 spring semester at chesapeakewatershedsemester.org, on a rolling basis.  The program is open to qualifying 11th and 12th-grade students from Gunston and surrounding areas (within commuting distance from Gunston).