The Falcon Connection
All School Monthly Newsletter / September 2021
Gerstell logo
... a diverse educational community dedicated to providing a nurturing and
mentoring environment where each student's potential to become a leader,
to learn, to grow morally, to be physically fit, and to compete is maximized.
... for reading The Falcon Connection, our monthly all-school newsletter highlighting the many exciting happenings at Gerstell Academy. Look for us in your inbox every month!
*Falcon Faculty & Staff
History Department
English Department
Left to right: Mrs. Sugg (Department Chair), Dr. Greenspoon, Mr. Harkey, Mr. Gibson, Mrs. Rinehart
Left to right: Mrs. Meekins, Ms. Grandy, Mrs. Ricker (Department Chair), Mrs. Sabad, Mr. Kabara
Departamento de español
Back row: Sr. Taggert, Dra. Greppi, Sra. Doyle (Department Chair), Sra. Lutton. Front row: Sra. Hedrick, Sra. Andino, Srta. Ahearn. Not pictured: Sra. Chagalis
Physical Education & Athletics
Left to right: Ms. Kidwell, Mr. Bogage, Mr. Celenza, Mrs. Cannaday, Mrs. Fuste, Mr. Gilotte (Athletic Director), Mr. Poklemba, Mr. Cheevers. Not pictured: Ms. Adkinson
Science Department
Left to right: Mr. Hilliard, Mrs. Shields, Dr. Shea (Department Chair). Not pictured: Mrs. Staub, Ms. Adkinson, Ms. Snider, Mr. Edmondson.
Transportation Department
Back row left to right: Mrs. Bergmann, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Wasserman (Co-Director), Mr. Rahley (Co-Director), Mr. Wright. Seated left to right: Mr. Stuller, Ms. Winters. Not pictured: Mr. Smith
Information Technology
Left to right: Mr. Samuel (Director of IT), Mrs Molesworth, Ms. Jothen (Director of Instructional Technology), Ms. Omokanwaye, Mr. Stem (Social Media Director)
Mathematics Department
Left to right: Mrs. Funk, Mr. Donato, Mrs. Proescher, Ms. Robusto, Ms. Omokanwaye, Ms. Newman(Department Chair)
School Store
Mrs. Baldwin, School Store Manager
Food Services
Mrs. Farley, Food Service Manager
Leadership Department
Left to right: Mrs. Funk, Mrs. Snider, Mrs. Lowe, Mr. Ryan, Mrs. Johnson (Department Chair), Ms. Pollasch, Mr. Casey
Facilities
Back row left to right: Mr. Ramos, Mr.Cullison, Mr. Scholz (Director), Mr. Baldwin (Assistant Director), Mr. Smith. Front row left to right: Mr. Willis, Mr. Rahley, Mr. Gill (Assistant Director), Mr. Sumo, Mr. Oscanoa
Music & Theatre Arts
Left to right: Mrs. Lowe, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Kaestner, Mr. Rieth, Mrs. Daly (Department Chair)
Falcon Faculty Spotlight
Middle School History Teacher Embraces New Opportunity
Gerstell's Middle School History teacher, Alan Gibson, has quite a diverse educational and career background. He attended Florida State University in the mid-1990s and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. After graduating, he began working in sales with various corporations before pursuing a career which he truly had a passion - teaching history.
Falcons Flying High - Student Spotlight
Q & A with Bode Yelland '24:
The Journey to Becoming an Eagle Scout

Tell us about your Eagle Scout project. 
My plan was to build an outdoor pavilion on the Gerstell campus which included cubbies and picnic tables.
  
How did you select this specific project and why on the Gerstell campus?
I thought it was a really good project. As soon as I saw the space, I knew I wanted to build a pavilion. Since wanting to become an Eagle Scout, I had wanted to try my best to complete a project at Gerstell and thought it would fit in perfectly with Gerstell's leadership-based community.
Honor Society News
National Honor Society

The National Honor Society (NHS) is a prestigious national organization for high school students that recognizes high level of scholastic achievement. NHS is based on four pillars of leadership excellence: scholarship, leadership, character, and service. Membership in the Gerstell Academy Chapter of NHS is competitive and coveted. Ms. Pollasch, as adviser for the Gerstell Academy NHS Chapter, organized an outdoor ceremony on the Quad for officer candidates to deliver their speeches mask-free.

Congratulations to the following National Honor Society
student officers selected for the 2021-2022 Academic Year:
President
Lilly Norbeck
Vice President
Alex Friedman
Secretary
Elizabeth Chagalis
Treasurer
Rylie Bruffey
Historian
Zavian Valedon
Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society

Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society recognizes excellence in the field of Social Studies. The following students have been generous with their time and talents and have been selected to be officers of the society for the upcoming year.

Congratulations to the following Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society student officers selected for the 2021-2022 Academic Year:
President
Lilly Norbeck
Vice President
Naomi Halphen
Secretary
Faith Bissen
Treasurer
Francis Fynnwilliams
Historian
Stephanie Koval
Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica
The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica is an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish and/or Portuguese, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

¡Felicitaciones a los nuevos directores de La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica!

Congratulations to the following Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica student officers selected for the 2021-2022 Academic Year:
President
Elizabeth Chagalis
Vice President
Faith Bissen
Secretary
Daniela Gutman
Treasurer
Zavian Valedon
Tri-M Music Honor Society
The Tri-M Music Honor Society is Gerstell's first music honor society and is designed for students who have already shown themselves to be academically capable and musically gifted.

Congratulations to the Tri-M Honor Society student officers selected for the 2021-2022 Academic Year:
President & Founder
Lauren Wargo
Vice President
Natalie Lennartsson
Secretary
Eesha Gupta
Treasurer
Kevin Harris
Historian
Aaron Hammond
Lower School Highlights
Lower School Students Learn Communication Skills through Music
Fourth grader, Cameron, led a drumming circle this past week. He said to his classmates, "What's your name?" while patting that rhythm speech on his drum. Then the students responded on their drums with the student's name while patting the rhythm on their drum. The game gets faster and faster as it goes around the circle which guarantees smiles, laughter, syllable review, and a rhythm groove.
Fourth Grade Assembles Poster to Memorialize Patriot Day
Students in fourth grade assembled a collaborative poster, under the leadership of Mrs. Lutton, on Patriot Day. Thirty-five different pieces were put together to create this special memorial. It is currently on display in Robert E. Smith Hall, room 217.
Mrs. Lutton's fourth grade class pictured above.
Middle School Virtual Field Trip
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Fifth and sixth grade students recently celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month. The students learned about the contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. They recently participated in a virtual field trip, under the leadership of Sra. Andino and Srta. Ahearn, to learn more about the life and work of Gerstell Academy Portrait Leader, Cesar Chavez.
Athletics: History in the Making
Boys' Varsity Soccer Has Historic Start to Season
With a current record of 4-1, Boys' Varsity Soccer is off to their best start in nearly a decade. The Falcons are earning wins with their strong play and teamwork. While the roster appears young on paper, the Falcons are playing like a seasoned group that has been together for years.
Varsity Volleyball Notches First Win in Gerstell History

The newest varsity sport at Gerstell Academy entered IAAM Conference play with a bang. Playing in their first ever conference match, the Falcons took the court with incredible grit, hope, and courage. Despite dropping the first set to the Falcons, Concordia Prep proved to be a worthy opponent. The entire match would remain close with the Falcons winning in three straight sets by a margin no larger than five points in each: 25-20; 25-21; 26-24.  
College Guidance Corner
Self-Paced Online SAT & ACT
Preparation Program Available
We are excited to announce Gerstell’s partnership with Method Test Prep to offer students a self-paced on-line SAT and ACT preparation program. This program is open to all Upper School students and is free of charge. With this program students can:

  • Hear audio explanations of test questions
  • Access strategy guides for each test
  • Complete full-length practice tests and receive hundreds of practice questions
  • Read explanations to every question and track their strengths on each test
  • Receive valuable test-taking tips
  • Access courses on an unlimited basis
Left to right: Mrs. Keriazes, Director of College Guidance, Mrs. Hoskowitz, College Guidance Coordinator, Mrs. Hand, Assistant Director of College Guidance
The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) virtual college fairs is now open. The eight fairs happening this fall offer students the chance to interact with hundreds of institutions. Students can sign up here.

College Fair
Monday, September 27

There are several concurrent sessions at 5pm, 6pm, and 7pm (Central Time). Each session features six colleges in a 45-minute segments. Students can register for one or multiple sessions.

11th Grade Student & Parent Forum
Monday October 4, 2021
6 pm via Zoom (link will be provided)
Giving Day for Gerstell - 25th Anniversary!
Gerstell Academy will kick off its annual fund campaign on Monday, October 25, marking Gerstell Academy's 25th Anniversary! Our goal for this day is to raise $250,000. Please consider a generous donation to help continue the mission of growing and developing the young leaders of tomorrow. Your donation will help to offset the financial constraints of the school, bring important technology upgrades to the classrooms, provide valuable training and education for our esteemed teachers, as well as other factors needed to continue to pursue our mission. Giving each of our students the opportunity to become a leader, to learn, to grow morally, to be physically fit, and to maximize competition in a nurturing and mentoring environment is essential. Doing so in a diverse community, while celebrating the important and intricate combinations of cultural traditions, life experiences and personal beliefs, will enable each young leader to compete and lead in the global environment. Please consider your gift today!

Director of Development & Alumni Relations / Assistant Director of College Guidance

Assistant to Development and Alumni Relations / Coordinator of Communications & Events
Alumni News
Nicole Finkel '16 on Global Security Track
“This summer I embarked on my final semester of my Master’s Degree program at Johns Hopkins University which entailed working on my master’s research project. This project marked the culmination of my studies on the global security track.

I am happy to announce that last month I successfully defended my research before a panel of scholars and experts in the security field.

My research project is entitled “Kinetic Versus Cyber Attacks: A Look at International Response to a New Domain of Conflict.” 
Class of 2016 Hosts Reunion
The Class of 2016 will be celebrating their five-year reunion on Saturday, October 2, 2021. For additional information regarding this event, please contact Ms. Maggie Smist '16 at msmist@gerstell.org.
Falcon Spirit!
Celebrate Your Student!
Has your child received leadership recognition inside or outside of Gerstell Academy? Allow us to recognize your child in The Falcon Connection. Please include a brief explanation and photo. Congratulations to our many student leaders!