News
2022
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November
Alum takes on the world by herself
Delanie Ostrow ’14 takes a 33-day solo trip to Europe. Read her story and experience the trip for yourself.Read More -
Gerstell Academy Hosts “Oaks and Seedlings” Breakfast
On Tuesday, November 22nd, the Upper and Middle Schools gathered to enjoy breakfast as “Oak and Seedlings”. The purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for mentoring relationships between students in the Middle and Upper Schools, and to celebrate their enduring friendships.Read More -
Gerstell Academy Celebrates Honor Induction Ceremonies
On Monday, November 7th, and Tuesday, November 8th, Gerstell Academy students, parents, faculty and administration gathered to honor students inducted into the Gerstell Academy Honor Societies as well as the National Honor Society. Held on two separate evenings, the events were designed to recognize students for their academic achievement.Read More -
Gerstell Academy Celebrates Dual Soccer Championships
The Gerstell Academy community is celebrating victory with two soccer championships! Both girls’ and boys’ varsity soccer teams brought home a championship!Read More -
Grandparent’s Day returns to Gerstell Academy!
On Friday, November 4th, the Lower School welcomed their Grandparents and Grandfriends for a morning of leadership and activities!Read More -
8th Grade Spanish Class Presents Dia de los Muertos
Sra Doyle’s Eighth Grade Spanish class researched Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and presented their projects to various classes throughout the school.Read More -
Irvine Nature Center Visits the Lower School
On Tuesday, November 1st, the Lower School welcomed the Irvine Nature Center and their presentation of "Survival of the Fittest"!Read More -
October
Royal Hospital School Visits Gerstell Academy!
Read MoreOn Thursday, October 20th, the Gerstell Academy community welcomed students, faculty and staff from the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk, England for a whirlwind day of classroom tours, band and concert performances, lunch and an old-fashioned American barbeque dinner! The Gerstell Academy choir even joined in with the RHS Choir for a performance.That evening, the band and chorus performed at the First Presbyterian Church in Westminster. The evening was spectacular, and President Mr. John Polasko opened the program and introduced the performers. There was a lot of toe -tapping to some Folk Appalachian music, live Jazz, and a rousing sing along led by the Children’s Chorus of Carroll County that inspired the whole audience to sing in a round. Ms. Jenna Lebherz Daly (Performing Arts Department Chair) was instrumental in organizing the event. -
Pre-K and Kindergarten classes visit local pumpkin patches!
On Tuesday, October 18th, the Kindergarten students visited Gaver Farms located in Mt. Airy and on Friday, October 21st, the Pre-K students visited Green Meadows Farm located in IjamsvilleRead More -
Senior Seminar Students Present Projects on Climate Change and Immigration
Ms. Johnson, Ms. Meekins, and Mr. Abbott’s senior seminar class researched two current event topics on climate change and immigration and presented their findings to students, parents, and staff. Students displayed their research in poster form in order to display their thesis, findings, data, charts, photographs, and conclusions.Read More -
Middle School Cross Country Team Excels
Read MoreOn a beautiful fall afternoon, the Gerstell Academy campus was host to a gathering of 96 middle school runners set to compete on the winding, hilly and picturesque 2-mile cross-country course. On Thursday, September 29th, three independent schools visited to participate in the event. Coach Jeff Cheevers and Assistant Coach Dennis Frazier worked to encourage and support the 11 runners. The co-ed team features 7 boys and 4 girls ranging from 5th-8th grade. Coach Cheevers shared…“I am very proud of all our runners for their efforts yesterday and throughout the season. It's great when a group of athletes works hard to reach their full potential. That was evident yesterday as every runner on our team ran a personal best time on our course, and some did it by minutes, which is incredible since we have only been together three weeks. “ -
September
Lower School participates in Battle of the Books!
Lower School students will once again participate in the Carroll County Battle of the Books competition on Friday, April 21, 2023!Read More -
Over 70% of Middle School students participate in after school athletics
At the end of a long day, students in middle school can’t wait to report to their athletic practices and games. Instead of heading home to get started on homework, over 70% of students are involved in either cross-country, soccer, or volleyball. These team sports help students learn the finer points of the game, promote health and well-being, and allow for competition against teams from other schools. Athletics provide for a natural extension of leadership, and students are inspired to reach their full potential away from the classroom.Read More -
Teacher Climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro to Inspire Leadership in Students
In July, Mr. Cameron Casey, Upper School Mathematics teacher, traveled with his brother, Colin Casey, and their father, Michael Casey, to Tanzania, Africa, determined to fulfill a goal two years in the making - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.Read More -
Steven Snyder ’13 Flying High
Steven Snyder ’13 is serving our country in the United State Air ForceRead More -
College Visits Begin Today!
As seniors begin to create their best applications for college, Syracuse University and Virginia Commonwealth University kick off the online Gerstell college visits. The plan for this year is to host a variety of virtual and on campus visits, and to provide Gerstell students with valuable opportunities to meet college admissions representatives and ask questions.Read More -
Lower School Hosts “Family Fun Night”
The Lower School hosted students and their families for an evening of outside fun and games to celebrate the beginning of another fantastic school year. Aside from helping to create great memories, having children see their parents and families participate in having fun cements the importance of community.Read More -
Middle School Chorus Class Learns Breathing Techniques
Students in the 5th and 6th Grade Chorus are fine tuning their choral skills in Ms. Daly’s Chorus Class. The 5th and 6th Grade Chorus practice controlled breathing exercises where singers stand straight, with head balanced, feet firmly on the floor, and shoulders square.Read More -
Gerstell Academy Welcomes Hall of Fame Lacrosse Coach John Grant, Jr.
John Grant, Jr. will be taking over as the new Director of Lacrosse and Varsity Boys Head Coach for the 2022-2023 school year. He will also teach in the Leadership Department where he will mentor Gerstell upper school students. Coach Grant comes to Gerstell Academy with over 20 years of coaching experience, including the collegiate and professional level with stops at the U.S. Air Force Academy and most recently Johns Hopkins University. He also coached professionally with the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse.Read More -
Middle School Students bond during Genesee Valley Field Trip
On Friday, September 2nd, our 6th grade students navigated their way around Genesee Valley during their Outward-Bound field trip last Friday. The annual trip provides an opportunity to see how our 6th graders handle adversity while challenging themselves to overcome self-doubt. It’s also a time to connect with old friends and meet new ones.Read More -
Gerstell Academy’s Upper School Students visit First Fruits Farm
On Friday, September 2nd, Gerstell Academy Upper School students and faculty traveled to First Fruits Farm in Freeland, Maryland to spend the day harvesting potatoes to share with local food banks and homeless shelters. Community service is an integral part of the Gerstell mission, and students, faculty and staff participate in this annual service opportunity.Read More -
Marcell Luckie ‘21 Receives Eagle Scout Award
Read MoreMarcell Luckie ‘21 recognized along with three other scouts for achieving the highest rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. -
July
Record Turnout for Falcon Summer Baseball School
The Gerstell Academy Falcon Summer Baseball School returned for its ninth summer season with its highest registration of participants ever, proving to be one of the most popular summer camps in Gerstell’s history.Read More -
June
Gerstell Celebrates the Class of 2022
Gerstell Academy joyfully celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2022 with commencement exercises on June 3, 2022.Read More -
Middle School Students Celebrate on Graduation Day
Eighth grade parents filled the Paterakis Athletic Center café and provided a myriad of breakfast goodies (a tradition started many years ago) on the morning of 8th grade graduation.Read More -
2022 Lower School Leadership Award Winner Announced at 4th Grade Celebration
The fourth grade students, under the leadership of Mrs. Patty Lutton and Ms. Jen Staub held it's annual 4th grade celebration on June 1st.Read More -
May
Class of 2030 Achieves High Honors in Two 2022 National Spanish Challenge Competitions
The 2022 National Spanish Challenge Poster Coloring Contest offered an opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity as they incorporated artistic talent with elements of Hispanic culture and language.Read More -
Alumna Sydnie Abrecht '15 Reaches New Heights as a Teacher and Athlete
Sydnie Abrecht '15, was a three-sport athlete during her time at Gerstell Academy, playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse; and captaining some of the teams.Read More -
Legendary Faculty Member Retires after 18 Years of Service
Mr. Stephen Olszewski has been a beloved and respected member of Gerstell Academy since 2004.Read More -
Lower School Students Complete Patriot Challenge
In order to augment their study of our great nation's founding, the fourth-grade students were challenged to compete in the Patriot Challenge.Read More -
Young Entrepreneurs Showcase Projects at Annual Business Fair
The fourth-grade students participated in the annual Gerstell Academy Entrepreneur Business Fair earlier this week.Read More -
Upper School Students Collect Supplies for Boys and Girls Club
As part of a community service project during the first two weeks of May, members of the Upper School National Art Honor Society (“NAHS”) collected art supplies for the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster.Read More -
Seventh Grade Student Wins Middle School Spelling Bee
Congratulations to all the finalists who competed in the 10th annual Middle School Spelling Bee!Read More -
April
Juniors Receive Class Rings and Make Memories of a Lifetime
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La Feria de Culturas Hispanas
Music, dancing, traditional Spanish food, and much more filled the Gerstell Academy campus last Saturday.Read More -
Seniors Commit to College of their Choice
With much anticipation, students and their families have been anxiously awaiting DECISION DAY!Read More -
Inspiring Others Through Art
Rachelle Lum '13 is passionate about bringing joy to others through art.Read More -
Christian Scholz '23 Competes in 2022 FIRST Robotics World Championship
Christian Scholz '23 has been a high-level robotics competitor since the age of 14. His team, Robo-Lions 2199 (Robo-Lions), qualified and competed in the 2022 FIRST Robotics Worlds Championship in Houston, Texas last weekend.Read More -
Students Improve Math Skills while Helping Others
In keeping with Gerstell Academy’s Leadership Attributes, Middle School students took Action with the goal of providing Hope to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Read More -
March
Alumna Follows Her Dreams
Angelina Appiah ’12 is following her dream of becoming a CPA. She graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC, formerly UMUC) with an online accelerated Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and a minor in Business Administration.Read More -
Bode Yelland '24 Achieves Eagle Scout
Congratulations to Bode Yelland '24 for receiving his Eagle Scout earlier this month. This is the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting and signifies a dedication that few can achieve.Read More -
Falcons Set Personal Records During Powerlifting Meet
Four Gerstell Falcons, Adam Wasserman, Brady Dillon, Andrew Khmaladze, and Braden Hammond recently competed and set personal records in the 2022 CCPS Invitational Powerlifting Meet at Winters Mill High School.Read More -
Lower School Launches One School, One Book Program
Following Spring Break, all students in the Lower School will read the book Gooseberry Park and the Master Plan by Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard.Read More -
Middle School Students Celebrate Pi Day with Pizza
March 14 is a day to celebrate the mathematical constant pi (π) and to eat lots of pie. Pi Day celebrates the mathematical constant π (3.14). It is celebrated in countries that follow the month/day (m/dd) date format, because the digits in the date, March 14 or 3/14, are the first three digits of π (3.14).Read More -
Parents Paint the Night Away
The Gerstell Academy Parents' Association hosted a very successful Sip and Paint night in late February.Read More -
Pre-K students Celebrate 100 days of School
Pre-K students celebrated a milestone in February - 100 days of school!Read More -
Saluting Imari Owens '25 for Winning State Essay Competition
Three Baltimore-area students were honored as the top finalists in the 35th Annual "Champions of Courage" Black History Month essay competition.Read More -
Spanish in the Community with Eesha Gupta
Eesha Gupta '22 is a member of the Gerstell Academy Intern/Mentor Program: Spanish in the Community. This program focuses on three out of four of Gerstell Academy's pillars; College Preparatory Academics, Leadership Education, and Modern Language Proficiency.Read More -
Teacher Inspires Students Through Language
Sra. Deborah Doyle, Spanish Department Chair and Spanish Instructor, has been a part of our Gerstell Community for over 14 years.Read More -
Two Gerstell Academy Students Recognized as Returning Carson Scholars
Read MoreAshtyn Logue '26 and Olivia Sprinkle '24 have once again been recognized as returning Carson Scholars. This honor is given to Carson Scholars who maintain their eligibility under the requirements of the Scholarship Fund. Gerstell Academy Portrait Leader, Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy, started this fund under the principle that if children could be taught early to excel, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of educational success in life. -
Visiting the Land of Make Believe
The Kindergarten classes kicked off a unit on the land of make-believe by celebrating Read Across America Day. The annual Read Across America Day, started by the National Education Association in 1998 to promote reading, was purposefully aligned with Dr. Seuss’ birthday.Read More -
February
Alumna Polina Yashnyk Enjoys D.C. Lifestyle
Polina Yashnyk, Class of 2017, graduated from Loyola University Maryland in Spring 2021 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Economics and summa cum laude honors. Now residing in Washington, D.C., Polina works for the federal government in public sector management consulting, supporting financial services operations.Read More -
Falcon Outreach Fosters Hope
“Is all of this food for us?” This question was posed by a nine-year old boy who lives in a family shelter. When the Falcon Outreach students replied, “yes,” he continued to ask, “Why would you give all of this to us?” Junior Rylie Bruffey shared this story after delivering food to the shelter and commented, “His curiosity made me realize how he and many other people are not used to generosity from others. I look forward to doing this again next year because it inspires me to appreciate the opportunities and love that I receive.”Read More -
Gerstell Academy Junior Wins National Travel Award
Zavian Valedon, a junior at Gerstell Academy, has won the 2022 Bertie Green Junior Travel Award from the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH), a national honor society for high school students studying Spanish or Portuguese.Read More -
Gerstell Senior Receives National Recognition and Scholarship for Spanish Achievements
Gaining working fluency in Spanish has literally paid off for a senior at Gerstell Academy. Elizabeth Chagalis is one of 12 students in the United States who has won a $2,000 prize for her advanced proficiency as evidenced by an essay and a conversation in Spanish.Read More -
Plans for Black History Month Assembly are Underway
This year's Black History Month Assembly will be led by our Middle School students and held on Wednesday, February 16th at 11:05 a.m.Read More -
Robotics Team Enjoys In-Person Competition for the First Time Since 2020
Congratulations to our Falcon's First Tech Challenge Robotics Team "6390" on their performance at the FIRST Chesapeake qualifying competition on Sunday, January 30, 2022, at Capitol Technology University.Read More -
The Many Faces of Mrs. Kaestner
Middle School Theatre Arts Instructor, Nan Kaestner remembers going to see the movie My Fair Lady as a 5-year-old, getting the album, and soon after, learning all the songs and performing them for her parents in their living room using the window seat as a stage.Read More -
Two Gerstell Students Chosen as Finalists for Essay Competition
“Champions of Courage” is designed to commemorate Black History Month by celebrating positive role models for youth. The essay competition provides an opportunity for students to participate in a scholastic competition, to gain confidence in their abilities, and to be recognized for their achievement.Read More -
Upper School Students Learn Proper Techniques in Sports Medicine Class
Ms. Adkinson's Sports Medicine class is designed to introduce students to the exciting world of sports medicine.Read More -
Kindergarten Students Share their Passion for Penguins
During the month of January, under the leadership of Mrs. Kimberley Eysaman and Mr. Rodgers Hagert, our Kindergarten students have learned all about polar animals and their habitats. The students were most fond of the study of penguins.Read More -
Tri-Sport Athlete Kylie Redman to Play Division 1 Lacrosse
Kylie Redman, a senior, has accomplished much during her four years at Gerstell Academy. She was originally drawn to Gerstell Academy because of its focus on Leadership Development; she liked being a part of a small academic community that felt like family.Read More -
Ms. Sugg’s Advisory Crowned 2022 BOK Champions
The Gerstell Academy Book of Knowledge, or "BOK", is a compilation of the minimum fundamental knowledge and skills expected of a Gerstell Academy Middle and Upper School student.Read More -
January
Jalen Blackwell Places Third in Maryland Essay Contest
Each year local VFW posts hold three essay competitions, the Voice of Democracy for grades 9-12, the Patriots Pen for grades 6-8, and the Youth Essay for grades 3-5. Students write essays based on given patriotic themes and the essays are evaluated by members of the local community.Read More -
Lower School Students Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Lower School honored Gerstell Academy Portrait Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 13 - the Thursday before a four-day weekend during a Leadership Circle.Read More -
Danish Khan '17 Looking Ahead
Danish Khan ’17 will be graduating from Case Western Reserve University in May 2022.Read More -
Destined to be a Teacher
Third grade Class Leader, Ms. Tina Culbertson knew that she wanted to become a teacher when she entered the second grade.Read More
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2022
2500 Old Westminster Pike
Finksburg, MD 21048-1823
410-861-3000
1-866-861-3300
Finksburg, MD 21048-1823
410-861-3000
1-866-861-3300
