On Friday, December 1st, students, faculty, coaches, staff and parents gathered in the Deborah Paterakis gymnasium to celebrate the fall athletics season and acknowledge the efforts of our athletes.

During art class, students in grades Pre-K through eight were given a 9x9 piece of paper and a theme.  No other specifics were given.  Let the creative juices flow! 

On Saturday, November 25th, students, parents, and staff participated in the annual Miracle on Main Street. The Gerstell float was provided by the Weaver family and included a large trailer decorated with Gerstell themed lights and decorations. The Gerstell Falcon joined in the fun, and waved to participants who lined the streets of Westminster.

On Sunday, November 19th, the Gerstell Academy community enjoyed the 22nd annual “Pie Run”, held on the campus of Gerstell Academy. Alumni, faculty, parents, students, staff, and community members gathered to compete in a 5K race or enjoy a one-mile fun run/walk with the opportunity to win pies in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  

The Gerstell community wishes to congratulate senior Nathan Pokov on his selection as a student page for the Maryland General Assembly. The program began in 1970 by House of Delegates Speaker, Thomas Hunter Lowe and approved by the Maryland State Board of Education.  

Ajaya Hobart ’23 takes his managerial skills to High Point University.

Mr. David Gaines, Gerstell Academy business owner, parent and part-time Leadership Instructor, was named Veteran of Year during the annual Veteran’s Day ceremony. On Friday, November 10th, Gerstell Academy gathered as a community to honor and celebrate local veterans for their commitment, courage and sacrifice for our country.  

On Thursday, November 2nd, the Lower School welcomed Irvine Nature Center and their presentation of Survival of the Fittest!

On Tuesday, October 24th the Gerstell Academy Girls’ Cross- Country Team won the IAAM (Independent Athletic Association of Maryland) “C” Conference Championship. Held at 4 p.m. in Hunt Valley, MD at Shawan Downs, the weather was beautiful, and the temperature hovered in the upper 60’s. The girls competed against 9 teams from AIMS (Association Of Independent Maryland and D.C. Schools.) 

Brandon Tan ’18 graduated from Villanova University and enters the business world.

On Thursday, October 12th 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.  The event took place in the Alumni House and recognized students for their academic achievement.  

National Hispanic Heritage Month began on Friday, September 15th and ends on Sunday, October 15th.  The timing of National Hispanic Heritage Month coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American nations.  On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the 31-day period as National Hispanic Heritage Month to acknowledge the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to our society.  

On Friday, September 29th, the middle school held the first ever “Three on Three” basketball tournament and 3-Point contest after school. Students had the opportunity to sign up and create their own teams prior to the event and were excited to demonstrate their skills on the court. The “College Division” (5th/6th grades) was comprised of 4 teams and the and Pro division (7th/8th grades) represented 5 teams. After a competitive round-robin tournament the Rizzly Bears and Ice Spice Elite claimed top honors for each division. Gerstell faculty, parents and administrators served as coaches and officials throughout the afternoon.   

The Oak and Seedling Ceremony was held on Tuesday, September 26th to provide middle and upper school students with opportunities to build lifelong friendships. The Oaks and Seedling tradition is Gerstell Academy's mentoring program for the middle and upper school students. The program offers our middle school students the opportunity to be mentored by our upper school student leaders. Additionally, embodying the example that is set before them, our oldest middle school students learn how to coach and mentor our youngest middle school students in the fifth grade.  

Family Fun Night has become a much-anticipated lower school event and this year’s luau themed rendition did not disappoint!  Although scheduled on the eve of tropical storm Ophelia’s arrival, the lower school community came out in full force to celebrate a fantastic start to another school year.

A great day on the links at the Second Annual Alumni Golf Tournament!

The Sigsbee is a Chesapeake Bay skipjack, built in 1901 at Deal Island, Maryland. The Sigsbee is a 47-foot-long (14 m) two-sail bateau, or "V"-bottomed deadrise type of centerboard sloop, which is a type of sailboat with a single mast and one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of the mast.   The Sigsbee is one of the 35 surviving traditional Chesapeake Bay skipjacks.  

In Mr. Glenn Segal’s science class, students are learning the basic principles of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts through a variety of activities designed to engage students in critical thinking, teamwork, and learning through trial and error. 

On Friday, September 1st, Gerstell Academy Upper School students and faculty traveled to First Fruits Farm in Freeland, Maryland to spend the day harvesting corn and 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. 

During the summer hiatus, Lower School students and their families were asked to read Cody Harmon, King of Pets, by Claudia Mills. Upon completion of the book, students were asked to create a project based on the book. On Friday, September 1st, the Lower School students celebrated First Friday with the day’s events centered around the general themes of the book which included a showcase of the projects created by the students.

On Tuesday, June 27th and Wednesday, June 28th, Gerstell Academy played host to the Under Armour 150, a premier girls lacrosse recruiting combine. This invitation-only event spotlights the top 2025 and 2026 girls' lacrosse players in the country.  

On Friday, June 2nd at 10:00 a.m., Gerstell Academy celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 with commencement exercises.

Gerstell Academy is thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Varsity Boys Lacrosse Coach. We are delighted to welcome Coach Ryan Drenner to campus as the Head Boys Lacrosse Coach. He will also serve as a full-time faculty member.

Jillian Wilson, a 2018 graduate of Gerstell Academy and a recent graduate of Loyola University Maryland, has set the standard for success. Jillian is a true testament to the Gerstell Principle #7 Work to Reach your full potential. 

On February 26th, Gerstell Academy sophomore, Imari Owens won third place in the Regional Poetry Out Loud competition. Her love for the spoken word is evident to all who witness her recitation and passion for poetry.