What's Up in Ave Maria: Dan Guernsey returns to lead Donahue Academy forward

It was an ending as satisfying as any you can find short of Hollywood. The approval that greeted Dan Guernsey when it was announced at a June 12 meeting of the Donahue Academy community that the former headmaster would return to lead the school was expressed by a standing ovation as long as it was joyful.

Guernsey was the original headmaster of the school back in 2007 when it opened as Ave Maria Grammar & Prep. Under his leadership, it grew from a handful of students to a sought-after K-12.

Unfortunately, when Guernsey moved across the street to Ave Maria University (AMU) in 2014 to start up and lead the university’s education department, the leadership situation at Donahue became somewhat unstable. Three successive years brought three different headmasters.

Dismay by more than a few over a perceived decline in student conduct and academic standards, as well as the dismissal of respected staff members, led some families to withdraw their children and others not to re-enroll them. The announcement this spring of the departure of the highly regarded Dominican Students of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, who taught at the school since its opening, was an additional blow.

The academy was also dealing with a lawsuit filed by one of its former directors, Brian Lawe, alleging that Ave Maria University improperly controlled Donahue Academy. So it’s little wonder that a collective sigh of relief greeted the surprise announcement in May that the Diocese of Venice was purchasing Donahue Academy.

Bringing back Guernsey was a great move for restoring confidence in Donahue. But Guernsey is already tamping down any perception that he’s doing it alone, and highlighting team efforts already underway in preparation for the coming year

Guernsey opened a June 9 letter to the Donahue community with thanks for the wonderful reception he’s received upon his return, before quickly shifting focus to issues facing the school. He reminded everyone that his efforts would not be about “bringing the school back to ‘the good old days,’” but of moving it forward “to its best days,” and gave credit to diocesan educators, particularly superintendent of schools Kristy Swol, for helping Donahue transition into the diocesan family of schools.

In that same letter, Guernsey announced that Mark Jahnke, who in the 2015-2016 academic year served as headmaster, will now be second in charge. New hires include Robert Gotschall, a member of AMU’s Shakespeare in Performance troupe, who will be moving to Donahue from Mason Academy in Naples and Mary Ruth Traver, the first graduate of Donahue Academy to return to teach at the school.

Over the summer, Guernsey wrote, hundreds of hours have been spent putting in order a building that is now 10 years old, and said the faculty has been analyzing how to “increase consistency, security, enhanced academics and an ever more joyful spiritual life.”

Plans for a future pre-kindergarten program at the academy remain under development, overseen by Melody Curtis, who came to Donahue in 2016 and who teaches third grade.

One could say all seems in order for a happy ending, or more accurately, a new beginning, although some were just a tad regretful to hear that Guernsey’s position will now be “principal” rather than “headmaster” as he was formerly called. But no matter what his title, most seem delighted to have Guernsey back at the helm at Rhodora J. Donahue Academy.

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More news and information about Ave Maria can be found at The Ave Herald (www.aveherald.com) which Patricia publishes along with her husband, David Shnaider.