Alumni

Newton R. Disney Service Award

The Newton R. Disney Service Award is given to an individual who by his or her actions and dedication to the mission of Church Farm School has served the school and its students in a significant and committed manner. This individual would have provided the service humbly and to the best of their ability without expectation of recognition or reward but with only the wish that in some way they might give back and make a difference in the life of a young man.

Nomination Criteria: 
  • Individual must be living
  • Individual may be male or female
  • Individual should be or have been directly involved with Church Farm School (e.g., alumni, coach, faculty/staff, parent or board member)
  • Individual will be honored at the Alumni Dinner 
  • Awardee will be selected by the Alumni Association Executive Committee
Newton "Diz" Disney was a 1948 graduate of Church Farm School. Born in York, PA, Newt spent his formative years at Church Farm School, an all-around athlete who played basketball, football and competed in track and field. He returned to campus in 1957 to coach basketball and led the team to back-to-back KSAC championships in 61-62 and 62-63. He was also a nurse anesthetist for more than 40 years and a successful hospital administrator. As a community member, he gave of his time, energy and fortune without reservation or expectation of reward to organizations he believed in: the AANA, the Boy Scouts of America/Troop 211, St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church and Church Farm School. Newt passed away on Sept. 24, 2013 from complications from Parkinson's disease.

Support the Fund

A fund has been created to help defray expenses associated with the award (recipient travel costs, award costs, etc.)? If you would like to contribute to this fund in memory of Newt Disney, click here to donate, and note "Disney Award" in the Comments field.

The 2025-2026 Newt Disney Award for Service: Thomas Johnstone ’09

As a six-year soldier (attending Church Farm School from 7th-12th grade), Tom Johnstone was a standout student and was recognized as such; he received the school’s History Award, Spanish Award, James Tate Award for Excellence in Ambassadorship, Earl B. Wilkins Memorial Award for Service, and Dr. Guy Mariner Memorial Award for Honor and Selflessness.

After graduating from Church Farm School in 2009, Tom majored in history at Elizabethtown College. After studying abroad in The Gambia in West Africa, Tom’s decision to return to his alma mater was solidified. “While living there and trying to immerse myself in the Gambian culture, I started to realize the importance of giving back and the power that relationships have to shape communities. Both things took me back to my days as a Griffin, and when I heard the school had an opening, I knew coming back was something that I wanted to do.”
 
Tom returned to Church Farm School in September 2013 as a history teacher and residential life faculty member. Within a few short years, his responsibilities grew to include Assistant Athletic Director, Assistant Wrestling Coach, JVB Head Soccer Coach, and Admission Committee member. He also served on the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan Committee: Unlocking Potential. In 2024, he was named Associate Director of Athletics and, following the departure of his longtime mentor, Art Smith, last year, Head Wrestling Coach. He also serves as the lead organizer of the school’s well-respected Wrestling Invitational, an enormous endeavor in which more than a dozen wrestling programs from the tri-state area spend a full day competing in the Founder’s Pavilion.
 
Says his peer Abraham Calvin ’09, “At his core, Tom is a mentor. He sees in the boys he serves what others once saw in him: potential waiting to be developed, guided, and believed in. His work is not transactional; it is transformational. He leads not through recognition or praise, but through daily, steady presence - showing up, investing in others, and modeling what it means to live with purpose and humility.”

Tom always goes above and beyond to ensure that the students’ and the school’s needs are met. He also finds time to serve as his class agent, encouraging others to “look back, come back, give back.” Tom’s service to the Church Farm School community hasn’t missed a beat.
 
PAST RECIPIENTS
  • 2025: Lori McDermott 
  • 2024: Steve Marcus '73
  • 2023: Priscilla Gabosch (Karl '48)
  • 2022: David Zimmerman '88
  • 2021: Dr. John Grunwell '60
  • 2020: N/A
  • 2019: John Kistler
  • 2018: Stuart Brackney '62
  • 2017: Stephen Loney '97
  • 2016: James Tate '52
Church Farm School | 1001 E. Lincoln Hwy. | Exton, Pennsylvania 19341
Phone: 610.363.7500 | Fax: 610.363.5367 | Admissions: [email protected]

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The Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 located in Exton, PA. Founded in 1918 to provide an excellent education to young men from limited means, Church Farm School remains committed to increasing opportunity and economic mobility for the boys who need it the most.