Samantha Regan, President of the Parents' Association
Keech Combe Shetty
Katy Williamson
*Ex officio member
TRUSTEES EMERITI
Dr. Mary Fitzpatrick
Jo Ann Gaynor
Gordon Gaynor
Yvette Siegel-Herzog – Co-Founder and Director of Education
GAYNOR ADVISORY COUNCIL
Bill Caleo
Chris Canavan
Adey Fisseha
Linda Hsu
Elise Mordos '04
Beth Pristaw
Javier Rodriguez
Josh Wiener
Editor: Deanna Ferrante
Executive Editor: Megan Bostaph
Photography: Gaynor staff, Da Ping Luo and Brett Deutsch Photography
Editorial Design: We Can Design That Printing: 44interactive
GAYNOR ON GAYNOR
Entering my 30th year at Gaynor, I have much to reflect upon. We were a much smaller community when I started in the summer of 1994. The entire school fit into a single-family brownstone. It was easy to know everyone, and the two founders, Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel-Herzog, were present throughout the school. In fact, the entire lower-division faculty could fit in Yvette’s office for weekly meetings. Disseminating Gaynor’s values and goals came directly from our founders and permeated the five stories of our building. Three decades later, while the school has grown significantly, our commitment to our founders core values has not wavered. Not only do we individualize the curriculum for each child, but we also create an environment where they feel included and belong. As we have grown, the responsibility to support a sense of inclusion and belonging has shifted from the shoulders of our founders to our entire community.
This year was marked by rigorous participation in our BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Jewish Affinity Group spaces for students, employees, and families. These spaces allowed historically marginalized groups to share their experiences, find support, and advocate for themselves—a hallmark of a Gaynor education. One of the more memorable moments of this year was when I attended a student LGBTQIA+ affinity group meeting. I was inspired by the confidence and camaraderie that our Upper Division students displayed when advocating for Pride Month activities.
This past year, we have a lot to celebrate in raising the voices of our founders through events, workshops, and activities. This year, the Board of Trustees set a goal to evaluate Gaynor’s mission statement. Parent, leadership, and faculty representatives came together to affirm and assess our school’s mission. We wrestled over the “just right” words to describe who we are, what we do, and who we aspire to be. After evaluating the feedback from all our constituents, we were proud to share our new mission statement this past June. I believe the second sentence of our mission captures the essence of what we collectively strive to achieve for our students:
Students learn to advocate for themselves and others while actively building an inclusive community, a sense of belonging, and a belief in their own possibilities.
I am pleased to add that Yvette Siegel enthusiastically endorsed the new mission statement—a high standard to achieve.
This year, we not only celebrated our school’s identity, but we also came together to celebrate the diversity of our families. With the help of the Parents’ Association, we hosted a variety of festivities, including a Friday night Shabbat dinner, a Black History Month quilting workshop, a Hispanic Heritage dance performance from Ballet Hispánico, an Eid al-Fitr Breakfast My Way, and participated in the annual NYC Pride March. I was inspired to see families from different backgrounds show up to learn and support each other at these events.
Gaynor’s Rockin’ Gala this spring was a festive night for all. The Gala committee made a concerted effort to make this year’s event about community. Moving the event to Brooklyn Bowl, bringing in legendary musicians, and making the event more accessible to Gaynor families made it a bonding experience for our entire community. The funds raised that evening went towards the school’s endowment, which helps Gaynor create a steady stream of support for financial aid, faculty and specialist salaries, and will help keep Gaynor affordable for future generations. I want to thank the Shapiro and Williamson families for making this a spirited event to remember.
The year closed with our most important community event, Stephen Gaynor School's graduation. While our graduates entered Gaynor from different schools and on different points of their learning journey, they share a common bond of perseverance, self-advocacy, and academic success. Mission accomplished: Our students are prepared for their next challenge and are attending a variety of exceptional schools. We are also thrilled to share with you the list of colleges (page 46)that our graduates from 2020 will be attending next year.
Over the past three decades, I am most proud that Gaynor has grown and stayed true to our founders’ mission. I am grateful to be part of a community that collectively carries their vision forward.
DR. SCOTT GAYNOR Head of School
Celebrating 30 Years of Gaynor at Gaynor
Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor first joined the staff of Stephen Gaynor School as a bookkeeper 30 years ago in 1994, while planning his next step in the finance world. But that plan was quickly put on hold as he fell in love with the school, and was compelled to leave the precision of finance for the joy of education. In honor of this exciting anniversary, Gazette editor Megan Bostaph sat down with Dr. Gaynor for an indepth discussion about his time at Gaynor, and the journey he has taken along with the school as they both have changed and grown over the past 30 years.
What has your journey at Gaynor been like, from the very beginning to now?
My start at the school was, I wouldn't say an accident, but I came here just as a landing spot between leaving a career at one bank and finishing up my MBA, and thinking that this would be a good place to reevaluate where I wanted to go next in the world of business and finance. But I came and I fell in love with this school, and there's never been a day that I regretted that decision to leave [finance] and come work at Gaynor. I think my journey at Gaynor has been quite symbiotic with the school. I came here when I was very young, [when] we were a small school with an incredible mission, and I grew up here, for the past 30 years, maturing, growing, and adapting and learning, which feels very much like the same path the school has taken.
Had you ever thought about becoming the Head of School?
No. I mean, I grew up with my grandmother [Dr. Miriam Michael] who started the school, and I grew up around the school, so I would come here on my vacations and even work here. My grandmother asked me before I graduated college if I wanted to come work at Gaynor, and I said with some level of confidence “no,” because my path in my head was in business and working at a financial institution. I always thought that that was the right path for me. And that's why I would say it was very
fortunate that I took that pause to rethink about what the path was going to be.
What does the role of Head of School at Stephen Gaynor School mean to you?
I was given a gift by Yvette Siegel-Herzog and my grandmother in the vision that they had for the school. I believe my most important job is the keeper of their vision, the person who is responsible for ensuring that the mission that they created to support children who learn differently in a highly individualized way is ongoing.
I still learn a great deal from Yvette every time I talk to her because she's so adept at bringing me back to thinking about our core mission, who we are, and what has sustained us and allowed us to thrive and allowed children to thrive over six decades. So it's very simple, but if you continue to use that lens to make decisions, whether they're business decisions about facilities or curriculum programs or hiring someone, [you ensure] that they bring great success to this very simple idea that [Yvette and Mimi] had when they decided to start Stephen Gaynor School.
So that part of the job brings me great joy, and what makes being Head of Stephen Gaynor School so rewarding for me personally is the opportunity to speak with the students, whether it's doing door duty, or watching our basketball team play, or how I just came back from the lunch room and got lost in conversation with a couple of students about basketball. [laugh]
I’ve learned you are the third generation of Gaynors who have worked at the school. Does the idea of ‘legacy’ mean anything to you? Yes, it does. It's complex, it's hard for me to untie my feelings for the school with the fact that my last name is on the school, and that I'm so proud that my grandmother and my parents were so involved in the school. But I can't say that my emotional attachment to the school is any more than any other teacher or employee here because, and this is what's so great about Gaynor, we're so mission driven, and the teachers and all the employees go above and beyond because they believe in this mission. So I don't think I have a greater stake in [the school], I think a lot of people here have that and I just assume that everyone feels like they're part of the Gaynor family, so the fact that I actually am part of the Gaynor family is a bonus. But I don't want to diminish that everyone has that tie to the school. Especially the Chris Myers, the Sloan Shapiros, the Ruth Rachlins, the Joe Kaufmans who were here in those early days, they have it coursing through their veins just like I do, and they have the relationships with my grandmother and Yvette that I get to have. So, yeah, I don't know if I answered your question or just made it more complex. [laughs] I'm really proud that my name’s on the outside of the school and that I have this connection to Stephen*. But as far as my love for the school, I can't say that it would be any different [from anyone else’s].
children. And I think in the future, there's such a great opportunity for us to help more children, not by growing bigger, but helping teachers become better at how they teach by partnering with public schools, partnering with organizations that serve Stephen Gaynor School. We have a number of areas of expertise, whether it's the instruction of reading, executive functioning, self-advocacy, or any of those core academic skills that we teach so well, so [it’s important] to reach more children by helping more teachers learn these skills that are applicable, not even for children who learn differently, but for all children. All children need strong executive functioning skills, and we've proven that we're pretty good at this, and we can help more children by training more teachers.
Finally, what do you see for the school in the future?
We have this wonderful five year strategic plan, and it's a terrific plan that really spotlights what we do well for the students who come here every day, and how to improve on that. At Stephen Gaynor School, we have a commitment to grow in our delivery of education for our children. So there’s the whole part of our strategic plan that's dedicated to that [growth], and then there's the other piece that I'm really excited about, and that's the outreach. I think about school, the noun, the physical building and everything that goes inside of it, the teachers, the materials and everything like that. Then I like to think about school, the verb, the action part of educating
I’ve been thrilled with the work that Emily Barnes has done as Director of Outreach and Innovation. We're so proud of the 17 years that we've been hosting the Community Learning Center here at Stephen Gaynor School, and this next step that Emily gets a great deal of credit for facilitating is the training of local public school teachers. And that speaks to my earlier point about strategic direction, that we have a great history of the CLC, but we can help so many more students if the teachers in these classrooms have these skills to support their students.
*Stephen Gaynor, the school’s namesake, was Mimi’s son. He was a first year student at Cornell University in 1961 when he passed away in a car accident. When Mimi and Yvette started the school in 1962, they named it in Stephen’s honor.
Dr. Scott Gaynor with Stephen Gaynor School co-founders Yvette SiegelHerzog (left) and Dr. Miriam Michael (right)
Stephen Gaynor School is a magical, freeing, accepting schooling environment where children are embraced for who they are today and nurtured to develop into their full potential for who they can, and one day will be. It’s pure magic and words can never adequately capture what happens inside these walls.”
— Paige Kramer, Current Gaynor Parent
It may be true that words cannot adequately convey the impact of Stephen Gaynor School on our community, but a team of current parents, past parents, faculty, administrators, and trustees spent the past year working to do just that. In order to ensure that our mission statement acknowledges and honors the vision of our
co-founders, Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette SiegelHerzog, as well as our aspirational goals as an institution, a Mission Statement Review Committee undertook a thorough evaluation of the school’s mission statement.
The school’s existing mission statement served Gaynor well for many years, but a mission statement is only powerful when it accurately reflects an institution's values and goals. For that reason, it is good practice to review an institution’s mission statement periodically. Additionally, in 2024-2025, Gaynor will be undertaking the NYSAIS decennial accreditation process. According to NYSAIS, “Everything … in the self-study process flows from [the mission] statement.”
A good mission statement is a critical component of an organization’s identity and should serve as a guide for goal setting and decision-making. It should be clear and concise, inspirational, timeless, differentiating, memorable, and reflective of the organization’s values.
In order to provide the committee with feedback from the Gaynor community, the school surveyed students, alumni, employees, trustees, and parents to ask them what three words describe Gaynor to them, how they describe Stephen Gaynor School to a friend, and anything else they wanted to let the school know about our mission statement review. The 300+ respondents to the survey made clear to the Mission Statement Review Committee that there was significant agreement within our community about what defines Stephen Gaynor School. Key words that appeared again and again in the survey included: supportive, individualized, inclusive, welcoming, caring, and nurturing.
Over in-person workshops and committee surveys, the team reviewed the school’s existing mission statement and spent significant effort in revising that statement to better reflect the present and future of Stephen Gaynor School. The committee worked together to determine words and concepts that resonated strongly as descriptors both of the Gaynor community ethos as well as the outcomes they hope that Gaynor students achieve at our school to prepare them for their future academic and social lives.
Once a final draft was written, the proposed statement was shared with Co-Founder and Director of Education Yvette Siegel-Herzog to ensure that the updated mission aligns with her vision for the school. After reviewing all of
the feedback from the committee and stakeholders, the Board of Trustees approved the final, updated mission statement on June 5, 2024.
The Mission Statement Review Committee and the Board of Trustees felt it was important to pair the updated mission statement with a series of “we believe” statements to further bring the values of the school to life. You can read the value statements by scanning the QR code below.
The new mission statement calls attention to the use of evidence-based methods and our research-backed approach to education. It emphasizes empowering students and teaching them self-advocacy skills, and in general the statement is focused on student agency. It specifically values the creation of an inclusive community and fostering a sense of belonging, enshrining the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the school’s mission statement.
Stephen Gaynor School has always been a mission-driven institution, and according to Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor, “The updated version will help us focus on what is most important for us as an institution, and will be the thread that weaves throughout the NYSAIS decennial.”
With this renewed mission, we are not just reflecting on our past achievements but also paving the way for a future where every student is empowered to reach their full potential. As we embrace this updated mission statement, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic educational environment. We look forward to celebrating our new mission statement in the coming year and continuing to grow as a community dedicated to the success and well-being of every student. Together, we will ensure that Stephen Gaynor School remains a place where magic happens every day.
Scan to see the full mission and values statements
How did you find yourself at Gaynor?
Before [I came to Gaynor], I worked for a couple right on 93rd actually, babysitting. And when I first came to Gaynor it was to help out Carlvin [Delfish, Gaynor’s Building Manager] when they had a Halloween party. It was being held in the gym. And I knew Carlvin because he was my neighbor.
And then after seeing how much work it was just for that event, I think [Head of School] Dr. [Scott] Gaynor had realized that they needed help. So he asked Carlvin to look for somebody. Carlvin said, oh, well, I have my friend who was here to help us with the setup for this party. So he called me and I came back in and Dr. Gaynor interviewed me. And that's how I started. 16 years ago, in November of 2007.
And then, four months later, [the people I babysat for] called me. They asked me if I would come back. I told them, well, I'm working at Gaynor, so I can't come back. And I didn't envision myself doing [babysitting] for the rest of my life. I said no, I'll stay here. Because I needed to show stability, because I was also fighting to bring my daughter up [from Trinidad].
Wendy Peters Five Questions With...
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Facilities Services Manager Wendy Peters has been on the Facilities team at Gaynor for 16 years, and has seen the school go through all kinds of changes, both architecturally and culturally. Wendy is a storyteller; over the course of our hour-long interview, the topics ranged from her family life in Trinidad to her working experiences before coming to Gaynor. We sat down with Wendy for the latest installment of our "Five Questions With..." series, and learned more about her history with the school from the perspective of a staff member, and how deep
Wendy with the rest of the Facilities team. From right to left: Oscar Jimenez, Mark Gowie, Wendy Peters, Carlvin Delfish, and Eladio Tejada
Wendy visiting her family in Trinidad and Tobago
What
keeps you coming back to work every day?
Oh, just because of how the school is, the whole concept of the school. I brag and boast to people about where I work. I tell them I work in one of the best schools in New York. It's such an amazement every time I come to work.
It always amazes me when I see kids who came in here, real little or, still little, but older. And [they came because] they were having difficulties, and to see [them] when they reach the age for graduation… You would ask yourself, why are they here? Because they have learned so much. And that's because of the one-on-one [attention] they get and the time the teachers take to work with them. So that's why even over the years, one of the things that I always try to do is to help out as much as I can with the teachers. Because I always have in the back of my head, it's such a difficult job for them, having to work with the kids. So anything I can do to make life easier for them during the day? I would do it. If it’s within reason I would do it. [laugh]. And that's one of the things I try to tell my team, they ask us to do things because they can't leave what they're doing, you know? So that's why that's our job.
But it really has been really awesome working here, you know, like I said to Dr. Gaynor once, I'm 150, 200 percent committed to this school. Because they have really, really been good to me over the years, especially when I've gone through some really, really, really tough times.
You recently were promoted to Facilities Services Manager. What did this change in position mean to you?
Well, it's been really good because, before I couldn’t show what skills I have when dealing with certain things. A lot of people don't know but before I came to this country, I worked in a law firm for 11 years. So I have office experience. I just need to update it. [laughs] I don't pretend that I know this, and I know that, and I know what I'm supposed to do on the computer with a lot of things, because back then it was a whole lot different to how it is now; a whole lot of things have evolved since then. But being able to highlight the things I can do has been really great for me, and getting that promotion and stuff like that. After 16 years! That's why they tell you, don't give up. You're not supposed to give up. My grandma would always tell me that “when it's your turn, it's your turn.” That's one of my favorite things my grandmother used to say and I live by [it]. She would always say. “Wendy, if something is for you, it is not going to be for anyone else. If it's for you, it's for you. So when it's your time, it's your time.” And I've always believed that because it has always worked out that way.
What has changed at Gaynor over the years, and what has stayed the same?
Well, the only thing that’s different is the changes of the faculty every year. That's the only change for me. The essence of the school has stayed the same, but it has gotten better. I would say it's a bit more diverse. I think when I got here, there was only one Black kid, and no Black teachers. So it has gotten a lot more diverse. But the whole atmosphere of the school has stayed the same.
I always said I would give this school my all because I've been through so many different things since I've been working here, and they've been so supportive. That hasn't changed with them, with everybody, especially the teachers who've been here for a long time. So there's a connection there with them because of that.
For what’s different, well, I saw the whole South Building built out. Every part of that process. Before the play deck, it had a wall there and I remember with the [North] building on the 4th floor, there was a wall before they built the bridge, and there was a window. So I saw the whole change. It's mind blowing to compare how it is now to how it was.
What do you do when you’re not at Gaynor?
Well, I'm getting older, so all I do now is stay home, [go to] work, home, work, home. [laugh] For my entertainment either I will be playing video games on my phone, or I read books on my phone. Because all the books that I have [at home], I’ve [already] read all of them. I like to read mystery novels. So now I just download books on my phone.
The Department of Outreach and Innovation was launched as part of Gaynor’s most recent five year strategic plan with the goal of facilitating initiatives in community education and connectedness, expanding access to new audiences, and exploring school community partnerships and outreach opportunities. Starting a new program is a bit like nurturing a garden. Seeds need to be planted in thoughtfully organized patches, and cared for knowing that their potential to grow depends upon so many factors. At the end of this first year, I am happy to say that many of the outreach seeds planted in the fall have started to blossom. In many ways, the 2023-24 year felt like the “just right” time to grow these efforts, given the momentum that coalesced around the national attention to literacy, and broader acceptance that there are many different types of learners.
We have been able to build awareness around the best practices and resources for teaching students with language-based learning differences by sharing our expertise with other professionals in education and by networking with those in the field to strengthen and build partnerships. In March, I attended Dyslexia Awareness Day in Albany where state assemblymembers and senators shared their work to advance legislative
From the desk of
Emily Barnes
Director of Outreach and Innovation
bills that address literacy initiatives, dyslexia screenings, and more. Stephanie Brown ’13 is the Coordinator & Community Liaison for NY Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and helped to organize this meaningful event. Not only was this a way to hear about the important work happening on the state level around supporting students with dyslexia, it was a powerful reminder of the unique education Gaynor provides to its students and that all students could benefit from learning this way.
One of the most talked about topics this past year in education is the national shift to the science of reading. Schools around the country are rethinking how reading has been taught for decades. Educators, parents, and government leaders alike have embraced teaching reading in ways that are more aligned with Gaynor’s approach for the last 62 years. This national momentum and our long-standing partnership with two local public schools through our Community Learning Center (CLC) after school program led to an impactful school/community collaboration. Shortly after the announcement of the New York Public Schools NYC Reads initiative, Gaynor worked with the administration at PS 84 to craft a professional development program to support their teachers by sharing our expertise on the science of
Emily Barnes with Stephanie Brown ’13 at an event in Albany for Dyslexia Awareness Day
reading and evidence-based instructional approaches and strategies. In the fall of 2023, Gaynor piloted a 15week reading professional development program to train nine kindergarten through second grade teachers at PS 84. The goals were to train teachers in both the science of reading and improve their phonics-based instruction as well as begin to develop a continuity of instruction between what their CLC students learn in their classrooms and at Gaynor. Facilitated by our CLC Co-Directors, Kristi Evans and Sloan Shapiro, the training program produced impressive results with 100% of the participants reporting they saw improvement in their students’ grasp of phonics by the end of the 15 weeks.
In support of educators in both independent and public school settings, Gaynor launched a new series of educator workshops and professional development opportunities that are rooted in evidence-based frameworks and led by our expert faculty. To kick off the workshops, Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson held a training on the topic of best practices to support students with learning differences in mainstream schools for over 70 educators from 26 independent schools in conjunction with NYSAIS. Shortly following that event, Ms. Thompson also led a customized training in executive function strategies for The Chapin School’s learning specialists.
In April, the University of Texas at Austin’s Project SPELLeR selected Gaynor as one of three schools across the country to take part in a research study that seeks to advance the science around educating students with dyslexia, demonstrating our position as a model school in the field of LD schools. Researchers worked with Director of Lower Division Donna Logue and sixteen Red
and Orange Cluster students to investigate the impact of spelling practice on the reading and writing skills of students with dyslexia.
In an effort to harness the vision that moves the strategic plan forward, a group of Gaynor’s directors and trustees, guided by Tim Fish, Chief Innovation Officer at NAIS, came together in January to define our “we believe” statements (the core tenets of what makes Gaynor so special), which would ultimately become part of the school’s value statements (see page 5). One such statement is that our mission goes beyond the borders of our school to ensure children with learning differences are successful in a variety of environments. I am confident that under this guiding principle, the school’s outreach efforts will continue to grow and flourish.
A researcher from the University of Texas at Austin's Project SPELLer working with a Red Cluster student
Teachers from PS 84 in training with Gaynor’s CLC Co-Directors Kristi Evans and Sloan Shapiro
Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson (third from right) with learning specialists from Chapin School
Fun Times on Field Trips
Yellow Cluster Lower East Side: The Yellow Cluster went on a food tour of the Lower East Side as part of their European immigration curriculum.
Red Cluster Brooklyn Bridge: The Red Cluster walked across the Brooklyn Bridge as part of their exploration of the boroughs of New York City.
Green Cluster Cathedral of St. John the Divine: The Green Cluster visited the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. During their trip they toured the cathedral, learned facts about the architecture, and made connections to their medieval studies history unit.
Silver Cluster Museum of Jewish Heritage: The Silver Cluster went on a trip to the Jewish Heritage Museum to see an exhibit connected to the book that they’d read in their reading groups, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
Yellow Cluster Ellis Island: During their visit to Ellis Island, Yellow Cluster students took a tour of the museum, and looked for their relatives on the Wall of Honor.
Red Cluster Harlem: Red Cluster students visited Harlem, stopping at iconic spots like the soul food restaurant Sylvia’s, the Apollo Theater, and the Planet Harlem mural.
Blue Cluster’s “Sweet” Community Outreach
Over the course of five weeks, nine Blue Cluster students in Head Teacher Erika Bentsen’s advisory participated in Sweet Readers, a program that connects middle school students with adults with Alzheimer’s in an immersive, artbased program. Students had initially begun volunteering with Sweet Readers in 2020, and though that first semester was unfortunately cut short due to the pandemic, they were excited to have the opportunity again this year!
Before they started, the students were visited by Karen Young, the co-founder of Sweet Readers, for some training on what to expect when working with the adults in the program. Gaynor Speech & Language Pathologist Carly Dash also spoke with the group from a language specialist’s perspective about the best types of questions to ask, and tips and strategies for the conversations they would be having with people who have memory loss. With this preparation in mind, students then began the program at the Apsley Senior Living Community on the Upper West Side, with Gaynor Psychologist Kat Pearl to help facilitate.
For the duration of the program, the students worked with their assigned resident to make booklets that portrayed themes of identity, love, dreams, and more. In their conversations with the residents, students asked questions about their families and where the residents are from, and also about their favorite places and what they dream about.
Ms. Bentsen reflected on how great this experience was for the students, “It was Gaynor students in their best light. They were so committed to the activity, and felt really proud of themselves.”
The students themselves also reflected on their participation in the program, and what they felt they learned from their experience. As Emily O. said, “I think it was an awesome experience to have and I would love to do it again. We had so much fun, but my favorite part was just seeing how happy they were every day that we can work with them and the joy we can bring to their day.” Henry R. added that, “I think young people should volunteer to help the community so they can
gain experience helping the older community or learn new things that will help later in life.”
Volunteering is a great way for the students to meet others outside of Gaynor who have lived different lives than them, and for them to gain the perspective of what it is like to walk in another’s shoes. “This is such an opportunity for them to be a leader and develop empathy and perspective for a population that is often ignored in society,” Ms. Bentsen said.
Read more about the Sweet Readers program and their mission here
On May 13, the Gaynor community came together for the Gaynor Rockin’ Gala at Brooklyn Bowl, an event combining support of Stephen Gaynor School with amazing food, great company, and live music in a once-in-a-lifetime show with legendary artists.
Gaynor Rockin’ Gala 2024: An Incredible Experience!
Guests knew they were in for something special as soon as they arrived at the venue, which featured custom concert posters hinting at the excitement waiting inside. As soon as they opened the red doors and entered Brooklyn Bowl, the real fun began! The venue was festooned with disco balls, and video screens displayed “family portraits” of Gaynor students, faculty, specialists, and staff. Passed hors d’oeuvres, a slider station, full bar, and a fully-staffed sushi station meant no one went hungry or thirsty that night!
Celebrating a Special Community
The formal program began when Peter Shapiro, owner of Brooklyn Bowl, and most importantly, father to Blue Cluster student Simon, took the stage. Shapiro welcomed the attendees, and spoke of the “magic of Gaynor,” his son’s journey at the school, and how proud he is that his son will be graduating this year.
Shapiro said, “It’s hard to really express how appreciative we are of Gaynor. Just like every one of you who has a student here, we just wish that every kid out there, both in New York and around the country, could benefit from what this very special school does.”
Shapiro was joined onstage by fellow Gaynor parent, Greg Williamson, parent to Sidney in the Orange Cluster.
Williamson echoed Shapiro’s sentiments saying, “When you have a child that is in the right setting, particularly a child with learning differences, it’s a game changer. Our son Sidney could not be happier and could not be more comfortable at Stephen Gaynor School. So thank you for all you do. When you’re part of a school like Gaynor, you are part of a special community.”
Photo credit: Brett Deutsch Photography
Peter Shapiro, parent to Blue Cluster student Simon
Supporting Stephen Gaynor School’s Endowment
Auctioneer Lydia Fenet took the mic to quiet the crowd and begin an energetic live auction that included exclusive opportunities as well as a paddle raise. Funds raised at this year’s gala will be used to support the school’s endowment, helping to provide long-term financial security and a perpetual source of revenue for Gaynor. The endowment helps Gaynor create a steady stream of support for financial aid, faculty and specialist salaries, and will help to keep Gaynor affordable for generations of future students. The impact of dollars invested in the endowment today is magnified over time and will help secure the financial future of the school.
Who’s the Smartest Person at Brooklyn Bowl?
After the auction, Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor took the stage to thank everyone for participating, saying, “On behalf of many children to come, I want to thank you all for increasing access to Gaynor, for breaking down the barriers to a Gaynor education. Your support tonight makes us a stronger community, so thank you for that. That’s incredible.”
He then introduced something never before experienced at a Gaynor community event — a fast-paced video trivia contest, “Who is the Smartest Person at Brooklyn Bowl,”
Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor takes the stage
hosted by Austin Rogers, All-Star Jeopardy Winner. This trivia game was crafted exclusively for Gaynor by Blue Cluster parent, Jim Juvonen. And our very own Blue Cluster student, Leo J., made an appearance in the trivia video as a contestant.
When the dust settled and the winners were announced, it turned out to be almost a total sweep by Gaynor faculty and staff members. It seems the Gaynor team really were the smartest people at Brooklyn Bowl!
The Main Event: Gaynor Rockin’ Gala Band
The trivia contest was immediately followed by another first-ever experience to close out the event, a once-in-alifetime performance by the Gaynor Rockin’ Gala Band. The band featured legendary artists who came together for this one night only, including George Porter, Jr. from The Meters, Ivan Neville from the Legendary Neville
Family, Kirk Douglas from The Roots, and knock-yoursocks off vocals by Lisa Fischer from The Rolling Stones.
We would like to sincerely thank all of our parent volunteers and generous sponsors who supported Stephen Gaynor School and Gaynor Rockin’ Gala 2024.
Photo credit: Brett Deutsch Photography
“Progenitor of Funk” George Porter, Jr. on the guitar for the Gaynor Rockin’ Gala Band
Lisa Fischer belts her heart out during a rendition of The Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter”
Fromthedeskof Stella Heyliger-Mulatu Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This year I have often quoted Maya Angelou in saying, “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” These words affirm for me our innate need, as human beings, for belonging, and have guided my work in creating spaces of connection and support for our students. Of all of our DEI programming, it is the Blue Cluster affinity groups of which I am most proud, for they have cemented the truth in Maya Angelou’s words.
An affinity group is a group of people linked by a common bond. This common bond is something they identify with and can speak about from the “I” perspective. Affinity groups provide a safe and supportive space for those in historically marginalized communities to gather and share their experience. It is a powerful tool for building community, belonging, and that feeling of home. What’s more, affinity groups have been found to develop early adolescents’ positive selfesteem, academic confidence, sense of connectedness with all members of the community, and selfresponsibility to improve the world around them.
This year our Student of Color (aka SOC), LGBTQIA+ (aka Rainbow Alliance) and Jewish Affinity Group (aka JAG) spaces were robust, joyful and impactful. I am very grateful for the dedication, commitment and love that Chon Smith, Claire Ashley, Catherine Thomas, and Debra Adams regularly provided to our Blue Cluster affinity group participants. As facilitators, they offered mirrors for students to see themselves, connect with a trusted adult, ask questions, and investigate their identities in new and meaningful ways. In true Gaynor fashion, these educators regularly went above and beyond to meet the needs of their students.
As part of the affinity group program, students participated in events throughout the year. In addition to the enormously successful Cultural & Identity Fair
(an idea that came from the SOC affinity group), students did a presentation for Black History Month, engaged the community in a “Do a Mitzvah Today” campaign to make the world a better place, and spoke to parents and trustees about the meaning of Pride at the PA’s June Breakfast My Way event. The Rainbow Alliance even held a listening session with Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor, Director of Upper Division Christine Karamanoglou, and myself to discuss how to make Gaynor a more affirming space for LGBTQIA+ identifying students. At event after event, I was continually inspired by our students’ advocacy skills, community-mindedness and sense of empowerment. It quickly became evident that these students shared a desire and willingness to help make Gaynor a place where diversity is celebrated, affirmed, and valued for all.
I am proud to work at a school where so many students already feel at home. Their joyful, smiling faces as they walk (and sometimes skip) into the building in the morning are good indicators of the love for learning and strong community connection cultivated each day. Student affinity groups are a vital complement to our excellent curriculum. They ensure that students who share key social identifiers are given the time and space to be together in community, for the benefit of themselves as well as the school as a whole. This year was such a powerful example of the truth of that statement. Not only did students delight in the opportunity to be together in affinity, but they engaged the larger community in shared learning experiences that benefitted us all. Building upon the success of the Blue Cluster program, affinity groups will be provided for the Green Cluster next year as well. I am so very grateful to all of our student affinity group participants this year. Thank you for your bravery, honesty and commitment to Gaynor. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together next year!
Names, Not Numbers Honors Holocaust Survivors
2024 marks the third year that Blue Cluster students at Stephen Gaynor School have participated in the Names, Not Numbers program. Names, Not Numbers is an organization that works with schools all over the country to facilitate interviews with and film Holocaust survivors for posterity. The year-long elective project culminates in a premiere of the final film in the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center. This year, the entire Gaynor community was invited to the premiere, and the PA Jewish Affinity Group invited the audience to a reception in the EC Garden following the screening.
During the elective, students learn how to operate professional film equipment including cameras and microphones, as well as how to frame and capture moments on film, and how to track a film for editing. They also spend time learning interview skills and techniques to use when speaking with the survivors, and how to help the interviewee remain comfortable when speaking about an emotional topic such as this one. This year, the students interviewed three survivors for their film: Anne Himmelstein, Asher J. Matathias, and Ralph Perlberger. The students did an incredible job treating the survivors’ stories with respect, and the film was a wonderful success.
It is also important to acknowledge the hard work of Blue Cluster Head Teacher Erika Bentsen, who organizes and coordinates the program at Gaynor. She is instrumental in arranging interviews for the students, and acts as facilitator between Gaynor and the Names, Not Numbers organization. Speech and Language Pathologist Debra Adams, faculty advisor for the Jewish Student Affinity Group, also lends her support to the students and the survivors. Thank you Ms. Bentsen and Ms. Adams for your passion for this project and helping our students!
Celebrating Texans, Teenagers, and Much More at the Blue Cluster Cultural and Identity Fair
On the Friday before the school recessed for spring break, the Yvette SiegelHerzog Performing Arts Center was bustling with students and faculty exploring the first-ever Blue Cluster Cultural and Identity Fair. The fair itself was inspired by members of our faculty-led student affinity groups (Students of Color Affinity Group, Jewish Affinity Group, and LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group) who wanted to share aspects of their identities with the wider Gaynor community.
The fair was open to not only those in one of the student affinity groups, but any Blue Cluster student who wanted to participate, and was a chance to showcase the different cultures and identities of our students and foster a greater sense of appreciation and belonging.
On the day of the event, the PAC was filled with tables showcasing a variety of cultures and identities, many of which contained not only informative displays but also tasty treats to entice visitors to learn more.
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Stella Mulatu was thrilled to see the final event come to fruition, saying, “The Blue Cluster Cultural and Identity Fair is an excellent example of the DEI work being done at Gaynor and the importance of coming together as a community to celebrate each other's differences. Each student chose an aspect of their identity that they wanted to teach the community about. We had a wide variety of identifiers and presentations including Hispanic, Italian, Vietnamese, Teenager, Feminist, Texan, and LGBTQIA+. Each student proudly represented their identity and I am so grateful to the students for showing vulnerability, expressing themselves confidently, and educating the school about what makes them unique.”
Christine Karamanoglou, Director of Upper Division, agreed with Ms. Mulatu. She said, “I'm so impressed by the students. They just were so thoughtful with what they presented, how they spoke to [those who attended], and how they wanted to show different parts of their culture or identity. It was so well done.”
ATHLETICS UPDATE
The Gaynor Athletics spring season kicked off when we returned from spring break for co-ed softball, and track and field.
Our softball team was led by coaches Wade Kornegay, Stefano Sainato, David Muchnick, Kat Pearl, and Brittany Rosenberg. The softball season was a huge success. The team faced adversity throughout the season with changes and cancellations but handled them all with grace, resilience, and flexibility. The coaches are so proud of the team’s success in making the championship game. The growth in individual skill and off-the-field actions displayed throughout the season by each student was truly admirable.
The track and field team was led by coaches Gillie Foley, Claire Ashley, Jason Martinez, Dylan Gaynor, and David Muchnick, who all played a part in leading the team with various skills, drills, techniques, and helping with individual performance. Our team competed in the AIPSL league at Soundview track in the Bronx. Congratulations to all the participants for all their hard work, and for representing Gaynor at the track meets!
Again, we are all very proud of Gaynor's interscholastic athletes as they have continued to represent Gaynor with class, integrity, and high character during games and practices, and continue to push themselves and support one another as a strong community. We are very excited to see the continued growth of the teams and wish our graduates all the best in their new schools. And thank you to our wonderful coaches for their leadership and guidance throughout the season! You are all greatly appreciated!
Go Gators!
Patrick Fitzgerald Director of Athletics
Photo credit: Jon Neave
AI Monster Patrol: Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Language Skills
Speaking about the rise of technology in education, particularly access to generative artificial intelligence (AI), Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor says, “When used appropriately, it can remove some of the barriers that can hold back a student with learning differences. Just like a calculator or spell check is a tool we regularly use today, AI technology can allow our students to focus on the essential question of an assignment and use their critical thinking to show off their true potential.”
"When used appropriately, [AI] can remove some of the barriers that can hold back a student with learning differences."
— Dr. Scott Gaynor, Head of School
Yellow
Cluster Head Teacher Orik Reiback completed a project with his reading group that used AI tools to unlock students’ creativity and enhance their written language skills. The reading group had read The Notebook of Doom, which is about a so-called “S.S.M.P. (Super Secret Monster Patrol)” that discovers and protects against all sorts of monsters. The Notebook of Doom lists all known monsters and provides information about them: what their habitat is, what their diet is, any warnings associated with them, and any special abilities that they have.
The book contains blank pages in the back to record any newly discovered monsters, and Mr. Reiback used that as his inspiration for this project. Mr. Reiback explained, "All of the students in my reading group got to make up a monster, and I was having them draw pictures of their monsters. And as you would imagine, their artistic ability varies quite a bit. I had the idea of generating some AI images of their creatures.”
The group used DALL-E, which is an imagegeneration program on OpenAI that uses Chat GPT to translate language-based prompts into images. Mr. Reiback used the results to help students understand, synthesize, and visualize what they were reading. He said, “I was thinking, that is actually such a cool thing for them to see because I’ve been working with them on really visualizing what they’re reading and making a movie in their head. This tool gives such a visual, concrete way to see how their words translate into an image, something they can really viscerally understand.”
He explained, “I would call students up one by one and we would work together and they would describe their creature to me. I would type it in [to DALL-E] exactly as they would tell it to me, and we would see what it would come up with, and for a few of them it was really spot on. But for most of them it wasn’t really exactly what they were looking for, so they had to change their language. And we had to make multiple attempts and they got to see how using different language prompts would result [in different images].”
While AI can offer numerous benefits in the classroom, especially for students with languagebased learning differences, it should be used as a complement to, not a replacement for, the expertise and guidance of teachers.
Mr. Reiback is acutely aware of the potential negative aspects of AI, but also feels that AI tools are going to be a part of students’ lives going forward, and he wants them to learn appropriate ways to use AI tools. He said, “I have been looking for ways to integrate this super powerful tool into my classroom more because I feel like we have this amazing new thing that’s available
"...we have this amazing new thing that’s available to us and we should be looking for ways to use it. "
— Orik Reiback, Yellow Cluster Head Teacher
to us and we should be looking for ways to use it. And for a school like ours where kids mostly have language-based learning differences, [programs like DALL-E are] totally based on language. It seems almost magical the way it works, but it’s all about language, and for these languageimpaired children to have, all of a sudden introduced to the world, this tool that is literally a language model, it seems like such a perfect fit.”
Educators in general are coming to terms with the power, potential, and possible pitfalls of generative AI as a tool in the classroom.
Mr. Reiback’s project is just one example of how AI can enhance creativity and language skills by translating students’ descriptions into visual representations. While acknowledging the possible negative aspects of AI, such as bias and inaccuracy, the technology can be a valuable addition to the classroom toolkit as long as AI is used responsibly, integrated into the curriculum, and paired with traditional teaching methods.
For a deeper dive into this project (and more images of AI monsters), scan the QR code!
Enhancing Student Outcomes Through Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies
Stephen Gaynor School is dedicated to an individualized, multisensory, evidence-based approach to education. Evidence-based practices, supported by rigorous research and proven outcomes, provide specific methods that improve student performance. These approaches not only enhance student outcomes and meet educational standards but also bolster teacher development and community trust. Key evidence-based approaches at Stephen Gaynor School include:
» Phonics instruction using Edwards OrtonGillingham (OG)
» Hochman Writing Program
» Yale RULER Program for Social-Emotional Learning
» Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
PHONICS INSTRUCTION USING EDWARDS ORTONGILLINGHAM (OG)
Stephen Gaynor School has used components of the Orton-Gillingham approach since its founding. Orton–Gillingham is a structured literacy approach derived from two sources: first from a body of time-tested knowledge and practice that has been validated over the past 80 years, and second from scientific evidence about how individuals best learn to read and write. It involves the idea of breaking reading and spelling down into smaller skills involving letters and sounds, and then building on these skills over time. The approach explicitly teaches the connections between letters and sounds, and is particularly effective in teaching those with dyslexia.
Gaynor’s Orton-Gillingham Instructional Program was officially accredited by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham
A Red Cluster student doing a kinesthetic phonological awareness drill
Practitioners and Educators in 1996, and was re-certified in 2022. As such, the school is an Organizational Member of the Academy and a member of the Academy’s Council of Accredited Programs — the only school in the New York metropolitan area to be so certified.
At Gaynor, the OG approach is integrated throughout the curriculum and community. One of the ways in which the school ensures this community-wide approach is through intensive teacher training and mentoring during the school’s Summer Institute for teachers that precedes each academic year. Over the past ten years, we have used Edwards Orton-Gillingham, founded by Ann Edwards, a Fellow with the OG Academy, to provide training and certification for our teachers in reading. In addition, the school also offers a two-day intensive OG training with Ms. Edwards and Reading Chair Sloan Shapiro for new parents each fall to learn about the approach and see firsthand how their children are learning to read using Orton-Gillingham while at school.
HOCHMAN WRITING METHOD
As an example of how Orton-Gillingham is incorporated into the curriculum, students in one of Reading Specialist Kristy Evans’ Red Cluster reading groups learned about the six types of syllables and their characteristics through a multisensory activity known as “Syllable Town.” Gaynor reading specialists explicitly teach the six syllable types as part of their Orton-Gillingham instruction because the syllables represent the overarching structure of the English language. Vowels can be tricky for students, so this activity provided them with a kinesthetic strategy to find out what the vowels say in a given word. In one lesson teaching two of the syllable types — open and closed — the students created multisensory houses and placed them in Syllable Town. The houses demonstrated what happens to a vowel sound when the door of each house goes from being closed to open. Based on the syllable type, the vowel sound is either short or long.
Building on the reading success provided through the Orton-Gillingham Approach, Stephen Gaynor School’s writing program is based on the Hochman Method introduced by Dr. Judith Hochman in the early 1990s. Hochman’s methodology rests on explicit, carefully sequenced instruction, building from sentences to compositions. The Hochman Method is not a separate writing curriculum but rather an approach designed to be adapted to and embedded in the content being taught in any subject area and at any grade level.
Using the elements of the Hochman Method, Stephen Gaynor School’s writing program includes systematic instruction from the sentence level to the multiparagraph level, with an emphasis on how oral language connects to writing. As an example, students in Head Teacher Joyce Macedo’s Red Cluster class learned to solidify and demonstrate their grasp of sentence-level writing concepts through the metaphor of a popcorn machine, brought to life in a multisensory lesson. To begin, students created simple sentences with a
A student using the Mood Meter for RULER
“Who does what” format, which they learned were the “popcorn kernels” because they hadn’t been expanded yet to create popcorn (complex sentences).
Then, the students went over the different details, or ingredients, that they could add to a sentence to make it into a popped piece of popcorn. Students added elements to the popcorn kernels like When (oil), Where and Why (salt), and punctuation to season their sentences, and turned the machine on to start their “writing process.” After cooking in the writing machine, the kernels of sentences then turned into complex-sentence “popcorn.”
The strength of Stephen Gaynor School’s program is the way in which the elements of the Hochman Method are connected throughout the curriculum, not just in explicit writing instruction, but in writing for history, social studies, and science classes. The cross-curricular aspect of this approach ensures that students are able to apply what they have learned to real-world situations.
YALE RULER PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
While OG and the Hochman Writing Method are evidence-based approaches for academic subjects, it has become increasingly evident that students, particularly those with learning differences, can benefit from dedicated social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction. SEL instruction gives students a toolkit of emotional and social skills critical for naming and managing their
emotions and building healthy relationships with peers and colleagues. During the 2016-2017 academic year, Gaynor’s psychology department conducted extensive research into evidence-based SEL approaches, and ultimately chose the RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning, developed by Marc Brackett, David Caruso, and Robin Stern at Yale University.
The RULER approach is rooted in social intelligence theory and research on both child and adult development. It is recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as a SELect program because of its strong evidence base. It has been shown to reduce behavioral issues and enhance emotional intelligence and academic achievement.
RULER stands for:
» Recognizing emotions to obtain valuable information about themselves and their environment
» Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions to predict behavior
» Labeling emotions to describe feelings precisely
» Expressing emotions to communicate effectively and in socially appropriate ways
» Regulating emotions to promote learning and personal growth, including healthy relationships
Red Cluster teacher Joyce Macedo teaching a multisensory reading unit
Research has shown that as the classroom climate becomes more supportive, students’ academic performance can improve and they can show greater interest, enjoyment, and engagement overall. The program integrates into all content areas including language arts, social studies, math, and physical education.
Since the rollout of the RULER program, the school’s hallways and classrooms prominently feature the fourcolored grid of the Mood Meter as well as classroom charters. According to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, the Mood Meter helps both students and educators become more mindful of how their emotions change throughout the day and how their emotions in turn affect their actions. Students learn that it is acceptable to be anywhere within the quadrants, but also learn how to regulate these different emotions.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL)
The three evidence-based approaches above are focused on direct student instruction. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a more general framework for designing curricula to reach and teach all learners, and recognizes learner variability as the norm. According to cast.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to forwarding the tenets of UDL, “Universal design for learning (UDL) is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminates unnecessary hurdles in the learning process.
This means developing a flexible learning environment in which information is presented in multiple ways, students engage in learning in a variety of ways, and students are provided options when demonstrating their learning.”
UDL incorporates neuroscientific research to inform the design of environments that support, and are accessible to, all learners.
As a goal of the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, Stephen Gaynor School committed to developing UDL approaches to instructional planning across clusters and subject areas. Faculty and administrators worked together to identify UDL learning tools that support instruction and reinforcement.
The ultimate goal of UDL is to foster independent, expert learners who are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed. Stephen Gaynor School teachers and specialists incorporate the principles of UDL across age and ability
levels and throughout the curriculum, from math to social studies to science. Techniques used at Gaynor include incorporating student choice into lessons, conducting interest surveys, providing transparency into lesson or unit objectives, and building coping skills and strategies. In addition, teachers can provide vocabulary word walls, manipulatives, rubrics, and individualized goals.
CONCLUSION
Since its founding, Gaynor has committed to supporting the unique strengths of bright children with languagebased learning differences. The individualized approach pioneered by our founders, Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel-Herzog, continues to form the backbone of our curriculum and informs the way in which the school is responsive to innovations in the science of teaching and learning. The evidence-based approaches employed at Gaynor ensure that each student not only masters essential academic skills but also develops the social and emotional intelligence necessary for lifelong success. As the field of special education continues to evolve, Stephen Gaynor School remains at the forefront, demonstrating that with the right support and strategies, every child can succeed.
Example of a UDL-style rubric that incorporates student choice
CLASSROOM PROJECTS
LEARNING FRACTIONS WITH PIZZA
To celebrate Pizza Friday in May, Yellow Cluster Head Teacher Sydney Strauss’s math group made their own pizzas using fractions. They found equivalent fractions for each ingredient (sauce, cheese, and toppings), and even turned improper fractions into mixed numbers.
PASSOVER IN THE PURPLE CLUSTER
Chag Sameach! In April, the Willow Room welcomed James’ mom to learn about Passover. They decorated kiddush cups, ate macaroons, and read a story about the holiday!
PROJECT CICERO
Here is Gaynor Librarian Dionne De Lancy with our final count of books for the Project Cicero Book Drive! The drive ran from February 29 to March 7, and Gaynor gathered a total of 39 boxes, filled to the brim with hundreds of books to donate to students in under-resourced NYC schools.
THE YUMMY BAKERY & YUMMY PIZZERIA GRAND OPENING
In March, the Pink Cluster held the grand opening of their Yummy Bakery & Yummy Pizzeria! Students greeted customers, handed out menus, sold treats, and worked as cashiers. The students spent weeks preparing for the grand opening by practicing their math and social skills, and using their artistic talents to create the yummy treats that would be for sale. Both businesses ran successfully, and every customer left satisfied!
HOW ABOUT A FOOTLONG?
Something was afoot in Marissa Miller’s Red Cluster math group in May—they kicked off their unit on measurement by using their shoes to measure objects around the classroom!
ARTISTIC WRITING
February 29 marked Room 703’s Writing-Artist Gallery Walk! For this project, students in Head Teacher Zoe Carril’s Green Cluster reading group researched an artist, wrote an essay about them, and also made a work of art inspired by them. During the gallery walk, students presented facts about their artist to visitors, and explained how they made their art piece.
PA Roundup for 2023-2024
by Tia Murkison, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement
The Parents’ Association has had another successful year led by President Samantha Regan. This was Sam’s first year in the role and she and the members of the PA Leadership team absolutely knocked it out of the park! We look forward to Sam’s second term as PA president; her goal is to host more parent events and invite more experts and speakers that will support Gaynor’s mission and values.
The PA DEI Committee, led by Gaynor Trustee Adey Fisseha, with help from our Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Stella Mulatu, made quite a splash with a number of events. The year started off strong with a Breakfast My Way event in October hosted by Mina Newman celebrating her Peruvian heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month. The year featured three additional Breakfast My Way events: Daniella and Adam Pally helped us celebrate Hanukkah in December, Faisa Ali and Kesha Jackson helped us celebrate Eid and Muslim traditions in April, and Carmelyn Malalis and Seth Rosen helped us celebrate Pride in June with a little help from the Blue Cluster Rainbow Alliance. All of the events were beautiful and it was such a privilege to learn about the many different cultures we have within our Gaynor community.
In addition to these amazing events, a very special addition this year was the formation of three Parent Affinity groups: the BIPOC, Jewish, and LGBTQIA+ Affinity Groups.
During Black History Month in February, the BIPOC Affinity Group, spearheaded by Adey Fisseha and Lorelei Williams, helped put together a Quilting Event called “Threading Our Stories.” (You can read more about the event on page 32.) The Jewish Affinity Group also held a number of community events. Spearheaded by Gaynor Trustee Katy Williamson and Katherine Sedaka, there was a Challah Bake run by Chef Mushka in March and then a Shabbat Dinner with Rabbi Andrew Kaplan Mendel in April. The Shabbat Dinner was such a wonderful event and the first of its kind for the entire Gaynor community. The LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group spearheaded by Carmelyn Malalis and
Seth Rosen helped Gaynor coordinate Pride initiatives for our parents and students during the month of June.
Other incredibly successful PA events included the Book Fair in the fall, co-chaired by Sam Regan and Katy Williamson, and the PA Bake Sale in February for the students and faculty, headed by Zoe D’Souza. Both events were fun and festive, with an excellent showing of our parents coming together to put smiles on the students’ faces.
The Gaynor Gear Committee, led by Charlotte BenDavid and Andie Prince, held many successful Gaynor Gear sales during the year, both in-person and online. It was wonderful to see the brand-new gear, and have so many of our students and parents repping Gaynor in their attire.
To round out the year, Co-Chairs Danielle Guarino and Marisa Ricciardi worked incredibly hard to put the highly anticipated Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week together in early May. There was an event every day of the week, which kept the faculty and staff smiling!
Also, credit must be given to the Class Reps Committee, which consists of about 60 parents and is led by Chair Robin Winn. They were busy all year making sure their classes and clusters were up-to-date with all Gaynorrelated information.
Members of the PA Leadership team, PA Committee members, and parents who helped volunteer throughout the year, gathered for a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on the last day of May to celebrate the year. Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor joined the event and commended the PA for all of their accomplishments and shared his appreciation for our dedicated Parent Community.
The Parents' Association is looking for members in our community who would be interested in joining our PA or the PA Leadership Committee. Email tmurkison@ stephengaynor.org to let us know if you would like to help as we begin to plan for next year’s 2024-2025 Parents’ Association Committee and event schedule.
Witnessing the Magic of Gaynor at Relatives and Special Friends Day 2024
On April 19, Stephen Gaynor School opened its doors to welcome guests in for the school’s annual Relatives and Special Friends Day. Relatives and Special Friends Day gives members of the Gaynor community an opportunity to look “behind the curtain,” to see the ways in which Gaynor’s mission is carried out daily through alumni speakers, classroom visits, and a visit to the SMART Faire.
To start their day, visitors were treated to an array of breakfast treats in the gym while listening to an alumni panel discuss their time at Gaynor, and what makes Gaynor so special to them. Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor began by welcoming the visitors, saying, “We can’t show you everything today, but... we hope that you can see our mission in action, and see the vision that my grandmother and Yvette had over sixty years ago come to life every day, that permeates every crevice of our school.”
The morning session’s alumni panel featured Jacqueline Lerner ’14, Justin Johnson ’20, and Hannah Rittenberg ’10, who is also an Assistant Teacher at the school. Jake Sklar ’20, and Stephanie Brown ’13 joined for the afternoon session.
When asked how Gaynor has impacted her education and selfconfidence as a learner, Jacqui said, “The first thing that comes to mind is that Gaynor has equipped me with the toolkit to know that I can answer any educational problem, anything that’s thrown my way; Gaynor has really given me the tools in order to succeed. I think the second thing would be that [I learned] to give myself grace, that learning is not a one-size-fits-all process and that it looks different for everybody, so how I feel when I’m in the classroom is different from the next person, and I need to allow myself to be me.”
When asked what made Gaynor so special to her, Ms. Rittenberg said, “For me, I would say it was the
people, from Yvette to Dr. Gaynor, to the classroom teachers, to administrative staff, all of them were always there for me.” She shared that the reason why she came back to work at Gaynor is because she is studying to become a speechlanguage pathologist, and explained, “I could not imagine a better place to work than here, because I want to help kids who are dealing with similar issues that I dealt with, and there is no better place to watch and learn how it’s done."
Following the program in the gym, the day’s guests eagerly spread throughout the school to see what awaited them in the classrooms, before moving to the Yvette SiegelHerzog Performing Arts Center to visit the SMART Faire and see even more student projects. (You can learn more about the SMART Faire on page 30.) Students were beaming with excitement and pride the whole day, as they demonstrated the skills they have learned, and how much they have achieved in their time at Gaynor.
Art Meets Technology at the
April 18 marked the grand opening of this year’s SMART Faire, an event facilitated by the Technology Department to showcase the innovative projects that students have been working on throughout the year. These projects integrate lessons across a variety of subjects including math, social studies, science, and technology. Students learn to establish goals, creatively solve problems, complete projects on time, and share their accomplishments with their community.
Projects featured at this year’s SMART Faire included rockets, a car simulator, a “painting with light” photobooth, various robots, and even a replica of NASA’s Project Gemini. At a preview of the SMART Faire, students proudly presented their projects to friends and students in other clusters. They were also preparing their speeches in anticipation for the next day, when parents would be visiting the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center during Relatives and Special Friends Day.
The SMART Faire featured an eclectic mix of projects that merged technology, coding, and even physics. The students were deservedly proud of the hard work they had put into their projects in the months leading up to the Faire.
Quilting Community: Threading Our Stories
On February 29, Gaynor held a Black History Month Quilting Workshop, titled “Quilting Community: Threading Our Stories.” Sponsored by the PA DEI Committee and organized by the BIPOC Family Affinity Group, this event aimed to celebrate the rich legacy of quilting in Black communities. The workshop was facilitated by fabric artist Pat Mabry, who is affiliated with the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) in Harlem, and is part of the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle.
During the event, members of the Gaynor community gathered in the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center to decorate their very own quilt squares. Each attendee was given two squares to decorate: a square of white fabric, and a square of colored fabric. The tables were laid with bowls of markers, stencils, glittery felt hearts, beads, shells, and other items that could be placed onto the square and attached with fabric glue. Before the decorating began, Mrs. Mabry gave a short introduction to quilts and their history. She explained how a quilt is made
up of three parts: the top quilt, the batting (or stuffing), and the back. She spoke about how she had traveled to Ghana and was inspired by African textiles she saw there. Mrs. Mabry also noted that her mother-in-law was a quilt maker, that she had traveled to Senegal to visit her and see her quilts, and how she was a big inspiration for her as well. She spoke about how quilts in the Black community have historically been used to tell stories, saying, “A lot of you probably know that in the history of quilting, [quilts] would tell stories, particularly stories of slavery or of segregation. They can also have symbols, like in slavery times when the Abolitionists would put symbols in the quilts and hang them over their porches so that the slaves would know this is a safe house, or to give directions for a safe route to travel to the North.” Mrs. Mabry also displayed some of her own quilts, and explained the story or theme that she had chosen for each of them, and what materials she had used. She showcased the diversity that quilts can have, and how they don’t have to just be for bedding but can be works of art.
Then it was time for everyone to decorate their quilt squares. There was a great display of creativity in the room,
as attendees made use of the variety of materials they were given so no two squares looked alike. Mrs. Mabry encouraged everyone to use their square to tell a story, one that could be anything from a dream they had to a favorite memory with their friends and family. Some attendees portrayed themselves and things they enjoy on their quilt, such as using seashells to display their love for the sea, or creating abstract representations of their group of friends with buttons. It was so exciting to see how individuals interpreted their personal stories, and how they chose to display them on their square.
The goal of the workshop was for Mrs. Mabry to collect the squares from attendees and sew them into a finished quilt that represents the Gaynor community. There were so many squares that on May 30, the final three quilts were unveiled at the PA Volunteer Thank You event held to thank all of the parents who volunteered for events throughout the school year. The quilts are a wonderful display of the various people, stories, and dreams that make the Gaynor community what it is.
Pat Mabry helps Yellow Cluster students with their quilt squares
Two of the three finished quilts
Earth Day 2024
From Central Park to Bear Mountain, students in all clusters went outside on April 22 to learn about and celebrate Earth Day! Classes did activities such as scavenger hunts and plant identification, or learned about different animals with rangers from the NYC Urban Park Rangers. It was a great day of exploration and spreading love for our planet.
SHOWING JOY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Influenced by the artwork of Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, Dindga McCannon, and Faith Ringgold, as well as the writing of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, students in Photography Teacher Tim Jalbert’s class created a “quilt” of digital artwork representing personal and communal joy. Students began by drawing patterns using Procreate on iPads, choosing colors and shapes that represent joy. Next, the class took photos of themselves and their peers. Using Photoshop, students combined their patterns and photos into a personal “quilt” square. The final digital “quilt” represents each student’s individual sense of joy, creativity, and well-being, while demonstrating a mission of creating a community where all students can collectively feel joy and share these parts of their identity with those around them. On this page is a detail of the completed digital quilt!
Expressing Individuality through Art
…in the Lower School
Students in the Purple through Yellow Clusters explored many artistic mediums this year in art class, guided by Art Specialist Layce Boswell
From mixed-media cardboard sculptures to pleinair paintings, they experimented with both twodimensional and three-dimensional art. When the weather was nice, the students made art outside and even did some watercolor painting during the Yellow Cluster field trip to Bear Mountain. To celebrate the end of the year, students used sidewalk chalk to decorate the art deck and express their individual creativity. Overall, it was a great end to an artsy year!
…in the Intermediate and Upper Division
By Lucy Villeneuve, Art Specialist
Throughout the year, artists in the Silver, Green, and Blue Clusters have built off their understanding of the seven elements of art by exploring new mediums. They have worked with 3D mediums such as plaster and clay. They learned about space and composition through collage in our surrealist unit, which included lessons on surrealist artists Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and René Magritte. During Black History Month, they learned about JeanMichel Basquiat, Bisa Butler, and Alma Thomas, and did projects including blind contour drawing, fabric collage, and pointillism, respectively.
Once the guided units were completed, the artists took matters into their own hands with passion projects! After an in-depth process of planning and sourcing materials, artists spent class time working on their elaborate, unique creations. One example of Blue Cluster work includes Lushy T.'s intricate woodland diorama, which comprises a textured clay tree stump, a collection of mushrooms, and fake moss. Francesca D. worked on a troll sculpture sitting
on a bed of moss. Sam K. created a replica of a living room made completely from pipe cleaners, wood panels, and hot glue. Nico M. enlarged an abstract drawing into a large-scale work using painters tape, a squeegee to smear paint, and fine tip markers for the doodles.
In the Green Cluster, Ella F. made a replica of a street complete with the Eiffel Tower. Sydney S. worked meticulously to make a series of tiny minions from clay, using super-small paintbrushes to adorn them with different outfits. Brianna B., Kayla R., and Layla S. worked together to construct a dreamy cloud diorama equipped with twinkle lights!
In the Silver Cluster, Nate L. and Julian S. worked tirelessly to create a baseball and bat out of plaster and clay and persisted even when the first baseball broke in the kiln! Ella M. recreated a small water well from mosaic tiles equipped with a hanging bucket. Jayden S. created a series of cardboard constructions, his favorite being his wearable robot costume.
This was a great year for the students to explore their creativity and create a piece of art that was meaningful to them. They expressed their individuality wonderfully!
Acting with Empathy in the Lower School
At Gaynor, drama is more than just the skits at the Winter Concert or the annual Spring Musical. It’s a key element of the curriculum beginning in the Lower School, where students learn the fundamentals of acting and how those skills can be applied both onstage and in real life.
Taught by Drama Specialist Meredith
Akins, drama at Gaynor starts in the Orange Cluster, where students learn the foundational exercises they will need as they move on to the upper clusters. The most important exercise that Orange Cluster students learn is unpacking the “actor’s toolbox.” The toolbox is a great way for the students to understand that, just as a doctor or a construction worker has tools to do their job, an actor has them as well. The actor’s toolbox includes having awareness and control of your voice, having awareness and control of your body, and using imagination, cooperation, concentration, and expression. As Ms. Akins describes it, every activity the students work on in class is, in some way or another, getting them to practice using those tools.
“Acting is really truly about having empathy for your characters, and that transposes to having empathy for other people in life."
Once they learn the toolbox, students from Orange to Blue Clusters start out each class with a warm-up to refresh their memory of what the different tools are, and how they use them. Ms. Akins asks the students to become aware of having awareness and control of
their bodies and voices. Students lift their arms up, imagining they’re plucking an apple from a tree, or reaching up to a high shelf. They then spread their arms out to the side, both stretching and telling the other students to come together, to cooperate. To finish the warm-up, they stand in actor’s neutral for ten seconds. Actor’s neutral means there is no posing or emotion, so the students’ faces and bodies are completely neutral. Then Ms. Akins will say "3, 2, 1, click", and give them an expression that they need to pose as. Reflecting on this warm-up, Ms. Akins said, “I'm reminding them these are the tools in the actor’s toolbox for telling a story, but it's also classroom management. You're agreeing to what is necessary [for class] and then making it a kinesthetic thing also. Then they can reflect [after class is over], if something didn't go well, what did we not use?”
Ms. Akins also stresses the importance of empathy and understanding emotion in drama, saying, “When all is said and done, acting is about understanding the
human emotion and experiences so that you can understand some of these feelings and then tell that story.” She explored this with the Yellow Cluster this year, by way of a Korean folk tale called The Tiger’s Whisker. In this folk tale, a wife is frustrated when her husband returns from war and is no longer the happy man he used to be, and she needs to get a whisker from a live tiger in order to make a potion to “fix” him. Over time, she uses patience, kindness, compassion, and empathy to befriend the tiger so she can get its whisker, but by then she doesn’t need it any more. She has the tools to understand and help her husband.
that some of the other tigers are scared to trust this human, and they don’t want the tiger to see her any more. But other tigers in the group recognize that the wife is bringing food to the tiger, and maybe she could bring the rest of the tigers food as well. By putting themselves in these roles, the students were working to understand the emotions of the other characters.
"It's not just about getting on stage and having a great show, but it's connection. It's understanding, it's community, and ultimately empathy.”
After learning this story, the students then explored the story and the emotions of the characters using what is known as a process drama. In this exercise, they discuss the conflict, create a space of empathy, and work to find ways to problemsolve and find a solution. An example is the students taking on the roles of other tigers in the forest while Ms. Akins played the tiger who is meeting with the wife. The conflict between them is
Ms. Akins said, “It was so cool that they all had different [solutions]... When you do a process drama, you're allowing each student to be 'the expert.' They're allowed to, without fear, be wrong, because they're playing a role. And it almost takes that fear of being wrong away from the situation.” The process drama becomes a safe space for the students to test different reactions to a scenario, and see how they can come to a healthy conclusion for everyone involved. This can be related to the world not only outside the drama classroom, but outside of Stephen Gaynor School as well.
Ms. Akins noted, “Again, acting is really truly about having empathy for your characters, and that transposes to having empathy for other people in life. When I teach drama, why I'm so steadfast about it is, it's not just about getting on stage and having a great show, but it's connection. It's understanding, it's community, and ultimately empathy.”
After months of practice, practice, and more practice, the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center was alive with the Sound of Music! On May 9 and 10, the cast and crew dazzled and delighted the audience with their rendition of the classic musical based on the lives of the von Trapp family.
The Sound of Music: Youth Edition tells the story of Maria, a nun who takes a job as a governess, watching over the seven children of a navy captain in 1930s Austria. Though the shadow of the German Reich looms over the characters, the production is both heartwarming and funny, with a touch of romance.
The production was directed by Meredith Akins, Abby Shuppy, Brendan Stackhouse, and Michael Piedmont. Ms. Akins, Ms. Shuppy, and Mr. Stackhouse choreographed the numbers. The music directors were Mr. Piedmont and Ms. Shuppy. The production featured an orchestra of Gaynor faculty and staff, conducted by Mr. Piedmont, who also played the keyboard.
After a productive rehearsal day in April, the cast and crew of The Sound of Music were visited by a panel of Gaynor theater alumni, featuring Olivia Beal ’21, Darmia Elliott ’20, Andrew Ferrante ’20, Morgan Reichberg ’18, and Jake Sklar ’20. Moderated by Gaynor faculty Abby Shuppy and Meredith Akins, the goal of the panel was to talk about the alums’ current theater experiences and their past experience in the musicals at Gaynor, and to share advice with the students participating in this year’s Gaynor musical, The Sound of Music
In their reflection on their time performing in theater at Gaynor, many of the panelists credited Gaynor’s theater department for helping them come out of their
shells. Jake said, “I think that Gaynor really helped me figure out who I was as a person. I remember being a really shy kid when I first came to Gaynor, and I think over the course of doing a lot of shows, I just got more confident.”
After listening to some advice from the panelists, the students then had a chance to ask the alumni questions including what pre-show rituals they do, what they do during performances when they are not onstage, and if they had any advice given the rehearsal they had just watched. The panelists all mentioned how professional the production looked, and how well the cast was already interacting with the audience.
Cast List:
Angelina Adorno - Nun
Gigi Ball - Sister Berthe
Declan Barowitz - Captain von Trapp
Lucie Bennett - Maria Rainer
Marcus Black - Friedrich von Trapp
Brianna Borbon - Sister Sophia
Margaret Bowker - Nun
David Caraballoso - Townsperson
Story Cutler - Frau Schmidt
Leila Feldman - Townsperson
Simone Giagrande - Marta von Trapp
Pierce Gilbert - Townsperson
Gabby Haus - Leisl von Trapp
Rhea Kottakis - Rolf Gruber
Nava Kozuch-Mulvaney - Nun
Yael Levy - Townsperson
Charlie Lewing - Admiral von Schreiber
Lillian Licata - Nun
Bella Lieberman - Louisa von Trapp
AK Lindland - Townsperson
Paul Murray - Townsperson
Mili Neave - Kurt von Trapp
Cole Pally - Max Detweiler
Britt Pearson - Gretl von Trapp
Charles Pristaw - Townsperson
Adam Puder - Baron Elberfeld
Alexia Round - Franz
Avalon Rubenstein - Brigitta von Trapp
Maya Rubin - Nun
Jojo Sanborn - Featured Nun
Henry Sheridan - Townsperson
Zeno Smith - Townsperson
Alex Sokolower - Featured Nun
Sydney Solomon - Nun
Hazel Swinson - Nun
Eliza Talbot - Sister Margaretta
Maddie Trever - Nun
Penelope Tsibiridis - Townsperson
Kevin Velasquez - Townsperson
Alec Wolfeld - Townsperson
Zoe Wood - Mother Abbess
Stage Crew: Sasha Droulias, Grace Kansfield, Tova Kozuch-Mulvaney, Charlie Lewing
Resilient and Ready for the Future: The Graduates of Gaynor's Class of 2024
"I stand before you today deeply changed by the school. We all do."
— Jacob Abramovich '24
On June 13, graduating Gaynor students were celebrated at the traditional Graduate Breakfast in the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center. Graduates and their parents mingled with Gaynor faculty and staff for a morning of both reminiscing and looking forward. Blue Cluster Technology Integrator Brian Russ was the faculty speaker this year, and as he reflected on being asked to speak to the graduates, he said, “I told myself, you know what — I am up for this challenge. I will give this speech because that's how these students have been all year long. That's how you've inspired me. That's what you've taught me. These graduating students have been up for any challenge, every day, all year. I can honestly say that because I've seen it in action; they're always ready to tackle any problem with their wit, creativity, grace, ingenuity, togetherness, laughter, and a smile.”
On June 14, the Class of 2024 and their guests gathered at the W83 Ministry Center on the Upper West Side for their formal graduation ceremony. The graduation speakers praised the students for their resilience and empathy, and reminded them to bring what they have learned at Gaynor to high school and beyond.
Board of Trustees Chair Megan Hogan, mother to Jackson in the Green Cluster, welcomed the graduates, family, friends, and faculty members in the audience to the ceremony. She spoke about the depth of community that can be found at Gaynor, saying, “Gaynor is a special place, and not only because of the academic focus and the rigor of the curriculum, but quite frankly, because it advances the potential of its students across what I consider the most important aspects of humanity: intelligence, integrity, and kindness.”
Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor then brought student speaker Jacob Abramovich to the stage. Jacob shared a heartfelt portrait of his Gaynor journey, beginning with the story of a kid who was struggling; a kid who felt alone and stymied by his learning differences.
Once he came to Stephen Gaynor School, Jacob said, “The growth was drastic. This kid didn't recognize himself. His parents didn't, either. At his old school, math was his worst subject. Numbers didn't work in his head. It made him angry and disappointed in himself, but during his time at Gaynor he got his first A-plus on a math final. He came to Gaynor, unable to write a paragraph, and now enjoys reading and writing more than any of his other classes.”
Jacob concluded, “I stand before you today deeply changed by the school. We all do.”
Colette Bennett, parent of Gaynor alumnus Grant ’22 and graduating student Edward, reflected on her sons’ individual journeys at the school, saying, “At Gaynor
they were able to rediscover and find their voices, their confidence, and their sense of self as learners and thinkers.”
Speaking to the graduates, she said, “Besides learning math, English, history, and science, you learned to overcome struggles and find the self-advocacy that comes with kindness and empathy, self-development and discovery… Take these lessons with you into adulthood. They are embedded in you, and no one can take them away from you. Never forget that you have this amazing Stephen Gaynor School toolbox at your disposal — dust it off, dig in, find the tool you need, and ignite the flame of your superpower. You are incredible, and you will get through whatever challenges you face.”
Alumni speaker Benjamin Mitchell is a member of the Class of 2010. After graduating from Gaynor, he attended high school at Churchill School and Center, and then went on to American University in Washington, DC, where he studied public communications and business entertainment and competed as a Division I athlete. Today, Benjamin works at Universal Music group within their brand partnership division, helping pair music artists with brands and companies alike.
Alumni speaker Benjamin Mitchell '10
As with the previous speakers, Benjamin spoke of the key attributes of Gaynor graduates. He said, “Each of you sitting here today represents resilience, determination, and the unwavering spirit of overcoming challenges. To be a Gaynor alum is to carry with you the invaluable lessons instilled to embrace your unique strengths and talents, knowing that they are building blocks towards the future, towards your future success in pursuing your dreams.” He continued, “It is also to understand that learning differences do not define you, but rather empower you to approach the world with creativity, innovation, and a fresh perspective.”
Before he invited the graduates to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, Dr. Gaynor reminded the graduates, “You all entered Gaynor at different points, but you share a common bond that you all required a different learning environment to reach your full potential. You all face challenges that many people don't see until they are adults. You learned to push through, attack them head-on, and find the path forward. Your teachers provided the guidance. But it is you who did the work. You got this.”
He spoke to the students about the importance of
listening to understand rather than to win an argument, to get through a conversation, or just to make it through until lunchtime. He remembered a time when he himself was in middle school and hungry for lunch, and his teacher caught him looking at the clock rather than paying attention to what was happening in class. Dr. Gaynor remembered the teacher saying, “Time will pass, but will you?”
He challenged the graduates to sharpen their listening and analytical skills, saying, “I have some advice for all of you. … Listen with intent. Listen to understand. Lean in, don't shut down to avoid conflict. Be curious, not judgmental. Enter a conversation with a beginner's mindset, an open mind to learning something new or a different perspective. Ask those clarifying questions instead of peppering the person with your own viewpoint. And sit in the front row. School is the only place where you don't have to pay more to get the best seat.”
Dr. Gaynor finished his speech with encouraging words for the graduates, saying, “I guarantee, if you do this, you will learn more, have more productive conversations, and your perspective will have more impact on other people. And as an added bonus, time will pass, and so will you.”
As the Class of 2024 bids farewell to Gaynor, they carry with them their unique educational journey and the unbreakable bond they formed with their classmates and teachers.
Gaynor parent speaker Colette Bennett
Jacob Abramovich speaking to his peers
2024 Award Winners
President’s Education Award
Eliza Talbot
Zoe Wood
Yvette Siegel-Herzog Community Service Award
Nour Karoui
Maeve Lindsay
Dr. Miriam Michael Award for Math and Science
Jacob Abramovich
Attorney General Triple C Award
Hannah Joe
Gordon Gaynor Award
Henry Romero-Gibbs
Class Representatives
Lucienne Bennett
Sasha Droulias
Gabriella Haus
Hannah Joe
Alexander Mastronardi
Eliza Talbot
The Class of 2024 will be matriculating at the following schools this fall:
Bay Ridge Prep
Birch Wathen Lenox School
Churchill School and Center
Convent of the Sacred Heart
Dwight School
Dwight-Englewood School
Eagle Hill School
Forman School
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School
Grace Church School
The Hewitt School
LREI
Mary McDowell Friends School
The Masters School
NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies
Parisi Academy
Hastings-On-Hudson High School
Quad Preparatory School
Rowland Hall
Trevor Day School
The Winston School
Winston Prep
Xavier High School
Yeshivah Prep High School
York Prep School
COLLEGE BOUND
Gaynor graduates will be matriculating at the following colleges and universities in Fall 2024 (as of June 30).
These alumni are from Gaynor’s Class of 2019 and Class of 2020, many of whom attended our welcome back event in May for Gaynor alumni graduating high school. We are so proud of all of our alumni!
Some of the attendees from the event held for alumni graduating high school. From left to right: Noah Braun ’20, Madeline Bender ’20, Oliver Chessler ’20, Head of School
Dr. Scott Gaynor, Susannah van Dijk ’20, Andrew Ferrante ’20, PJ Duers ’19
Alumni Visits
We are always excited to welcome our alumni back to Gaynor, no matter their graduation date. And even though we love including our alumni for events such as Relatives and Special Friends Day, various panel discussions, or as interns for After School or on our educational teams, we also love impromptu visits!
In January, we were visited by Jacqueline Lerner ’14 and Mirella Benedrete ’14. Jacqui’s brother Lucca is a Red Cluster student at Gaynor!
Jacqui and her brother Lucca.
Mirella (left) and Jacqui (right) pictured with Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor.
Martin '23 paid a visit to Blue Cluster Teachers Mollie Book and Stefano Sainato in February.
Jasper Maharam '19 also stopped by in February for a quick visit with Blue Cluster Head Teacher Chris Meyer.
Arman Bast ’22 also dropped by Gaynor in January, and met up with Physical Education Specialist Wade Kornegay.
In February, Gaynor was treated to a visit from Benjamin Mitchell ’10.
Benjamin with Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor and Occupational Therapist Anna Friedman.
Benjamin pictured with Reading Chair Sloan Shapiro. Ms. Shapiro is holding a letter Benjamin wrote to her while he was at Gaynor!
Gaynor Takes Randall’s Island for Field Day 2024! Gaynor Takes Randall’s Island for Field Day 2024!
Another year, another successful Field Day! Decked out in shirts representing the green and white teams, students gathered on the fields at Randall’s Island to participate in team events and individual relays, and have some fun in the sun. Both teams put in awesome effort to gather points, but the green team was ultimately the victor. Shoutout to Gaynor’s Physical Education team for their expert planning and passion for this incredible Field Day!
STUDENT SHOUT OUTS
After roles in fall productions of Beauty and the Beast and Mean Girls, the Musical, Green Cluster student Avalon Rubenstein is bringing her comedic chops to the role of Sharpay in High School Musical at the 92nd Street Y this spring.
Green Cluster student Chip Reinhard played baseball on the The Bulldogs 12U team, and they won the championship!
Cameron Prince, with her fellow Gaynor Purple Cluster students Mia Shapira, Isla Swidler, Bella Wolf, and Lily Clendening, participated in a ballet recital at Hunter College on May 12. The students took ballet together during the year and worked so hard to put on an amazing performance.
Orange Cluster student Marlow Kandall played the roles of a mum and a member of the ensemble in the JCC’s production of Matilda Jr.
Yellow Cluster student Ariana Zaroff joined Broadway Dance Center’s Arts in Motion dance team this year and performed at three dance competitions, winning first place. Ariana was also a finalist for a scholarship at the Artists Simply Human convention.
This year, Silver Cluster student Luc Durliat tried out and made the Flying Dolphins swim team, part of the USA Swimming organization. In his first year swimming competitively, he has improved his times, won a few races, and is ranked within the national swimming community. His favorite stroke is the butterfly but he has also medaled as part of a relay team.
Chip Reinhard (far left)
Red Cluster student Andrew Pollock finished his first year as a member of the New York City Children’s Chorus and had several solos throughout the year. He recently auditioned for the next level of performers and will be back singing in the fall.
At the Annual Awards for the Youth Program at the New York Athletic Club, Yellow Cluster student Chloe Doctoroff earned the “Best in Sport” award for table tennis.
Yellow Cluster student Zoe Doctoroff won her first triathlon held at the New York Athletic Club, competing in track, swimming, and physical fitness. Zoe completed the most number of reps and had the fastest time across her age division, earning a distinguished medal for her division as well as across the entire program, earning a first place trophy for her overall win.
Two of Blue Cluster Jack Burstein’s photos were selected as winners of the annual student contest at the Art of Intuitive Photography. Jack has been working hard at framing his shots and editing for color and composition, and plans to continue exploring what he can do with new lenses and filters.
Yellow Cluster student Clark Lane competed at Nationals for freestyle skiing at Copper Mountain in Colorado this April. It was his third time being invited, but first time attending and first time skiing out West. He was invited to compete in Rail Jam, Slopestyle, and Skier Cross, with Rail Jam being his main event, placing 13th in the nation!
HISTORICAL ADVENTURES AND MODERN FUN ON THE BLUE CLUSTER BOSTON TRIP
For this year’s annual Blue Cluster trip, the group went to Boston! The trip mixed educational lessons about the historical communities that first settled in Massachusetts with exciting activities from the modern era. Highlights included stops at Salem, Old Sturbridge Village, and the Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, as well as a tour on a duck boat, and even a Boston Red Sox vs. San Francisco Giants game. The students clearly had a good time at the game, if the videos of them gleefully singing along to “Sweet Caroline” captured by their teachers were any indication! The overnight trip is always a great experience for the Blue Cluster, often listed as many graduates’ favorite memory of their final year at Gaynor. It gives them the opportunity to see what they have been learning about in class in real life, while bonding together as a cluster.
SOLAR SHOWSTOPPER
On April 8, the Gaynor community (and much of the U.S. and Mexico) witnessed a stellar event that was out-of-this-world: a solar eclipse! New York City received about 90% totality, which was almost enough to see the full eclipse. Special certified eclipse-viewing glasses were handed out to Gaynor students and employees before the event, to shield everyone’s eyes from the power of the sun as they looked up to see the moon pass in front of it. Though the event's peak occurred after dismissal for the day, students in After School classes gathered with faculty and staff to watch the eclipse take place. The school had some great viewing areas on the play deck, the deck on the fourth floor in the North Building, the science deck on the sixth floor in the South Building, and even right outside the building on the sidewalk! Despite giggling at each other in their goofy glasses, it was a special event for our students to witness and learn more about the solar system.
