Preparing for “Life After Gaynor”

team along with the students and their families.

An individualized approach to classroom instruction is one of the hallmarks of Stephen Gaynor School. This concept of individualization also permeates all aspects of the student experience, including the placement process — the task of assisting students and families in identifying and applying to appropriate ongoing schools to ensure each child’s continued educational development and success. The placement process actually begins long before a student’s last year at Gaynor.

Determining the right time, right school and right grade to enter when a student leaves Gaynor is customized to each individual student and family’s needs and preferences. Gaynor’s Placement Office, led by Erica Kasindorf, is the main point of contact for families as they move through the transition process.

Ms. Kasindorf says, “We meet with every individual family to start to have conversations about the placement process. We usually start off with a survey that we send to the family to get a feel for what the student and the family are thinking, and what the family values, because that is a really important part of this process.”

A variety of elements impact a student’s path along the placement process, including their age and what grade they expect to enter, skills and work habits, academic progress, social-emotional readiness, personal and family values, hobbies and interests, and the level of academic support they may need at their next school. The placement office, teachers and specialists, division directors, and Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor and Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson work as a

If students are going to transition to their next schools after the Blue Cluster, most will have one to three semesters of Transition Class, which prepares students for the placement process and allows them to build self awareness, practice interview skills, and practice writing application questions. Blue Cluster students and those who will transition before entering the Blue Cluster will also take part in graduation groups or transition groups, run by members of the psychology department and the placement team. The goal of these groups is to provide students with a forum to process their emotions and role-play scenarios around leaving Gaynor and entering a new community.

The placement process truly is a team effort, bringing together the student, their family, the Placement Office, and faculty and staff members to find the best path forward for each student. The members of the Class of 2023 know they are not alone in the process. When asked the most helpful thing her parents did for her during the placement process, Sammy H. said, “The most helpful thing my parents did during this process is that they supported my decisions and gave me a say during this process.” Her classmate, Peter M., agreed, saying “My parents gave me so much help during the application process... They guided me through it every step of the way, even when it was difficult. I could not have done it without them.”