EC 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Celebrating the Founding of the Early Childhood Program Many of Gaynor’s signature spaces and programs are the
Ms. Logue remembered, “Yvette’s dream was to open
realizations of Co-Founder and Director of Education
up an early childhood program so that we could reach
Yvette Siegel-Herzog’s dreams. The founding of the
children before they experienced the learning failure that
school itself in 1962 was a dream Yvette shared with Dr.
we see at Stephen Gaynor School. She wanted to know if
Miriam Michael, her Co-Founder. The recent completion
I would be interested in running the program.”
of the Performing Arts Center was another of those dreams, but one of her visions brought to life over a decade ago is now so integral to the life of the school that it is hard to imagine Stephen Gaynor School without it.
While she knew she was skilled at envisioning new programs, and making them run smoothly, Ms. Logue felt strongly that the school needed skilled early childhood educators to ensure this new venture would be successful
The Early Childhood (EC) Program is a unique and
in the long term. Still, she said, “When Yvette Siegel asks
innovative model of early intervention for students
you to do something with her, why wouldn't you do that,
with learning differences, ages three to six. It combines
right? You know, when a genius asks you to start something
traditional early childhood experiences with the most
from scratch, of course you take them up on that.”
effective methods in special education to help children mitigate learning challenges, make great strides in their educational, social, physical, and emotional development, and put them on the path to sustained academic success. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Gaynor’s Early Childhood Program, and we sat down with Director of Early Childhood Rebecca Jurow, Director of Lower Division Donna Logue, and Speech and Language Department Chair Jen Cohen. All three were key players in bringing Yvette’s vision to life. 18
GAYNOR GAZETTE
Ms. Siegel also already had the conceptualization that therapies would need to be a key component of the Early Childhood Program, and speech and language therapy would be the core of the therapy program. It was at this point that Jen Cohen entered the picture. According to Ms. Cohen, “Yvette and Donna called me, and I came in for an interview. I spent a little bit of time in the class, and then Donna and I sat and spoke, and it was a match made in heaven.”
