Middle School
“In our Middle School, we are not indebted to any one program or philosophy. We are indebted to the child and ensuring that their education is tailored to meet individual needs by building the specific skills needed to be successful. This allows our alumni to be prepared as they move forward on their academic path.” – Christine Karamanoglou, Director of Middle School
In the Middle School, students take even greater responsibility for their education. They collaborate closely with teachers to set personal goals and expectations. Our individualized instruction continues, with a focus on helping students build self-awareness and advocate more articulately for themselves. The literacy, math, and history curriculum will vary based on the individual student in order to continue to best challenge them academically, and all Gaynor Upper Division students build the fundamental skills needed to succeed in their next school.
Unique to the Middle School, Gaynor offers electives in which students participate in clubs, project-based learning, student advocacy, and transition preparation classes. This coursework offers students dynamic, experiential learning opportunities that capitalize on personal interest and choice.
Middle School students are also offered affinity groups, which give participating students a space to see themselves, connect with others, ask questions, and investigate their identities in new and meaningful ways. Affinity groups provide a safe and supportive space for those in historically marginalized communities to gather and share their experience. Affinity groups have been found to develop early adolescents’ positive self-esteem, academic confidence, sense of connectedness with all members of the community, and self-responsibility to improve the world around them.
Gaynor has a comprehensive Placement program and a dedicated Placement Office to best support the Gaynor community as students move forward in their academic careers. During the Placement process, we work together with parents to identify appropriate school options, establish and maintain expectations, and create a support system that will follow the family and student through each step. It is our goal to have each individual student placed in the school that is the best fit for them upon graduation or early transition from Gaynor.
Click here for more information on the Stephen Gaynor Middle School core curriculum.
Alumni Outcomes
Stephen Gaynor School’s combination of a curriculum uniquely tailored to each student’s needs, an emphasis on student self-advocacy, and a dedication to providing a rich co-curricular experience for our students prepares them well for success at their next school and in the wider world. For a list of high schools and colleges our alumni attend, please click here.