Gaynor Primary Categories

Beginning her career at Gaynor in 2011, Erika Bentsen was a Blue Cluster teacher for many years before making the switch to the Admissions department as Admissions Associate and Educational Evaluator in the 2024-25 school year. While to some that might seem like a big difference, to Erika it’s the best place she can be to showcase just how special Gaynor teachers are.

As the Coordinator of Psychological Services, you may recognize Dr. Lauren Levenson from her parent talks at Gaynor, or her one-on-one work with students. But you may not have known that, aside from helping students navigate the minefield that is elementary school, Dr. Levenson’s biggest passion project at Gaynor is the social and emotional learning curriculum implemented throughout the school. As part of our “Five Questions With…” series, we sat down with Dr. Levenson to learn more about her work at Gaynor as a psychology specialist, and what her journey at Gaynor has meant to her.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Facilities Service 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. 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 her love of Gaynor is. 

Though he initially aimed to become an engineer, Science Specialist Andrew Prasarn fell in love with teaching while at Gaynor, with his lessons highlighting the importance of teaching the students how things work so they can create a better future. We sat down with Andrew for the latest installment of our “Five Questions With…” series, to learn more about his journey to Gaynor, and the ways he continues his passion for science outside of the classroom. 

From the townhouse on West 74th to Gaynor today, Chris Meyer has witnessed many milestones in Gaynor’s history. And what better time than the 60th anniversary of Gaynor’s founding to ask about his journey at the school? We sat down with Chris for our latest installment of our “Five Questions With…” series to discover more about Gaynor’s history through his eyes.

How would it feel to work in your dream job? Well, you can ask Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson! Despite completing her undergraduate degree in administration of justice, she pivoted to work in education as a more proactive way to support children. She finds her inspiration in Gaynor’s co-founder Yvette Siegel-Herzog, and Ms. Siegel’s exceptional perspective on learning and Gaynor’s mission. We sat down with Jill for the latest installment of our “Five Questions With…” series to learn more about her passion for education and her dedication to the mission of individualized education at Stephen Gaynor School.