If you have visited the school over the past few weeks, it would be hard not to notice a particular theme floating around the halls and walls of Gaynor. It might even put a little love in your heart.
The Lower School’s Winter Concert featured songs and skits that centered around the theme of love. The students gave their all as they belted out songs like, “All You Need is Love,” by the Beatles, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” by Jackie DeShannon, and “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong.
The Art Department expressed love in their own way. Art Teacher Ruth Rachlin said, “We thought, what does love mean to everyone? Well, obviously it means different things to different people. That thought led us to a discussion of different people around the world. We decided the best way to represent love around the world would be: how do you say love in hundreds of languages? So, students and teachers wrote and illustrated the word ‘love’ in many, many languages. We placed the the words on the wall like a s w o o s h that surrounds a painting of the earth … love capturing the world.”
To bring the theme to a more personal level, a display of hearts on the lobby bulletin board express individual ideas of love. Students were asked to think deeply about who and what they love, and to write it down on a heart-shaped cardboard piece. These little, beautifully-decorated hearts represent the feelings of the students, the love they have in their hearts.
Students in Photography Teacher Adam Gaynor’s classes took photos of one another to showcase the diverse Stephen Gaynor School community, and displayed their work in a large display on the lobby staircase.
All of these projects highlight what Ms. Rachlin says makes Gaynor so special. She said, “We are a strong community that cares deeply about the world and each other. Love.”
