After a comprehensive and competitive search, we are thrilled to announce that Rebecca Felt will be the Director of Intermediate Division beginning July 1.
Ms. Felt has been at Gaynor since 2013, and is currently a Head Teacher in the Blue Cluster. She holds a BA in Public Policy from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an M.S.Ed. in Childhood General/Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. While her position title might be Head Teacher, she has immersed herself in many areas at Gaynor. She, along with Mollie Book, has coordinated school-wide assemblies and community service drives for the past eight years. She was a member of the inaugural Senior Educator Cohort and currently serves as a mentor in the pilot mentor program. Most recently, she worked with Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson to design and implement the Executive Functioning After School Program. This experience built upon her interest in supporting students to develop greater metacognition about their learning process and learn strategies and habits to strengthen their skills.
In addition to her career in schools, Ms. Felt worked in the summer camp industry for 12 years with neurodiverse children and young adults. She spent ten years working at Camp Northwood, eventually operating as Assistant Director/Director of Social Learning. Most recently, she founded and directed the Summit Center Program at Summit Camp and Travel. The Summit Center, a prevocational residential life skills program, serves a population of young adults from 18-26. According to Ms. Felt, “Moving between the worlds of camp and school has been formative in shaping my professional path. These experiences have solidified my passion for providing opportunities for children and young adults to foster a sense of independence, self-esteem, and social connection.”
The Director of Intermediate Division has the primary responsibility for students in the Silver and Green Clusters. The Intermediate Division serves as a bridge between the Lower and Upper Divisions, and children in this age group experience great changes academically, socially, emotionally and physically. The Intermediate Division director, along with the expert educators in the Intermediate Division, is responsible for helping students along the path to becoming teenagers and young adults, and collaborates with all Division Directors to ensure that there is coherent progression as students transition between divisions.
According to Ms. Felt, “After ten years in the classroom, I look forward to joining the Leadership Team as the Director of Intermediate Division. Having spent most of my career working with graduates at the end of their Gaynor journey, I am excited to work with students, educators, and families in the Intermediate Division. Students at this stage in their Gaynor career are becoming more independent and developing greater metacognitive skills. They are learning to advocate and navigate the world as young people. It is an exciting developmental stage for students and their families as they prepare for the Upper Division and the next steps in their education. I bring my knowledge of Gaynor student pathways to this role and am excited to serve as a bridge between the Lower and Upper Divisions. I’m entering this position with great respect for the work of Michelle Fox and the Intermediate Division team. I am thrilled to become a part of the Silver and Green Cluster community.”
Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor said, “It has been rewarding to see Ms. Felt grow as a teacher in the classroom while seeking opportunities to expand her leadership experiences at Gaynor. She has taken on responsibilities to lead our school-wide assemblies, worked in the Lower School division of our summer camp, run our first executive function After School class and was part of the first cohort class to graduate from the Senior Educators program. Ms. Felt was able to seamlessly assume these responsibilities while skillfully managing a full teaching load in the Upper Division. She exemplifies our academic focus on preparing students for their next school while supporting their social/emotional needs. Ms. Felt brings with her a passion for our child-centered mission and the skill set to best lead our Intermediate Division. Please join me in welcoming Rebecca Felt as our next Director of Intermediate Division.”