Private School Spotlight: The Gillen Brewer School
We are pleased to feature The Gillen Brewer School in our third article of this series. The school is named after the grandparents of the school’s founders — which is indicative of their family and community values. Founded in 1992, The Gillen Brewer School is committed to building a community and support network comprised of both the nuclear and extended families of children with special needs.
Demographics
Gillen Brewer’s student body is comprised mostly of children facing speech-language and gross and fine motor difficulties combined with sensory issues. Many of Gillen Brewer’s students struggle with social and emotional development as well.
The program provides educational services from preschool through elementary school and employs several different staffing ratios. In preschool, the classrooms are 8:1:2 (8 students, 1 head teacher, 2 assistant teachers). Elementary-school-aged children receive instruction either in a 6:1:2 classroom or a 10:1:2, depending on the level of support the child needs.
School Environment
Unlike many programs, The Gillen Brewer School founders were involved in the design construction of their site from the onset. The space was originally a car wash, but was destroyed in order to build a hotel — the bottom two floors of which the school now occupies. The school had final say in the layout and prioritized big classrooms with a lot of natural light and additional soft-lighting, which adds to the already calm atmosphere. And, as most classrooms come equipped with individual bathrooms, the children can practice ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) under their teacher’s supervision and without breaking routine.
I found the classrooms to be very well organized and transitions seemed to occur seamlessly. Children knew what was expected of them, and the staff used a lot of non-verbal signalizing with regard to behavior management. In addition, the students were familiar with the routine and I think that the school has done a good job of setting up a solid organizational foundation that reduces the potential for chaos and distractions.
Because of the rhythm of instruction and layout of the classrooms, teachers were able to move around their rooms and provide support to each child with ease.
Moreover, the school built incredible facilities, including two sensory gyms (one with a rock wall and the other with a ball pit). They also have an outdoor terrace and large library space, both of which are hard to come by in Manhattan-based schools. Supplementing their program, the school has affiliated itself with the Asphalt Green facility, where students and staff experience top-of-the-line swimming, gymnastics, soccer, and basketball facilities.
Family Fun Days
The Gillen Brewer School’s commitment to building community is underscored by the family fun day events it hosts. The school has students that hail from all over the city, and the fun days allow families to interact and be part of a supportive community that they may not have in their local public school districts or communities.
Click here for more information about The Gillen Brewer School.
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