KELLY JEMAL MASSRY
SINCE 1996, GESHER YEHUDA, A COMMUNITY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE-BASED LEARNING DIFFERENCES, HAS BEEN ENABLING STUDENTS TO FEEL SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR STUDIES. “THE ATTITUDE IS NOT ‘I CAN’T,’ BUT ‘I CAN,’” SAID GESHER YEHUDA PRINCIPAL, MRS. DEBORAH KATZ. “NOT ONLY IS IT: ‘I CAN, BUT ALSO HOW CAN I?’”
Established by Jack and Claude Setton, the school was founded upon the belief that with the right educational approach and the right therapies, even atypical learners can succeed. At Gesher, the stigma often associated with therapy has been banished completely. Services that are offered are seen as enriching and beneficial to students. The hope is that, with this extensive support in place, many of Gesher Yehuda’s current students can eventually be mainstreamed when it is in the best interest of the child. Most important is that when a child becomes fully integrated into a mainstream school his self-esteem has risen, he has learned new skills, and has developed a positive image about himself. “Building self-confidence inside a structured academic program is critical to our work,” said Executive Director, Dr. Eugene Miller. “Self confidence is essential to success in education as it is in life.”
Gesher Yehuda’s student population ranges from kindergarten through eighth grade. There is both a special ed teacher and an assistant teacher present in every classroom and a rotator for core components like reading, math and some Hebrew subjects. Instruction is group-based, with evaluators assessing every few weeks to determine whether students should go up or down in level. Smaller class sizes ensure that the focus remains on the whole child and that each individual’s needs are catered to. The curriculum is on par with the mainstream public schools but simplified so that students are grounded in foundational skills. While an abundance of therapies are available as needed, these services are never given while core subjects are being taught. Therapy is designed to enhance and support the academic program.
“We have the most wonderful team, with the most current curriculum, and the best services in the community,” said Gesher reading specialist Sheri Harari. At Gesher, reading specialists provide intervention in both Hebrew and English, using a variety of research-based, multisensory programs. There are also four speech therapists on premises, two occupational therapists, one physical therapist, one psychologist and one social worker. Speech therapy emphasizes language and expression. The occupational therapists conduct a program called Neuronet, where the students are directed in movement-based activities while being asked to follow instructions. In this way, the children’s comprehension is cemented kinesthetically. The psychologist deals with school-wide behavioral challenges, while the social worker sees each student individually. “Each child comes with different issues that need to be addressed,” said Sheri. “We really are a team here. All of the therapists work together really well. We are constantly bouncing ideas off of the educational administrators and collaborating together.”
This is all done for the benefit of the children—students who may struggle in other environments at Gesher find that their behavioral challenges dissipate because they have finally found a place where they belong. “The kids are so polite and respectful because they know what is expected of them,” said current principal Deborah Katz. Gesher’s standards can be summed up in the three C’s—Compliance, Completing Work and Courteous Speech. Comporting themselves well, they are told, is the first step to becoming an admirable student—a stature they are expected to exhibit both on school grounds and out in the world. To cement this lesson inside and outside of the classroom, students are routinely taken on field trips— excursions that invigorate their senses, like rock climbing and trampoline jumping—as a form of reward. “Two or three weeks of learning can take place in one day when you’re out of the classroom,” said Mrs. Katz, reinforcing just how valuable these trips are as a method of holistic learning. “The goal is to educate the kids and give them skills that they can take with them wherever they go.”
“Every staff member believes positively in the students’ futures,” said the school’s Administrative Director Shirley Mansour. “Gesher Yehuda is such a warm, beautiful, happy place to be. Anybody that walks in feels that we are a family here.” The vibe at Gesher and the feeling of connectedness that students experience is evident in the way they come back, often years later, to say thank you. “Former alumni have such fond memories and always stop by to say hello. They love us. Some of our alumni are now parents of kids in the school. They have become thriving adults, loving parents, and successful businessmen. To us, that is the true measure of success—how they turn out,” said Mrs. Mansour.
Prospective parents and supporters of the school are encouraged to come down and see Gesher for themselves. Those who visit will soon see that the model Gesher student is one with self-confidence. A Gesher Yehuda education is a way of giving children everything they need—academic rigor, love, support, guidance and most importantly belief in themselves.
Kelly Jemal Massry holds a B.A. from Barnard College, an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and an Ms.Ed from Bank Street College. She is a writer, reading specialist and bookstore owner.
