The Summit School (Upper School)

187-30 Grand Central Parkway | Jamaica Estates | built 1966

The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

1968
Hershel Stiskin founds the Summit School for students with special needs
Hershel Stiskin started the Summit School of Queens in 1968 for children and adolescents with a wide range of special needs; its high school division, the Upper School, now uses this building in Jamaica Estates. When Stiskin moved to Israel in 1972, management passed to his brother Mayer and sister-in-law Ninette, who had founded Summit's residential center in Upper Nyack and Summit Camp & Travel.
“…founded by Hershel Stiskin in 1968 as a charter school for children and adolescents with a wide array of special needs…”
Source: Wikipedia
2008
Judith Gordon retires and John Renner becomes director and Upper School principal
Over two decades as director, Judith Gordon reshaped Summit into a private school approved for state funding that serves bright students whose learning disabilities are mild, set a more demanding curriculum, widened its counseling services and had Emily Seltzer build a pre-vocational job training program. Gordon retired in 2008 with the title of director emeritus. Former associate director John Renner took over as director and Upper School principal, a post he held until retiring in 2017.
“Gordon retired in 2008, but earned the honorary title of director emeritus. Former associate director John Renner became the director and Upper School principal…”
Source: Wikipedia

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