I would like to give everyone a brief update on the state of our school.

It has been a great privilege to serve as Chairman of the Board of NewGate this past year. This has certainly been a period of great challenges and transformation. During this time, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the incredible passion and dedication of our school's leaders, the teachers and staff, our parents, and, of course, our students. I am reminded of the saying that "difficult times do not create character, they reveal it."

It was last January that we came together to confront the financial challenges with which NewGate has struggled for several years. What a difference a year makes! NewGate not only survived but is now moving forward with clarity, commitment, and vision.

Our students and families are now comfortably settled onto our Ashton Road Campus, and you can actually feel a palpable sense of community when you visit the school. This fall, the campus came alive with thousands of twinkling lights for our annual In the Pink celebration, and in December, the Picasso's patio became the stage for a magical outdoor production of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.

On a very positive note, we were able to successfully negotiate a settlement with Iberia bank, which held the mortgage on the Clark Road property. This is a HUGE financial burden off our back, allowing us to go forward with negotiating the remaining debt with other creditors to whom the school owes money. A year ago, our accounts payable report was three pages long. Now, we're down to one page, and it is much more manageable. We have really made progress in this area, and I am hopeful that by this time next year, old debt will be a thing of the past.

On another positive note, I have been very impressed with the members of the school's Board of Trustees. Several of them are recognized leaders in Montessori education and business, and are committed to helping NewGate go forward. Everyone has a depth of experience and talent that makes for lively conversations at our monthly meetings.

We've come a long way in a year, but we still have work to do, and we need your help.

When creating this year's budget, we planned for an enrollment of 95 students, and met and exceeded this goal. Interest in the school is growing, both locally and from several families who are planning to move to Sarasota to be part of NewGate's future. We are planning for steady, carefully considered growth.

While our budget is balanced, it does not include some of the "extras" that we all want for our children and staff. This wish list includes more repairs and upgrades for our facilities, better playground and recreational equipment, cost-of-living increases for our teachers, new classroom computers, science lab equipment, our annual Opera production, and the cost to keep our treasured position as the only school in the area to be chosen to take part in the Sarasota Film Festival.

Our fundraising goal for this year is $100,000. To date we have raised approximately $34,000, or just over a third of what we need. For those of you have already given, we thank you. For everyone reading this letter, we still have a long way to go, and we could sure use your help.

Please don't think that, just because the crisis of last year has passed, NewGate doesn't need our assistance. With your help, we can make NewGate stronger and better for our children and the entire community of Sarasota.

It's easy to donate. Just bring a check to the office or pay online with a credit card by clicking on the Network For Good button below. Remember, NewGate is a 501 (c) 3 corporation and donations are tax deductible.