Our School's History

In January 1984, Kitty and Steve Williams established Countryside Montessori School in their home. Kitty had five students, including one of her daughters, in that first group on the porch. Steve and Kitty worked together building a school for young children based on the Montessori philosophy and methods. Kitty was a certified Montessori teacher and Steve was an organic farmer who also maintained the property and created the early classroom environments.

In August 1984, Kitty’s class grew to 20. After a few short years, the Williams had converted their garage and Steve’s produce stand into classrooms, and in 1988 they moved out of the house and built a brand new building for a primary class. In 1989, the little Montessori school in the country consisted of three primary classrooms and one lower elementary classroom – approximately 70 students.

Kitty Williams had a big vision. Her vision was of a school that would educate children from very young all the way through high school. She believed that children should be afforded the opportunity to prepare for life not only in the academics but also in regard to building positive relationships, problem solving, making good judgments, and developing the ability to concentrate on meaningful tasks or projects from start to finish. She believed the Montessori philosophy and methodology would allow children to grow and develop into productive, resourceful, thinking, creative and collaborative adults.

Kitty realized that she and her husband needed assistance from others to fund this vision. So, in 1992, she made an important decision to convert her sole proprietorship, for-profit business into a non-profit, charitable corporation. With the help of many committed parents the conversion was completed in 1993. The founding Board consisted of Coleen Brickhouse, Charles Clark, Richard Hayes, William Mahaney, Lorna McGrath, Robert Morris and Kitty Williams. As the school’s vision became clear, more people from Sarasota and the surrounding communities came to Countryside. The Board began a building project to open three new classrooms, a media center and an art room. This project was completed in the fall of 1993 and could house 140 students from 3 through 12 years old.

In 1994 the Montessori foundation began to work with Countryside. Montessori schools had never taken off in Sarasota, although a few had come and gone over the years. However, Countryside began to prosper, largely because of Kitty's ability to sell parents on the dream of a school based on universal values. What most impressed the Foundation's staff was the incredible sense of community that existed in this small school.

A strong friendship quickly developed between the school's leading parents and educators and the staff of the Montessori Foundation. Before we knew it, each side was so comfortable with the other that a partnership was forged between us to undertake an unusual experiment: a test of the educational leadership principles taught by the Montessori Foundation's Center for Montessori Leadership applied as a focused on-going project in one school.

The challenge that the Foundation and school set themselves was to transform Countryside from a small school with grand dreams, but few resources, into a substantial independent Montessori school with the enrollment and resources to extend up through 12th grade within ten years.

A key element of the process was Countryside's decision to allow the Montessori Foundation to actually manage the school during this period. Without their complete trust and confidence, and the ability to play a leadership role, it is unlikely that we could have achieved a fraction of the progress in just a few years.

This relationship continued for seven years, with Tim Seldin serving as the school's Executive Director and Lorna McGrath served as Associate Head of School. During the next several years the school vastly improved its programs and curriculum, expanded its facilities, developed great clarity of vision, and expanded its enrollment. Through the generosity of two families the school was able to add another large classroom on the Ashton Road Campus. The program expanded from 18 months through 13 years old. It was during this period that the school chose to change its name to New Gate School. Beginning in 1997, the school began a major effort to purchase a much larger facility with the goal of expanding enrollment up through the 12th grade. With the Montessori Foundation's leadership, several major gifts, along with the support of many other families and friends, New Gate was able to purchase the present 100 acre campus east of I-75 on Clark Road. The facilities were designed to the specifications of the Montessori Foundation to serve as a national model school. As sometimes happens, at this point in their long partnership, the Montessori Foundation and board of the school concluded that the parents of the school were ready to re-assume leadership and governance. The Foundation turned its focus to its work with Montessori schools and school leaders around the world, and New Gate went its own separate way for the next ten years.

In June 2000, Christopher Gallagher took over as Headmaster. That fall the first classrooms on the Clark Road Campus were opened. All of the students from 6 years old through 15 years old were able to move into the new facility. This move allowed the Ashton Road Campus to house the Early Childhood Program and to add new classrooms at that age level. The school’s enrollment soared to 242 students on both campuses. The additional classroom space allowed New Gate students to continue their education through 12th grade, and the first graduate received her diploma in June of 2004.

As Christopher Gallagher’s term came to a close, the Board of Directors sought, with the help of The Education Group, a new Head of School. They found an experienced head of school in Paul Wenninger, who served as Head of School from 2005 through 2010. 

In July of 2010, the New Gate Board of Trustees voted to merge the New Gate School with The Field School, the school founded by The Montessori Foundation. With this merger, the school became known as the NewGate-Field School, which has been designated as the Model School of The Montessori Foundation. Under the leadership of The Montessori Foundation, the school develops curriculum and best practices for Montessori schools around the world.

Tim Seldin, President of The Montessori Foundation, serves as Head of School. Lorna McGrath, Director of Parent Education at The Montessori Foundation, is Associate Head of School.

For more information about The Montessori Foundation, visit their website at: www.montessori.org.