ADMINISTRATION
Tim Seldin, M.Ed., AMS
Executive Director
Tim Seldin is the President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. He is a noted Montessori teacher trainer, school consultant, and keynote speaker at scores of Montessori conferences around the world, including the Montessori Foundation’s annual international conference, which is held in Sarasota every November.
Tim has 49 years of experience in Montessori education, beginning with 25 years as a Montessori teacher and Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD, which was founded by his family in 1932 and which he attended from age 2 through high school graduation.
As President of the Montessori Foundation, he served as Head of the NewGate School from 1993 through 1999, during the years when NewGate was the Lab School of the Montessori Foundation. Tim was, with Harvey Hallenberg, the co-founder and Director of the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. Tim earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. He is the author of several books about Montessori education. Tim served for many years as an officer on the Board of the American Montessori Society. He is also an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Instructor.
James Moudry, M.Ed.
Interim Head of School
Sarah Moudry, M.Ed.
Director of Institutional Advancement and College Counseling
Sarah Moudry is an education innovator whose work is focused on creating education environments and experiences that inspire growth and joy. Her work is rooted in Montessori philosophy and paired with her extensive experience as a designer. Her most recent projects include the founding of Studio June, a Montessori parent and child education center, and Family Friendly Home, an interior design company that creates inspirational home and school interiors.
Sarah’s most recent book, First Foods to Family Meals (2019), provides parents a Montessori grounding to help them include their children in preparing food at home. Sarah has created online courses that help parents, childcare professionals, and grandparents to incorporate Montessori theory into their lives.
In addition to her Montessori Experience, Sarah has worked in the Admission Department at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Sarah, her husband, and their three children love family game nights, creating original pizza recipes, and music trivia!
Sarah has an M.Ed in Montessori education, a B.S. in environment and design, AMI Montessori certification for ages birth to six, and is an Associate Member of ASID. She joined the NewGate staff in 2023.
Lauren Speed, AMS
Admin. Assistant Ashton Road Campus
Lauren has her AMS Infant/Toddler Teaching Certificate from the South Florida Montessori Education Center in West Palm Beach, FL. She joined the NewGate faculty in 1999. She began her Montessori career in 1992, at Counterpane School in Fayetteville, GA, where her children attended.
A move back to Florida brought the family to NewGate, where she spent 16 years with the toddlers. Both of her children graduated from NewGate; her son in 2005 and her daughter in 2007. They have subsequently graduated from college; her son from New College of Florida and her daughter from Florida State University.
Lauren loves working with the administration, and she is looking forward to another great year at NewGate! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching YouTube videos, jogging, listening to music and watching movies.
ASHTON ROAD CAMPUS
Early Childhood
Early Childhood (ages 1-2 years and 3-6 years)
Brittany Belviy
Early Childhood Montessori Lead Guide
Brittany joined the NewGate community in May 2017. Brittany loves working with children. She is thrilled to join the early childhood team as a Montessori guide in training. Brittany enjoys reading, being out in nature, making jewelry, and spending time with her friends, family, and animals. Brittany is completing her early childhood Montessori training through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
Isabelle Bermudez, B.A.
Toddler Montessori Guide
Isabelle joined the Toddler Community in the spring of 2021. She is currently completing her Montessori Infant/Toddler training through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. A former NewGate student, Isabelle brings over a decade of childcare experience as well as a lifelong love and respect for Montessori practices to the NewGate faculty. Isabelle earned her Bachelor of Science in Media Production from the University of Florida and previously worked in a safe house as an advocate for survivors of trafficking and exploitation. Isabelle enjoys reading, photography, and going on adventures with her dogs, Moxie & Beau.
Taffy Howard Harrison, B.A.
Early Childhood Montessori Assistant
Taffy is a graduate of Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a B.S. in Human Services with a concentration in child and adolescent development. She has over 20 years of experience working with young children. She joined NewGate School in June 2021 and believes the foundation of learning begins with the freedom of self-exploration and discovery. Taffy brings a calm demeanor, passion for the outdoors, and dedication to offering students a transformational experience in the classroom. When Taffy is outside the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Other activities she finds comfort in are cooking, swimming, long walks in nature, writing, and the beach.
Mary Loughead, AMI
Early Childhood Montessori Lead Guide
Mary joined Newgate in August 2019. Mary is a graduate of the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was introduced to Montessori while working as the Operations Coordinator at a Montessori School in Albuquerque. This ultimately led her to attend Montessori Training in 2018. Mary has a long line of experience in Nursing and Nutrition as she worked in the Healthcare and Fitness field before finding her home in Montessori Education. Mary spends time with friends, family, and the love of her life, Louie, her Golden Retriever.
Yenisley Perez, M.Ed.
Toddler Associate Montessori Guide
Yeni joined NewGate School in 2021. She has years of experience working with children of all ages. Yeni received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from the University of Arts of Cuba. She received her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Keiser University. She has starred in television and radio shows for over 20 years. Yeni’s area of specialization is puppetry. Yeni enjoys spending time at the beach with her two daughters and husband.
Monika Pernak
Early Childhood Montessori Associate Guide
Monika joined NewGate in August 2023. Monika is a Polish-born individual who currently resides in Florida with her husband and two children, a son and a daughter. Her family recently relocated from Reisterstown, Maryland, to Florida, seeking new opportunities and experiences. With a diverse background, Monika spent 17 years in the banking industry, demonstrating her dedication and professionalism. She will receive her Montessori credential from Prepared Montessorian Institute, a MACTE-accredited Montessori teacher training institute.
Dianamarys Santos
Toddler Montessori Assistant
Dianamarys joined New Gate in 2023. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the Universidad Central Marta Abreu in Villa Clara, Cuba as well as her Florida Early Childhood Professional Development certificate. Dianamarys worked in Cuba for more than six years in a government law office where she specialized in civil and economic trials, as well as working as a legal representative for regional businesses. Dianamarys enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, and family.
Elementary
Students ages 6-12 years
Noemi Coronado
Elementary Montessori Associate Guide
Noemi grew up in Hungary and studied there before moving to the United States and attending Remington College – Tampa where she earned a medical assistant diploma. Noemi started working in Montessori in 2004, initially with toddlers for 12 years and then with ages 3-6 since 2016. Noemi first saw the Montessori method in 2002 and fell in love with it. She received her Montessori diploma through the American Montessori Center in 2018 and joined NewGate School in 2020 (which she loved from the first time she visited). Noemi enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, nature, animals, flowers, and taking pictures of them.
Jennifer Darmogray-Lombard, B.S., AMS
Lower Elementary Montessori Lead Guide
Jenn joined NewGate in August 2019. This year is her 30th year in Montessori education. Over the years, she has been a Head of School, Montessori Teacher Trainer, Curriculum Coordinator, Summer School Coordinator, Supervising Teacher, and Parent Educator. She has also taken many hours of professional development in order to continually meet each child’s needs.
Jennifer holds a B.S. in education from the University of Northern Michigan and has both her AMS early childhood 3-6 and elementary 6-12 certifications, with MACTE accreditation. She has been a teacher trainer and received additional training in Applied Behavior Analysis with an Autism specialization. Jennifer is excited to join the NewGate team. “I love Montessori Education!” As Dr. Maria Montessori said, “The essential thing is to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.”
Jennifer believes that her objective as a teacher is to help each child discover the joy of learning and to help the child develop a strong belief in his or her own ability. Each child is encouraged to do his or her best and to have a sense of pride in his or her accomplishments. She also believes it is of primary importance that her students appreciate and respect the differences of others.
Grace Fernandez
Upper Elementary Montessori Guide
Grace grew up in the south of India and later moved to Malaysia where she lived for 15 years before moving to Florida. Grace has an early childhood Montessori certification from MCI, London, and an ages 6-12 Elementary Montessori training from AMS. She also has a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Sikkim Manipal University. Grace has over 15 years of teaching experience in Montessori. In her other time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, drawing, painting, walking in the garden, playing with her kittens and being one with nature. Grace joined NewGate in 2024.
Mendy Hyatt-Hensley
Upper Elementary Montessori Guide
Mendy loves drawing, which led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion design, with a minor in psychology from Stephens College. Her first real jobs were customer service and retail management, until she recognized her desire to work with children. She completed her Master’s degree in education and Montessori certification at Xavier University, and has been teaching ever since. Mendy worked at NewGate from 2003-2006 and is thrilled to be back! She has over twenty-five years of teaching experience, bringing enthusiasm, dedication, wit, organization, and creativity to her work. Mendy focuses on developing her ability to connect with and motivate students in support of their own learning process, and helping them foster a love of learning, She has also earned a gifted endorsement and reading endorsement. In the classroom, Mendy enjoys writing newsletters with students, helping to create yearbooks, and putting on plays. In her personal time, she likes trying new restaurants, walking, and watching movies. Mendy re-joined NewGate in 2024.
Sophia Kushner
Music and Visual Arts Specialist
Sophia (Sophie) completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition and Education at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota. She studied as both a pianist and vocalist and has several years of experience as a music director in children’s theater. Outside the classroom, Sophie loves to sew, cook, and hike, especially in National Parks! Sophie joined the NewGate community in 2024.
LAKEWOOD RANCH CAMPUS
Middle School and High School
Anthony Carrera, B.S.
Secondary - Natural Sciences
Anthony joined NewGate in August 2021, moving to Florida from Nebraska. Anthony grew up in a Montessori classroom from the ages of 4-14 which helped promote his passion for the sciences with an inclination toward conservation and animals. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2015 with his B.S in Fisheries and Wildlife with study abroad experiences in Puerto Rico performing data collection on the terrestrial and marine life on the island. Anthony joins NewGate with 6 years of professional background working law enforcement for the Nebraska Humane Society as an animal control officer having many experiences with a variety of animals from bobcats to house cats. Anthony is currently completing his Montessori accreditation through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies and is looking forward to starting his journey at NewGate.
Gillett Cole, B.A., AMI
Secondary - Humanities
Gillett joined NewGate in August 2021 after relocating from St. Paul, Minnesota. He has his AMI Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification from the Montessori Center of Minnesota. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in French. He is a trained Montessori Model United Nations Instructor and a Montessori STEM practitioner. Among his many talents, Gillett is an entrepreneur, co-founding the Twin Cities Closet Company.
Glenn Grizzard, M.Ed.
Secondary - English Language and Humanities
Language and Humanities specialist Glenn Grizzard comes to New Gate by way of Key West, the Appalachian Mountain towns of Asheville and Boone, North Carolina, and his home in Georgia. After spending the Covid years at May Sands Montessori Charter School in Key West, Glenn spent last year teaching gifted children in a public middle school in Asheville. Glenn earned his B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of Georgia. He took his Montessori Secondary training at the NAMTA program in Ohio.
From 2004-18, Glenn launched and taught in the middle school – and also served as the Director – at Mountain Pathways Montessori School in Boone. He also taught educational psychology at Appalachian State University during this period, where he raised his two children, Sawyer and Savannah. Prior to moving to Boone, Glenn taught gifted classes and social studies at a public middle school just outside Athens, Ga. where he had attended the University of Georgia for his undergraduate and graduate work. (Go Dawgs!)In addition to his passion for college football, Glenn enjoys golf, travel, and learning all he can about the world so he can share it with kids!
Amy Kremer-Treibly, M.A.
Secondary - Service, Partnerships, and Drama
Amy has taught throughout the New Gate Secondary Program since 2002 primarily with English reading, writing and theater projects and has been teaching for 25 years. She is also an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Instructor, Librarian and CAS Advisor. She has spent many years developing the Secondary Program’s experiential learning programs and looks for every opportunity to get students off campus and into the community for learning opportunities. She also leads the annual Drama Immersion Weeks with students at each Secondary level to build memorable theatrical productions in the space of a week. One of her great joys is helping every student find gateway books that lead to a life long love of reading, and she builds every opportunity possible to share books with students from toddler through high school levels.
Amy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology at Loyola University where she also enjoyed studying Spanish during a study abroad term in Quito, Ecuador and learning about world religions as her minor. She began her teaching career in a refugee resettlement program teaching ESL to adult students from around the world followed by teaching Spanish at the elementary level. While teaching at a Great Books Foundation high school in Arizona, she earned her Master’s Degree in Experiential Education at Prescott College with a focus on building schools and learning experiences to promote engagement, eco-literacy and stewardship.
Amy enjoys her family time, reading, and travel, all preferably at the beach!
Isaac Moncada-Almendarez
Secondary - Mathematics
Isaac is originally from Mexico City and moved to Sarasota Florida in 2005. He graduated from Sarasota High School with an AICE Diploma and graduated from New College of Florida with a B.S. in Physics. Isaac is passionate about learning how the natural world and universe work, with specific interests in quantum mechanics and relativistic electromagnetism. In his free time, he enjoys solving tricky integrals, working through physics textbooks, playing video games, reading about various cultures’ histories, and partaking in Dungeons and Dragons with friends. Isaac has always appreciated mathematics and physics and hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. in either physics or material science and engineering. Other than his nerdy interests, Isaac also loves the outdoors (except when it is hot!) including long hikes and experiencing nature.
Jesus Alfonso Omaña, MBA, Ph.D
Secondary - Natural Sciences
Alfonso was born and raised in San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela. He holds an industrial engineering degree and an MBA from The Universidad Nacional Experimental del Tachira, and his Ph.D. in Pedagogy from the University of Los Andes. He has put to work his passion for teaching in unconventional settings, outdoor and indoor classrooms. He has over twenty years of experience as a university teacher in undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral scientific research and business programs. He was associate dean at the University of Los Andes for five years, supporting students in academic activities. Alfonso holds certification as an IB teacher in Science and Business.
He is passionate about Qualitative and quantitative analysis and using various technological approaches. He has published in editorials such as Routledge-UK, and Gedisa-Spain, and papers in journals categorized Scopus in Spain, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Colombia, and Chile. Alfonso has also been a social entrepreneur for over 30 years with San Nicolas de los Paramos Andinos, an NGO that supports vulnerable people at the Venezuelan and Colombian border.
Alfonso moved with his family, Gabriela, and David, from Venezuela to Kansas to complete his Ph.D. research and in 2022 moved to Florida and joined NewGate. He likes to run, play baseball, and basketball, and do all kinds of outdoor activities. He completed his first half marathon in 2023.
Natacha Stutzman, B.S.
Secondary - Social Sciences
Abbey Surrena, M.A.
Secondary - Visual Arts
Spanish Teacher
Secondary - Spanish
Coming soon!
GLOBAL CAMPUS
Amy Kremer-Treibly, M.A.
Secondary - Global Campus Coordinator, Experiential Learning Facilitator
Amy has taught throughout the NewGate Secondary Program since 2002 primarily with English reading, writing and theater projects and has been teaching for 24 years. She is also an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Instructor, Librarian and CAS Advisor. She has spent many years developing the Secondary Program’s experiential learning programs and looks for every opportunity to get students off campus and into the community for learning opportunities. She also leads the annual Drama Immersion Weeks with students at each Secondary level to build memorable theatrical productions in the space of a week. One of her great joys is helping every student find gateway books that lead to a life long love of reading, and she builds every opportunity possible to share books with students from toddler through high school levels.
Amy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology at Loyola University where she also enjoyed studying Spanish during a study abroad term in Quito, Ecuador and learning about world religions as her minor. She began her teaching career in a refugee resettlement program teaching ESL to adult students from around the world followed by teaching Spanish at the elementary level. While teaching at a Great Books Foundation high school in Arizona, she earned her Master’s Degree in Experiential Education at Prescott College with a focus on building schools and learning experiences to promote engagement, eco-literacy and stewardship.
Amy enjoys her family time, reading, and travel, all preferably at the beach!
Braeden Allen
Secondary - Spanish
Braeden (he/him) attended the University of Florida, where he studied environmental science and the Spanish language. Braeden studied abroad in five different countries while at UF, including an immersive Spanish semester in Barcelona. He fell in love with Spain that summer and resolved to go back. Braeden lived in central Madrid for two years, teaching English as a second language at a local high school, and counts it as one of the most valuable experiences of his life.
Braeden is also a graduate of NewGate. He enjoys fencing, which he has been doing competitively for over ten years. He was the Men’s Foil Captain of the UF Gators Fencing Club, has won tournaments in both the US and Spain, and attended USA Nationals and the North American Cup. Braeden also likes to read sci-fi and fantasy books, spend time in nature, and watch comic book movies. Braeden lives in England and is pursuing and MS degree in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation at the University of Bristol. He joined NewGate in 2024.
Pam Chan, B.A.
Secondary - Mathematics
Pam has taught math at the upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels for many years in a variety of settings: public and private, accelerated and remedial, in small groups, in large classes, and one-on-one, most recently in a Montessori Adolescent Program. She enjoys helping students explore the connections and overlaps between algebra and geometry and, as a result, gain depth of knowledge in both of those mathematical disciplines. She loves seeing all sorts of students gain confidence in their abilities as mathematicians. Pam graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in Mathematics and International Studies. She did her undergraduate honors math research in number field theory and its application in the proofs of certain cases of Fermat’s Last Theorem. In addition to her experience as a mathematician, she also taught English to students of all ages during a two-and-a-half year adventure living in China. Now Pam lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and three children. She enjoys cooking, reading, spending time with friends and family, and being outdoors.
Lydia Dumais, M.S.
Secondary - Natural Sciences
Lydia Dumais teaches high school science and art. She is also an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Instructor. This is Lydia’s 6th year at NewGate. She graduated from New College of Florida with a double major in Biology and History and an M.S. in Biology from Clemson University. She presented academic papers at the Florida Conference of Historians and New Scholars. Part of her undergraduate research included working with wild sea turtles in Costa Rica as part of international conservation efforts.
Lydia is a Secondary Montessori Teacher. She is a lifelong learner and earned the IB Diploma in high school; she brings enthusiasm, hands-on learning, and a spirit of keen intellectual inquiry to the secondary program. She works on conservation projects in her spare time, including working with leatherback sea turtles, gopher tortoises, and wetlands water quality monitoring.
ASHTON ROAD
CAMPUS
Age 12 months to Grade 6
5237 Ashton Road,
Sarasota, FL 34233
Ph 941-922-4949
Fax 941-922-7660
LAKEWOOD RANCH
CAMPUS
Grades 7-12
5481 Communications Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34240
Ph 941-222-0763
Fax 941-922-7660
GLOBAL
CAMPUS
Grades 7-12
Students attend at home,
from all around the world
Ph 941-222-0763
Fax 941-922-7660