Isabelle joined the Toddler Community in the spring of 2021. She is currently completing her IMC Montessori Infant-Toddler training. A former NewGate student, she brings over a decade of childcare experience as well as a lifelong love and respect for Montessori practices to the teaching team. She earned her Bachelor’s 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. Outside of school, she can often be found reading, road-tripping and adventuring with her dog, Moxie.

Jenni holds a B.A. in Print Journalism and Photography from the University of Kentucky. She completed her Montessori Infant-Toddler (0-3) training with the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in North Carolina and earned her Master’s in Education with a specialization in Montessori from Xavier University. Her Master’s research focused on the complementary practices of Montessori and Magda Gerber’s RIE techniques and the ways that respectful, responsive caregiving can facilitate a positive learning environment for infants and toddlers.

This will be her 3rd year at NewGate and her sixth year in the classroom. Jenni lives in Arcadia with her son, Finn, who also attends NewGate. She and her family run a nonprofit farm animal sanctuary on their five acres and share their lives and most of their free time with dogs, goats, pigs, chickens, cows, a cat, and a duck.

Tanya Marie has over 20 years of experience working with infants and toddlers. She has worked with parent communities, giving support and informative workshops focused on growing infants and toddlers.

Kat graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2002. She received her Montessori Early Childhood certification from the American Montessori Society while teaching at NewGate from 2002-2009. She also spent eight years teaching at Island Village Montessori.

Kat is excited to be at NewGate where she believes she can focus on the beauty and philosophy of Montessori. She shares that she has always felt that NewGate is her second family.

When Kat is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, family, and her cat. Other activities include running, yoga, CrossFit, spinning, swimming, and dancing. She has a passion for vintage clothes and enjoys crafting.

Alexandra (Alex) joined NewGate during the summer of 2019. She fell in love with the Montessori Method when her daughter Juliette attended a Montessori primary classroom. Alex has been teaching in the early learning environment in public and private schools since 2007, upon graduating from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Alex also has an Early Childhood Montessori Credential from MACTE/Montessori Live and a diploma from the North American Montessori Center.

She is originally from Lima, Peru and is excited to implement the Spanish language in the learning environment. She is married and has three children, Linda, Juliette, and Thomas, and enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with her family and considers herself a ‘foodie.’ Her daughters will be joining us at NewGate.

Jennie Caskey is a seasoned Upper Elementary Guide at NewGate School. With a decade of experience at NewGate, she holds an IMC Elementary Montessori Teaching Certification under MACTE accreditation in addition to her B.A. in Liberal Arts (Psychology) from New College of Florida. Jennie’s diverse background in music, performing arts, sciences, and education has shaped her approach to teaching, and she artfully integrates the arts and sciences into her lessons. She has a knack for inspiring creativity and turning moments of inspiration into action. When not guiding young minds, you can find Jennie strumming her ukulele, reading, or engaging in philosophical discussions in the garden.

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.

This is Nora’s 3rd year at NewGate. An educator for the last twenty-nine years, she is currently pursuing her IMC Elementary Teaching Credential through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies and a master’s in Montessori Leadership though the TIES Program at Endicott College. Nora’s education includes a B.A. from Emory University in English and Educational Studies, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Language and Literacy. Nora started her Montessori journey fourteen years ago at The Montessori School in Chattanooga, TN where she began as a mom and worked as an administrator for her last nine years. Nora enjoys spending time with her husband and three children (two of whom are also at NewGate), as well as hiking, biking, and reading.

Casey is thrilled to be joining the team at the NewGate Ashton campus; he is passionate about the Montessori method and alumni from one of the oldest Montessori schools in the country, Whitby School. Casey will be joining Ms. Nora as a guide and working with students and faculty to develop the beautiful grounds on the Ashton campus as he is passionate about sustainable living and agriculture. Casey has a BA in Liberal Arts from Eugene Lang College in New York City, and a post-graduate certificate & MA in international education from Keele University in Staffordshire, England. Cha–Casey’s son–will be joining the NewGate community as well on the upper campus; his wife Nan is an international educator and librarian, the entire family have invested their lives in education and believe strongly that we have to be the change we want to see in the world. Casey is passionate about the outdoors, dancing, snowboarding, trail running, open water swimming, cycling, hiking, multisport, and spending time traveling with his family. He is happy to return to the United States after living abroad and teaching in northern Thailand for nearly 20 years. 

Holly joined NewGate in October 2022. Holly holds a Bachelor of Music from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin. She earned her Montessori elementary teaching credential from the Center of Guided Studies, a MACTE accredited Montessori teacher training program. Prior to coming to NewGate, Holly had various roles starting in 2010 and culminating in a lead teaching position in 2014 at the Meadow Montessori School in Monroe, Michigan. Holly enjoys spending time with her daughter Lucy, who joined NewGate as a junior. 

This is Jeff’s 12th year at NewGate and his 25th year in education. In addition to his Montessori experience, Jeff has taught English, history, math, and maritime studies in both private and public schools. At NewGate, Jeff teaches History and the Humanities. He holds a B.A. in History and English from Tufts University and his M.A. in Teaching from Simmons College.

Jeff studied Secondary Montessori teacher education at the AMI affiliated North American Montessori Teachers’ Association Montessori Orientation for Adolescent Studies at Hiram College. He is also an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Instructor. Jeff is currently completing the IMC Secondary Montessori Teacher Education Program. His interests include sailing, bicycling, woodworking, and spending time with his family. Jeff has a son who graduated from NewGate and is now at the University of Florida and a daughter in the Secondary program and loves spending time with his family.

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!

Anthony joined New Gate 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 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.

Katie joins New Gate in 2021 with 11 years of Spanish teaching experience in the private school realm. She first discovered her love of world languages as a middle school student, which is one reason why she is really passionate about teaching middle school! Katie is no stranger to studying abroad. Much of her language learning is rooted in field experiences in Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Her experiential education coupled with her academic experiences at both Elon University (B.A. Spanish/International Studies) and Middlebury College (M.A. Spanish Literature) has deepened not only her understanding but also her appreciation for the Spanish language and the myriad of cultures that it represents. In the classroom, Katie is a big proponent of exposing her students to many resources and strategies, so that they can identify and utilize the ones that resonate with their learning style. In her free time, Katie enjoys hiking outside with her family and gardening.

Caitlin joined NewGate School in 2016. Caitlin teaches IB Art, and TOK (Theory of Knowledge), and guides students participating in creative and physical expression. She is a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communication. Caitlin received her Montessori teaching credential (3-6) from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, a MACTE accredited Montessori teacher training program. When she is not at NewGate, she can often be found going on adventures with her puppy, Oliver, and continuing her lifelong love of learning.

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!

Haley joined NewGate in August 2019. She is a skilled mathematician and science teacher. Haley graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in General Mathematics. Most of her core classes were based in topology and real analysis, and she hopes to be able to integrate that into her classes. In college, she enjoyed participating in quiz bowl as the team’s literature nerd. Haley received her Montessori secondary teaching credential from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, a MACTE accredited Montessori teacher training program in 2021. She loves classic literature and is always looking for a new book to read.

Isabela Sosa was born in Cali, Colombia where she grew up surrounded by a big family and a vibrant city filled with arts, culture, and strong community spirit. Isabela’s elementary and high school years were attended at an IB British school in Cali, Colombia, where her mom was a teacher for over 30 years, being a strong influence in Isabela’s life. After school, Isabela would help her mom with the after care program that took place in their house in the south of Cali, to the east of the western mountain range known as the “Farallones de Cali,” joining students and helping in culinary, ballet, art and sports.

After graduating high school, Isabela moved to Colombia’s capital, Bogota, to pursue a degree in Psychology with emphasis in neuropsychology where she worked with kids and the elderly doing neuropsychological evaluations and recommendations. She’s always been passionate about human behavior. In 2008 she completed a master’s in behavioral psychology, and in 2010 she moved to San Francisco, CA, where she completed a master’s in marketing. Prior to joining the NewGate family, Isabela worked in the consumer goods industry in Bogota and San Francisco before moving to Colombia to launch her own natural products company. In 2018, Isabela, along with her husband Neil and daughter Sophia, moved back to the USA from Colombia settling in Sarasota. Sarasota is, like to many of us, a special place for Isabela, and she has enjoyed being an active member in the community while welcoming her second daughter Emma to the family in 2019.

Isabela is a proud mother of 2 NewGate students, and during her free time she enjoys yoga, playing the guitar, and salsa dancing.

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.

Katie joins New Gate in 2021 with 11 years of Spanish teaching experience in the private school realm. She first discovered her love of world languages as a middle school student, which is one reason why she is really passionate about teaching middle school! Katie is no stranger to studying abroad. Much of her language learning is rooted in field experiences in Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Her experiential education coupled with her academic experiences at both Elon University (B.A. Spanish/International Studies) and Middlebury College (M.A. Spanish Literature) has deepened not only her understanding but also her appreciation for the Spanish language and the myriad of cultures that it represents. In the classroom, Katie is a big proponent of exposing her students to many resources and strategies, so that they can identify and utilize the ones that resonate with their learning style. In her free time, Katie enjoys hiking outside with her family and gardening.

Elizabeth joined the Global Team at NewGate in July 2021 excited to investigate how her experiences guiding and supporting Montessori adolescents would translate to the online learning format.  Since her first AMI training for children 3-6 years old (1997) and teaching for many years in Portland, OR she has resonated with the strong frequencies of respect, care for the environment, personal accountability, peace, and gratitude that permeate the Montessori prepared environments.  Further AMI training, for the elementary years 6 – 12 year olds (Bergamo, Italy, 2003), sparked her earnest desire to work with adolescents which has led her to cultivating a fifth adolescent community in Global.  Elizabeth is an avid journal keeper as well as being a lover of conversation and story. Long walks by the ocean and through the forests bring her great joy as does spending time with her daughter.

Amy has taught throughout the New Gate 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!