Natalie's birthday fundraiser for SunGate

My beautiful friends,

For my 54th birthday this year I would LOVE to raise $1333 to donate to my child's microschool. Orion is 9 years old and we are in the most wonderful environment for him. I am so touched, over and over, by how incredible this place is. The teachers are teachers with whom people come from far and wide to study.

SunGate will work with all families regardless of financial circumstances. They also work with children who are neuroemergent and on "the spectrum."

Here is what I wrote about SunGate in a letter this year....

“How is Orion liking school?” my relative asks me over Thanksgiving dinner. Warmth spreads over me as I decide how to answer. Shall I tell of the stellar and soul-full teachers? Would I want to talk about the mile-long outdoor hike that begins each day? How about the fact that our child came home and insisted on making a centerpiece in the middle of our dinner table and then leading us in a blessing over the meal? I end up smiling and responding with the following phrase, “We have landed in exactly the right spot for our child with SunGate.” I tell the relative how much ease and peace we feel knowing that he is in a place that can hold all parts of him with such reverence and love. This knowing allows him to feel more serenity and that translates into how we are feeling too.

SunGate Educational Community is a special place. So many families have seen the fruits of the Waldorf-inspired education through this community. Parents share stories such as “I love the program! From the homemade organic lunch every day, to learning life skills (like cooking and gardening to name a few)…” and “the positive social interactions my children experience at school have contributed to their ability to navigate social situations outside school more effectively.”

I continue to be so moved by the fact that we have landed here.