From the President of the Board of Trustees

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dear Center Community,

With the 2018-19 school year behind us, the Board of Trustees is pleased to report that The Center is well-poised for the future. We have a strong financial position, we are on the verge of having a revitalized campus, and we have an enduring culture rooted in a diverse, inclusive and developmentally-focused learning environment for children.

As you may know, the Board works with Mark Brooks to support the school’s mission and to ensure the long-term sustainability of The Center, and we are fortunate to have such an outstanding group of talented and committed Trustees. I have deep respect and admiration for each and every one of them, and we collectively benefit from their oversight and steady hand.

Our school continues to prosper from its strong financial health. Since tuition alone does not cover the operating costs of the school, we thank you for your ongoing generosity to the Annual Fund and in support of the Gala, both of which enable us to attract worldclass faculty and staff, to uphold our commitment to financial aid, to provide professional development opportunities for our accomplished teachers and staff, and to create educational enrichment programs for the students.

Our campus enhancement project is elevating our physical facilities to match the outstanding level of our academic program. We proudly share that the construction remains on time, and we commend the school, our construction advisors, and the construction company for their ongoing diligence, disciplined management, and tireless efforts.

Most people who have lived through construction at their home or in their neighborhood talk about the evolution they have experienced. At first, the inconvenience is jarring, and one feels that life has been upended. Then, one confronts the chaos head-on, makes some logistical shifts, and daily life greatly improves. Finally, when construction is in the rear-view mirror, one can barely remember how tough it was along the way.

I don’t know if our community will lose its cognitive memory of living through construction, but, last year, we made some helpful adjustments and weathered gracefully while living through a campus in transition. For instance, the stunning “GALANTIS hallway” transformed a bleak, utilitarian passageway into a soothing underwater oasis gleaming with marine life and glowing with phosphorescent colors.

Now, the end of construction is in view. We are already seeing students exploring new classrooms and specialist areas in the new building; young children are enjoying the protective space of the Toddler Center; and, with fresh air and sunlight flowing where Building B once stood, we can already see the promise of the soon-to-be-finished expansive field.

The new spaces have already been helping to invite parents, grandparents, friends, and alumni back to campus more regularly. Additionally, from hosting events to supporting classroom activities to serving on committees, we can consistently rely on our community’s active involvement. Our school and the children benefit from your efforts, and it’s greatly appreciated.

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As is the case every year, we have recently welcomed new families, administrators, and teachers. We look forward to getting to know them better. After all, no matter how wonderful our campus is, it’s the people who make our community so special. With this sentiment in mind, we already miss last year’s sixth grade class and the many families who graduated along with them. We had another strong year of secondary school placement which is a testament to our impressive hard-working students, the guidance and support of our outstanding teachers, and the value of a Center education.

As a Board, we take pride in supporting our school’s core values and our culture. The Center encourages us to celebrate differences, to graciously support others who need a hand or a friendly smile, and to see the inherent goodness of other people. Most importantly, The Center believes in the enduring capacity for children to become joyful lifelong learners and thoughtful world citizens.

For these reasons and more, we are fortunate that The Center for Early Education has brought us together and united us with a common purpose.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you for your continued commitment to our school and community.

Respectfully yours,

David Messinger President of the Board of Trustees

From left to right: Alexandra Misczynski, Mark Siegel, Veronica Cajigas, John Bracker, Kawanna Brown, Jenny Louie, Jack Angelo, Jennifer Tolbert, Tom Staggs, Denise Barta, David Messinger, Mark Brooks, Dennis Gies, Amy Flemming, Eric Esrailian, Mai Lassiter, Holly Gores, Matt Kline, Brian Potiker, Viveca Paulin-Ferrell, Charles Nelson, Michael Guerin, Marcus Lollie. Not pictured: Betzàbe Gonzàlez, Damien Granderson, Bobby Kotick, Charles Stringer, Robert Tuttle, Sunny Whang

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