11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 13
In 2007, the New York State Board of Regents allotted an additional 100 charter schools. The application
deadline for new charters was July 2008. To plan for this, we hit the ground running and worked diligently in
2007, reaching out to contacts to build connections and get support.
When Gil and I formed our vision for Evergreen, we wanted to incorporate our connected values from our
families and life experiences. We envisioned Evergreen as a school to educate the head, heart and hand.
Evergreen would be a school that provided a rigorous academic experience as well as an environment where
children could be enriched and learn how to develop into citizens of the world that respect each other, respect
the world’s resources and learn about the importance of strong values and service, elements that are also
fundamental to education. Evergreen would be an environment where children felt welcomed and supported
and where arts, knowledge of another language and learning about the earth’s resources would be central to
education.
We created Evergreen’s pledge out of our values, making a statement about the web of life and how we are all
interconnected. Decisions were purposeful. We wanted students to understand that their actions had impact
and that we can make a difference.
In 2008, we created an advisory board to serve as a sounding board for our ideas and to provide a forum for
ideas and concept development that included David Boone, Maritza Meyers, Luis Ras, Eliezer Reyes, Gladys
Rodríguez, Rebecca Sanin, Ariel Sotelo and Gerry Vázquez.
Some of these individuals later became Evergreen’s Founding Board that included David Boone, Rebecca
Sanin, James Mullin, Gladys Rodriguez, Luis Ras, Ariel Sotelo, Yvonne Mowatt, Sarah Brewster and Gil
Bernardino.
Círculo de la Hispanidad’s own board and staff supported the dream for Evergreen and helped us in large and
small ways as we prepared our application for submission. Without Círculo de la Hispanidad we would
not have Evergreen.
Sy Fliegel, Harvey Newman, Frank San Felice and Linda Vergara also consulted on our application and
provided support. Finally, families and children themselves supported the project and signed registration
letters of intent showing interest in Evergreen.
After a long struggle, on January 13, 2009, we achieved the dream of establishing Evergreen Charter
School. You can read our history in the following pages.
I am inspired to keep living the dream of Evergreen. I am grateful to the Board, administrators, staff, parents
and students that have worked hard to sustain this dream and keep it growing. Our Business Office, under the
leadership of its current director, has had positive audits every single year. Our administrators and staff have
helped our students achieve. The collaboration of all has helped Evergreen to grow.
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