Vanguard School (Florida)

In 1960 Dr. Milton Brutten, an expert in dyslexia, led the way in education for students who learn differently when he partnered with Dr. Henry Evans, and founded The Vanguard School in suburban Philadelphia. The private school was one of the first in the country to identify and serve children with learning disabilities.

Elinor "Ellie" Carnill-Steinhilber (1924-2018) and her husband William "Bill" Carnill II (d. 1989) and friends founded The Vanguard School in Lake Wales, FL. Ms. Carnill and Bill had a home at Mt. Lake in Lake Wales, FL, as well as in Chadds Ford, PA. Ms. Carnill-Steinhilber was a First Grade teacher. One of her children attended the day program at The Vanguard School in Pennsylvania. Wanting to live in Florida full time, Ellie and Bill moved with their two children to Mt Lake in Lake Wales, Florida in 1958. While "living in Mt Lake, Bill and Ellie sought to share their good fortune in founding The Vanguard School (1966). It was their wish that caring friends and family would contribute to The Vanguard School."[1] By 1966, The Vanguard School Residential Program expanded to Lake Wales, Florida with six students at Bon Aire Lodge on Lake Pierce.

From 1968-69 The Vanguard School acquired 75 acres of property on US Highway 27 in Lake Wales, and began the initial construction of the Upper School and other amenities. By 1971, the campus was consolidated to the Highway 27 location where it currently is today.

In 1975, The Vanguard School was accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The Vanguard School of Lake Wales, Florida was incorporated as an Independent Florida Non-Profit Organization, and was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by 1983.

In 2004, the school sustained a direct hit from three hurricanes within a span of six weeks. From 2006-10, dormitories, classrooms, the dining hall, and administration building were overhauled during campus-wide renovations. That year, the class of 2010 was the largest in the history of Vanguard, with a total of 42 graduating seniors.

The Vanguard School later built a Performing Arts Center and began a campus-wide beautification project in 2016. State-of-the-art security was implemented in 2016 as well.[2]

Vanguard School is a private education facility for children with neurologically based learning differences. Those differences include: ADHD, ADD, High Functioning Autism (Asperger's), Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. [3] The Vanguard School is not a therapeutic school. Vanguard provides individualized and differentiated instruction for each student. Differentiation of instruction is accomplished by identifying the performance levels of each student within the construct of curriculum standards for each class.

The premise is all lessons begin at the student’s instructional level and move toward mastery of the standards by utilizing specific teaching strategies that will foster student growth and achievement in relation to the required competencies.

Concurrently, differentiation of instruction and accommodations within each class are observed where one student may be asked to perform an assignment or task that requires comprehension with teacher prompts with a mastery of 80%, while another student is asked to perform an assignment that requires analysis of given information independently with a mastery of 90%. This process is successful when instructors understand the needs of each student. The Vanguard School uses medical and psychological information provided by licensed practitioners through parents to identify appropriate accommodations. Vanguard's faculty employs many different strategies to accommodate students in the areas of presentation of material, (how the student will access information); response (how the student will demonstrate competence of instructional material); setting (where the student will be instructed and assessed); and scheduling (time needed to instruct, respond and for assessment/testing).

Incoming students are assessed to identify their reading level. Classes are designed to improve reading fluency through decoding skills, and development of automaticity with respect to the sound-symbol relationships. Once students become more fluent readers, the focus shifts to comprehension strategies specifically designed for students with reading disorders.

Language development, technology use, self-management, executive functioning, and social and emotional regulation are supported and addressed as "teachable moments" within The Vanguard School's academic programs. The school also provides assistance with students who struggle with language. There is a Social Skills Communication class available and is taught by a part-time Speech and Language Pathologist.

During a student's time at The Vanguard School, they are assigned both an academic and residential mentor. Student mentors are direct points of contact for parents. Mentors also provide structure and accountability for students. In each grade, there is an individualized plan for each student so that they are getting the attention needed to facilitate their learning difference(s). Upon entering their senior year (12th grade) at The Vanguard School, each student must have a complete Transition Plan in place. A Transition Plan is for when the student leaves The Vanguard School's campus upon graduation. This plan is formed with the principal, College and Career Adviser, the student's mentor(s), and parents. Once this Transition Plan is implemented then the student attends their Transition Plan meeting. This is to ensure that each and every student has a goal upon graduation, whether it is going to college, technical school, military, a residential program, or the workforce.

There are different levels of boarding. There are day students who live off-campus with their families but commute to the campus for classes. Day Student Tuition is $25,500. Five Day Boarders live on campus during the week but live off-campus during the weekend. Five Day Tuition is $43,000. Then there are full-time boarding students. These students live on campus seven days a week. Boarding Student Tuition is $49,000.

There are four dormitories: West Hall, Boyd Hall, Berry Hall, and Sabbagh. The dormitories are separated into female and male. West and Berry Hall are the boy dorms and Sabbagh and Boyd are the girls' dorms. The dorms are on opposite sides of the Vanguard campus. The residential staff provides around-the-clock supervision in accordance with student age and social maturity. Students participate in a variety of diverse cultural and social events in a regulated environment.

The Vanguard School sits on a 77-acre campus with four dorms, three school buildings, a student center, cafeteria, gym, fitness center, performing arts center, and infirmary with medical staff. There is lake access, private counseling rooms, and a sensory calming room.

• Remodeled Boys' Dormitories
• Upgraded Swimming Pool
• Gymnasium
• Outdoor Basketball Court
• Sand Volleyball Court
• Tennis Courts
• Fitness Center
• Performing Arts Center
• Indoor Theater
• Student Center
• Campus Therapy Animal
• Lake Access for Canoeing and Fishing
• Soccer Field
• Track for Walking/Jogging/Biking

The Vanguard School offers students a wide range of after-school clubs, trips, sports, and activities. Student leadership and community involvement is offered through a variety of community service clubs and activities. Clubs and activities are changed periodically so that students may give input into new interests and ideas.

• Fitness
• Gamers' Club
• Cooking Club
• Creating Leaders Program
• Open Gym Time
• Card and Board Games
• Intramural Chess
• Intramural Sports
• Art and Theater Club
• Community Service Opportunities
• Tennis
• Adopt-A-Grandparent

The Vanguard School is a Division 2A School and a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association. They offer a variety of competitive and intramural sports. Athletes are able to participate in state-sanctioned competitions against area private and public schools. Intramural sports offer another structured avenue for the enjoyment of athletics. Games and tournaments are scheduled throughout the year and are open to all residential and day students. Offered sports are:

• Tennis
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Golf
• Swimming
• Track and Field
• Cross Country
• Weightlifting
• Volleyball
• Archery

The Vanguard School also offers the following:

• Partnerships with Local Colleges and Technical Schools for Dual-Enrollment and Post-Secondary Options
• College and Career Preparation
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Speech Pathologist, and After-Hours Tutors
• Health Services, Nursing Staff and Support, and Medication Management.

• Official web site
• Florida Council of Independent Schools Fact Sheet on Vanguard
• The Association of Boarding Schools Fact Sheet for The Vanguard School
• International Registry for Accreditation Fact Sheet for The Vanguard School
• Vanguard History
• http://www.greatschools.org/florida/lake-wales/3326-The-Vanguard-School/