By Sara Bridget Au

One hundred years is a long time to be doing anything, but when it comes to teaching our youth, it’s an achievement of epic proportions. Page Private Schools, one of which is located in East Orlando, is marking their centennial anniversary this month, celebrating with a party for students, parents, alumni and staff, as well as a weeklong tribute as a lesson, of sorts, on the school’s history.

Earle Vaughn founded Page Private School in 1908 in Los Angeles, California. It was originally a boy’s military academy and enrollment grew at a rapid rate. “In 1959, the boarding school became two-day school campuses, one continued to be an all boy’s school; the other was co-educational, as the youngest child of Earle and Edith Vaughan, a girl, needed a place to attend school! Or at least that’s the family folklore,” says Charaline Luna, EdD, superintendent of the schools and a 4^th generation descendent of Earle Vaughn.

Today, there are seven campuses of Page, four in Southern California and two here in Central Florida (University Park near UCF and Seminole Town Center in Sanford). All are now co-educational day schools taking children starting at age two and through either 6^th of 8^th grade. The East Orlando campus serves 425 students this year, ages 2 through grade 8, and it’s elementary and middle school classes have an average teacher-to-child ratio of 1:20.

Patricia Klindworth, director of the University Park Page School, says the school has endured a century because of the strong leadership by the Vaughn/Gibbs family and the family each school creates for itself, “I believe in the community we form among our parents, students and our staff, where we provide a safe, nurturing environment with strong academics for the children.”

“Yes, there have been changes in our society over the past 100 years; however, our core values have not changed,” states Dr. Luna. “At the core of the Page Private School’s philosophy is our motto: “Growth With Honor” which encompasses everything we do and want for our children, from the curricula to character development to physical education, fine arts, foreign language, and even the introduction of computer education.”

“Page has always been a phonics-based school. Even when other strategies came forward to teach reading, we continued embracing the phonic method and grammar, but added the wonderful literature that became available, ~ the students have/had the best of both worlds.”

Klindworth explains they review different opportunities of curriculum every five years and update as needed. “We serve children’s needs on an individualized basis, and for reading and math we group children within their class by their academic abilities, which helps them to learn.”

Page University Park was voted Best Private K-8th School in Orlando Magazine in 2002 and 2007, among other honors for the school, students and educators. The school is hosting a private Birthday Bash in mid-January for students, parents and alumni. Food, games and a trip down Memory Lane are among the activities they will enjoy at the celebration. Klindworth recalls a recent discussion with a former graduate who still keeps in touch with a group of about 50 classmates, sharing fond memories of the school. “That bonding is very special to stay in contact with students when they were here so long ago,” she says.