The Vanguard School: Somewhere to Believe In

L. Shannon Graves comes from a boarding school background. It makes up his entire educational career of 30 years. From St. Petersburg to Hawaii, he’s worked for military and traditional boarding schools. He believes in them. And that belief is ever present as he speaks about the Vanguard School. “It’s a place where kids feel comfortable. Our faculty and staff are on campus. Our residential staff is on campus. Our coaches are on campus. And the students develop a real sense of belonging.”

Vanguard, a day and boarding school for grades 6th-12th, is a “hidden crown jewel” many may not be familiar with, in Lake Wales, FL. Graves, the Head of School, wants to uncover this treasure. Graves is proud of the precious trove, its gleaming students and staff, its gorgeous campus and activities, its academic achievements, and its prized community built on care and intention.

It’s because it’s small: The school has an enrollment of up to 120. It’s because the teaching is individualized: The middle school class sizes are an average of five students, and the high school classes are an average of seven. It’s because it’s inclusive: Vanguard is all about the strength of the interpersonal connections of everyone on campus. It’s also because six years ago, Graves walked in as the father of a Vanguard student and head of school simultaneously. There’s a greater investment in a mission when it’s a proven benefit to your life. Graves has been invested for the last six years. And every year has proven to be better or as great as the last.

“In today’s world, it’s very important to have options for families. More and more students are being diagnosed with learning differences … ADHD … anxiety and so forth, so what we offer is a small, individualized, learning structure that can help,” explains Graves. Families deserve choices when considering where their child can be well-adjusted and thrive. Graves wants for others what he and his wife have seen play out for his son, Koa, who has ADHD and had academic struggles before coming to Vanguard. “The reason I came here was my own son. My junior now, who started [here] in sixth grade, is taking college classes, playing three sports, and is a 5-day border. It’s been a tremendous experience for my wife and I to watch our son’s growth and development.” Koa Graves is but one story of how the accommodations of Vanguard assist in improving and in some cases, eliminating the academic problems of its students.

As a parent, Graves notes the empathetic and generous attitudes of the adults at Vanguard. They are people the kids can genuinely trust. Where most kids appreciate their teachers long after they’ve left the classroom, Graves says his students appreciate their teachers in the present. When 80% of the school spends 100% of their time together, when everyone tries to impart kindness, concern, and attentiveness, naturally, this environment will influence positive maturation. As the head of school, Graves lauds the culture the students create and their overall social growth that happens when one is in a place where they feel free to step out of their comfort zones and away from their apprehensions.

As both president and parent, Graves recognizes the combination of comfort and connection creates a prime academic space for students. While Vanguard specializes in supporting students with varied learning abilities, that is not a requirement to attend. In fact, the value of the school is in the many different ways they are able to service students. Specialized schools are not always for specialized learning challenges. Sometimes a student needs a smaller group setting, less pressure, or the chance to have their teacher sit at their desk to detail a subject to them in the middle of class without being made a spectacle or a distraction. Sometimes a kid just needs to feel accepted. “In so many places--and it’s not a negative thing, but you hang out with people with like interests, and so you have the football team sitting here, the band sitting here, the theater kids sitting here, the computer kids sitting here … well, we’re such a small place that we’re all those things. And we live with each other,” says Graves.

Home to students from 15 states and 15 countries, Vanguard boasts as a multilayered place of diversity. “Our students have a great appreciation for all different cultures and all different people and that’s pretty fabulous to bring into one community. We have kids from all over and because of the relationships, the students from other countries--on smaller breaks (Thanksgiving and Spring Break), stay with families in the states and specifically in Florida. And some of the kids from the states [will] travel and spend three weeks over in Europe, Asia, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Germany … and different places. It’s not only important to appreciate where we live locally but understanding the bigger [world] of people, religion, and customs.”

When describing the 12-month day and night operation of Vanguard, Graves’ upbeat demeanor takes on another level of energy. He discusses the many school activities, the off-campus errands and adventures with gleeful esteem, “It’s really special … the boarding component of our school. Our teachers are with our kids 24/7, not just 7-3 … a lot of things happen at home from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. Well, that home is here. And when you’re baking cookies at night or playing cards or playing with a teacher’s kid, or running to Walmart to buy a tie for formal lunch tomorrow … it’s a different relationship.” The boarding school part of Vanguard is a large hook for the institution according to Graves. “[The students are] learning independence and growing up. They’re learning how to live with a roommate before they’re forced to go to college and figure that out. They learn how to get up on their own, brush their teeth, and go to bed.” Graves adds he enjoys seeing confidence emerge from the students as they experience all that is Vanguard. He details how it often comes as a surprise to the families of the children. But not to him … because he always believed.

THE VANGUARD SCHOOL

22000 US Highway 27, Lake Wales

863-676-6091

vanguardschool.org

Photos Provided