Boarding Schools for Girls

According to an Oct. 8 article by Lisa Newell of Florida's Gulf Breeze News, a day program on the campus of Florida's Pensacola Junior College is having success in the effort to help struggling girls turn their lives around:

The PACE program is housed on campus at Pensacola Junior College, where the 53 girls attend classes daily from 7:30 to 2 p.m. Eligible girls range from 11 years old, or sixth graders, to 18 years old. Many problems are identified as early as middle school, and the PACE program seeks to intervene before problems get out of control.

One girl who is enrolled in the program told the board that before attending the PACE Center, her school days were punctuated with fights and she didn't understand the importance of attending school. Her grades were all F's and she got a referral to the dean's office every day.

After six months enrolled in the PACE program, her attitude turned around completely. She was the student of the month with a 3.7 grade point average.

"I am constantly inspired by staff and students," program volunteer Brenda Vigodsky told Newell. "The staff truly cares about each and every girl's future. Because of this support, the girls begin to believe in themselves, acquire confidence and begin the journey to become contributing members of society."

Labels: florida, day school

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Current and former students, administrators and their guests gathered in Baltimore's St. Paul's School for Girls recently to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary. A Sept. 17 article by Jacques Kelly of the Baltimore Sun provided the following details:

St. Paul's School for Girls opened on Sept. 16, 1959, with 89 girls who studied in a building that resembled a "little L-shaped ranch house. ...Today, the school in Brooklandville has 440 girls and 100 teachers and staff. Its facilities include state-of-the-art science labs, a cafe and an artificial turf field.

But one thing hasn't changed.

"The school has the same warm feeling it did on the opening day in 1959," said Karen Yeagle, a Lutherville resident who was one of several alumnae who spoke Wednesday at an assembly celebrating the school's 50th anniversary. ...

"I truly did not believe that I would graduate from high school before I came to St. Paul's," said 1964 graduate Hope Smith Pollard. "I had been to so many other schools. Finally, my father said, 'Here is a new one.' I had a wonderful first year, full of wisdom. My self-esteem was restored."

According to the school's website, St. Paul's School for Girls is an independent day school that was established to "educate the minds and hearts of girls in a supportive and intellectually challenging community that encourages respect, integrity, creativity, and spiritual growth."

Labels: girls, day school, celebration

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