The tradition of The Good Shepherd Day School has been one of excellence and strength since its inception in 1963. The school was established to meet the needs of working parents with preschool age children. The school had its beginnings as the Bay View School, established by Lynn Hartnagel and Muriel Goddard, parishioners of The Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda, Florida.

In 1973 the school moved into The Church of the Good Shepherd's new facility on the corner of Shreve and Henry Streets. The school continues to grow and thrive at this location. For the past 42 years, The Good Shepherd Day School has served the needs of the Punta Gorda community. It currently offers an outstanding early childhood program for ninety children and their families. The preschool program was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in 1999 and was reaccredited in December of 2003. In the year 2000 the school added kindergarten; first grade was added in 2001. 2002 saw the beginning of second and third grade classes, and fourth grade was added in 2003 fifth and sixth were added in 2004, 7th will be added in 2005.

During the past five years the Good Shepherd families have expressed a desire for an expanded program that would offer a traditional, faith based, independent, college preparatory educational experience for their children.

Based on the parents' request, the Vestry of The Church of the Good Shepherd was approached in February of 1998 to explore the feasibility of establishing this type of school. The Vestry requested the establishment of a Strategic Planning Team to†develop a Strategic Plan and a Facility Master Plan for the school's expansion. The Strategic Plan was completed in 1999, the Facility Master Plan in 2000.

The Strategic Team began by evaluating the strengths of the school's program. They quickly realized that the foundations for the school's expansion were well established in the preschool program. The question then became, "What are the most substantive changes needed to establish a school that will best prepare its students for life in the new century?" They quickly realized that they wanted the school to be far more than a building to which students come to learn necessary information.

Through their discussions the families reaffirmed their common need to have a school that stresses the importance of preparing students to become well adjusted, productive citizens who can successfully adapt to the rapidly changing conditions of our global society. It was equally important that children leave the school with an intrinsic set of values that give them an ethical framework for life.

The Strategic Team decided that the most effective way for the school to prepare for future growth was to reflect on its past and examine its philosophy, to formulate policy goals, and to develop a plan for implementation. After forty years as an Episcopal, independent school, The Good Shepherd Day School has demonstrated its commitment to quality education and Christian values. As the result of innumerable hours of gathering data from the school's community, the team chose to reaffirm the core values stated in our philosophy. They also realized that to expandand grow the school must adapt to what is new and valuable. The focus then became the ability to enlarge the program and facility without losing the essence. The school believes that the Strategic Plan, the Facility Master Plan, and Vision Statement reflect the focus of the Good Shepherd Day School and serves as a guide and blueprint for future growth.

Original Good Shepherd Church