Our History

In 1966, in Southern California, Florence and Chuck Monson opened Carden Country Day, a small preschool dedicated to offer a balance between strong academics, manners, and what she called, "the niceties of life." These were the things that she, as a parent, wanted for her children. Her idea caught on.

The original preschool soon grew to include the elementary grades, and by the late 1980's, the original eight classroom facility located in Fullerton had seen its best years. The complete campus, including the school building, parking lot, playground and swimming pool were located on a one half acre plot in what was, in 1966, a comfortable suburban neighborhood. As the years passed, that neighborhood declined and where college students once lived and studied, gangs now proliferate. In 1992, not ready to face the rigors of continuing growth and a major move, Mr. Monson retired and sold Carden Country Day to his daughter Phyllis and son-in-law Greg Cygan. Three years later, the school was relocated into a wholly remodeled former banking complex in Yorba Linda. The school’s name was changed to Heritage Oak Private Education to reflect the new ownership, new vitality, and increase in scope as the school expanded.

The new Heritage Oak facility features over thirty classrooms, a new gymnasium, theatre, kitchen, dedicated art studio, band room, library/videoconferencing center, technology lab, two college level science labs, on-campus swimming pool for summer camp, two playgrounds, two turf grass fields, and a two story rock-climbing wall.

Back in 1999, Heritage Oak was a pioneer in the 1 to 1 utilization of technology via personal laptop computers in its middle school program. For the past 9 years, Heritage Oak middle school student and staff have been able to use technology integrated into their daily lives.

"Heritage Oak taught me self-confidence and to always try my best" wrote 1995 graduate Anika Dewan. "I have learned to be responsible, to do the right thing, and how to solve my own problems the best I can. I have been placed in Honors classes and the International Baccalaureate program at my high school, and feel that with what I learned at Heritage Oak I can now succeed not only in school, but in life."