High Meadows School Educational Adventures, Inside and Out

By Donna Neale and Everett Catts

When prospective students and their parents visit Roswell’s High Meadows School, they won’t see as many textbooks as they might expect.

What they will see is a variety of farm animals, including ponies, rabbits, goats, chickens and sheep. They’ll also see an archery range, a large barn converted into a theater and lots of rolling grassland across the 42-acre campus. That’s because the outdoors plays a large part in the school’s curriculum.

“We are an International Baccalaureate World School, but the … curriculum is centered around major thematic units of inquiry,” says Laura Nicholson, the school’s director of enrollment and advancement. “So, it’s very cross-disciplinary in its approach. For example, our second- and third-graders recently did a six-week study on DNA. In a traditional school, a class might study chapters and answer questions in a book, but in a High Meadows class, we’re hands-on.”

High Meadows is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School, guiding students from pre-K through fifth grade through its renowned Primary Years Programme. Classrooms are focused on experiential learning, both inside and outside of physical buildings, giving students unique opportunities to investigate the natural intersection of academics and environment.

The school’s commitment to progressive education is reflected throughout the curriculum. “We are a different kind of private school,” Nicholson says. “There’s a lot of emphasis on connecting to nature, spending time outdoors, learning through experience, and inquirydriving learning as opposed to a traditional school where you spend a lot of time at a desk.”

Low teacher-to-student ratios, highly qualified teachers in every class, and a multiage learning approach maximize critical thinking within a close-knit learning community.

Middle school students are immersed in a program that is both rigorous and engaging. They are encouraged to take risks, broaden their interests, and think deeply about their experiences. Emphasis is placed on the authentic learning and reflection that fosters a greater selfawareness and a commitment to their role in the world around them. Students are empowered to take responsibility for their education, setting the stage for excellence in high school and beyond.

High Meadows, which opened in 1973, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special weekend of events in November but is marking the milestone all year long. Nicholson says the school has invited its alumni and former staff members to the November events, and all four co-founders are expected to attend.

“I think High Meadows has stayed really true to a lot of the same values and principles it was founded on in the ’70s,” she added, noting the school is proud to celebrate remaining “mission driven” today.

Through its lively campus and robust programs, High Meadows offers a focused environment for transforming authentic learning into an adventure and forging exemplary education from child’s play. N

The Specifics

Grades: Age 3 years through 8th grade

Student/Teacher Ratio: Average is 15 to 1 (lower in Pre-K)

Tuition: $8,000 to $23,000 (need-based financial aid available)

Location: Roswell

Contact: 1055 Willeo Rd., Roswell, GA 30075 770-993-2940

Web: highmeadows.org