The Tire Swing, December 2016

Building a Strong Foundation for Success Beyond the Meadows

By Pat Wolf, Middle Years Principal

Children racing across the meadow, students working on a writing assignment at a picnic table, a teacher playing a math game with a small group, ponies grazing on the lower meadow--all of these scenes create a collage that speaks to us viscerally and evokes a sense of well-being. Somehow, both the natural and social environments of High Meadows communicate a powerful impression that what happens here must be good.

Yet, our rational "This isn't the real world" voice challenges us: "Can High Meadows students compete with those in more traditional school settings? Can they learn as much as those who are being tested and drilled every day? How will students adjust to the demands of high school and college? Will my child have the academic knowledge and skills to compete?"

Paradoxically, it is the High Meadows environment--our values and our practices--that provides students with the foundation and skills they need to succeed both in the classroom and in the "real world." Our graduates are accepted by the high schools of choice because other schools respect what a High Meadows student will bring to their academic community. Most graduates will enter Honors and AP classes. Our students receive awards and acknowledgments in a variety of high school settings for academics, athletics and service. Their desire for personal growth and excellence continues into the college years. As our students move on to college, they select environments that will foster the same values and suit their individual aspirations. Many attend large colleges and universities like University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, NYU or Michigan. Others choose liberal arts settings like Tulane, Duke, Williams, Reed or Rice.

Most importantly, our students do well in life. As Dr. Madeline Levine noted in her recent presentation at High Meadows:

"Our job is to help [children] know and appreciate themselves deeply, to be resilient in the faces of adversity, to approach the world with zest, to find work that is satisfying, friends and spouses who are loving and loyal, and to hold a deep belief that they have something meaningful to contribute to the world."

The voices that speak most eloquently to the power of High Meadows are our graduates who have moved into the workplace and who continue to demonstrate the qualities developed here. Please read on to see what a few of our graduates and their parents have to say about the value of their High Meadows education.

Alumni Experiences and Outcomes

All I Really Need to Know......I Learned at High Meadows

By Jennifer Armstrong, Class of 2005

Jennifer attended Pace Academy and Dartmouth College. She is currently an Investment Associate at Bridgewater Associates in Westport, Connecticut.

Then and Now: Jennifer in 8th Grade and Today

A famous book that always catches my eye is All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. That title almost perfectly captures my sentiment towards my middle school years at High Meadows. As a "grown up," working as an investment associate at a macro-economic hedge fund, I still believe that the lessons I learned at High Meadows have had more impact on my career and day-to-day life than the lessons I learned as an economics major in college.

At High Meadows, I discovered my unapologetic love of learning. At High Meadows, I found policy debate, an activity where I learned to think critically, speak passionately and embrace the power of my own voice. And at High Meadows, I met my best friend who more than a decade later continues to support, challenge and inspire me.

It's not just what I learned at High Meadows that has shaped who I am, but also how I learned at High Meadows. I learned trigonometry by measuring the heights of pine trees on the edge of the meadow. I learned ecology by building a life-sized coral reef ecosystem. I learned child psychology when my class partnered with the preschool to observe how young children learn through play. I learned about the ethics of artificial intelligence and medical enhancement when my English class read and debated the merits of Flowers for Algernon. I even learned how to balance a budget when I was the student government treasurer.

High Meadows was the first time in my life that I enjoyed going to school, and that passion for learning and exploring didn't go away when I graduated 8th grade. That passion followed me to high school, to college, and to my current job where I spend my days trying to untangle the puzzle of what drives the global economy.

Finding My Path to Success

By Michael Joosten, Class of 1997

Michael attended Pebble Brook Performing Arts Magnet School and Emerson College. Currently, Michael is an editor at Random House Childrens Books in New York.

Rarely a week goes by when a memory of High Meadows doesn't cross my mind. Considering I'm about to turn 34, that says an immense amount about the effect it has had on my life.

I attended High Meadows from fourth through eighth grade. During those years, it was apparent I had different interests than most kids. I had a love of film, theater, and music. You'd imagine a kid like that having difficulty finding their niche amongst peers that excelled at other diverse interests. However, each teacher saw my proclivity for performing and made sure that, though my talents were different than my peers, mine were still to be appreciated and cultivated. It's because of that support that I would go on to The Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School. It's because they provided a platform to cultivate my capabilities that allowed me to attend Emerson College in Boston and major in musical theater. It's because of their belief in me that I was able to work professionally in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago.

Eventually, I decided to plant roots in New York City. I had grown tired of constant auditioning, rehearsing, and traveling. The only thing I enjoyed as much as performing were picture books. The blending of art and text, to me, feels theatrical in nature, and I knew whatever I did after performing needed to be equally as creatively fulfilling for me.

I began my publishing career at Scholastic in 2007. Since fall of 2010, I've been at Random House and have had the privilege to work on classic properties like Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, and original projects with talent like Julianne Moore, Mariah Carey, and Danielle Steel (I haven't completely abandoned my affinity for showbiz)!

Having been championed by High Meadows and its incomparable educators, I learned that being unique wasn't something that would become a hindrance to my success--but something that would inform it--giving me the confidence to pursue my own path, all the while, beating my own drum.

High Meadows Shaped Who I Am

By Kathryn Romeyn, Class of 1998

Kathryn attended Roswell High School and then Northeastern University. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she works as a freelance travel and wellness writer.

Then and Now: Kathryn in 1st grade and Today

When I attended High Meadows School, between the ages of five and 14, I didn't know what I would be when I grew up. At the time I dreamed of being a professional ballet dancer, but where I've ended up is dramatically different, incredibly fulfilling, and in large part, thanks to the creative, one-of-a-kind education I received during my most impressionable years.

At college I figured out that I wanted to be a magazine editor. I graduated, moved to LA and spent years cutting my teeth in various editorial roles before I began exploring the world as a freelance travel writer two years ago (contributing to publications including AFAR, The Hollywood Reporter, Robb Report and Well + Good). Technically I learned to be a journalist at college and in the jobs I've held, but what I'm truly doing with my life traces back, very clearly, to High Meadows.

Those years shaped me more than any subsequent school. For one, they instilled in me a deep respect and love for Mother Nature. (I mean Earth, but I also adored our Environmental Education teacher Bunny Sheffield, aka "Mother Nature," and her hands-on, adventurous, into-the-woods-we-go approach to teaching science). Whether I'm riding a scooter around an Indonesian island, swerving to avoid cows or baby chicks in the road; talking compost on an organic farm in Cuba; or tracing the constellations in a starry Zambian sky, I always flash back to those indelible experiences and lessons.

Read the rest of Kathryn's story here.

Please join us for our Annual Alumni Night

Want to hear from High Meadows graduates? Please join us on Thursday, January 12, at 7:00 pm in the Community Center to hear from our alumni who are currently in high school and college. Our panel of graduates will share how they chose their schools, how they made the transition from High Meadows, and how High Meadows has impacted their lives.

Parents of Alumni Share Their Experiences

What's the Value of a High Meadows Education?

By Corey-Jan Albert, parent of Cameron Albert-Deitch (Class of 2007) and Maxxe Albert-Dietch (2013)

Cameron attended Padeia School and Northwestern University and currently works as an editor for Inc. Magazine in New York. Maxxe is a senior at Westminster Academy.

Cameron and Maxxe Albert-Deitch

"What's the value of a High Meadows education?" When anyone asks me that question, I know they want to hear about high school, college and life accomplishments, about scholarships, awards and achievements. And sure, there's plenty of that to talk about. But when I think of what High Meadows has given my son Cameron (now 23) and daughter Maxxe (almost 18), it comes around to two anecdotes:

Flashback to 1997. We're at our first High Meadows family campout, in which everyone pitches a tent on the meadow, roasts marshmallows and sings songs around a campfire, looks up at the stars, watches the sun rise, and feeds the animals before heading home to get some actual sleep. Cameron is four years old and loves preschool. Me, I'm thinking ahead. Yes, we're in love with this delightful environment, with its pony rides, chickens and teepee. But what happens next? A High Meadows grad who just started high school is helping staff the campout, so I pull him aside to grill him about life after High Meadows - how is it, really? He thinks for a moment and responds, "The academics are pretty easy - I was ready for that. And the teachers - not as accessible as teachers are here, but I know how to talk to teachers, so it's okay. There's only one thing that's weird: Peer pressure. I don't get it."

And I think to myself, yes, that's what I want. I want my children to get to high school, with its intense social machinations and scrutiny, and think, "Peer pressure? I don't get it."

Read all of Corey-Jan's article here.

High Meadows IS Higher Learning

By Jane Vale, parent of Tom (Class of 2010), Sean (2013) and Laura (2014)

Tom graduated from Roswell High School and and is studying chemistry at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Sean is a senior and Laura a junior at Roswell High School.

Sean, Tom and Lauren Vale

As parents of a high school junior and senior, we have begun the exciting process of selecting colleges for the next phase in our youngest children's lives. This has prompted us to reflect on the speed with which our tiny trio has morphed into young adults and the various stages in their preparation. High Meadows played an enormous part in this process, one for which we will always be extremely grateful. We chose High Meadows for the sense of community we noticed when visiting and for the emphasis on freedom of expression as well as the gift of a "playground" (a 40-acre campus) unlike any other we could have imagined.

We were delighted when our eldest son came home with dirt under his nails after helping to build a new pathway; we were thrilled at the various pieces of woodwork and pottery that were carried home with such care; and we laughed when our daughter discovered the perils of petting the goat a little too enthusiastically! These experiences take on a new importance when entering the stressful world of high school and college applications.

How grateful we are that our children first read Shakespeare whilst sitting beneath a tree and not from a sterile text book in a translated form. How glad we are that they discovered science and history with practical tasks to bring the subjects alive! In a world where children are managed and coached from the minute they are born, High Meadows offers an oasis of common sense, where grades are not discussed, but progress is. Thank you High Meadows for preparing our children so well for the rigors of high school and giving them the gift of a happy childhood to carry in their hearts!

Apply Now for 2017-2018 Admission to High Meadows

Our online application for the next school year is now available for Pre-K through 8th grade! Click here to learn more about the application process, upcoming events, and to set up your account with Ravenna Solutions--our online admission system.

Have questions about admission? Email Director of Admission Laura Nicholson or call her at 678-507-1170.

OUR MISSION

The High Meadows community celebrates and perpetuates each individual's quest for knowledge and skill, sense of wonder, and connection to the natural environment. We empower each to be a compassionate, responsible, and active global citizen.

(770) 993-2940 | www.highmeadows.org

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