Our History

You could say that High Meadows School began on an afternoon hike with friends, which is extraordinarily appropriate for the legacy High Meadows still holds today.

While exploring the land that is now our campus, forward-thinking educators Jody Holden, Bill Crawford, Jay Dickerson, and Michael Drake conceived the idea of a progressive school and summer day camp designed to emphasize exploration, discovery, and multi-age learning.

At that time, the property was part of the former residence of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Franklin and was known as Franklin Farm. In honor of the 42 sprawling acres sitting atop one of the highest points in Roswell, the new owners and our school founders named it High Meadows.

That was more than four decades ago, and still the school is unlike any other. Here, children connect with nature and learn from their environment as they ascend in academic knowledge.

Founders

High Meadows School founders Jody Holden, Jay Dickerson, Mike Drake, and Bill Crawford had worked in various capacities at the Chattahoochee School, located where Roswell’s Chattahoochee Nature Center is now. All four had the experience, vision and drive to create a dynamic school that would support inquiry-based learning and the natural intersections of academics and our environment.

Bill Crawford provided fiscal leadership, managing the finances for both the School and the Camp, and took on the role as first groundskeeper. Jody Holden was a long-time professional educator, and had been head of the Chattahoochee School. Her vision of education guided High Meadows’ mission in its early days, and remains the cornerstone of our program today as an active member of the board of trustees.

Jay Dickerson and Michael Drake were also experienced educators with a strong interest in the summer camp program. Both men blended their traditional education backgrounds with a great respect for the innovative methodologies implemented at High Meadows.

Timeline

High Meadows began by offering early education and camp programs for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. As recognition for excellence and demand for enrollment increased, the school added new grade levels, faculty and staff, buildings, classrooms, and outdoor learning spaces.

More information on High Meadows’ academic and environmental affiliations can be found on our At a Glance page.

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.

Learn More

High Meadows teaches students so much more than what can be found in a textbook. In addition to remarkable content exploration, students develop character, leadership, and self-advocacy that will serve them well into adulthood.

Parents of 4th and 8th grade students

2017-09-15T12:24:14+00:00

Parents of 4th and 8th grade students

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/1602/

Spend 10 minutes on the High Meadows campus and you're sure to feel more at ease. It is beautiful and peaceful with the natural world ever at arms reach. It is a joyous environment where our children look forward to going to school as much as they do to coming home. What more could we possibly ask for in a school?

Current High Meadows School Parent

2017-09-15T12:25:21+00:00

Current High Meadows School Parent

Spend 10 minutes on the High Meadows campus and you’re sure to feel more at ease. It is beautiful and peaceful with the natural world ever at arms reach. It is a joyous environment where our children look forward to going to school as much as they do to coming home. What more could we possibly ask for in a

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/1603/

My son came to High Meadows in sixth grade from another private school where grades were used as rewards and punishments, but they said little about quality of work or actual learning. At High Meadows, we have found a totally different environment. It is so refreshing to see an emphasis and focus always on learning — learning how to learn and instilling a love for learning.

Parent of two children, at High Meadows School since 2010

2016-03-14T15:19:18+00:00

Parent of two children, at High Meadows School since 2010

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/testimonial-2/

So many of my daughter's successes stem from her self-awareness, belief in fairness, and self-confidence – all qualities I can trace back to Pre-K at High Meadows.

Parent of two High Meadows School Alumni

2016-03-14T15:19:08+00:00

Parent of two High Meadows School Alumni

So many of my daughter’s successes stem from her self-awareness, belief in fairness, and self-confidence – all qualities I can trace back to Pre-K at High Meadows.

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/testimonial-1/

When you find a school that fits your hopes and dreams for your children's educational experience, and matches your family's beliefs of what education should provide, you want to pour all you've got into that place. We feel a true partnership with High Meadows as we raise our children together.

Current Early Years Parent

2017-09-15T12:38:45+00:00

Current Early Years Parent

When you find a school that fits your hopes and dreams for your children’s educational experience, and matches your family’s beliefs of what education should provide, you want to pour all you’ve got into that place. We feel a true partnership with High Meadows as we raise our children together.

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/1604/

As I reflect on my years at High Meadows, I realize that I would never go back in time to take a different path. I am proud of the person I’ve become at this school. Through the ups and downs, I have always had people there to support me, and I am extremely grateful for that. I will never forget this small, yet incredibly impactful school.

High Meadows Alumni

2017-09-15T12:40:23+00:00

High Meadows Alumni

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/1607/

I know what life-long benefits progressive education can give my children, and I see the school's commitment both to honoring its history and mission, and to learning and growing in an ever-changing world.

Current High Meadows School Parent

2017-09-15T12:39:06+00:00

Current High Meadows School Parent

I know what life-long benefits progressive education can give my children, and I see the school’s commitment both to honoring its history and mission, and to learning and growing in an ever-changing world.

https://highmeadows.org/testimonials/1605/

High Meadows School

You could say that High Meadows School began on an afternoon hike with friends, which is extraordinarily appropriate for the legacy High Meadows still holds today.

Founders

Timeline

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1993

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2007

2015

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Our Mission