When their son Edward was in preschool last year, Sarah and Drew Gibbons discussed what type of education they wanted him to experience. They agreed that they wanted a school that offered:
- A strong academic program that challenges and engages
- Support for their son’s social/emotional development
- Teachers that would get to know their son, understand his strengths and weaknesses, and help him develop academically and socially
- A place where outside time was more than just a 20-minute recess and included outdoor learning
Armed with their list, the Gibbonses visited their local public school, a math and science charter school, and High Meadows School.
“Right away we saw that High Meadows had a positive energy and spirit where kids were excited to learn and participate,” Sarah said. “The teachers were very engaged with the kids who were actively learning, not doing worksheets. We knew it was the place for our son.”
Ultimately, Edward started private Kindergarten at High Meadows this school year. His parents couldn’t be happier with the positive experience he has had and noted a few surprises that have amazed them.
“The first four months of Kindergarten have been what we hoped for and have had some positive surprises,” Sarah said. “At the beginning of the school year, we went to the Kindergarten Hopes and Fears conference with Edward’s teachers. We shared that one of our goals for him was to grow socially. It’s been night and day for him since then. He ran for classroom mayor and won! We couldn’t have imagined him ever putting himself out there like that before. It’s been great to see him come out of his shell.”
Sarah shared that Edward enjoys the classroom community and working on teams in class. He feels comfortable and motivated to contribute to class activities and let his opinion be known. She also noted that he has been inspired academically and particularly enjoys learning math.
“The way they teach math – he gets it,” she said. “He understands the math versus just learning facts. It makes sense to him. We played a game the other day, and he used the estimation skills he’s learning to solve one of the parts of the game. He’s learning and happy at High Meadows, so that means we’re happy! In a few years, we hope to enroll our three-year-old daughter Margaret in the Kindergarten program so she can experience all the wonders too.”
