Kelly and George Cave know the value of a High Meadows education. For the past 13 years, they have had at least one child in school there. For five of those years, all three of their children attended the school at the same time. Along the way, they have seen their children thrive, learn and have fun.
“We learned of High Meadows before we even had kids,” said Kelly. “Once we stepped on campus to tour the classrooms and saw how engaged the children were in what they were doing, and saw them running freely across the meadow, we knew immediately this was a place our children would thrive,” Kelly said. “Our children all started there in Kindergarten. It’s been incredible to see them grow and become independent thinkers as they moved into each new grade.”
Transitioning From a Private, Progressive PreK-8th School to a Public, Traditional High School
The Cave’s two oldest children graduated eighth grade from High Meadows and now attend Centennial High School in Roswell. Anna is a senior, and Will is a sophomore. The youngest Cave child, Kate, is in eighth grade at High Meadows this year. Kelly noted that she continually sees her children apply the skills and strengths they learned and practiced throughout their years at High Meadows.
“You truly understand what your kids get out of High Meadows after they leave,” she said. “High Meadows teachers taught our kids to think critically, be risk takers and problem solvers, and become life-long learners in addition to their academic learning. Those are the skills that they need to succeed in school and life.”
She noted that her two oldest children quickly began demonstrating these skills when they transitioned to high school.
“Anna and Will were totally prepared for high school academically,” she said. “What impressed me more was how they began to apply the life skills High Meadows taught them, like self-confidence, self-advocacy and the joy of trying new things. Anna took charge of her learning by trying new classes and clubs. In her junior year, she completed a Directed Study class to delve into a subject she wanted to know more about. She used the skills she learned through the Emphasis unit each year at High Meadows to do that successfully. Will also has tried out new classes, clubs and sports teams, while striving for balance. He knows who he is as a person and a learner and doesn’t worry about what other kids are taking or doing, which I know came from what he learned at High Meadows.”
Kelly emphasized that there will always be trends and buzzwords in education, but that progressive education like what High Meadows offers doesn’t follow trends.
“The school has always incorporated science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) learning into the classroom because they teach children holistically,” she said. “I have heard many times that the jobs my kids will have probably haven’t been invented yet. To be successful in this rapidly changing world, kids need to be able to think critically and problem solve in order to face new challenges in whatever field they end up pursuing. High Meadows gave my children those skills.”
