In hindsight, I need not have worried about the connection, because in many ways what sets High Meadows Middle Years program apart from so many other middle school programs is our commitment to preserving childhood and play. In the most straightforward example, we have held firmly to our Meadow Time despite watching so many schools that serve middle school students chip away at free playtime in the day. I’ve heard far too many stories about a middle school program with a 20-minute lunch and recess where students wolf down their food, indoors, only to rush back off to their next academic class. Here, that time is almost sacred, and what it must entail is ample time to eat AND play, and for that play to be organized by and for students with minimal adult intervention. 

But my time reading about Gray’s work had me thinking far beyond Meadow Time. In a recent blog post entitled How Schools Ruin Recess, Gray remarks on many of the strict recess rules that schools have implemented, saying,  “the purpose of play is for children to figure things out for themselves; to learn to negotiate rules with one another; to take control of their own behavior; to stretch their abilities by trying things that are difficult for them; to gain courage by taking risks.” 

Gray does a magnificent job of outlining the High Meadows approach to Meadow Time, but more than that, in many ways he outlines our approach to much of our learning. It's not just the purpose of “play” that our students need to figure things out, negotiate with one another, take control of their behavior, stretch their abilities, and take risks. That is the purpose of almost everything we do, in the classroom and outside of it. In math class, at carpool, on an overnight trip, in Lit Circle discussions, during assemblies, and while debating in social studies, we want students “figuring,” “negotiating,” “controlling,” “stretching,” and “risking.” In fact, we don’t just want this for them; we believe it is essential to their growth and learning.

Gray further points out that schools that layer on overly strict rules governing recess “demonstrate no trust at all in children” nor the adults and that when we “treat people as irresponsible, they become irresponsible.” At High Meadows, we believe that treating our students as responsible makes them responsible—for themselves, for each other, for their own learning, and for the larger community as they become the ethical leaders of our world. 
 

This approach is only possible with a thoughtful, creative, wise, and supportive faculty who trust each other to create the space necessary to bring this unique vision of learning and of middle school to life. 

When you look at the mission, vision, and values of High Meadows, one phrase stands out as fundamental to our beliefs and in keeping with Peter Gray's philosophy: We value childhood. So much so that we give kids the freedom to play.

Related Articles:
The Power of Play by Head of School Lisa Baker
Let's Build a Tower Taller Than Ms. Kennedy by Lower Years Principal Lori Kennedy