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A Behind-the-Curtain View of High Meadows Magic

Caroline Carr, P’25’27
Our family’s High Meadows story began nine years ago when our son Waylon began his kindergarten year. Our daughter Mae Charles arrived two years later for her kindergarten year, and they’ve been here ever since. They are now both in middle school, with Mae Charles thriving in sixth grade and Waylon — somehow, unbelievably— coming to the end of his eighth-grade year. If you know me, you know that I am a fountain of tears at the idea of him leaving this place that has been such a huge part of his childhood.
Over the past nine years, I have worn a lot of hats at High Meadows—parent, volunteer, FAHMS board, substitute, part-time teacher — and now I am delightedly teaching full-time in the preschool. I share my perspective not just because of the teacher hat I wear, but also in honor and reflection of my own children’s years as students here.

I have been spoiled to get to walk or drive to school with my son and daughter every day for nine years now. And to this day, when we walk out of the path or pull up the driveway and get that early morning misty sunlit view of the Meadow, all three of us still get that “ahhhh, yay!” feeling. I know that other HMS parents, students, and alumni have the same experience. It is a special aura that this place has — of Joy, Wonder, and Growth.

A Place That Belongs to the Kids
High Meadows simply has a magic to it that gets inside you. As cheesy as it sounds, it is more than a school; it is another home. I believe that the magic of High Meadows arises partly because it’s a place that feels like it belongs to the kids. Like it’s theirs. Full of their creativity, their voices, and their ideas. Where they can connect with one another, with nature, and with us as the adults who get to support and encourage them.

But can I tell you something I have learned now that I’m “behind the curtain” with my teacher hat on? That magic doesn’t just happen from nowhere. It is purposefully, intentionally, and thoughtfully cultivated.



For example, when my children look back on their own early years, what do they remember? Playing and exploring. They honestly did not realize when they were doing math or science. They thought they were just playing games with their friends on the classroom deck or taking care of their class garden bed. They were nurtured by their teachers and encouraged to be problem-solvers, compassionate, and curious. And it all felt like fun to them! It is a common experience for High Meadows families to have dinner table conversations during the early years that go something like this:

“What did you do at school today? What did you learn?”
“Oh, we just played!”

But that’s because practicing sight words doesn’t seem like schoolwork when trees surround you in the forest like some sort of enchanted treehouse/campout. At High Meadows, confidence to become a risk-taker in learning to read goes hand in hand with being a risk-taker in climbing the chicken tree, swimming across the pool, or riding ponies at the Barnyard.

When my kids moved up to grades 4/5 and Middle Years, it was bittersweet for me, but they loved gaining more autonomy and freedom to enjoy other spaces on campus. They felt even more like “this is our place.” As parents, we witnessed as their relationships with teachers and peers fostered their growing sense of self, as well as their development as open-minded thinkers. They have been supported in learning to balance academic learning with athletics, performances in productions, debate tournaments, and band concerts. Our children’s skills as reflective communicators — who conduct their own parent/teacher/student conferences, and who give presentations at Science Fair, Exhibition, and Emphasis — continually fill our hearts with pride and awe.

A Place of Purpose and Joy in the World
High Meadows intentionally and purposefully provides students with inspirational spaces and experiences where they can play, connect, work, and learn. Students feel belonging, they feel at home, they feel connected to nature and to their learning goals. They feel inspired to be creative and productive.

One of my favorite lines from our school mission and vision statement describes students discovering “a place of purpose and joy in the world.” How magical is that? But it is also a reality here, and it starts from the very beginning at High Meadows: from providing hands-on sensory experiences for our littlest ones, all the way up to off-campus travel adventures in middle years. It takes research-based planning and thoughtfully curated materials and environments for that alchemy of purpose and joy to happen.

The Alchemy of Our Community
From families to faculty, no matter what hat we wear, we all contribute to building the “ahhhh, yay!” and “this is our place” feelings for our children at High Meadows. We are all invested in the joy, the wonder, and the growth. Nine years later, even from behind the curtain, I know High Meadows to be a place of wonder-filled discovery and joyful, authentic learning. I am full of gratitude for the foundation this school has been for my children and for their growth into empowered and knowledgeable middle schoolers who are somehow ready to leave High Meadows, even if their momma is not!

To my fellow HMS families, I say thank you for being part of our family’s High Meadows story. And whatever year your family is at, please, soak it all in… because eighth grade comes faster than you think. To those considering High Meadows for your own family, I wholeheartedly hope you will discover a place of purpose and joy here. We would love to have you…Come join us in making magic.
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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.
Age 3 through Grade 8 | Authorized IB PYP World School
1055 Willeo Road, Roswell, Georgia 30075 | (770) 993-2940 | info@highmeadows.org