Honoring Half a Century of High Meadows

Happy Birthday, High Meadows!!!

Donning camp shirts, swimsuits, sunscreen and smiles, nearly 1000 campers and camp staff kicked off High Meadows’ 50th anniversary in summer 2022 with a once-per-session birthday party complete with cake, singing, and fun. At the end of the summer, Camp hosted a 50th Summer Reunion with around 300 camp alumni and former/current staff members on campus for an evening of fun and fellowship. The 50th summer of camp marked the beginning of an institution-wide celebration of the 1973 founding of High Meadows School & Camp spanning from Summer 2022 through May 2024. In August, High Meadows students got to join in the fun with their own High Meadows birthday party where they received ‘High Meadows Forever’ t-shirts, participated in decade dances, and heard stories about the humble beginnings of HMS.

“In planning the 50th anniversary activities, our primary focus has been on community- offering current High Meadows families and those from the past an opportunity to connect and celebrate the magic of this place,” Lisa Baker shares. “We have mined old employee files, databases, the internet, and our human resources to try and reach as many people who have been a part of High Meadows over the years as possible. We hope to see them all here on the meadow for Anniversary Weekend in fall 2023!”

The school’s Advancement Department in collaboration with a robust volunteer team formed five committees to help support the 50th efforts. Led by volunteer tri-chairs Bud Lichtenstein, Sarah Bobbitt, and Amy Whittall, committees are focusing on Events, Honorary, Constituent Communications, Archives & History, and Projects and have been hard at work planning, researching, and connecting. “We hope to create an Anniversary Weekend experience that is rooted in the many things that make High Meadows such a unique place,” states Events Committee Chair, Samara Kaufman. “We want it to feel nostalgic and authentic and to offer a wide array of opportunities for High Meadows community members from then and now to have moments to share High Meadows together in meaningful ways.”

There will events Friday through Sunday of anniversary weekend. Saturday night, High Meadows will host an adult social on the Lower Meadow with dinner, drinks, and a band. Influential contributors from over the years will be honored and acknowledged. “We can’t wait to welcome back alumni, alumni families, former teachers, founders, and others to whom High Meadows has been a special place. Not only are we celebrating our first 50 years, we are also coming together to envision and invest in the next 50 years,” shares Grace Shickler, chair of the Honorary Committee, alumni parent, and former Early Years Principal. “High Meadows is a place that has had tremendous positive impact on thousands of people. I’m excited to see what the future holds and to continue find ways to stay connected.”