CELEBRATING
50 YEARS!
High Meadows School & Camp
50 YEARS FORWARD VISION AND PHILOSOPHY
BY THE DECADES
A TRIP THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
OUR SCHOOL & CAMP COMMUNITY, TRADITIONS & PLACES
High Meadows School & Camp
1055 Willeo Road Roswell, Georgia 30075
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
50
YEARS OF
HIGH MEADOWS
TABLE of 02
24
50 YEARS FORWARD
OUR CAMPUS
04
34
GROWTH & LEADERSHIP
06
OUR HISTORY A TRIP THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
SPECIAL PLACES AT HIGH MEADOWS
HMS TRADITIONS WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
38
COMMUNITY OUR LONGEST MEMORIES
18
48
WHAT A CAMP SHOULD BE
STUDENT VIEWS
50 YEARS OF CAMP
THE FUTURE
CONTENTS
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In the early 1970s, four educators Bill Crawford, Jay Dickerson, Michael Drake, and Jody Holden laid out their vision for a new school, re-imagining what a school could be. They embraced a new educational philosophy different from traditional school. Their new school and camp programs would allow children to use their natural curiosity, progress at their own pace, take risks, learn from the outdoors, and explore the world around them.
This vision for education guided the direction of High Meadows School in its earliest days, and remains at the cornerstone of our program today.
YEARS FORWARD 2
0
High Meadows’ innovative teaching style was articulated by Jody Holden:
“A love of learning is innate in children – and so, we worked to nurture that. Our goal was to encourage children to be creative, to have autonomy and to use their own decision making skills in a safe, enriching environment. And we wanted them to connect with the beautiful natural environment around them.”
Our Mission
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.
Our Vision
High Meadows School and Camp inspires adventurous learners who ask questions that drive learning and seek sustainable solutions in collaboration with others. Our students emerge as ethical leaders with the skills and habits of mind to grow and adapt as they discover a place of purpose and joy in an ever-changing world.
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50 GROWTH YEARS OF
1973 - 1974
GRADES: Preschool & Kindergarten, Ages 3-5 NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 60 OWNERSHIP: Private School owned by four founders BUILDINGS: Two, plus an old barn HEADS OF SCHOOL: Founders Jody Holden, Michael Drake, Jay Dickerson and Bill Crawford
2023 - 2024
GRADES: Age 3 - 8th grade NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 350 OWNERSHIP: Non-profit Corporation with a Board of Directors BUILDINGS: Fifteen, plus one caboose, one barn theater and thirteen cabins HEAD OF SCHOOL: Lisa Baker
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50LEADERSHIP YEARS OF
Lisa Baker Jody Holden & School Founders 1973
Head of School & Camp Sheryl Smith Robertson 1993 -1996
Paule Ebrahimi 1997-2004 Liz Gembecki 2004-2010
2020 - Present
“What an exciting time to be at High Meadows! As we reflect on and celebrate our first 50 years, we also focus each day on inspiring the next generation of adventurous learners and ethical leaders who will help to sustain and shape our future. Happy Birthday, High Meadows!”
Jay Underwood 2010 -2019
Bud Lichtenstein Interim 2019 - 2020
5
So begins the story that is told in native hand talk and taught to children who attend High Meadows School. “A long time ago, one woman and three men saw a good place. They said, ‘let’s make a school …”
It was pretty much that simple . . .
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50
YEARS OF
HISTORY THE EVENTS THAT DEFINE US By Cheryl Barlow, current parent and archivist
It was Maya Angelou who said, “I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you are going.” Our 50th year is a good time to look back as we move forward and study the events that defined and shaped our school. In order to commemorate the 50th anniversary, the History and Archives Committee took on the challenge of reviewing and documenting boxes of past records, pictures, papers, and objects. The HMS archives could never tell our entire journey thus far. Like all archives, ours hold a glimpse into our story, brought together by a combination of judgement and happenstance. However, the archives provide a unique way to review the past 50 years and connect us to the stories and events that are yet to come.
A peek into the archives . . . 7
19
s
Building the Foundation for High Meadows School
The Early Foundations for High Meadows
High Meadows really began in the 1960s. In 1960, Jody and Horace Holden owned 120 acres along the Chattahoochee River.
Chattahoochee School & Camp
On that land they founded Camp Chattahoochee. At the end of the first summer, they decided to use the facility year round by adding a school program. Katherine Singletary and Tillie Wood, the founders and teachers of the Roswell Kindergarten, brought their kindergarten from its location at Roswell City Hall to the site. The Chattahoochee School and Camp opened with preschool and Kindergarten classes in 1961.
Early Staff
The Holdens invited Katherine Singletary and Tillie Wood to teach with them. Jody, an educator with experience working with preschool and kindergarten aged children, became the School Director. In 1967, the school added grades 1-4. Horace Holden had experience working a camp and in the summers ran summer camp and family club recreation programs.
A Philosophy is Born
The school and camp programs had a philosophy of allowing children to use their natural curiosity, learn from the outdoors, take risks responsibly, and use their senses to explore the world around them. High Meadows would later embrace these same principles. 8
Top:
The Chattahoochee School had classrooms in the enclosed building, but much of the learning took place in the open “gym” structure and outside.
Middle:
Chattahoochee School & Camp Sign
Bottom:
Chattahoochee School brochure & camp badge
HIGH MEADOWS FOUNDERS Leadership, Talent, and Vision: Four Unique Individuals
It would be difficult to envision a more perfect founding team. All four founders brought their professional experience and desire to create a new school with unique educational methodologies. They each contributed to the development of High Meadows School.
Jody Holden
Jody’s vision for education that began at the Chattahoochee School guided the direction of High Meadows in its earliest days, and remains at the cornerstone of our program today. She believed children should learn and grow through joyful experience, meaningful relationships, connection to nature, responsible risk taking, and deep thinking.
Jody Holden Bill Crawford
Bill Crawford
Bill Crawford provided fiscal leadership, managing the finances of both the school and the camp. Especially in the school’s earliest days, everyone took on multiple roles and responsibilities. Mr. Crawford was also the school’s first groundskeeper. Above all, say his co-founders, he was a man who laughed easily and was always looking forward.
Jay Dickerson
Jody Holden remembers Jay Dickerson as a good communicator with strong leadership, ready to jump in and tackle any issue that came along. Jay, like the other founders, was a leader in educational philosophy. They established High Meadows using innovative teaching practices that now are embraced by many schools.
Jay Dickerson
Michael Drake
Michael Drake actually lived and taught in Montgomery, Alabama, but spent his summers in the Atlanta area working with our summer camp. Both he and Bill blended their traditional educational backgrounds with a great respect for the innovative methodologies implemented at High Meadows. Michael Drake
9
19
School Founders Purchase Land and Open High Meadows School
s
Founders Join Forces
All four of the HMS founders worked in various capacities at the Chattahoochee School and Camp and were believers in the principles and methods that embodied a more progressive approach to education. They all had established careers in education and knew what it would take to start and run a school and a camp.
Chattahochee School Needs a New Home Because of the growth and expansion of what would eventually become the Chattahoochee Nature Center, the Chattahoochee School and Camp needed a new home. In 1972, Bill Crawford established Bill Crawford Enterprises which expanded to include Jay Dickerson, Mike Drake and Jody Holden in 1973.
High Meadows is Born
Later in 1973, Dickerson, Holden and Crawford purchased a then rural Roswell 40+ acre property from Nat and Louise Franklin and the school moved to its present location at 1055 Willeo Road. The School is named High Meadows because of its beautiful and vast expanse of meadows on one of the highest points in Roswell.
High Meadows School & Camp Opens
The first season of camp started that June of 1973, and in the fall, the school opened for its first classes for preschoolers between the ages of three and five. By popular demand, additional grades were added soon afterwards. In 1974, the first primary class of kindergarten, first and second graders was created. Bunny Sheffield brought her nature program experience from New Zealand to the program. 10
Top:
School Founders from left to right: Michael Drake, Jody Holden, Bill Crawford and Jay Dickerson
Middle:
Deed of purchase of HMS land from the Franklins
Bottom:
Ms. Holden’s 1974 preschool class
A Multi-age Classroom Model
To read the entire brochure see the bottom of the page
In 1975, the founders hired Aileen Hosea, an experienced teacher in the Leicestershire method, to lead an expanded High Meadows elementary program, eventually including third, fourth, and fifth grades. The premise of the Leicestershire method is to vertically group up to three grades together in the same classroom, so the older students help the younger in the learning process, creating a family environment. High Meadows continues to embrace multi-age learning.
New Building for a Growing School When the school started, there were only two buildings and an old barn on campus - the Franklin House and the Stone Cottage. Classes were held in the Franklin house. In 1978, a new classroom/multi-use building was added accommodate the growing number of students. High Meadows continued to have a strong experiential focus with outdoor play, field trips, animals, and inquiry driven learning.
Top:
First school brochure from 1973 A newspaper clipping showing a limited number of openings for the 1974-75 school year.
Middle:
Early preschool classes held in Franklin House
Bottom:
A new multi-purpose classroom building opens 1978
Left:
QR code to view the first HMS brochure June 1979 Atlanta Constitution advertisement for the 1979-1980 school year.
To read the first HMS brochure from 1973
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19
s
A Decade of Growth and Expansion
Innovative Education Continues In 1983, multi-age learning became the model in all High Meadows classes when Jean Hunter expanded her class to include three, four and young fives. Pat Wolf established a Social Studies curriculum and developed the model of Living Museums.
Parents Form SHARE
In the mid-1980s, High Meadows’ version of a Parent Teacher Organization was formed. SHARE, or School Home and Reach Everyone, started through the leadership of Susan Greathead, a parent and educational professional. It was an organization that was founded by the community to work on behalf of the school. A New Computer Lab & House for Mema
In 1987 HMS parent and architect, Jeffrey Johnson, built a new building for a computer lab and home for founder Bill Crawford’s mother, Florence Crawford. “Mema,” as she was lovingly called, worked as the on-site campus caretaker, office systems manager, and summer camp director. Florence resided in “Mema’s Cabin” until 1991 at which time it was remodeled into classroom space housing the first Middle Years classes. Today, Crawford Cabin is home to Middle Years classes and administrative offices.
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Top Ad showing more expansion in the 1985-86 Bill Crawford’s mom, Florence Crawford or “Mema” Middle: SHARE Parent Organization logo Mema’s House being built in 1987 Bottom: Mema’s house today - renovated and renamed Crawford Cabin Left: HMS embraces more innovative curriculum
HMS Embraces Technology
In 1986, the computer lab opened when Michael Drake ordered some Apple IIe computers. As much as curriculum focused on nature and the outdoors, it was understood that students needed training in technology- an ideal that HMS still embraces today.
Board of Friends Forms In 1988, a group of parent and friends, later known as the Friends of High Meadows, formed under the leadership of Sheryl Smith and began working to ensure the future of the school and camp beyond the private school status and retirement of the owners.
All Aboard the Library Caboose The big event to end the 80s was the caboose donation by Norfolk-Southern Railways. When cabooses became obsolete, railroads offered to donate them to worthy places. Jay and Sandra Dickerson had the idea to turn a caboose into a much needed school library.
Norfolk Southern agreed and the 80,000 pound caboose was transported to the school on two flatbed trucks. It was placed using a crane on tracks that had been put in place by Jay Dickerson and Bill Crawford with help from the middle schoolers, who shoveled gravel. After clean up, paint, shelving and a grant for new books, the caboose served as a library for many years. Top Computer lab from the 1980s Middle: The Caboose arriving on campus 1989 Bottom: Conductor hat from the archives Students with books outside Caboose library Article Atlanta Constitution Sept. 14, 1989 13
19
s
From Privately Owned to Independent Non-Profit
A Middle School for HMS Students at High Meadows wanted to stay beyond elementary school. In 1992 Social Studies teacher, Pat Wolf, developed a middle years program. She initiated its establishment as part of the Friends of High Meadows goal of non-profit, independent status. She was its first teacher and director. The program started in 1991 with 13 students in the 6th and 7th grades, and expanded to the 8th grade the following year. Within three years, the middle school had 30 students. Parents buy the School! The Friends of High Meadows group was legally formed to work to transfer ownership of the school from a private to an independent tax exempt entity, making it possible for High Meadows to be an independent school with a Board of Directors. Acting under the continued leadership of Sheryl Smith, they raised money in pledges, gifts, and loans to buy the school from the founders and expand the campus with new buildings and a middle school. In 1993, the transfer and purchase of the school went through!
Board of Directors
Under its new organization, the school established a defined governance structure with a Board of Directors. The Board hires the Head of School, approves annual budgets, and determines strategic direction ensuring HMS stays true to its mission and values. They hired first formal Head of School, Sheryl Smith. 14
Founder Michael Drake:
“I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of High Meadows. The parents who bought High Meadows from us said they would make it work – and they did. It’s not easy to have a board run school. Not everyone will agree on direction – and at many schools, board infighting splits a school apart. But it’s never happened here. That’s an incredibly positive statement about the support and love of the school.”
Top Middle Years founder, Pat Wolf Sheryl Smith, Chairman of Friends of High Meadows and first Head of School in 1993 Middle: June 10, 1993 article about purchase of the school Bottom: Quote about the Board from founder Michael Drake
Heads of School Under Sheryl Smith’s leadership, the existing curriculum at High Meadows was formalized. This included the establishment of an Outdoor Education Program led by Bunny Sheffield. She also put together a capital improvement program to fund new buildings and grow the campus. In 1997, Paule Ebrahimi became the next Head of School.
A New Barn Theatre After a decade of using an old barn for performances, things like backstage space and lighting were increasingly needed. Board President, parent and architect Jeffrey Johnson designed a new barn theatre and it was rebuilt by the school community during an old-fashioned barn raising in 1997.
New Recognition and Programs During Ms. Ebrahimi’s years at HMS, the school achieved accreditation from SAIS (Souther Association of Independent Schools), SACS (The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), and was awarded a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Additionally, High Meadows became a GLOBE school, a program that advocates for education related to the earth and environmental science. It complimented HMS’s new status as a member of a local Green Schools program.
Middle Years Building designed by Jeffrey Johnson & Steve Romeyn
New Space 1998 and the 25th anniversary saw a new middle school building completed and a groundbreaking for new classroom buildings. Top: Barn Theater Raising Crew 1997 Middle: HMS gets accredited and recognized Bottom: Head of School Paule Ebrahimi Jody and Paule at the groundbreaking for more classrooms 15
s
Major Capital Improvements and High Meadows Becomes an IB School
A New Tire Swing Tree The tire swing was brought from the Chattahoochee School and hung on the Boxwood Elder Tree. It was so beloved it became a symbol of the school. When the tree died, Jody Holden asked that students write a letter as the tire swing tree and what she would say to them. A new tire swing tree was dedicated that Arbor Day.
HMS Receives NAIS Accreditation In 2002, High Meadows is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools.
New Buildings Open
The early 2000s saw the fruition of years of capital improvement planning. The 8,600 square foot six classroom Primary Building for kindergarten, first, second and third grade classrooms and the Elementary building for fourth and fifth grade opened.
New Head of School and IB In 2007, Liz Gembecki became the head of school. Under her tenure, High Meadows School became an International Baccalaureate World School offering the globally-recognized IB Primary Years Program (PYP).
Strong Connections
Ms. Gembecki is responsible for the growth of the connections curriculum, especially the performing arts program. These included award winning bands, percussion, a drum line and an amazing array of grade specific and multi-age playwriting and dramatic productions.
Top: Tree Swing Letter and Tree Dedication Ceremony Middle: HMS gets NAIS accreditation & new buildings Bottom: Ms. Gembecki grows strong performing arts program
Left:
HMS becomes an IB-PYP School 16
-Present
New Initiatives, Overcoming Challenges and Moving Forward!
The Community Center
The Community Center construction was completed in 2009, providing a multi-use space for everything from concerts, to P.E. to receptions. The current Connections Building was renovated to provide space for the current library, music, and art rooms.
New Head of School and Initiative Later in 2010, Jay Underwood became the Head of School. Under his leadership, the High Meadows Center for Progressive Learning opened in 2015. The goal was to cultivate and promote a deeper understanding of progressive practices for new audiences through first-hand experiences. This included speaker series, teacher workshops, book studies, educational resources and professional experiences.
Educating during COVID-19
Top Construction of the Community Center Middle: Jay Underwood as Head of School The High Meadows Progressive Learning Center The in person learning continued during COVID. We followed CDC protocols and masked up! Bottom and Right: Bud Lichenstein, Interim Head of School Lisa Baker becomes Head of School. Our 50th Celebration Logo!
Jay Underwood left in 2019 and Bud Lichtenstein served as Interim Head of School until 2020 at which time Lisa Baker took on the job - just as COVID-19 threw education everywhere for a loop. High Meadows, like all schools, went to remote learning from March May 2020. Thanks to ingenuity, flexibility, community, the following of protocols, and amazing outdoor learning spaces, High Meadows was one few schools in the area to have in-person school for the entire 2020 -21 school year.
Our 50th Year!
We could not be more excited to be together to celebrate our 50th school year as a community and reflect on all we have done! 17
50
YEARS OF
CAMP WHAT A SUMMER CAMP SHOULD BE! by John Dovic, Camp Director It has been said that Summer Camp is a place where time stands still and memories last forever. This quote holds especially true for High Meadows Camp. Not much has changed in 50 years, except for the countless leaders, counselors, and children who have grown older. There is something comforting about a place that year after year lets children discover the treasurers of nature and the magic of their own potential. This was something the founders understood when they started this adventure in 1973. This thought was expressed by Jody Holden who wrote at the end of a camp season “You have touched lives in ways that you may never realize. I wish you all the best in your future pursuits and hope that the joy of your High Meadows experience will stay with you always. Keep the magic of the meadows in your hearts and through all the changes of the seasons, and may next summer find you back here again, where bonds of friendship and tradition remain to enrich the lives of all who play and learn in these wondersous fields and forests . . . “
High Meadows Forever! 18
The 1970s
The Atlanta Journal, May 6, 1973
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HIGH MEADOWS CAMP Explore, Connect, Achieve, Have Fun! High Meadows Camp was founded in 1973 by Bill Crawford, Jay Dickerson, and Mike Drake, seasoned outdoor enthusiasts and educators passionate about providing an environment of fun, adventure, and growth for children during the summer months. Jody Holden was brought on board to begin a preschool program and to refine the educational and academic aspects of High Meadows School.
From its inception, High Meadows Camp has promoted a unique blend of traditional camp activities, environmental education, and a strong commitment to creating a caring, inclusive community.
In the early years, High Meadows Camp began as a relatively small program, emphasizing outdoor adventures, environmental stewardship, and experiential learning. Campers engaged in a variety of activities, including hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, and arts and crafts. The camp's beautiful natural setting, close to but far enough from Atlanta to feel like wilderness, provided the perfect backdrop for a day camp. As the years went by, High Meadows Camp continued to evolve and expand its offerings. The camp introduced new programs and activities, such as a challenge course, archery, and rock climbing, to cater to a wider range of interests and ages.
High Meadows Camp - Then and Now
20
In the early 80s, the Knighthood program was introduced, motivating campers to return and improve their skills summer after summer.
A Counselor-In-Training program for older children helped preserve the camp’s traditions, ensured quality staff for the future, and fostered valuable leadership skills. The camp's commitment to environmental education and sustainability became increasingly prominent through the years, as did its inclusive culture and emphasis on diversity and tolerance which contributed to its
reputation as a welcoming and nurturing environment for all. High Meadows Camp's legacy is not only about fun and adventure, but also about instilling in its campers a strong attitude of respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment. It remains a place where campers can escape the business of modern life and take time to revel in their childhood, in the wonder of the outdoors, and in the care and guidance of counselors who truly celebrate their individuality.
High Meadows Counselors 1973 and 2023
1985- first camp performances in the barn, later dubbed “Livestock”
Campers have always taken field trips to nearby destinations
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HIGH MEADOWS CAMP More Then and Now - the 1970s and Today! Knighthood and Stonehenge The Knighthood Program was created by staff member Mark Warren through his appreciation of the values of medieval knights. The Knighthood Program allows Senior campers the opportunity to challenge themselves individually as they develop skills in activities of their choice. “Requirements”, as we call them, are set in place as guidelines for marking improvement and attainment of skills, techniques, and talents. In each camp activity, campers can progressively achieve levels of Page, Squire, Sentry, and Knight. A ceremony is held at the end of each session when Campers are honored for their achievements with recognition by each of the activity leaders - Archery, Canoeing, Nature, Pioneering, Woodworking, Photography, and many other activities. The last level, that of Knight, is an achievement that few have reached in the history of High Meadows Camp. This level requires seven activities with Knight accomplishments. These requirements are often very difficult, even unattainable by some. When this level is achieved, recognition is given at the award ceremony, as well, but with a special addition: following a reading of the Arthurian legend, a camper who has achieved the overall level of knight is given the opportunity to pull the sword Excalibur from stones in the center of Stonehenge and their name is added to a permanent sign.
Top: Knighthood creator Mark Warren Middle: Camp Founder Bill Crawford congratulates the first Knight, Katherine Pebworth, in 1982. Bottom: A knighthood award ceremony in 1988 Jay Dickerson at Stonehenge 1993
Right:
Stonehenge continues today
While many things have changed in the world in 50 years, activities at High Meadows Camp have stayed the same and have the same purpose - to let campers grow, learn, and have a great time. There are dozens of activities and traditions that are identical to 50 years ago, but here are a few to compare and maybe bring back some memories!
Oregon/Origin Trail- Then and Now
Sports, Theme Days, like wacky hat day, and very the popular cookouts, are still loved 50 years later.
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50
YEARS ON
CAMPUS ELEMENTS THAT DEFINE OUR LANDCAPE By HMS Educators and Faculty High Meadows has many unique places on campus that will be remembered throughout the lives of those who spent time here as children. As an anonymous camp counselor wrote: “Thank you High Meadows for all that you’ve been for me, for all that you are. May your fine green-golden days carry you famously into the uncertain days ahead. May the hands that touch you, the feet that step upon you feel the living legacy that seeps from you like Wampus Cat Springs and breathes from you like a quickening wind. May the voices that speak of you and sometimes for you bear good and will and peace for the sake of your important work. High Meadows, Beloved Land . . . .it has always been a love affair.”
There could be an entire publication dedicated solely to the High Meadows campus and its special places. However, for the purposes of the 50th, we are pleased to feature the history of five important landscape elements. To capture the legacy of these campus landmarks, we went to the archives to retrieve the writing from school newsletters, magazine articles and reflections of school co-founder Jody Holden, along with pictures, documents, and articles. 24
THE MEADOW How High Meadows Got Its Name by Jody Holden
Jody Holden
Lower Meadow 1973 "When visitors came up the driveway lane for the first time, of course they would notice the buildings, but these disappeared from thought at the first sight of surroundings so natural and original, so increasingly rare in the growing Atlanta Sprawl, precious open spaces and protective woods. This was and is the nature of these acres that a name must highlight and protect. . . . many people made a contribution to the existence and nature of High Meadows School and Camp. Valuable as they were to its beginning, the names don't tell us what a beautiful and rare place our meadows provide us and that we must protect and preserve them for children to follow."
Lower Meadow 2023
25
THE BARNYARD
Bunny
A School Community Unlike Any Other The school founders established animal education with the opening of High Meadows School and Camp. Ponies, goats, pigs, chickens, bunnies and more have lived as members of the High Meadows community across five decades. Not only have animals provided joy and friendship to our students, they have also taught them about empathy, respect, love, and loss. Today, our Barnyard program teaches students to interact with and care for the animals, as well as the wildlife surrounding us on campus, in a positive and respectful way. By working directly with our domesticated animals, students learn about animal behavior, physical care, egg development/hatching, force-free training, and enrichment. Over time, students and faculty alike have enjoyed the spontaneous appearance of a sheep or chicken at meetings and classes. On more than one occasion, carpool has been paused to redirect a pony or sheep who has wandered into the flow of traffic. There are innumerous ways that High Meadows is unlike any other school, but our furred and feathered community members certainly make us unique!
Some barnyard friends today Pictures by Coral Dannelly, Barnyard Manager
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Zuffee
Then
Now
From the School Newsletter, May 15, 1997 Bunny Sheffield, or “Mother Nature” who taught students about nature, the environment, and animal education reflected on the passing of a beloved Arabian pony, Zuffee, who lived for years at High Meadows, Sheffield wrote in a 1997 newsletter the following to the students about Zuffie: We hugged and chatted today, talked about the sadness - but talked about the glad parts too . . . .the zest she had for life, the gorgeous way she’d gallop up the high meadow, her tail streaming out behind ... ...the peaceful way she’d look up and nicker a hello to her human friends as she grazed out on the long meadow on weekends...the fun she’s had flirting with Oro since he arrived ...the calm friendship she’s had with old friends Bingo and Wooly B...the funny ways she’d bend down and snuffle to get acquainted with each batch of new baby chicks... I believe that our High Meadows creatures teach us in many, many ways. I think maybe the message Zuffee has for us now is:
Students/campers have regular time in the barnyard. Two annual spring events are shearing the sheep and the hatching of chicks/avian embryology course.
Cry for a moment because saying goodbye is hard and often brings tears. Then, run and laugh and play and...
...Be the High Meadows I love so much.
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THE KEMP /JOHNSON BARN THEATRE From Highways: The Magazine for High Meadows School Fall/Winter 1997 A SHARE Publication
A Man With A Vision . . . A School With A Dream by Coleen Geraghty There's a story in every plank of the new barn theatre, but it took a man with vision to assemble the tales into the latest chapter in the history of High Meadows School. And when that chapter is retold, with dozens of us featured as minor characters, the protagonist will be the man who, as head of the building committee, had a vision of what could be done with some old wood and community spirit. Jeff Johnson remembers firsthand many of the stories in the old barn's planks; others he has heard from former students, campers and staff who also played a part in the reconstruction of the barn theatre.
The Old Barn
He recalls from his childhood seeing "enormous sawdust piles off the edge of the high meadow," where circular saws would have been dragged up to cut trees. Based on that evidence, he believes the original barn was built with wood from the property, a blend of hard red oak and local yellow pine. The Franklin family was using the barn to keep animals when the High Meadows' founders purchased the property in 1973. That use was continued and the barn became a home for Judy Pony and Missy, the camp's first horses. Later, Bingo and Zuf moved in. Jody Holden, a founder of the school and camp and [then], Early Years Coordinator, recalls Bingo "acting up on his first day in the barn, kicking, snorting and pushing people around."
The Barn Theater was born when campers used the old barn for showcasing songs and skits. In 1994, it was named Livestock.
When a hew barn was built for the animals on the bottom end of the property in the early 1980s, the old barn was deemed useless. Camper Andy Vernor remembers seeing a couple of staffers go out with double crowbars to tear it down. "After about 30 minutes of effort, they decided that barn was just fine standing where it was." High Meadows' campers soon found a use for the barn. On summer Fridays, after lunch, they would gather inside to sing songs, perform magic tricks and present skits they had written during the week. These meetings, christened "Livestock shows," in 1985, became a high point of summer camp at High Meadows, Vernor said, "The barn became a very special place that held lots of memories." 28
The school began using the barn for shows.
In 1983 & 84, Randy Kemp, a professional mime, came to High Meadows for a three week residency. The chemistry between Kemp and the students was so strong that he returned to develop workshops in dance and movement and to direct several plays, all of which were staged in the barn. The next summer, he joined the camp staff, but soon became acutely ill and died within a week. The barn was officially named The Kemp Barn Theatre in his memory. Since then, the barn theatre has provided a stage for the annual Middle Years student plays, which, as Jody Holden noted, have become "increasingly elaborate in terms of lighting and scenery." It was this function that Johnson considered foremost when drawing up plans for the reconstruction. "I knew it would become a theatre barn rather than a barn theatre, so I consulted with last year's group of Middle Year students and rendered their ideas into my drawing."
Randy Kemp 1957 - 1985 Randy Kemp
1983
Randy Kemp will be an artist-inresidence at High Meadows School for two weeks in December. Kemp will instruct the students, ages 3-9, in fundamentals of mime.
Johnson was determined to use as much as possible of the original wood in the reconstruction. "It was hard to find pieces long enough to use for the framework of the new barn that didn't show sign of termites or rot," he said "Those we did find, we used for the front wall, but we will wind up using almost every bit of the old material in one way or another." The significance of recycling old material to use with the new might have been lost on an architect whose own life story was not so closely intertwined with High Meadows. Johnson was a high school classmate of one High Meadows' founder and another taught him in 8th grade. He is married to High Meadows' teacher Nanette Johnson and their daughter, Hattie, is a student here.
performing at HMS
The new barn theatre was constructed in November 1997 during an old fashioned barn raising by parents and the community.
The Johnson/Kemp Barn Theatre
In a professional capacity, he designed and built the K-1-2 classrooms as well as the wooden deck leading to the caboose library. Johnson and High Meadows' board president Steve Romeyn, also an architect, have just completed plans for new permanent classrooms that will be built on the campus next year.
Inside the barn theatre which has seen countless performances from students & campers.
1947 - 2022 29
TIPI REFLECTIONS By Bunny Sheffield aka Mother Nature Written in 1998 for Our High Meadows Journey . . . Come Walk With Us In 1973, when High Meadows began our summer camp and school program, there was recognition on the part of our founders and early leaders that we have much to learn from the people who walked this land years before us. Not only in our immediate vicinity, but throughout the present USA, Native Americans, had, through centuries of living on the land and observing the plants and animals who had lived here long before them, developed a huge respect for and knowledge of the world around them. As a way of focusing these emphases at High Meadows, a Sioux tipi was chosen, to define a space, to call the eye upward, to excite the intellect and refresh the senses. The tipi has been used principally for teaching, meditation, and council. The first tipis may have been built when the school and camp began in 1973. Two teachers lived in this one at different times. It was located in a clearing below the pool, then in the lower meadow and then, when the upper meadow was retired as a riding ring, it was moved to the grassy clearing we love today. In the fall of 1990 or 1991, the tipi cover was aging and the canvas growing fragile. One day sheep Wooly B played king of the mountain by climbing the tipi, his hoof ripping a ten or twelve-inch gash in the side. Some repairs were made, but during a fierce squall, the cover shredded. It was then of course necessary to remove the tattered material. To the relief of all bluebirds who use them as a vantagepoint, the poles remained standing many more months, but they too eventually needed replacing. We didn't want to purchase poles but instead make them as had been done before. A certain amount of expertise is needed, and people with that knowledge again gathered in 1997 to begin the task. Young loblolly and Virginia pine saplings were sought that would wish to serve in this manner. The trees were ceremonially collected, and in the forest at the edge of Stonehenge, the necessary preparations were begun. Finishing touches were completed on the high meadow, with counselors and campers joining in the efforts of stripping, sanding, and oiling the poles.
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“All Who Come in Reverence, with a receptive heart, are welcome.”
Bunny Sheffield
The replacement tipi cover, made of marine canvas by a well-established and respected group in Oregon (Nomadics), was ordered and delivered. A ceremony to honor the space defined by the tipi and to remember the importance of setting aside space within ourselves for special learning and commitment was held July 28, 1998. As the morning began, workers came to the high meadow. The huge canvas tipi cover was laid out, and the tripod poles were fitted to it. Once the tripod was lashed and raised, the other poles were moved severely into place, one at a time, with groups of younger campers assisting and learning. Just at solar noon, the entire camp gathered, forming a giant circle around the tipi frame. There was the call of welcome from the Standing People. These are the large trees the Muscogees and the Cherokees considered the greatest of all teachers because of their majesty, long life and bountiful gifts to humans. The seven directions were honored. The tipi cover was symbolically sewn into place by the weaving line of campers and then the cover was lifted and unfurled around the poles. A central fire was lit and small groups entered for stories and sharing of thoughts. These people were the first of many invited to visit and receive from this space. All who come in reverence, with a receptive heart are welcome. High Meadows recognizes that the tipi is a dwelling of Native Americans on the plains of the Western United States. It is used to introduce education about native cultures across the US. Students learn about the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek of the High Meadows area. Since 1998, there have been least half a dozen tipis. The canvas is often painted with different symbols, current themes and the handprints of the school or camp community. Each tipi has a ceremony before it is put on the meadow. They have the same basic outline, but are changed to be special in their own way. In 2020, winds from a hurricane knocked down the tipi. In honor of the 50th, a new tipi was placed on the Upper Meadow on Oct 6, 2023.
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THE TIRE SWING & TREE by Jody Holden A tire swing is a symbol of what it is to be a child. Children are not studying, not setting goals, not building curricular concepts as they swing or wait for their turn. These things are important, but they fall short if the child has not felt what it is to swing under the broad shade of a full grown, strong tree – a nurturer, protector that lets the imagination and the partnerships go in many directions.
The original tire swing was put on the box elder in the 1970s outside the main classroom building in the 1970s.
In a swing, children can make the experience what they are ready for. It does not need to be fancy. An old tire cleaned and tied, does the job. Swing and child must work together for safety and success. When High Meadows opened, the tire swing became a symbol of what we wanted to give our children. It was a joy to have the full-grown box elder standing outside four classrooms, where children and parents, teachers and counselors would pass, chat, seek shade, play guitars and swing. School Founders, Bill Crawford and Jay Dickerson built a bench around the tree. Time and wear would take a toll: a blight of bugs, a freeze, a pounding of roots from cars that circled and parked. The bark grew thinner and smoother. Finally, the tree could no longer hold the swing. In 2000, the children wrote letters to the tree, guessing what she has been thinking and feeling as children come, grow, and go beneath her. A new tire swing tree was dedicated on Arbor Day in February 2000. This tree and any that may come after her is wise and loving; she notices the growing and achieving of all children at High Meadows. The swing that hangs from her will always be ready to challenge and delight. Without limits and flying across the meadow. A reminder of what it is to be a child. These gifts will remain in our memory and in our mission to children.
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Student letters and pictures to the first tire swing tree saying goodbye - 2000.
New tire swing tree dedication Arbor Day 2000.
OTHER FAVORITE PLACES The Tire Dragon The Tire Dragon was born in 2013 after a 4-5 class came up with the idea while they were studying “trash” as an Emphasis topic. It honors the school’s commitment to purposeful recycling, creative play and the initiative of HMS children.
The Chicken Tree
There are many special trees on campus, but the Chicken Tree is a favorite. Named because of the chickens who used to roost in the tree, it is considered one of the best climbing trees on campus. It is a kindergarten right of passage to climb the Chicken Tree.
The Caboose
After cabooses became obsolete in the 1980s, Norfolk Southern was giving them to worthy recipients. Our founders asked and the rest is history. The caboose was the library for many years and now holds the school archives.
Labyrinth
Our Labyrinth is used to meditate and be mindful s in a quiet, natural setting. The stepping stones at the entrance, which have character trait words on them, are an invitation to those who visit to consider one of these qualities as they walk the labyrinth.
Water Garden
Besides the large fish in the fishpond, there are a plethora of critters such as dragonfly’s, cattisflys, water striders, toads and frogs that begin their life in the pond. There is also a bog for children to learn about pitcher plants and how cranberries grow.
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50
YEARS OF
TRADITIONS THE THINGS THAT MAKE US UNIQUELY HIGH MEADOWS It was Fred Rogers who said, “Traditions, big or small, create anchors of stability, especially in rough seas.“ These words from a man who inspired countless children across his decades of influence. Certain traditions and events at High Meadows have anchored and served our school for decades. They will live in the memories of every student who has come to school at High Meadows. They are the things that set us apart from traditional education, making us a truly progressive school. These are what make us uniquely High Meadows. There are so many special things that happen year after year, but here are a few highlights.
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HIGH MEADOWS DISTINCTIVE DOZEN Some Traditions, Events, and Programs That Make Us Unique Learning Outdoors Our founders believed that nature is one of the best teachers and each school day, our campus inspires students to engage in joyful discovery, develop respectful connections to the natural environment, and translate knowledge into meaningful action.
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Barnyard Our Barnyard and animals have been a unique part of High Meadows since day one. What other school has sheep greeting you as you make your way to class and roosters crowing in the background?
Community Gatherings
Our school has a unique community gathering once a month that brings the whole school together outdoors to showcase what everyone has learned, meet special guests, celebrate birthdays, play music, & more!
Emphasis
Once a year, all students at High Meadows explore a topic at the same time for 3 weeks in an experience called “Emphasis.” Each student chooses a different aspect of the topic based on their age level. For Emphasis Night, students put together a project to highlight their learning that they present to the community. 35
Multi-Age Classrooms
The multi-age class model is a childcentered approach that accommodates all learners, promoting collaboration, social development, and taking initiative. Teachers are able to to identify unique areas for growth and opportunity for each in a setting not restricted by “grade-level” material.
Experiential Learning At High Meadows School, we believe that learning is about engagement and connection, not reciting and repeating. Our faculty members continually inspire students to ask the next question, explore what matters to them, and become respectful self-advocates. Learning through experience takes many shapes within our curriculum.
Environmental Sustainability
Students develop a connection to the natural world through hands-on field experience across our 42-acre campus using scientific tools and concepts. Solutions to real-world problems are seen through a lens that takes into consideration financial, environmental, and social sustainability. Students love to explore the ES natural science museum, engage in outdoor discovery activities, and participate in small-group projects.
IB Program The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Students gain understanding through advocacy, service, and projects, 36
Class Trips
Starting with the 4/5 grades, students go on overnight out of town trips to places like Jekyll Island or Williamsburg, Virginia. Each spring the 8th graders fly to Colorado to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. These trips are not only educational, but foster independence, and team building.
Meadow Time
What other schools call recess, High Meadows calls Meadow Time, and our students get a lot more outdoors than what local school districts allow. Our students all the way through 8th grade get plenty of time to run around and recharge. Playing is learning!
Fall Festival Run by both the Family Association and School, Fall Festival is a beloved annual event that started in 1975. Many schools have Fall Festivals, but at High Meadows, most activities involve using materials from nature, playing simple games and the favorite winning homemade cakes from the sweet stroll.
Dozens of other annual events and traditions We could fill pages with everything that happens annually at High Meadows - Family Camp Out, Meadow Mile race, Halloweenie Roast, family picnics, s’more cookouts, book fair, art night, field day, 100th day of school parade, park playdates, and more! Then there are the events specific to grade levels like Middle Years Minicourses and specific units of inquiry. The learning and excitement are constant! 37
50
YEARS OF
COMMUNITY THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPED US Henry Adams, a 19th century American historian, journalist, academic, and a descendant of 2 presidents conveyed the message; “A teacher affects eternity; we can never tell where the influence stops.” This could not be more true of the High Meadows founders, faculty, and families who have worked so diligently to teach, inspire, guide and influence the children at High Meadows School and Camp. That influence has gone in directions we will never fully know. The education and experience that occurs on our campus reaches far beyond these 40 acres. The countless things learned here have been passed on, shared, influenced communities, and shaped the world - as each student is empowered to be a compassionate, responsible, and active global citizen.
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There could be tomes written about all the individuals who have made an impact at High Meadows, but these are a few whose legacy and leadership has left a lasting and continued impression on the school and camp today. From left to right: Top: Bill Crawford, Liz Gembecki, Katherine Singletary, Lisa Baker Middle: Bunny Sheffield, Pat Wolf, Paule Ebrahimi, Jay Dickerson Bottom: Jay Underwood, Florence Crawford or “Mema”, Jody Holden, Michael Drake 39
LONGEST CAREER AT HMS
JENN LOTT Extended Care Director
I will never forget the first time that I laid eyes on High Meadows. I had been looking for a summer job and knew that I wanted to work with the elderly or with children. My parents suggested that I look through the phone books yellow pages at the summer camps that were in the area. I took their advice and saw the High Meadows ad. I called the camp and asked if there were any openings for camp jobs. I was told there were and to come in for an interview the next day. I remember driving up the driveway with such a wonderful feeling - like I had found what I was looking for. It was like a paradise or secret garden.
30 + Years
Atlanta Constitution
August 1985
I parked and went into the office where I was told to meet Mr. Crawford down by the pool. I walked past the brick building, marveling at how beautiful the grounds were kept. I began walking down the steps to the pool, and at the end I met Mr. Crawford and Steve Scurry putting in the last stretch of bricks for the stairway. Mr. Crawford and I sat on the steps and talked for a while. He said I could have the job of working as a counselor with the younger children at camp. I was thrilled! I worked in the "Juniors" camp group (4, 5 & 6 year-olds) for ten years, then Mr. Crawford asked me to branch-off and start the "Junior Outpost" group (5 & 6 year-olds), when our numbers in Juniors got too large. I worked with the Junior Outpost group for about three years and then began working with the Super Senior group (7 & 8 year-olds), where I continue to work in the summer still. About three years after I began working at camp, Jody Holden asked me if I would be interested in working at the after-school program. And this is how I began my long and happy career at "Stay-N-Play". I began by "taking over" for a classroom teacher (Jackie Greathouse) who ran the program from noon to twothirty. My hours were from 2:30-5:30pm with the older children. I love and still love this program dearly and am still here decades after my first interview to prove it! High Meadows is a "utopia" for me - where one can "be" in a gentler, kinder, and more beautiful place than sometimes the rest of the world has to offer. It's not even only the beauty of the place itself- but also the way of the people who are there that make it the special place that it is. It's the place that I am constantly thanking my lucky stars that I had the good fortune to find and the opportunity to stay and watch it grow (and help me to grow also). High Meadows to me means caring and I wouldn't trade my experiences here for anything in the world.
Cowgirl campers like Leslie Brown (on left) and her counselor Jenn Lott at High Meadows Camp and School rode off into the sunset during their recent summer camp finale featuring a ride along the “Oregon Trail.”
25+ YEARS OF SERVICE We asked employees who have worked here 25 or more years: What brought you to High Meadows? What is it about this special place that has kept you here so long? What will you remember most in years to come?
KAREN ALLEN Physical Education Teacher I first learned about High Meadows in 1978 when I was 13. My family had just moved to Roswell. My mom was friends with Jody Holden and through her we learned about High Meadows camp. I spent the summer at camp working as a CIT (counselor in training). My next visit to High Meadows was when my dad was the business manager and he invited me to take my daughter to the Fall Festival when she was around 1 or 2. That was so much fun! The next visit never ended. My dad called me one afternoon to ask me if I would be interested in taking the school nurse position. I said yes and have been at High Meadows ever since. High Meadows ended up being my place. I found out who I was. I spent the first 4 years at High Meadows working as the school nurse then switched to P.E. I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I found out while working at High Meadows that being a P.E. teacher was what fulfilled me. I love watching kids play and teaching them skills that will lead them to having active lifestyles. I love helping them grow socially and emotionally through games and teambuilding activities. I love seeing them grow and mature throughout their years at High Meadows. It is a wonderful thing to see an 8th grader demonstrating the skills I have worked year after year to help them learn. There are so many great things about High Meadows. The quiet when I arrived in the morning for Rooster, the animals grazing while we were playing games on the field, the friends, the people who helped me grow and who grew with me, the teachers who taught and loved my children. I think what I will remember most about High Meadows is that I loved being at High Meadows. 41
JOHN DOVIC Camp Director Growing up, I never attended summer camp, though had plenty of experience in the outdoors thanks to neighborhood adventures and family trips. My first summer home from college, as I was looking for a job, my options narrowed to 1) waking up at 4am to go work in a nursing home kitchen 2) sell vacuum cleaners door to door or 3) work at a sleepaway camp 30 minutes from my home. I packed up a duffel bag and made my way to camp each summer during college. After graduating, I took a job teaching at a private school in Mexico, giving me the opportunity to come back home and work at camp during the summers until eventually I was offered a full-time, year-round position. The summer camp/outdoor education bug had bit me strongly and I increasingly appreciated the incredible growth and learning and positive socialization that could happen in this unique type of community. Eventually I decided I wanted to see more of the country and found a job ad for High Meadows. I was most struck with the commitment High Meadows had for the natural environment and outdoor education and for the noncompetitive nature of the camp program, where each child was celebrated for their individuality and was given opportunities for personal growth and success. I interviewed over the telephone with Paule Ebrahimi, packed up my Ford Taurus with all my meager belongings, and made my way to Georgia in the Spring of 1999. High Meadows is an amazingly creative, strong, and joyful community unwaveringly dedicated to doing what is best for children. Staff and students and campers have true personal investment in their role as stewards of our principles, in the traditions of High Meadows, and in their own personal growth. One of the many joys is seeing kids grow up through our programs and evolve into empathetic, kind, curious, motivated, and impactful adults, oftentimes continuing their journey at High Meadows as camp counselors or teachers. It is especially heartening to see people who struggle or who have differences that are not generally appreciated in society find a welcoming place here where they thrive, attain confidence, realize potential, and find success. High Meadows is not just a stepping stone; it is integrally formative and enriching on every level. So many times I have heard people describe their first experience of driving up our hill as entering an unexpectedly peaceful, beautiful, happy place. After thousands of times making that drive, the feeling doesn’t dissipate (even if some days are more challenging than others!). I am humbled and grateful to be able to belong in this community and all it represents. 42
MICHAEL RHODES Director of Technology I came to High Meadows by way of Caryn Warshauer, a former High Meadows Middle School English teacher and parent. I was in my third year of teaching math at Riverwood High School and her daughter, Sarah Beth, was one of my students. Caryn contacted me and told me that High Meadows needed a middle school math teacher and asked that I at least come see the place. I was hesitant as I was not actively looking to change jobs nor teach middle school, but she was so sincere about how special a place it was, I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least look. I recall driving up the driveway for the very first time, I was taken back by the natural beauty of the campus and immediately thought, ‘wow, what a great place this would be to work’. I was interviewed by Paule Ebrahimi, the current Head of School at that time, and met with Pat Wolf, the middle school principal, and Firman Beckwith, the business manager, as part of the process. By the end of the lengthy interview process, I had toured the campus, learned about the program, was offered the job, and had all but accepted it. I left promising Paule I would contact her with my answer that evening, but I needed to first discuss it with my wife, Wendy.
That evening when Wendy got home, I was already sure and very excited about taking the job – but I had to convince her it made since because I had taken a significant pay cut when I decided to leave the business world and become a teacher 5 years previously, and now I am suggesting going from teaching in a public school with two different coaching positions to teaching at High Meadows which would be a further step down in money. So, I told her about the campus, the program, the atmosphere, how nice and authentic the people were and, as I finished up my sales pitch, I told her, “Honey, our kids will get to go to school there! How awesome is that?” And she replied in a flat patient tone, “Michael, we don’t have any kids – but if you are sure about this, then I support it”. About three years later, our first child, Jack, was born and about three more years after that he enrolled in the High Meadows preschool program. By that time, Wendy was pregnant with Thomas, our second child, and Wendy and I were both confident we would be connected to High Meadows for the long term, so we sold our house in Gwinnett and bought a house located less than a mile from High Meadows where we still live today. Jack and Thomas both attended High Meadows preschool through 8th grade. They went to High Meadows Camp every summer and eventually worked at camp as counselors. Over the years, my role has morphed from teacher to running the school’s network, the school’s use of technology, and being a part of school leadership. Everywhere I look on this campus I see memories of myself and my children. I see evidence of the impacts I have had over the years in one program or another with both school and camp. I have watched this school and campus grow and change, new buildings getting built (a few of which I built), new programs, new people, but through all that I also see a solid foundation and history that has held true the entire time. High Meadows is truly a part of me and my life, definitely more than just a job.
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VANDA SPINOLA Middle Years Spanish Teacher Many years ago, when we moved to Georgia, we needed to find a school for our daughter, Gabi. Gabi was three-years-old at the time. What do you wish for your child? We wished for a place that felt “free”. You kind of know when it feels right, don’t you? We had moved to Roswell, and a friend mentioned this school, not far from where we were living then, that had animals, and where kids played outside and explored- a lot! It just sounded magical to us, so we decided to visit. We drove up the hill and my husband and I felt our bodies relax. We had found “free” for Gabi: free to think, free to do, free to question, free to be. That’s what brought us HMS: the absolute love that we have for our daughter. I’ve been part of HMS for 27 years now, as a parent first and then as a teacher. I remember friends asking me if I thought I would continue working here after my second child, Arman, graduated from HMS. The answer was so clear: obviamente… not. I had bigger plans for my life once my children got older; I had things to do, places to visit, unthought of stuff that still needed to get done. But, clearly, while my children were still at HMS, why not continue to work there? It made sense. It was practical. We lie to ourselves sometimes. It helps us keep going. So, time passed, Arman graduated, and I stayed. What about those bigger plans that I had had for myself? Well, it had taken me some years to realize this, but I too had found “free” at HMS: free to think, free to do, free to question, free to be. Pat Wolf, my principal at the time, gave me that gift as a teacher. Freedom is hard to let go of once you know what it feels like. Freedom is a feeling that you want to share. Children are freedom lovers in its purest form. They need and want freedom in order to connect, to become better human beings. I have seen, as a parent and as a teacher, what this place can do for children, and what it has done for my soul through the children that I teach. I have stayed here for so long because it feels right. You kind of know when it feels right, don’t you? I will remember the children, the people I work(ed) with, my friends, the recognition speeches that made me cry…I will remember looking for “free,” and finding it at the top of the hill and the long shadow it continues to cast on all of us who love our children.
20 YEARS OF SERVICE CHAD BRINKER Associate Director of Camp/ASEP
MS. ANDREA IANZITO 1st Grade Teacher
Thank you to all the Past and Present High Meadows Faculty and Staff! There are not enough words or ways to show our appreciation!
THANK YOU
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ALUMNI AS CURRENT TEACHERS These are our teachers who graduated from HMS and liked it so much, they came back to teach! We asked them to tell us their High Meadows stories! It was my mother who brought our family to this magical place circa 1981. Some credit too should go to my oldest sister who told my mother she wanted to go to the “school with the pigs”. I grew up at High Meadows. I said by first world “hi” to Jody Holden in carpool as she opened car doors and greeted students. I started going to classes as my mother’s “teaching assistant” long before I was old enough to officially be enrolled in Mrs. Cane’s preschool class. Or maybe the question should be what brought me back as a teacher. That would be a result of two ambitious 7th graders, Jennifer Armstrong and Peyton Lee, who wanted to start a debate team. They went to the middle school principal, Mrs. Wolf with the idea. Mrs. Wolf, in turn, asked me, a sophomore at Emory at the time, if I could come up and teach the debate team. Once you start working with High Meadows students, it’s hard to stop. You become invested in them and in the community. A couple days a week teaching debate turned into traveling on class trips, teaching parts of social studies units, and, eventually, a fulltime position on the Middle Years faculty. Or, perhaps, the question is what motivated me to bring my own children here. Having the opportunity to be a student at High Meadows is a unique experience. Embracing a progressive philosophy of education, High Meadows teaches students to love learning, find a clear sense of self, and learn to be strong advocates for themselves and others. It sees the whole child in the learning process tending to not only their academic growth, but also their social-emotional development. Having had the privilege of a High Meadows education, I knew what a gift it would be for my own children. Watching my children walk a path on their education journey parallel to my own has been a true delight. 46
ISSAC WOLF
Middle Years Social Studies Teacher
ANNE LOVATT Middle Years Social Studies Teacher
I first came to High Meadows as a four-year-old child. My parents had found the school and were interested in enrolling me in preschool. They would subsequently enroll my two younger sisters at High Meadows, while my older sister chose to stay at the local public school, where she had already established friends. I was placed in Ms. Hunter’s preschool class and I remember getting to play outside on the playground behind what we now call Franklin House – climbing trees and playground structures, playing “house” in a playhouse that was built for preschool-sized bodies. We learned about dinosaurs through songs, art projects, and books. Ms. Singletary came to read to us, we dyed Easter eggs with natural materials, and we learned about how to make different colors using shaving cream and food dyes. We sat on the high meadow making clover crowns in the sunshine, visited the nearby animals, had Nature class on the trails and in the Counselor Cabin with Mother Nature, helped raise chicks and bunnies, and nursed Ferdinand the Bull with bottles of warm milk. There were several horses, including Bingo, who ended up serving High Meadows longer than many teachers have, and sheep, rabbits, goats, and campus animals like Levi and Bubba (dogs) and Flash and Flash Jr. (cats who lived in the loft of the Barn Theatre). I remember a lot. I remember ten years' worth of these kinds of stories. From Preschool through 6th grade, (skipping 7th while I was at Galloway during a year of HMS transitions), and gratefully back for 8th grade. I remember projects and books we read, Emphasis nights, Living Museums, Fall Festivals, Family Picnics, Class trips, and guest speakers. I started as a camper at High Meadows Camp somewhere in that timeframe and I remember most of that too. I could go on and on. But most of all I remember how the School and Camp, the Land and the People, made me feel as a young person. I spent the first ten years of my High Meadows journey as a receiver of all it has to offer. Throughout that time, I remember feeling seen, heard, valued, accepted, and treated with mutual respect and dignity by my teachers and the other adults in the community. My classmates, siblings, and I were given an enormous gift – being raised with the idea that each of us, and all human beings, has something to offer each other and our world. Our play was taken seriously, our ideas were solicited, and our curiosity and interests were nurtured.
I spent another 20 years as a Camp counselor, and the past 17 years as a teacher at High Meadows, and in both of those roles I have tried to be a giver. I chose to work at High Meadows because I wanted to give back, or forward, I guess. I wanted to help give new generations of children a similar experience to that which I was so fortunate to receive. And that’s what keeps me going. I want young people at High Meadows to know those feelings that I felt while growing up. And I want High Meadows to thrive. I want it to always be a place grounded in respect – respect for oneself, respect for all human beings, and respect for the land and Earth we inhabit. These are my dreams for the future of High Meadows. And in 50 more years, I hope I still feel the same way. I hope that I in turn plant the seeds for children to build their own High Meadows memories. And I hope that future generations of teachers and students continue to water those seeds.
50
YEARS IN THE
FUTURE STUDENT MESSAGES FOR THE TIME CAPSULE John F. Kennedy wrote, “Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” Celebrating the 50 years of High Meadows and Camp honors the accomplishments and memories of the past, but the true celebration is the legacy we leave to today and tomorrow’s students. A High Meadows education and camp experience shapes our most valuable resource and creates critical thinkers, problem solvers, nature lovers, and global citizens - the best hope for the future.
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Students on campus today
LOOKING 50 YEARS AHEAD In honor of our 50th anniversary, the Projects Committee created a time capsule for future students to uncover. They asked current students to create artwork and writing to tell future students something they would want them to know about High Meadows.
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Kindergarten responses written on leaves to make a tree for High Meadows!
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High Meadows School Song Do you know there’s a school where the roosters crow Where animals and flowers and people grow?
High Meadows - High Meadows Be a journalist, a scientist, a whiz at math Study trees and all of nature down a shady path
High Meadows - High Meadows Read a book, climb a tree Eat your lunch outside In the meadow you’ll meet friends With computers, a pool And a summer camp The fun just never ends We have arts and sports and songs to sing When you come visit us, try the tire swing
High Meadows - High Meadows
Co-Written by Ms. Warnock/Ms. White’s 4/5 Class & Susan Gallion 52
1998. S.M. Gallion, High Meadows School & Camp
SUPORT HIGH MEADOWS! Gifts to The High Meadows Fund support the exploratory learning that happens on our campus, while also providing opportunities for faculty members to focus on their own personal and professional growth. Your gifts sustain our community and make transformational opportunity possible. Help us fuel the next 50 years!
https://highmeadows.org/give_online
THANK YOU
50TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNING COMMITTEE
FACUTLY LIASONS
Angela Lockard Bogoev and Laura Nicholson
TRI-CHAIRS OF THE 50TH PLANNING COMMITTEE Sarah Bobbitt, Bud Lichtenstein, Amy Whittall
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Events - Samara Kaufman History and Archives - Cheryl Barlow Honorary - Grace Shickler Projects - Carolyne Hilton & Faculty Co-Chair, Shannon Wright