 The
Admissions Process
High
Meadows’ emphasis on educational excellence and the
uniqueness of each individual student is demonstrated in our
personalized admissions model and practices.
The ideal High Meadows candidate will possess the receptivity,
interest, and ability to demonstrate creativity, critical thinking
and problem-solving, as well as a passion for learning. We seek
students from diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and national backgrounds
who will benefit from the challenging academic program and who
will contribute to the life of the school.
We encourage parents to begin the
process by attending an Open House. To register for a future Open
House, please click here for details.
After attending an Open House, the parent can submit an application
along with the application fee.
The applicant will complete an assessment and visit
in one of our classrooms.
High Meadows does not solely rely upon testing in the admissions
process because we believe standardized tests provide only a
limited representation of the whole child. During the classroom
visit,
the applicant interacts with other students and works one-on-one
with experienced teachers who will develop a comprehensive assessment
of the student’s capabilities based on their observations.
Feedback from the visit is submitted to the Admissions Committee
for review.
The Admissions Committee, consisting of designated faculty and
staff members, meets periodically to review candidates. The committee
evaluates the child’s past academic performance, teacher
recommendations, reports of the classroom visit (including observed
work and study habits, as well as social interaction) and determines
if the school is a good fit for the child. The Admissions Committee
looks for students who demonstrate the following attributes:
• Learns independently
• Works well with others
• On target academically
• Focused
• Self-motivated
• On target from a social and emotional standpoint
Parents applying to High Meadows often inquire about the profile
of a successful High Meadows student.
High Meadows School has been inspiring children for over 30 years
to:
• Think critically
• Learn creatively
• Act globally
• Live compassionately
Think Critically
High Meadows teaches children to think critically. Critical thinking
implies analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information. Critical
thinkers approach something new in a logical manner. They look
at how others have approached the same question or problem, but
then use creative and diverse ways to approach that problem or
question. High Meadows children are taught to look at a problem
from multiple perspectives, recognize causes and consequences,
and support their opinions with evidence, data, logical reasoning
or statistical measures.
Learn Creatively
High Meadows’ approach to teaching and learning is hardly
typical. The classrooms and the curriculum are designed to facilitate
a hands-on, multi-sensory experience that promotes learning through
discovery. The co-teaching model, which places two degreed teachers
in each classroom, often pairs teachers with different perspectives
and experiences, resulting in more creative instruction, as well
as a low student-to-teacher ratio that ensures more attention for
each child. Classrooms are arranged to provide ready access to
stimulating and engaging materials and to encourage work in groups.
Children thrive in the multi-age setting where over the years they
benefit from the experience of serving both as mentees and the
mentors. Thematic units are woven throughout the arts, language,
math, science, technology and social sciences.
Act Globally
High Meadows recognizes the importance of preparing children to
be effective global citizens and is proud to have over 20 nations
represented within the community. To succeed in the global environment,
individuals need to complement their education with the international
education skills that allow them to understand and respect other
cultures, languages and beliefs. As of July 2007, we are an Authorized IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme. We are one of only two private schools in Georgia that currently offer the PYP -- a renowned international program of educational
excellence for children.
Live Compassionately
High Meadows fosters a socially responsive community based on trust,
dignity and respect in which all members are active participants.
Children are involved in a comprehensive character education
program through which they explore valued character traits. Faculty,
staff and other students are engaged in modeling the desired
behavior. In addition to what is learned in the classroom, High
Meadows participates in a variety of community service projects-many
of which are initiated by the students.
Graduates
Whether transitioning to a private or public high school, or attending
a small liberal arts college or a large university, High Meadows
graduates find that they have the academic abilities and social
and emotional maturity to be their own educational advocates.
They have a real love of learning inspired from their experiences
at High Meadows and they are keenly aware of how to partner effectively
with their teachers and professors in their education. Our graduates
not only go on to challenging high schools and prestigious colleges
where they achieve academically, but they typically follow their
passions and excel in many different ways outside the classroom.
Our graduates are living testimony that High Meadows inspires
children to think critically, learn creatively, act globally
and live compassionately.
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