Welcome from Our Head of School

Founded in 1928, Highland marks a long history of educational excellence. Our founders knew that a premier education would be active and bring together academics, the arts, and athletics. They also believed that Highland and its students should connect with the community we serve – that a real sense of responsibility to a larger cause must be ingrained in every Highland graduate.

 

Today, the Highland experience is defined by our challenging and highly individualized academic program; a unique focus on the power of experiential learning and leadership training; a deep commitment to diversity and fostering a global understanding among our students; a very competitive yet accessible athletic program; and a rich culture steeped in the arts and public performance.

 

When combined, these real-world academic skills and memorable experiences form the foundation for success in college and life beyond. Students are challenged to discover their own strengths and weaknesses in a safe and supportive setting.

 

Highland offers extensive Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. In fact, 82% of the Class of 2015 took at least one AP course while in our Upper School. Our dedicated Learning Center, which provides direction and instruction to support different styles of learning, is unique in this region.   

 

Highland's curriculum includes twenty-first-century skills and methods based on the Five C's. The size of our community expanded in 2002 to include our sister school in Kenya. Our Global Studies program is a unique combination of coursework, travel, and foreign language studies, that fosters diversity and develops an enriched international understanding and real-world experience.

 

Experiential education, which we call Field Studies, continues to be a key tenet of a Highland education. Every student across all divisions experiences Field Studies every year. Some outdoor activities we engage in include camping, backpacking, ropes courses, dogsledding, trout releases, whitewater rafting, and Outward Bound partnerships. We also include other programs like FIRST® Robotics and FIRST® LEGO League, field science, service learning, and our junior internships and senior projects.

 

No discussion of the Highland experience would be complete without the Arts. We see the fine and performing arts as central to every student's educational journey. Our stunning Michael A. Hughes Center for the Arts provides an exceptional setting for artistic discovery.

 

Home to the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra since it opened in 2004, The Rice Theater is the most advanced rehearsal and performance facility in the region. The Michael A. Hughes Center for the Arts also boasts a formal art gallery and the flexible and intimate Lise Hicklin Black Box Theater.

 

I encourage you to visit our campus, meet our faculty and students, and experience for yourself what makes Highland – and Highland's students – unique. I look forward to meeting you and your children.

Sincerely,