Welcome from Our Head of School

Dear friends,

I still remember my first walk across the Highland campus. What struck me wasn't any single building or program, it was the feeling. Students greeted me with genuine warmth. Teachers leaned in beside their classes, fully present, clearly delighted to be there. I felt, almost instantly, that I had stepped into a real community. I never quite shook that feeling. In truth, it's why I'm here.

That sense of belonging didn't happen by accident. It has been nearly a century in the making. When Dorothy Rust and Lavinia Hamilton founded our school in 1928, then known as The Calvert School, they built it on a simple yet powerful conviction: one size does not fit all. They believed children flourish when their minds are challenged, their imaginations sparked, and their whole selves engaged. So they wove together our three pillars of academics, the arts, and athletics, and asked every student to carry a sense of responsibility to something larger than themselves.

We still hold those beliefs close. But we haven't stood still.

Today, a Highland education means a rigorous, deeply personal academic program, guided by teachers who know exactly when to support a child and when to stretch them. It means hands-on, experiential learning and real opportunities to lead. It means a global, inclusive perspective, a competitive yet welcoming athletics program, and a rich world of visual and performing arts. Most of all, it means our graduates leave here ready to thrive, lead, and serve with the confidence to chase their goals and the conviction to make a difference.

Words can only tell you so much. The best way to understand Highland is to see it for yourself.

So please, come visit. Walk our campus, meet our students and teachers, and see how we live our mission every single day. I'd love nothing more than to welcome you and your family in person, perhaps at one of our upcoming Open House events. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Warmly,