By Elizabeth Miller, TCS Head of School
I joined The Children’s School community last summer as your interim head of school and now celebrate the close of this tremendously successful academic year alongside you as your head of school. As I like to say, TCS occupies a unique position in the constellation of independent schools in Atlanta, and we are proud to live our mission adjacent to Piedmont Park in Midtown, the cultural heart of Atlanta. Now, as I reflect on the 2025-2026 academic year at TCS, I would like to share with you just a sampling of the additions to our program and to our campus that we have made together over the past ten months while maintaining our enduring commitment to our mission, vision, values, diversity of community, and identity:
Learning – Curriculum pacing guides were published and placed outside every classroom and shared with every parent for each grade from 3’s/4’s through 8th grade during Back to School Night. We have also further extended our Singapore math program across grade-levels, emphasizing developing deep conceptual understanding, mastery of topics, and problem-solving skills rather than rote memorization. In addition, we updated the scope and sequence of our Spanish program with a more differentiated curriculum: students in 4th – 6th grades now use “Listos,” while students in 7th – 8th grades use “Encuentros.” Both programs emphasize culture and traditions across Spanish-speaking countries, reinforcing TCS’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Safety – From implementing an industry leading security app on every employee’s phone for emergency communication to upgrading our visitor management system, we have been attentive to security. We have carefully saved and paid in full for a new cloud-based security camera system with improved badging that will be installed in the coming days.
Exploration – Our longstanding celebrated Outdoor Education Program now has a scope and sequence for its curriculum that continues to evolve and bolster continuity across learning grade-levels. TCS’s outdoor education is truly a differentiator among all of the educational options in Atlanta!
Outreach – Over a period of months, we’ve visited the wide array of Atlanta schools where TCS students matriculate to for high school to ensure they understand the quality of our curriculum and of the TCS experience. The dazzling array of acceptances and matriculation plans for the Class of 2026 made the time-consuming efforts well worthwhile!
Investment – Through prudent financial stewardship, we allocated funds to adopt exclusively Apple hardware for students as we close out this academic year. Our obsolete Chromebooks will be sustainably “outcycled.” In addition, we have purchased entirely new network components to provide better campus-wide connectivity for teaching, learning, and security.
Accessibility – In a highly inflationary environment TCS has been able to keep both our Lower School and Upper School tuition rates 25 – 43% lower than other leading Atlanta independent schools.
STEAM – This year, we are excited to have added three new 3D printers and added another GloForge to our STEAM Lab. We are now in the process of doubling the footprint of our STEAM learning space on the second floor of the library.
Teaching – We know that our TCS faculty and staff are mentors, beyond being teachers of our children. This year, we greatly increased our commitment to their professional development, and seven teachers have received summer PD grants! For year-round use, TCS faculty and staff now have a revitalized indoor workroom, amenities, and a new outdoor faculty lounge in the E building. We also made significant investments in their compensation and benefits plans.
Literacy – In addition to outstanding literacy programs in the classroom, TCS has remained committed to a school library while, regrettably, many schools have increasingly diluted their library programs. This year we’ve added the “Reading Retreat” with a dozen Adirondack rocking chairs that afford a bird’s eye view of campus; added new furniture inside the library for reading; and started The Grand Gift, a birthday or special occasion book dedication program for grandparents.
Athletics – TCS has now formalized a clear and intentional athletics philosophy rooted in fun, skill development, and inclusion. Our approach emphasizes effort, teamwork, and growth over outcomes, ensuring that every student-athlete feels valued and inspired to participate. The results have been both meaningful and measurable with our MAAC athletes celebrating three championships this season. More importantly, our students are building confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of movement.
“Glow up” – From the B building conference room to the D building parking garage, from the K building rooftop to the EDSL work areas, and new mulch and pine straw campus-wide, we are refreshing our campus. You may have noticed the new benches, market umbrellas, bistro table sets, ceramic planters, and other touches to continue our focus on an environment that fosters play-based learning. I’m also excited to share that the Class of 2026 is painting a mural of indigenous Georgia plants on the second floor of D building as a part of their legacy project, adding both beauty and meaning to our shared spaces.
School pride – With our mascot Scout’s help, we’re bringing TCS school pride to our elevators with colorful mural decals and along 10th Street with school banners. We want every passerby to know we are here and we are proudly TCS!
Collaboration – A Leadership Team representing every functional area of the School was formed and meets for intensive work sessions. This also led to internal promotions for nearly ten percent of our talented workforce over the past ten months.
Augmentation – TCS continued to expand its summer offerings with three new sports camps, all seeing enrollment from both TCS and outside TCS students. Due to their popularity, we’ve also added a third literacy camp!
Globalization – For the first time in our 56-year history, we offered an international student trip. Eleven middle grades students will be traveling to Costa Rica for a week-long service trip in June, working at the NGO TurtleTrax.
Support – We ran a successful pilot program over Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks where Steve & Kate Camps offered busy TCS families a mission-aligned, on-campus childcare option while broadening awareness of TCS to the greater community.
Planning –To allow for families to look ahead to next year, we published the draft 2026-2027 TCS calendar in tremendous detail in December 2025 with an on-going link in “Happenings” each Thursday.
Transition – On May 22nd, we will graduate our 22 members of the Class of 2026. This year we have taken their celebrations “next level” with a special 8th grade website that includes a brochure and calendar with dates throughout the year when we celebrate the Class of 2026. From their improved middle grades social (thank you, masquerade!), to their surprise Waffle House food truck lunch, it has been a pleasure to celebrate this remarkable Class as they have led the Wolf Pack this year and demonstrated the best of the Big Buddy/Little Buddy program.
Connection – This academic year, we have created more opportunities for families to connect with TCS and with me, as the new head of school. At the opening of the year I invited every new parent for an individual meeting and then we hosted school-wide dining opportunities at Osteria 832 Pasta & Pizza and Doc Chey’s Noodle House in Virginia Highlands so we could all socialize together over dinner. On campus, I hosted eleven parent coffee socials by grade-level to make sure I’m meeting every parent during my first year at TCS. We want to connect with grandparents and grandfriends as well. This year we created a Grandfriends Council and reimagined Grandfriends Day; early indications and feedback are that it was a fan favorite.
Promotion – TCS has increased its social media presence on LinkedIn this year. Please connect with us on LinkedIn, and continue to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Celebration – Each Thursday in our “Happenings” e-newsletter, we try to keep you apprised of the many events and accomplishments at TCS, but this year we revitalized the e-newsletter with more photos and added the weekly “Head of School” column. For regular readers, you may recognize some of the content in this letter. Thank you for being a faithful reader!
Commitment to community – TCS is proud to be an active and engaged member of the broader Atlanta community. This year, we sponsored a booth at the Atlanta Pride, celebrating inclusion and connection with thousands across the City. I also had the opportunity to represent TCS at Midtown Alliance; participate in the Unity Seder at The Temple; celebrate National Philanthropy Day at the Georgia Aquarium; and more. These experiences strengthen our relationship with our neighborhood and City.
Generosity – After receiving record gifts in kind, meeting our ambitious annual fund goal, and achieving our GPT goal which fuels financial aid, I want to say thank you! Our masquerade-themed “Party for the Pack” was a success that allowed every teacher’s classroom wish to be granted. Additionally, the event raised $31,500 to be directed to the School’s endowment so that TCS can continue to assist those families with demonstrated financial need.
Governance – Our board is comprised of 17 trustees who are fiduciaries of the School who give selflessly in so many ways. TCS is adjusting to the demographic headwinds affecting all schools, especially preschool – grade 8 schools, but with careful leadership this year has enjoyed the best financial stewardship of the past decade.
We will continue our commitment to progress and innovation for the benefit of TCS’s students in the coming 2026-2027 academic year as a student-centered school community, but for now please revel in the upcoming joys of summer!
