Jackson Carver graduated from The Children’s School in 2023, and now attends Greater Atlanta Christian School where he’s a part of the Class of 2027. We asked Jackson about his transition to high school, and how it felt going from a progressive, child-centered school like TCS to a more traditional school like GAC.
Here’s what he had to say about the transition and moving from a school without grades to one that assigns grades:
Q: What classes did you take last year (freshman year) in high school?
Jackson: I took geometry, biology, health, English, Bible class, and Spanish.
Q: How’s your GPA?
Jackson: I have a 4.0 GPA.
Q: What was it like going from TCS, where you didn’t have grades, to a school with grades?
Jackson: I thought the transition would be tough, but grades are really just feedback, like critiques. At TCS, it was more about making improvements. I was worried at first, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought. The main difference is now I do things just for the grade, whereas at TCS, we did it to learn and grow.
Q: How do you think TCS prepared you to succeed in high school?
Jackson: TCS prepared me very well, especially with project-based learning. At the time, I didn’t always like it, but now I realize how much it helped. I know how to do presentations easily—what takes my classmates five days, I can do in two because I’ve been doing it since elementary school.
Q: How is your approach to learning different in high school compared to TCS?
Jackson: At TCS, we did things like art just to appreciate it, but in high school, it’s more about meeting requirements. You’re learning for the grade, not for the experience. Sometimes I pick classes because they seem easier, but at TCS, it was about growing and learning.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory from TCS?
Jackson: My favorite memory is from fourth grade when we went to St. Simons for Outdoor Education. I didn’t want to do it at first, but I’m glad TCS made us participate. It was a great experience to learn more about myself and what I’m capable of.
Q: What did you learn from Outdoor Ed?
Jackson: I learned how to disconnect from electronics and do things for myself. It wasn’t about “surviving the wilderness,” but more about getting out of my comfort zone and appreciating the experience. I even learned to sleep on the ground, which was kind of fun!
