Student creates historical marker for Highlands School

Highlands School, an independent private school serving infants through eighth grade, was founded as the Highlands Day School in 1958 with about 60 students by educator, civic leader and philanthropist Evalina Brown Spencer.

In 1962, Spencer moved the school from rented quarters at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to its present location at 4901 Old Leeds Road.

Highlands seeks to foster a supportive, close-knit, diverse community and is dedicated to academic excellence, creative expression and leadership development, according to the school’s website.

In January, it was ranked No. 21 on a list of The 50 Best Private Elementary Schools in the United States by thebestschools.org.

Since its founding, Highlands School “has been a unique and special place,” said Rosa Schwebel, a member of the school’s Class of 2021.

Schwebel did her part to honor that legacy by creating a historical marker for the campus that would tell some of the Highlands story.

Her efforts were celebrated April 14 when school officials hosted a ceremony to unveil the marker, which carries a designation from the Alabama Historical Association.

The marker was Schwebel’s Capstone project for her eighth grade year in 2020-21.

Every year, each Highlands School eighth grader carries out an individual thesis project centered on his or her particular passions or interests.

Schwebel is interested in history and got the idea for her Capstone project during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schwebel said her family likes to travel but, during the pandemic, was limited to shorter car trips in Alabama during which they saw a lot of historical markers.

“These markers, my connection to Highlands and my love of history made a great combination for my Capstone project,” she said in her video.

She researched the history of the school, as well as the procedure for ordering a historical marker, and raised about $2,500 to purchase the marker.

“I hope my project will be something to stand on the campus forever for many people to enjoy in the years to come,” she said.