The Middle School student is on the threshold of a significant new stage of development, adolescence. Dramatic physical changes reflect major shifts in cognitive, social and emotional development. The intellect is awakened, demonstrated by the individual’s emerging ability to engage in more complex thinking processes involving symbolic ideas and abstract concepts. Middle Schoolers exercise newfound abilities as they begin to reason, consider diverse perspectives, and imagine a multitude of possibilities. They are discovering new territory in the realm of thought.

The Nantucket Lighthouse Middle School program educates the mind, body, and spirit of the developing individual. The curriculum is designed to engage and respond to the unique developmental characteristics and learning needs of the Middle Schooler. Individuals approaching adolescence have a need to understand and engage in the ‘real world.’ They challenge assumptions and values they once adopted without question. At Lighthouse, students take an active role in establishing and accomplishing their educational and personal goals as well as in assessing their own progress.

Subject teachers instruct, inspire, and challenge students in traditional academic areas, including language arts, mathematics, history, and science. The comprehensive curriculum includes studies in technology, Spanish, music, and the arts. The daily schedule is designed to facilitate interdisciplinary studies and to satisfy the Middle Schooler’s need for alternating periods of active learning, physical movement, and receptive instruction.

Throughout the curriculum, experiential and project-based studies exercise ‘real life’ problem solving abilities and provide meaningful contexts for the acquisition of new concepts and skills. For the socially oriented Middle Schooler, cooperative and interactive learning supports academic instruction and cultivates a sense of community.

Small classes enable teachers to provide individualized instruction and support for the wide range of academic abilities characteristic of this age group. Knowledgeable and caring faculty members work closely with students and get to know each individual as a learner and a person.

The Middle Schooler is defining, testing, and transforming his/her perception of self and seeks to be understood and valued by others. The process of establishing a healthy concept of self, while negotiating the social arena of peer relationships, is challenging and essential work. This challenge is often expressed in a heightened self-consciousness, a need to assert and express the individual self, and an absorption in peer relationships. The ‘Individual & Community‘ curriculum honors this vital process and supports the healthy emotional and social development of the individual while fostering a spirit of empathy and community. Within the context of a small and thoughtful community, individuals come to better know themselves, acknowledge each other’s strengths and talents, respect and negotiate their differences, and recognize the extraordinary things they can accomplish by working together.

Downtown Campus

The Nantucket Lighthouse Middle School is located in the Saint Paul’s Church classrooms on Fair Street, a campus complete with a full complement of learning venues that fulfill the NLS Mission’s commitment to experiential learning. Students and teachers will use Nantucket and its historic downtown as an extended campus, actively utilizing its wealth of natural, cultural, and educational resources. In their studies, students regularly visit and work with community organizations such as the Nantucket Atheneum, the Maria Mitchell Association, the Nantucket Land Council, and the Nantucket Historical Association. Science and outdoor education classes explore the Nantucket Harbor, wetlands, beaches, ponds, moors, and forests. Middle Schoolers have opportunities to participate in the life of the town through their daily work and activities including field trips, off-site classes, and weekly lunches. Nantucket artists, merchants, and professionals share information about their trades, merchandise and life on Nantucket with our students. This location provides an ideal learning opportunity, particularly appropriate for middle school students who require learning to be connected to ’real life.’

Sample Weekly Schedule

Although a schedule is nothing more than a snap shot of daily requirements and activities, an effective schedule illustrates the organic nature of teaching and learning and adjusts to meet the evolving needs of the students. The more integrated the curriculum, the more flexible a schedule needs to be in order to facilitate the necessary and critical connections that enhance learning and heighten engagement. Teachers will alter the schedule from time to time to allow for collaborative work and in-depth projects.