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Nantucket Lighthouse School Announces New Head of School Effective July 1, 2023
Dear Nantucket Lighthouse School Community, It is with enthusiasm and excitement that we share with you that the Board of Trustees has appointed...
Afterschool Music with Nigel
Nigel Goss, our music teacher, will be leading an after-school music class for NLS students in Kinderclass through Grade 5. Open to all abilities!...
Alumni Student Testimonial
“Being at Nantucket Lighthouse School is like having a really big family.”
David Foley
Grandparent Testimonial
“Since NLS’s founding in 2000, caring, committed educators, supported by dedicated volunteers and generous donors, havebeen ableto build a special school that today rests on a strong foundation, thanks to their collective, and unwavering, vision. Nantucket LighthouseSchool is truly the little school that could. And will.”
D. Anne and Rick Atherton
Alumni Parent Testimonial
“Enrolling our daughters at Nantucket Lighthouse School was one of our best parenting decisions.”
Bob and Meg Ruley
Alumni Parent Testimonial
“We are so grateful to the Nantucket Lighthouse School for keeping wonder under and joy at the center of childhood for all three of our children.”
Sarah Holton-Roth and Mark Lucas
Alumni Parent Testimonial
“The Nantucket Lighthouse School had a profound impact on the way we parented and how our daughter was given the tools to fully approach her future with curiosity, confidence and an undying eagerness to learn.”
The approach to teaching each child as an individual, was one of the deciding factors in our choosing the Lighthouse School. Just walking into the classrooms, I immediately “got it.” I knew this was not only a perfect fit for my child but also for my family.
The school is an integral part of our family life. It has profoundly affected my parenting and how I run my own life. It is inspiring to see how children are treated with care and thoughtfulness, both as individuals and as a group; they are taught to respect others. When we first enrolled, the Lighthouse School only went to third grade and, while we were there, it grew through the eighth grade and so we had our child at Lighthouse for eleven years.
I cannot imagine what turns our lives would have taken if we had not had this incredible school available to us. Having the Lighthouse School on our small island is a gift to the already wonderful lives we live here.
Our mission statement talks about “the creative act of learning.” Throughout our program, I am aware of how the school teaches a child to love to learn by inspiring and celebrating ‘self-expression’ through journaling and small class sizes that encourage thoughtful conversation and individualized learning. I am struck by the ease in which children learn in an environment that is surrounded by the handwork work that they make and how children are called upon to assess themselves, which gives them the responsibility for their actions. I value the way in which a strong academic curriculum is intertwined with beauty, nature, thoughtfulness, and care for each child. It is a very tactile approach to learning.
Education, in our current world environment, has lost sight of the child. We teach to a test, for some unclear end. The Nantucket Lighthouse School celebrates childhood, and teaches children a love of learning, and a respect for each individual.
Cary Hazlegrove and Andy Bullington
Alumni Student Testimonial
Nantucket Lighthouse School was the BEST learning environment for me. When I graduated and went to my new school, I realized I was equal to or farther ahead of other students there. The classes at Nantucket Lighthouse School were always engaging. The teachers utilized activities that kids liked to do, which helped us learn what we had to. NLS fostered a very comfortable environment for kids. I never felt shy about speaking up and asking questions; at other places I often felt I would be made fun of or worried about sounding dumb. The Lighthouse School is so great. I wish I could be a student there again!
Ruby Fee
Alumni Student Testimonial
I adored Lighthouse School so much that I remember being on the verge of tears at the prospect of each summer vacation.
Ashleigh Inglis
Alumni Student Testimonial
The Nantucket Lighthouse School is a great environment in which to learn and develop. I wouldn’t nearly be the same person I am today if it weren’t for the Lighthouse School.
I created stronger friendships at Lighthouse than I ever had before. The environment you work in is comfortable and you learn at your pace. If you are struggling, your teacher will take the time to make sure you fully understand it before moving on to something else. I have had some of the best teachers I will ever have at the Lighthouse School- every single one of them. I am truly grateful for having my experience at the Lighthouse School for as long as I did. My only regret being that I didn’t start there sooner.
Ben Elwell
Almuni Student Testimonial
During my years at Lighthouse School I learned so much more than just memorizing facts. That’s what separates it from other schools, I learned how to be myself, in the best learning environment there is. Lighthouse School has given me an extraordinary foundation that I will carry with me wherever I go.
I learned more than a textbook could teach, and I always knew that I didn’t have to depend on Lighthouse School forever, I could leave, but always know that my heart never really left.
My teachers became my second parents, my classmates became my brothers and sisters. No matter what we all went through, I knew I had a family who loved me, and I will never forget that.
Blake Lazarus
Alumni Parent Testimonial
My daughter’s life changed the day she was accepted as a Lighthouse School student. She attended a different school through grade two. During that time I watched a fun-loving, energetic, confident little girl become withdrawn. I knew an educational change was imperative and the Lighthouse School was the school for her.
As a parent, I wanted my child to be in an environment where she felt loved and nurtured. I wanted her to love going to school, excited to see what each new day would bring. I wanted her to grow up confident, knowing she was truly special and that the effects of being a positive role model to those around her and within the community would hold a lasting impression. Being able to learn in a non-traditional environment that nurtured the whole child was an amazing experience for both of us. The Lighthouse School provided all that and much, much more.
I watched the twinkle in my daughter’s eye return in no time. Her teachers loved her as much as I did. They knew her inside and out. Her teachers challenged and nurtured her. She was able to be the child that loved to learn, at a pace that made her confident and successful.
The little girl that entered the Lighthouse School in 3rd grade is now a senior in high school. The education she received at the Lighthouse School prepared her well for the transition into public school. She has consistently been on the honor roll, participates in varsity sports, is a National Honor Society member, a peer mentor, and most importantly, a confident, fun-loving, conscientious, hard working student and daughter. The Lighthouse School nurtured the seed that has grown into a beautiful young woman.
