Dear Nantucket Lighthouse School Community,
I was deeply moved by our island’s peaceful protest at Tom Nevers on Monday. As I carried my youngest son with me to hear the voices rising above the wind, tears stung my eyes. I often think of wisdom as something that happens to those who gain more years in life, but watching those high school students lift their voices up made me rethink that completely. The young people who organized the gathering were the ones leading us with their wisdom. They are showing us the way forward and showing us that there is much to unlearn about the way things are.
The bright eyes of tomorrow’s leaders inspire us and remind the NLS faculty of why we are in the field of education in the first place. Nantucket Lighthouse School condemns the systemic racism and perpetuation of hate that we are examining as a country right now. We are committed to providing our diverse student body with a safe learning environment built on respect.
As parents who explain these brutal recent happenings to our children, we have an opportunity to answer their questions with authenticity, with sadness, and with hope. While we are the guides and the helpers for our children, we also remember that our children are guiding us. They are great teachers in listening and questioning. They are surprisingly clear about what is fair, what is kind, and how the world should be.
As teachers at Nantucket Lighthouse School, we are continuously re-evaluating our teaching to be relevant and to model tolerance and deep respect. Our powerful Educational Speaker Rosetta Lee started essential conversations with all our students this spring.
This week, our teachers led students in discussions that were developmentally appropriate and gave them tools to find their voices in speaking up about unfairness. Our Primary students read and discussed Peter Reynold’s Say Something about standing up for others. Another Primary class was assigned to make a collage about feelings guided by illustrator Christian Robinson. Our Upper Primary students read and discussed Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colon. One student declared it his favorite book of the year.
Our students are developing a sense of justice: what it looks like to stand up for others and what it looks like to be kind. They know what kind of world they want to live in.
We are here for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for support in talking to your children.
Yours,
Christine
on behalf of Nantucket Lighthouse School
