Small School

A place to wonder.

Ages 2.9 - 5

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Childhood deserves time and space. 
A Nantucket Lighthouse School Small School student plants seeds in a soil-filled tray during horticulture class in the school garden, engaging in hands-on learning and exploration of the natural world.

Where Wisdom Begins with Wonder

Small School is a play-based, project-based preschool where childhood is protected. We respect the individual path of each child, giving them the time and space to wonder, imagine, and play.

Through a gentle rhythm to the day, warm relationships, and experiences in nature, children begin to build the foundations of confidence, competence, self-regulation, kindness, and cooperation. Daily practices of gratitude help children pause, notice, and appreciate the people and experiences that make up their days.

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A watercolor illustration of a Monarch butterfly with orange and black patterned wings, seen from above with spread wings, on a transparent background. 
Learning through Play

We believe play is the true work of childhood.

Through imagination, stories, art, building, gardening, baking, music, and meaningful work, children learn to make sense of their experiences and express their ideas.

Literacy and numeracy emerge naturally through hands-on experiences: listening to and retelling a story, labeling a project, counting cups for a tea party, measuring ingredients for baking, or noticing patterns in the garden. Learning has meaning because it grows from what children are doing, creating, and discovering.

Time in nature is an essential part of the Small School experience.

Children follow the changing seasons, dig in the soil, care for living things, collect, create, and wonder.

Learning extends beyond the classroom through weekly field trips that invite children to explore Nantucket firsthand, making the island itself part of their education.

A watercolor illustration of a ladybug with red wings and black spots, set against a transparent background.
A traditional Maypole at Nantucket Lighthouse School, decorated with colorful woven ribbons extending from the wooden pole, with trees and water in the background during the school's annual spring celebration.
A Nantucket Lighthouse School Small School student holds a freshly picked strawberry during horticulture class, sitting beside a garden bed surrounded by plants and greenery while exploring the natural world through hands-on learning. 
Rooted in the Natural World
Two Nantucket Lighthouse School Small School students holding hands, one wearing a pink sweatshirt with small heart patterns, the other in a gray sweatshirt and blue shorts. 
Growing in Community
A Nantucket Lighthouse School Small School student dressed in floppy pink bunny ears smiles and waves to the audience during the school's Winter Celebration performance, with woodland-inspired stage scenery in the background. 
An Unrushed Foundation
A watercolor illustration of a ladybug with red wings and black spots, set against a transparent background.

Even our youngest children are part of something bigger.

Through Book Buddies, Small School children are paired with older Lighthouse students, creating relationships that span ages and give young children a sense of belonging within the larger school community.

Throughout their days, children learn how to listen, contribute, solve problems, care for one another, and find their place within a community built on mutual trust and respect.

A watercolor illustration of a Monarch butterfly with orange and black patterned wings, seen from above with spread wings, on a transparent background.

Small School is an educational foundation, not a race toward what comes next.

We honor early childhood as a magical and important time in life, when curiosity and wonder illuminate experience.

By giving children room to play, imagine, take risks, and solve problems, we nurture the confidence, compassion, creativity, and love of learning that will carry them through their years at Nantucket Lighthouse School and beyond.

Explore the Curriculum Path

See how learning grows from the first days of Small School through Grade 8 graduation.

View the Curriculum Path

Small School Daily Rhythm

Each day in Small School follows a gentle, predictable rhythm that gives children the freedom to explore, play, and discover. A thoughtful balance of creative activities, outdoor adventures, shared experiences, and quiet moments creates space for curiosity, connection, and growth.

Here is a glimpse into what a typical day in Small School might look like.

A Nantucket Lighthouse School Small School Weekly classroom schedule with colorful hand-drawn icons, organized by days from Monday to Friday, including activities like work, recess, lunch, project, quiet time, and closing circle.

Signature Experiences

From Small School through Middle School, traditions woven through the years help define a Lighthouse education. Rooted in the school’s earliest days, these experiences engage the whole child—head, heart, and hands.

A Nantucket Lighthouse School classroom bookshelf filled with children's books, beneath a chalkboard featuring a handwritten butterfly poem and colorful illustrations of leaves and butterflies, creating a welcoming learning environment
A pink watercolor illustration of a compass rose with words 'Curiosity,' 'Wisdom,' 'Kindness,' and 'Belonging' around it. Representing the Nantucket Lighthouse School's Core Values.